Layman here, bringing you chapter three. Let's see what hijinx the Games Club get into today, shall we?
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Nick screamed. A short, startled scream, but a scream non-the-less. The last thing he was expecting was his classmate and best friend standing over him with a wicked looking weapon just apearing out of the blue like that.

What he just read beforehand didn't help matters.

"Oh!" Nudge cried, herself startled at Nick's outburst. She lost her footing and began to slide awkwardly down the junk slope.

Nick recovered just in time to notice the girl slam right into him. Simlutanios exclaimations of "Oof!" as they collided.

"Nick, I'm so sorry! I totally didn't mean to scare you, or fall on top of you for that matter. It was just that you kind of scared me when you screamed like that and my foot slipped on some garbage and I couldn't regain my balance and-"

"Nudge!" Nick shouted. Then he realized how he must have sounded and changed his tone, "It's all right, I know you didn't mean to fall on me."

Click!

Out of nowhere a flash of light blinded the two incapacitated teens. Nick jolted up, inadvertantly knocking Nudge to the ground as he did so.

"All right, who did that!?!" he called, rubbing his eyes.

"Sorry," a voice said off to his right. His vision was still blurry from the flash, but he could just make out the outline of a man, possibly holding something in front of him. "I guess I forgot turn down the flash since last time."

As his vision cleared Nick could see a man about 23, with strawberry-blonde hair and a red baseball cap, holding an expensive looking camera, (complete with huge lense and flash).

"It's just that you two make such a cute couple juat now...."

"We're not a couple," Nick said, perhaps a bit too deffensively.

"It's true," Nudge agreed, "it was completely an accident. I slipped on some garbage, and...."

"All right, I get it," the man said, understanding. "Though that explains the noise I heard...." He held his hand out, "Jeffery Fujitaka, at your service."

"Wait," Nick said, "haven't I seen you before?"

"You might have." A weird frown crept onto his face, "Acutally, I think I've seen you around town myself." He snapped his fingers, "The hospital, right?"

"Yeah," Nick agreed, "you're always hanging out with nurse chick my mom's friends with."

"Mm-hm, Brigid Dwyer. I always stop by to see her whenever I pass through here. We've been dating for about three years now."

"You two are dating? That is sooooooo sweet!" Nudge sighed.

"Yeah," Jeff chuckled. "But anyways, sorry about the photo. Normally my subjects are too busy preening thenselves or feeding their young to care.

"I'm a wildlife photographer. I take pictures of animals," he explained when he saw the teens looking confused.

"So what were you photographing?" Nick asked.

"A couple of wild foxes," he said, "only something, (I'm guessing it must have been you two), scared them off before I could get a good shot." He raised his eyebrow and asked, "So, what are you guys doing here?"

It was only then that Nudge remembered the giant cleaver she was still holding.

"Um, uh," she stammered, hiding the knife behind her back, "we were trying get Colonel Sanders out of the garbage."

"Huh?"

"Long story," Nick said, "don't ask."

"Oh, as long as it wasn't another lynching like the one four years ago."

Wait, what did he just say? Didn't he say he'd only been frequenting the town for about three years?

"How do you know about that?" Nudge asked.

"It was all over the state news when it happened," Jeff said. "In fact, when they found one of the guys in charge, they said his body was torn into six peices." He leaned forward and whispered, "They still haven't found one of the arms yet."

This sent both teens into shivers.

"Anyways," he said, his voice cheery again, "you might want to wait until tomorrow to rescue the Colonel; it'll be dark soon, and a lot of unfriendly animals will probably start wandering around here. Trust me."

As he walked off, Nick and Nudge just looked at each other and decided that they should wait until later to get the Colonel Sanders statue.

I mean, could you after hearing that?


The next day Nick made sure to get up bright and early to get ready for the Starvation the The Grill. By 9:30 he'd eaten a light breakfast and was already out the door and on his bike, headed over to the next town. He made it to ten minutes to spare; his friends were already outside waiting for him.

Everyone but Max.

"I can't believe it!" Nick shouted angrily. "Leave it to Max to come down with a head cold after she gave me the whole "Come, or else" speech." He folded his arms in a pout, "This is so like her."

"Oh, come on, Nick," Ella said, "you totally didn't help this anyways with that dunk tank stunt you pulled the other day."

"It's not like she got sick on purpose," Angel said, patting Nick's back reasuringly. "She wanted to come just as much as any of us."

"You're probably right," Nick sighed, "as usual."

"Attention everyone!" a waitress said from entrance. She was wearing a white blowse that was tied around her waist (with most of the buttons open to show her ample cleavage, I might add), a miniskirt that could probably pass for a hand towel if it were any shorter, and shiny black knee-high boots that looked like they came from Hot Topic. On top of that her hair was let down and it was sticking out from under an orange baseball cap with The Grill's logo on it.

This place made Hooters look like McDonalds.

"I'm sure by now you've all heard the rules, but there are a few things that we'd like to make clear.

"Firstly, anyone who leaves The Grill will be immediately disqualified from the Starvation. No exceptions!

"Secondly, each person only gets one complimentary meal. If you feel you have to eat more, be ready to pay.

"Lastly," she said, opening the door behind her, "have fun!" She stepped out of the way as the crowd (including our four intrepid heroes) surged forward. Within minutes every seat or booth in the restaraunt was filled, groups of every concievable mixture of people (most of whom Nick didn't recognize) filling them.

"Whoa," he breathed, "I knew this was going to be a big deal, but I've never even seen half of these people around Patterson, let alone this town."

"Oh, the Starvation is really popular," Ella explained. "people from all over the state come every year. It's like a state event!"

"Though they can be jerks sometimes," Nudge said. As if on cue they heard a Slap! coming from a table a few booths down from them. A second later a waitress, looking rather pissed off, walked by in a huff, muttering something about "idiots" and "jerks" and "renegotiating her contract". "See what I mean?"

"Hi there," an extremely familiar sounding voice next to them said, "do you all know what you want?"

Everyone turn around to see Maxine standing there, order pad in hand and wearing the incredibly revealing outfit all the other waitresses were wearing.

The girls all said "hi" in cheerful, perky voices, and Nudge cooed and sighed about how she would take her home, but Nick couldn't get past the outfit. At least, not until Angel shook him out of it.

"Ah! Pork and beans!" he burted out, his mind snapping back to reality.

Ella, Angel, Nudge, and Maxine all sweatdropped.

"Sorry, hi there," he said, managing to save himself some face.

"Hi yourself," Maxine said back. She looked around the resturaunt, "Where's Max? I thought she coming with you guys today."

"She wasn't feeling well," Ella explained. "She called and said she came down with a bad head cold."

"That's too bad," Maxine said, sounding dissapointed, "I know she would have loved to be here with you guys. If she were here now, I'm sure she'd tell you to keep going, even if she wasn't here."

"You're right," Nick agreed, "Even if she wasn't here she'd still want us do our best and hold nothing back. For Max!"

"For Max!" the table echoed. Things were off to a good start.

After they ordered their food they mostly sat and talked. The conversation ranged from speculation about what Max was doing at home, to how everyone was going to spend their share of the prize money, to keeping Nudge rom taking home every cute waitress that passed by.

By 3 o'clock only about half of the seats in the diner remained occupied, their occupants either gone of their own volition or were disqualified.

The Games Club was among the remaining.

"How are you guys doing?" Maxine asked.

"We're kind of hungry," Nick answered, "but it's nothing we cant handle." He attempted a smile but was distracted when he saw her wince and rub her butt. "You OK?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said, not sounding all that convincing, "these guys over at that table there pinched my butt a little too hard, I guess." She pointed to a table were a quartet of dunk looking guys were giving each other high-fives. Or in some cases, attempting.

"They did that?" Nudge asked.

"Why didn't you tell them of or something?" Nick demanded.

"Well, the waitstaff isn't allowed to influance anyone to leave before the contest is over. Uncle told us anyone who did that would get their pay docked for the rest of the week."

"But-?"

"I have to go check on the other tables, see you!" As she huried off to check the tables, Nick shuffled uneasily in his seat.

"Ugh, why do people have to be such jerks!" He pinched the bridge of his nose, then stood up. "I need to use the restroom," he said, heading off in that direction.

He didn't get very far, however, as he overheard the converation going on at the table of jerkwads.

"So how was it?" one of the men asked eagerly. Nick didn't hear a reply persay, but the whistle that followed told him otherwise. "Dude...."

"I know. But get this, when she comes back with our drinks...." Nick couldn't hear what was said, but he knew it couldn't be anything good. His suspicions were confirmed by the many rounds of high fives that followed.

Nick couldn't hold it any longer. Blame it on the way he was raised, but his personal sense of chivalry wouldn't let him stand by as one of his friends was harrased by a bunch of stupid drunks.

"Hey faggots," he said, maybe a little louder than planned, "why don't you go take your useless asses outta here and go screw yourselves!"

"F*** off, kiddie," one of the drunks slurred, "this ain't got nothing to do with you."

"I does when one of then girls you're harrasing is my friend!" His fists were balled up now.

"I said f*** off, kid. I'm way out of your league."

"Really?" Nick asked. "That's what Bubba said he told you in prison."

Whuff!

Nick doubled over in pain, clutching his stomach where he was kneed.

As he crawled back to the table his mind was racing with idea how best to get revenge.

"Oh my god, Nick, what happened?" Nudge exclaimed as Nick slithered into his seat.

"One of the guys over there beat me up," he explained. This provoked startled gasps for his friends.

"That's terrible," Ella remarked, "why did they do that?"

"I tried to tell them off for harrasing Maxine." He rubbed his stomach, "I might have been a little too forward."

"Poor, Maxine," Angel said, "what should we do?"

"Funny you should ask that," Nick chuckled through the pain, drawing the girls in closer to inform them of his new plan....


(fifteen minutes later...)

"OK, everybody ready?" Nick asked. The girls each nodded affemative. That's good. Ella, you made sure to-"

"Already done," Ella said with a devious smile.

"Perfect, now we just have to wait for-Oops, here she comes. Angel, get into possition! Nudge, do your thing."

"Aye aye, Captain!" Nudge saluted, heading off to intercept her unknowing waitress friend.

At the table in question, the drunks were getting ready to put their own perverted plan into action. Maxine was headed back with an order of food (another waitress had brought drinks before hand) and she was trying very hard not to spill any of it.

The plan was to trip the young waitress just right as she walked by so she would end up landing in one if the guys' pants. The "Reciever" was incredibly excited about the plan and had already started to unzip his pants.

Before any of that could happen, however, a young, dark skinned rushed past them and grabbed the waitress by the arm, almost causing her to drop her tray. The mocha skinned girl babbled on about some "big problem" or something and dragged the waitress over to her table, placing the food on their table as she passed by.

They scowled at their plan falling apart like that, then sat back and hursed their drinks. Maybe they's have better luck with the next waitress that came by.

"Howdy, faggots!" Nick said, walking up with a soda in his hands.

"I though we told you to f*** off, kid," the lead drunk slurred. "Or are you just a glutton for punishment?"

"Actually," Nick said as he uncapped his soda, "I came by to appologize. I might have been a bit too...well...let's just say I was out of line to say those things to you. Truce?" He held out his hand in a gesture of peace.

The inebriated group of men were flabbergasted. They should stangle this kid for talking to them like that. Thankfully, they were too drunk to care the hell either way, so they returned the handshake.

"No hard feelings, *hic*, right kid?"

"You betcha!" They release hands and Nick wipes his brow. "Man, is it hot in here or what?" He brings the soda bottle above his mouth and lets it pour in.

Slowly.

As the drunks watch this they suddenly feel a great urge to answer the call of nature.

"Ah!" he sighed when he was done, "That was refreshing! But I'm still a bit thirsty." He reached over the table and grabbed a undrunk glass of water. "You don't mind, do you?" he asked before slowly sipping from the glass, which was glistening with condensation.

"Aw crap, I really gotta piss," one of them said, jumping up shuffling off to the restrooms.

"Not before I do," another said, and the rest followed him.

However, they failed to notice the "Out of order" sign that hung on the door of the men's room until they were right next to it.

"F***Dammit! This always happens when I eat out," the leader cursed, trying not to soil his pants.

"Dude," another guy said, "let's just use the girl's room."

That was a brilliant idea. Not giving it a second thought, the men burst into the adjoining door and began to loosen their belts.

That is, until they saw the small, blonde girl opening a stall door.

She let out a startled yelp when she saw the men and slammed the door shut again.

"Man, I didn't think there'd be anyone else in here."

"And you didn't think of that before you suggested this?!" the leader shouted, slapping the man upside the head. "Idiot!"

"Um, little girl?" one of the other drunks asked through the stall door. "We're not going to hurt you or anything, we just really need to take a crap before we explode. OK?"

Angel opened the door a crack and poked her head out.

"But this is the Girl's Room, you can't be in here."

"But we really, really need to go. Please?"

Angel rubbed her chin, considering.

"You can't use this bathroom," the men's spirits fell.

"Dammit!"

"But I can take you to one you can use." This was met with cheers and whoops of gratitude. "C'mon, follow me."

Seeing as how each of them was beginning to reach the limits of his stamina, they followed her wothout question. That is, until they all reached the door.

"Hey guys," Nick said, waving. Behind him were Nudge, Ella, and Maxine. "Going somewhere?"

"Yeah, somewhere where I can piss, now get outta da way kid," the leader said, pushing past Nick and heading outside. The others followed suit.

"Fine with me," Nick said, holding up his hands and letting them past. When they were outside, he added, "I couldn't care less wether or not you guy want to forfit your claim on the grand prize."

A more colorful barage of language that would make sailors and convicts blush was never heard.

"Yeah that's right, you can't take the heat, stay away from the Fangalator!"

"'Fangalator'?" Ella asked as they went back into the resturaunt.

"Oh, I said that out loud?" Nick was feeling a bit sheepish right now.

"Yeah," Ella nodded. Nudge was nodding yes as well.

"I'll tell you about it later, and if you give Max any way to use it against me, you're dead. Right now, the important thing is that those dip-wads shouldn't be bothering Maxine here anymore." He walked over and put his arm around her shoulder.

Maxine was flabergasted.

"You- you did all that just for me?" she pointed to herself. "I...don't know what to say."

"How about thanks?" Nudge suggested sweetly.

"OK then, thank you!"

"You're welcome," Nick said. Suddenly, a thought occured him, "Say, where's Angel taking those guys?"

"I don't know," Nudge shrugged, "she never told me."


"How much further is this craproom?" By now Angel had led them well into the woods.

With no sign of stopping.

"Just a little bit further."


OK then, it looks like Angel might be a bit late to the festivities later.

Oh, I didn't tell you about that? Well, tune in next chapter to find out about the End of Summer festival and the dark secret behind it. (I will try to get it up sooner than this one. I promise.)