Disclaimer: I do not own any of the bands or songs in this chapter.

Chapter 13

Polka is the best medicine

We practiced for the rest of the weekend. We did all the greats: AC/DC, Guns and Roses, Dire Stratts, and of course "Weird AL" Yankovic. And there were some times where there were some solos. Like when we did "Dare to Be Stupid" by Weird AL, Sam really got a chance to shine. The entire song was drums and keyboards. Things were going great… until Monday.

It started out like any other day at Casper High, except, I couldn't find Sam anywhere. Tucker was there helping me look for her. But with no prevail. Finally at lunch, we found her. But she looked angry… er than usual. Tucker and I decided that she needed to sit alone today. An angry Sam is a Sam you DON'T want to meet. Trust me on this. I KNOW what I'm talkin' about.

So, it was just me and Tucker eating the week-old sloppy Joes. But Tucker didn't care. He'd eat meat even if it were rolled around a filthy monkey's cage ten-dozen times. I gave him mine because I wasn't that hungry. I was still thinking about Sam. I never seen her this angry before. I wanted to know what was wrong, and what I could do about it. I mean, a FRIEND has to help a FRIEND. I got an idea. I got out my cell phone and decided to text message her. Thank you technology, I thought to myself.

Ghostboy14: what's up?

Gothgurl14: nothing. I don't wanna talk about it.

Ghostboy14: anything to do with me or tuck?

Gothgurl14: No, of course not. Bye.

(Gothgurl14 has signed off)

So, nothing to do with us, eh? Well, telling us or not, Sam needed some cheering up. And I was just the boyFREIND to do it. But how? Hmmmm… "That's it!" I said quietly.

"Uh… I'll be right back Tuck."

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"To cheer up Sam. But first, I need some help from the band geeks."

"Why?"

"You'll see" I said slyly.

I walked over to the band geeks table. The band geeks here used to be the band geeks from middle school. Plus in 7th grade, I was in the band, so I knew them well.

"Hey guys" I said cheerfully.

"(Snort) Hey Danny" said Fred, the stuffed nose leader of the band.

"Hey, can you guys do me a HUGE favor?"

"Sure," said Fred, "what do you need?"

"Well, you see that girl over there, the one wearing the plaid skirt and the army boots?"

"(Snort) Yeah, why?"

"Well, she's in a really bad mood right now. So to cheer her up, I was thinkin' if you guys could…"

I whispered the rest in his ear. "Oh gee, I don't know Danny…" said Fred. "How's 12 bucks sound?"

I placed a wad of money in his hand. "Like music to my ears." said Fred.

"So, can you?" I asked.

"(Snort) you have piqued my interests, and I agree."

"Excellent…" I said in my best Mr. Burns impersonation.

About 5 minutes later, the lights in the lunchroom went dark. Everyone looked around, trying to see what was wrong. Suddenly a spotlight opened up over… ME. I tapped the microphone I held in my hand to test it. It was working. The tap could be heard all around the cafeteria. It was time to put my plan into action.

"Hey, can everybody here me?" I took the awkward silence as a "yes".

"Great! Can I turn everyone's attention to Samantha Manson over there?"

Another spotlight shone, this time on Sam. Sam, Tuck, and basically everyone in the cafeteria gave me the ever famous "what-the-hell-is-he-doing?!" look. Some kids almost SAID it. "She's having a hard time today, so I'd like to dedicate this song to her. Enjoy." I pointed to the band and yelled, "HIT IT!"

ANGRY WHITE BOY POLKA

Medley Arranged by Al Yankovic

LAST RESORT (Papa Roach)

Cut my life into pieces

This is my last resort, suffocation, no breathing

Don't give a... if I cut my arm bleeding

This is my last resort

'Cause I'm losing my sight, losing my mind

Wish somebody would tell me I'm fine

Losing my sight, losing my mind

Wish somebody would tell me I'm fine

Nothing's alright, nothing is fine

I'm running and a-crying

CHOP SUEY! (System Of A Down)

Wake up! (Wake up)

Grab a brush and put a little make-up

Hide the scars to fade away the shakeup

(Hide the scars to fade away the shakeup)

Why'd you leave the keys upon the table?

Here you go create another fable

You wanted to

Grab a brush and put a little makeup

You wanted to

Hide the scars to fade away the shakeup

You wanted to

Why'd you leave the keys upon the table?

You wanted to

I don't think you trust

In my self-righteous suicide

I cry when angels deserve to die, die, die

D-d-die die die die die

Hey!

I quickly threw the mike to Tucker, who had already caught on to the song.

GET FREE (The Vines)

I'm gonna get free

I'm gonna get free

I'm gonna get free

Ride into the sun

She never loved me

She never loved me

She never loved me

Why should anyone?

(Come here, come here, come here)

I'll take your photo for ya

(Come here, come here, come here)

Drive you around the corner

(Come here, come here, come here)

You know you really oughta

(Come here, come here, come here)

Move out to California

HATE TO SAY I TOLD YOU SO (The Hives)

Do what I want 'cause I can, if I don't because I wanna

Be ignored by the stiff and the bored because I'm gonna

Hate to say I told you so, alright

Do believe I told you so

Now it's all out and you knew

'Cause I wanted to

Tuck threw the remote back to me. I realized that Sam was looking cheered up already.

FELL IN LOVE WITH A GIRL (The White Stripes)

Fell in love with a girl

I fell in love at once and almost completely

She's in love with the world

But sometimes these feelings can be so misleading

Can't think of anything to do

Yeah, my left brain knows that all love is fleeting

She's just looking for something new

Yeah, I said it once before but it bears repeating, now

LAST NITE (The Strokes

Last night

She said

"Oh baby, don't you feel so down

When you turn me off

When I feel left out"

So I (what'd you do?)

Well, I turned around (right around)

"Oh, baby, gonna be alright"

It was a great big lie (big old lie)

'Cause I left that night

Yeah

Me and Tuck shared the mike on the next part, as if to say, "Come on up Sam!"

DOWN WITH THE SICKNESS (Disturbed)

Ooh ah ah ah ah!

Ooh ah ah ah ah!

Get up

Come on get down with the sickness

Get up

Come on get down with the sickness

Get up

Come on get down with the sickness

Open up your hate, and let it flow into me

Get up

Come on get down with the sickness

You mother get up

Come on get down with the sickness

Get up!

Come on get down with the sickness

Madness is the gift that has been given to me

RENEGADES OF FUNK (Rage Against The Machine)

We're the renegades of funk, we're the renegades of funk

We're the renegades of funk, we're the renegades of funk

Sam finally got up and started singing the next verse.

MY WAY (Limp Bizkit)

This time I'm a let it all come out

This time I'm a stand up and shout

I'm a do things my way

It's my way

My way or the highway

This time I'm a let it all come out

This time I'm a stand up and shout

I'm a do things my way

It's my way

...or the highway

OUTSIDE (Staind)

But I'm on the outside

I'm looking in

I can see through you

See your true colors

'Cause inside you're ugly

Ugly like me

I can see through you

See to the real you

Back to Tuck.

BAWITDABA (Kid Rock)

Bawitdaba da bang da dang diggy diggy

Diggy said the boogie said up jump the boogie

Bawitdaba da bang da dang diggy diggy

Diggy said the boogie said up jump the boogie

Back to Sam.

YOUTH OF THE NATION (P.O.D.)

We are, we are

The youth of the nation

We are, we are

The youth of the nation

We are, we are

The youth of the nation

We are the youth of the nation!

Hey!

To me.

THE REAL SLIM SHADY (Eminem)

I'm Slim Shady, yes I'm the real Shady

All you other Slim Shadys are just imitating

So won't the real Slim Shady please stand up

Please stand up, please stand up

I'm Slim Shady, yes I'm the real Shady

All you other Slim Shadys are just imitating

So won't the real Slim Shady please, please

Please stand up

All three together now.

Slim Shady won't you please stand up?

(Stand up Shady)(Stand up)

(Stand up Shady)(Stand up)

(Stand up Shady)

Shady won't you please stand up?

Hey!

As the song ended, the entire cafeteria started cheering. Until, one kid screamed,

"Everybody down! Lancer's coming!"

Everybody quickly sat down and got back to eating. Within seconds, Mr. Lancer entered the room.

"Hmmm… I thought I heard the accordion playing somewhere."

He left, and Sam came over to the table. "Danny, that was great!" She did the thing I'd least expected her to do. She hugged me. Then, after 5 seconds, she realized what she was doing and took her arms off me. Our faces were blushed a tomato-y red. "Sorry." she said. "That's alright." I said. "You didn't do so bad yourself." "Thanks." she said blushing again. "But let's just stick to rock instead of polkas" she finished. "I'm with that." Tucker said.

"So what were you so mad about this morning?" I asked Sam on the way home from school. "Well, Dash was acting like a jerk again." she said. "He's like that everyday," I said, "and you never get that steamed about it." "Yeah," she said, "but you should've seen what he did." "What'd he do?" asked Tucker. "He put up posters all over the right wing of the school saying that me and Danny were boyfriend and girlfriend." "Jeez," I said, "will that guy just get off our backs? Just because we're friends, doesn't mean that we're a couple!" I paused for a moment, with a confused look in my eyes. "Hey, wait a minute." I said. "What were you doing in the right wing anyway, Sam?" "I was looking for a smoke machine in the AV room and in the janitor's closet." she said. "Part of having a rock band is Special Effects, and we need them if we wanna win." DING! A light bulb went off on top of my head. "And I know just a place to get them." "Get what, Danny?" asked Sam. "Special Effects." I said. "Follow me. I know a place where we can get everything we need."

Jeez! This was a long chapter! Where is this place Danny is taking them? Could that friendly hug turn into something more later on? Why again am I asking YOU all these questions? Stay tuned to find out!

-PhantomAL