Author's Note: Could it be? A chapter in this story? After not being updated for several months? Yes, it is~! And I'm hoping over the course of this next week, to get the remaining chapters/episodes for season 1 released in this story, so, with that, I hope you enjoy! And oh yeah, this episode coming up here is a parody of one of my favorite episodes of Curious George, again, I hope you enjoy it!
Episode 5, DJ Rats
It had been a month since the kids had started attending the community center every weekday morning at Miss Weemer's preschool class, but little did they know that today would be a very special day. It all started in the morning, while the Head Start kids were eating their breakfast, and the other kids were filing into the classroom, placing their jackets and backpacks into their cubbies. Normally, Miss Weemer would put on a CD of children's tunes, typically the ones provided by the community center's music class that met for the general public for ages 6-month-old to age 5 on Saturday mornings, and had a special session one morning a week for Miss Weemer's class. However, on this particular morning, one of her favorite radio stations was featuring a Sherry Berry marathon, in honor of her upcoming concert, which would be happening that evening.
Because Sherry Berry mainly performed music for children, and none of her adult music contained any words or concepts that were inappropriate, Miss Weemer thought it might be a nice change of taste, to put on the radio this particular morning while they began their day. The only student in the classroom who knew of this marathon beforehand was Zack, as his aunt and guardian, Celeste Wehrenberg, was a broadcaster at this particular radio station, and was asked to run the Sherry Berry marathon, and see to an interview with her that afternoon. Zack wanted so badly to go with his aunt to the radio station, but she sternly told him, "No," and reminded him that he had preschool that day.
Zack pouted, but thankfully, with his aunt being blind, she could never see the look on his face. Little did he know what he'd be in for that day. As another one of Sherry Berry's songs ended on the radio, Zack heard the all-too familiar voice of his aunt come over the speakers.
"And that was Sherry Berry, with her rendition of, Ding Dong Ding, a favorite children's classic of her's, as we continue on with our Sherry Berry marathon. Before we continue though, I have two tickets for tonight's Sherry Berry concert, happening right here in Yucaipa, if the next lucky caller, can guess correctly, what is Sherry Berry's favorite salad to have for lunch." Celeste said into the speakers.
Zack's hand shot up with a huge smile on his face.
"Ooh! I know, I know, I know!" Zack said excitedly.
"What is it Zachary?" Miss Weemer asked, noticing the blond's hand raised over at one of the tables.
"Sherry Berry loves chicken salad!" Zack cried.
"Well, I've always enjoyed Sherry Berry, so, I'll give the radio station a call, and see if I get through." Miss Weemer said, going over to the telephone on her desk, where she picked it up and dialed the number for the station.
After hearing a few rings, Celeste answered.
"Good morning caller, can you tell us what Sherry Berry's favorite salad is to eat for lunch?" Celeste asked on the opposite end of the line.
"Is it, chicken salad?" Miss Weemer asked, hoping she was correct.
"Yes! That's correct! Congratulations caller, you won two tickets to tonight's concert! Come on down any time today to the radio station to pick up your tickets!" Celeste said into the phone bursting with excitement.
"Thank you! Thank you so very much!" Miss Weemer said, before hanging up the phone and glancing up at her students, with a huge smile plastered across her face.
"Kids, how would you all like to go see a real radio station?" Miss Weemer asked.
All of the preschoolers jumped up and down with excitement, except for Chuckie and Zaden, who both looked a bit nervous about such an ordeal. Noticing this, Tommy and Kimi looked over at the two nervous classmates, giving them reassuring smiles.
"Don't worry you guys, I bet the radio station could be lots of fun!" Tommy said.
"Yeah!" Kimi added, as everybody went to their cubbies to grab their stuff, in the event this field trip took longer than their regular school day, then lined up single file behind Miss Weemer at the door of their classroom.
While the class got ready to go, Miss Weemer contacted her boss to get a schoolbus ready to take the kids to the local radio station, where Zack's aunt was working, for a very special trip. The boss agreed on securing this educational venture, even though under normal circumstances, Miss Weemer was suppose to secure such trips a week in advance, they allowed it, just this once. Soon, the kids borded the bus and they headed to the radio station, where Celeste greeted them at the door.
"Hello, Miss Weemer here, with her class, to pick up my tickets for the contest." Miss Weemer said at the door.
"Oh wow! Congratulations Miss Weemer." Celeste said.
"Hi Aunty Celeste." Zack said.
"Hi!" All of the other kids said in unison.
Celeste chuckled.
"You brought the whole class? Wow! Have any of you seen a real radio station before?" Celeste asked.
Zack leaned into Tommy's ear and whispered something to him.
"Member, my aunt's blind, so we must speak our answers." Zack reminded him.
"Oh, right." Tommy whispered back.
"No we haven't, right guys?" Tommy asked his fellow classmates.
"No." The rest of the class added in unison.
"Well kids, you're in for a treat! Why don't you come into the booth, and I'll show you how it works! Only, the booth is kind of small, so I can only have a few of you go in at a time." Celeste said.
Miss Weemer looked at her class.
"Those of you who want to go in first, raise your hands." Miss Weemer instructed.
Tommy, Chuckie, Phil, Lil, Zack, Kimi, and Jesse were all the first few to raise their hands, so they were the first group to enter into the booth. Miss Weemer waited outside in the hall with the rest of her students, while Celeste took them on a tour of the radio station. Once they were inside the booth, Celeste went around the small cubical, touching the various items in the room and explaining how they worked. As she talked, the kids could hear the all-too familiar sound of Sherry Berry's music coming quietly out of some speakers.
"Using this stereo system, I play CD's, just like many of you and your mommies and daddies probably play at home." Celeste explained, resting her hand on the stereo system.
She then moved over to the microphone, mixer, and telephone, and explained how she used those items to put her voice and music on the air, as well as taking phone calls.
"And to know how everything sounds, I use these." Celeste said, holding up a pair of headphones.
"They let me hear both, how the music and my voice sound." She continued.
Just then, Zack noticed a giant book on the floor by the door to the booth.
"There's a book on the floor Aunty Celeste, what's that for?" Zack asked.
"Oh, that's the instruction manual on how the equipment works here in my studio, but I don't need to use that book anymore, because I already know how everything works." Celeste said.
"Oh." All of the kids said in unison.
"And later on today, at eleven o'clock, that's when the little hand is on the eleven, and the big hand is straight up and down on the twelve, I'm going to be conducting a phone interview with Sherry Berry, where she's going to perform live, a brand new song she's written!" Celeste said.
"Wow neat!" Tommy cried excitedly.
Just then, the Sherry Berry song that was playing, was coming to an end.
"Whoops, I need to start up another song, as we don't need dead air." Celeste said, placing another CD into the player and starting up the music.
"Uh, what's dead air?" Tommy asked.
"Dead air is when there's no sound coming out at all, absolute silence. And it's the worse thing you can have on the radio, especially for a long period of time." Celeste explained, as she went over to the mic and switched it on.
"Good morning listeners of KLPO Radio, hope you're enjoying our Sherry Berry marathon. I have here some special visitors, coming to us all the way from the community center's preschool, run by Miss Weemer. Would any of you kids like to say hi?" Celeste said with a smile.
Chuckie backed away nervously, but his younger sister beamed with excitement, as she ran up to the mic, and let out a giggle.
"Wow! This is neat! Hi everyone!" Kimi cried into the microphone.
"And can you tell the listeners your name?" Celeste asked.
"I'm Kimi!" Kimi cried.
"Thank you Kimi. And now, let's hear some more of Sherry Berry's music, as we play her infamous, piano saranade." Celeste announced into the microphone, before switching it off and starting up the CD she had recently put into the player, that started playing a beautiful slow, instrumental piece of nothing but the sweet, soothing sound of the piano, tinkering away.
"Ooh! That reminds me, I need to go get your teacher's tickets. Can you kids be good while I'm gone?" Celeste asked.
"Yep, we sure can Aunty Celeste." Zack replied.
"I knew I could count on my favorite nephew to hold down the fort." Celeste said, walking up to her nephew and giving him a kiss on the forehead, much to the young preschooler's embarrassment.
"Aunty Celeste!" Zack cried, his cheeks red with embarrassment, as she left the booth to check on Miss Weemer and the rest of the students, and saw to getting Miss Weemer her tickets.
Meanwhile, back in the booth, Tommy, Phil, Lil, Kimi, Zack, and Jesse looked around at all of the equipment that sat before them with fascination, while Chuckie, trying to look for a way out, accidentally tripped over the book on the floor, that unknown to any of the kids, was propping open the door. Upon landing face down on the floor, he had managed to unwedge the book from beneath the door, as the door slammed shut with a loud thud.
"AAAHHH!" Chuckie screamed, sitting up on the floor on his knees, as he looked up to see the door had closed.
"Don't worry Chuckie I'll get us out." Tommy said, walking up to the door to open it, only to find it was locked.
"Uh oh Tommy, we're locked in here!" Chuckie cried in panic.
"Don't worry Chuckie, I know what to do. Just, do what I do." Tommy instructed to the other kids in the booth.
Thankfully, most of them had known him before he had turned a-year-old, so they knew exactly what the brave little three-year-old preschooler was up to. At that moment, Tommy started screaming, with the other kids following behind him, screaming right along with him. Little did they know that the booth was sound proof, thus, nobody could hear them from outside the booth. Back outside in the hallway, Celeste had returned to Miss Weemer with her tickets.
"Here you go, two tickets to tonight's Sherry Berry concert." Celeste said, handing the tickets to Miss Weemer.
"Thank you so much!" Miss Weemer said, taking the tickets from Celeste and stashing them away in her pocket for safe keeping.
"Alright, let's go get the first group of kids out of my booth and let the second set enter, we have just enough time for a quick tour before my interview with Sherry Berry at the top of the hour." Celeste said, as she pressed a button on her talking wrist watch, which spoke the time out loud, proclaiming it was exactly ten-forty-five A.M.
Unfortunately, when she approached the door, not only did she find it was closed, but also locked.
"Oh no! It's locked!" Celeste cried.
"Don't you have a key to the studio?" Miss Weemer asked.
"Sadly, I lost my key a long time ago, that's why I left the instruction manual on the floor, to prop the door open. My manager Rick has a key, but he's gone out on his mid morning coffee break to the Java Lava, and won't be back until after eleven! And it wouldn't be so bad, except, I have that interview!" Celeste cried worriedly.
"Now now, calm down. I'm sure we can figure things out. And, if worse case scenario, maybe the kids can run it. You know, your nephew has been doing acceptionally well in my class, knowing him, I bet ya he can help his aunt out and run the radio station while you're away." Miss Weemer said, putting a comforting hand on Celeste's shoulder, as she took some deep breaths and tried to calm down, not wishing to scare the remainder of the students sitting on benches and easy chairs across the way in a little waiting area.
"You know what Miss Weemer, you're right. I bet my nephew and his little friends can hold down the fort until Rick returns with the key, what a remarkable educational experience for them!" Celeste said excitedly, as she sat down on a bench beside Miss Weemer, and waited for help to arrive.
Back inside the booth, Tommy was looking around at the equipment that lay before him, as he got his, a baby's gotta do, what a baby's gotta do look in his eyes, even though technically, he wasn't a baby anymore, Chuckie, Kimi, Phil and Lil recognized that look all-too well, as it was the same look he had back when they went to Club Fred a couple of years prior.
"I've gots an idea you guys, why don't we run the radio station until somebody can let us out!" Tommy suggested.
"But Tommy, we don't know how to run a radio station." Chuckie said.
"Sure we do! All we gotta do is press the buttons, and look!" Tommy said, pointing over at Zack, who was looking at the book that Chuckie had previously tripped over on the floor.
"Tommy's right you guys, and with this book, I can tell us everything we need to do to run the station." Zack said, holding up the book, which had Braille bumps and raised tactile lines that were drawings of the pictures of the various pieces of equipment that was in the room.
"Uh, what does it say Zack?" Tommy asked.
"Well, thankfully, my aunty has taught me Braille, and I know what each of the pictures look like, so I can read us the book. First, to start up the next song, we have to hit the Play Button on the stereo. It's the button with the green triangle on it." Zack explained, pointing to the button on the player, which Phil was standing next to.
Unfortunately, Phil pressed a button next to the play button, causing the music to speed up quickly, making Sherry Berry sound like a chipmunk.
"That's the wrong button Phillip!" Lil screamed.
"No it's not Lillian." Phil argued.
"Yes it is, Phillip." Lil argued back.
While they continued to bicker back and force for a couple of minutes, Jesse couldn't stop laughing at how silly Sherry Berry sounded, all sped up and sounding like a chipmunk. Just then, the phone rang.
"You guys! Phone!" Chuckie screamed, getting everybody's attention.
All of the toddlers stopped dead in their tracks, as the sound of sped up Sherry Berry and the ringing phone filled the room.
"I can do it, who knows, maybe it's our way out of here." Tommy said, running over to pick up the receiver of the phone and talking into it.
"Hello?" Tommy said into the phone, but no answer came over the other end.
"I think the phone is broked." Tommy said, lifting the receiver away from his ear and turning his attention back to the rest of his friends.
"Wait Tommy, member what Zack said about the book?" Chuckie asked.
"Yeah, and in the book, it says to press this button, and then this one, followed by this one to get the caller on the air." Zack said, pointing to the different buttons in the book and on the mixer.
Tommy followed his instructions, as he pressed the buttons in the correct order, until he could hear a voice through both, the receiver and the headphones that Celeste had showed them earlier.
"Hello? Is anybody there?" An all-too familiar voice said into the phone.
"Oh my gosh you guys, it's my grandpa, calling in from the tired center!" Tommy cried.
"Thought I was going to be on hold for fifteen minutes there." Grandpa Lou complained on the opposite end.
"Hi grandpa." Tommy said cheerfully into the phone.
"Well hello Scout, didn't think I'd be hearing you on the radio." Lou said on the phone.
"Yeah, me and my friends are here with my preschool class, and we gotted locked inside the station, so we're running the show till Zack's aunty gets back." Tommy explained.
"Well, for a few young sprouts, you're not doing a half bad job. You keep it up then, gotta go to my shuffle board tournament with Lulu at eleven. Going up against that dag blasted Conon McNulty today. Gotta make sure he doesn't cheat and attempt to win the match, like he tried to do when I was in the ring a couple of years ago as Pretzel Maker Pickles." Lou said.
"Good luck grandpa, you'll do great." Tommy said.
"Thanks Scout, well, bye bye." Lou said, followed by a click.
Tommy put the phone back on the receiver, when he noticed the music had stopped, and there was nothing but dead silence in the room.
"Oh my gosh you guys, quick! Somebody, do something!" Tommy cried.
Lil ran over to the microphone, which thankfully, hadn't been switched off, so decided to save the day quickly.
"Okay everybody, it's time for, Who's on the Potty." Lil said.
"Who is on the potty?" Phil asked, coming up next to his twin sister at the microphone.
"Who!" Lil replied.
"No Lillian, I'm asking, who's on the potty?" Phil asked.
"Who!" Lil replied again, sounding more exasperated this time.
"What?" Phil asked.
"What's taking a bath." Lil replied.
"What's taking a bath? Reptar?" Phil asked.
"Reptar's brushing his teeth at the sink, we're not talking about him." Lil said.
"What?" Phil asked again.
"I already toldid you Phillip, What's taking a bath!" Lil screamed.
"Who's taking a bath?" Phil asked.
"No Phillip, Who's on the potty!" Lil said.
"Who?" Phil asked.
"Yes, who!" Lil replied.
"Who's on the potty?" Phil asked.
"Yes Phillip, Who's on the potty." Lil said.
"So, let me get this straight, Who's on the potty, What's brushing his teeth, and Reptar's taking a bath." Phil said.
"No Phillip, that's wrong. What's taking a bath and Reptar's brushing his teeth." Lil said.
"Reptar's doing what?" Phil asked.
"Reptar's doing nothing to What Phillip, he's brushing his teeth! Weren't you listening?" Lil asked.
By this time, not only were all of the toddlers in the room cracking up, but so was nearly everybody in Yucaipa, California, who were tuned in at that very moment. Lou and Lulu, along with the other Shuffle Board players at the retirement center, Stu in his basement, working on a new invention, and over at the Java Lava, as a short fat man with a balding spot on his head, wearing a red buttondown top and gray slacks walked out of the building towards his car, Kira, Betty, and Chas were all inside behind the counter, nearly losing it. Chas had lost it so badly, that he accidentally splattered the pineapple smoothie he was making into his face, causing him to start crying, as a result of the pineapple juice getting in his eyes.
Unfortunately, Phil and Lil's routine of, Who's on the Potty, got cut short, when Zack happened to look up at the clock, and saw that it had just turned eleven o'clock.
"Uh oh guys, stop!" Zack cried.
"What?" Phil and Lil asked in unison.
"I thought What was taking a bath." Phil muttered.
Zack ran over to Lil and placed a hand over her mouth, before the routine could start up again, because he knew what time it was, and that it was time for Sherry Berry's interview.
"Guys! Zacvk's gots something to say." Kimi cried, putting a hand up to ensure everybody stayed quiet.
"Thanks Kimi." Zack said, proceeded by clearing his throat.
"No problem Zachary." Kimi replied.
"Guys, Sherry Berry will be calling any second, so we gotta make sure we answer the call." Zack said.
Tommy's eyes lit up. He had always been a fan of Sherry Berry's music ever since Zack introduced him to her last year, and now, he'd get to talk to her? On the radio? He couldn't believe it!
"I can't believe I'm going to talk to Sherry Berry!" Tommy thought to himself, just as the phone in the booth started ringing.
Remembering what he did the last time, he picked up the call, and got it set, until he heard Sherry Berry's voice on the other end.
"Hello? Celeste? Did I miss you?" Sherry Berry's voice said through the phone and through the headphones, proving she was coming through on the air.
"Nope, I'm Tommy, and these are my friends, Chuckie, Phil, Lil, Kimi, Zack, and Jesse. We gotted locked in the radio station, so we're running the show till Celeste gets back." Tommy explained.
"Well, aren't you some brave little ones to help run the radio station while Celeste is away. I have a very special song, just for the occasion, that I think you kids will love." Sherry Berry announced, as she started playing some chords on her piano back home where she was calling in from, and began to perform her song.
Meanwhile, the balding man in a red top and gray pants rushed into the studio, as he looked through a window into the booth, and saw Tommy at the controls, and heard Sherry Berry's voice over some speakers that outputted the music to the rest of the building.
"I thought I heard some kids on the air while on my coffee break at the Java Lava, and now, this explains it." Rick said, walking towards the waiting area where Celeste, Miss Weemer, and what remained of her class were sitting in the waiting area.
"Rick! You're back!" Celeste cried.
"What's going on here?" Rick asked.
"Rick, I'd like you to meet Miss Weemer, and her preschool class. Miss Weemer is the winner of the Sherry Berry concert tickets." Celeste said.
"Well it's a pleasure to meet you mam, and congratulations." Rick said, shaking Miss Weemer's hand.
"Thank you sir." Miss Weemer said with a smile.
"So what's going on here?" Rick asked.
"When I went to get Miss Weemer her tickets, I got locked out of the booth, and my copy of the key is still missing." Celeste explained.
Rick reached into his pocket and handed Celeste the key. However, when she went to the door to open it, it hit her that the interview was still going on.
"Well, aren't you going to open the door?" Rick asked.
"Not yet, half of Miss Weemer's class is in there, in the middle of an interview." Celeste said.
"Who knew a bunch of preschoolers would get to conduct their first interview, at the young ages of three and four-years-old." Rick said.
"Actually, Zack's in there, and he's only two, but yeah, amazing isn't it?" Celeste said, as everybody sat outside the booth, and heard the rest of the interview get conducted.
"Well thank you for letting me perform the song on the air." Sherry Berry said, after she finished performing.
"No problem Sherry Berry, you did great!" Tommy said.
"Thank you Tommy. And I'd also like to remind everybody listening that I'll be performing tonight, at the Golden Dome Theater in downtown Yucaipa." Sherry Berry said.
"I wish I could go. My teacher Miss Weemer, only gotted two tickets." Tommy said.
"Well, since you and your friends did such an excellent job running the radio station for Celeste, how would you all like to be my special guests, and come to my concert tonight, provided it's okay with your parents of course." Sherry Berry said.
"Ooh, could we?" Kimi asked, just as Celeste unlocked the door and walked into her studio.
"Could we what?" Celeste asked.
All of the toddlers started talking at once, trying to explain the offer given to them by Sherry Berry over the air.
"Now now kids, calm down, we still got to check in with your parents, and make sure they're okay with it." Celeste said.
Once the interview had finished up and Miss Weemer borded her students on to the bus, once the rest of her class had a chance to see the radio station, they all headed back to school.
"Well you guys, we did it, we ran the radio station." Tommy said.
"Yeah, now if only I could learn how to tie my shoes." Chuckie said, looking down to see one of his red sneakers had come untied, as usual.
When they returned to the community center, Peter and all of the other kids parents were waiting there to pick them up. They all burst out in unison, begging to go to Sherry Berry's concert that evening, while Miss Weemer one-by-one, pulled parents aside and explained what had all gone on that morning at school. All of the parents agreed to take their kids to the concert that evening, and so, that night, everybody went to Sherry Berry's concert, and had a wonderful time.
And this, ends episode 5, of Pre-School Daze (Reboot).
Author's Note: I do hope everybody enjoyed that chapter/episode of Pre-School Daze (Reboot). This chapter parodied an episode of Curious George with a similar plot that aired during season 6 of its series called, DJ George, and the bit where I had Phil and Lil talk on the radio, was a parody of the famous, Abbot and Castello routine, Who's on First. I hope you guys enjoyed that part, not sure about you, but I was laughing the entire time I was writing that up. Thanks for reading, and I hope to have more chapters/episodes, up sometime soon.
