AN: Here we go, another chapter. I'm going to say that there are going to be several chapters surrounding the performance…simply because that's the way that I want to do it. Ha ha ha!
Sorry about that…but here's the first one!
I hope you enjoy! Let me know what you think!
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In all the times that Daryl had bothered to come to Salty's, he'd never seen the place so overflowing with people. They were everywhere and he, Merle, and Axel had almost had to form a human chain to make it from the entrance to the bar for drinks and then over to one of the few tables that Merle, with his infinite charm, had managed to clear so that they could sit and watch the show.
By the time they were settled in, Daryl was already ready to go home. He didn't care much for performances like this and he was only there to support Carol and her friends when they got out there on stage…if they hadn't missed them, since they'd arrived a good deal after the thing supposedly had started.
They sat through several numbers of groups, each coming out, announcing who they were…or rather what number their group was identified under…and who they were sponsored by. From what Daryl could tell, the voting system was based on the people there who could vote by giving money at the bar to the jars designated for each group, and apparently there were judges too, but Daryl wasn't sure who they were or how they were being driven to judge the competition.
He recognized more than a few faces that he knew, but he didn't see Carol anywhere and it was beginning to make him sweat that maybe they'd missed the performance altogether and both Carol and Andrea had high tailed it out of there, pissed off at their inability to arrive at anything on time.
But his concerns were quickly laid to rest when Andrea, dressed in the tightest dress he'd ever seen, brightly colored and barely long enough to constitute as more than a low-cut, long shirt, came out onto the relatively small stage area that Salty's usually reserved for their weekend performances of various bad local bands that played there from time to time as some kind of "crowd pleaser" for those who frequented the place with the same regularity as his brother.
Merle let out a loud whistle and then laughed at himself, glancing around the table to see if he'd amused Axel or Daryl with his cat calling.
He wasn't the only one cat calling, though, and Andrea seemed to be an expert at ignoring them for the most part, though she did take something of a small bow and smiled broadly at the crowd before picking up the microphone that was on the corner of the stage for each group to announce themselves.
"My name is Andrea Harrison," Andrea said, clearing her throat after the words and glancing at a piece of paper that she had in her hand. "Our group consists of six women…we're sponsored by BellaRose, by the Pamper Palace, and by Helping Hands Handymen…and by Johnson and Scott Law Offices…we're number 17, that's one, seven, and we'd like to encourage everyone to vote…for donations of twenty dollars or more, there are gift certificates available to our sponsors…so get out there and vote!"
She laughed at herself and Daryl could tell that she was uncomfortable with speaking in front of everyone. It showed pretty clearly since her face very nearly matched the bright colors of her dress. He couldn't blame her, though, since he doubted he'd be able to remember his name if he was up there, let alone all the other information.
Andrea started to put the microphone down and there was some rustling with the temporary curtain that they'd hung…a curtain that had all the style and flair of a few shower curtains quickly thrown together for just such an event…and then she picked the microphone back up.
"Sorry…we're group seventeen and we're doing "Dancing Queen," Andrea added quickly before putting the microphone down, ignoring the scattered bits of applause going on, and almost running through the rudimentary curtain.
Merle reached over and swatted Daryl hard enough on the arm that it stung a little.
"Better pay attention ta this one, brother," Merle said with a chuckle.
Daryl snickered.
"If that's what Andrea's wearin'…you just hopin' she busts her ass an' shows the world her damn panties," Daryl responded back.
Merle laughed in response.
"Hell…if I know her at all…she ain't wearin' none," Merle growled back.
Daryl was one of those people who didn't care for ABBA…he didn't hate their music, but he just didn't care for it all that much…so it was only when the song started to play, just after the poor guy who had the shit job of opening and closing the bath curtains had done his task, that he even recognized what they would be dancing to.
When he first focused his attention on the women, there were five of them, not six…and he immediately found Carol and almost spit the swallow of beer he'd just taken out through his nose. He'd figured she would be dressed differently than Andrea…and she was, but only in the color of their dresses.
"Hoooolyyyy," Merle howled before he stuck his fingers into his mouth and let out shrill whistle.
Of course Merle would do that that…there were more legs and breasts up on that stage than in a family sized bucket of chicken.
Axel looked dumbstruck and Daryl wasn't sure how anyone had any ability to follow what the hell was happening in the dance that they'd created, now that the sixth woman had joined them, for at least a moment while they wrapped their minds around the skin tight dresses that everyone was sporting.
Daryl hoped that Carol was keeping that dress…he'd like to have a closer look at it if time allowed for such a thing.
Merle clapped him on the arm again and he was almost reluctant to drag his eyes away from what was happening on stage…and he wasn't even sure the dance was all that impressive.
"I just figured out where the hell I know ya damn girlfriend from!" Merle spat. "The woman up there…the damn one in the middle…wearin' the light blue? That's my redhead!"
Daryl tore his eyes away long enough to raise an eyebrow at Merle.
"What the fuck ya yammerin' about?" Daryl asked.
"The redhead…the damn redhead I was tryin' ta talk up the night Carol doused ya ass in Blue Lagoon or whatever the hell that drink is…the dyke?" Merle said, apparently riled up because he was amused at what he was trying to spit out at Daryl.
Daryl remembered being doused in the blue drink quite well…though the redhead in question had faded into the tapestry of all the other conquests, failed or not, that Merle had throughout his life.
"Yeah? So?" Daryl asked, turning his eyes back to the women.
"That's the dyke!" Merle said. "Carol was the other damn dyke! I knew her ass was familiar…but I figured I fixed a damn sink or some shit for her…didn't realize she was a damn dyke though…"
The song ended up being much shorter than Daryl thought it should be because already the performance was drawing to a close. The women on stage were taking their bow and it was the first time that he took a moment to scan them. Carol he knew and Andrea he knew…as his eyes settled over them, he recognized another woman that worked at Carol's little café and he was pretty damn sure that one of the women was his boss's wife…though he'd never seen as much of her as he was seeing at the moment.
And he never thought he'd be sad to see the end of an ABBA song…but he was at that moment.
He clapped, along with quite a few others, in support of the dance or in support of the costumes…everyone having their own reasons for doing what they did…and then he finally turned his attention back to his brother who was eating through a bowl of pretzels with a dazed smirk on his face.
"Now…what the fuck you on about?" Daryl asked.
Merle laughed and offered Daryl the basket of pretzels, which he refused, before he spoke again.
"The redhead was a dyke," Merle said.
Daryl shrugged.
"They was three damnn dykes that night all in a little damn caravan…run out like they asses was on fire…one a' them damn dykes was ya girlfriend," Merle said.
Axel, poor man, clued in at that moment…or either the shock of the performers wore off for him.
"You datin' a dyke, Daryl?" Axel asked.
Daryl shook his head.
"Carol ain't no dyke," Daryl said.
Merle laughed.
"You don't know that shit…" Merle said.
Daryl gave him a look.
"Reckon I'd know better'n you would, asshole," Daryl said. "She ain't a dyke…she mighta been with the dyke…or hell…maybe ya damn redhead ain't no dyke neither…maybe she just ain't want'cha greasy ass around her."
Merle laughed and burrowed around in his back pocket. He came up with some money and flung it in Axel's direction.
"Here…take this shit up ta the bar an' vote for 'em…Andrea's comin' her ass home tonight with me an' she's gon' be a whole lot happier if they winnin' this shit…" Merle declared.
Daryl took his cue from his brother and passed a bill from his wallet toward Axel.
Axel glanced toward the crowded area near the bar and sucked his teeth.
"Man…I don't wanna go up there," he protested.
"Go on," Merle growled. "Your skinny ass can get through better'n we can…'sides…give ya a chance ta check out if they's any lil' girls up there you might wanta play with…"
Axel made a face and Daryl chuckled at him.
"Bring us some beers on ya way back," Daryl said. "They make it to the next round an' I'll go next time."
Axel seemed somewhat satisfied with the plan and slid off the stool, making his way slowly through the people standing around, drinking, and watching those that were performing now…people that Daryl was back to not paying much attention to at all.
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Carol was on a high like she hadn't been on in a while. Her breath was only beginning to really even out to normal and the hugs and congratulations were being passed around the group as though they'd already won instead of like they were simply getting ready to change when the bathroom lines allowed them the room to do so.
"How long do we have before we know about the next round?" Alice asked from where she was leaning, her bag of clothes over her arm.
"I don't know," Andrea responded. "Everyone's gotta get done…there are five more groups I think? Can anyone make out whose going now? What's the song?"
Andrea had the printed program for the first wave of performances. For judging reasons it was the only one that would be printed. For the second round they would go in numerical order and the same would be true of the third round that would take place the next night.
"Werewolves in London?" Alice asked, leaning as though any slight change in her posture could get her closer to the music.
"No…Sweet Home Alabama," Michonne said, leaning up to look around the crowd toward the bathroom doors. The groups of people who had performed were slowly moving in and out changing and Carol appreciated the lines because it had kept them from seeing really any of their competition at all…and that left them all feeling like they'd done phenomenal because they had no one to compare themselves to.
"Sweet Home Alabaman is on here," Andrea said. "Werewolves in London? No…so it's gotta be Sweet Home. That means there are four more groups…so after that there's a thirty minute intermission for them to tally everything up, then they announce the second round, and then they start with the shows…"
"How many people move on?" Carol asked.
"Ten for the second round, three for the third," Andrea remarked.
"Oh, we're making it into ten," Jacqui said. "We should go ahead and change while we're in there…we're making it into ten…"
"We change and then we're wandering around in the intermission in our costumes," Andrea protested quickly.
"Then what the hell are we changing for at all?" Alice asked. "Fuck that…just wear this until it's time to change into the other costumes…"
Carol shook her head, feeling her cheeks grow warm at the suggestion that they might go out and wander around the bar, have a drink, and mingle while wearing the dresses that she had found almost too scandalous for the performance.
"No! I don't want to walk around in this!" She protested.
"Why not?" Alice asked. "You look hot…and we might be able to work up a few last minute votes…besides...I'm kind of getting used to this…might be a new look for me…"
Sadie was leaning on Alice's arm, watching everything she was saying but most likely lost as the rest of them exchanged comments in the line. She seemed to emphatically agree with Alice because she started nodding her head and saying "yes" over and over to what Alice had said.
"You like what you're wearing?" Carol asked, catching the woman's attention.
Sadie looked at her blankly and shrugged, but then she smiled.
"I like…what Alice is wearing," she said with a smirk.
Carol shook her head.
"No," Andrea said. "She's got a point…let's go…there's no need wasting time in this line. It'll be shorter to change for the second round and…besides…your legs have never looked better. Let's go and see if Merle and Daryl made it."
Carol realized she'd lost the discussion when everyone simultaneously gave up their spots in line and started away from the back area of bathrooms toward the bar area. She tugged down the skirt a little more, then she tugged the dress back up to make sure her breasts were covered, and then she finally sighed and trotted after them because they were leaving her.
She hoped, if Daryl and Merle had shown up and they were able to find them, that Daryl wasn't going to give her too hard of a time for being dressed like something crossed between Malibu Barbie and a hooker.