This week is pretty fun. My birthday's in two days (I'm turning 20!), I'm gonna go roller-skating Saturday, the Bucks start the playoffs that same day, and I don't have to work AT ALL this weekend. I also got fully vaccinated today :) - mitch
chapter 3: jitterbug, the roar and the lights
The two nuzzled each other warmly when they and the other pups saw Rocky with a rather simplistic yet retro look. He had a white, over-sized T-shirt that had two words in large print front and back: CHOOSE LOVE. The letters were different colors, forming a rainbow-like text. Underneath, he had a Magenta long sleeve. Zuma also decided to join him as a guest act, also wearing a white, over-sized T-shirt with the same message. Unlike his best friend, Zuma had a plain blue long sleeve underneath.
"Woah, guys! Love your shirts, man! You guys going for the '80s, huh?" Rubble commented.
"Why, yes, we are going to perform Wham!" Rocky responded, trying to sound like the late George Michael. The mix also had his hair tuned a slight bit upwards just for the occasion.
"And, well, someone had to be Andrew Ridgely, so I chose to help him. I don't do much at all. I only help sing at the end of the song, say one-word phrases at the beginning and hold an inflatable guitar the whole time." Zuma said as he held a small yet stylish inflatable instrument. Ryder, seeing that the next act was ready, walked onto the stage to introduce it.
"For our 5th act tonight, Rocky has a little help from Zuma...on the inflatable bass guitar." Ryder spoke into the microphone as the audience laughed. "The two will wake you up before you go, go and put a little 1980s wham into tonight's show!" The boy concluded as the two walked onto the stage. Zuma stood on the right and Rocky stood on the left. The instrumental started, with Zuma kicking it off with one word-phrases while both smacking the stage with their right front paws (they couldn't snap).
Jitterbug
Jitterbug
Jitterbug
Jitterbug
Rocky took a few steps forward, stepping in time with the rhythm when the first verse began and he started to sing, with Zuma doing backup.
You put the boom-boom into my heart
You send my soul sky-high when your lovin' starts
Jitterbug into my brain (yeah, yeah)
Goes a bang, bang, bang when my feet do the same
Rocky was not a great singer by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, he was actually the worst. But he knew how to entertain. He wasn't bad at singing. It was just that the PAW Patrol were such good singers that everyone else was better than he was. He started to dance a little bit, swaying side to side as Zuma started "strumming" his imaginary guitar. The pups all started vibing to the catchy song backstage.
But something's buggin me
Somethin ain't right
My best friend told me what you did last night
Left me sleepin' in my bed
I was dreamin' but I should have been with you instead
Rocky walked along the edge stage, high-fiving the crowd as he sang the chorus.
Wake me up before you go-go
Don't leave me hangin' like a yo-yo
Wake me up before you go-go
I don't wanna miss you when you get that high
Wake me up before you go-go
'Cause I'm not plannin' on goin' solo
Wake me up before you go-go
Take me dancin' tonight
The mix knew that his falsetto game was terrible, but he tried it anyway, with the spotlight directly on him.
I wanna hit that high, yeah yeah
Rocky ran to Zuma's side, where they took off their oversized white shirts to reveal an 80s themed color long-sleeved look to the crowd. They both were side by side as Rocky started to sing the second verse. By this time, the beat had settled in with the audience and the pups profoundly.
You take the grey skies outta my way
You make the sun shine brighter than Doris Day
You turned a bright spark into a flame
My beats per minute never been the same
Rocky was having the time of his life out on the stage, pointing out the guys in the crowd and singing to his best friend. All with a giant grin on his face, while starting to clap his paws to the beat. Everyone in the audience started to clap as well.
'Cause you're my lady
I'm your fool
It makes me crazy when you act so cruel
Come on, baby, let's not fight
We'll go dancing, everything will be alright.
As the mix started singing the chorus, he started to dance for the first time in the song. The catchy beat stole everyone's heart, and it was contagious.
Wake me up before you go-go
Don't leave me hangin' like a yo-yo
Wake me up before you go-go
I don't wanna miss you when you get that high
Wake me up before you go-go
'Cause I'm not plannin' on goin' solo
Wake me up before you go-go
Take me dancin' tonight
Rocky prepared himself for yet another falsetto part. This time, it would have to take his all, as he had a deep voice, but he gave it a shot.
I wanna hit that high
Yeah, yeah, yeah, baby
The falsetto worked, as Rocky and Zuma ran to the runway to dance. The crowd cheered as the chocolate lab strummed the inflatable guitar like Jimi Hendrix only could have dreamed of, while the mix played an imaginary saxophone. The pups laughed backstage, seeing their two friends go bananas.
Jitterbug
Jitterbug
For the bridge, Rocky stood at the very edge of the runway in front of the crowd. He stood on his hind legs, crossing his front paws in a tender, intimate style as he quietly sang with Zuma looking on.
Cuddle up, baby, move in tight
We'll go dancing tomorrow night
It's cold out there, but it's warm in bed
They can dance, we'll stay home instead
Jitterbug
Rocky went back to all fours and the two friends put their paws on each other's backs as the mix sang the chorus, with the audience clapping to the rhythm one more time.
Wake me up before you go-go
Don't leave me hangin' like a yo-yo
Wake me up before you go-go
I don't wanna miss you when you get that high
Wake me up before you go-go
'Cause I'm not plannin' on goin' solo
Wake me up before you go-go
Take me dancin' tonight
The two teamed up one more time to sing the outro, with Zuma providing the lead and Rocky providing soulful backup duty, their brotherly chemistry showing brightly as they performed.
Wake me up before you go
(Don't you dare, to leave me hanging like a yo-yo-yo-yo-yo)
Don't leave me hangin like a yo-yo
Wake me up before you go-go
(Take me dancing)
I don't wanna miss you when you hit that high
(A boom-boom-boom-boom, oh)
Wake me up before you go-go
'Cause I'm not planning on going solo
(A boom-boom-boom-boom, yeah, yeah, yeah!)
Wake me up before you go-go
Take me dancing tonight
(Ooh, yeah, yeah)
The song faded out, and the crowd roared in applause. The response was swift and simple: they LOVED it. Zuma took a bow, then raised his inflatable guitar in triumph as he ran backstage.
"Thank you! You guys are amazing!" Rocky shouted before he, too, ran back stage. High fives went all around as Rocky surprised all of the pups by singing surprisingly well, with his dancing not being too shabby either. Marshall already disappeared from his friends, walking to the dressing room to get ready for his act: the grand finale of the show. He ran into Everest as he walked, the husky already ready for her performance. She wore nothing but a headband with different kinds of flowers on it.
"Hey...lookin' beautiful as always." The dalmatian smiled.
"Thanks...remember that bet that we had? On who was gonna win? That should be just you and me now. And my act is gonna be better. You better believe it."
"You have NO IDEA what I'm gonna do...I'm gonna tear the house down." Marshall replied with an unusually cocky expression. He reached to embrace her, and she hugged him back. "I know you'll be awesome out there. Go and kill it." He whispered.
"I know." Everest replied as she separated and walked to the stage curtain slowly but surely as Ryder walked onto the stage to introduce her.
"For our second-to-last act of our show here tonight, Everest will show us that she can not only howl, but roar. Give it up for Everest!" The boy announced as the husky walked onto the stage with a small smirk. The crowd cheered for her as the song's instrumental started. The pups backstage were confused by her unusual look, but they were still excited for her performance regardless.
I used to bite my tongue and hold my breath
Scared to rock the boat and make a mess
So, I sat quietly, agreed politely
I guess that I forgot I had a choice
I let you push me past the breaking point
I stood for nothing, so I fell for everything
Everest started to get a feel of the song and started performing a few choreography, lining with the song's lyrics.
You held me down, but I got up
Already brushing off the dust
You hear my voice, hear that sound
Like thunder, gonna shake the ground
You held me down, but I got up
Get ready 'cause I've had enough
I see it all, I see it now.
She took a deep breath and unleashed her powerful vocals. Her singing voice wasn't as high as Skye, but it wasn't too low, either. The pups were thoroughly impressed with her singing, but Marshall, who was backstage, knew her singing better than anyone. The husky and dalmatian sang together almost all the time. In the costume room, there was a monitor, so Marshall didn't have to miss her act.
I got the eye of the tiger, the fighter
Dancing through the fire
'Cause I am a champion, and you're gonna hear me roar
Louder, louder than a lion
'Cause I am a champion, and you're gonna hear me roar
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
You're gonna hear me roar
She slowly walked up to the runway of the stage, where she clapped her paws to the rhythm and the audience joined in.
Now I'm floatin' like a butterfly
Stinging like a bee, I earned my stripes
I went from zero, to my own hero
You held me down, but I got up
Already bruising off the dust
You hear my voice, hear that sound
Like thunder, gonna shake the ground
You held me down, but I got up
Get ready 'cause I've had enough
I see it all, I see it now
She began to dance as she began to sing the chorus again, this time with much more energy. The crowd and the pups were loving what they saw.
I got the eye of the tiger, the fighter
Dancin' through the fire
'Cause I am a champion
And you're gonna hear me roar
Louder, louder than a lion
'Cause I am a champion
And you're gonna hear me roar
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
You're gonna hear me roar
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
You're gonna hear me roar
She abruptly stopped singing as the song reached the bridge. For a moment, the husky stared longingly up in the sky. Mom...Dad...I love you so much...She thought sadly to herself. The audience and the pups looked on in anticipation of what would happen next. Marshall was on the edge of his seat in the costume room, his eyes wide, already dressed up for the next act.
Roar, roar, roar, roar, roar
As she finished up the last word, she jumped. As she landed back on her feet, she sang the chorus one last time, more powerful than ever. The crowd and the pups backstage exploded into cheers as she did so. Marshall shouted in celebration as he saw his girl sing: on her own.
I got the eye of the tiger, the fighter
Dancing through the fire
'Cause I am a champion
And you're gonna hear me roar
Louder, louder than a lion
'Cause I am a champion
And you're gonna hear me roar
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, yeah
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
You're gonna hear me roar
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
You're gonna hear me roar
The song wrapped up, as Everest looked up into the clouds above, the spotlight remaining deadfocused on her. The crowd roared (get it) into applause. "Thank you...for everything." She whispered into the mic, still looking up into the sky. She came back down to Earth and was greeted enthusiastically by all of her friends. All the while, Marshall stood in front of the mirror, gazing proudly at his costume. I should definitely wear this for Halloween, though. This is so dope. Never looked better in my LIFE! Marshall smiled as he thought deeply.
"Marshall! Oh, Marshall! 15 seconds to curtain, Marshall!" Ryder spoke from outside the room, catching the dalmatian's attention.
"Coming, Ryder!" Marshall responded back. He opened the door and walked calmly, yet confidently to his friends. They turned their eyes to him and their jaws dropped. Marshall had a long black sleeve shirt, a red blazer on top, and black gloves on his two front paws. But that wasn't it. He had black sunglasses on him, a bandage on top of his nose a few red smears around the nose. All the pups KNEW exactly who he was going for.
"YOOOO, what's up with the drip, dude?! On god, bro! Respect the drip, Karen!" Zuma complimented.
"Dude...I think he already won…" Chase and Rubble spoke at the same time, gazing in shock at the detail of their friend's costume.
"Wow, Marshall! Going for the Weeknd, huh? What song are you doing?!" Skye gasped in anticipation.
"Woah, man! You need a water cannon? That fit is way too good for a show like this." Rocky spoke in admiration.
"Hey, Everest. I need to tell you something. It's for my act." Marshall whispered to his beloved. After a few words, the husky nodded in response.
"Good luck, Marshy. I love you." Everest smiled before kissing him on the cheek. Marshall blushed like crazy as Ryder walked onto the stage to introduce him.
"For our grand finale, Marshall has an incredible act that he says needs no introduction. But I'll give one for you anyway. He told me that he's super excited for this act and can't wait for everyone to see. Here he is, under the blinding light of the spotlight, give it up for Marshall!" Ryder spoke proudly. The mostly young crowd flipped out and cheered as they saw Marshall's costume. He looked like a canine version of Abel Tesfaye as he walked onto the stage with a large smile. His red fire truck was parked just past the right part of the stage, and he stared at it with confidence. As the song's mysterious instrumental started, the young crowd and pups all cheered. Everyone knew what song he was gonna sing. Marshall took a moment to adjust the black glove on his right paw. As the drumbeat started, he took off for his red truck. He jumped in, and the car was in parking gear. On purpose.
"Yeah…" Marshall whispered into his microphone. He then revved the fire truck, its engine being heard as the crowd cheered once again. The 80s-like number's instrumental truly started, as Marshall jumped back onto the stage and started to dance with joy. The crowd was loving every second of it, and after ten seconds, he finally stopped and stared in front of the crowd, giving mysterious expressions as he sang in a high bass-like tone.
I've been trying to call
I've been on my own long enough
Maybe you can show me how to love, maybe
He paused his body dramatically.
I'm going through withdrawals
You don't even have to do too much.
His eyes turned to Everest as he sang the next line, ending it with a very suggestive wink as she sighed to herself.
You can turn me on with just a touch, baby
Marshall then hit a tail-spin as he began to sing the pre-chorus with a little shimmy in his step, much to the pups' delight. Ryder even liked what he saw.
I look around and
Sin city's cold and empty
No one's around to judge me
I can see clearly when you're gone
Marshall stood on his hind legs in the middle of the stage and sang the famous chorus with a high voice, and nailed it to perfection.
I said ooooh
I'm blinded by the lights
No, I can't sleep until I feel your touch
I said ooooh
I'm drowning in the night
Oh, when I'm like this, you're the one I trust
Hey, hey, hey
As the instrumental was heard once again, Marshall danced onto the runway and chucked his glasses into the crowd, revealing his faux "bloody nose". As he sat and started to clap his hands to the beat, the audience copied as he continued letting his spirit shine.
I'm running out of time
Cause I can see the sun light up the sky
So I hit the road in overdrive, baby
I look around and
Sin city's cold and empty
No one's around to judge me
I can see clearly when you're gone
The dalmatian began to dance without a care in the world, dancing and moving around like a dude who was in the highway in the wee hours of the night. Marshall jumped high in the air and landed on his feet as he sang the chorus with diction and more emotion. The singular spotlight was shining so brightly that Everest swore that she was seeing an angelic version of her love. All the pups clapped their paws in unison, feeling the amazing music go through their conscience.
I said ooooh
I'm blinded by the lights
No, I can't sleep until I feel your touch
I said ooooh
I'm drowning in the night
Oh, when I'm like this, you're the one I trust
Marshall ran over to the pups near the backstage area and began to sing to one of them in particular with a crazed, lovey-dovey expression so well done that the husky giggled to herself. His voice would be lucky to survive the next three lines without a voice crack. And his voice prevailed.
I was just walking by to let you know
I could never say it on the phone
Will never let you go this time
I said ooooh
I'm blinded by the lights
No, I can't sleep until I feel your touch
The dalmatian motioned her to dance with him, and she ran onto the stage as the instrumental played on. The two danced like the bunch of love-struck animals that they were, and the audience cheered loudly as they saw the couple on stage. The two then hit the tango, something that they did once before, but they looked like professionals this time around. The pups were silently holding in all their enthusiasm in the world as the two danced together. At one point in the instrumental, the two howled together as they stared at each other with romantic bliss. They both harmonized beautifully as they sang the final three lines together.
I said ooooh
I'm blinded by the lights
No, I can't sleep until I feel your touch
After the last line, the two kissed on the lips out of pure infatuation. The crowd exploded with applause, and when they finally separated, Marshall waved to the crowd. The rest of the pups, still fully in costume, walked on stage, and the crowd continued to show their love. They all stood in a horizontal line and took a bow, and the audience gave them a two minute standing ovation. Ryder stood behind them, adjusting the standing microphone to his height before starting to speak.
"Ladies and gentlemen, it has been an amazing night! We can't thank you guys enough for showing your appreciation for the PAW Patrol here tonight. For the final part of our show, the results have been given to me by several different judges, based on a score of fifty. Our seventh place winner, with 37 points, goes to Zuma and Danny." Ryder spoke. This time, the show only had medals for the top three. Zuma and Danny stared at each other in shock, but then realized why. It was because of that chorus. Maybe we should have asked some girl. But I don't know who would have covered for us. They both thought simultaneously.
"Our sixth place finisher, with forty points out of fifty, goes to Chase with his weird Watermelon Sugar song." Ryder laughed. Well, it's better than being last. I didn't wanna win anyways. The german shepherd thought to himself.
"These next five contestants were close in score, and it was very hard to pick the places. I mean, all of them did very well. And I'm proud of them...our fifth place finisher goes to the hound dog, Rubble!" Ryder spoke. Well, it's because it's an oldie. At least Ms. Marjorie's happy. The bulldog pondered.
"Our fourth place finisher goes to Everest!" The boy announced. Well, I lost the bet with Marshall, then. I don't think I was gonna win, anyway. I just wanted to give him some extra motivation. The husky thought while she smiled to herself.
"Our third place finisher goes to our resident queen of the clouds, Skye!" Ryder spoke as he put a bronze medal around her neck. I never expected to do this good at all. It's probably the choreography. That's why. And the flips. Don't forget the flips. She thought as she flashed the crowd with a warm smile. The crowd cheered every time the places were announced.
"Oh, boy...The separation between first and second place was absolutely ridiculous. One got a 49, and one got a 50. One point separates Rocky and Marshall, our two top finishers. But who got first? We're gonna find out right now. The winner of the Top of the Pops karaoke talent show is…." Ryder spoke. The crowd and the pups were on edge, ready to explode in celebration at any moment.
"THE WINNER IS MARSHALL!" Ryder cried. The crowd cheered wildly as the pups excitedly hoisted the red and black-clad dalmatian on their shoulders. Marshall howled with joy as he got his gold medal, feeling at the top of the world. As the dally finally got back on his feet, he adjusted the microphone on his face.
"Thank you guys! Love you to death, man! You guys are the best!" He proclaimed as all the pups patted him on the back and Ryder smiled. What a bunch of good pups...the boy thought to himself.
Songs used in this chapter:
Rocky ft. Zuma: Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go by Wham! (This is just a fun, fast-paced and super catchy 80's song. I always thought that Rocky was a bit of a throwback when he comes with his interest in music. He'd probably like classic '80s music, rock music (get it) and a few heavy metal stuff, but not a lot.)
Everest: Roar by Katy Perry (Just a great hype song, if you know what I'm getting at. Makes you ready to slay anything in front of you. I had no idea what song to do for Everest until I found this song by accident. By the way, old Katy Perry music slaps. If Everest had a music taste, it would probably involve a lot of stuff, like pop, alternative, r&b, hip hop among a few other things.)
Marshall: Blinding Lights by The Weeknd (This song literally defines the COVID-19 pandemic for me. It's crazy how much I've listened to it, which is way too many times to count. I've had this idea for Marshall since the very beginning when I conceived this project. If Marshall had a music taste, it would be very similar to mine. Pop, a little r&b and rap, a few '80s hits and country, when its combined with hip hop and such)