Summary: Day 13 of 13 Days of Halloween, posted on Day 13. Josie and the Pussycats, headline the Krewe of Boo parade in New Orleans.
The Pussycats have already performed at two different venues in New Orleans and then left to do three shows in Mississippi but Josie still finds herself and the Cats coming back to New Orleans. Josie McCoy can not seem to let go of the idea that the truth of her father's death lies in this city, so much so that she has purchased a home in the Garden District.
"Okay, Jo we have to decide where to head next," says Valerie. "According to your dad's list, a pub in Austin called Crown and Anchor was always a favorite and it has a B next to it."
"B," asks Melody.
"It means that it's more of a blues vibe" answers Josie. Just then Alan's, Valerie's boyfriend, phone rings, "Hello, yes this is he. Oh, okay. Wow, hold please."
Alan turns to the girls since they were all sitting on the couch in the living room of Josie's new home. "This is one of the coordinators of the Krewe of Boo and they want the Pussycats to be the queens of the parade."
"How did they get your number?" asks Josie
"You aren't our manager," argues Melody.
"Chill, guys" replies Valerie
"She says that she got my number from the promoter from y'all last gig. Y'all know with Vic since we all decided to make New Orleans our home base during this tour," answers Alan, with a look of worry on his face. "I want you both to know that I am not here for fame or to latch on to the Cats. I love Val and that is why I am here."
"Just checking," says both Josie and Melody at the same time, "Jinks," they say as they both start laughing at each other. After the hilarity, Josie asks, "when is the parade?"
Melody continues with a series of questions to the point that Alan just hands her the phone, "okay so we are both in agreement that we are going to do this?"
"Yes," says Valerie, and Josie shake her head in agreement.
Melody exits the room with Alan's phone to handle business with the Krewe. Josie starts searching through her notes about her father. She has been compiling information about her father's last few years. Since becoming famous Josie has not spent as much time with her parents as she would have liked; maybe it was the price of getting older.
The little that she had learned about her father's life in the last three years that he had lived in New Orleans was not much. He lived across the river in Algiers and he worked in the French Quarter performing every other night at the legendary B.B. King's Blues Club.
"Jo, the parade is in three days and they agreed to let us perform and they were willing to pay us half of our retainer," Melody said as she looked over Josie's notes. "Still trying to piece all of this together?"
Melody hands Alan back his phone and he and Valerie head outside to talk.
"Mel, you know I am not doing this for the money" answers Josie as she stands and makes her way to the kitchen.
She follows Josie into the kitchen, "I know that but still Val and I would feel better paying some form of rent."
Josie shakes her head as she starts making a sandwich, "You guys are doing me a huge favor staying with me while I try to piece all of this together. So, what are we singing for the parade?"
"The better question ladies is what should we WEAR" screams Val as she enters the kitchen after leaving Alan outside.
Night of the Parade
The Pussycats were dressed as different types of cats. Since the parade is right before Halloween of course the ladies wanted to rock some killer, feline costumes. Josie, Valerie, and Melody were all set up and ready for the parade to roll when Josie looked out into the crowd. The sun had just set and a large number of teenage girls were asking for autographs.
As Josie is reaching a kid clearly under ten years ago back to her autograph book, her vision begins to blur. "Hey, Jo you ready for this," says Melody.
"Let's do this cats" screams Valerie as the float starts moving.
"One, two...one, two, three...GO!" The music starts flowing and Josie gets to the mic to sing the lyrics of the first song she, Val, and Mel ever wrote together. However, before Josie could open her mouth to let the words slip from her slips, she loses focus again seeing visions of her father with a man. A man she has seen before, "Jo" Mel whispers. The girls continue to just play the lead cords as the float in front of them stops to throw beads and gifts to the crowd.
Mel and Val look at each other as they try to figure out what is wrong with Josie; however, it is as if Josie is in an out-of-body experience as she watches her father make a deal with a man in an alley behind B.B. King's. Soon darkness overtakes the vision as she hears Valerie yelling her name underneath the music.
"Josephine McCoy"
Josie turns to her girls and says, "sorry but I think I have a lead on my dad."
Both Val and Mel look at Josie as if she has lost it but they plan on getting more information after the parade is done and they are back home.
"Josie turns to the mic just as the float starts moving again yelling to the crowd, "HEY NEW ORLEANS WE ARE THE PUSSYCATS AND WE ARE READY TO ROCK!"
Josie McCoy was only sure of a few things in life, one of which was her love of music, that she could trust Valerie and Melody with her life, and that she was going to find those responsible for losing her father.
FIN
A/N: I decided to challenge myself to 13 Days of Halloween. I will write 13 one-shots/drabbles in 13 different fandoms with 13 words that relate to Halloween. Today's word is DARKNESS and the Riverdale fandom. I did 13 stories and posted them by Oct 31. Thank you for reading this story and any of my other 13 Days of Halloween fanfictions.