CHAPTER 5: JOEY AND GINI SITTING IN A TREE…

A little while later, the gang were back at the beach having some fun. They decided to take a breather from all the drama and planning to rescue the kangaroos for a day. But Joey looked like he was world's away. Jadan took notice of her brother's demeanor. Then she saw him head over where a cute Aboriginal girl was standing. She was clad in a reddish maroon bikini and was smiling as Joey approached her.

"H-hi, Gini," Joey greeted. Jadan walked up.

"Joey, who're you talkin' to?" she asked. Joey took a gulp, as he got choked up. He turned back to Gini.

"Get away, girl!" he whispered to her. "Beat it!" Turning back to Jadan, he said, "N-no one, Jade."

"Doesn't look like no one, Joe," his sister said, with one eyebrow raised.

"It's… just a crazy girl, Jadan."

"Isn't that one of the girls in your class?"

"Yeah.. uh.. well… she psycho!"

"Mm hmm…"

"Yeah… the boys and I think she's crazy!"

"What's her name?"

"Her name, if you must know, is Gini"

"She doesn't seem crazy…"

"Well she is! Bloody nutso!"

"You like her, don't ya?"

"Jadan Olivia Grandin, I don't have a crush on that nutjob!" Jadan just shrugged.

"Okay, Joseph," she said, relenting. "I'm gonna go catch a wave."

"Okay," said Joey. As Jadan left to go surfing, Joey went back over to where Gini, who was waiting for him. "She's gone. Jadan's a bit… scatterbrained."

"You don't have to be embarrassed around me with your sister," said Gini.

"Forget about her. Why don't we go get a burger to eat at the stand?"

"Okay, Joey." And the two went to the burger stand, where Zac was enjoying a hot dog and cola. He spotted Joey and Gini.

"Eh, Mate," he greeted. "Who's the girl with ya?" Joey looked at Gini, and then at Zac.

"I have no idea," fibbed Joey. "She just followed me here." Gini giggled a bit at the scene.

"Ya sure?" asked an apprehensive Zac. Joey just blushed. Zac took the hint and smiled. "Okay, Joe. Meeting up with yer sister and Drew. See ya, mate!" And Zac threw his trash away and went to greet Jadan and Andrew.

"Another close call?" asked Gini, eyebrow raised.

"Who else will show up?" thought Joey to himself. He was about to get his answer right then and there.

"Heya, Joey!" It was Peppermint Patty, along with Claudia, Franklin, and Marcie. Patty was in a better mood since talking to Franco and decided to join the gang for some fun in the sun.

"Got yourself a girlfriend, eh?" said Patty. "You sly dog!"

"Does J-Jadan know?" asked Claudia.

"Oh good grief!" sighed Joey. "No I didn't- I… I don't even know her! I HATE girls!"

"Mm hmm…" said an apprehensive Claudia.

"NO!" pleaded Joey. Gini just rolled her eyes.

"Spill the beans, Joseph Steve Grandin!" demanded Claudia. Joey was completely red from blushing by this point.

"I'm not in love; especially not with someone as psycho as her," said Joey. Gini giggled at the spectacle.

"At least she reacted better than Chuck would, Claude," said Patty.

"What does that mean?" wondered Claudia.

"Before he and Frieda became an item and long before we met, he, Marcie, and I played a game of 'Ha-Ha Herman', a variant of Hide-and-Go-Seek. Marcie figured out I had feelings for him and I went into denial, even saying how could someone love someone who was dull and wishy-washy as Chuck. He heard me and was heartbroken. I realized I hurt his feelings. And now Joey is virtually doing the same thing I did with Chuck, and yet, Gini is taking it better."

"Probably because I know he's trying to hide that he actually likes someone," said Gini.

"GINI!" gasped Joey. At that moment, Jadan, Andrew, and Zac rejoined the group.

"So you do like the psycho, huh, little bro?" said Jadan, smiling. Turning to Gini, she said, "I'm Jadan, Joey's older sister. This is my boyfriend Andrew and our best friend Zac."

"You're Aboriginal, right?" asked Andrew, seeing Gini.

"Yes!" said a happy Gini. "How'd you know?!"

"I'm Aboriginal, as well," Andrew responded.

"And this is my American cousin, Claudia," Jadan replied, continuing the introductions. "And her friends Peppermint Patty, Marcie, and Franklin. They're more here, but they're doing some other stuff right now."

"My life is ruined!" sobbed Joey. "My reputation as a bad boy down the bloody drain!"

"WHAT reputation?" joked Marcie. Everyone laughed, except Joey.

"RUINED!" he moaned. "R-U-I-N-E-D, RUINED!"

"Yeah," sighed Claudia.

"Maybe you're right, Claude," agreed Patty. "We shouldn't have let them know we were eavesdropping."

"Jadan, huh?" said Gini. "Aren't ya the girl who's been protesting?"

"Yeah," Jadan replied.

"Joey told me," Gini stated.

"Cause it's kinda crazy," said Joey.

"I think what you're doing for the kangaroos is great!" said Gini, happily.

"Huh?!" Joey caught himself. "I mean, yeah, really great!" Jadan raised an eyebrow at her brother's sudden change in attitude.

"And I'd be glad to join you in helping them," Gini continued.

"WHAT?!" gasped Joey.

"Great!" said a happy Jadan. "We could use all the support we need."

"Just awesome," sighed Joey.

"Incredible!" said a happy Claudia.

"Just what we needed," said Joey, who was still red from blushing. The rest of the gang joined the group.

"Hey dudes, what's up?" greeted Skylar.

"OOoooh!" said Gracie in dog talk. Gini noticed her.

"Is that a beagle or a Dalmatian?" she asked.

"Kinda both!" said Jadan.

"That's Gracie, my beagle/Dalmatian mix, and my b-boyfriend Skylar," said Claudia.

"Hey Joey," Skylar began, "is this one of your friends?"

"More than a friend, apparently," Jadan replied. Joey just continued to blush.

"And these are our friends who came with us from America," said Marcie. "This is Charles Brown, his beagle Snoopy, Frieda, Snoopy's friend Woodstock, Linus, Eudora, and Claudia's sister Krissy and her girlfriend Red. This is Joey's friend, Gini."

"Nice to meet you," said Charlie Brown.

"Likewise," said Gini. And the gang spent the day getting to know the young Aboriginal girl. Joey just shrugged and let them get to know his friend. He did, in fact, have a crush on her and wanted to get in her good graces. And maybe helping the kangaroos would help in that department.

END OF EPISODE 8

Next time, the rescue mission begins! And Hops goes M.I.A.!