A/N: This tram will be leaving in just a moment. Make sure all children are seated toward the inside. On your left we have some harbored anger, followed by a short, sappy moment. On your right, you'll find some dancing. Straight ahead you we may run into some corny jokes. Fasten your seat belts and enjoy the ride. Please gather all personal belongings, take small children by the hand, lower your head and watch your step and enjoy your stay at the Magic Kingdom!

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Dances with Chickens

Chapter 4: Knock, Knock. Who's there?

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"Carlson!" Jamie walked up to his assistant principal, dressed in a tux with the chicken head. "Is this your idea of school spirit?" He asked almost menacingly. Anyone nearby could tell that he was about one step away from doing more than talking. His fists were clenched so tightly that he could hardly feel his fingers, and his blood boiled in his veins.

"You force me at grade point to succumb to your petty little idea of quote-unquote 'school spirit'. So by dressing up in the uniform that was in the locker that you said had my costume, I get this stupid head thing stuck, and now my date, who I risk our friendship to ask her to this, as more than a friend, is waiting in that gym for me. All because I need to show some more 'school spirit'? Is this school spirit enough? Tossing my friendships, not to mention humility to the dogs to make an assistant principal happy and show him I care about this stinking school? You really have given me a lot to love about this place, Carlson. I've made friends with all of the cockroaches in the detention room, most of the time when I didn't deserve to be in there in the first place, can't you feel the love?"

With that he spun on his heel and stormed off to the gym to find Caitie.

* * *

"Caitie," Jamie hissed.

"Why does a chicken in a tux know my name?"

"Caitie," he warned, dragging her out into the hallway away from the loud music and the sound of laughter and chatting coming from the gym. "That's so not funny."

Caitie's eyes sparkled with unshed laughter, and her mouth turned up at the corner into a small smirk. "I, for one, think it's adorable."

"Caitie."

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go inside."

"What, are you serious? Dressed like this? Caitie, I'm stuck in a chicken head for goodness sake! I'm sorry Caitie. I can't."

She crossed her arms over her navy blue gown. "Last year, may I remind you, you went as a cheerleader." Her pointed glare expressed her point. Her eyes softened and she added quietly, "Plus, if you give up and go home, you're doing exactly what the Eagles would want you to do: Give up. Jamie, your not a quitter. And think about Hank. He's not letting what they did spoil his night. Neither should you."

"Caitie, this is our first date as, well, a couple. I wanted it to be perfect."

Caitie wrapped her arms around his neck and drew him closer to her. Her eyes sparkled with light, and her eyebrows raised questioningly, almost challenging. "Who says it doesn't have to be? It can be as perfect as we make it. Please, Jamie. I've been looking forward to this for a long time. Not just this dance, but to us. Our first date. Please."

He looked down at her through the costume's mesh eyes. Although she couldn't clearly see his eyes, her could see hers shinning with hope, expectation, and a few other emotions he wasn't sure how to describe. But he knew he couldn't say no to those eyes. He sighed. "All right, Caitie. Let's go." With that, he conjured up any self-confidence left within him, and took her hand as they made their way back to the gym.

* * *

Jamie was reluctant to dance at first, but after a while Caitie' s nagging wore him down. He couldn't say no to her pouty puppy face. "Fine," he said as she dragged him to the dance floor. "I'll dance."

"As if I'm giving you a choice." Caitie mumbled.

"What was that?" Jamie stopped and turned to face her.

"Oh, nothing. Nothing at all." The made their way to the middle of the gym and they began to dance, moving rhythmically to the beat of the music. At first they got some rather strange looks, most people not used to dancing near a chicken, but once they saw that it was Jamie and Caitie, they figured it was just another of their pranks and went back to dancing and partying.

They danced, and ate, and danced some more. Well, Caitie ate, they couldn't figure out a way to get food in through the mesh opening in the beak. But they did manage to fit a straw through, so he didn't get dehydrated in the hot mascot costume.

The DJ put on some salsa music. Jamie and Caitie looked at each other and shrugged. They began to salsa. Jamie, surprisingly, was great at salsa dancing. Caitie laughed as he swung her in intricate moves and steps. "I won't ask where you learned to salsa," she laughed when the song was over. They moved out of the dance floor to the refreshment tables.

"I'll never tell." Jamie said with a fake-evil laugh.

Caitie just shook her head and reached for a deviled egg. Jamie looked from the egg to it's owner and back to the egg thoughtfully. "So, the age old question: Which came first? The chicken or the egg?"

"I don't know. But do mean chickens come from deviled eggs?"

"Only if it crossed the road first." Jamie said smugly.

"What?" Caitie shook her head. "The heat in that costume must be getting to you. Anyway, if a rooster lays an egg on the roof of a barn, at the very top, will it roll east or west?"

"Easy, neither. Roosters don't lay eggs."

"Okay, Jamie. Why does a chicken coop have two doors?"

"I don't know Caitie, why?"

"Because if it had four doors it would be a chicken sedan!"

He chuckled and paused, thinking. "Here's one for you, Caitie. This chicken walked into a bar. He asked the bartender, "You got any seeds" The bartender says to the chicken, "No, I don't have any seeds. This is a bar, get out of here." The next day the chicken comes back to the same bartender and asks him, "You got any seeds?" The bartender replies, "No, I told you yesterday, I don't have any seeds. This is a bar, get out of here! Having a chicken in the bar is bad for business." The chicken leaves, but comes back the next day asking, "You got any seeds?" By now the bartender is fed up with this chicken. He yells at the chicken, "NO! We don't have any seeds. And if you come in here one more time, I'll nail your feet to the floor!" Well, the chicken leaves but comes back the next day and asks the bartender, "You got any nails?" The bartender was confused. "What? No." The chicken reply's "You got any seeds?"

Caitie paused, shaking her head. "Jamie, I think you've finally cracked."

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A/N: That concludes the tour for the day. Please gather all personal belongings, take small children by the hand, lower your head and watch your step and enjoy your stay at the Magic Kingdom! And don't forget to review!

TBC - one more chapter left

Posted August 2002