Wahoo! I've definitely figured out the plot for this story. Like, the ENTIRE plot. It took a while. And to my second casting call group – your parts aren't going to be major. I'm sorry about that. But there's already so many characters to keep track of in this story… don't worry, you *will* appear… just not particularly in depth. Who knows, some of you may sneak your way into a plot line or two.
Side note to Misprint … SPOT THE SUICIDAL LADYBUG IS IN MY ROOM RIGHT NOW AS I WRITE THIS! YOU CAN ASK MY CAT WHO IS TRYING TO EAT HIM!
The story isn't finished, but I ::did:: figure out where it's going. There are going to be 20 chapters. It worked out perfectly (how 'bout that?!) so YAY!
Shoutouts!!!!!
Raider :: Thanks hun! Yeah, I agree, I think I shoulda set aside a guy for myself… humph. Maybe I'll include myself in the "second casting call" group's collective role. LOL!
Braces :: Thanks! Yeah, Spot was a jerk, but don't worry… he's gonna change. Eventually. Unless I'm lying to you right now, in which case he won't change. Hahaha! **Don't ask me why my sense of humor fits me. There's no explanation.**
Ashley :: Argh! How's THAT for pressure?? Haha! I hope you like this chapter.
Morning Dew :: Freaky! Maybe you should start calling Marcus Skittery… hahahaha! Oh, and I think you read it wrong… Relic didn't paint Spot's CAR, she painted SPOT. Like his outfit. His car is still orange. If I did that to his car, I'd never forgive myself. Haha.
Tuffy :: Thanks dearie! How was NC? BTW, I'm really glad you liked the songfic I wrote for you… it was hard, cuz Mushy Darling's usually MINE… LOLOLOL. And in this story, I have to let Hades have him. It's torture. Heh.
Slick :: Hey t'anks! You're a sweetie. :D And I'd just like to say that I loved your character in Mis's Bloodshot Streets of Brooklyn **That *was* based on you, right????**
Gemini Kelly :: No, YOU'RE awesome!!!!!!!!! Thanks for the awesome review goilie. More coupledom in this chappy, of course!! ((On the side… didn't you love the latest two chappies of Eclipse??? YAY SHADE AND MIS!!!!!!!!))
Drama-Queen :: Thanks!!! :D I'll keep writing if you'll keep reviewing. Heh. Okay, so even if you don't review, I'll keep writing. Or else everyone else would have my head.
Court Jester :: Eeks! Yay, I'm glad you like Almost Famous too. It's definitely one of my favorite movies. All the characters are SO cool. And the airplane scene… HAHAHAHA! "I'm gay!" … No more turbulence. HAHAHAHAHA GREAT COMEDIC MASTERPIECE!
BitterSweet :: I think the bitter in your name is misplaced… because you're just sweet. I'm so glad you came to ff.net, Sarah!!!!!!! :D :D :D :D
Gypsy :: No, you can grrrrrrrrr just as much as you want to……… I grrrrrrrrrrr all the time. :D And ((to steal Mis/Mis's cousin's catchphrase)) go go Jimmy Eat World! I seriously love that CD. Which is evident in how many times I mention them in EVERYTHING. Ha. Whoops. You got a sunburn trying to figure out where my story was going??? Strange… VERY strange… oh wait, this is *you* I'm talking about. ;D LOL j/j!
SweetSixteen :: Thanks for the advice, but oh, just you wait… Relic and Spot… you're gonna find some stuff out soon about the both of them. **Mondie rubs hands together and grins** I just adore knowing where my story is going…
kimimay85 :: That was one of the best reviews you've ever left me. Hahaha! **Mondie says in congratulations: PSEW!** Argh, I couldn't go to the fair tonight because my parents were all, "Didn't you just come back from there?" I was like, "Uh… yeah… but that was for *BAND*" And they still wouldn't let me go! And Chuck asked me to homecoming… I nearly made it too, I was halfway out the junior high parking lot when he came running after me and asked me. So I said yes… there goes KP, I suppose. We'll have to talk about it later. Wanna go to the fair tomorrow? I'll probably call you to see if you'd like to in the afternoon or something, since you work tomorrow night.
Mist :: Ooh, Sierra Dierra, a scary party??? Eeks! Hope it wasn't too bad! Thanks for a review even though you were traumatized! :D
Pegasus :: Yeah, I'm in agreement. Why *can't* things happen like this in real life?? It's tres unfair.
Aki :: Wow! You're so nice! Thanks a bunch. :D Your chapter is coming up soon, I believe.
Holiday :: I know, aren't the number of reviews for this story unbelievable?? How the heck did *this* happen?? And yes, Skitts is a very nice boy to do the laundry… I seem to have this fetish with boys doing housework… quite sexy it is. LOL.
Stress :: I do believe your chappy is next. Don't quote me on that, but I do believe it is true. I'm glad you're hooked!!!!! :D
Hades :: Thanks!!!!!! :D And thank you for the nice review.
Tunes :: There is more of you in this chappy… and you and Snodds are coming up soon too.
Stripes McKee :: Erm … is there any reason at all whatsoever as to why you were singing "Wild Thing" during your review?? LOLOLOL. But thanks!
Dragonfly :: I love "Tiny Dancer" too. Yay early Elton John!!! :D Here's your chappy hun, with your bowler. Hope ya like it!!!!!!!
Kristin :: Thank you!!!!!!!!! :D
Misprint :: I LOVE YOU TOO! LOLOL. I love Skitts too! And I enjoyed smearing Spot with sparkles… I thought he'd like them. HAHAHA. Okay so I knew he wouldn't. Whatev. UPDATE ECLIPSE CUZ MUSHY PROPOSED TO ME AND IT WAS WONDERFUL!
Blinks-Tiger :: Thank you!!!!!!!!! :D Skitts DOES have great hair. And wonderful pink underwear. Haha!
Moody :: Thanks dearie!! :D I enjoyed the spray paint as well.
Shade of Temair :: YAY! I updated! Therefore you and Mis must update ECLIPSE!!! :D AND NO MUSH AND SARAHNESS! AHHHHHHHHHH I COULDN'T HANDLE IT!!! **Mondie screams in retaliation of that HORRIBLE thought you left in the review**
rumor :: Hmm, I wonder just how many "Crimson and Clover" songs there ARE! LOL. That was suchhhhhhhhhh a sweet review you left me! I officially feel loved.
Taffee :: Oh, I'm sure Relic will make SURE he has respect for women before he's through. Thanks for the review!! You get to wear a wig in this chappy. Haha.
Sorrow :: Thanks!! Who recommended it? Thanks to whoever that was, too. You're too kind to me, too kind.
Doll Face :: Thanks!! I liked the quoting too. :D Yay!
Ali :: I love Almost Famous too. LOL I have a habit of making my characters love the same things I do… ::ahem:: Anyhow. And you're right, insane is good. I believe we're all a little insane. Hell, we write Newsies fan fiction. You just can't get much more insane than that. :D
Emu :: AHHHHHHH! Yay you reviewed. I miss talking to you MDLF! How are the llamas? I love The Terrorist and Gallows Hill too!!!!!!!!!!! Have you read "The Gospel According To Larry"?? That's like my favorite book EVER… and "Interview with the Vampire" is really good ((THANKS MISPRINT AND SHADE FOR HOOKING ME ON THAT!!! HAHA))
AND FINALLY… THE STORY!!!!!!!!!!
Untouchables
Chapter 6
That Saturday, Relic called a meeting of the Clover Gang at her house. Everyone filed into her roomy Spanish-style home, chattering and giggling amongst themselves. When finally everyone had arrived, Relic stood up on her coffee table (luckily, her mother wasn't home to admonish her) and cleared her throat importantly. The sixteen other girls looked at her expectantly.
Clapping her hands, she leapt from the table onto the ground lightly. Her violet eyes seemed blue in her excitement. "The plan is working!" she squealed happily.
Pegasus, wearing a t-shirt that belonged to Skittery, exchanged a happy glance with Taffee.
"And do we know who's next in our game?" Relic continued, her eyes flitting across the group as if choosing right then and there, though in her mind she already had the plan all laid out.
"Who?" blurted Tunes, her bright smile trying to convey to Relic that she was definitely ready for Snoddy.
Relic didn't seem to notice, and her eyes lit on Dragonfly. "Dragonfly and Snitch!" she said triumphantly.
Dragonfly let out an excited sound, and a couple girls around her giggled.
" 'And how are we going to get Dragonfly and Snitch together, oh great leader Relic?' " Relic asked, sitting on the ground next to BonBon and pretending to be another member of the group. Then she jumped to her feet and answered herself, "By planning this all out perfectly, of course, silly member of the gang Relic!" Everyone stared at her for a moment, as if doubting her sanity. Then she let loose with a loud giggle that was contagious.
"Okay, so the first thing," she said a few minutes later when they'd all calmed down, "is to figure out when exactly we can get Snitch alone from the boys."
"He practices bowling by himself on Sundays from four to five," volunteered Hades.
Now everyone stared at her.
"What?" she asked innocently, throwing up her hands. "I used to work at the bowling lanes."
"Su-u-ure," said Relic in a sing-song manner, but she laughed to show Hades she was joking. "All right then! Dragonfly, are you free tomorrow from four to five?"
"Uh… I guess so?" Dragonfly said, not exactly sounding confident in her answer.
"And can you bowl?" Relic continued, as if checking off items on a list in her brain.
"Um…" This Dragonfly didn't answer at all. She seemed to be thinking it over. Then she flashed a huge grin, and shrugged. "How hard can it be?"
Relic laughed, and then began to do a jig through the living room which half resembled a Russian dance from Fiddler On The Roof and half Irish step-dancing. Giggling, Dragonfly stood up to join her. Everyone else just laughed, secretly glad that she was the one with the crush on Snitch and not them.
"But… these shoes are disGUSTing!" protested Dragonfly the next day, raising her eyebrows at the middle-aged man behind the counter. He had a five o'clock shadow, a comb-over, and a beer belly that showed through his soiled, dirty wifebeater. "And I don't want lane twelve." She peeked over her shoulder. The lanes apparently were not quite a hot spot on Sunday afternoons. Snitch was on lane three, and the only other people in the room were Relic and Taffee, who were on lane one. Of course, the other girls were incognito, wearing long black Cher wigs and speaking with fake European accents.
Unbeknownst to the girls, Snitch had of course figured out who Relic and Taffee were, and was just enjoying this. He rather liked the feeling of being chased. He sent a crimson bowling ball flying down his alley, gliding effortlessly into the stack of pins and upsetting all of them. He turned back and saw the cute dark-skinned girl, Dragonfly, from the Clover Gang still arguing with Louie, the owner of the lanes.
"LANE FOUR!" Dragonfly screamed, her dark brown eyes flashing.
Sighing, Louie finally allowed her to go to her lane. Snitch turned around, flustered, as Dragonfly primly came to the lane next to his and began lacing up her brown and red bowling shoes.
As Snitch picked up the bowling ball again, he let his mind focus on the little brown arrows and let it fly once more towards the black abyss which was guarded with ten little stationary protectors. He didn't see Relic giving Dragonfly a thumbs-up while Taffee proceeded to blindly heave her own ball down the lane, laughing hysterically when she got three pins.
The ball decided to take its time coming back, so Snitch leaned back in a chair, sipping a Mountain Dew. He watched as Dragonfly walked painstakingly to the ball carousel and looked at the balls left there by the previous bowler. She grabbed a silvery one and, taking a deep breath (for she knew that Snitch's eyes were on her), hurled it down onto the lane.
The ball bounced from her lane onto Snitch's. Snitch snorted in laughter, but Dragonfly wouldn't let her embarrassment be shown. She lifted her chin and picked up a light orange ball and threw it too onto her lane. This one didn't bounce off, but merely meandered slowly down the lane as if bored. Nearly a minute later, it finally came to the end of its track. Dragonfly hoped it would hit at least ONE pin.
Instead, it dropped carelessly into the gutter.
Snitch's crimson ball had come back up, but he was far too amused by Dragonfly's antics to bowl himself. He watched her laboriously throw ball after ball down the alley. By the time her game was finished, she'd scored 32.
Relic groaned as she buried her face in her arms. Dragonfly saw this and wanted to do much the same thing. Even Louie seemed greatly disturbed by the lack of obvious bowling talent in the girl.
Snitch suddenly seemed to realize that he had fallen behind, and picked up his sparkly crimson ball. With ease, it sailed down and he got another strike. Since he'd been playing while Dragonfly had been arguing with Louie, he'd been much farther in the game, and this sealed it. He'd gotten another perfect 300.
Dragonfly watched him with tears of frustration in her eyes. It's okay, she tried to tell herself. You can still impress him. Don't let him see that you're worried. As soon as her computer screen set itself up for another game, she tried to imitate his stance and threw a yellow ball into the lane. It rolled straight into the gutter. She sighed loudly.
"You're trying too hard." The friendly voice caused her to turn her head in wonder. Snitch stood, his ball tucked into the crook of his arm. "I'm done practicing for today, but if you'd like, I can stay and give you a few pointers."
Dragonfly felt her face grin, and she nodded happily. "Okay, first of all," Snitch said, nodding his head at her emphatically, "Your stance is all wrong. Here, impersonate me." He struck a pose. Dragonfly did her best to mimic him. He laughed when she nearly fell over, unstable. He broke out of his stance and moved to her. "No, no, like this." He moved her leg back, positioned her arms. Relic, who was still pretending to bowl with Taffee, squeezed the bowling ball hard in excitement; so much so that the slippery ball slid out of her fingers and crashed to the wooden floors below. Her cheeks burned in embarrassment, but Snitch and Dragonfly were so in tune with each other that neither noticed.
The same couldn't be said for Louie.
Two minutes later, Relic and Taffee found themselves outside. "That Louie is too damn protective of his stupid waxed floors," griped Relic. "Now we can't even watch Snitch and Dragonfly."
Snitch and Dragonfly didn't seem to miss the other girls quite as equally. "So this is really your first time bowling since you were five and used bumpers?" Snitch laughed, his eyes crinkling at the corners.
Dragonfly laughed too. "I didn't know how else to get your attention," she confessed, in a rare quiet moment.
"No girl has EVER done anything like that for me before," Snitch said, testing different balls' weight. "Here, you've been using ones that are too heavy for you. Try this one." He handed her his own sparkly crimson bowling ball. "But be careful, she's my baby."
"She?" teased Dragonfly, taking the lighter ball from his arms and looking at it.
"She's won me all sorts of matches. I'd never be anywhere without my Natasha."
Dragonfly froze. Natasha was her real name. "Natasha?" she said, blinking, trying to figure out if it was all a big coincidence.
Snitch laughed a little. "Let's just say that you didn't need to come bowling this afternoon to get my attention. You've had it since eighth grade."
Dragonfly delicately laid Natasha in with the other bowling balls from the lane, and then put her arms around Snitch's neck. Smiling, he let his hands tangle in her long black hair before leaning in to gently kiss her lips.
And so the third couple of the Crimson and Clover Gangs was formed.