Chapter 4: A Thriller Becomes A Real Thriller
A week has passed since Tommy has fallen for Gaz and he prepares for the upcoming music video. Tommy, Gaz, and the ones Tommy selected to be in the music video are inside the set Gaz's relative set up for them. Most of the kids stayed away from Gaz because of personal reasons, especially the "don't trust her" ones.
"Okay, this music video is about Thriller, a parody sort of I guess. This is my first attempt of doing it so try not to give me a hard time, okay?" Tommy requested.
Everyone especially Gaz and Kimi (who's giving Gaz a suspicious and death glare) nodded in agreement.
"Okay, here is whom I choose to play which role in the video. Gaz Membrane will be doing the singing. I heard her sing, it's very good." Tommy continues.
"Oh, geez. I wondered why." Phil asked suspiciously.
"Phil, please don't. Next, Kimi Watanabe Finster will be the voice at the end of the music video."
"What?!" Kimi is kinda shocked and upset. "Why must I be at the end and offscreen too?! I should be in the entire video!"
Tommy is not sure if he wants to go into the reason. He remembers his nightmare and he knews that telling her why is a bad idea. So he makes up a good reason.
"Look, you'd still be in the video. I'd put your name in the credits, I promised." Tommy said reasoning.
"Okay, fine." Kimi said with an annoyed sigh.
"Next, Chuckie Finster is going to be the one being chased by the zombies."
"Hey! Why must I be the one being chased by zombies?! I am not scared as I used to be!" Chuckie protested.
"Well, unless anyone else wants to be in the role?" Tommy said with the smile.
No one else wants to be in the role. Chuckie sighs.
"Fine. What do I do?"
"Wait a sec. And finally, everyone else will be the zombies." Tommy concluded.
"All right! A chance to eat some brains!" squealed Dil with delight. Lil rolled her eyes in a "how is that not new to me" way.
"Okay, let's get the stage set up folks. And remember, try hard to cooperate with each other, okay?" Tommy instructed.
Everyone except Tommy who is overlooking things begins work on setting up the stage. Tommy sees that Kimi is even helping out Gaz. He breathes a sigh of relief. He hopes (and prays) that Kimi doesn't find out about his love for Gaz and that she wouldn't try to kill Gaz...or him for that matter. He hopes everything turns out okay.
Too bad it may not be so.
"Ok, first lets start with a little practice at the sings. Gaz, you stand there, and the back up singers stand there." He pointed Gaz over to one spot and some of the girls, including Susie and Lil, to another spot. Then he took out a tape player and hit play.
Soon Gaz's part came up. "It's close to midnight and something evil's lurking in the dark. Under the moonlight you see a sight that almost stops your heart You try to scream but terror takes the sound before you make it. You start to freeze as horror looks you right between the eyes. You're paralyzed."
During this Kimi is looking at Gaz and seems rather impressed. Soon it's time for the back up singers to come in. "'Cause this is thriller, thriller night"
Gaz was on her own for another line. "And no one's gonna save you from the beast about to strike."
Soon the others join in. "You know it's thriller, thriller night."
Gaz sings solo again. "You're fighting for your life inside a killer, thriller tonight."
Tommy hit stop on the music. Everyone who wasn't singing ran up to Gaz.
"I guess we were wrong about you, you ARE a great singer." One of the students said.
People were crowding her. Tommy sighed and walked up to them. "Alright, break it up. Give her a little bit of room, give her a little bit of air."
Kimi sighed rather harshly. Then she walked up to Tommy put her arm on him. "We need to talk." With that she draged Tommy away to another room.
They were inside a storage room with crates.
"What's this about Kimi?" Tommy asked.
Kimi locked the door. Then she turned and glared at Tommy. "You've been getting quite friendly with that Gaz girl lately haven't you?"
Tommy was a tad bit shocked. "Well...um...yeah I guess so."
Kimi gave a kick at one of the crates, sending it into the wall where it broke into pieces. "You GUESS?" she snapped.
Tommy ran up to her and put his hands on her arms so she doesn't swing them around. "Wow there Kimi. Calm down."
"How can I calm down when there's a chance you could be cheating on me?" Kimi glared.
"I'll tell you how. Remember way back when you and Z were hanging out. Remember how I and the others thought you were in love with him when you were just friends. That's what's going on with Gaz and me. We're just good friends." Tommy told her, even though the main point of it was a lie.
Kimi looked down. "You serious?" Kimi asked softly.
"Of course I am. Now listen, you promise to help out and not go at Gaz or anything then I'll change your part a bit." Tommy offered.
"What do you mean a bit?" Kimi asked.
"I mean, I won't let it be an off screen voice. I'll actually put you in the video. I mean, this will be more singing than dancing so why can't I have you in it. Besides, I'm sure in this day and age people would rather see who is making the voice." Tommy chuckled.
Kimi chuckled too as she went to unlock the door. "Ok, I promise I'll help out. And...and sorry I jumped to conclusions."
Tommy was a bit at a lost for words, so he said the first thing that came to his mind. "Sure, it's ok."
Kimi smiled. "I'm so glad I can trust you Tommy. Unlike the others, you've almost never lie to me without good reason." Then she left the room.
"Yeah..." Tommy sighed rather sadly. "Without good reason." Then he left the room.
Two hours later, the music video production is halted for the day and everyone went home. Everyone said their goodbyes. Of course, Tommy is finding it difficult to say goodbye to either Kimi or Gaz because of what happened. As he walked around town, he finds himself in the biggest dilemma yet. He was lying to Kimi about he and Gaz and the fact is he was lying to himself. He thought he was just dating two girls, not cheating on Kimi, but the fact is he really is. Tommy needs help but who to turned to? Not his friends because they already beginning to trust Gaz and they will get furious at Tommy for doing something like kissing another girl and cheating on Kimi and they may let something slipped to Kimi. Heck, he is not sure if asking his parents, brother, or even cousin for help is a good idea. Angelica is the one who always looking for a good story, even scandalous ones, Dil may let something slipped as well, and his parents would be upset at what he's doing.
'Who am I going to trusted to to talked about this problem?' Tommy thought sadly.
Tommy then sees that he is passing the old folks' homes, where his Grandpa Lou and Grandma Lulu are living. He thought for a minute then smiles a sad smile.
"That's it!" Tommy announced as he heads towards the old folks' homes.
Later
"So that is what happened, Grandpa Lou." Tommy said, finished explaining his story to his grandparents.
"So let me get this straight, scout. You're telling me that, while you're in love with little Kimi, you are starting to fall in love with a Goth girl?" asked Grandpa Lou.
"Yes."
"And that you are lying to your first love, fearing that she may go crazy that her suspicions were right and that she may attacked Gaz and/or you?"
"Yes." Tommy said sadly.
"I see. Well, you did the right thing coming to us, Tommy." Grandpa Lulu said.
"I can't tell my friends, my parents, my brother, or Angelica! I need your help in solving this problem!" Tommy pleaded.
"Tommy, I know how you feeled. Heck, in the old days, I have woman problems of my own." Grandpa Lou announced.
"Really?" asked Lulu, interested to know what other women Lou dated besides her. She isn't jealous, just interested that's all.
"Yep. Remeber that Morgana woman I saw again when you were a baby?"
"Uh...I was too young to remember, but I will take your word for it." Tommy said with a shrug.
"Well, you see, I was in love with her and it looks like we would never come apart. But then something happened that changes all that. Morgana saw me with Trixie McGee, your sadly departed first grandmother, and thought I was kissing her, but the fact is, I was giving her mouth to mouth, uh, stuff that saved a person's life. I can't remember what it is." Grandpa Lou explains.
Tommy and Lulu chuckles. Grandpa Lou frowns.
"Hey, I just forgot! I can remember the good old days! Anyway, because of that, Morgana left town and I haven't seen her until years later when Tommy was a baby. Anyway, I dated Trixie McGee a while and we fell in love."
"I see what you're saying, but this Morgana woman didn't go crazy and try to killed you or Grandma Trixie." Tommy said with a frown.
"True, but I told Morgana what really happened years later. Of course, while we dated again a few times, we drifted apart and never seen each other since. Of course, she still didn't hold a candle to you, Lulu." Grandpa Lou told his wife and Tommy's second grandmother.
"Oh Lou." Grandma Lulu blushed then spoke. "What your Grandfather is trying to say, Tommy, is that it's best if you tell Kimi the truth before the consequences will happened if she knows herself."
"But she'd be furious about my lying." Tommy said sadly.
"Even if that so and she breaks up with you because of that, well, it will be one of those who do you really want situations, isn't it?" Grandpa Lou said.
"What do you mean?"
"Just look in your heart. Who do you really want?"
Tommy looks down to his feet, thinking. Then he looked up and spoke.
"Uh, I have some thinking to do. You won't tell anyone what I said here today, right?" Tommy asked nervously.
"Oh you have our word, Tommy." Lulu chuckled.
"And besides, if anyone were to tell Kimi, it should be you. But you better do it before it's too late." Grandpa Lou added.
Tommy is worried that it may already be too late.
Elsewhere
Gaz is hanging out at an arcade, playing the game she beat Tommy at when she first met him. She, unlike Tommy, had managed to made it to the end. She grins as she puts her initials in the score board. Once she's done playing, she leaves the arcade. However, her walk home is interrupted by one snooping reporter.
"Hey Gaz. Glad I bumped into ya!" Angelica approached Gaz with a grin.
"What do you want?" Gaz said, back in her Gotheic attitude.
"Mind if I bugged you for a story? About how life is it back in your hometown?"
Gaz rolled her eyes. She knew Angelica's reputation for being mean, bossy, and reporting embarrassing stories about people, Tommy included.
"Take a hike, witch or I'd be forced to do something mean and evil back in my hometown. Trust me. What I did to my brother Dib the last time is nothing compared to what I'm going to do to you." Gaz snapped at Angelica.
Gaz leaves, believing that she won. Until...
"Could it be compared to what I saw you and Tommy doing the other day?" Angelica said with an evil grin.
Gaz stops and turns around, nervous. "What...what do you mean?" Gaz asked nervously.
"Don't played dumb with me, Gaz. I saw you and my cousin kissing. You and him are in love are you?" Angelica said, though she already knew the truth.
"Well..."
"Well, nothing! You know, I could ruined your starring role in the music video Tommy is making and maybe ruined Tommy's reputation by telling Kimi what you and he are doing. Kimi is Tommy's girlfriend of course. You could imagined what everyone else would do if they knew that Tommy was cheating on his girlfriend with the main star of his music video." Angelica said devilishly.
Gaz gasps. "You wouldn't!" protested Gaz.
"Face it, Goth Girl. You have until the music video is over to give me a story. I got the goods on you!!!!" Angelica laughed in her usual evil way.
Later
Back in Gaz's apartment, Gaz is sitting on the couch, worried about what she is going to do now.
"Oh man. I don't want Tommy to lose his reputation and made him and me hated by everyone. It looks like the only way I saved face now if I do what Angelica said." Gaz paused to think some more. "Or I could break up with Tommy. But...I don't want to. I loved him. Oh, if there's only a way to solve this problem."
Looks like Tommy isn't the only one in hot water.
A week has passed since Tommy has fallen for Gaz and he prepares for the upcoming music video. Tommy, Gaz, and the ones Tommy selected to be in the music video are inside the set Gaz's relative set up for them. Most of the kids stayed away from Gaz because of personal reasons, especially the "don't trust her" ones.
"Okay, this music video is about Thriller, a parody sort of I guess. This is my first attempt of doing it so try not to give me a hard time, okay?" Tommy requested.
Everyone especially Gaz and Kimi (who's giving Gaz a suspicious and death glare) nodded in agreement.
"Okay, here is whom I choose to play which role in the video. Gaz Membrane will be doing the singing. I heard her sing, it's very good." Tommy continues.
"Oh, geez. I wondered why." Phil asked suspiciously.
"Phil, please don't. Next, Kimi Watanabe Finster will be the voice at the end of the music video."
"What?!" Kimi is kinda shocked and upset. "Why must I be at the end and offscreen too?! I should be in the entire video!"
Tommy is not sure if he wants to go into the reason. He remembers his nightmare and he knews that telling her why is a bad idea. So he makes up a good reason.
"Look, you'd still be in the video. I'd put your name in the credits, I promised." Tommy said reasoning.
"Okay, fine." Kimi said with an annoyed sigh.
"Next, Chuckie Finster is going to be the one being chased by the zombies."
"Hey! Why must I be the one being chased by zombies?! I am not scared as I used to be!" Chuckie protested.
"Well, unless anyone else wants to be in the role?" Tommy said with the smile.
No one else wants to be in the role. Chuckie sighs.
"Fine. What do I do?"
"Wait a sec. And finally, everyone else will be the zombies." Tommy concluded.
"All right! A chance to eat some brains!" squealed Dil with delight. Lil rolled her eyes in a "how is that not new to me" way.
"Okay, let's get the stage set up folks. And remember, try hard to cooperate with each other, okay?" Tommy instructed.
Everyone except Tommy who is overlooking things begins work on setting up the stage. Tommy sees that Kimi is even helping out Gaz. He breathes a sigh of relief. He hopes (and prays) that Kimi doesn't find out about his love for Gaz and that she wouldn't try to kill Gaz...or him for that matter. He hopes everything turns out okay.
Too bad it may not be so.
"Ok, first lets start with a little practice at the sings. Gaz, you stand there, and the back up singers stand there." He pointed Gaz over to one spot and some of the girls, including Susie and Lil, to another spot. Then he took out a tape player and hit play.
Soon Gaz's part came up. "It's close to midnight and something evil's lurking in the dark. Under the moonlight you see a sight that almost stops your heart You try to scream but terror takes the sound before you make it. You start to freeze as horror looks you right between the eyes. You're paralyzed."
During this Kimi is looking at Gaz and seems rather impressed. Soon it's time for the back up singers to come in. "'Cause this is thriller, thriller night"
Gaz was on her own for another line. "And no one's gonna save you from the beast about to strike."
Soon the others join in. "You know it's thriller, thriller night."
Gaz sings solo again. "You're fighting for your life inside a killer, thriller tonight."
Tommy hit stop on the music. Everyone who wasn't singing ran up to Gaz.
"I guess we were wrong about you, you ARE a great singer." One of the students said.
People were crowding her. Tommy sighed and walked up to them. "Alright, break it up. Give her a little bit of room, give her a little bit of air."
Kimi sighed rather harshly. Then she walked up to Tommy put her arm on him. "We need to talk." With that she draged Tommy away to another room.
They were inside a storage room with crates.
"What's this about Kimi?" Tommy asked.
Kimi locked the door. Then she turned and glared at Tommy. "You've been getting quite friendly with that Gaz girl lately haven't you?"
Tommy was a tad bit shocked. "Well...um...yeah I guess so."
Kimi gave a kick at one of the crates, sending it into the wall where it broke into pieces. "You GUESS?" she snapped.
Tommy ran up to her and put his hands on her arms so she doesn't swing them around. "Wow there Kimi. Calm down."
"How can I calm down when there's a chance you could be cheating on me?" Kimi glared.
"I'll tell you how. Remember way back when you and Z were hanging out. Remember how I and the others thought you were in love with him when you were just friends. That's what's going on with Gaz and me. We're just good friends." Tommy told her, even though the main point of it was a lie.
Kimi looked down. "You serious?" Kimi asked softly.
"Of course I am. Now listen, you promise to help out and not go at Gaz or anything then I'll change your part a bit." Tommy offered.
"What do you mean a bit?" Kimi asked.
"I mean, I won't let it be an off screen voice. I'll actually put you in the video. I mean, this will be more singing than dancing so why can't I have you in it. Besides, I'm sure in this day and age people would rather see who is making the voice." Tommy chuckled.
Kimi chuckled too as she went to unlock the door. "Ok, I promise I'll help out. And...and sorry I jumped to conclusions."
Tommy was a bit at a lost for words, so he said the first thing that came to his mind. "Sure, it's ok."
Kimi smiled. "I'm so glad I can trust you Tommy. Unlike the others, you've almost never lie to me without good reason." Then she left the room.
"Yeah..." Tommy sighed rather sadly. "Without good reason." Then he left the room.
Two hours later, the music video production is halted for the day and everyone went home. Everyone said their goodbyes. Of course, Tommy is finding it difficult to say goodbye to either Kimi or Gaz because of what happened. As he walked around town, he finds himself in the biggest dilemma yet. He was lying to Kimi about he and Gaz and the fact is he was lying to himself. He thought he was just dating two girls, not cheating on Kimi, but the fact is he really is. Tommy needs help but who to turned to? Not his friends because they already beginning to trust Gaz and they will get furious at Tommy for doing something like kissing another girl and cheating on Kimi and they may let something slipped to Kimi. Heck, he is not sure if asking his parents, brother, or even cousin for help is a good idea. Angelica is the one who always looking for a good story, even scandalous ones, Dil may let something slipped as well, and his parents would be upset at what he's doing.
'Who am I going to trusted to to talked about this problem?' Tommy thought sadly.
Tommy then sees that he is passing the old folks' homes, where his Grandpa Lou and Grandma Lulu are living. He thought for a minute then smiles a sad smile.
"That's it!" Tommy announced as he heads towards the old folks' homes.
Later
"So that is what happened, Grandpa Lou." Tommy said, finished explaining his story to his grandparents.
"So let me get this straight, scout. You're telling me that, while you're in love with little Kimi, you are starting to fall in love with a Goth girl?" asked Grandpa Lou.
"Yes."
"And that you are lying to your first love, fearing that she may go crazy that her suspicions were right and that she may attacked Gaz and/or you?"
"Yes." Tommy said sadly.
"I see. Well, you did the right thing coming to us, Tommy." Grandpa Lulu said.
"I can't tell my friends, my parents, my brother, or Angelica! I need your help in solving this problem!" Tommy pleaded.
"Tommy, I know how you feeled. Heck, in the old days, I have woman problems of my own." Grandpa Lou announced.
"Really?" asked Lulu, interested to know what other women Lou dated besides her. She isn't jealous, just interested that's all.
"Yep. Remeber that Morgana woman I saw again when you were a baby?"
"Uh...I was too young to remember, but I will take your word for it." Tommy said with a shrug.
"Well, you see, I was in love with her and it looks like we would never come apart. But then something happened that changes all that. Morgana saw me with Trixie McGee, your sadly departed first grandmother, and thought I was kissing her, but the fact is, I was giving her mouth to mouth, uh, stuff that saved a person's life. I can't remember what it is." Grandpa Lou explains.
Tommy and Lulu chuckles. Grandpa Lou frowns.
"Hey, I just forgot! I can remember the good old days! Anyway, because of that, Morgana left town and I haven't seen her until years later when Tommy was a baby. Anyway, I dated Trixie McGee a while and we fell in love."
"I see what you're saying, but this Morgana woman didn't go crazy and try to killed you or Grandma Trixie." Tommy said with a frown.
"True, but I told Morgana what really happened years later. Of course, while we dated again a few times, we drifted apart and never seen each other since. Of course, she still didn't hold a candle to you, Lulu." Grandpa Lou told his wife and Tommy's second grandmother.
"Oh Lou." Grandma Lulu blushed then spoke. "What your Grandfather is trying to say, Tommy, is that it's best if you tell Kimi the truth before the consequences will happened if she knows herself."
"But she'd be furious about my lying." Tommy said sadly.
"Even if that so and she breaks up with you because of that, well, it will be one of those who do you really want situations, isn't it?" Grandpa Lou said.
"What do you mean?"
"Just look in your heart. Who do you really want?"
Tommy looks down to his feet, thinking. Then he looked up and spoke.
"Uh, I have some thinking to do. You won't tell anyone what I said here today, right?" Tommy asked nervously.
"Oh you have our word, Tommy." Lulu chuckled.
"And besides, if anyone were to tell Kimi, it should be you. But you better do it before it's too late." Grandpa Lou added.
Tommy is worried that it may already be too late.
Elsewhere
Gaz is hanging out at an arcade, playing the game she beat Tommy at when she first met him. She, unlike Tommy, had managed to made it to the end. She grins as she puts her initials in the score board. Once she's done playing, she leaves the arcade. However, her walk home is interrupted by one snooping reporter.
"Hey Gaz. Glad I bumped into ya!" Angelica approached Gaz with a grin.
"What do you want?" Gaz said, back in her Gotheic attitude.
"Mind if I bugged you for a story? About how life is it back in your hometown?"
Gaz rolled her eyes. She knew Angelica's reputation for being mean, bossy, and reporting embarrassing stories about people, Tommy included.
"Take a hike, witch or I'd be forced to do something mean and evil back in my hometown. Trust me. What I did to my brother Dib the last time is nothing compared to what I'm going to do to you." Gaz snapped at Angelica.
Gaz leaves, believing that she won. Until...
"Could it be compared to what I saw you and Tommy doing the other day?" Angelica said with an evil grin.
Gaz stops and turns around, nervous. "What...what do you mean?" Gaz asked nervously.
"Don't played dumb with me, Gaz. I saw you and my cousin kissing. You and him are in love are you?" Angelica said, though she already knew the truth.
"Well..."
"Well, nothing! You know, I could ruined your starring role in the music video Tommy is making and maybe ruined Tommy's reputation by telling Kimi what you and he are doing. Kimi is Tommy's girlfriend of course. You could imagined what everyone else would do if they knew that Tommy was cheating on his girlfriend with the main star of his music video." Angelica said devilishly.
Gaz gasps. "You wouldn't!" protested Gaz.
"Face it, Goth Girl. You have until the music video is over to give me a story. I got the goods on you!!!!" Angelica laughed in her usual evil way.
Later
Back in Gaz's apartment, Gaz is sitting on the couch, worried about what she is going to do now.
"Oh man. I don't want Tommy to lose his reputation and made him and me hated by everyone. It looks like the only way I saved face now if I do what Angelica said." Gaz paused to think some more. "Or I could break up with Tommy. But...I don't want to. I loved him. Oh, if there's only a way to solve this problem."
Looks like Tommy isn't the only one in hot water.