A/N: Nice to see new readers with each chapter; hope you are all loving it!
The girls were a little relieved when the tram stopped and the tour resumed on foot. This time the group was being led inside one of the sound-stages. The guide pointed right above him to a giant red bulb that wasn't currently lit. He informed the crowd of out-of-towners that this light indicated a hot set, which was lingo for an active recording is taking place. But since it wasn't on, the building was free to peruse around.
"It's important that everyone who isn't in front of the camera to be completely quiet," he warned. "Even on a sitcom like The Big Bang Theory relies on the audience to be under control."
Sasha looked up right after he said that and noticed the big sign that said "APPLAUSE" right when everyone was rounding the corner.
"And speaking of which..." the guide hung back a little to reveal what was ahead like he was a magician. "Voila!"
The on-lookers gasped at the sight of the iconic apartment set from The Big Bang Theory, perfectly preserved like they were going to film there any minute.
"Okay, folks, come on and look around. Walk in the footsteps of your favorite characters. But remember; museum rules! See with your eyes and not your hands."
Tourists eagerly stepped through the set that has seen hundreds of episode tapings. Its considered an honor when the set of a show is left for posterity. Rumor has it the Seinfeld set is still intact over at NBC.
It was at this point that Sasha became aware that she hadn't heard from Anne in a minute. She did a full 360 and no sign of the brown-haired girl.
"Anne?"
Now the group was beginning to disperse as they follow the guide to the next phase of the tour.
The blonde exhaled heavily from her nostrils and started searching the area now that she was alone.
"Anne!" she shout-whispered. "Boonchuy, where did you run off to?"
Suddenly a familiar giggle startled Sasha and she immediately began investigating the source of it. Well, she knew the source but where was she?
"Are you gonna come out of what?"
Now Sasha was standing, arms folded whilst tapping her foot. Impatient Sasha: Activated.
She doesn't see the slender girl emerging from behind her, not making a single sound. Its remarkable given her time training alongside the toads that anyone could sneak up on her. Especially now when she has her wits about her.
A soft whisper cuts through the tension.
"Bazinga."
"WHAT THE HECK!?"
Sasha flipped around in full fight stance at what whispered into her ear. She leapt behind the couch she was standing by and saw...
Nothing.
Confused, Sasha resumed her personal patrol of the room. Now she knew Anne was messing with her. She was irritated but kind of wanted to see where this goes.
"You'd better come out, nerd. I swear..."
"Bazinga!"
She whipped back again and that crazy girl was out of sight.
"How the heck did she get so fast?"
"Bazinga!"
"How are you doing this?"
Sasha had her fists up as if she was gonna throw down. A reflex from General Yuan and other adversaries she encountered in the marshy continent.
Then she began putting it together. First behind the couch, then behind the brown chair, and now here...That's it! Boonchuy was doing a full circle through the room which means the next place she would be is right...over...there!
"GOTCHA!"
"AAAAGGGGHH!"
Anne was made and tackled by her friend. The hunter has become the hunted. Sasha feigned wrestling with Anne until she has her pinned down. The two started cracking up. This relaxing studio tour proved to be rather physical for the pair. They started laughing less and less, just looking at each other as they caught their breath. And remaining in that position, Sasha overpowering Anne. But this wasn't like before. She really didn't mind it this time.
Their heavy panting and hearts beating was about the only thing they could hear until...
"Who's over there? Anyone in here?"
The deep authoritative voice made the two snap out of their little bubble and they peeked around the wall of furniture. A security guard with a flashlight was checking the set for any errant tourists.
"Great, its the fuzz" Anne whispered.
Sasha spotted a TV remote on the arm of the couch.
"Oh yeah, watch this," Sasha whispered back.
The blonde snatched the remote and yeeted it into the audience bleachers, making a noticeable raucous when it landed. That was enough to cause Paul Blart to face the opposite direction with suspicion. Now with his back turned, Sasha grabs Anne's hand and the pair bolt.
"Great, now we're separated!"
"Sorry," Anne said sheepishly. "Just having a little fun."
Sasha saw that she was sorry and nudged her shoulder into hers.
"Hey, what can I say, Boonchuy. Danger's your middle name."
They laugh as they begin to stroll along the spacious lot.
"Guess this will be our own private tour from now on," Anne shrugged.
"That's okay," Sasha said. "I like these times when its just us."
Anne blushes a little.
"This is new," she thought. "It's scary but I kind of like it."
She came out of LA-LA-Land when she bumped into Sasha who stopped dead in her tracks.
"OH MY GOD!"
"What, what?" asked Anne, confused.
Sasha grabbed Anne's face and made her turn to the right direction.
"THAT!"
Just several feet before them was a full size Tumbler from the Dark Knight movies.
"I always wanted to see one up close!"
Anne was quickly dragged to the black tank that looked pretty short up close. Much like a sports car it wasn't a very high vehicle. Sasha touches the shiny car, running her hands alongside it.
"So cool!" she said in a deep voice that Anne found amusing.
"Now who's geeking out?" Anne teased.
Sasha made a frown.
"Just wish I could sit in it..."
Then as if by good luck, she inadvertently pushed on a panel that made the top part open up.
The blonde practically screeched with excitement.
"YAY!"
Without hesitation, Sasha climbed into the tank and sat in the driver's seat.
"Uh...Sash...I don't think we should..."
"There's room for two..." Sasha raised an eyebrow rather seductively.
Anne looked around and climbed in.
Sasha gripped the controls. She definitely found something cooler than her little red car.
Meanwhile, Anne's eyes grew to saucers at the sight of all the buttons around them. She presses one and a litany of lights, different colors, all start blinking.
"Ooooooh," said Anne. "It lights up!"
The two stare at each other silently, grin and begin pressing and pulling everything they can. Sure enough different lights and sounds can be heard. Their giddiness was short-lived when the car made a rumbling noise like it was started.
"Uh...Sash..."
"Oh, crap what did we do?" the blonde panicked. "I thought it was a prop."
Now they're both pressing buttons to turn it off.
"Come on, come on..." Anne said freaking out. "One of these has to be the starter; we just have to press it again and it'll shut off. Just like my boss's Malibu."
Finally one switch Sasha pulled made the car roar even louder.
"What did you just do?" asked Anne.
"I think I made it mad," Sasha replied with a crooked grin.
Anne tries to control her breathing and not panic.
"It's okay, it's okay, as long as stays in park..."
Famous last words as Anne accidentally rested her left elbow on the parking break and the black tank begins zooming along.
The girls hold on tight, screaming. That thing Sasha hit before Anne turned the brake off must've been some kind of booster.
"SLOW IT DOWN! SLOW IT DOWN! SLOW IT DOWN!"
Anne's pleas are no use as Sasha tries in vain to make the vehicle yield.
"IT'S NO USE!" Sasha yells. "I CAN'T STOP UNTIL THAT BOOSTER THINGY IS TURNED OFF!"
"SAAAAAAASH!"
Anne pointed ahead frantically at the two workers carrying a pane of glass.
The blonde narrowed her eyes and gripped the wheel tightly. She couldn't stop but she could at least steer. The car made a super wide turn right to avoid the glass but in doing so they were now about to collide head on with a painted backdrop. Luckily people standing near just got out of the way in time for the girls to plow through, making a gigantic hole.
"OH MAN! OH MAN!" Anne was gripping her hair, tugging at it in fear. "SASH LOOK OUT!"
Now a fruit stand built for an exterior scene was in their path.
Sasha shook her head "UGH SERIOUSLY? THERE'S ALWAYS A FRUIT STAND!"
They hit the big cart so hard that it flew for a second until it crashed down on its side. The Tumbler kept charging through.
"WE'RE GONNA DIE!"
"KEEP IT TOGETHER, BOONCHUY! WE'VE BEEN THROUGH WORSE! NOW KEEP TRYING BUTTONS; I CAN ONLY KEEP THIS UP FOR SO LONG!"
"OKAY, OKAY" Anne struggled to get out as she starts trying the controls.
Suddenly the shaky rumble was reduced to a normal sounding car. And their gait slowed significantly.
"You did it, Anne!" Sasha beamed. "You found the booster. Now let's stop this bad boy."
Sasha slammed down on the brake pedal and the giant tires screeched to a stop, making smoke.
Now they were completely stopped and Anne managed to at last find the engine button and the monster calmed down.
Anne held up her fists in triumph.
"YA-YAH!"
"Here's to not dying!"
The friends high five and emerge from the cockpit only to see that they are surrounded by Warner security, most of them with guns drawn. The girls quickly raise their hands.
"Should've went to Paramount," Sasha sighed.
Anne and Sasha sat in the office of the studio COO, Harold Hill, Jr.
It felt like sitting in Principal Murphy's office all over again.
"This feels familiar," remarked Anne. "You don't think an essay will get me out of this one, do you?"
"I wouldn't count on it," said Sasha.
They could barely make out the conversation the big boss was having on his phone with his chair facing away from the girls. They could only make out some short bits here and there.
"...but they...do you really believe...really that much?..."
Finally, he turned around to face them while ending the call. He put the cell on his desk and regarded the two young women who looked like deer caught in the headlights.
"Okay, ladies; here's the deal. This hasn't been a great year for us from a PR standpoint. So I would appreciate it if we could handle this entire matter in-house."
The old man leaned back in his chair and sighed.
"That car wasn't supposed to be there. It was meant to be a dummy car; it didn't even have an engine. The dang thing gets trucked in for malls, children's hospitals, you get the deal. Its a photo op piece. But some moron parked one of the fully functional stunt cars for display. And better still they didn't lock it up or remove the fob so any civilian could just wander up to it and start it."
Sasha and Anne exchange glances.
"And believe you me whoever did that is gonna be fired for that blunder."
"Uh, ya think?" thought Sasha.
"But nobody was killed or maimed so aren't we lucky," he said not smiling in the slightest. "However there is still the matter of you girls. We have footage of you not only trespassing on studio property but creating, well, havoc."
"Are we gonna be arrested?" asked Anne.
"Look at this face!" Sasha said, leaning to Anne closely. "She won't do well in the clink!"
Anne's eyes darted to her partner in crime.
"Not sure what to feel about that..."
He raised his hand.
"No, no, no! Nobody's getting arrested. Let's settle this like adults. If you two leave...right now and keep what happened to yourselves, we can forget about the damages and call the whole thing even."
Anne looked at Sasha and leaned in close and the two start whispering a full blown conversation out of earshot of the executive.
The blonde broke the huddle and turned to the man.
"On one condition, if you want us to keep quiet about this traumatic experience!"
"Which is?"
"How about a couple of t-shirts and hats?"
"Oh!" bounced Anne. "And those cool black jackets with the big shield on the back!"
Hill shut his eyes, took a deep breath and released it.
"Fine, fine."
He then turned to his right and pressed his intercom.
"Sally, please escort Miss Boonchuy and Miss Waybright to the gift shop. Whatever they want. And also, make sure Ralph the guard adds them both to the list."
Sasha grinned and stood up, holding hands with Anne.
"Well this was fun, but we must go."
The pair turn and walk out of the large office.
The studio boss massaged his temple and called the intercom once.
"Sally, also have someone pick up my anxiety medication. Thanks!"
