Chapter: 4
Getting to know you
It's days before school starts and there's a parade going on.
Ali is watching a parade alone.
"Ah!" She exclaimed.
(a camera flashes in her eyes; the picture is of Ali wincing at the bright light)
Ali looked up and saw Gosalyn standing there.
"You'll pay through the nose for that shot, missy. Unless you can give me a plausible reason for your being here." Gosalyn said.
"I was having too much fun at home, so I thought I'd go out and get killed by an unstable parade float." Ali said.
"Yep, through the nose."
"I'd stay and talk, but I've got 20 bucks riding on my quick escape. Join me?"
"Got a date... with a thoughtless delinquent. "
"Honker's back?" Ali asked.
Gosalyn nodded her head. "Yup. Just got back last night."
"And you're meeting him here?" Ali asked.
"What better place than a high school new school year parade. The anarchic death spiral of Western society?"
"So your date consists of making fun of people."
"If you must be all simplistic about it. And you're here because..."
"I had nothing better to do."
"Oh, look! (sees the cheerleading squad walk past) Hope you have time for a cheer before you go."
The cheerleeders wore throwing candy out at everybody.
"That's it. When the candy reaches escape velocity, it's time to leave."
"Where the hell is Honker? He was supposed to be here 15 minutes ago."
"I wouldn't let it bother you. Just because he's a few minutes late doesn't mean he's a jerk or anything."
"I'm glad you're starting to warm to him."
"I need to cross this street now if I want to make it home before the next ice age. See you." (leaves)
"Godspeed, Indiana Duck."
Ali crossed the street and Gosalyn is looking for Honker.
As soon as Ali crossed the street she found Honker around the cornor.
"Ali" Honker said.
"Oh. Honker. Aren't you supposed to be with Gosalyn? She was waiting for you in front of Drugs N' Stuff."
"Oh. She just said to meet at the pharmacy. I thought she meant the other one. I guess it was just a big misunderstanding."
"That's what Pol Pot said." Ali said.
"He didn't mean to kill two million people. He only wanted to scare them." Honker said.
Ali chuckled at that. "Ah! I made you laugh. Gosalyn wouldn't get that joke at all." Honker said.
"Yeah, I guess she's not really into that stuff is she?" Ali asked.
Honker shook his head. "Nope. Anyways, till I find her. Mind if I hang out with you?" He asked.
"Actually, I'm better off..." Ali said.
"We're both headed back toward Drugs N' Stuff. We can help each other." Honker said.
"If you really want to walk with me, fine, but I don't think you'll find Gosalyn. I've never seen this street so crowded before." Ali said.
"It is a stunning array of pod people." Honker said imitating Gosalyn.
"That sounds just like her." Ali said.
"I know, weird huh?" Honker said.
"Yeah, you're spending too much time with her." Ali said.
Honker looked around and saw the nearby floats by and got an idea.
" Maybe we should hop a float. We could see more people that way, and more people could see us." Honker said.
Ali eyes widen. "Whoa, okay you are and what did you to Honker?" Ali asked.
"Come on, You got to embrace the nightmare. Don't you want to wave to the crowd?" Honker said.
"Look, Honker, I know that you and Gosalyn see this whole thing as a big joke, but that's not me." Ali said.
They hopped on the float and Honker waved to everybody while Ali didn't.
"You know if Gosalyn was up her she would make faces at everybody." Honker said.
"I can tell." Ali said.
With Gosalyn she's standing around waiting for Honker to show up.
When her two friends walked up towards her. "Hey, Gos. We're having a paint fight. Want to join?" Gary asked.
Gosalyn loved to have paint fights, she plays on the local paintball team every weekend with them. She was going to say yes but quickly changed her mind.
"Maybe some other time dudes. I'm supposed to meet Honker here." Gosalyn said.
CeCe and Gary just looked at each other. "Oh, okay you're lost. See you on Monday." Gary said.
The two walked away and Gosalyn waved to them, looked at her watch.
"Where are you Honk?" She asked.
Honker and Ali hopped down from the float and saw the mascot coming up to them.
"The animals are about to exact their revenge." Ali said.
(the St. Carnard Lions mascot rushes towards them)
"Here we go, St. Carnard here we go!" The Mascot exclaimed.
"Beat it." Ali said.
"Come on, let's have a cheer!" The mascot said.
"She said beat it, Leo!" Honker exclaimed.
(shoves the mascot away)
"Wow. That was the modern equivalent of laying your cape over a puddle of water for me." Ali said.
Honker shrugged. "Well, I don't have a cape for you right now."
"Do you do that for Gosalyn?"
"No, she usually does this stuff her self." Honker said.
"Yeah she does like to take care of her own business." Ali chuckled.
"I knew you were having fun. Look -- cheerleaders! On Fire!" Honker exclaimed.
"Wow."
"It's like the Hindenburg" Honker said..
"Oh, the lack of humanity."
(the crowd cheers and applauds as fire fighters arrive to put out the blaze)
"This is magnificent. When Homecoming Parades Turn Hellish." Ali said.
"Now, aren't you glad you were here to see this?"
"Well, I definitely understand why you wanted to share this with Gosalyn. Sorry you never hooked up." Ali said/
"It's okay. By now she'd be so busy snapping pictures she'd forget I was even here. You know how she is." Honker said.
"Yeah, I know how she is." Ali said.
"Thanks for getting lost in the moment with me."
"Um, you're welcome?"
The two looked at each other and smiled.
With Gosalyn she's looking around at the parade and taking pictures of everything.
"Whoa, this is too good to be true! Cheerleaders fighting, football players the whole thing." She said.
She then looked around again. "Where is Honker? I'm not going to wait here anymore." She said she started to walk away.
Right when she walked away Honker and Ali came walking up.
"This just has to be my worst day ever."
"Hey, it could be worse." Honker said
"Let's see... in the past half-hour, I've lost the chance to make 20 bucks, lost my dignity on a float," Ali said.
"But still you had fun." Honker said.
Ali smiled little. "Yeah, I did." Ali said.
"Um, this is where I saw Gosalyn before, but she's not here now."
"We've done what we can. I wouldn't stress about it. We're having a good time, right?"
(suddenly, they're once again accosted by the St. Carnard Lions mascot, who seems to be in some distress)
(muffled) "Help... me..." He cried.
"Not you again." Ali said.
"Remember us? We're the ones who don't enjoy your hilarious antics." Honker said.
(muffled) – "Can't... breath..." The Mascot said.
"What's he saying?" Honker asked.
"It's either "canned beef" or "can't breathe." Ali said.
(the mascot collapses)
Honker pulls the mascot's head off, revealing him to be Mr. Goose)
(gasping) – "Hello? Where am I? Oh..." Goose said.
"I can't believe it. It's Mr. Goose." Ali said.
"And he would have gotten away with it if it weren't for us meddling kids." Honker said.
Ali laughed. "Okay, now it's official. You truly are spending too much time with Gosalyn." Ali said.
Just then a camera went off.
"Thanks! It's for the yearbook. I'm getting some really great pictures of couples tonight." Ted said.
(leaves)
"No, Ted, we're not a..." Honker said.
"Yeah, he's dating Gosalyn!" Ali exclaimed.
"Well, it's about stinking time." Gosalyn said.
(Gosalyn approaches with her camera around her neck)
"We've been looking all over for you." Honker said.
Gosalyn looked confused at him.
"What do you mean, been looking?" She asked.
"Honker and I ran into each other. We've been up and down the entire parade route." Ali said.
"Together? And yet, no torn clothes? No blood? No missing organs?" Gosalyn asked.
"No, we got along... pretty well. Right, Honker?" Ali asked.
"Right. I guess." Honker said.
"I said to meet at Drugs N' Stuff. Where were you, you big dope?" Gosalyn asked.
"No, you said at the pharmacy." Honker said
"He was at the other one waiting for you. That's where I met him... ran into him." Ali said.
"Mm-hmm. I tried there, too. You guys must have left before I got there, I guess." Gosalyn said.
"I guess." Honker said.
"Well, come on. Let's get some pizza and compare battle scars." Gosalyn said.
(grabs Honker's arm and starts walking) Come on, Ali." Gosalyn said.
( hesitates, then starts to join them just as the paint-fighting Gary and CeCe arrive)
is suddenly caught in the crossfire, and is splashed with blue and yellow paint)
"Oh, no, civilian casualties. You look great, Ali." Gosalyn chuckled.
Honker couldn't believe that.
"I can't believe this? Are you okay?" Honker asked.
"I'm..." Ali trailed.
Honker took off his jacket.
"Here, take my jacket. Wish I'd worn my cape." Honker said.
Gosalyn looked confused at him.
"Huh?" She asked.
"No, I'm fine. Really, I've always wanted an amazing Technicolor dream coat." Ali said.
"I've trained her well." Gosalyn said.
"Come on, Ali . We'll stop by your house and you can shower and change before we head out." Honker said.
"No, come out like that, Ali . Shake up your image." Gosalyn chuckled.
"You know, why don't you two just go on ahead? I think I'll skip the pizza tonight. I need to go talk to Pharaoh about his dreams." Ali said.
"Aw, come on." Gosalyn said.
"Yeah, come on, Ali." Honker said.
"I'm kind of beat." Ali said.
"Okay, see you around." Honker said,
"I'll call you later." Gosalyn said.
( and as they walk away, Ali steals a look at Honker and sighs)
'What am I doing?' She thought to herself.
She shook the thoughts out of her head and headed back to her house.
With Gosalyn and Honker at the pizza joint.
"So, what did you and Ali talk about during the parade without me?" Gosalyn asked.
Honker shrugged. "Not much really. Just about everything." Honker said.
"Oh." Gosalyn said.
"Yeah, nothing too important. Well, I better head home. I promised my dad that I would help him clean the garage." Honker said.
"Oh, okay. Have fun."
"Very unlikely." Honker said.
He kissed Gosalyn on the cheek and walked out, Gosalyn just sat there. All of a sudden she got a weird feeling. "Snap out of Gosalyn. Ali is my best friend. I shouldn't have these kind of thoughts going in my head." She said.
She paid the check and headed out. "It's not like Ali has a crush on him." She mussed.
With Ali in her room. She's holding a picture of Honker. "Gosalyn, must never know." Ali said as she put the picture back in her dresser drawers.
To Be Continued..