Hi, everyone! Back with another chapter (yes, it has been quite a while since the last update). I apologize for the long wait; had some personal family issues going on (which also explains why my other fanfiction story took a while to update, too).
So, I know that OCs can sometimes be a problem, but I did try to ensure that they contributed to the plot. Here are their introductions:
Cindy: Sam's sister
Jessica: Cindy's best friend
Sandra: Sam's next door neighbor
Harry and Annabelle: Sandra's children
Michelle: Sam's study partner for Trig
Kirtt: Not really an OC, but he was more introduced as the car the girls were taking to Florida in 'Game Girls', when Clover first asked, "is he a chauffeur? I hope he's cute." In this chapter, he is a chauffeur of sorts for Clover.
Anna Liu: The Chinese exchange student that Daryl has a massive crush on.
Mary: David's date for the dance
Omar: The taxi driver for Sam
Of course, I'll list any more OCs throughout the story. I look forward to your guys' thoughts and opinions! Thanks so much for reading thus far.
Disclaimer: Totally Spies is not mine. Kay? Happy? You're welcome.
"That is one long line," Alex's eyes widened in shock.
"You bet, I mean, how long are we gonna be here?!" Clover whined.
"It's okay, guys. Time flies, right?" Sam reassured her friends.
It was 8:30 am on October 15, and the three girls were taking their places in line for the Soul Collector: Fountain of Immortality release. There was loud chatter from the ones already in the queue, not to mention, some fabulous costumes donned by some of the more hard-core fans.
"Wow, look at hers!" Sam motioned to a young girl wearing a witch's costume, clearly meant to be Mandy. She had on a long, purple dress with full sleeves and a v-neck along with a pointed purple hat. The most striking (or maybe un-striking) part was the face: expert makeup showed aging skin with wrinkles, sun spots, mottled texture, and a couple of moles and warts. The lips were thinned from the trick of contouring with concealer and powder, and the under eyes were contoured to give the appearance of being sunken in from the lack of supple fat and collagen. Sure, Mandy was described as 'a sin that not even Satan would comply with', but it seemed doubtful she would be that ugly, right?
"I sure hope not," Sam muttered.
"Huh? Say something, Sammie?" Alex's ears perked up when she thought Sam had mentioned something.
"Oh, nothing. I was just saying that her costume looked pretty accurate." She motioned again to the fangirl dressed as Mandy.
"Oh, yeah. She even has the wart placement accurate, which is gross," Clover shuddered.
"Wow."
Clover had some serious heart eyes as she ogled at a fanboy, this time dressed down to a T, like Tim Scam. He, too, was quite tall, muscled, and broad-chested, with brown hair, tan skin, and green eyes. His costume consisted of a black shirt, blue jeans, black Nike sneakers, and a brown trench coat. The Tim lookalike caught Clover's gaze and waved. Clover sighed in lust and waved back in a daze.
"Uh, Clover, drool much?" Sam eyed her questioningly.
Clover shook her head and straightened herself out. Sam produced a tissue from her purse and lightly dabbed at Clover's corner lip. Poor girl had drool remnants while waving at a hot dude, Jesus Christ.
"LADIES AND GENTLEMAN, AND FREAKS! WE WILL BE OPENING OUR DOORS IN APPROXIMATELY 15 MINUTES! PLEASE BE PATIENT AS WE PREPARE TO OPEN OUR DOORS AT 9 SHARP! THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION!" A man wearing the Barnes & Noble uniform blared into his megaphone to the crowd, as the line was now bending around The Groove.
"How reassuring. Fifteen minutes is such a short amount of time," Clover mentioned sarcastically while rolling her blue eyes.
"Wanna play the waiting game?" Alex suggested.
"What are we, in kindergarten?"
Alex stuck her tongue in response. "Pretty sure anyone can play the waiting game," she defended.
"With how you guys have now started arguing, fifteen minutes will surely pass," Sam looked at her friends disapprovingly.
"Clover started it."
"Uh, no, you mentioned the waiting game, not me."
"Uh no, you dissed me first."
"Oh brother," Sam rolled her eyes.
There was a loud cheer from the front of the line as the doors finally opened for the guests. The line began shifting forward as people were filing into Barnes and Noble. Some of them had already received their copies and were beginning to read them as they walked home.
"Hey, watch it!" Clover screamed while shaking her fist at someone who bumped into her. "You couldn't wait to go home and read or somethin'?!" The stranger who accidentally ran into Clover freaked out and dashed out of the blonde's way.
Clover huffed in annoyance as she watched the young man scurry away in fear.
"Calm down, Clover. I'm sure he didn't mean any harm," Alex soothed her friend by placing an arm on the blonde's shoulder.
"Yeah, sure. He better make sure he watches his step next time!"
"She can be so overly dramatic," Sam thought while rolling her own eyes. "Come on guys, let's go," she called out to Clover and Alex. The three girls rushed into the store to grab their copies.
"Oh my gosh! He's even hotter than the last book!" Clover shrieked once they exited.
It was true; the cover artist this time around, Greg Hausman, did another phenomenal job with depicting the characters in their truest form. One would be able to easily imagine their human-like existence with the art's precision. Sam ran her finger over the image of Tim on the right side of Mandy's face. His head faced away from the villain, those gorgeous seafoam eyes looking off into the distance. Tim's facial expression remained neutral, but anyone who knew better would understand that he's simply wondering about the fate of his people. As for Mandy, she was facing to the left with an evil smirk on her face. Her beady violet eyes gleamed with malice, clearly cooking up another evil scheme inside of her diabolical mind. If one were to carefully inspect the background, then they would see another shadowy figure behind Tim's face. "He's probably Blaine," Sam concluded. The figure didn't have any kind of discernable face, but there wouldn't be anyone else on Tim's right hand to stop Mandy.
"So, any other plans for tonight?" Clover asked, interrupting Sam's train of thought.
"There's the homecoming dance," Alex reminded them.
"Of course. But, you guys wanna go shopping?" Clover teased, blinking her blue eyes in persuasion.
Sam yearned to go home and get a head start on reading the latest release. If she didn't, Sam would have to face the prospect of covering her ears from the spoilers in the school hallway.
"Um, I actually want to go home and start reading," Sam held up the book for emphasis.
"Really, Sam?" Clover wasn't surprised at Sam's priority, but she wasn't exactly proud of the decision, either.
"Yes, really, Clover," Sam strongly stated. She held the novel close to her chest with a huff.
Clover placed her hands on her hips and cocked a blonde eyebrow.
"Kay, whatever. Guess we'll go home and then meet up later to get ready for the dance, no?"
"Sure!" exclaimed Alex.
The girls parted ways to head home. Of course, Clover was definitely going to comb through her closet of clothes, shoes, and accessories in time for tonight's dance, so reading was last on her priority list.
Alex walked over to the ethnic salon to get her hair done, while Sam walked straight home.
"Okay, so, I know that not many people would be discussing the book at tonight's homecoming dance, but I really would like to get some reading done ahead of Sunday. Oh! I don't know. I guess I'll just read a chapter or two, however much time I got, and then begin the preparation for tonight," Sam decided.
Sam unlocked the front door of her home to be greeted with the TV dialogue of Gossip Girl. She found her younger sister, Cindy, and her school friend, Jessica, sitting on the pink circle couch in the living room. Both girls were sharing a bowl of popcorn as they were watching the drama.
"Hey," Cindy greeted Sam, more like Serena van der Woodsen, as her face never turned towards the redhead entering the home.
"Hi, Cindy, Jessica," Sam greeted back.
"You came back from your book fest?" Cindy threw Jessica a isn't-she-pathetic? look.
Sam lowly growled in annoyance. Okay, so, Cindy and Jessica were the wannabe alpha females of their grades, specifically the eighth grade. (Grades, not school, there is a big difference between the two statuses.)
They were also close best friends, to the point where they insisted their hair color also be as identical as possible. Much like Sam, Cindy also had orange-red hair but dyed her hair a deeper auburn to match Jessica's. Jessica once pointed out that Cindy and Sam could very well be twins, with their button noses, widow's peaks (before Cindy got rid of hers in favor of bangs), and pale skin (again, Cindy preferred fake tan like Jessica), and their emerald eyes. She also mentioned that Sam and Cindy could be Before and After makeover pictures, though Sam needn't ask who's which photo. On any given day, Cindy and Jessica could be assumed for walking out of a nightclub with their low-rise jeans, tank tops, and heavy Instagram makeup. Sam, on the other hand, preferred to keep her appearance minimal, a crime in Cindy's eyes.
"By the way, Cindy, where's mom?" Sam asked.
"Oh, she's at work. Some stupid party goer decided to eat a raw egg on a dare, despite being allergic," Cindy replied.
Sam and Cindy's mom worked as a part-time nurse at their local hospital. Unfortunately, the hospital was also understaffed, and since the girls' mom was more than qualified of her fair share, she often was called in for double shifts, and today appeared to be one of those days. Luckily, the extra work also meant an extra income, something Sam and Cindy could enjoy.
Sam grabbed a can of Diet Coke from the fridge and some Cheez-Its from the pantry, but paused before the living room, "Okay, then. I'll be in my room. If you need anything, just holler," Sam said to Cindy, who simply nodded in response. Sam's gaze lingered on her a bit longer before she turned to her bedroom. She locked herself in and curled up in bed with Soul Collector: Fountain of Immortality. "Alright, chapter one," Sam sighed.
Brrrr. Brrrrr.
Sam jumped slightly at her phone's vibration, her mind still hazy. "How long has it been?" she wondered. She had been reading Fountain of Immortality and was six out of the twenty-four chapters in, completely hooked as to what's been happening between Tim and Mandy. She can finish the rest of the book on Sunday, where hopefully, she doesn't have any other bigger commitments. The vibration from her iPhone pulled Sam back into reality, as it could be her mom wanting to check in.
Grabbing her phone, Sam turned on her lock screen. The screen displayed a text from Clover and Alex's group chat, along with the time: 6:30 PM. "Oh no," Sam breathed out. She used her thumb fingerprint to unlock the device to read the full message from Clover: Guys, the dance is about to start around 8. When ya wanna meet up?
Sam quickly texted back that she's willing to meet in five, provided Alex responds as soon as possible.
The redhead scrambled out of bed and to the bathroom. She washed her face and applied some moisturizer as a skincare base for the makeup. Cindy would be thrilled to hear that Sam would be going somewhat glam for tonight (something Sam didn't entirely care for). She packed her magenta dress, a curling iron, her LORAC Unzipped Palette, a couple of MAC creme lipsticks, Stila eyeliner, some BH makeup brushes, a couple of Anastasia lip glosses, some KISS fake lashes in 110, Essence Lash Princess (Waterproof, of course), Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation, and Maybelline Age Rewind Concealer. Sam also packed her Coty Airspun Loose Powder and Morphe Setting Spray (you never know).
Brrrr. Brrrrr.
Sam rushed to her phone and noticed a couple of replies from Clover and Alex.
Alex: Yeah, I'll be at Clover's place.
Clover: Okay. When are you coming along? Sammie
Alex: Hey, Clover. You still going with Ice King Daryl? ?
Clover: ALEX!
Alex: What? He asked you out with that love poem, didn't he? And you did accept, didn't you?
Clover: …
Alex: Really, Clover? What did Daryl ever do to you?
Clover: Alex, could you please not bring that up right now?
Sam was becoming increasingly confused with the chat.
Sam: So, I am about to head out to Clover's place. And, Clover, you didn't accept Daryl's proposal for tonight's dance?
She sent the message and headed out the door.
Sam paused in the living room noticing that Cindy was by herself and watching a black and white movie where a willowy blonde was exploring some dingy basement with a flashlight.
"Hey," Sam called out.
"What?" Cindy replied.
"Where did Jessica go?"
"Oh, she left for home. Her mom was starting to get stressy about homework not being completed."
"Wow, and she just left like that? I didn't know Jessica was that compliant."
As if reading her mind, Cindy continued, "Jessica's mom threatened to take away her phone for a month if she didn't get her butt home in time, especially with a couple of her teachers calling in to ask about incomplete work."
"O-kay, then. Did she make it home safe, though?" Sam inquired.
"Yeah. Where are you going? The lame homecoming dance?" Cindy asked like she was way too good for a school dance (which she was). She and Jessica kept up with the latest house parties, the ones that were usually hosted by older high school and college students. Sam knew that she was in touch with the seniors of Beverly Hills High, a concern in the eyes of an older sister. However, every time Sam would reprimand Cindy, the younger sister often retorted with "What? You're not mom. You can't tell me what to do!"
Sam sighed and notified Cindy she was about to leave and her return home might be a bit late, sometime around midnight.
She grabbed her black leather jacket and made a beeline for the elevators.
Once inside the elevator, Sam pulled out her phone. During her talk with Cindy, Sam felt several vibrations from her jeans pocket, indicating an ongoing conversation. Sure enough, Clover and Alex were having a small row:
Clover: So, Sammie. I kinda turned down Daryl.
Alex: But, Clover, why?!
Clover: Come on, you really think I would go out with the president of the Chess club?
Alex: What does that have to do with anything?
Clover: He's not cool enough!
Alex: Wow, Clover. You know, Daryl is a real gentleman. You ought to have given him a chance.
Clover: What. Ever. Where's Sam?
Sam lowkey agreed with Alex on giving Daryl a chance (not that she'd admit in the chat, of course).
Sam: Hey, Clover. I'm on my way to your house. As for Daryl, I'm not saying anything in the chat. I'll let you know my opinion when I get there.
She then opened the conversation with her mom and began typing: Hi, Mom! How are you doing? How is work? I just wanted to let you know that I'm leaving for the school homecoming dance and that Cindy is home alone. Jessica was there, but she left about a couple of hours ago. What time do you estimate to be home? Love, Sam. x
Sam hailed a cab to Clover's home, though she couldn't help but pull a face of disgust at a couple of drunkards nearby that were catcalling and wolf-whistling at her. One of the many reasons why Sam vowed to leave this part of Los Angeles as soon as she applied to college. There were way too many creepy men lurking around, hitting on women and young girls. It was to the point that mothers and fathers occupied their children to the nearby park, even during the day (which was quite sad, in Sam's opinion, since parks are supposed to be safe havens for everyone).
The cab pulled up a couple of minutes later and she gave the driver Clover's address.
Her phone vibrated again.
Mom: Hi, dear. I'm doing well and I'll be home around 9. Yes, I do remember you mentioning the homecoming dance. Please stay safe, Sam! If needed, you can go ahead and stay over at Clover's or Alex's home. Love, Mom. x
Sam opened her conversation with Cindy and began typing: Hey, Cindy. Listen, Mom's coming home around 9. If you need anything, feel free to go next door to Sandra's, or text me and I'll be home immediately. Love, Sammie. X
Cindy instantly replied back: Sure.
Sam wasn't the least bit surprised to see Cindy's monosyllable reply.
As for Sandra, they were the next-door neighbors who were always there for their mom. From the very first day that they moved in after the divorce up until this evening, Sandra consistently provided great service as a neighbor. Even her own two children, Harry and Annabelle, were well-behaved (though Sandra did sometimes admit that she wasn't too fond of Annabelle being close with Cindy). Nevertheless, Sam's mom couldn't be more grateful to know a character like Sandra.
"Thank you, Omar, sir. Here's the $20 taxi fare plus tip," Sam handed the cash over to the driver, Omar, a young Arabian guy with a full beard and mustache. "Have a good night!"
"Thank you! You, too, dear," Omar replied. He drove off as Sam was walking to Clover's front door.
Sam barely reached out to ring the doorbell when the giant oak door swung open and she saw Clover's beaming face in the way.
"SAMMIE!" the blonde shrieked, to which another pair of footsteps that could only belong to Alex, came dashing towards Sam and Clover. The girls hugged the stuffing out of Sam before breaking up then heading to Clover's bedroom to get ready.
"Clover!" called out a feminine voice.
Sighing, Clover called back."Yeah, mom?"
"Is Sam here?" Clover's mom came round the doorway to her daughter's room. "Ah, there you are. How are your mom and Cindy doing?"
"They're doing fine, Ms. Ewing, thanks for asking," Sam replied with a smile.
"No problem, Sam. Clover, once you get home, set your alarm for 8 am for tomorrow morning. We need to head out for some errands," Clover's mom walked away missing her daughter's eye roll.
"Kay, mom."
"Anyways, let's get ready! You have to see the gown I chose, Sam! Alex already saw it, and I put it away to surprise you!"
Clover rushed over to her giant walk-in closet and produced the strapless red gown she fell in love with at the mall.
"Wow, that'll look amazing on you, Clover!" Sam gasped in adoration. Red was definitely Clover's color, as it set off her twinkling blue eyes perfectly.
"Thanks, hun, now let's get ready!"
Forty minutes later, Sam, Clover, and Alex were fully ready for the homecoming dance. They climbed into the limo (the blonde's insistence) outside of Clover's home after her mom took over a gazillion photos of the three girls. On the way to school, Sam interrogated Clover of her choice to turn down Daryl.
"So, Clover, you never told us why you rejected Daryl," Sam began.
The blonde pulled a sour face. "Why are you bringing this up again?"
"Because he went through the effort of writing you a thoughtful, romantic poem, and you went ahead and just flat out turned down the dude, which is quite rude if you ask me," Alex pointed out.
"And you kept prattling on and on and on about Aaron Jennings instead," Sam joined in.
Clover huffed, "Okay, so I like Aaron, what's wrong with that?"
"Yeah, but did Aaron ask you out with a romantic poem?" Alex challenged.
"No, he asked me out casually," Clover defended.
"Did he ask you first or second?" Sam asked.
"If you're still talking about Aaron, he asked me out second."
Sam and Alex exchanged amused glances. They had the strong mischievous urge to ask their friend if 'second' meant the second guy, or if Clover was Aaron's second choice after another girl's rejection. It would be worth it to see Clover explode at the thought of being the second thought on a cute guy's mind, but they chose to keep quiet. It was a special night not worth ruining.
"No worries, I believe Daryl already found a date," Sam said.
"Ugh, my gosh. That's a little scary," Clover replied.
"Really, Clover?"
"Here we are," the limo driver announced as the car slowed to a stop in front of the school.
"Thanks, Kirtt!" Clover blew him a kiss. Sam and Alex simply bid their thanks and shoved the blonde out of the limo before things got too escalated.
From outside the school gym, the thumping of a heavy bass could be heard and felt. Anyone walking up to the doors would feel the vibrations of their life.
"Tickets?" the guard at the door held out his hand.
"Here you go," Clover handed them off.
The guard briefly looked at the slips of stiff paper and admitted the girls in.
The gym was one heck of a sight to see. A huge banner stretched across the basketball courts with 'Homecoming Dance 2013' in gold lettering against a black background. Streamers, balloons, and confetti of black and orange covered the ceiling and floors. In front of the bleachers stood the DJ and his turntable, speakers, and assistants. People were giving him requests of what songs to play next via text or by simply walking up to the turntable. Currently, "Move for Me" by Kaskade and Deadmau5 were blasting through the speakers, and it explained the heavy bass that could be heard from outside the building. Off to the right, a concession stand was handing out food and refreshments to students taking a break from all the dancing. Spotlights were whirling around the gym in multitudes of green, pink, purple, and blue.
"Oh my gosh, we have Sebastian Saga as our DJ?!" Clover squealed in excitement. It was so like Beverly High to hire the most 'in' disco jockey, and it was currently Sebastian Saga! He is the most in-demand music mixer, even top profile celebrities such as Katy Perry, Blake Lively, Micheal Jackson, even Madonna, hired Saga to entertain their guests during their lavish parties. Of course, being in a high school atmosphere, Saga can't exactly play artists such as Eminem, Cardi B, and Lil Wayne, so his playlist is refined to include PG-13 tracks for the high school homecoming party.
Loads of students were in the center of the gym dancing their life away. Clover was craning her neck in search of Aaron, as he'd promised to be at the dance early.
"I can't see him!" she complained.
"Who? Aaron?" asked Alex.
"No, Daryl," Clover replied sarcastically.
Alex blinked in confusion. "Duh, silly! Of course, I'm searching for Aaron! He said he'd be here by now!" Clover clarified as she frantically dug around in her small handbag for her iPhone.
Clover's thumbs twiddled in a rapid frenzy as she texted Aaron to demand where he was.
"I'm just glad it doesn't smell like socks in here," Alex commented.
"What?" Sam yelled. The music was seriously darn loud!
"I said, I'm glad it doesn't smell like socks in here!" Alex raised her voice a bit.
"There's a small box in here?" Sam began looking around for a package.
Alex facepalmed. Sam looked back at Alex with a perplexed expression, and the girl just mouthed 'nothing' to her friend.
"HEY CLOVER!" a loud voice boomed about a couple of feet away.
The girls turned around to face a tall dark-skinned senior, obviously Aaron Jennings. Sam and Alex had to admit, the football player was one heck of a hunk, especially tonight in his black and white suit. Clover complimented him beautifully with her deep red gown.
"Aaron!" Clover yelled back, waving over to her date.
"Hey, beautiful! What's up?" he embraced the blonde in a tight hug.
"Oh, nothing. Hey, Aaron, this is Sam and Alex," she introduced her friends to her date.
"Hey," the girls waved back in unison.
"Hi," Aaron greeted back.
He turned to Clover with affectionate eyes while offering his hand to her, "so, may I have this dance, m'lady?" Clover giggled and allowed Aaron to carry her off to the dance floor, where the DJ was now playing "DJ Got Us Falling In Love Again" by Usher ft. Pitbull.
"Sammie, you don't have a date?" Alex couldn't understand how someone like Sam failed to achieve a date for homecoming.
"Nah. I tried to ask Daryl, but he already had plans arranged with Anna Liu after Clover rejected him," Sam replied. Anna Liu was the new exchange student from China and was super cute. She joined the Chess Club, and after battling a couple of rounds with Daryl, he had been impressed with her strategies. His attraction only increased after chatting with Anna and discovering their common interests of science, arts, books, movies, comics, and animals.
"Don't you have a date, Alex?" Sam asked.
"I was planning on asking out David, but he already asked Mary," Alex sounded annoyed as she critically studied her navy blue manicure. Sam detected some bit of jealousy.
"You mad about it?"
"No, of course not. I'm definitely not mad about the fact that a guy I have a massive crush on asked out another girl," Alex huffed with her arms crossed.
"Hey," Sam placed a gentle hand on Alex's shoulder, "it's not a big deal. Wanna dance together, as two besties?"
Alex relented, facing Sam again and taking her proffered hand to the dance floor.
LMFAO's "Party Rock Anthem" had students doing the shuffle during the chorus, and of course, they found Clover in the center of the circle. Aaron had taken a step back and was watching his partner in awe. "I take it he's never seen anyone break it down like that," Alex thought. Sam put her hand over her mouth to hide the laugh. Aaron took off his suit jacket and tossed it over the crowd, to which they loudly wolf-whistled as the football player grabbed Clover by the waist and began grinding against her. Clover emitted a small "eek!" before getting comfortable and matching Aaron's vibes. Of course, many of the freshmen were getting out their phones and posting the scene all over Snapchat.
"Oh, damn. It's getting hot in here," Saga boomed through the mic, though he had a slightly disgusted look on his face when Clover bent over in front of Aaron's lower half and started twerking in his face. The crowd whooped and hollered in delight, as they pushed into the duo with their phones. Anyone over six feet tall and had Snapchat was earning some major social media brownie points tonight as they flourishingly posted Clover and Aaron's moments to their stories.
Sam and Alex had their gaze fixed on the two and their jaws dropped in horror when Aaron actually grasped Clover's behind and began squeezing it like some rubber duck (luckily, nobody audibly tooted).
Several songs later, Clover emerged from the crowd completely breathless with a sheen on her forehead. She held her red heels in one hand and wiped her brow with her free one. "Good thing I wore sweatproof makeup tonight." Sam and Alex caught sight of Clover and ran to join their friend. "Wow, Clover. You were really enjoying yourself, weren't you?" Alex observed with a sly smile on her face. Sam laughed in agreement, "Yeah, you and Aaron are gonna be uber popular Monday morning."
"I hope they got a good angle of me. And of course, Aaron! He's a real good dancer," Clover added breathlessly.
"Ow!" Alex screamed. A female student with hazy eyes accidentally stepped on Alex's toe with her pencil heel. "Sorry!" the girl lazily apologized before disappearing into the crowd. Steam burst out of Alex's ears as her face went red in anger.
"You okay, Alex?" Clover asked.
"Barely," Alex limped away from the dancing crowd with her two friends in tow. They bought food and drinks then sat down at a foldable table.
"So, you guys wanna stay for the rest of the dance?" Alex inquired as she opened a can of Coke.
"Um, kinda," Sam admitted.
"Hey, is that Ms. Brooks?" Clover squinted into the crowd when she caught sight of a woman in glasses and fluffy blonde hair tied into a low ponytail. The teacher was wearing an emerald knee-length dress and black heels.
Sam and Alex also tried their best to peer into the crowd from their side of the room, and sure enough -
"That IS Ms. Brooks!" the girls exclaimed in unison.
They couldn't believe their eyes as the life science teacher was dancing with Mr. Roberts, the chemistry teacher. The two adults definitely captured the students' attention, as they were filming their tango dance sequence.
"They dance so cutely together," Sam remarked.
"Yeah, in an odd they-look-good-together kind of way," Clover observed as she took a sip of Evian water.
Alex munched on a hotdog in thought, "Hm, could use some more seasoning."
While Alex analyzed her food, Sam brought out her iPhone to ensure no crucial texts were being ignored. Sure enough, there were several of them:
Mom: Hi, sweetie. Just wanted to let you know that I'm home right now. Cindy is with me. When are you coming home? Be safe, honey!
Mom: Sam, I need you to carry out an errand for me tomorrow. Is that okay with you? I'm sorry, today was tiring at the hospital.
Cindy: Hey, mom's home.
Michelle: Sam, you got the answers for the Trig study guide?
Michelle was Sam's study buddy for Trigonometry. Right after Michelle scored a 30 on the first exam, and she helped Sam dodge a major bullet from a guy the redhead was crushing on, the two instantly agreed on becoming study partners. They had another exam coming up in about a week, and Michelle needed all the help she could get. Sam made a mental note to text her back right after the dance, even though it would be quite late. She replied back to her mom and Cindy, then joined her friends for another round of dancing, this time, to the classical "Cha Cha Slide".
"One hop this time! Hop!
Right foot, let's stomp. Stomp!
Left foot, let's stomp. Stomp!
Cha cha real smooth!"
"I know y'all can cha cha way better than that!" Saga encouraged. He smiled at the crowd as they were moving to the beat of the music. He diverted his attention to the turntable and adjusted a couple of settings to make the bass deeper and the singer's voice more amplified. Students were clapping their hands, stomping their feet, and hopping around like a kangaroo in glee with the music.
As the party was coming to an end, Saga began playing some slow, romantic songs to mellow out the atmosphere. The dancing crowd broke up into smaller groups; Sam, Clover, and Alex hurried over to the coatroom. Unfortunately, many other people had the same idea to grab their things, and so a throng formed outside the room.
Once the girls retrieved their items, Clover called Kirtt over with the limo for pickup. They began eagerly rehashing the events of the homecoming dance.
"Dude, you and Aaron so revved up the dance tonight!" Alex high-fived the blonde.
"Totally! He's so hot!"
"Only, did you mind when he started touching you?" Alex was referring to their MTV-esque performance on the dance floor.
"I mean, his grinding was unexpected enough! But then again, it was partially my fault for leading him on. Though, I accidentally did something in front of Aaron," Clover turned red at the last statement. Sam and Alex glanced at each other in confusion at trying to understand what Clover could possibly mean.
When neither friend could conjure up a logical explanation, Clover filled them in: "There was another student nearby who yelled 'she's stinkin' it up!'"
All at once, a commotion erupted.
"Hold on - "
"No you didn't, Clover!"
"O.M.G! Ya nasty!"
Sam and Alex were laughing so hard they had tears flowing and had to hold their stomachs from the bellyache.
"WHAT? A girl had to let it out, okay?" Clover defended herself from the embarrassment.
"I-I-I know, b-b-," Alex stammered from fits of giggles. She refused to believe her uptight, high-maintenance, blonde bestie would flatuate in the middle of a crowd, and during a formal event, no less.
Sam managed to catch her breath as she wiped away a tear. "Oh, Clover. I guess instead of your endor-PHINS, you had your endor-FARTS released tonight!"
Again, the three girls busted out in another fit of laughter.
Kirtt arrived at Clover's home at a graceful stop. The girls left the vehicle and made their way to Clover's bedroom.
"Is it okay if I call my mom?" Sam asked.
"Of course, Sammie!"
"Clover!" called out Ms. Ewing.
"Ugh, yes mom!"
"Don't use that tone! Come here, please!"
Sam dialed her mom who answered after a couple of rings: "Hello, Sam. How was the dance?"
"Hey, mom, the dance was fun. You doin' okay?"
"Yes, honey, I'm fine. Just watching some TV at the moment. You still coming home tonight? It is rather late, actually." Sam raised her eyebrows when reading Clover's digital clock; yep, nearly being 1 AM is definitely late.
"I wanted to ask you about that, Mom. Is it okay if I stay over at Clover's tonight?"
"Sure, Sammie! Tell Stella I give her my hello, alright?"
"Of course, mom. Thank you so much. Good night!"
"Good night, darling," and they hung up the phone for the night.
"I am staying!" Sam cheered and Alex gave her a bear hug.
Stella walked into the room the next second with Clover in tow.
"What's going on?"
"Oh, Ms. Ewing, I'm staying over tonight if that's okay with you," Sam explained.
"Sure, absolutely!" Ms. Ewing was ecstatic.
"Alright, slumber party!" Clover squealed.
"Ms. Ewing, my mom gives you her regards."
"I'm touched, Sam. Tell Gabriella I return her gesture, thank you."
"Will do."
"And Clover, don't forget what I told you," Ms. Ewing sternly remarked to her daughter before leaving the bedroom completely missing how Clover stuck her tongue out in protest.
"What was that about?" Alex asked when Ms. Ewing was out of earshot.
"Oh, nothing. Just the usual mother-daughter stuff," Clover replied nonchalantly.
While Clover was in the bathroom, Sam was reading her friend's copy of Fountain of Immortality while Alex was on her Nintendo console.
"Wait a second! How come neither of you mentioned not having dates for the dance?!"
The blonde burst out of the bathroom in the middle of brushing her teeth. Only, neither Sam nor Alex could figure out why she was so irate.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, I saw the both of you dancing with each other. As your honorable best friend, you should've let me find dates for the both of you!" Clover flicked her toothbrush as some of the foam splattered on her carpet.
"What's wrong if someone dances with their best friend, guy, or girl?" Sam asked.
"Nothing -" Clover began but Alex cut her off, "We did eventually dance with some guys, Clover. I promise."
Clover crossed her arms and tapped her foot in consideration. "Okay, as long as you got some cute boy interaction, we can leave it at that," she relented before returning to brushing her teeth.
"Phew," Alex let out once Clover shut the bathroom door.
"Seriously, I don't get the big deal," Sam chimed in a low voice.
The girls fell asleep after some time of gossiping and giggling.
WOOHP Headquarters - Jerry's Office
Jerry Lewis was pacing back and forth in impatience. He kept pausing, muttering, shaking his head, then resuming his pacing.
This Mandy mission had the agency up in arms. Sure, Jerry had employed enough people to take care of other crimes, but this one was peculiar. Jerry rarely ever believed in the supernatural, but the current evidence proved contrary to his realistic beliefs.
He had to keep the agency running but also the agents themselves safe; the dilemma was an absolute double-edged sword.
His wallet communicator sounded and it was Tim Scam ringing in.
"Hello?" Jerry greeted.
"Hello, Jerry? Do you read me?" came the baritone voice.
"Yes, Tim. Go ahead."
"So, I've been researching her whereabouts and mindset. The results are quite surprising; I've found that Mandy utilizes a particular formula that helps in locating her future hideouts and attacks," Tim explained. "For someone of her intellect, she certainly knows her calculus!"
"Do you have proof of the research?"
"I do. I'll send the information right over," Tim promised.
"Thank you, Tim. I'll take a look at it ASAP. Your effort is much appreciated."
"No problem, Jerry. Whatever it takes to defeat Mandy," Tim firmly stated.
Jerry nodded in agreement. "Well, good night, Tim."
"Night, Jerry," and the men hung up.
Abandoned Mansion
"CAITLIN!" The poor girl jumped at the sound of her name being uttered in that nasty, demanding, shrill voice that rung throughout the mansion.
"Yes, Mandy," she replied, rushing into the living room.
"Fetch me some wheatgrass juice, like PRONTO!" the witch demanded.
"Y-y-yes, Mandy," Caitlin's knees were trembling as if she had stage-fright. She power walked to the dingy kitchen to fulfill the leader's request as quickly as possible.
Mandy Luxe, the notorious witch for vanity and money, sat in the grand mansion of what was once under the ownership of a successful software engineer. Thanks to her growing army, Mandy was able to scare away numerous homeowners when they fled the occupation of the witches. Abandoned homes now populated the neighborhoods, along with schools, office buildings, and hospitals.
"Where is that stupid Caitlin?" Mandy angrily muttered. She glanced at her invisible wristwatch then peered at the doorway as if her henchwomen would materialize at that very second.
A figure passed by the mansion window. Mandy caught sight and immediately ran over to see what human had the nerve to walk into her lair.
Through the glass panels on either side of the oak door, Mandy could see a tall figure clad in black from head to toe. He had cropped blonde hair with a pair of dark glasses, similar to the ones used in government agencies. Mandy felt the blood rushing throughout her body in a panic. "Shit, where do I go?! If I call out to Caitlin and Dominique, he'll know someone's in here!" The doorbell rang startling Mandy; she hid further from the front door, in hopes the agent or whoever, will leave after a couple of minutes of constant doorbell ringing. "He'll take the hint, eventually," Mandy prayed.
"Hey, what - omf!" Caitlin didn't get the chance to ask her question as a hand immediately clapped over her mouth. "Quiet, you idiot!" Mandy hissed. "There's someone at the front door, and he's looking for us!"
Mandy slyly walked to a different part of the mansion, and she found Dominique on the way. The girl was flipping through a fashion magazine this whole time instead of being with their beloved leader?! Mandy snatched the copy of Vogue out of her hands and placed her face right in front of Dominique before whispering menacingly, "Bitch, we need to disappear, NOW! The next time you hang out without me, I will bury you alive! Understood?" Dominique quickly nodded her head 'yes' as Mandy grabbed the girl with superhuman strength and rapidly sped to a different exit of the mansion. There was a secret tunnel in the basement of the mansion that led to an abnormally large water pipe. Mandy creaked the door open, threw Caitlin and Dominique in first, then climbed in while shutting the door behind her. "Get up, you oafs!" Mandy's blood was boiling when she caught sight of her henchwomen rubbing their meaningless aches. They opened another door on the far side of the basement and ran through.
"Boss," the agent called Jerry.
"Yes, Morrison?" Jerry replied.
Agent Morrison released a pent-up sigh, "Sorry, but there's no one answering this house."
"Hm, how long have you been waiting?"
"Been waiting for about ten minutes."
"Absolutely no noise?"
"None, sir."
Jerry pondered for a couple of seconds before making a final decision, "It's fine. You can return to the agency, Morrison. Thank you."
"At your service," Morrison tipped an imaginary cap to Jerry before hanging up his wallet communicator.
Morrison did a 360 of his surroundings; he heard the mewl of a cat, rustling of leaves, and some dead silence.
Too dead.
Morrison climbed into his car without another hesitation and drove off to WOOHP.
Yup, I made Sebastian Saga a hip DJ who is the in-demand mixer for top celebs! I figured since he was a musician before the 'freak pyrotechnics accident', he had to have some credibility in creating great music. Especially with the track in 'Stark Raving Mad', it further persuaded me to making Saga an excellent DJ.
And since Mandy doesn't attend Beverly High, why not place Clover as Aaron Jennings' date? Seems fitting since she appeared to have a crush on him when she speculated he could've been Sam's secret admirer.
I also wanna say that Cresenta Lark was absolutely correct in her guess with the 'bald man' in the previous chapter. Congrats, girl, and a massive thank you for staying dedicated in reading all the newer fanfiction of Sam/Scam. You the best!
Alright, I'm gonna stop here. Off to begin the next chapter to get this story on the go.
Again, thanks so much for reading and reviewing!
Have a wonderful day.
Best,
Precila