Lil' Rocky's Big Idea
(A Note to the Readers: This fanfic idea was requested to me by DarthWill3, I hope what I've done fits what your desired ideas and I hope everyone else will enjoy the story)
It was a foggy October afternoon in Royal Woods, Michigan; the skies were grey, the air was thick with mist and the atmosphere appeared rather gloomy overall. Naturally, this all seemed like terrible conditions for anything for most people; especially the children of this little town. But down at the town cemetery, these were perfect conditions for at least one group of people in town; the Junior Morticians Club.
After a long, boring day at school; the young Goths gathered together for yet another meeting; which included a very important piece of business. "Before we begin, let us first discuss the minutes of our last meeting" Lucy decreed, "the mayor and our families are still debating on whether or not we may be allowed to hold our Halloween Viewing Party for the upcoming Vampires of Melancholia special." This announcement caused the group to erupt in a series of monotone yet distressed cries of dismay.
Almost immediately; Haiku, co-leader of the Morticians Club, stressed that viewing this special was "of the utmost importance" to them. "According to the fan blogs, this is where Edwin finally proposes to Griselda" Morpheus said with a mild yet joyful squeal, "what better place to view such an event than right here?" The rest of the club members cheered loudly in agreement, while also proclaiming they had already thought up ideas for wedding clothes to wear for the occasion.
"Don't worry, we still have the rest of the month to help persuade them" Haiku murmured with a light smile, "now, onto the second order of business." With this statement, all eyes soon turned towards Lucy; who was drawing a series of sketches inside of a notebook. When she finally noticed everyone staring at her, seconds later; Lucy verbally let out a sigh and asked what was wrong.
"We just wanted to know if you had any luck in getting your family to agree on your party theme yet" inquired Persephone, "most importantly, will your dad go along with it?" Lucy smiled softly to her friends/fellow Junior Morticians and assured them that not only did her family accept her party theme idea, they also thought it was a lovely choice. "This year, I'm going with a sort of 'harvest moon' theme for my party" she stated, "since my birthday is a short time apart from the Autumn Harvest Moon."
After mentioning this, Lucy opened up her sketchbook and revealed all of the Autumn Harvest décor ideas she and her family had in mind. "Leni suggested we could all wear outfits that have red, orange or even combinations of the two colors" she explained, "my younger sister, Lisa also told me about another color we could use; a sort of 'dark bluish-green.'" Upon hearing this reveal, Haiku insisted that Leni make an outfit of that color for her, proclaiming that it to be her personal favorite.
"Consider it done" Lucy said simply while tapping her skull gavel on the slab, "in addition to this, my dad is also making some Harvest themed party foods for us all." No sooner had this thought popped into her head, the young Goth's mind was suddenly filled with images of her father's dishes; including roasted veggie chili, homemade cornbread biscuits, harvest stuffed peppers and a personal favorite of the family's, pumpkin spice hot chocolate. "With all that in mind, you think your family will be able to find your birthday present" questioned Dante, "did you tell them what you wanted yet, for that matter?"
Just as Lucy opened her mouth to make a reply, she suddenly felt something she seldom ever experienced; confusion. Truth be told; every year, her family would get her the usual stuff she liked for her birthday (new Goth-themed makeup kits, a new poetry notebook, a DVD boxset of the latest Vampires of Melancholia season or even some air freshener for her coffins.) Mind you, the last example wasn't meant specifically for her.
In the past; she would only require the air freshener whenever someone like Lana, Lynn or even Lori asked to hide inside her coffins. The reasons ranged between a typical game of Hide n' Seek or to simply hide from their parents whenever they may have done something wrong. As a result, there were periods where at least one of the three sisters would "accidentally" break wind inside of the coffin.
During such situations, air freshener would always come in handy; especially after someone like Lana or Lynn ate one too many helping of their dad's chili. That being said, this was Lucy's tenth birthday party; which meant that she would officially become a preteen. Granted, she would still be three years shy of being a full-fledged teenager but this still felt important (especially in her parents' eyes.)
As such, she wanted to look for something really special for her birthday; something she never asked for before. "I haven't really thought about that yet" confessed Lucy, "but when the moment comes, I will make sure to inform you and my family about it." After this, the Junior Morticians spent the rest of the meeting going about their usual business; which...mostly involved plans for any future funerals they might be asked to oversee.
(Line Break)
The following morning, Lucy was collecting her things from her locker (along with placing Fangs inside of his small comfort space) and was heading off to her first class. When suddenly, someone inadvertently ran into her; causing the pre-pre-teen Goth to fall down and drop her books. After letting out a monotone yet still noticeable groan of pain, she growled viciously at her "mystery assailant."
"Hey, I know we all need to get to class quick" she said bitterly, "but you could still have some decency enough to...GASP!" Just as she was about to finish her statement, Lucy caught sight of the student who ran into her and all time seemed to slow down. Before her was none other than Rocky Spokes, younger brother of Rusty Spokes and one of two of her biggest crushes; besides a young Goth boy named Silas.
Upon seeing his face and realizing how closely she came to telling him off, Lucy's pale face suddenly flared red with embarrassment. Meanwhile, after pushing himself back onto his feet and dusting himself off; Rocky soon felt his own face blushing with shame. "Oh, jeez...sorry about that, Lucy" he murmured apologetically, "I was leaving the bathroom and wanted to get to class before the late bell rang."
As the boy continued to apologize for running into her; Lucy's mind suddenly started wandering off into a day-dream.
(The scene fades into Lucy's imagination, where she envisions herself and Rocky sharing a dance together; making them look like younger versions of Victor and Emily from Corpse Bride.)
Dream Lucy: "Sigh...What a deliciously morbid scene this is, Rocky; just you, me and the moonlit night."
Dream Rocky: "Couldn't have said it better myself, baby claws. Uh-oh...you have a little blood orange iced tea on your lips there"
(Rocky lightly touches his finger atop Lucy's upper lip, causing her to giggle softly)
Dream Lucy: "Could you be a darling and...clean it for me?"
(Rocky chuckles slyly, gives her a wink and eases towards her with puckered lips. As a light blush forms on her cheeks, Lucy finds herself leaning forward as well; also with puckered lips)
(Suddenly, bright flashes happen in the sky above their heads and an odd yet thunderous snapping sound is heard at the same time)
As Lucy's mind quickly returns to reality, she looks ahead and sees she's mere inches away from kissing Rocky; who is repeatedly snapping his fingers into her ear. With a startled yelp, the young Goth suddenly jumps back in alarm; making certain not to fall down again. Meanwhile, Rocky was also trying to snap back to his senses; after seeing how close he was from getting kissed.
"Oh...good, you're awake" the boy said with relief, "I, uh...I'm sorry again for running into you like that." Lucy gave a quick yet still rather nonchalant shrug of her shoulders and assured Rusty that she was okay, while also trying to hide her blush from him. "We should...uh, we should probably get going then" she murmured, "don't want to risk Huggins giving either of us a detention."
With that, both children said their final goodbyes and hurried off to their respective classes. But once they were out of each other's view, they immediately started berating themselves for acting so cowardly in the other's presence. "How could you just stand there talking like a ninny, Spokes" Rocky growled under his breath, "you could've at least helped her back onto her feet, after you ran into her!" This wasn't the first time young Rocky had acted awkwardly around Lucy.
He still remembered how much of a scaredy cat he was around her, on the first day they met. Of course, back then; poor Lucy thought the reason for this was because of her Gothic personal and (as her sisters put it) weird interests. But as it turned out, Rocky only behaved that way because he was afraid she seemed too good for him.
Sadly, this recent encounter felt like history repeating itself; due to how poorly he responded to Lucy falling. These thoughts and more flooded the poor boy's mind, as Rocky trudged his way off to class. "I still can't believe she likes being around me" he whispered softly, "a cool girl like her and a doofus like me...there's no way that could happen."
Frustrated by his poor performance around his crush, Rocky gave the ground a slight kick...only to slip up as a result. This caused several of the boy's peers in the hall to laugh at him, as a result. He growled softly in frustration, "congratulating" himself for making his morning worse and continued back on his way to class.
Much to his relief (and also his surprise,) the teacher did not berate him for being tardy. "I understand that the restroom is a long way away from this class, Mr. Spokes" said the teacher, "but...be that as it may; try and get her just a little quicker, in the future." Rocky nodded slightly in understanding, thanked the teacher for their patience and took his seat.
Once class finally started, all the students went about taking their notes...that is to say, almost all of them. The instant he opened his notebook, Rocky immediately went to work. But instead of focusing on the teacher's lecture or taking notes; all he did, instead was make doodles of Lucy.
He also added a few bats and black hearts along with the pictures, which he thought matched the girl's Goth motif pretty nicely. "She's so awesome, I'm happy to have her in my life" Rocky thought dreamily, "I just wish I had a way to show her how I feel." After completing another doodle, he started writing down different ideas of how he could show Lucy his feelings for her.
Of course; the only things he can think of were ones his older brother, Rocky "taught" him. These included things like making wolf calls, growing a mustache, sprinkling cologne in his hair and commenting on how "hot" she looked. Sadly, anytime Rusty used these methods to improve his own "dating life;" the end result was always the same...with him being laughed at, yelled at or beaten down by any girl he spoke to.
Then, there was his dad's own advice on women and much to Rocky's surprise...he did share one good piece of advice, after learning about Rocky's crush on Lucy. "When all else fails, Rock; get your girl a nice gift" Mr. Spoke's voice said in Rocky's mind, "flowers, candy, perfume; ladies go gaga for that stuff." On the one hand, Rocky knew his father's heart was in the right place and that using such a tactic did manage to win over his mother so many years ago.
But on the other hand, Lucy wasn't like other girls; she didn't really care about things that were cutesy, colorful or adorable (that he knew of.) As such; Mr. Spoke's idea of getting her flowers, perfume or any typical stuff like that wouldn't really be Lucy's thing. "She may like candy, though" he whispered, "but is she a dark chocolate, milk chocolate...or a butterscotch kind of girl?"
As Rocky desperately tried trying to think up ideas, he suddenly heard a loud snapping sound nearby. With a yelp, he looked up and saw his teacher standing over him; holding a large textbook in his hand. In an instant, Rocky realized that the snapping must've been the book closing...but that was beside the point.
At the moment, the teacher looked rather annoyed and he stared down at Rocky with a cold look in his eyes. "Mr. Spokes, I know my lesson might not seem all that exciting" the teacher stated, "but I still expect my students to pay close attention...including you." Rocky gave a nervous swallow, nodded obediently and expressed his sincerest apologies to his teacher.
(Line Break)
As the scene shifts over to the cafeteria, we find Rusty sitting at a table in the farthest corner in the room. Normally, he'd find a more populated spot to sit down for lunch; hoping to pass the time and mingle while eating. But right now, he sat all by his lonesome; aimlessly toying with...whatever the cafeteria had been serving the students today.
At first glance, it looked like a glob of meat or pasta but it didn't really smell appetizing. "Who cares, I'm not hungry anyhow" Rocky murmured, "how can I think of eating when Lucy's been on my mind all morning?" The instant these thoughts popped into his head, the lovestruck lad took his spoon and started carving the food stuff with it until it bore the slight resemblance of Lucy's face.
The sight of this confection creation caused Rocky to swoon softly while resting his hand up against his cheek, giving him a sort of lovestruck demeanor. Then, at that moment; one of the Junior Morticians Club members suddenly appeared and shocked him out of his daze. It was Robert, the tallest and (possibly) oldest member of the group.
Of course, no one actually addressed the boy as Robert; not even himself. Rather, he preferred to be called Boris; which seemed to fit well with his Goth kid aesthetic. He was a rather tall, skinny, pale kid with a bald head, a long chin and pointed ears.
He had a bald head, wore an apothecary robe, a pair of light grey boots, had traces of bags under his eyes and a pair of small yet slightly pointed teeth. The last trait gave him the look of a pre-teen vampire; at least, to the eyes of most kids in Royal Woods Elementary. But considering he and his friends were Goths, Robert/Boris didn't seem to mind being referred to as such.
"Pardon me for disturbing your midday mealtime, Human" he said to Rocky with a raspy voice, "but would it bother you if my compatriots and I shared your table?" After getting over from being shocked by the boy's surprise pop-up, Rocky smiled slightly and told the Morticians Club "there's...plenty of space for everybody." The young Goth group bowed slightly in thanks and each took their seat at the table, while also making certain to leave the "outsider" (as their group called kids like Rocky) enough space for himself.
Once everyone was situated comfortably, the Goths went about talking amongst themselves; while Rocky went about playing with his food. It was here that Fate decided to smile upon the young Spokes boy and offered him a solution to his earlier dilemma. At one point during the discussion; Persephone, the eldest female member of the Junior Morticians Club, started questioning Lucy about her upcoming birthday.
"Did you figure out any ideas on what you want yet" she asked, "if not, I think I've found just what you're looking for." Intrigued by her friend's claims, Lucy smiled softly at Persephone and asked what she had in mind. "I found it the other day, when I was browsing the Embalm Con webpage from last year" she stated, "you didn't know about it because your family had car trouble and couldn't come."
Lucy couldn't help but grimace softly at the memory, remembering how Vanzilla had broken down just days before Embalm Con began that year. Apparently, Lori had overloaded the engine after riding the van too many times that week. "It's one thing to drive the van to pick up groceries for Dad" she thought bitterly, "but did Lori really have to drive the van to Bobby's home in Great Lakes, escort Lynn to her Rugby game, drop off Lisa at the University and drive Leni to the mall during the other days?!"
Because Vanzilla got overwhelmed, it took all weekend for the repairs to be made; much to Lucy's dismay. To add further insult to injury, her dad insisted on the Loud Siblings keeping Vanzilla parked at home all of next week; in order to give "the old girl" some rest. While she knew it was for the best, in the end; Lucy still hated missing out on the fun at the convention.
"In any case, an item that was teased there is finally becoming available for online purchase" Persephone said excitedly, "are you ready for this...it's the Complete Vincent Van Ghoul Television Series on DVD!" Now, it wasn't typical for Goths to show that much excitement about things; least of all, in the same way "normies" do. But after letting this bit of news fully process, not only did Lucy suddenly find herself squealing with glee (albeit softly) but the rest of the Morticians Club followed suit.
As for Rocky, he found himself feeling both intrigued yet a little confused by their discussion. He'd heard mentions of the name Vincent Van Ghoul, in the past but had no idea who the man was. As such, Rocky decided to "break the ice" and question the Junior Morticians Club about him.
"Uh...he's only the biggest celebrity in all things Goth and supernatural" Morpheus said with a light scoff, "not only was he the host of the biggest late-night movie show ever in the 60's, rumor has it he also dabbled in some magic on the sly." Rocky's first assumption about Mr. Van Ghoul, upon hearing about him practicing magic, was that he must've been some kind of magician. But when he brought this idea up with the others, they just laughed at it.
"The great Vincent Van Ghoul is no mere stage magician like those frauds one sees at children's parties" Boris stated, "he is sorcerer, one of the few to truly exist in this modern world!" While still doing his best to appear respectful, Rocky still couldn't help himself in sharing just a small giggle at the Goth boy's claim. This, unfortunately would be a thing he would come to regret; mere seconds later.
After hearing him snickering, Lucy grimaced softly at Rocky and proclaimed that Boris was being serious. "The main reason he went into TV was to earn money on the side to finance his spell-casting endeavors" she explained, "up until those...heathens that ran the studio cancelled his show because they thought he was 'too hammy' for new audiences and that his 'act' seemed 'stale.'"
This news caused the entirety of the Junior Morticians Club to hiss angrily, allowing them to show off their "vampire teeth." Truth be told; in the past, Rocky always assumed they were only wearing plastic fangs. But for the likes of Haiku, Boris and especially Lucy; he started to have second thoughts. Of course, when these three realized what they were doing and how much it was alarming Rocky; they quickly stopped.
"Sorry you had to see that, Outsider" Haiku murmured, "it is just...we have not felt such slander delivered to our beloved form of media since Blake Bradley was given a role on Vampires of Melancholia." Now, this was something Rocky understood; while he seldom ever watched the show himself (mostly out of worry that it might cause Rusty to get skittish.) He did remember the day Blake was first introduced into the show and how much the pretty boy's presence seemed to bother many of the fans.
At the same time, of course; Rocky also remembered how the showrunners supposedly "killed off" Blake's character; only to later bring him back as a vampire. When this happened, VoM fans were...slightly okay with Blake being on the show but mostly because of his new vampire look. But while that example of "studio meddling" (as the Goth Kids called it) was seen as a minor annoyance, what happened to Vincent Van Ghoul's series felt like an insult to fans everywhere.
"Wait...how do you guys even know about that" questioned Rocky, "that show seems as old as most of our parents." In response to this; Lucy said that long ago, her Pop-Pop brought over a copy of one of Van Ghoul's shows to her house during one of his visits. "His personality coupled with his magic skills and showmanship captured my attention in seconds" she stated, "I didn't even care that the movie seemed hilariously cheesy."
The other members of the club suddenly proclaimed that Lucy seemed lucky to have such memories, after that. Of course; while all of this was going on, Rocky seemed to be silent during the whole thing. At first, the Goths presumed he either "didn't understand the hype" or said that the show wasn't really something "normies" would want to watch.
Surprisingly, Rocky didn't seem to respond to either of these statements; which Haiku thought seemed rather rude of him. But the truth is, the lad was lost deep in his own thoughts; contemplating on everything he'd just heard from the group. "Boy...this show really means a lot to Lucy" he thought mentally, "I guess...I guess now, I have a pretty good idea on what to get for her birthday now!"
With this thought in mind, Rocky made a note to check out what the price tag is on the DVD boxset as soon as he got home. That is...he'd make sure to do that, once he finished any homework from classes.
(Line Break)
Hours later, after completing the last of his homework assignments in his bedroom; Rocky went to the house's main computer...only to discover that his brother, Rusty was currently online. "Seriously, dude; you've been at the computer since we got back" he complained, "I need to use it for something important right now!" At first, Rusty considered being the mature type and tell his brother patiently to wait his turn.
But his mind was currently still aching from a very hard day at school. Thus, he went with the less preferred option and glared at Rocky; telling him to wait in a very irritated tone. "You think you're the only guy who wants to marathon internet videos after a hard day...well, think again" he grumbled, "I've got some homework to finish up." While a part of him understood his elder brother's situation, another part of Rocky was still in "Mission Mode" and he wasn't going to back away so easily.
"But I really need to use the computer quick, Bro" the boy pleaded, "it's for something really important." After letting out a light scoff and delivering the cliché "my homework is what's important" line, Rusty questioned his brother on why he was so desperate to use the internet. "Well...uh, ya see...I..." Rocky stammered, "it's...I just need to look up something for a friend, alright!"
After taking a moment to momentarily dismiss his brother's harsh tone, the elder Spokes boy decided to be the bigger man and at least try to hear his brother out. When he asked Rocky again why he needed to use the internet, he suddenly noticed the little man's cheeks giving off a light red glow. "Uh-oh...I know that look anywhere, bro" Rusty chuckled, "looks like somebody's got lady troubles."
With a small growl of annoyance, Rocky turned away; desperate to hide his glowing face from his brother. But unfortunately, this only seemed to make the elder Spokes boy act more like an overbearing sibling and he hated that. "YES! I KNEW IT" Rusty exclaimed, "I can't believe it, my little brother's actually got a crush."
Soon, he started giving out faint sobs of joy; as if he were an actor putting on a show. While this wasn't done out of spite or mockery, it still bugged Rocky a great deal and he demanded for Rusty to stop. Unfortunately, his sudden outburst soon caught the attention of their father; who was in the living room speaking with someone on the phone.
"Could you boys keep the bickering down a bit" ordered Mr. Spokes, "I've got a client on the phone asking for a big order on suits for a wedding they've got coming up and I'm close to ending the deal." Now...in the past, Rusty and Rocky have heard their father make all sorts of claims about "landing a big deal" in suit sales. Of course, in the end; something would happen that would cause it to fall through.
One person would say the suit wasn't in their size, another one might tell him the colors were off and on one rare occasion, Mr. Spokes met with a young lady asking for a suit. Of course, on this particular day; the poor fool made two mistakes in one sales attempt. Not only did he make a rude comment, when the customer told him that the suit was meant for her.
But when the customer was moments away from leaving, Mr. Spokes made the foolish mistake of asking for her number. This infuriated the young lady and she "rewarded" him with a hard slap to the face. But despite these moments of failure, both Spokes Bros. still supported their dad in his work and respected his wishes for silence; whenever he was on the phone.
"Sorry about all that, Dad" Rusty said while trying to suppress his giddy laughter, "I just...eee, I just heard some news from Rocky you won't believe!" For a brief moment, Mr. Spokes felt intrigued by his eldest son's words and was eager to hear more. But at the moment, he needed to focus and insisted/requested that his sons keep their voices down.
"Gotcha, Pop; our lips are sealed tight" Rusty assured while pretending to zip his lips, "just...don't take too long, I don't know if I can hold in my excitement for much longer!" As he stood there, watching his brother dance about goofily with excitement; poor Rocky felt his face glowing so read that he looked like a Christmas light. In both his head and his heart, he hoped that his father wouldn't make his situation into a big deal like Rusty was.
(A Few Seconds Later)
"Whoa! Hold it, hold it...HOOOOOOLD IT" shouted Mr. Spokes in shock, "repeat that again, Rust; did you just say your little brother has a girlfriend?!" With a wide-spread grin upon his face, Rusty nodded his head vigorously; confirming his news for the near twentieth time he said it. "It's my pal, Lincoln's little sister, Lucy" he exclaimed, "she's the...uh, wait a sec; is Lucy the one who says 'literally' 9,000 times in one sentence or the one who helps Linc with his homework?"
In that moment, Rocky couldn't decide if he should yell at his brother for his ignorance or give him an arm punch for it. But after a while, he chose the middle ground and decided to hit himself (by which, I mean he facepalmed himself.) "No, dude...Lucy is the Goth one" he said with a light moan of frustration, "you know, the girl with the pet bat and the black hair that covers her eyes?"
Upon hearing him mention that his crush was a Goth girl and that she owned a pet bat, Mr. Spokes started to mentally question his son's taste in women. "Are you...sure you're talking about the right girl, kiddo" he asked with an uncertain tone, "never thought you were into the creepy types before." Much to Rocky's own surprise; suddenly felt his face glow red with rage, after hearing his father's comment.
Before long, he went into a full-blown tirade on how inappropriate it was to call someone creepy; especially people you haven't met yet. "Easy there, sport...I was only joking" Mr. Spokes called out defensively, "now, what exactly is the problem; you having issues with confessing to her?" With this simple question, Rocky's earlier rage faded in an instant; as did most of the blushing color on his face.
Again and again, he tried to explain his situation to his father...but he just couldn't think of the right words to use. In the end, Rocky claimed that he did like Lucy and that she felt the same but they hadn't had the chance to go and explore these feelings further. "See, Lucy's birthday is coming up and I learned from her friends at school that she wants a DVD set of an old TV show starring somebody named...uh, Vincent Van Ghoul I think" he explained, "don't know if you've heard of him, though."
Upon hearing Vincent's name, Mr. Spokes referenced the few occasions his father would watch the eccentric host on TV. Of course, he would've been there to join him...but there was something about Van Ghoul's look and demeanor that gave Mr. Spokes the shivers, even now. "Oh, I definitely know the guy" he said wistfully, "I just didn't think any of you kids would be interested in such 'old school stuff.'"
Without hesitation, Rusty openly confessed that whether it was old school stuff or not; horror media was never his kind of thing. Anything that had the slightest bit of blood would just cause him to faint, even if it was fake blood. Rocky meanwhile clarified to his father that it wasn't really him being interest in Van Ghoul's work, it was Lucy Loud.
"Most people I know never care about the old movies and shows from your time, Dad" he stated, "but Lucy, she and her fellow Goths like to...do their own thing." Upon saying these words, the elder Spokes gents soon noticed Rocky's face glowing as red as a traffic light. But this wasn't really an embarrassed kind of blush, it looked as though he was inwardly swooning.
It was then abundantly clear to Mr. Spokes that this Lucy girl meant a great deal to his son. Thus, he offered to help any way he could...as long as it was reasonable. "I just wanna look online and see if I can find the DVD set Lucy was talking about" Rocky stated, "but unfortunately...someone has already called dibs on the computer!"
With a bitter huff, Rusty glared at his brother and proclaimed that he needed the computer for "important reasons;" such as his schoolwork. "You said that almost an hour ago though, dude" Rocky whined, "how much homework did your teacher even give you?" Mr. Spokes was also concerned/confused by how long his son was working at the computer and he decided to see just how much "homework" he actually managed to complete.
But when he got to the computer, imagine the man's surprise when he didn't see Rusty taking notes or doing research. Instead, he was copying cheesy pickup lines and jotting down several paragraphs about making ladies swoon. When he saw the firm look of disappointment on his father and brother's face, Rusty had to think up a good excuse right quick.
"Uh...I can explain everything, you guys" he murmured, "there's a big school dance coming up and...I, uh...I wanted to know what I should..." Try as he might, Rusty couldn't quite think of the right thing to say and thus; he had no choice but to leave the computer chair and the room with his head hanging in defeat. "Well, that was certainly a...thing that just happened" Mr. Spokes said uneasily, "now, Rocky; let's have a look see about this gift you want to get your girl."
With that, they wasted no time scouring every part of the internet that had special DVD sales; hoping to find what they were looking for. "Let's see, this page always has some good stuff" Mr. Spokes murmured while typing, "it should be right...THERE!" Whether it was by some stroke of luck or a blessing, the Spokes Gents had managed to find it; the Vincent Van Ghoul TV Series Boxset.
As Rocky took a glimpse at the cover art, he let out a soft gasp before ducking beneath the computer desk. At first glance; Van Ghoul looked like any ordinary old man with his fancy suit, thin black mustache and slicked back black hair with streaks of grey on the sides and top of said hair. But when Rocky saw the cloak he was wearing, this combined with the man's other features gave Van Ghoul the look of a wizard.
"Oh...C'mon, Rocky; listen to yourself" he thought sternly, "there aren't any real wizards out there...despite the fact that Lucy claims to be a young witch in training." After taking a moment to shake these mildly scary thoughts out of his head, Rocky rejoined his older brother and dad at the computer. It was here that they were all taking a look at the price tag on the DVD boxset.
When they did, the Spokes Trio almost felt their eyes pop out of their sockets in shock. "HOLY COW! NINTY BUCKS" Mr. Spokes exclaimed, "I wouldn't even give one of my suits that kind of price...not yet, at least." While he also felt the same outrage as his father, Rocky was still determined to try and convince him to buy it; especially when he took a glance at another part of the page.
"Looks like the page only has twenty-five or so sets left available" he stated, "can't we try to get it, Dad...please?" Before his father had the chance to speak up, Rocky insisted that they must have had enough money to buy it; considering the "big sales deal" he probably landed a moment ago. "Well, boys...about that, I've got some good news and bad news" Mr. Spokes murmured, "the good news is I did get somebody to make a deal with me on buying some suits."
Rusty and Rocky could both feel their cheeks practically straining from the wide-spread grins forming on their faces. If their father's words were true, this would mean they might be on the road to Easy Street. But then, just as quickly as they came; the boys' smiles faded away after they heard their father's second half of the news.
"I was able to land a deal with the person on the phone" Mr. Spokes said warily, "however, I...they didn't really approve my original price offer and so, I...I had to give them a fifty percent discount." Now, Rusty never prided himself as a math expert and Rocky...his grade hadn't tackled this kind of stuff yet. But over the years, they both recalled how steeply their father would price his suits for the public.
Therefore, if he had to haggle with his latest client/customer and if said haggling led to him giving a half price discount on the big wedding order; this meant the payment would feel like "pocket change" to their father. With all of this in mind, Rocky realized that his hopes of getting the DVD set for Lucy's birthday may not come true. It didn't take long for Rusty to notice the look of defeat on his little brother's face and, like any good bro would, he gave him a light pat on the shoulder to lift his spirits.
"Don't look so glum, lil' dude" he said with a light smile, "maybe you could ask Mom to give you some cash." No sooner had Rusty said this, Mrs. Spokes popped her head into the room and simply said "if you want money...you've gotta earn it square." "I don't know how that woman's able to sense what we're talking about so easily" Mr. Spokes murmured in mild disbelief, "but...she has a point, Rock; there's still time to earn a few bucks and by the DVD set yourself."
While Rocky knew full well that his mother was right, he didn't have a clue as to how he could try and earn the money he needed. On the plus side, his mother was right; there was still time to find a suitable part-time job that a boy his age could do.
(Line Break)
The following day at school, while he did his best to focus on his work; Rocky's mind was buzzing with different money making ideas. "Maybe...Maybe I could mow a few of the neighbors' lawns over the next day or so" he thought mentally, "that's always a good plan." At first, Rocky felt he was on the right track towards getting Lucy's gift...until he came upon one glaring flaw in his idea.
"Hold it there, dude; you've overlooked one important thing" he thought, "with the allowance you have on hand right now, you'd need to charge neighbors ten bucks for every lawn you mow...and there are only so many people out there who can be that generous." In addition with this issue, Rocky realized that it would take him ages to mow just one lawn; let alone four or five. The most obvious reason for this was his inability to drive a riding mower.
With this in mind, Rocky would need to use an old fashioned push mower for such a job; which would take almost an hour for him to clear one neighbor's front yard alone. With that idea proving to be a bust, he considered the tried and true lemonade stand option...only to realize that nobody wanted lemonade during the fall. "Maybe I can find a place to work at Flip's" Rocky murmured, "I'd get paid and get a Flippee on the side, if I'm lucky."
At first, the young Spokes boy felt like he had a good idea on his hands...until he realized an even greater flaw than that from his lawn mowing idea. Despite however "successful" the man was, Flip was also a cheapskate and had been known to cheat anybody foolish enough to work for him. "I think Rusty said Lincoln and Clyde once worked for him at the Intern Fair, months ago" Rocky murmured, "he also mentioned something about him pitting the two against...each other."
The instant his train of thought came upon this part of the memory, Rocky felt a sudden chill run through him. If Flip was able to trick two other people into going at each other, who knows what he might do with him. There was also the matter of not knowing what type of position he'd be assigned. "If I remember correctly, Linc and Clyde thought they'd be working the Flippee machine" Rocky thought with a light snicker, "but then...one of them had to clean the toilet, after the softball team arrived."
Not only did he shiver at the thought of doing such a task; he also couldn't help but let out outward grimace, not caring who might've heard him. Then, at that moment; Rocky suddenly saw the very two boys he was thinking of take a seat with him at the table. "Hey, Rocky; saw you shivering a bit and thought you could use some company" Lincoln greeted, "want a cup of my dad's homemade tomato soup to warm you up."
Without a second thought, he unscrewed the cup cap from his thermos and poured a little of the soup into it before offering it to Rocky. After a few seconds of mental debating, the young Spokes boy accepted the offer and took it. "Thanks for that, man...I could use a little pick-me-up" Rocky murmured, "I've been racking my brain like crazy about things lately."
After letting out a sigh, he was mere seconds away from revealing the reason behind his troubles...until Clyde stopped him. "Still having trouble figuring out a way to make a few bucks, eh" he inquired, "we know that feeling pretty well; right, Linc?" With a light groan, Lincoln revealed how often he lost count on the times his money making plans had failed or how anytime he managed to gain any, his sisters would find ways to take it from him.
"One time, I earned some money from my dad after cleaning out El Diablo's carrier in Lana's room" he explained, "but before I could store it away...Lynn snatched it from my hand!" When asked why his sister had done such a thing, Lincoln told Rocky that she needed the money to buy "some super important sports gear." "Turns out, the money I earned was just enough to even out all the allowance Lynn had" he grumbled, "which gave her the exact total she needed to buy her gear."
Rocky couldn't help but grumble bitterly under his breath, after hearing this. While it wasn't to the exact extent Lincoln dealt with, he had his own issues with keeping money on hand back home. Somehow, some way; Rusty would figure out where he kept it and take whatever amount he needed to buy whatever he wanted.
Speaking of whom, Rocky now had a pretty solid idea on how Lincoln and Clyde came to learn about his situation...but he didn't care. "Maybe I should just...I dunno, give up on the whole thing" he grumbled in defeat, "there's no way I'll be able to earn the right amount of money in time to get the DVD set." Upon hearing these words, Lincoln suddenly let out a gasp of shock; as if getting an idea on what Rocky was talking about.
When he heard about how Lucy missed her own chance to get it at Embalm Con, Lincoln thought about buying the Vincent Van Ghoul boxset himself for her. But that was until he caught a glimpse of the online sale price and it was even more expensive than any "limited edition" comics he once sought after. With all this in mind, Lincoln fully understood the situation Rocky was in and wished he knew of a way to help him out.
At the same time, Clyde was also trying to think up some ways his little pal could earn money easily. Then, like a blow to the head from a dodgeball; he was suddenly struck by inspiration. "Did either of you guys hear about the new resident that moved into Huntington Oaks, last month" he asked, "turns out, he also moved into that old estate on the east side of town."
Upon hearing this reveal, both Lincoln and Rocky suddenly shivered with fear; the former looking even more frightened. In the few times anybody had traveled through Huntington Oaks, they would look upon the old estate with either fear or disgust in their eyes. It was one of the few remaining manors left standing before all the rich folk of that town later moved away; thus creating the gated side community, Huntington Manor.
In any case, Rocky wondered who would be crazy or even bold enough to want to live in that old building. "I don't really know, to be honest" Clyde replied, "all my dads ever told me is that the resident's name is named Mr. Thorne and that he seems to be...what's the word, a recluse." Now, if the whole schpiel about the house didn't creep the boys out; this little tidbit certainly did the trick.
For Lincoln, he had lived with his own share of reclusive people at home; namely his younger sisters, Lucy and Lisa. But despite their frequent needs for privacy, even they were known to venture out into the world and socialize with people a little. Meanwhile, a typical recluse was a different story; they barely leave their homes, they seldom talk to anyone on the outside and some were known to go to great lengths to keep themselves away from the world (such as barring their doors or having vicious guard dogs on their property.)
"How does this guy eat or gets the stuff he needs from the mail" asked Rocky, "don't delivery people ever visit him?" After letting out a bit of a chuckle, Clyde revealed that this Mr. Thorne was what his generation called "seriously hold school." "You know how people used to use carrier pigeons to pick up and deliver messages to people back in World War I" he asked, "well...Mr. Thorne does something just like that, only with bigger birds."
When Rocky asked what sort of "bigger birds" Mr. Thorne had supposedly used to retrieve his mail, Clyde responded with only four simple words; "owls and/or ravens." "Dude...I know I'm younger than you but could you please be straight with me" Rocky said bluntly, "you're acting like this guy's from outta Harry Potter or Game of Thrones." While even he himself found such an idea ridiculous; with a firm expression on his face, Clyde insisted that he was telling the truth.
"Look, I'll even prove it too ya" he stated, "while on a drive with my dads to the supermarket, we saw one of the bag boys bringing out bags of groceries out to the sidewalk." From here, Clyde brought out his phone and showed Rocky what he saw on the scene that day. At first, the McBride men thought that it all looked...rather peculiar; a bag boy coming out with a collection of goods that weren't even meant for him.
But then, things got even stranger when the three of them saw just who (or rather, what)was picking up the bags. At that moment, the boys (along with a few other people in the cafeteria) suddenly heard the sound of an owl screeching loudly. Soon after that, the boys heard Howard McBride let out a terrified scream before Clyde moved his camera phone upward.
That's when they all saw it, a tremendous great horned owl swooping down and miraculously snatching up every bag in its talons in one fell swoop. At first glance, it looked like any ordinary owl of that species people might spy in the woods. But after taking a closer look; the boys noticed that while it did have many of the owl's typical physical traits (large wings, feather tufts that looked like horns, an angry expression on its face;) it also looked...slightly bigger.
In fact, Lincoln went as far as to say that it looked more like a hawk than it did an owl. "After it took the bags in its claws, the owl just plucked a couple of gold coins from a pouch it wore and tossed them to the bag boy" Clyde explained, "I couldn't make this up, even if I tried." At first, Lincoln and Rocky were moments away from calling "shenanigans" to their friend's words...until they watched the rest of the video.
Surely enough, the owl truly did pay off the grocery load with a pair of gold coins; which seemed to make the bag boy so happy that he started jigging in public. After turning off the video, Clyde asked his friends if they had any further doubt in his claims about Mr. Thorne's reclusive nature. "Nope! Not one bit, Clyde" Rocky assured, "the guy really is old school like you said, especially with the way he pays people."
The instant he said these words, Rocky felt that he had found a surefire way to make the money he would need for Lucy's gift. "Even if I end up getting just one of those gold coins, the cash I'll get from it may be enough for me to by the DVD set" he whispered, "I just...I just hope I'll survive working at this place, in the end."
(First AN: And so it begins; now that Rocky has an idea to make some cash, all he needs to do is earn it. But what will Mr. Thorne's home be like, what kind of person would he be like and more importantly, will Rocky's parents agree to let him go through with the plan?
Tune in next time, to find out)
(Second AN: Originally, I thought about making this story into a oneshot thing...but after seeing how much I wrote for this part, I realized it's better off as a chapter-by-chapter story. Thus, I hope DarthWill3 and all of you will be patient enough to wait for me to make each part of it; especially since I've got three or four other stories to finish up on the side. Thank you for your support and I hope you'll enjoy reading this)
(Third AN: The figure known as Vincent Van Ghoul is not of my own creation, he is a figure from the Scooby-Doo universe; most notably "The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo. He also had a spot on the series Scooby-Doo: Mystery Incorporated, where he was more of a TV host who played horror films for viewers to watch. Whereas in 13 Ghosts, he truly was a warlock/wizard; which made me think he'd fit perfectly for this story idea.
Regardless, Vincent is the property of Hanna-Barbara and the Scooby-Doo franchise; I hold no claim over him. So...please, don't sue me)
(Fourth AN: The part where Rocky mentions Lincoln and Clyde working at Flip's is a reference to the episode Intern for the Worse)
(Final AN: Just in case anybody might get confused while reading this, the story is not linked to the continuity of the original show. Lincoln and his friends are still in Royal Woods are still in Royal Woods Elementary and have yet to move on to Middle School.
I know that sounds weird, especially since the start of this chapter mentions that the story takes place sometime in the fall. But since the show has yet to give us any actual info on the Loud Siblings' birthdates, I speculated that Lucy's might be somewhere in October; just not on Halloween.
I hope that all makes sense to you, folks; thank you for understanding)
