And now a new episode of Lori Disney? (Not Likely!) Here right now!
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Stevens is walking through a large port town. It has clearly been some time as a beard has grown and his hat has become tattered and worn. He walks, constantly looking over his back.
Suddenly, he hears a gunshot from behind him and takes off into the crowd as people bear down behind him.
XXX
Lori Fitzgerald has survived her first week of college, through not quite in all the ways she imagined. She sits quietly in a dark shadow outside the library, examining her Chemistry book as she eats an apple. She still has shorts and her trade-mark sneakers on as the weather has been kind.
Someone clears his throat above her and her brow instantly furrows. She looks up to see Ben Prescott in yet another one of what must be an enormous collection of ties. She regards him for the briefest of moments before merely going back to her book.
He clears his throat louder, annoyed. "I just want to talk to you."
"I'm not interested," she answers, still not looking up. "I have a Chemistry exam today, and as it is my major I would really like to do well if you don't mind."
"I will literally take five minutes," he answers business-like, pushing a button on his watch that causes it to beep loudly. This catches her attention.
"Did you just set a timer?"
"I'm a Business major, so I value time. May I proceed?" She lets out an exaggerated sigh and closes her book. "Charlie is my mom and my step-dad's pride and joy. Ever since he could read and Mark figured out just how smart he is Charlie has been his whole world."
"What does this-"
"You're the whole reason his whole world was running through a forest preserve at some ungodly hour of the night."
"I got trapped and he came to help me. I didn't ask him to. Quite frankly, I didn't want him to." She looks at her phone. "I have to get to that test I mentioned prior." She rises, but he blocks her.
"I peg myself at being very good at judging people. You're trouble. I can tell. Just… don't drag him along on your downward spiral." His watch goes off.
"Your time's up." She blows past him as he just stares after her, fists clenched.
XXX
Hannah Frost flips her hair in the dorm room mirror and after checking to make sure her outfit is perfectly in place exits the room. A moment afterwards the filing cabinet next to Lori's desk starts banging and a bright light flashes from within it. The door is forcefully slid open and the book lands sprawled on the floor.
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Lori Disney? (Not Likely!)
Episode 2: Remember Who You Are
XXX
Lori scans her ID and grabs a to-go box. She fills it up and heads out the door. Charlie Prescott, looking as clumsy as ever, tries to catch up to her while balancing a to-go box of his own. "How'd the test go?" She rolls her eyes and starts walking a little faster, but he manages to keep pace with her.
Finally she gives in. "I think I rocked it. Oh, and I think I hate your brother."
"Step-brother, but that's okay. I do too. Hey! That's another thing we have in common!" She shoots him a glare. "Just saying…" They reach her dorm and he follows her up the stairs.
"Not to play Devil's Advocate, but he does seem to care about you at least."
"He cares because my parents told him too. I was given no option when it came to picking a college. I was going here and he was going to have to take care of me. I can take care of myself!"
"You're thirteen. You don't even know what that means." She stops at her door. "If you're staying then we're eating in the lounge." He nods and continues as she walks in and drops off her backpack. She then notices the book on the floor. "Shit."
XXX
Charlie is happily enjoying his lunch in a small, battered lounge on the dorm floor. The book is suddenly thrown down onto the table in front of him. Lori flops into the chair across from him in a sullen mood as he perks up. "Sweet! We're back in business?"
"It managed to break the lock clean off my filing cabinet."
He drops his fork and picks it up. "Then it wanted you to see it! This is so great! Tonight we'll-"
"I'm going to have to buy a new filing cabinet."
"Lori."
"What are my parents going say? How am I going to explain this?"
"Lori!" She finally looks at him. "Focus. This means there's a Disney character somewhere around here right now… at least I think they're around here. Is there a range on this book?" He starts flipping through the pages. "Do you have any idea who it is?"
"I couldn't care less."
"Well, you should. Now we have to go out and find them. We have to get them home and you have to learn the lesson they were meant to teach you."
"Listen, kid, there is no we. And there is no mission. I don't plan on spending my time running around chasing after Disney characters. The annoying is starting to get really over-whelming on you."
His face falls. "Sorry." He goes back to his lunch and she starts hers. "I'll make you a deal. If by tomorrow nothing strange happens… I'll drop it. Otherwise, tomorrow night we go back into the forest preserve."
"You brother would really hate that."
"Yes, my step-brother would. But that's all the more reason to." She nods, agreeing. "Deal?"
"Fine."
XXX
A park ranger sits that evening out on top of the watch-tower enjoying the sunset. He glances out over the preserve when he notices something in far-away clearing. He put on his binoculars but quickly drops them.
"No way." He click his walky talky. "Joe, you're not going to believe this." He grabs a camera from next to him, zooms, and starts snapping pictures.
XXX
Lori is walking to class slightly in front of Hannah when she notices a paper on the door of the Math building. It reads: Dangerous Animal Spotted In Preserve! Park Rangers Recommend Using Extreme Caution. Contact Immediately If Spotted. Beneath the words is a blurred picture of what appears to be a large cat.
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me." Hannah stops beside her, catching up.
"Is… is that someone's cat?"
"Then it's a really big house cat."
"First that thing in the pond and now this. Something really weird is going on in that preserve." Lori walks into the building and Hannah sees Charlie's waiting for her. "Here we go."
The two walk down the hallway arguing in hushed tones. "It's not a coincidence!" he shouts loudly as they walk into class attracting stares. She shoots him a look and drags him to their empty seats. "Lori, the ranger reported seeing a lion in the forest preserve. They spotted a lion!"
"It's probably just a hoax."
"No, it's the book. And that means we have to find it before they do, because he could end up getting captured or hurt." The teacher enters and they get their stuff ready. "I'll meet you by the sign at eleven. I've got some studying to do."
XXX
Ben enters the freshmen boys' dorm and looks at a number on a sheet of paper. He takes a left hallway and comes to the room number on the paper. He takes a moment and gathers himself before knocking on the door. "Come in!" Charlie calls from inside. "It's open!"
He walks into a pretty messy dorm and enters the bedroom to find Charlie sitting on his bed watching The Lion King on the small dorm television. Ben looks around and notes that his English homework is thrown carelessly on his desk. Charlie finally looks at his guest and instantly becomes more hostile. "What do you want?"
Ben desperately tries to appear nonchalant. "I'm just… checking in." He gestures to the screen. "Why are you watching a Disney movie? These are for like… five year olds."
Charlie doesn't relax. "You can tell Dad you checked in on me. Now go away." Ben lets out a sigh and heads for the door. "By the way, I don't appreciate you harassing my friend."
"You mean that girl who you tag along and chase after? She's no good for you Charlie. Already she's distracting you from you studies." He gestures to the homework on the desk.
"I am not distracted. It's already done if you want to flip through it." He narrows his eyes. "You can report that to Dad too."
Ben sighs and tries a different approach. "Charlie, that girl-"
"Her name is Loti. She's a good person."
"No. No, she isn't. I know her type. She doesn't care about you or anyone else. She is reckless and I won't have you go along with her. You may be in college, but you are still only a kid. That means you listen to your guardian, who in this case is me." He leaves, slamming the door shut behind him.
XXX
Lori tries to silently pull on her shoes. She grabs her bag and creep towards the door. "Where are you off to?" She turns to see Hannah standing in the bathroom doorway.
"I have to print something off at the library real fast." Hannah smiles.
"Okay. Be really careful through. You saw all those posters."
"I'll be fine. I'll see you later." She runs out the door.
XXX
Lori spots Charlie waiting at the forest preserve sign with a flashlight. She pulls hers and the book from her bag- tossing him the book. She then observes he is wearing an obnoxious puffy orange vest. She gives him a questioning look.
"So the lion sees me clearly and knows I'm not trying to sneak up on him. Logical."
"No, I get that. But you didn't just run out and buy that today. That had to be in your closet." There is a long beat and he looks reluctant.
"Back to the Future phase," he answers, embarrassed. Lori merely chuckles and shakes her head at him.
"Okay, you can go back to bed now. You see I'm here."
"Are you kidding? I have to make sure you hold up your end of the deal. We're in this one together. Now come on. We have a lion to find."
"Let's get this over with." The two start walking into the preserve, flashlight scanning ahead of them.
"Lori, how did you end up with that book anyway? Where did it come from?"
"I don't know. But if I ever do find out who sent it to me I'm going to give them a real piece of my mind."
"Is… it is really that bad though." Lori gives him a look.
"Charlie, it's eleven on a Wednesday and we're searching the forest preserve when we should be studying or preferably in bed. What's your bed time… nine?'
"Nine-thirty," he counter, insulted. "So-"
"Okay, we're going back to the no talking rule." They continue to walk in silence until a load roar echoes to their left. It doesn't sound very far away. Charlie drops his flashlight. Lori begins to flip through pages of the book like mad, trying to balance it and her flashlight.
"L-Lori… do you think it's a good lion or a bad lion?"
"I don't care. Hey, I can't hold this and the book at the same time." He grabs his own flashlight as she puts hers away. He shines it over the book as she keeps flipping.
"None of them are glowing!" he cries frantically as footsteps are coming towards them.
"You think I can't see that." Growling is heard and Charlie grabs her flashlight and shines it in front of them as the lion slowly approaches them growling. Charlie starts to hyper-ventilate and ducks behind Lori- dropping both flashlights. Lori keeps frantically flipping as he steps closer until she reaches the end of the book. "Well, I can honestly say this isn't the way I thought I was going to go. I always swore it'd involve Math."
"I don't think now is the right time for jokes," Charlie chastises. "Maybe-maybe we can reason with it?"
"Charlie… it's a lion."
"It's not just any lion. It's a magical Disney lion from inside a magic book! He's Simba." At this Simba comes to a halt in front of them.
"How do you know who I am?" Lori's jaw drops.
"He just talked didn't he?" she says. "Why am I not surprised?"
"His mouth moved and word came out so logically-"Simba growls at them again, snapping both at attention.
"How do you know my name?" Lori and Charlie exchange looks. She nods at him as if saying 'Well… go on!' He takes a deep breath and steps forward so he is next to her.
"We're here… to help you. It's her job. We-we know you're lost and confused with no idea where you are or how you got here. But… you can trust us. You can trust her-her." Simba becomes less defensive and both let out a deep breath in relief. Charlie whispers, "Okay, I laid the tracks. Now drive the train through." Lori starts flipping through the book again.
"Just give me one second and I'll send you back to Pride Rock. I'm sending you home."
"Wait. But… no… I can't go back." He starts to back up. Charlie approaches him, palms up.
"Please, just stay-"Simba shakes his head and takes off back into the preserve. Both of them groan in frustration.
"I hate this day. I hate college. I hate this book." She throws it in her bag and falls face-first into the grass. "I hate my life." Charlie gets a smug smile on his face and takes a seat next to her.
"It looks like someone's running from his destiny too. It seems he's a little faster than you though."
"I will not hesitate to hit you."
XXX
Lori comes back into the room- grass stains on her face- and finds Hannah typing an essay at her desk. As she enters Hannah looks at her clock which read 1:34 and spins to face her. "You were gone for over two hours! I was getting really worried. Is everything alright?"
"Yeah, of course. Charlie ambushed me. It just took a while to shake him was all." Hannah frowns.
"You might want to talk to someone about him. This is going a little far. There's a crush and then there's-"Lori's phone vibrates and she frowns as she reads it. "Is it him?" Lori nods.
"I'm going to take a shower then going to bed." She grabs a pair of pajamas from her dresser, placing her phone on her desk. She exits and shuts the bathroom door. Hannah turns back to her work but pauses.
"I bet she didn't even give him her number." Hannah reflects a moment and then gets up only after hearing the shower turn on. She grabs Hannah's phone and looks at the message.
'It must be before he is king. You are going to have to convince him to go back so Rafiki can do his thing and set everything right.' She looks at it very puzzled. Finally, she flips open the key pad.
'LEAVE ME ALNE! THS IS OFFCLLY STLKNG! I CAN CNTCT THE POLICE!' She debates for a moment before sending the message. She gives a nod of satisfaction and returns to her desk.
"Rafiki?" Then it hits her. "The Lion King?" She runs back over and opens Lori's bag to find the book and a flashlight. "It doesn't look like you printed anything Lori." She pulls out the flashlight. "Oh no. I thought you had more common sense."
XXX
Lori is sitting at lunch alone and is obviously enjoying the moment of privacy. She blissfully takes a bite of her pudding and makes a disgusted face.
"Still not delicious?" Charlie asks from above her. She shakes her head as he sits down next to her. He looks at her with a bitter expression. "I can sit here right? Are you calling the police?"
She just looks at him confused. "I have no idea what you're yammering about." His face lifts as he seems to catch up on what's going on. She plays with her pudding. "So should we talk about the Math exam, English homework, or Simba roaming around the campus refusing to go home?"
Charlie smiles. "I think we're going to have to pick Option C."
"One day we are going to have a normal conversation!" she laments. "So it looks like I'll have to go searching again tonight. Can I borrow your dorky vest?"
"Sure… funny. What time do you want to meet?"
"We're not." She places her face down on the table. "I should be studying for the Math exam tomorrow, but no! I accidently unleashed forces of Disney magic. This is SO unfair. I think I'm just going to skip tonight and study. He'll be fine until tomorrow."
"Umm… well… you really should study I guess. I suppose… it could wait until tomorrow." He gives her a reassuring smile. "I'm sure we'll find him tomorrow night. Yeah… it'll be just fine."
XXX
That night Hannah is sitting atop her bed working on practice Math problems to prepare for the exam tomorrow. Lori enters and Hannah regards her suspiciously. "Another awfully long trip to the library?"
"Yeah," Lori holds up her hands and we see they are covered in ink, "Printer troubles." She pulls some problems out of her bag. "Now I can get an A plus tomorrow, so I guess the cost is worth the gain." Hannah regards her as she starts working on them at her desk. She almost looks a little sad.
"A boy named Ben stopped by a few hours ago." Lori furrows her brow.
"Tell him-"
"Oh, I told him. I told him about how last night you went gallivanting after that lion, Charlie tagging along behind you." Lori glares at her and goes to speak. "Don't even try. You need to get him off your back before something happens. And you, do you even realize how stupid you're being? You could be mauled or killed or worse!"
"I was just trying-"
"Forget about it. Just get your act together. Next time I hear you running out after a lion I will tell Caroline and personally call your parents."
"You're not my mom!"
"It looks like someone has to be," she responds coldly. "Despite your claims, you can't take care of yourself." With that, both return to their studying- tension evident in the air.
XXX
It is the moment of the big Math exam. Lori, Hannah, and Charlie are all spaced out among other students taking the exam. Charlie finishes within twenty minutes and turns it in. He passes Lori on his way out and gives her a thumbs-up. She can't help but smirk and continues working until a large roar sounds.
All the students look towards the window as Simba walks by the middle of the campus commons. All the students start screaming and panicking as the professor tries to keep order. "Everyone clam down! The rangers are on their way! Just stay inside and finish your exams! Quiet!"
Lori keeps looking outside and the skims her test. She still has about a quarter left to finish. She groans and stands up-quickly collecting her bag and running out the door after turning her test in. "Lori!" her teacher calls after her. She manages to slip away through the chaos.
She comes to the doors and finds Charlie cowering there. He looks at her surprised. "Did-did you finish your test?"
"I think saving the entire campus and a fictional character ranks higher on my to-do list." She exits and starts to sneak along the wall, ducking under windows to avoid attention. She sees Charlie following her and shakes her head. He holds his ground and follows her as they come to where Simba is heading towards the cafeteria. The area is deserted. "Do you see anyone around?"
"There are no windows on this side of the building. And I don't see anyone." She agrees and runs in front of Simba- hands in front of her.
"Hold on! Hold on!" He stops cautiously. "Trust-trust me, you do not want to keep going." He regards her blankly. "This pl-place is too dangerous for you to stay. There are people on their way right now who want to lock you up and… hurt you. We-we just want to send you home. Rafiki's probably waiting for you and then you can take your place as… king."
"But… I already am king." Charlie looks shocked.
"Yes, so… wait, what?" Lori says, becoming just as confused. Charlie taps her on the shoulder.
"We're after the movie. He came from after the movie." Lori regards this and her look goes from confusion to being really angry.
"So hold on a minute. You have all those people you should be leading right now and you don't want to go back. All of them counting on you-"
"I didn't ask for that!"
"Well, I didn't ask to have to lead negotiations between my college campus and a talking Disney character! You suck it up and deal with it! Timon, Pumbaa, Nani-"
"Nala actually," Charlie aids. Lori just shrugs.
"They are all counting on you. They believe in you. "She crosses her arms and stares Simba down. He hangs his head.
"What if I'm a horrible king?"
Lori shrugs again. "What if you're the greatest king that was ever in the Tide Lands-"
"Pride Lands."
"I really need to watch that movie again," she tells him. He nods and gestures back to Simba. "Back on track, you are never going to know unless you go back there and try. I can't send you back unless you want to go back. Now ask to go back so you can be an amazing king instead of the lion who ran. "
"Mufasa wouldn't like that all," Charlie adds solemnly. This seems to get to Simba more than anything. "And soon you just might have someone else who's going to need you more than anyone."
Lori turns to him and rolls her eyes. "Please, just leave the awful sequels out of this." He nods in agreement. "So can you at least try… for me. Because I'm trying. And I'm not kidding you- it is hard. But you do what you have to do." She pulls out the book and opens it. "May I?"
"Let me go home." She smiles and easily finds the glowing poem. "You make a great queen of this place yourself." The two smirk. "I'll try to follow your example as well as my father's."
"That's all we can ask."
"Thank you." Lori clears her throat and after a deep breath begins her shaky singing. "'It's the Circle of Life and it moves us all So Simba will return to his kingdom and stand tall'".
There is blinding flash of light and when it fades Simba has vanished. The two sigh in relief and Lori lies out on her back. Charlie sits next to her.
"You did a really good job."
"Yeah, but I think I just failed my Math exam." They take a moment and she rises. "I need to get out of here before the rangers get here." Charlie follows her example and the two duck into the cafeteria.
XXX
Lori is in the library and observes someone take down the signs the rangers have put up and can't help but smile. She then notices Ben coming towards her and her smile drops. "Oh, not today," she mumbles to herself, looking at her watch. She narrows her eyes and meets him in the middle of the library.
He opens his mouth, but she gets going first. "I get it. I do. But here's the thing- he picked me. I don't want him. But yet I have him. And if you're worried he's going to get hurt- don't. He knows what he's doing. He's calling the shots here. I have no control over that. So don't be bothering me or my roommate anymore." She then gives a tug at his tie. "And don't think I don't see right through you."
"What?" he asks off guard, taking a few steps back as she pushes forward.
"You live with your mom and you're the apple of her eye. Suddenly, this kid comes along. You are jealous of him! I mean you're twenty and you have to deal with your thirteen year old step-brother catching up to you. To be honest, he could pass you any day now. So don't claim to be so high and mighty yourself when you only keep an eye on him because you want to reaffirm that you're still better than him." She blows past him, but turns on her heel. "You aren't by the way. You fall short of him in every way but height." She looks at her watch and smiles triumphant. "Three minutes!"
He watches her as she gains her composure and exits. He can't help but watch her go before noticing the entire library has their eyes on him. He swiftly regains his composure and heads back towards the computer he was working at.
XXX
Lori admires her new filing cabinet, smiling with pride. She pulls the book from her bag and places it inside. "Now you try not to break this one. In fact, just don't do anything but be a normal book." Her phone vibrates and she sees it is from Charlie.
'Want to watch Back to the Future?'
'Bzz off Charlie.'
'So we just faced a lion together but we still aren't friends?'
'No.'
'You are impossible.'
'Callng off the prsuit thn?'
'No way!' In a moment another one comes. 'I'll wear the vest.' She can't help but smirk and chuckle at this. She looks over their conversation and notices the text Hannah sent a few nights ago. "She didn't."
XXX
Next week, Lori faces down against her roommate and tries to keep Charlie at a distance as man's best friend ends up locked in the local pound. Same channel, see you then.
(Guys, we have a tumblr! There is will be updated when all episodes debut and if for some reason an episode is skipped. I also plan on releasing character bios, fun facts, and other fun information there. Also, feel free to ask me any questions about this show or me in general. The link is also on my author page. Have a safe week.
P.S. Everyone go see Brave tomorrow. It's going to be EPIC!
Dis)