2:00 PM PST
Harmony was fidgeting from nervousness, as she saw Patty open up the front door. Just as she expected, Griff Tannen and his gang were all standing there.
'How may I help you guys?' Patty asked curtly, as her eyes narrowed with suspicion.
'Whatever you do, Mom,' pleaded Harmony, 'please do not let them in! They are nothing but trouble, and this is the very last thing poor Melody needs right now.'
'We're here to see your daughter, Melody,' explained Spike, feigning politeness. 'Is she home? We wanted to, uh, invite her to the Holomax Theatre with us.'
'Well, uh,' Patty stammered, 'I'm not so sure Melody wants to see anyone right now.'
'Mom! Who is that at the door?' called out Melody, from her bedroom. 'Is it for me?'
'Yeah, Melody, they're here to see you,' Patty said, with a deep sigh. Then, turning to the gang, Patty added, 'Anyway, my daughter's upstairs. She's not feeling very well.'
'Aw, it's such a shame,' Spike said, sweetly. 'Maybe we can make her feel better.'
'I hope Melody knows to say no to them,' Harmony said, sighing. 'I don't see why she would even want to hang out with those jerks. I mean, my sister is not usually easily influenced. The Melody I know would just tell them take a long walk of a short pier.'
'Maybe there is something we can do,' Bethany said, with sudden realization. 'Let's see how this whole exchange goes with your sister first. Let's go back upstairs.'
'Right, Bethany,' Harmony said, sighing, as she followed the gang up the stairs.
'What kind of people is my daughter hanging out with?' Patty asked, sighing deeply. 'Griff Tannen has a bad reputation around here. I really hope they don't hurt her.'
'Who really knows, Mom?' replied Harmony, although her mother couldn't hear her.
As soon as Harmony and Bethany were upstairs, Spike was knocking on Melody's bedroom door. Harmony's heart was racing, as she was concerned for her sister.
'Who is it?' called out Melody, a bit shakily. 'What do you want, whoever you are?'
'I'm Griff Tannen,' replied Griff. 'Can we come on? We were thinking of making you an assistent for our gang. How would you like that? It'll be lots of fun, you know.'
'I'm not sure,' replied Melody, as she opened the door. 'I guess you guys can come in. What would I be able to do, as an assistent? I mean, what all does it consist of?'
'Well, first of all,' Spike said, smiling widely, 'you can get back at all the mean people who ever made fun of you. I even have a way for you to get bionic implants, so that you can be strong, too. Now there's a offer you can't refuse. What do you say?'
'Oh, please, Melody,' Harmony pleaded, 'just say no. Just say you aren't interested.'
'Well, I'll have to think about it,' Melody said, blushing. 'I'm not so sure that my mom would approve. Her divorce has been hard on her, and I don't want to let her down.'
'Oh, what's the matter?' sneered Data. 'Do you want to be a mama's girl for the rest of your life - or do you want to be tough and strong like us? You're a big girl, now.'
'Come on, now, Melody,' insisted Whitey. 'Is that such a hard decision to make?'
'So, are you sixteen years old,' Spike asked, sweetly, 'or are you six years old?'
'You're not a little girl anymore,' said Griff. 'You don't need to worry about making your mommy happy. You should just tell her to screw it and do what you want.'
'Oh, brother,' groaned Harmony. 'Whatever you do, don't listen to them, Melody!'
'Yeah, okay, I guess you're right,' Melody said, sighing. 'I'll join you guys, then.'
'Argh,' Harmony groaned, with defeat. 'What on earth has gotten into you, Melody?'
'Good,' Spike said, smiling triumphantly. 'I guess you do have some scrote, after all.'
'You must remember that her parents just went through a divorce,' Bethany said, gently. 'You've seen how depressed she's been. When people get thatt depressed, they get real vulnerable. When they are vulnerable, they are easily influenced.'
'Yeah, I guess you have a point, Bethany,' Harmony said, with a heavy sigh.
'Now, of course, Melody,' Griff continued, smiling wicked, 'first you must prove to us that you're worthy to join our elite crowd. We can't just let anyone join, you know.'
'Okay, so what do I have to do, Griff?' Melody asked, nervously. 'I'll do anything.'
'Are you sure about that?' Spike asked, grinning widely. 'Let me warn you. It's not going to be an easy task. In fact, it's going to be quite difficult. Can you handle it?'
'What do you take me for?' Melody demanded. 'It's not like I'm a chicken, you know.'
Harmony's heart nearly jumped into her throat, as she recalled the stories Marty Sr told her about his teenage years, when he used to let other people provoke him into taking dangerous risks by calling him names like 'chicken'. This was not good.
'Okay then, Melody,' Data said, smirking. 'Tell me, do you have a hoverboard?'
'Yeah, I do,' Melody replied. 'I have a Harley Davidson brand of hoverboard.'
'Good,' Data said, as his smile grew wider. 'What we need you to do is going to require that you to have a hoverboard with power. Are you sure you can handle it?'
'So what are you wanting me to do?' Melody asked, nervously. 'Are you wanting me to hover across the Pacific Ocean. I have enough fuel where I can do that.'
'Oh, no, no, no!' Griff protested, smirking. 'That's not what we want you to do. What we need you to do is to hold on to the back of my car, while you float behind on your hoverboard. Now, we're going to fly as high and fast as possible. Can you do it?'
'Please just say no, Melody!' Harmony pleaded. 'I can't stand to see you get hurt!'
'Well, uh, listen, Griff,' stammered Melody. 'I'm not sure, because I just think it might just be a little bit dangerous.'
'What's wrong, Melody?' sneered Spike, as she glared at Melody. 'You got no scrote?'
'So what's it going to be, Melody?' Griff demanded. 'Are you in, or out?'
'Um, I just, um, um, I'm not sure that I should,' Melody said, whimpering a little bit. 'You know, because I think that I should discuss it with my mother.'
'I can't believe this is really my sister,' groaned Harmony. 'I mean, the Melody I know is not like that at all. I guess she really must have hit the bottom of the barrel.'
'Your mother?' the whole gang gasped. 'You want to discuss this with your mother?'
'What's wrong, Melody? sneered Spike. 'Chicken? '
Data then played a chicken sound effect, as Melody's face turned red with anger.
'Nobody calls me chicken!' snarled Melody. 'I won't be insulted in my own bedroom.'
'Gee, Melody,' Harmony groaned, 'I never thought I would ever see this side of you.'
'Okay then, Melody,' Griff said, with false politeness, 'I'll give you an hour to think this over. I hope you do realize the consequences of turning this dare down.'
'Everyone will know that you're a chicken,' Spike said, smirking, 'and then you will not have any friends at all. How would you like that Melody, huh? Consider that!'
'Okay, fine then,' mumbled Melody. 'I'll think about it. I'll let you know in an hour.'
'I'm happy to hear it,' Griff said, triumphantly. 'So long for now. We'll be back later.'
Harmony then watched helplessly, as the gang left the bedroom.
'So, Bethany, what can we do?' pleaded Harmony. 'I can't let her get hurt.'
'Here is what we can do,' offered Bethany. 'I can make you visible to Melody for about half an hour. You won't be visible to anyone else, though. That should give you plenty of time to talk to her and talk her out of joining Griff's gang.'
'Oh, thanks so much, Bethany!' Harmony gushed with joy. 'This means a lot to me.'
'Okay, in sixty seconds, you will be visible,' said Bethany, 'then you knock on Melody's door and tell you you want to talk to her, okay?'
'I got it, Bethany,' Harmony said, smiling widely.