"Wai-wai-wai-wai-wait wait!" Melpy held a hand up to Julia's face and bit her thumb nail as she stared at the floor.
"What?" Julia snapped. Melpy put her hand down and looked up at her friend.
"Why did we order pies?" She asked just low enough for Mrs. Lovett not to hear.
"Because this is a PIE shop." Julia sighed and rubbed one of her temples.
"Yeah, but..." Melpy shifted in her seat and waited for Julia to get it.
"HU--H?" She dropped her hand hard onto the table. Melody peeled back her lips and snapped her teeth a few times as if immitating someone biting into something really hard.
Julia just stared at her, eyes wide, mouth open with a corner of her top lip curled up in confussion. Melpy let out a sigh of frustration.
"Mrs. Lovett, how's Toby doing"
"Who?" Mrs. Lovett frowned.
"O--h." Julia dragged the word out slowly as realization hit.
"Wait." Mrs. Lovett was still confused. "Who's Toby"
"Who?" Melpy tried to confuse her into forgeting.
"Toby"
"I'm not Toby, I'm Eliza and this is Julia." Julia laughed when Melpy said her name was Eliza.
"But who is he"
"Who"
"The boy"
"What boy"
"What"
"What?" Now Melpy was confused.
"Okay!" Julia had to stop the madness. "Who's on first, What's on second and I-don't-know's on third. You got it? You got it? Good, you both got it"
"WHAT?!" Mr. Lovett yelled.
"NO!" Julia and Melpy screamed, dropping their heads on the table.
"Alright! I think it's time to see Mr. Todd now." Mrs. Lovett could not stand anymore confussion. She wiped her hands off on her dress as she walked to the door. "Come on"
"Great, now look what you did." Julia hissed in Melpy's ear.
"Relax, Julia." Melpy put a hand on her friend's arm as they walked to the door. "At least she didn't send zap us into the Hearns/Lansburry version. That guy is spooky-
dooky!" Julia laughed at the new word.

BACK AT HOME

"Dang!"

BACK IN THE MOVIE

Mrs. Lovett bounded up the stairs. She only made it half way up before she realized she wasn't being followed. She looked down to see two pairs of wide, worried eyes looking up at her from the bottom of the steps. She had to chuckle. "Come on, silly girls, nothing to be afraid of"
"You first." Julia poked Melpy's back, neither of the taking their eyes off Nellie. But Melpy stumbled forward a bit when she was poked. She looked down and pulled up the costume skirt she was wearing to climb up the stairs. Julia started up, but she tripped over something. She looked down to find that Sami had given her a period dress.

Mrs. Lovett didn't bother to knock.
"Mr. Todd"
"Wot?" He didn't bother to look up from sharpening his razors, but he turned around to face the woman.
"I got two girls here, need a place to stay." Melpy peeked out from behind Mrs. Lovett to the right and Julia peeked out from behind Melpy to the left. Mr. Todd looked up.
"And"
"Well I was wondering if you'd mind if I put them up with me?" Todd looked at the girls and they found themselves shrinking back behind Mrs. Lovett.
"He's scarier in person." Melpy whispered to Julia.
"Told you"
"It makes no difference to me what you do in your own home." He said as he turned back around to continue sharpening his razors. Melpy and Julia immediately ran out of the shop. Melpy, because she wanted to scream out of excitement (and a little out of fear), and Julia, because she wanted to scream out of fear (and to keep an eye on Melpy). Mrs. Lovett came out of the shop upstairs. Melpy shouted to her.
"Mrs. Lovett, are you planning on doing anything today"
"No, I don't think so"
"May we go out"
"Alright," the girls were already dashing off. Melpy pulling her friend by the hand. "But don't get lost!"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Melpy, now known as Eliza, lead Julia through the streets almost as if she knew exactly where she was going.
"Dude! What the heck are you doing?" She was having difficulty with her skirt. Melody stopped abruptly causing Julia to nearly run her over.
"There!" She pointed to something and Julia looked.
"Where? What"
"It's Anthony." She stated and before Julia could say anything, headed strate for him. Julia ran after her to make sure she didn't do anything stupid. He was sitting on a bench reading a book and he looked up to see a girl standing right in front of him smiling down at him.
"Hey, Ant..." Melpy was cut off by Julia's elbow jamming into her side. "Du--de. What's up?" She plopped down beside him.
"What's up?" He repeated confused.
"What's goin' down?" She made that finger, pinky, thumb gesture thing (I don't know what it's called, maybe some of you do). He shook his head and glared at her confusedly.
"Forgive her." Julia sat down on the other side. "She's not right in the head sometimes"
"So what's your name?" Melpy asked.
"My name is Anthony, and I'm not a dude, I'm a sailor"
"Oooh." Melpy mocked his annoyance at being called a dude. They talked and got to know eachother. Suddenly Anthony was destracted by the sounds of someone singing. He looked around and realized that the sound was coming from a window on an upper floor in the building accross the street. There was a girl singing to her birds. She smiled down at him, but she suddenly disappeared. He stepped back to rejoin the girls he had befriended.
"Who was that?" He asked, still dazed.
"I don't know, let's ask someone." Julia suggested. She looked around and spotted an old beggar woman coming their way. Anthony dropped a few coins into her open hands.
"Thank you sir!" She turned to leave, but Anthony stopped her.
"Ma'am, could you tell us who'se house this is"
"That's the great Judge Turpin's house, that is"
"And the young lady who resides there"
"Ah, that's Johanna, his pretty little ward. Keeps her snug, he does, all locked up. So don't you go trespassing there or there's a good whiping for you, or any other young man with mischeif on his mind!" She turned again and continued to sing for money.
"What you gonna do?" Julia asked. They followed him down the street.
"I'll steal her." He began to sing and the girls did their best not to hum along. A door opened and out stepped an old ugly man who Anthony could only assume to be the Judge the old woman talked about. He motioned for the boy to enter. Anthony looked back at the girls for assurance.
"Go on!" Melpy motioned her hands as to shoo him. He walked in the open door.
"You know he's gonna hate us when he comes out all beat up?" Julia said, neither of them taking her eyes from the door.
"Oh yeah." She paused for a moment then hurridly picked up her skirts and rushed to find the back door. The surprised Julia followed.
LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL They heard a deep nasaly voice threaten their new friend Anthony. A door slammed and they came running from their hiding place to help him up.
"We heard everything." Julia said picking up his bags. "We saw it all through that window"
Melpy dusted him off.
"What is wrong with you Anthony?" Melpy mock scolded him.
"What were you doing LOOKING at a girl?" Julia joined.
"Honestly, Anthony, you weren't given eyes for a reason. They're completely useless"
"Shut up, Eliza." He muttered wiping blood from his lip. "What now, Anthony?" Julia asked, helping him on with his bag.
"I don't care how much power he has. I'm going to marry her if it's the last thing I do." He walked off singing, leaving his friends behind.
"We best be getting back now I suppose." Melpy stated, hands on hips.
"Whatever." Julia marched forward. Melpy followed this time.