Chapter 2: At the Country Club
Dash Baxter was at Polter Heights to deliver Colette's homework. Or so she said to her father and her stepmother. While he did bring her homework, Colette had an ulterior motive to ask him to come over. "Thank you for coming, Dash." She said while trying to hide her disgust for being near that stupid bully.
"You're welcome but, may I suggest you bathe yourself in tomato juice?" Dash suggested.
"It doesn't work like some cartoons suggest, unfortunately." Colette replied. "Now, for the real reason I came here: Danny Fenton and my stepsister are going to the Country Club today. I want you to ruin their date."
"How can I even get inside?" Dash asked Colette. "And why would I care about them?"
"Don't you hate them?" Colette asked.
"Yes but I'm worried about you after what Paulina told about how you ended up like that." Dash answered. "You should move on and settle for some available guy. Preferably me."
"I'll go on a date with you if you ruin Estelle's." Colette offered.
"I won't date a girl who's that obsessed with another guy no matter how beautiful, rich, and popular she is." Dash firmly replied. "And the last part is being ruined by your obsession."
"Fine, I'll give you 100 dollars." Colette said.
"No." Dash firmly replied.
"200 dollars." Colette increased her offer.
"No." Dash remained opposed to helping Colette.
"300 dollars!" Colette said. "And that's my final offer."
"In that case, I..." Dash was about to accept when he remembered something. "Wait a minute. I thought your Dad and your Stepmom had cut you off after you spent 12 Ks on that Halloween costume. How will you pay me?"
"I have some money stashed somewhere." Colette answered.
"Then pay in advance." Dash demanded.
Meanwhile, at the Manson Mansion, Jeremy and Pamela Manson were readying themselves for their day at the Golden Guild. "At least they aren't dressing like goths to impress Eleanor." Ida whispered to Sam.
"I heard that, Mom." Jeremy said while pointing a finger at Ida. "And I know better than that to think it's not too late to trick Eleanor Wellington. I'd look pathetic posing as a goth."
"Good because being a poser is even more pathetic than your usual self." Sam commented.
"Anyway, once the other Golden Guild members see how we are, they'll talk Eleanor Wellington into letting us join." Pamela said with too much optimism.
"And pigs will fly." Ida commented.
"I heard that." Pamela said.
"Good." Ida replied, showing that she didn't care.
"Mom, Eleanor Wellington said you and Dad would never join the Golden Guild because you're not charitable enough." Sam said. "Why don't you just make some donations and let her know?"
"The Golden Guild isn't worth it especially when the decision is made by someone who doesn't value our causes." Jeremy answered.
"Just donate to something everyone either likes or pretends to." Ida suggested. "For example, you can donate to reactivate North Mercy Hospital so we won't have to worry about false doctors placing kids there again."
"I'd rather keep paying taxes and hoping some will be used for that." Jeremy said.
Later on, Star Strong was near the Country Club entrance waiting for her boyfriend to appear. "Sorry I'm late, Starlight." Danny said as he appeared. "Skulker again." He whispered once he became close enough.
"He's becoming as much of an annoyance as the Box Ghost, Danny-boo." Star commented.
"True." Danny agreed. They then entered the Country Club only to be stopped by the doorman. "Only members and their guests."
"I'm Star Strong and this is Danny Fenton." Star said. "My mother, Stella Bevier, must have told we were coming."
The doorman then checked the list. "Oh, yes, Ms. Strong. You and Mr. Fenton are welcome here."
Right after they entered, the Mansons arrived. "Weren't the two of you excluded from the member list by Mrs. Wellington?" A guard asked upon looking at Jeremy and Pamela.
"My mother is a Golden Guild member and Pamela and I came here as her guests." Jeremy replied and then took a look at Sam. "And our daughter Samantha is a guest as well."
Skeptical, the guard looked at the list. "All seems to be in order, Mr. Manson." He said. "Welcome to the club." After the Mansons entered, the guard picked a radio. "Mrs. Wellington, do you remember those people whose membership you revoked? I have some bad news for you."
Inside the club, Jeremy and Pamela were surprised that Danny and Star were there as well. "Fenton, what're you doing here?" Pamela asked with a frown.
"Unlike some people I know, I don't have to blackmail my way into this club." Danny answered.
"No, you had to gold dig your way in just like your girlfriend's Dad did." Jeremy replied and didn't notice Sam rolling her eyes at him.
"Did you just badmouth two people that, unlike you, I have no problem welcoming into my club?" Eleanor Wellington asked, revealing her presence.
"No, Eleanor." Jeremy meekly said and then glared at Danny like the latter was the one to blame for the former's latest case of foot in the mouth.
"Good." Eleanor pretended to believe the former club member. "Must I remind you that Johnathan Strong is such a successful attorney he doesn't need the Travilles to be welcome here?"
"N-no." Jeremy nervously said.
"I'm glad we have settled this, Manson." Eleanor commented. "Now, your mother and I need to have an important talk."
"Good." Pamela said. "I have so many ideas to improve this club and suggestions for the next Golden Guild trip."
"Only Ida and me, Pamela." Eleanor insisted. "Now try to be anything but yourselves here." She said and then took Ida to her office.
"Well, my mother did say she likes the club's hot tub." Jeremy suggested.
Inside Eleanor's office, the two ladies were having their talk. "Ida, what were you thinking?" Eleanor asked.
"They blackmailed me, Eleanor." Ida answered. As much as Eleanor felt annoyed by Sam's parents' antics, she couldn't help but pity Ida for it.
"I'm sorry to see that your son is even more pathetic than I thought..."Eleanor said, while Ida looked ashamed.
"Times like this makes me wish that I had a girl instead...or that Jeremy at least took after me more than his father..."Ida said, frowning.
Meanwhile, at the Golden Guild men's hot tub, Jeremy saw a familiar face. "Reginald Loadman? What brings you back to Amity Park?"
"First, I'm here on business." Reginald said. "Amity Park offers several business opportunities to realtors thanks to people who leave to escape ghosts and those who, not believing ghosts are real until seeing by themselves, buy houses here only to put them back on the market soon after."
"Congratulations, Mr. Loadman." Jeremy honestly said.
"I also came here for the charity event Mrs. Wellington is promoting." Reginald added.
"Charity event?" Jeremy asked in confusion.
"I thought all Golden Guild members knew about it already." Reginald replied.
"I'm here as my mother's guest, Mr. Loadman." Jeremy explained.
"I remember now." Reginald said. "You're Jeremy Manson. I thought you and your wife had your membership revoked by Mrs. Wellington in person after the tiger ghost incident. I was visiting Amity Park at the time."
"It was a misunderstanding caused by the Fentons, Mr. Loadman." Jeremy arrogantly replied. "My mother is fixing things with Eleanor at this very moment."
"Well, good luck to you." Reginald said without actual sincerity.
"And good luck with your contribution to charity, Mr. Loadman." Jeremy replied. "I know it's a requirement to be a Golden Guild member."
Reginald frowned. "Are you insinuating it's my only reason to be charitable?"
"Not necessarily the only one but it must be one of the reasons, right?" Jeremy asked.
"Manson, we don't become charitable to join the Golden Guild." Reginald said. "We become charitable because there are causes we believe to the point of donating part of our wealth for it. If you're too selfish to find a cause you believe this much, don't bother trying to join. Just try to regain your previous membership and enjoy it."
Meanwhile, two of the country club's newest employees were discussing their current predicament. "Working for that bunch of overgrown spoiled brats is even more humiliating than our previous job." One of them commented.
"Yes, but it'll be worth it when we catch the ghost boy the next time he comes here, Oliver." The second one said.
"How can we be sure the ghost boy will even be here, Kevin?" Oliver asked his friend.
"He already came here enough times, Oliver." Kevin answered. "Sure, two doesn't seem as much but both were during days Danny Fenton and the girl who became his girlfriend in spite of being beautiful and rich enough to get a better boy are also here, and look!"
Looking at where Kevin was pointing, Oliver saw Danny and Star. "Well observed, Kevin." Oliver commented.
After Jeremy and Pamela left the hot tubs, they met again. "So, Jeremy, is your mother still talking to Eleanor?" Pamela asked.
"No, I am not." Ida answered as she rejoined her son and her daughter-in-law.
"So, Ida dear, did you make Eleanor understand the ghost tiger's confusion was the Fentons' fault?" Pamela asked, treating her mother-in-law with a level of fake niceness she hadn't used ever since Jeremy's Dad was alive and the patriarch of the Manson family.
"Of course not!" Ida replied like Pamela was stupid to even ask that question. (which she was) "We can't just accuse them without proof and besides, she's too busy selecting VIPs to the charity event she's hosting."
"Do you mean Golden Guild members like you, Mother?" Jeremy asked.
"Not only us but also other important people who might help and that includes prospective members but that's not about either you or your wife so let's select a table for us to sit at." Ida replied.
"Uh, Pamela and I would like to have some fresh air first, Mom." Jeremy lied.
"Alright but you both will meet me at the Platinum Room in 20 minutes." Ida replied, hoping even Jeremy and Pamela wouldn't be too stupid to risk getting caught eavesdropping at Eleanor's office.
"So, Madame...since we are also inviting non-guild members, whom should we send invitations too?..."Charles, her assistant asked.
Eleanor smiled.
"Obviously, we need to invite Amity Park's most upstanding citizens for our VIP list..."Eleanor listed off.
Jeremy and Pamela were eavesdropping and gasped.
"Oh my, do you think that she'll invite us?..."Jeremy asked, hopeful.
"Shush, I am trying to hear..."Pamela whispered, as they kept eavesdropping.
"Its settled, first ones to invite will be Danny Fenton and his lovely family..."Eleanor said, smiling.
Pamela and Jeremy heard this and nearly fainted. They wanted to scream but they did not want to get caught.
They ran away from their hiding spot, went outside and then screamed.
"WHAT?!..."They yelled, their screams echoing.
"What was that?..."Charles asked, as he briefly stopped writing on his clipboard.
Eleanor frowned.
"Sounds like Ida's stupid son and his equally stupid wife. They probably were eavesdropping or something..."Eleanor said, not caring as she continued with the VIP guest list.
End chapter
Thanks to FlowerPrincess11 for coming up with Oliver's and Kevin's names and for contributing to parts of this chapter. The bold lines in the middle and the end of the chapter were her ideas. She also came up with the idea of charity being a reason for Reginald Loadman to return to Amity Park.
