Chapter 3: Come On You Weasley Wimps!

Disclaimer: I do not own The Magic School Bus or any of the related characters. The Magic School Bus series is created by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen and owned by Nelvana. This entire story is a work of fanfiction and is meant for entertainment purposes only. I am not making a profit from this story.

Notes: Commencing Operation Sneak Out ;)

I was never a rebellious child growing up, so googling "how to sneak out of your house" while doing research for this fic made me feel quite naughty. I would also like to take this opportunity to tell everyone to please NOT attempt any of these stunts in real life. You could get seriously hurt. Stay safe and thank you for reading!

7:30pm

Dorothy Ann was proud to have been raised by reasonable parents. They weren't overly strict and always tried to accommodate her interests and needs.

This was why she had to agree with Wanda that sneaking out tonight was the best course of action. There was no way her rational parents would allow her to go to a nightclub when she was underage and alcoholic beverages were potentially available.

A tiny voice inside her head reminded her that she didn't technically have to go. But after hearing what Janet said to her in class, she realized that she needed to improve her social skills if she was ever going to make any progress on the romantic front with Carlos before they started college. The last thing she wanted was a sorority girl who didn't know a damn thing about Carlos to snatch him from right under her nose at frosh.

Dorothy Ann wasn't blind. She could see Carlos was very attractive. His warm hazel eyes and charming smile drew her into every conversation they had. He now sported an undercut, which gave him a bit of a bad boy image, but she knew he was a nerd at heart. He towered over her, but never teased her for being short. If anything, he used his height and strength to help her, like fetching the beakers stored on the top shelf in the classroom cabinet when they partnered for labs.

She and Carlos had remained inseparable for over ten years now. They did their homework together, went to eat at new restaurants that popped up in town and even saw the latest rom coms as soon as they hit theaters. She was surprised that Carlos could sit through those, but he didn't seem to mind. He appreciated the comedic elements and she soaked up the sappy romantic moments that she had yet to experience in real life.

Their chemistry was undeniable, which is why it physically pained her that he had not formally asked her to be his girlfriend when they started high school or even be his date to the prom this year. The big dance next week had yet to come up in any of their conversations, so she couldn't verify whether he was going stag or had asked another girl to be his date. She was at least able to confirm that he would be attending because she saw him line up to purchase a ticket before exam week.

Dorothy Ann was tired of pining for a boy who didn't seem to return her feelings. But she didn't want to give up just yet. Her plan was to observe other couples mingling and try to make a more concrete move on Carlos at senior prom. Lots of people frequented nightclubs to hook up. It provided a great starting point for her research.

Now that dinner was done, it was time to commence phase one of the operation that Wanda had planned for her.

"I'm exhausted. Finals really took a lot out of me. I think I'm going to go to bed early tonight," Dorothy Ann yawned, doing an exaggerated stretch to emphasize her fatigue.

"Sure sweetie. Don't worry about the dishes, your dad and I will do them. We'll see you tomorrow morning," her mother assured her.

"G'night sis!" Evan called out, as she helped her parents clear the table.

On her way to the staircase, she made a quick detour to the garage, grabbed a sturdy rope and tiptoed away. As soon as Dorothy Ann reached her bedroom door, she flipped the sign on the handle to Do Not Disturb and locked it behind her. Phase one of the operation was now complete.

While she showered and did her makeup in her bathroom, she psyched herself up for phase two. Wanting to travel light when she made her way over to Wanda's, she decided to put a few essentials in her backpack along with a violet halter cocktail dress after she finished bathing.

Now came the tricky part.

Dorothy Ann carefully arranged a few throw pillows in the form of her body underneath her bedsheets and flicked off the lights. 'It's believable,' she thought with a satisfied grin, in case her parents checked on her in the middle of the night. She opened the door to her balcony and stepped out into the cool night air. Then, she tightly fastened the thick rope to a couple of the metal balcony bars and sadly glanced at her telescope.

'No stargazing tonight,' she idly thought.

Before she lost her nerve, she slung her backpack over her shoulder and began her descent. She didn't look down until her feet hit the grass with her knees following close behind. Adrenaline coursed through her veins, forcing her to stand on her now wobbly legs.

She couldn't believe she had just snuck out her bedroom window at night.

Boring old Book Bag her ass! Janet Perlstein could eat her heart out.

*/*/*

Another half an hour later, Dorothy Ann was standing on the porch of the Li residence with Phoebe and Keesha.

"Since you're here, I take it things went successfully for you both?" she asked. Wanda had devised a different plan for each of the girls to leave their homes undetected.

"I said I was going to bed early, waited for my dad to fall asleep in front of the TV and went out the back door. Good thing he likes it loud," Phoebe sighed in relief. Her father was blind, but his sense of hearing was pretty sharp. Phoebe was terrified of heights, so using the window was out of the equation.

"I don't have a balcony, so I tied the rope to the leg of my bed and went out the window like DA. Thankfully my parents go to sleep early. I left the same way I did when Ralphie and I went clubbing last year," Keesha grinned as she pressed the doorbell.

"Hello ladies, did things go off without a hitch?" Wanda cheerfully greeted them. She was wearing a pink strapless dress and had already done her hair and makeup.

"Affirmative."

"Thankfully."

"I hope so."

"Then come on you weasley wimps, let's get ready for our girls' night out!" Wanda winked, lifting up a bottle of rum.

Notes: Sneaking out may have been easy for the girls to pull off, but you'll soon see that this isn't the case for everyone in the gang :)

And yes, each girl will be wearing a dress in her signature color for nostalgia!

According to the episode "Sees Stars", DA's sister's name is Evan and her room has a balcony where her telescope is set up.

Phoebe's father is also shown to be legally blind in the episode "Going Batty".