I do not own any of the characters except for Arabella.
~Arabella's POV~
"Hey, guys." Jack greeted as he entered the dojo.
"Oh, hey, Jack." I greeted back, not moving from my spot beside Bobby. Let me explain. Here we are, me, Kim, Milton, Julie, Eddie, Jerry, Rudy, Bobby, and Joan, eating pizza. Bobby and Joan wore messed up costumes, Rudy was in a weird director's outfit, Eddie was dressed as a mattress, I knew my hair was frizzed up a bit, Milton had his beard hanging off, Julie looked drunk, and Jerry was laying on the floor, "How was your family reunion?"
"Good." Jack said, continuing walking until he realized how all of us looked, so he stopped and took a few steps back, "What's going on?"
They all started to explain at the same time which created loud overlapping chatter that no one could understand so Jack interrupted them, "Guys. Stop. Hey, stop!"
When we had stopped talking he turned to Milton, "Talk to me, Lincoln."
"Well..." Milton said, standing up dressed in his Abraham Lincoln costume, "It all started when Jerry got his new locker."
~Flashback Begin~
Jack, Jerry and I made our way over to Jerry's new locker and I was holding Jack's hand. "Dude, I can't believe you got locker 138." Jack said, "This is where the prettiest girls
in school have their lockers."
"Oh really?" I smirked at Jack.
"Yeah, but you are my pretty girlfriend." Jack said wrapping his arm around my shoulder.
"Nice save, Brewer."
"Yo." Jerry said bringing us to his locker, as a girl walked over to her locker, "Hello, neighbor. Care to step into club Jerry?"
Jerry opened his locker and salsa music started playing and Jerry danced while the girl looked mildly unimpressed. Then a hand came out of the locker and gave Jerry a fist bump which made the girl to walk away.
Jerry gasped, "I've never been rejected by a girl that pretty.
"I have a feeling there's a lot more of that coming." Jack remarked and I snickered.
Milton then walked over to us with a frown on his face and holding a tardy slip, "Our school President, Frank, kicked me off the bus today so I had to walk to school. I got my first tardy."
Jerry chuckled with a smile on his face, "Oh, awesome. Tardy party after school. I'll probably be a little late."
I clucked at Jerry's comment and shook my head, I glanced at Milton with sympathy, "It not the end of the world, Milton. It's just one tardy."
"While it's the end of the world to me." Milton argued, "I never had a tardy before." He complained and I rolled my eyes. I glanced over my shoulder and saw two black dragon members walking by and putting a paper on Jerry's locker. They gave us a glance before walking away.
"Huh?" Jerry murmured then walked over to his locker and he quickly grab the paper, "No, no, no!" He panics as he read the paper, "Frank just had his black dragon goons confiscate my locker."
"Well, apparently as President you can do whatever you want." Milton said.
"If you don't like it, guys, the school election's in four days." Jack pointed out, gesturing to a sign on the wall above the lockers that read, 'upcoming student elections. Get involved!' "Run against him." He suggested. He glanced at the clock on the wall, he was visiting his family event in Colorado for the next few days. "Gotta go. I'll see you guys when I get back from my trip." He and the boys did a bro-hug before he turned to me with a soft smile, pulling me to a hug and kiss my forehead, "Bye, babe. I'll text you later."
I smiled and waved Jack goodbye. Just after that Frank stormed over and roughly pushed Milton and Jerry away. "Hey, take it easy!" I said to him with annoyance.
"Just came to check out my new address. 138. Best in school." Frank opened the locker and got scared as salsa music playing. "I don't know who that is, but there's some skinny dude dancing in my locker." A arm outstretched out of the locker with a thumb up, scaring Frank even more. I watched in amusement as Frank ran away.
I shared a look with my friends and we all shrugged before we started to salsa dancing to the music in the hallway.
Don't you get all tough with me, I'm saying won't you come kick it with me? and we can have a ball, run up the wall, this is how we do, and no matter how much, I chop and punch, it's not as cool as kickin' it with you.
Here we go, let's start the party, chop it up like it's karate.
everybody, don't you get all tough with me, I'm saying won't you come kick it with me? and we can have a ball, run up the wall, this is how we do, and no matter how much I chop and punch, it's not as cool as kickin' it with you.
Later the night, I was having dinner with my family, and help washing the dishes when I had up to my room to get some sleep. I heard my phone ringing and show a FaceTime with Jack, he was calling. I answered, "Hey, handsome, miss me?"
"Matter in fact I do, miss you." Jack replied. I giggled, "So how are you doing with your family reunion?" I asked him. "I had been ok." Jack responded as he continued to explain more to me as he lightly up with the conversation, he was so cute like this.
"So, really, well when you got back. We can have a movie marathon at my house." I said. "Yeah, I would love that." Jack said. "Well, I love you and I have to go to sleep." I blows kisses at Jack and he respond by grabbing them. "I love you too, bye."
...( ͡ ͜ʖ ͡)
The following morning, I woke up with a good morning text from Jack just like he had promised and a smile appeared on my face, a fluttering feeling in my stomach. I could't help the giddy smile that appeared on her my heart get giddily at when I seen his name appear on my phone screen. She quickly sent a reply back and then got ready for school.
The day went by smoothly and went it was lunch, I found herself sitting by with Eddie at one of the tables. Along with everyone else, we were watching as Milton walks around, saying a speech and holding a paper bag. "For too long we have lived in Frank's shadow of fear. I say we need change. That's why I'm running for
President... because I'm not afraid. I'm also not afraid because Frank's at an orthodontist appointment." He adds sheepishly and everyone applauded at his speech, "I have some sweet number two pencils with my name on them.
Come and get 'em." No one gets up. "Oh, remain calm, people. There's one for everybody."
"Nice." Eddie nodded as he stand up, "Free pencil. Yeah. You got my vote."
"I'm Jerry. Running for President." Jerry announced as a pizza guy was following him making everyone stumble their way over. Milton fell under the stampede.
"Nice. Free pizza!" Eddie came back up to us, "You got my vote."
"Jerry, you can't run for President. I'm running for President." Milton exclaimed.
"Ooh. This is awkward." Jerry cringed.
"See?" Milton lifted up a pencil.
"Well, dude, how do you expect to win if your pencil's not even number one." Jerry asked, dumbly.
"Surely the good citizens of Seaford High will not let their vote be swayed by a mere slice of pizza."
"Oh, no, no. It's not just pizza. I got fro-yo, too."
I shake my head at this and walk away.
...( ͡ ͜ʖ ͡)
We were training in the dojo when Rudy entered dressed in a striped shirt with a cardigan tried around his neck and a flat cap his head.
"You are looking at the man who's been asked to direct, Romeo and Juliet at the Seaford community theater." He stated proudly, "Kim, would you like to be my assistant Director?"
"Absolutely! I love the theater." Kim exclaimed. "Yeah, I love to." I replied.
"Excellent. Your duties will be important and vast." Rudy told us, "One day you might be picking up Brad Pitt from the airport. The next, you will be washing my socks." Rudy explained as Kim grimaced. Rudy looked over to me with a smile, "And Bella, would you like to be my stagehands?"
"Sure, I don't mind." I said.
"May I present the next President of Seaford High, Milton Krupnick!" Julie speaks up as she walks into the room with a bright smile. Milton walked in wearing a suit, he had a grin on his face and his arms outstretched.
"What's with the suit?" Rudy asked him.
"As his campaign manager, I'm giving him a presidential makeover." Julie explained with a grin.
"Julie loaned me her grandfather's suit. Don't you think it makes me look like Abraham Lincoln?" Milton grinned.
"Yes, and smell like muscle rub and sardines." Rudy grimaced, backing away along with Kim and I.
"Well, Milton, I didn't plan on running against you,
but I don't start something without finishing it. And I've got a campaign manager, too." Jerry said. "Kim."
"I'm busy with the play." Kim responded.
"Bella?"
"I'm helping with the play."
"Milton." Jerry suggested.
"I'm running against you." Milton reminded him.
"Oh, Rudy."
"I'm 30 years old." Rudy told him.
"Eddie." Jerry said turning around to him.
"I did not see this coming. I'm in!" Eddie grinned, shaking Jerry's hand.
...( ͡ ͜ʖ ͡)
"Is this where you're holding the auditions?" A plump lady asks as she approaches the table.
"Uh, I'm sorry, Ma'am. I don't think you're right for the part." Rudy apologized.
"Oh, no. Then how about..." the lady ripped her face off revealing to be Bobby, "Me! Ha ha! I fooled you. And do you know why?"
"Because you're a rich, eccentric nutcase?" Kim replied with a raised eyebrow.
Bobby nods with a sheepish look, "Well, yes. But also because...I am a great actor!" He set the mask on the table and began to quote from the play, "What light through yonder window breaks?
It is the east, and Juliet is the sun."
"Well..." Rudy hesitated, sharing a look with the us.
Bobby flips his hair over his shoulder and stared at him, "I'm your boss."
"You're in!" Rudy immediately said and I snickered at this.
"Huzzah!" Bobby cheered.
"All we need now is a Juliet." Rudy explained.
"You parked your peacock in a loading zone." Joan walked into the dojo with an upset look on her face as she looked at Bobby. "Again."
I shared a surprise look with Kim before we looked at Bobby, "You ride a peacock?" Both of us asked.
"It's giant." Bobby smiled widely as he nodded.
"Every time you show up, you make a scene, and I'm getting pretty sick of it." Joan complained.
"Oh, good Lord. So real, so honest. So full of verve." Bobby commented, looking impressed.
Joan looks surprised but then flattered, "Oh. I'm stupid with verve."
"You must be my leading lady." Bobby spoke.
Rudy stands, his eyes widening, "Whoa. Excuse me. I am the Director of this play and I will say who Juliet is."
"I'm your boss." Bobby reminded him.
"We have found our Juliet!" Rudy smiled and pointed at Joan, who looked surprised but excited.
"Huzzah!"
...( ͡ ͜ʖ ͡)
Kim and I were chatting then Rudy stormed towards us, "We've got big problems. I read most of "Romeo and Juliet," and this Shakespeare guy is a hack. But if I make some changes
I can save this show."
I shared a look with Kim, "Do you really want to change it?" Kim asked him. "I mean, it's a classic."
"A classic snooze fest." Rudy commented.
I rolled my eyes, "I don't think you should change it. I agree with Kim, it's a classic."
Bobby then walks over to us, "Rudy, I was just at lunch and I heard that the theater critic from the Seaford Herald, Vic Deblaze, is coming to our play!"
Panic appears on Rudy's face with the new information, "Oh, no. He hates everything."
"Oh, Rudy, calm down. You're just panicking." Kim reassured him.
"No, I'm not. His last review of the
ballet said the lead stumbled around the stage
like a dying pelican." Rudy explained.
I shared a surprise look with Kim, "Really?" I asked.
"Yeah! And that was his 8 year-old daughter." Rudy said, "We got work to do, people!" He called out as he clapped his hands and stepped on stage.
...( ͡ ͜ʖ ͡)
"You know, Rudy, do you really think you should have made all these changes to Romeo and Juliet?" Kim asked while painting the set.
"Trust me, if Shakespeare were alive today, these are exactly the kinds of changes he would have made." Rudy said confidently, "All right! Lower the old woman into the Cannon and wait for my command. And you, put those
Lemurs next to the Cougar."
"If Shakespeare saw alive, he would kill himself by seeing this play." I said with a snort and then we hear the cougar growling and the lemur screeching.
"We're gonna need more Lemurs." Rudy said awkwardly.
I watched horror by this event.
"All right! From the top, people." Rudy clapped loudly.
"Romeo, oh, Romeo, wherefore art thou, Romeo?" Joan recited before a small explosion emitted as Bobby who was Romeo made an entrance.
"I art saving the Universe, baby." Bobby answered, "Die, alien slime!" Bobby tried pulling the trigger but it didn't work too well. "My space laser is jammed again. I can't work like this, Rudy." Joan walked down from her window as Kim and I continued to doing our work.
"I'm sorry, I'm confused. Why is Romeo shooting me?" Joan asked.
"Because you're an evil alien clone, duh. We've been over this, people." Rudy yelled.
"Fine." Joan said, " By the way, did you know that Bobby's name is above mine on the marquee?"
"About that, did you know her name is on the marquee?" Bobby said which caused Joan to gasp and the two started shouting at each other.
"Hey!" I yelled as tried to stop their argument, "You guys, knock it off!" I screamed as they finally quieted dow, "This isn't about marquees,
or aliens and special effects. This is community theater. It's about community. I mean, we have to believe in each other and the material, Rudy."
"Maybe she's right." Rudy nodded, "You know what I say? Forget Vic Deblaze. We will do this play the way it was meant to be done. We will use our raw talent to bring this show to life. And we will set the theatrical world on fire. On fire!"
A cannon exploding following by a woman screaming and loud crashing ended Rudy's speech. "Okay, people. That's a five."
...( ͡ ͜ʖ ͡)
I watched as Bobby and Joan performed the original classic, Romeo and Juliet. So far it was going ok ish, considering we only had 5 days to master the actual play instead of Rudy's knock off one. "Good night! Good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow." Joan choppily waved.
"That I shall say good night till it be morrow." Bobby recited.
Load snoring was heard from the audience, we peaked out to see it was Deblaze who was sleeping in the front raw.
"Oh, thanks a lot, Kim." Rudy said sarcastically, "Romeo doesn't need to be an alien hunter. Deblaze is out there in a coma."
"Well, he ain't the only one." I pointed at Joan was snoring, leaning against the prop-tower.
"Juliet." Bobby whisper-yelled awkwardly trying to wake her up, "Juliet. Juliet!"
Nothing worked so Rudy said, "Poke her with your sword."
Bobby took out rubber sword and started to poke Joan in the stomach with it but she didn't wake up. And the audience started to laugh.
Bobby continued to poke her and Joan eventually woke up. "Ow. Ow, stop poking me."
"You can't act when you're asleep." Bobby said.
"You can't act when you're awake." Joan shot back.
"Ooh, shots fired!" I laughed and second later Joan had ripped off her dress to reveal her security guard clothes underneath and the two started fighting
Kim and Rudy ran out to stop them from fighting and I followed while Rudy shouted, "You love him. Stop trying to beat him senseless."
"Get this maniac off my face!" Bobby screamed while Kim tried to drag him away.
"I'm trying!"
"Come on, Bobby. Let go of Joan!"
"Like I said, just be yourself and we have the best comedy in the world," I said just as Eddie and Jerry entered the stage, the latter dressed in an orange prison jumpsuit.
"What are you two doing here?" Rudy asked them, forgetting that Romeo and Juliet were trying to kill each other.
"We gotta save Milton." Jerry said, "Frank's on his way down here to beat him up."
"Oh, we might be too late!" Eddie said pointing at presidential box where Milton was sitting with Julie and Frank sneaked in.
"Holy Hannah! They're gonna get Lincoln!" Joan exclaimed.
Jerry used a ladder to climb up to the box and then a fight broke loose. Jerry started fighting Frank and I quickly ran out from the stage and up to the presidential box just as a few more Black Dragons ran in.
I managed to keep them at bay to let Jerry and Milton escape, which ended with both of them falling down to the stage with a thud after the curtain they planned to use broke.
I jumped after them, landing on my feet with the Black Dragons following closely behind. I stood up and just as Frank was about to punch Milton she caught his fist.
"Well, since Jack isn't here to say it," I smirked at him, "You probably shouldn't have done that. Ooh! That is a fun line to say!"
I and Frank started fighting while the others took care of the rest of the Black Dragons and for a moment it looked like Frank was going to win but I spun around and kicked him in the stomach, sending him flying into a wall.
"Bravo! Bravo!" DeBlaze exclaimed, and soon the entire audience was applauding and cheering loudly. "Rudy! I loved it. In fact, I'm coming back to see it tomorrow. Don't change a thing. Ha ha!"
"You got it, Vic."
~Flashback End~
"Okay, so now all this makes sense..." Jack said when we were finished telling the story, "Except for one thing. Eddie, why are you dressed like a mattress?"
"Oh, I've got to get going." Eddie stood up in his mattress costume, "I've got a job handing out fliers for Ned's Beds. Later."
"Bye, guys."
"Bye, Eddie."
Jack went over to sit by me. I smiled at him and leaned into his warm embrace when he wrapped his arm around my shoulders.
"I missed you." He murmured, pressing a soft kiss to my cheek. I couldn't help but giggle softly, blushing a bit. I had missed him a lot too. I felt much better now that he was with me.
"I missed you, too." I replied, resting my head on his shoulder. He smiled softly and kissed the top of my head. We had a long week, but now we were together and that's all that mattered.
