“Ah, you were probably so excited about the concert that it slipped your mind.”
“I guess,” but she wasn’t entirely convinced. “Did your dad fix it? Can I get it back tonight?”
“Ummm . . . no, sorry. He said it would take a few more days.”
“Oh,” replied a distinctly unhappy Sylvia. “Well, I guess that’s okay.”
“Hey, at least you didn’t lose it.”
That made Sylvia smile. “Oh, thank goodness for that. I would never have forgiven myself. Anyway, I’ll see you tonight.”
“Bye.”
Egg hung up the phone and immediately took the ring off. She locked it in the little wooden chest, which she had once used to store her flying suit. She promised herself that tonight she would talk to Dazzle and find out when they could return to Aerianna to fix the ring.
*****
“Oh my gosh.”
“What’s wrong, little sis?”
“You look . . . amazing. I just love you as a blond.”
“Well, thank you. You don’t look so bad yourself. Ready to have a little fun?”
“Absolutely. And thank you for taking us to the concert. Mom would have hated it.”
“No problemo. So . . . I got the tickets, now let’s go get your best friend. Did you call to make sure she was ready?”
“She’s been ready since seven o’clock this morning.”
“I bet she has.”
So the sisters said goodnight to their parents, got into Ashley’s mini coupe and made their way to Sylvia’s house. They pulled into the driveway and honked. A moment later Syl came out the front door, yelled goodnight to her mother and ran to the car.
“Oh, thank goodness” Sylvia sighed with relief. “If I had to wait for one more minute, I would have exploded.”
“Nice to see you, too.” Ashley made sure that the girls had their seat belts on then she backed out the driveway and headed for the restaurant.
“Hey, you two look awesome. Ashley, I love your hair.”
“Thanks. You’re looking pretty foxy yourself. Ready to break some hearts?”
“Absolutely.”
“Yuk.”
“Come on little Sis . . . I hear you got a thing for Grammy’s new neighbor. What’s his name . . . Geek?”
“NO,” she said a little too loudly, “. . . it’s Zeke.” Ashley and Sylvia grinned and Egg started to blush. “And anyway, I don’t have a thing for him. But Syl has one for Zack . . . don’t you?”
“I’ve known worse boys,” she answered pretending to be a lot more mature than she really was. “Ashley, how old were you when you started to like boys?”
“About your age. His name was . . . umm . . . oh yeah, Screech.”
“What kind of name is that?”
“It was his nickname. I don’t remember his real name.”
“Well . . .,” said her impatient little sister.
“Well, what?”
“Well, how did you meet? And what happened to him?”
“We met at a Halloween party. I was dressed as a princess and he was an evil something-or-other. I was with a couple of other girls and he was with a friend. We all started to talk about I don’t remember what. Then everyone else drifted away leaving just the two of us.”
“Was that weird?”
“It should have been. But we started talking about something that we were both interested in . . . and before I knew it, I was in love.”
“How long did it last?”
“Six days. He moved away the next weekend. Took my heart with him.”
Ashley gave a pretend moan and the two girls giggled.
“I don’t know about you two, but all this talk of love and boys makes me hungry.”
“Everything makes you hungry,” replied Egg. “You eat like a boy.”
“Where are we going for dinner?” asked Sylvia ignoring her friend.
“The Mad Cow.”
“Isn’t that a disease or something?”
“It’s the name of that old fashion diner up on Switchback Road. They have the world’s greatest cheeseburgers and fries. And the concert is only a few miles from there.”
So the girls settled back and enjoyed the scenery and some more small talk. About twenty minutes later, they arrived at the diner. By this time, all the talk of food had made everyone hungry.
*****
They enjoyed the burgers and fries . . . but if truth be told, a cheeseburger is just a cheeseburger. However, what really got the two younger girls excited was the tabletop jukebox. They had never seen one before . . .
There were pages of songs that you could flip through until you found the ones you liked. Then you put in a quarter and chose four by pressing the buttons that corresponded to the code for each one. So, the first time they chose B12 for “I’m a believer” by somebody called the Monkeys, A1 for “Running Bear” by Johnny Preston and F10 for “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini” by Brian Hyland and D2 “Hit the Road, Jack” by Ray Charles.
“How come there are no songs by Fandango Sally?” asked a disappointed Egg.
“Cause these are all from the 1960’s . . . just like this diner.”
“I think they’re kinda cool. Can we play the Bikini song again?”
“Sorry, Syl . . . but we’re running late. We gotta hit the road.”
As they made their way back to the car, they sang the refrain from D2 . . . but changed the name from Jack to Zack. ”Hit the road, Zack . . . and don’t you come back no more, no more, no more, no more. Just hit the road Zack and don’t you come back no more.”
They giggled and laughed and jumped back in the car, and started to sing F10 . . . at least as much of it as they could remember.
One, two, three, four, tell the people what she wore
It was an itsy bitsy teenie weenie yellow polka-dot bikini
That she wore for the first time today.
An itsy bitsy teenie weenie yellow polka-dot bikini
So in the locker she wanted to stay
Two, three, four, stick around we'll tell you more.
She was afraid to come out in the open
And so a blanket around her she wore
She was afraid to come out in the open
And so she sat bundled up on the shore
Two, three, four, tell the people what she wore
An itsy bitsy teenie weenie yellow polka-dot bikini
From the locker to the blanket
From the blanket to the shore
From the shore to the water
Yes, there isn't any more.
*****
Ashley made it to the outdoor amphitheater with minutes to spare. They parked the car, ran to the front gate, showed their tickets, walked past some giant Fandango Sally posters . . .
. . . and found their seats. They were about half way back from the stage, but right in the middle. Since this was the first concert Egg and Sylvia had ever been to, it was incredibly thrilling. The crowd was buzzing and the lights were blazing. Then the announcer came out and everyone became very quiet . . .
“Good evening ladies . . . and the five boys I see hiding over in the corner . . .” Everyone laughed. “Mountain Shadows Amphitheater is proud to present the mid-summer concert of Fandango SALLY.” With that, the curtain pulled back exposing the stage and the all-girl band. The crowd went nuts, the band members waved and the music began.
They started off with some of their older hits including “We Can,” “Don’t mess with my Sister, Mister” and “Best Friend.” It was this last song that eventually got Ham and Egg back together after they had broken up earlier in the summer. When the song started, the two girls squeezed each other’s hands.
The music was very loud even though they were outdoors. The girls could actually feel the sound as well as hear it. It made their bones vibrate and gave them goose bumps. And there was such electricity in the air with all the cheering and singing and screaming. To top it off, the lightshow behind the band was awesome and really a
dded to the experience.
“Well, little sis, what do you think?”
“Oh my gosh, Ashley, this is too amazing for words.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever done anything more exciting,” added Sylvia. Egg turned to her friend and just smiled.
“What are you smiling at?”
“Nothing,” but she kept smiling.
But before they could say anything else, the band got their attention when they started to sing one of their new songs called “Girls Love to Shop.”
Girls love to shop and you can’t make us stop
It’s in our blood, and in our brains
From very young, our mothers train
Us to shop, we love to shop, and we’eee will hop
From store to store and mall to mall
To find young petite or Long & Tall
Cause we’eee love to shop, girls love to shop.
Newest fashions, retro hip, Too Tight jeans with saucy rip
Funky fads or runway sheik, Haute couture is what we seek
Cause, Girls love to shop and you can’t make us stop
Shoes and tops, purses and gold,
Belts and pants, and truth be told
If you have no money, never fear,
There’s always Kmart, Penny’s & Sears
Cause, we’eee love to shop and you can’t make us stop
But if daddy gives you money to spend,
The sky’s the limit, and I’m your friend
We’ll shop till we drop, so why pretend,
That what we buy matters in the end
Cause, Girls love to shop and you can’t make us stop
They sang another two dozen songs then waved goodbye and left the stage. None of the audience had any intention of letting them leave and kept clapping and yelling until the band came back for an encore. And they chose well . . . it was their latest hit song “Dangerous Curves.”
We got dangerous curves and a sassy pout
We’re all grow’d up, there ain’t no doubt
We got looks and brains, wit and style
Watch out boys, there ain’t no denial
Left Turn, Right Turn, U-Turn, My Turn
We get what we want, and want what we get
We’re happy to have it and have no regret
So keep your eyes on the road and hands on the wheel
We’ve got dangerous curves and they’re for real
Left Turn, Right Turn, U-Turn, My Turn
Heed the warnings and take them to heart
Dangerous curves can tear you apart
We may be ladies but don’t make the mistake
To take us for granted, you slithering snake
Left Turn, Right Turn, U-Turn, My Turn
Watch what you do and watch what you say
Show us respect, or we’ll make you pay
Cause no one can take a dangerous curve
Without our help and a lot of nerve.
*****
They made it back to their car just as it started to rain . . . and rain heavily.
“Well that’s pretty good timing. Egg, use my cell phone and call Mom and let her know we’re on our way.”
Ashley pulled out of the parking space and into the long line that was slowly snaking its way to the exit. The wipers were slapping the windshield as fast as they could but the rain was falling so hard it was still difficult to see.
“Mom said to drive carefully. She says it’s going to rain.” Egg giggled but Sylvia didn’t think it was all that funny. In fact, she was a little frightened by the downpour.
“Thanks Mom,” said her older sister with just a hint of sarcasm. “Sit back girls; this is going be a very slow ride home. Be sure your seat belts are on.”
*****
About forty-five minutes later, they were on a very dark and winding road. They kept passing a strangely familiar road sign…
“What do those squiggly arrow signs mean?”
“Just like the song . . . Dangerous Curves.”
“We didn’t see them on the way up here.”
“Yeah, I think I made a wrong turn.”
“Shouldn’t you turn around?”
“I will as soon as I find a safe place to do it.”
The rain was still coming down hard and now the wind was blowing it almost sideways. You could hardly see ten feet in front of you. All three girls were very, very quiet — Ashley concentrating on driving, the two younger girls because they were terribly scared.
“What a lousy way to end a great night,” Ashley voiced the thought on their minds. A moment later, she said, “Oh, good, here’s a turnout,” and she pulled the car off the road and on to the wide shoulder. She looked both ways to be sure no cars were coming and started to turn around.
But nothing happened. The tires were spinning and making a weird whining sound, but the car wasn’t moving. “What’s wrong?” asked Sylvia.
“Rats and double rats. We’re stuck in the mud. Hang on . . . I’m going to rock the car back and forth.” So Ashley put the car in drive then into reverse and kept repeating the process. And on the fifth try, the car lunged forward and out of the mud.
The girls cheered . . . then screamed as the car flew across the road and over the edge on the other side. It careened down a long slope and into the very dark woods.
Chapter 5 - Go Fly a Kite
The car bounced over rocks and logs and knocked down a bunch of defenseless baby saplings. Branches of larger trees scratched against the windows . . . their little green leaf-hands trying in vain to slap the rude intruders. Miraculously the car avoided hitting anything very large. It took most of forever, but it finally came to a jarring stop in a little stream at the bottom of the ravine. Well . . . it was usually a little stream but all the rain had turned it from a lazy trickle to a swollen torrent.
At first, it was deathly silent inside the car as the girls sat there in shock. Then Sylvia started to scream and cry. She was tired and her nerves were already on edge from the heavy rain and poor visibility. The suddenness of the accident was just too much for her.
Egg regained her composure and turned to her friend to see if she was injured. A quick glance told her that there was no blood or broken bones. She undid her seat belt and leaned over the front seat to check on her sister who was strangely quiet. Again, she saw no obvious injuries . . . apparently Ashley had just fainted.
Without thinking, she said, “Ring, tend to my suit,” and in a flash she was wearing her Flying Girl outfit. She touched the bracelet to make sure it was on her right wrist, then put her hands on Sylvia’s head and said, “Be calm, my friend, and sleep. Close your eyes until I tell you to awake. When you do, you will have no memory of the accident.” Immediately, Syl went quiet . . . she had fallen asleep.
Egg then did the same to her sister . . . first making sure that she had no hidden injuries. She got out of the car, slipped her ring from her left hand to the right one and walked into the stream. Putting her hands on the front bumper, she slowly pushed the car back up the hill and onto the road. She made sure it was pointing in the right direction, then she got back in. “Sisters, in ten seconds you shall re-awake.” Then she changed back to her own clothes, put her seatbelt back on and silently counted to ten.
Right on cue, the two girls woke up. For a moment, they were disoriented . . . like when you wake up from a nap and can’t quite remember where you are.
“Hey, it worked . . . we’re free of the mud. But the stupid engine’s stalled.” Ashley reached for the key, restarted the car, and began to drive off.
Sylvia was looking out the window towards the woods because it reminded her of something . . . but whatever it was she had forgotten. “How much longer do you think?” she asked Ashley. “I’m really tired.”
“The rain is beginning to let up and there’s the turn that I missed. We should be home in about twenty minutes.”
“Great. I’ve had about all the excitement I can handle for one day.”
*****
That night in bed, Egg called the princess.
“Dazzle.”
“I am here.”
“When can we go back to Aerianna? I really need to get the ring fixed so I can get my Feminion back.”
“I understand your desire to have Sylvia regain the knowledge of Flying Girl and the Quest. But the more we return to my home, the greater the chance that we will encounter Mobius or his evil cohorts. We will wait for you to dream again. When you are ready to recruit the last two Sisters, then we shall fly to Aerianna.”
“Oh . . . I guess you’re right,” said a disappointed Egg.
“It is not what you wished to hear. I am sorry.”
“That’s okay. I’m just being selfish. Anyway, I’m so tired that I’ll probably be asleep in a minute. Maybe I’ll have one of those dreams tonight.” Egg yawned deeply. “Goodnight, Dazzle.”
“Goodnight, my sister.”
*****
Egg would have slept even later then she had . . . but the ringing of the telephone woke her. She sat up, covered her face with her hands to block out the sunlight streaming in through the window and tried to recall her dreams from last night.
“Oh, please, please . . .,” she begged her brain. But if there was a dream stuck in her mind, it had no intention of coming out. “Oh, darn it,” she complained to herself.
There was a knock on the door and Egg heard her mother say, “Sweetheart, are you up? Grammy’s on the phone.”
“Thank you,” she yelled back. Dragging herself out of bed, she went to the phone and said, “Morning, Grammy.”
“Good morning, dear one. I hope I didn’t wake you.”
“Oh, no . . . I was just about to get up anyway.” Sometimes a little white lie is just the right thing to say.
“Zelda and the boys are going to the park to fly some kites that they made and they wanted to know if you and Sylvia would like to join them. What do you think?”
Egg was shocked . . . because the invitation made her feel good. ‘Isn’t that just too weird?’ she thought to herself. She forced the smile from her face so Grammy wouldn’t see it in her voice and asked, “You’re going to be there, right?”
Boxed Set: Egg and the Hameggattic Sisterhood: [The 12 book 1st adventure + the series prequel] Page 47