I'm bored...so, next chapter?
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Dr. Teeth had long ago picked up Zoot’s stuff and it rested comfortably in the back of the bus. Now he was just driving around, wasting time. If Zoot and Janice weren’t together by the end of the night, he was going to give up on the two of them.
Speaking of giving up…Dr. Teeth quickly changed lanes and turned into an old recreation park. Sure enough, they were there, sitting at one of the picnic benches, looking as miserable as a pair of homeless puppies; She clad in purple, he in blue. He parked, ignoring the odd noise the van made when put into park, and got out to meet Wayne and Wanda.
“What are you two cats doing out here?” Dr. Teeth strolled over to his old friends. Wanda immediately looked up from her poor excuse from a meal and smiled slightly at the pianist. Wayne looked up as well, but only nodded. Dr. Teeth lightly patted Wanda on the back before sitting down next to her. “Nice night to be looking so down.”
“We tried two theaters and a nightclub today.” Wayne said.
“No one likes us.” Wanda continued softly.
“The infamous team of Wayne and Wanda has dissolved into…nothing.”
Wanda kept smiling, but her eyes were fixed on her hands. The pianist wrapped one of his long arms around her.
“Hey, you can’t get down just like that.” He comforted.
“We’ve got the worst luck in the world!” Wayne moaned. “Every time we go to sing, something weird happens! And Wanda can’t carry a note to-”
“Don’t you start with me, Wayne!” Wanda exclaimed. “I can sing just fine! Don’t you think so, Dr. Teeth?”
“I shouldn’t put myself into your dispute.” He said to avoid answering her question. “Don’t take no for an answer, kids. Rest up tonight and try another theater tomorrow.”
There was an uncomfortable silence. The duo picked at their food and stared in every direction except each other’s.
“He said I looked like an old peacock!” Wanda shouted suddenly.
“You said I could never become anything like Humphrey Bogart in a million years!” Wayne cried. “You know that Humphrey Bogart is my idol!”
“Well you told me I would never amount to anything!”
“You told me we should break up the team!”
“You told me you didn’t love me!” Wanda accused. Another insult did not come.
“Hey, hey, hey…”Dr Teeth flashed his golden smile onto the hurt faces. “Don’t take this out on each other. Listen, one of you come stay the night with me. Give you time to cool off.”
“Gladly.” Wanda snapped.
“Oh, yes, you go with him.” Wayne replied. “It’s his fault that we’re out of a job anyways! Ever since he closed the pub, we‘ve had all this bad luck!”
“I believe I’ve apologized several times.” Dr. Teeth said calmly.
“Don’t take this out on him, Wayne.” Wanda defended. “If he wanted to close his pub, who’re we to complain?”
“You always take his side!” Wayne exclaimed. Dr. Teeth got up and started to walk towards the van. “Where are you going?”
“I don’t like to bear witness to arguments between friends.” He said, pulling out his keys. “If one of you wants to come with me, come on.”
Wanda shot up and walked briskly to Dr. Teeth.
“Sure you wanna come with me?” Teeth asked quietly, opening the door. “He looks kinda down.”
“Lately, every time I’m with him, I just get so mad!” Wanda sat in the seat across from Dr. Teeth’s, arms crossed. She then looked up at him. “I was hoping you would show up tonight.”
“I always know when there’s a lovely lady in distress.” He smiled.
“I think he called your new place.” She said, looking down again. “I think he’s getting…”
“You wanna go back?” He offered.
“No.” She said decidedly. “Let’s just…go for a ride.” He stared at her for a minute before starting the engine.
“Then let’s go for a ride, baby.”
-----
Janice walked along the side of a dimly lit road that was somewhere in the general vicinity of the backside of the apartment complex. At least, that’s where she hoped it was. Saying the road was dimly lit was being a bit too generous. The area bordering the road was an ocean of knee-high grass, the occasional family of trees standing tall.
She had been out for about thirty minutes, but she still wore a smile. She couldn’t stop smiling if she tried. Any sort of searching for Dr. Teeth had been forgotten as soon as she and Zoot had left the apartment and went their separate ways; she was just walking and thinking. It seemed like she had been walking in the gravel for a while, so she decided to walk into the field of grass, the light growing less, but the smell of the pureness of the outdoors growing stronger. The crisp autumn air, the trees…possibly one of the best scents in the world. Everything just seemed so high and at peace. She walked though a large clump of trees, luckily not tripping over any roots. Bugs chirped softly and an owl asked the eternal question and…a bass guitar?
Janice looked harder through the window of trees and saw a light in her near future. There was a small building up ahead. As she walked towards it, she heard slow, mournful chords being played on a bass that was slightly out of tune.
She finally emerged from the miniature forest and was faced with an old, run down church. It looked like it hadn’t been used in a while. It struck her as sad, the music only accentuating the feeling.
A single light bulb shone from inside, where the music was coming from. Someone was singing, but she couldn’t really understand the words. She opened the door quietly and made her way to the apse. Sitting on a raised platform, hunched over a bass, was a man with long red hair and sideburns. Janice recognized him at once, she had seen his picture quite a few times. She played his electric guitar.
“Floyd?”
The music stopped and the man looked up. He stared at her for a second before blinking slowly.
“You’re not one of those people from the subway, are you?” He asked suspiciously. His voice was raspy, yet gentle.
“Um, no…” Janice remembered Dr. Teeth telling her a very brief overview of the incident that had drove him away. “Zoot…um, he’s told me about you.”
“Oh, hey!” Floyd leapt to his feet. “Then to you, I am Sgt. Floyd Pepper!”
“Like, who are you to other people?” She asked.
“Pink Heart.” He said quite seriously. “Actually, I went by Zoot’s place and Dr. Teeth’s pub…you know Dr. Teeth?” She nodded.
“We’re all rooming together in an apartment downtown.” She told him. “They, like, wanted me to be a part of the group ‘cause I play guitar…oh! Like, Zoot gave me your guitar, is that okay?”
“It’s cool, girl, I’ve got the bass now.” He patted his bass. “Good that someone’s taking care of it.”
Janice’s smile brightened and wondered if she should invite him back.
“So what are you so happy about?” Floyd asked. “I saw you walkin’ around outside like you just won the world.”
“Ooh…like,” Janice blushed a little. “Girl things, that’s all.”
“Tell me.” Floyd said, leaning on the back of one of the pews. “I’ve been out of touch with the world for a while.”
“Well…”She thought. He seemed nice enough to trust, and he was one of Zoot's friends. “There’s this guy-”
“There always is.”
“And he - we - like each other.”
“Bob’s your uncle.”
“And, like, I don't know, it's just a little weird and confusing ’cause no one’s ever told me they like me or anything-”
“I’m gonna stop you on that one.” Floyd interrupted again. “Never?”
“That lame?” She asked.
“That unreal.” He corrected. “Are you seriously telling’ me-” The bassist looked her up and down, “that no one’s ever told you they dig you like that?”
“Rully.”
“Huh. Okay.” Floyd straightened up. “Hey, you never told me your name.”
“Like, it’s Janice.” She told him.
“Okay, then. Janice,” He looked her in the eye. “I like you ‘n I’m not just saying it to say it. You’re pretty cute and you seem real cool. I’m not gonna ask you out or anything ‘cause I know chick don’t dig random guys asking them out, but if we had been friends for a while, you bet I would.” Janice was left a bit speechless, not sure if he was joking or not. Floyd let out a raspy laugh to lighten the mood. “But I’m too late!”
It took a moment, but Janice laughed as well.
“But seriously, this guy, he’s cool, right?” Floyd asked. “Been your friend, treat you right?”
“Fer sure!” She smiled softly.
“Then I approve!” He laughed again. “This guy have a name?”
“Actually, like, it’s Zoot.” Janice said, blushing. Floyd blinked slowly.
“Never should have left.” He shook his head. “Zoot’s got a girl and Teeth’s got a real pad…all I’ve got is Animal and my bass.”
“Like, I’m sure you have more than that.” Janice smiled reassuringly. “Even if it’s not material.”
Floyd couldn’t help but smile as well.
“Yeah, I guess.”
“So, like, who’s Animal?” She asked. Floyd looked behind him into the corner of the church where the light didn’t reach.
“Animal, you awake?” Floyd asked the dark corner. No response. “Oh well. Animal is Animal. I found him out in the streets chasing some woman!” He laughed as he remembered the incident. “He can really play the drums. And I figured since that pig had probably left town by now, we could come back and get the band together.”
“Ooh, like, you should come with me to the apartment!” She said happily. “I’m sure Dr. Teeth wouldn’t mind…”She paused. Dr. Teeth. Dr. Teeth wasn’t there which was the reason she left in the first place.
“What’s wrong?” Floyd asked.
“Like, Dr. Teeth flew away.” She said, using Zoot’s explanation. Floyd gave her a strange look. “He said he was gonna go somewhere, but he didn’t come back when he should have.”
“I’m sure he was just flirting with some girls or something.” Floyd thought. Janice had never actually seen Dr. Teeth with a girlfriend of any sort or heard him say anything about going out on a date. Her face must have shown her confusion. “Dr. Teeth’s got a way of keeping his girls hidden. I mean, don’t get me wrong, he’s one of the best people I’ve ever met, but…he’s broken up a few happy couples if you know what I mean.”
That did come as a surprise. Dr. Teeth? Stealing another guy’s girl? That didn’t sound like him at all. Floyd must have been mistaken. Or teasing her.
The bassist walked to the corner and bent down, telling this Animal to wake up. Whatever it was made a low growl, and the sound of chains followed. Floyd left the corner and unplugged his bass, putting it back into the worn out case.
“Ready to go, girlie!” He said, shoving the small amp into the wall with his foot. The creature called Animal finally emerged from the corner, eyes at half mast. At the moment he looked harmless enough, but his torn clothes, sharp teeth, and the chain around his neck gave Janice the idea that he was called Animal for a good reason.
“Hey Animal, this is Janice.” Floyd said. Animal turned his head towards Janice but was still too asleep to really see her. “C’mon, man.” The three exited the church and were soon greeted by a blast of chilly air.
“Like, I think it’s this way…” Janice stared to the right, wondering if a clue to the right direction would pop out at her. The other direction looked exactly the same as the first.
“Are you in the new apartments?” Floyd asked.
“Yeah, the Ezra apartments.” She said.
“M’kay, I know a shortcut.” He said, leading her a different way.
Five minutes into the walk, Animal fully woke up.
“WO-MAN! WO-MAN!” He shouted from behind her. Janice heard him running up to her, but Floyd already had a hold of his chain and was pulling him back.
“That happens.” Floyd explained with a laugh.
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