maniacal muppet
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Keep Writing!!! (please I Loved It)
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Sam and Friends Book
Read our review of the long-awaited book, "Sam and Friends - The Story of Jim Henson's First Television Show" by Muppet Historian Craig Shemin.
Flippersteps in the Sand
- Thread starter TogetherAgain
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TogetherAgain
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Chapter Two
Kermit walked along the sidewalk with a shaggy brown dog. “So really, Rowlf,” he said, “How do you think it went today? Did you watch?”
“Sure, but I almost watched the tennis match,” the dog said.
Kermit scrunched his face up. “That bad, huh?”
“Oh no you guys were great,” Rowlf said. “But the tennis match was tempting.”
Kermit laughed. “So where are the guys meeting us, anyway?” he asked.
“Christy’s,” Rowlf said.
“Christy’s Bar and Restaurant?” Kermit said. “I thought we’d given up on them. The food’s been terrible the past few times.”
“Yeah, I thought so, too,” Rowlf said. “But I guess we’re giving them another chance.” They turned a corner. “Hey speaking of chances, tell me about this lady frog you met today.”
“Speaking of chances,” Kermit said, “What are the chances I’ll ever even see her again?”
“That’s why it’s fun to talk about,” Rowlf said. His friend was silent. “Well?”
Kermit squirmed. “Uh, hey look, we’re here,” he said, and he pushed the door open.
Rowlf did a double take and followed him into the restaurant.
They paused for a moment as their eyes adjusted to the light. “There they are,” Kermit said. He pointed to a table where Jim Henson and three other men were sitting with two open seats, and they walked over to it.
“...For a while, either,” Jim was saying to Frank Oz, a nineteen year old with glasses. “So don’t worry about it for now. We’ll work on it.”
Frank nodded and wiped his glasses. “Okay,” he said.
Another man turned and smiled broadly at Kermit and Rowlf as they approached. “Hi guys,” he said.
“Hi Don,” Kermit said as he sat down. He glanced at the man suspiciously. “What did you do?” he said quietly.
Don Sahlin raised his finger to his lips and silently nodded towards Frank. Kermit looked back and forth between the two men and shrugged.
A waitress approached with half a smile. “Hi, I’m Shannon, I’ll be your waitress tonight,” she said. “Today’s soup is cream of mushroom, and today’s special is the famous fly burger. Can I get you folks something to drink?”
“Sure,” Jim said. “Jerry, why don’t you go first.”
Kermit looked around the restaurant while Jerry Juhl, a dark haired man with glasses, ordered. The place was filled with smoke, and the bar was lined with big burly truck drivers. His eyes locked on another waitress at the other end of the restaurant.
“Hey, Kermit!” Rowlf tapped on his shoulder.
“Pardon?” Kermit turned back to the table, and Rowlf indicated the waitress. “Oh! Uh, I’ll have a water,” he said. He turned back to scan the other end of the restaurant and spotted the other waitress again. A moment after their own waitress left, he turned to Rowlf. “Could you order a fly burger for me?” he said quietly, and he excused himself from the table.
He approached the other waitress across the restaurant as she loaded a tray with empty dishes from an abandoned table. She was having some difficulty, with one arm in a sling.
“Melinda?” he said.
She glanced at him. “Kermit?” she said. She set another glass on her tray. “Hi.”
“Hi,” he said. “How are you?”
She shrugged and pulled a damp rag from her apron pocket to wipe the table off. “Well enough, and you?”
“Oh I’m okay,” Kermit said. “How’s your arm? Not too bad?”
“Fractured,” she said. “I’m in this sling for four to six weeks, and taking more aspirin than I’ve ever even thought about before.” She put the rag in her apron pocket, balanced the tray on her good arm, and carried it to the next empty table. He followed her.
“If you don’t mind me asking,” he said, “Why are you working when you just hurt your arm today?”
She stacked the plates and set them on the tray. “Rent doesn’t pay itself, you know,” she said. She quickly collected the dirty napkins and silverware and put them on the top plate. “You mind telling me why you’re following me?” She stopped and looked at him, her hand on her hip.
He cleared his throat. “Well, uh...”
She shook her head and collected the half-empty glasses. “I can take care of myself,” she said. “And if you’re so worried about me, why didn’t you stay at the hospital?”
“You said you didn’t want me to,” he said. “I did offer to stay.”
“Yeah,” she said as she pulled her rag out and started wiping the table off. “And what makes you think I want you to follow me around if I didn’t want you to stay?”
“Well maybe I think you look lonely,” he said.
She picked up the tray to walk away. “Well maybe I like being lonely,” she said bitterly.
He cut in front of her. “Do you?”
She stared at him. “What?”
“Do you like being lonely?” he said.
She stared at him for another moment, and then pushed past him. “I don’t have time for this,” she muttered.
“Melinda?”
She turned, trying to look angry, but he could see the sadness in her face.
“What time do you get off work?” he asked.
A tiny smile slowly crept onto her face. “Ten o’clock,” she said softly.
He nodded. “Okay,” he said, “I’ll meet you here at ten.”
She nodded vaguely. “Right,” she said. “I’ll see you then.” She hesitated, and turned away to carry the tray into the kitchen. She glanced over her shoulder, and he smiled at her. She quickly turned away and kept walking.
Melinda looked around as she cleared off her last table and slipped the tip into her pocket. She had seen Kermit leave with his friends earlier, and figured he had forgotten. Now it was five minutes to ten. The crowd around the bar was constantly changing and laughing, and the restaurant was almost empty. She glanced at the door, pulled her rag out, wiped the table off, and glanced at the door again.
The door opened and Kermit walked in. He looked around, saw her, and smiled. She looked away, picked the tray up, and quickly carried it into the kitchen.
When she re-emerged without her apron, Kermit was waiting at a table near the door. He smiled and stood up. “Ready?” he said.
She shrugged. “For what?”
“Well,” he said, “There’s a double feature at the movie theater, just around the corner. We could go to that if you’d like.”
She hesitated. “I’ve never been to a movie before,” she said softly.
“Is that a yes?” he asked. She shrugged. He smiled and put his hand on her shoulder. “Come on,” he said, and he led her out the door.
Several hours later, they walked down a dark street together in silence. A slight breeze passed them, and she shivered.
“Cold?” he said. He put his arm around her shoulders, and they walked on in silence.
“Why don’t you look like a frog?” Melinda suddenly asked. “You are a frog, aren’t you?”
Kermit squirmed. “You never saw Sam and Friends, did you?” he said.
“No,” she said. “What’s that?”
“It was a little five minute program we used to do twice a day,” he said. “And uh, sometimes we needed a female character. And uh,” he cleared his throat, “We didn’t have any.” He scratched the collar of his sweater. “So, uh, they put me in a wig.”
She turned and watched him readjust his face. “What does that have to do with looking like a frog?” she asked.
He cleared his throat. “Well.” He looked at her. “If you had to do that, would you want people to know your species?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know,” she said. “But I hope I never find out.” He nodded. She tipped her head towards a small apartment building. “That’s it,” she said.
They mounted the steps to the door, suddenly feeling very awkward. His arm slipped from her shoulders as she pulled a key out of nowhere to unlock the door. She let the key fall from her hand. “Oops,” she said.
“I’ll get it,” he said, quickly bending down to grab it. When he stood up, their eyes locked, and he realized he was suddenly very close to her. He held the key in his open hand. “Here,” he said quietly.
She put her hand on the key and held it there. “Thanks,” she said softly. They held each other’s gaze for a moment, and then he leaned in and kissed her cheek.
She slowly smiled her first real smile of the day, and her eyes got a hint of a sparkle. “If you’re going to kiss me,” she said as she put her hand on his shoulder, “Then kiss me right.” She pushed him against the wall and kissed him.
He managed to put his hands on her waist before she pulled back and saw the surprise still fresh on his face. “Wow,” he whispered involuntarily.
She chuckled and ran her hand down the side of his face. “Goodnight, Kermit,” she whispered sweetly, and she took her key out of his hand.
“Goodnight... Melinda...” He watched her disappear behind the door, and stared at it in astonishment. Then he fell down the stairs and watched over his shoulder as he walked straight into a trashcan.
Kermit walked along the sidewalk with a shaggy brown dog. “So really, Rowlf,” he said, “How do you think it went today? Did you watch?”
“Sure, but I almost watched the tennis match,” the dog said.
Kermit scrunched his face up. “That bad, huh?”
“Oh no you guys were great,” Rowlf said. “But the tennis match was tempting.”
Kermit laughed. “So where are the guys meeting us, anyway?” he asked.
“Christy’s,” Rowlf said.
“Christy’s Bar and Restaurant?” Kermit said. “I thought we’d given up on them. The food’s been terrible the past few times.”
“Yeah, I thought so, too,” Rowlf said. “But I guess we’re giving them another chance.” They turned a corner. “Hey speaking of chances, tell me about this lady frog you met today.”
“Speaking of chances,” Kermit said, “What are the chances I’ll ever even see her again?”
“That’s why it’s fun to talk about,” Rowlf said. His friend was silent. “Well?”
Kermit squirmed. “Uh, hey look, we’re here,” he said, and he pushed the door open.
Rowlf did a double take and followed him into the restaurant.
They paused for a moment as their eyes adjusted to the light. “There they are,” Kermit said. He pointed to a table where Jim Henson and three other men were sitting with two open seats, and they walked over to it.
“...For a while, either,” Jim was saying to Frank Oz, a nineteen year old with glasses. “So don’t worry about it for now. We’ll work on it.”
Frank nodded and wiped his glasses. “Okay,” he said.
Another man turned and smiled broadly at Kermit and Rowlf as they approached. “Hi guys,” he said.
“Hi Don,” Kermit said as he sat down. He glanced at the man suspiciously. “What did you do?” he said quietly.
Don Sahlin raised his finger to his lips and silently nodded towards Frank. Kermit looked back and forth between the two men and shrugged.
A waitress approached with half a smile. “Hi, I’m Shannon, I’ll be your waitress tonight,” she said. “Today’s soup is cream of mushroom, and today’s special is the famous fly burger. Can I get you folks something to drink?”
“Sure,” Jim said. “Jerry, why don’t you go first.”
Kermit looked around the restaurant while Jerry Juhl, a dark haired man with glasses, ordered. The place was filled with smoke, and the bar was lined with big burly truck drivers. His eyes locked on another waitress at the other end of the restaurant.
“Hey, Kermit!” Rowlf tapped on his shoulder.
“Pardon?” Kermit turned back to the table, and Rowlf indicated the waitress. “Oh! Uh, I’ll have a water,” he said. He turned back to scan the other end of the restaurant and spotted the other waitress again. A moment after their own waitress left, he turned to Rowlf. “Could you order a fly burger for me?” he said quietly, and he excused himself from the table.
He approached the other waitress across the restaurant as she loaded a tray with empty dishes from an abandoned table. She was having some difficulty, with one arm in a sling.
“Melinda?” he said.
She glanced at him. “Kermit?” she said. She set another glass on her tray. “Hi.”
“Hi,” he said. “How are you?”
She shrugged and pulled a damp rag from her apron pocket to wipe the table off. “Well enough, and you?”
“Oh I’m okay,” Kermit said. “How’s your arm? Not too bad?”
“Fractured,” she said. “I’m in this sling for four to six weeks, and taking more aspirin than I’ve ever even thought about before.” She put the rag in her apron pocket, balanced the tray on her good arm, and carried it to the next empty table. He followed her.
“If you don’t mind me asking,” he said, “Why are you working when you just hurt your arm today?”
She stacked the plates and set them on the tray. “Rent doesn’t pay itself, you know,” she said. She quickly collected the dirty napkins and silverware and put them on the top plate. “You mind telling me why you’re following me?” She stopped and looked at him, her hand on her hip.
He cleared his throat. “Well, uh...”
She shook her head and collected the half-empty glasses. “I can take care of myself,” she said. “And if you’re so worried about me, why didn’t you stay at the hospital?”
“You said you didn’t want me to,” he said. “I did offer to stay.”
“Yeah,” she said as she pulled her rag out and started wiping the table off. “And what makes you think I want you to follow me around if I didn’t want you to stay?”
“Well maybe I think you look lonely,” he said.
She picked up the tray to walk away. “Well maybe I like being lonely,” she said bitterly.
He cut in front of her. “Do you?”
She stared at him. “What?”
“Do you like being lonely?” he said.
She stared at him for another moment, and then pushed past him. “I don’t have time for this,” she muttered.
“Melinda?”
She turned, trying to look angry, but he could see the sadness in her face.
“What time do you get off work?” he asked.
A tiny smile slowly crept onto her face. “Ten o’clock,” she said softly.
He nodded. “Okay,” he said, “I’ll meet you here at ten.”
She nodded vaguely. “Right,” she said. “I’ll see you then.” She hesitated, and turned away to carry the tray into the kitchen. She glanced over her shoulder, and he smiled at her. She quickly turned away and kept walking.
` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `
Melinda looked around as she cleared off her last table and slipped the tip into her pocket. She had seen Kermit leave with his friends earlier, and figured he had forgotten. Now it was five minutes to ten. The crowd around the bar was constantly changing and laughing, and the restaurant was almost empty. She glanced at the door, pulled her rag out, wiped the table off, and glanced at the door again.
The door opened and Kermit walked in. He looked around, saw her, and smiled. She looked away, picked the tray up, and quickly carried it into the kitchen.
When she re-emerged without her apron, Kermit was waiting at a table near the door. He smiled and stood up. “Ready?” he said.
She shrugged. “For what?”
“Well,” he said, “There’s a double feature at the movie theater, just around the corner. We could go to that if you’d like.”
She hesitated. “I’ve never been to a movie before,” she said softly.
“Is that a yes?” he asked. She shrugged. He smiled and put his hand on her shoulder. “Come on,” he said, and he led her out the door.
` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `
Several hours later, they walked down a dark street together in silence. A slight breeze passed them, and she shivered.
“Cold?” he said. He put his arm around her shoulders, and they walked on in silence.
“Why don’t you look like a frog?” Melinda suddenly asked. “You are a frog, aren’t you?”
Kermit squirmed. “You never saw Sam and Friends, did you?” he said.
“No,” she said. “What’s that?”
“It was a little five minute program we used to do twice a day,” he said. “And uh, sometimes we needed a female character. And uh,” he cleared his throat, “We didn’t have any.” He scratched the collar of his sweater. “So, uh, they put me in a wig.”
She turned and watched him readjust his face. “What does that have to do with looking like a frog?” she asked.
He cleared his throat. “Well.” He looked at her. “If you had to do that, would you want people to know your species?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know,” she said. “But I hope I never find out.” He nodded. She tipped her head towards a small apartment building. “That’s it,” she said.
They mounted the steps to the door, suddenly feeling very awkward. His arm slipped from her shoulders as she pulled a key out of nowhere to unlock the door. She let the key fall from her hand. “Oops,” she said.
“I’ll get it,” he said, quickly bending down to grab it. When he stood up, their eyes locked, and he realized he was suddenly very close to her. He held the key in his open hand. “Here,” he said quietly.
She put her hand on the key and held it there. “Thanks,” she said softly. They held each other’s gaze for a moment, and then he leaned in and kissed her cheek.
She slowly smiled her first real smile of the day, and her eyes got a hint of a sparkle. “If you’re going to kiss me,” she said as she put her hand on his shoulder, “Then kiss me right.” She pushed him against the wall and kissed him.
He managed to put his hands on her waist before she pulled back and saw the surprise still fresh on his face. “Wow,” he whispered involuntarily.
She chuckled and ran her hand down the side of his face. “Goodnight, Kermit,” she whispered sweetly, and she took her key out of his hand.
“Goodnight... Melinda...” He watched her disappear behind the door, and stared at it in astonishment. Then he fell down the stairs and watched over his shoulder as he walked straight into a trashcan.
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Yaeey!! That was some rully great stuff! And now we have one more landmark in the town of Hensonville... Nice subtle nod to Christy... And Kermit and Melinda's first date, could you call it a date? It was so...
Well, just insert whatever made up word of excitement and happiness you usually use when gushing over someone else's story... And you've pretty much summed up my feelings over this.
More please?
Well, just insert whatever made up word of excitement and happiness you usually use when gushing over someone else's story... And you've pretty much summed up my feelings over this.
More please?
redBoobergurl
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Oh my gosh Lisa I am loving this! Nice nod to Christy with the restaraunt and I just loved Jim and Frank and Don and Jerry and wow! I love how Kermit was talking about Sam and Friends and the date with Melinda. You're painting an amazing picture here and I can tell you've done some research and it's awesome! Please don't stop! Give us more!
ReneeLouvier
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Oh my goodness!! This is the BEST ever!! As are all of your fanfictions!! And I don't think I've stolen Lisa's crown anyways. XD She's the one who inspired me to start writing to begin with. XD
THAT REMINDS ME...I have to post more story of my own....*scurries off to write more story*
THAT REMINDS ME...I have to post more story of my own....*scurries off to write more story*
Fragglemuppet
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I love this story, and I am very, very, very excited to see you writing again, yay! Did I get the message across? Lol.
It's really nice to get all the early Henson history, (from a person who can not stand to do research.) Oh BTW, you can correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think this takes place in Hensonville. It is my way of thinking, that Hensonville was only founded in more recent years, in a tribute to Jim. Of course, this is up to you. Looking forward to reading more!
It's really nice to get all the early Henson history, (from a person who can not stand to do research.) Oh BTW, you can correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think this takes place in Hensonville. It is my way of thinking, that Hensonville was only founded in more recent years, in a tribute to Jim. Of course, this is up to you. Looking forward to reading more!
ReneeLouvier
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I mean, the Queen of Fanfiction....NERVOUS!?! I can't believe it Lisa! Your nervous...wow. *gives huge hug* Check your presents at the dorms!
TogetherAgain
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"Queen of Fanfiction"? ...<Bashfully adjusts crown> In chapter six, you will understand why I am/was nervous. But by chapter twelve, all nervousness will have simply disappeared. And speaking of chapter twelve, I think I'll go type it now. (I tend to write ahead of what I post.)
..."Queen of Fanfiction"... I could get used to this!
..."Queen of Fanfiction"... I could get used to this!
TogetherAgain
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You know what guys...
Never mind. I just can't do this story. It has to do with that "major altercation" I mentioned in the first post, you see, I... I just can't bring myself to do it. It's just too much of a breach of what's been established, and... Well, there's just too many holes to try to fill, and it's just too far fetched. It breaks characters. I thought it was a perfect explanation of something, or rather some things, but it just isn't. It asks more questions than it answers. Plus my schedule doesn't really allow me to write much fanfiction. My grades have already been suffering lately, and now that I'm in a play, and I have all sorts of tests coming up, and projects due... it's just out of the question. And besides all that, this story is just too emotionally draining. I'm sorry that I got you all excited about it. I just can not write this story.
<Removes crown>
Never mind. I just can't do this story. It has to do with that "major altercation" I mentioned in the first post, you see, I... I just can't bring myself to do it. It's just too much of a breach of what's been established, and... Well, there's just too many holes to try to fill, and it's just too far fetched. It breaks characters. I thought it was a perfect explanation of something, or rather some things, but it just isn't. It asks more questions than it answers. Plus my schedule doesn't really allow me to write much fanfiction. My grades have already been suffering lately, and now that I'm in a play, and I have all sorts of tests coming up, and projects due... it's just out of the question. And besides all that, this story is just too emotionally draining. I'm sorry that I got you all excited about it. I just can not write this story.
<Removes crown>