"Under the moon!" Valerie sang into the microphone.
"OOOOOOOO" Meric (a carrot), Melissa (a cucumber), and Melanie (a gourd)
sang simaltaneously.
"Like a well placed spoon!"
"Aaaaahhh"
"And one day we'll meet
Just off of the street
We'll know, we'll knoooooooow!"
"And....cut!" Phoebe (a pea) said from inside the sounding booth.
"How'd that sound?" Valerie asked..
"Perfect!" Phoebe told her. "The only hitch will be getting the radio
to play it."
"Well, with Phyllis interning at WXKP, it shouldn't be too hard." Meric
said.
"Yeah, especially if she can 'slip it in.' " Melissa added.
"Well, now that the recording's done, how 'bout some lunch?" Melanie
asked.
"Sounds good to me." Everyone said at once.
At Burger Bell, the five friends were happily eating and chatting away
when
Melissa whispered to Valerie, "Don't look now, but I think that Asparagus
over there is checking you out."
"No way."
"Yes way. See for yourself."
Valerie checked a nearby table where an Asparagus sat. When he
noticed she
was looking, he winked at her.
"You were right!" Valerie whispered back.
"And what's sooo interesting between you two?" Phoebe asked.
"There's an Asparagus over there who's giving Valerie the eye." Melissa
said, low enough so that only their table could hear.
"Well, give him something to go for!" Melanie told Valerie.
"Hmm... Meric, you're a guy. IF that were you over there, what
would you
want me to do?" Valerie asked him.
"Walk over and offer to buy me another burger." Meric told her.
"Maybe Meric isn't the best guy to ask to speak for the whole male
population." Melissa pointed out.
"Just say Hi, maybe strike up a conversation." Phoebe added.
"Ok, I'm going in!" Valerie walked over to the other Asparagus' table.
"Hi, my name's Valerie. What's yours?"
"Marius."
"Is that french?"
"Yeah, but I'm not. Well, I guess I've got a little in me."
"I recognized it from 'Les Miz.' "
"You've read the book?" Marius looked hopeful.
"No, but I've seen the musical."
Marius sighed. "That's what everyone says."
"Hey, with two Broadway loving sisters, I can't help it."
"My mom loved the Musical, and my dad loved the book. That's
how I got my
name. They named my sister Cosette."
"Really? I'll have to meet her."
Meanwhile, Valerie's friends were speculating on how she was faring.
"Looks like she's striking out." Melanie said.
"No, they're still talking." Phoebe said.
They watched Valerie look in their direction and continue talking.
"I think she's talking about us." Melissa noted.
"Two to one she brings him over here." Meric stated.
Sure enough, Valerie and Marius joined the table and Marius quickly
became
the topic of their conversation.
"....And this is my sister, Marie." Valerie told Marius, as a
conclusion to
her house tour. Marie was using the computer.
"Hi." Marius said.
"Hello." Marie said, adjusting her glasses. She was a little
surprised, but
not shocked. Valerie brought home new friends all the time.
"Marie, this is Marius." Valerie introduced.
Marie's face instantly brightened. "Marius? As in 'Les Miz!'
"Yes." Valerie and Marius said together.
"You have new mail." the computer chirped, and Marie opened her mailbox.
"It's from Chloe!" Marie told them.
"She's my other sister." Valerie explained.
Marie read Chloe's letter silently for a few minutes, then burst out
laughing.
"What's so funny?" Valerie asked, but Marie was laughing too hard to
tell
her. Valerie peered at the screen, trying to find what Marie
was
laughing at.
"...thinks so strangely sometimes. Today she was thinking of
'Pet names
you'd rather not hear," a list she's making for the Thought Bank.
One of
the more interesting was Buxom Butterfly. Come to think of it,
I think I
WOULD rather not hear that."
"That must be it." Valerie thought. "But it's not that funny."
Marie, who had recovered by then, printed it out so Valerie could read
the
whole thing, while Valerie explained a few things to Marius.
"Chloe's a professional cook, and gets Thursdays off. She usually
spends it
with her friend, Danielle, but sometimes she comes over here.
Danielle runs
the Thought Bank, a website for....interesting thoughts."
"Does she think of them all herself?" Marius asked.
"I don't think so. I know Chloe's submitted a thing or two, and
I guess she
has other people who give her things." Valerie replied.
"You can't think of interesting things all the time." Marie added.
Then
she started to laugh again, remembering Chloe's e-mail.
Valerie rolled her eyes. "It must be one of those days."
"...like in 'Les Miz,' though he hates the comparison. His younger
sister
likes it, or so he says. I haven't met her yet." Chloe read Valerie's
e-mail.
"I'm sure you will." She said outloud.
"What's that?" Danielle asked.
"I'm just reading an e-mail from Valerie." Chloe told her.
"Hmm, interesting." Danielle commented, reading over Chloe's shoulder.
"That would make an good Topic Poll. 'Do you know someone with
a name from
a Musical, Book, or Movie?' "
"Maybe." Chloe replied.