"Look, you freak, I'm hanging up the phone," Faith yelled into the phone. "You know who I'm calling? My dad, the CHIEF of POLICE. Know whom I'm calling next? My uncle, the FORMER CHIEF of POLICE. Who next? Let me see? Maybe I'll call my big brother, my numerous big strong cousins and maybe a whole damn swat team!!!"
By this time the girls were thoroughly freaked out. Erica was cowering next to Abby. Stephanie ran to check the front door lock.
"Sure, Faith, call all those big strong men to take care of you," the freaky voice mocked her. "Can they get to you before I can?"
"Oh, I'm pretty sure I can handle you myself," Faith hissed.
"Are you sure?" he said. The knob to the back door started rattling. The girls shrieked collectively.
"Look you sick sonofa-" she shouted.
"Such language from such a pristine young lady!"
Stephanie motioned from the front hall for Abby and Lyssa to come over. They came to the front door and peered out the glass. They could see Laurie crouched near a window with a cell phone and what appeared to be one of those voice modulators. Kimmy ran around from the back. Stephanie could only guess Kimmy was the doorknob rattler.
Stephanie motioned again for the girls to followed her. They raided the fridge for any leftover containers and ran up the stairs. They eased open Sean D.'s bedroom window, which just happened to be directly above Laurie and Kimmy.
"We should ask Kay if Kimmy likes corned beef and cabbage," Abby said as she popped open a Tupperware container.
"We'll soon find out," Lyssa snickered. "Besides, I know Laurie just LOVES corn chowder."
"Yeah, Faith, let's see that brown belt in action," Laurie hissed into the voice changer. "You'll be in great shape if a locker jumps you."
Kimmy snickered. She snatched the phone and the voice-box.
"Not going to do you much good when I get to you," Kimmy sneered. Then felt something cold and gooey drip onto her shoulder.
"Eww!" she screamed. Then an entire quart of corned beef splattered over her head. Laurie laughed as she saw her cousin dripping in meat and stringy cabbage. Until corn chowder splashed all over her new crushed velvet top.
"Auugghh!"
"Lick it up, ladies!" Abby shouted as she drenched them in beef stew.
Screaming and slinging leftovers from their hair, Kimmy and Laurie ran for Laurie's car.
High fives and celebratory cookies were passed around as the girl gravitated back to the living room. They collapsed into a laughing heap in the middle of the rug.
"Man, I'm way too excited to watch the rest of the movie now," Erica giggled. "Even if it is Antonio Bandreas in leather pants."
The rest of the girls agreed.
"How about we play 'I Never'?" Abby suggested.
"What's 'I Never'?" Erica asked.
"No way, I'm not breaking into dad's liquor cabinet," Faith said. Then she inclined her head towards Erica. "Besides...."
"What's 'I Never'?" Erica asked again.
"Well, we don't have to drink," Stephanie suggested. "We can play with junk food."
"Either you tell what 'I Never' is or you're the next to get a corn chowder bath!" Erica shouted at Abby.
"It's a great way to dig up dirt on your friends you never knew existed. The rules are we sit in a circle and we each come up with something really embarrassing like 'I never had sex in public,'" Abby said. "If we were drinking, those who actually have had sex in public would have to take a shot, showing everybody in the circle your dirty deed. And you have to tell the truth. Since we're playing with junk food, those who would have to drink will have to eat something fattening."
"Do all the questions have to revolve around sex?" Kay asked. "If so, I might get pretty hungry by the end of the evening."
"Nope, we can ask whatever we want as long as it isn't downright mean," Stephanie said.
All the girls gathered in a circle and heaped Hostess Cupcakes, popcorn, M& M's, Twinkies, everything high-calorie they could find.
"Okay, I'll go first," Stephanie said. "I nevvveerrr had a crush on someone my best friend liked."
Abby and Faith both guiltily popped M&M's into theirs mouths. The girls hooted and laughed.
"Okay, my turn," Faith said. "I never cheated on my boyfriend."
Abby took a bite of a Twinkie. She was the only one to eat.
"Okay, let's change the line of questioning, or I'll gain 20 pounds before we get out of here," she laughed.
"Ummmm....I've never made the first move on a guy," Kay said. She and Erica were the only ones who didn't chow down.
"I'm starting to feel really inexperienced!" Erica pouted.
"Okay, here's one especially for Erica," Lyssa said. "I never had a huge crush on Jimmy Roberts."
The girls squealed and laughed.
"How did you know?" Erica cried.
"Oh, honey, no one spends every weekend for a month on a gorgeous guy's sailboat because they love the water," Stephanie hooted.
"But I do love the water!" The girls smirked at Erica, doubtful. "Okay, okay so I love Jimmy Roberts, sue me!" Erica laughed. "We can talk for hours about anything. He never notices that I'm little or different. But he has no idea I'm alive. The big goof thinks I sail with him because ....I love the water. AUGH!! Boys are so stupid!"
"They don't get any smarter sweetie." Lyssa laughed.
"I've got one!" Erica said. "I never made out with Tommy Devereaux in a dark corner at the Homecoming Dance so fiercely that the principal threatened turn the hose on me."
"ERICA!" Kay screeched. The circle exploded into laughter.
"Woo-hoo," Abby yelled. "Our innocent little Kayla has a WILD streak!"
The girls applauded as Kay begrudgingly ate a handful of popcorn.
Eventually the game broke up and the girls just started dishing. Stephanie fessed up to having a little crush on Joe Kiriakis. Abby was thrilled to hear it.
"He's so sweet and quiet," Stephanie breathed. "And smart, when he reads his poetry in English...I get dizzy."
The girls were taken aback at her display. They knew she was having problems with Ben, but they didn't know it might be over. Lyssa smiled as she watched Stephanie describe Joe. The Kiriakis men seemed to have a strange effect on Brady women. Abby had been entangled with all but Jack. Stephanie was apparently in love with Joe. And here she was slowly falling for Xander.
It had begun when he had written a column on individuality, on being yourself despite the costs. She started admiring him from afar, barely able to speak when she was around him. Since her break-up with Brady, she hadn't dated- at all. Despite Abby's constant harassment over Lyssa's "getting back on the horse," she didn't think Abby was ready to hear about Lyssa's crush on the love of Abby's life.
"Whoa, what are you thinking?" Abby asked, grinning at Lyssa's faraway expression.
"Nothing...."
"Faith, sweetie, wake up," Bo gently shook his daughter's shoulder. It had taken him a while to find her among the jumble of blanketed mounds that filled his living room.
Faith sat up slowly, her eyes barely open.
"Hi, daddy, when did you get back?" she asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
"Just now," he kissed her cheek. "Did you girls have a good time?"
She nodded.
"I'm glad," he said. "But can you tell me one thing?"
"Sure," she said.
"Can you explain how corned beef managed to get splashed against the side of our house?"
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