If anyone is reading along, the beginning of the game is a bit of a mess. We had several players that didn't work out and got retconned out. The opening post is a bit hard to follow as the characters that were dropped were cut out and Shelley and Gary's first several posts were combined. They don't read very fluidly, but once you get through the initial post, it gets a bit easier. Also, Tabby's journal (on her profile) helps fill in some of the cracks from her perspective. Read it here.
Here is the sequence of events:
1. Start with "Gary's House"-Gary and his new roommate are headed off to the annual summer festival at the lake. Shelley wants to get some pictures in hopes of landing a job at the local paper.
2. When Gary and Shelley leave to go to the lake, jump over to the "Cedar Lake" thread where the festival takes place. There, they meet the members of the band Threat of Invasion, the four teens that come over to Gary's house to play D&D on Sundays. The teens find out about Shelley after their show and decide they need to learn more about Gary's mysterious new roommate. Trevor and Matt get Tabby arrested at the charity jail as a joke after their gig. Starla competes in a beauty pageant against Marie and the senior cheerleaders. During the competition, Marie's car comes up missing.
3. Then, go back to "Gary's House" where you left off. Gary helps Shelley make a character and later runs his D&D game when the teens in the band come over. Tabby also notices a gray car following them on their way to Gary's house before the game. Read that thread to the end.
4. Next, read the "Teal Cove Chronicle" where Shelley goes to sell her pictures from the festival to the paper and runs into Felicia working at the front desk.
5. Then, go to "Speedy's Drive-In Restaurant". Shelley heads into work and gets pulled into Tabby's revenge plan against Trevor. Tabby sees the mysterious gray car from the other day and the girls head off to Chuck E. Cheese to tell Gary about their plan.
6. Pizza Time Theatre- Tabby, Starla, and Shelley let Gary in on their plot to fake Starla's kidnapping to lure Trevor into a Silly String fight.
7. Country Club Pool- Meanwhile, Marie and the other preps are at River Oaks Country Club. They are irked they have no idea who Shelley is and Marie is upset that Tabby and Starla are hanging out with dorky townies and that it will reflect badly on their clique. She "hires" Jerry to infiltrate their ranks to get some answers.
8. Who is playing who?- Jerry is more than he appears and is on to Marie's little game. He's also got an agenda of his own...
9. Later that evening- Karen North, coach of the cheerleading squad calls Shelley about a possible job at the Fitness Factory. She and Gary catch up after he gets in from work.
10. Something's up- Matt circles back with Trevor having eavesdropped on the girls' conversation over at the rat palace earlier in the day. What did Tabby mean about Starla getting kidnapped? Is Shelley on the run from an abusive ex?
11. Later that Evening- Shelley shares her good news with Gary and plans to meet with Karen North about her job interview.
12. The Interview- Shelley meets Karen ahead of her class in hopes of becoming her understudy and eventually taking over for her. She also has an unplanned interview in the parking lot when Marie confronts her.
13. Now's My Chance- After several missed opportunities, Jerry unexpectedly sees Starla, Tabby, and Shelley go into the local comic shop of all places and makes his move.
14. The New Guy- The girls stop off to talk to Gary and Matt about possibly adding Jerry to the mix for their weekly Dungeons and Dragons game.
15. The Ransom- Two days later, Trevor finds a strange note on the steering wheel of the Green Goblin and is sent on an impromptu adventure to rescue his princess.
16. Hiding out- While Matt and Trevor are out collecting the scavenger hunt items, Starla, Tabby, and Shelley are waiting at an abandoned gas station. Gary got the number off a payphone in the parking lot that still works and plans to call them after he is sure the guys have left the area.
17. The Rescue- The girls return to the Rat Palace and get ready to ambush Trevor and Matt, however, plans change when they discover the damsel in distress isn't who they expected...
18. Breaking News- Shelley has a scoop to sell the local paper.
Here is the sequence of events:
1. Start with "Gary's House"-Gary and his new roommate are headed off to the annual summer festival at the lake. Shelley wants to get some pictures in hopes of landing a job at the local paper.
2. When Gary and Shelley leave to go to the lake, jump over to the "Cedar Lake" thread where the festival takes place. There, they meet the members of the band Threat of Invasion, the four teens that come over to Gary's house to play D&D on Sundays. The teens find out about Shelley after their show and decide they need to learn more about Gary's mysterious new roommate. Trevor and Matt get Tabby arrested at the charity jail as a joke after their gig. Starla competes in a beauty pageant against Marie and the senior cheerleaders. During the competition, Marie's car comes up missing.
3. Then, go back to "Gary's House" where you left off. Gary helps Shelley make a character and later runs his D&D game when the teens in the band come over. Tabby also notices a gray car following them on their way to Gary's house before the game. Read that thread to the end.
4. Next, read the "Teal Cove Chronicle" where Shelley goes to sell her pictures from the festival to the paper and runs into Felicia working at the front desk.
5. Then, go to "Speedy's Drive-In Restaurant". Shelley heads into work and gets pulled into Tabby's revenge plan against Trevor. Tabby sees the mysterious gray car from the other day and the girls head off to Chuck E. Cheese to tell Gary about their plan.
6. Pizza Time Theatre- Tabby, Starla, and Shelley let Gary in on their plot to fake Starla's kidnapping to lure Trevor into a Silly String fight.
7. Country Club Pool- Meanwhile, Marie and the other preps are at River Oaks Country Club. They are irked they have no idea who Shelley is and Marie is upset that Tabby and Starla are hanging out with dorky townies and that it will reflect badly on their clique. She "hires" Jerry to infiltrate their ranks to get some answers.
8. Who is playing who?- Jerry is more than he appears and is on to Marie's little game. He's also got an agenda of his own...
9. Later that evening- Karen North, coach of the cheerleading squad calls Shelley about a possible job at the Fitness Factory. She and Gary catch up after he gets in from work.
10. Something's up- Matt circles back with Trevor having eavesdropped on the girls' conversation over at the rat palace earlier in the day. What did Tabby mean about Starla getting kidnapped? Is Shelley on the run from an abusive ex?
11. Later that Evening- Shelley shares her good news with Gary and plans to meet with Karen North about her job interview.
12. The Interview- Shelley meets Karen ahead of her class in hopes of becoming her understudy and eventually taking over for her. She also has an unplanned interview in the parking lot when Marie confronts her.
13. Now's My Chance- After several missed opportunities, Jerry unexpectedly sees Starla, Tabby, and Shelley go into the local comic shop of all places and makes his move.
14. The New Guy- The girls stop off to talk to Gary and Matt about possibly adding Jerry to the mix for their weekly Dungeons and Dragons game.
15. The Ransom- Two days later, Trevor finds a strange note on the steering wheel of the Green Goblin and is sent on an impromptu adventure to rescue his princess.
16. Hiding out- While Matt and Trevor are out collecting the scavenger hunt items, Starla, Tabby, and Shelley are waiting at an abandoned gas station. Gary got the number off a payphone in the parking lot that still works and plans to call them after he is sure the guys have left the area.
17. The Rescue- The girls return to the Rat Palace and get ready to ambush Trevor and Matt, however, plans change when they discover the damsel in distress isn't who they expected...
18. Breaking News- Shelley has a scoop to sell the local paper.
19. Have I got a story for you!- Felicia hurries to the country club to share the news she overheard with Doreen and Marie. Are Shelley and her friends making up stories to be heroes and boost the new girl's career?
20. A Day at the Lake- Meanwhile, Shelley and the others head out to Cedar Lake to enjoy an afternoon on Trevor's boat and meeting Jerry Hardy.
20. A Day at the Lake- Meanwhile, Shelley and the others head out to Cedar Lake to enjoy an afternoon on Trevor's boat and meeting Jerry Hardy.
21. Fighting Dragons- Jerry comes over to play D&D and shows his true colors.
22. The Plan- Jerry calls Marie and reveals what he's learned. Stunned, Marie jumps to all kinds of crazy conclusions and calls Felicia and Doreen to start figuring out how to reign Starla and Tabitha in.
22. The Plan- Jerry calls Marie and reveals what he's learned. Stunned, Marie jumps to all kinds of crazy conclusions and calls Felicia and Doreen to start figuring out how to reign Starla and Tabitha in.
23. About your friend...- Marie gets on the phone with her boyfriend. She needs Pete to straighten Jerry out and fast. Although the girls are "so done with him" Marie really wants to get the dirt on what went down at Gary's house during the D&D game. She figures Pete having "guy talk" with Jerry is the best way to get it.
24. Concerns- After consulting Doreen and Felicia, Marie decides to talk to Karen about everything they've learned about Shelley. Marie wants to convince Karen that Shelley is unfit to take over her aerobics classes and the cheer coach takes the bait.
24. Concerns- After consulting Doreen and Felicia, Marie decides to talk to Karen about everything they've learned about Shelley. Marie wants to convince Karen that Shelley is unfit to take over her aerobics classes and the cheer coach takes the bait.
"Oh, I get to narrate! So, um, yeah... where were we? Oh yeah, 25!"
25. "The Call" So, Shelley gets a call from Karen and she calls off the class. It got canceled or some crap. Suspicious, if you ask me. Anyway, Gary stopped by work at lunch and bought these electric trains and trucks and had a slot car for Shelley's Trans-Am. Me and Starla went to the store after work and got one that looked like Matt's van and Trevor's big green booger car. We stopped by Gary's after Starla painted them and got the bad news about Shelley's teaching job.
Then we got to talking about Jerry and trying to dig up more dirt on the guy. So, Gary got uncomfortable about us talking about doing a little 'sleuthing' Nancy Drew-style, so I suggested we go grab Slurpees at 7-Eleven where we spotted Jerry. He didn't see us, but grabbed food and headed out of town so we followed. We were expecting him to go to River Oaks Country Club to meet someone, but he turned off an old Farm-to-Market road just outside of town and then up an old abandoned road going nowhere. We saw his bug stop at the top of a hill like he was waiting for someone. As we got ready to turn back, we saw a semi-truck turn up the same road. This is where it got weird. Jerry flashed his headlights at it and it responded. We had pulled over to watch and get out of Shelley's car. The truck eventually turned where Jerry was waiting. We waited a few minutes and found an old road that looked like it had become private. We decided to come back tomorrow and investigate further. A thunderstorm was moving in anyway, and we promised Gary nachos. We stopped off on the way back to Gary's house. Once we got there, he was on his radio again and he was listening to what he called a 'numbers station'. A creepy robot voice started giving out random numbers after part of Dire Strait's 'Sultan's of Swing' played. Gary says that spies overseas do this for agents out in the field who have a decoder and know what the numbers mean. Somehow, he thinks this is local in our area. He had no idea if it was legit or a prank. We speculated it might be from a military base somewhere nearby or something. The storm was picking up and it was getting late, so Starla had to take me home. More tomorrow about what happens with our investigation- stay tuned!
25. "The Call" So, Shelley gets a call from Karen and she calls off the class. It got canceled or some crap. Suspicious, if you ask me. Anyway, Gary stopped by work at lunch and bought these electric trains and trucks and had a slot car for Shelley's Trans-Am. Me and Starla went to the store after work and got one that looked like Matt's van and Trevor's big green booger car. We stopped by Gary's after Starla painted them and got the bad news about Shelley's teaching job.
Then we got to talking about Jerry and trying to dig up more dirt on the guy. So, Gary got uncomfortable about us talking about doing a little 'sleuthing' Nancy Drew-style, so I suggested we go grab Slurpees at 7-Eleven where we spotted Jerry. He didn't see us, but grabbed food and headed out of town so we followed. We were expecting him to go to River Oaks Country Club to meet someone, but he turned off an old Farm-to-Market road just outside of town and then up an old abandoned road going nowhere. We saw his bug stop at the top of a hill like he was waiting for someone. As we got ready to turn back, we saw a semi-truck turn up the same road. This is where it got weird. Jerry flashed his headlights at it and it responded. We had pulled over to watch and get out of Shelley's car. The truck eventually turned where Jerry was waiting. We waited a few minutes and found an old road that looked like it had become private. We decided to come back tomorrow and investigate further. A thunderstorm was moving in anyway, and we promised Gary nachos. We stopped off on the way back to Gary's house. Once we got there, he was on his radio again and he was listening to what he called a 'numbers station'. A creepy robot voice started giving out random numbers after part of Dire Strait's 'Sultan's of Swing' played. Gary says that spies overseas do this for agents out in the field who have a decoder and know what the numbers mean. Somehow, he thinks this is local in our area. He had no idea if it was legit or a prank. We speculated it might be from a military base somewhere nearby or something. The storm was picking up and it was getting late, so Starla had to take me home. More tomorrow about what happens with our investigation- stay tuned!
26. The Red Volare- Trevor and Matt stop by Speedy's with a new car. Trevor's dad has been correcting many of the issues with this "lemon" and is interested in selling it. Trevor dropped by to see if Starla might want it. During their chat, the guys learn about the night before and that Shelley, Tabby, and Starla plan to go back. Starla has to work at the mall later, so she can't check out the car after work, but they all plan to meet at the mall after closing and head out to where they saw the semi.
27. Tuesday Night Trouble- "Time for another recap of what went down in Teal Cove last night with your charming, beautiful, smart, and very talented narrator, me... Tabby B.!
So anyway, we had this not-so-smart idea, in hindsight, to all go out after Starla got off work at the mall and check out that place where we saw Jerry signal that semi with his headlights.
Honestly, I figured we'd play with the walkie-talkies I brought along and just hang out in the van. I didn't really believe we'd actually stumble upon anything. But, just because my luck has to suck, Matt's van broke down right near where we were searching. Another semi happened along not long afterward and a trucker offered to call for help.
The same cop that arrested me for the charity jail at the festival showed up and we thought all was good. Trevor and Shelley went with him to use his phone since he claimed he lived nearby. Little did we know that he and that truck driver were part of a criminal ring that... wait for it... were the ones that stole Marie's car. Not only was Jerry in on this whole thing but he was there.
Now, we're all a little tied up... literally. Jerry went to find Shelley's car after the thugs took her keys. He didn't know that it was left at the mall. Somehow, he ended up at Doreen's house, got caught, and now the bad guys are trying to escape and we're being left behind. I wonder if Matt is trying to reach out with the force to send a message to Gary?"
So anyway, we had this not-so-smart idea, in hindsight, to all go out after Starla got off work at the mall and check out that place where we saw Jerry signal that semi with his headlights.
Honestly, I figured we'd play with the walkie-talkies I brought along and just hang out in the van. I didn't really believe we'd actually stumble upon anything. But, just because my luck has to suck, Matt's van broke down right near where we were searching. Another semi happened along not long afterward and a trucker offered to call for help.
The same cop that arrested me for the charity jail at the festival showed up and we thought all was good. Trevor and Shelley went with him to use his phone since he claimed he lived nearby. Little did we know that he and that truck driver were part of a criminal ring that... wait for it... were the ones that stole Marie's car. Not only was Jerry in on this whole thing but he was there.
Now, we're all a little tied up... literally. Jerry went to find Shelley's car after the thugs took her keys. He didn't know that it was left at the mall. Somehow, he ended up at Doreen's house, got caught, and now the bad guys are trying to escape and we're being left behind. I wonder if Matt is trying to reach out with the force to send a message to Gary?"
After being taken to the farm, the band and Miss Higgins were separated, bound, gagged, and held prisoner overnight. After Doreen's father woke up from the sound of the garage door, Mouse fled. Jerry panicked and tossed the garage door remote he had taken from Doreen's car and in the process, accidentally threw his car keys across the front yard.
Panicked and not realizing what he had done and unable to start his car, Jerry frantically cut through the houses until he got back to his own home. He eventually had to break in, since he was keyless and ultimately called the cops and turned himself in. His strategy was to convince the police that he had been a victim himself and had been forced to assist the gang.
Jerry was only able to escape Mouse, according to his account when he convinced him that Doreen's home was where Shelley lived. He pretended to know Doreen better than he did and that instead of Shelley's Trans-Am, they could steal one of her parents' cars from the garage. Once at the station and in custody, he began spilling his guts and mentioned some hostages he knew of on the outskirts of town where the gang operated. It was his hope that by cooperating, he would not be charged for his involvement.
Meanwhile, Gary had been driving around looking for Shelley who never returned, and happened to see Jerry's car quite by chance when he checked over by Starla's house. He had been listening to his police scanner and picked up some activity that sounded like it might be related. He eventually talked to the cops when they arrived following the attempted break-in and let them know about Shelley, Starla and Tabby having not returned home hours earlier.
Back at the farm, the gang members had gotten wind of Jerry and Mouse's situation over the scanner. They made the decision to pull up stakes and leave the teens behind. Trevor and Shelley were tied up in the kitchen with a table between them, hindering their ability to scoot close enough to help free one another and Matt, Starla and Tabby were each tied up and secured in separate bedrooms.
Tabby was the last person to be tied up and they were running short on things to use to restrain her and were forced to use duct tape, bungee cords, and an extension cord to secure her. When the criminals ran out of duct tape after taping her hands up, they freed one of Starla's legs and used scissors to cut one leg of her pantyhose off. Carelessly, they had failed to retie her leg and set the scissors just out of her reach.
The pantyhose and a hackysack they found elsewhere in the house were used to fashion a makeshift ball gag to silence Tabby. Once gone, Starla was able to use her free leg to get the scissors thanks to her being unusually flexible from cheerleading. It took quite a bit off effort and patience, but she finally managed to free herself, followed by Matt and Tabby.
At that same time, Trevor was finally able to get loose by breaking the chair he was tied to in the house and getting hold of a kitchen knife after dumping a drawer. He had just cut through the last of his restraints when Matt showed up to check on him and Shelley. After getting close to freeing her, Trevor went back to the house just as Starla finished untying Tabby.
By that point, it was daylight. Gary had managed to follow the police to the farm. The teens hid briefly in the woods before deciding to reveal themselves. Jerry was with the cops in one of the police cars. The teens showed the officers where they'd been held and shared the details of their ordeal. Jerry, still handcuffed, was taken out of the car. The group confronted him and he tried to plead that he was working with the criminals against his will and had led the police to the location to save them, although the group didn't buy it.
Gary examined the radio equipment and Jerry confirmed Gary's analysis when he went into a long-winded explanation of numbers stations. It turned out Jerry was familiar with the concept, had a former interest in HAM and CB radio, and had rigged up an automated station to relay instructions to truckers as to when and if there were picks up at the farm that could be heard several states away via shortwave radio.
Jerry revealed the operation ran across several states and the numbers station was the closest he could come up with as a means of sending a one-way secret code to their network so that the truck drivers didn't have to stop to use a payphone or risk revealing anything over their CBs.
After the police finished interviewing everyone and evidence was gathered, the group went to the police station. Trevor, Matt, Starla, and Tabby had to wait for their parents to pick them up due to being minors.
Panicked and not realizing what he had done and unable to start his car, Jerry frantically cut through the houses until he got back to his own home. He eventually had to break in, since he was keyless and ultimately called the cops and turned himself in. His strategy was to convince the police that he had been a victim himself and had been forced to assist the gang.
Jerry was only able to escape Mouse, according to his account when he convinced him that Doreen's home was where Shelley lived. He pretended to know Doreen better than he did and that instead of Shelley's Trans-Am, they could steal one of her parents' cars from the garage. Once at the station and in custody, he began spilling his guts and mentioned some hostages he knew of on the outskirts of town where the gang operated. It was his hope that by cooperating, he would not be charged for his involvement.
Meanwhile, Gary had been driving around looking for Shelley who never returned, and happened to see Jerry's car quite by chance when he checked over by Starla's house. He had been listening to his police scanner and picked up some activity that sounded like it might be related. He eventually talked to the cops when they arrived following the attempted break-in and let them know about Shelley, Starla and Tabby having not returned home hours earlier.
Back at the farm, the gang members had gotten wind of Jerry and Mouse's situation over the scanner. They made the decision to pull up stakes and leave the teens behind. Trevor and Shelley were tied up in the kitchen with a table between them, hindering their ability to scoot close enough to help free one another and Matt, Starla and Tabby were each tied up and secured in separate bedrooms.
Tabby was the last person to be tied up and they were running short on things to use to restrain her and were forced to use duct tape, bungee cords, and an extension cord to secure her. When the criminals ran out of duct tape after taping her hands up, they freed one of Starla's legs and used scissors to cut one leg of her pantyhose off. Carelessly, they had failed to retie her leg and set the scissors just out of her reach.
The pantyhose and a hackysack they found elsewhere in the house were used to fashion a makeshift ball gag to silence Tabby. Once gone, Starla was able to use her free leg to get the scissors thanks to her being unusually flexible from cheerleading. It took quite a bit off effort and patience, but she finally managed to free herself, followed by Matt and Tabby.
At that same time, Trevor was finally able to get loose by breaking the chair he was tied to in the house and getting hold of a kitchen knife after dumping a drawer. He had just cut through the last of his restraints when Matt showed up to check on him and Shelley. After getting close to freeing her, Trevor went back to the house just as Starla finished untying Tabby.
By that point, it was daylight. Gary had managed to follow the police to the farm. The teens hid briefly in the woods before deciding to reveal themselves. Jerry was with the cops in one of the police cars. The teens showed the officers where they'd been held and shared the details of their ordeal. Jerry, still handcuffed, was taken out of the car. The group confronted him and he tried to plead that he was working with the criminals against his will and had led the police to the location to save them, although the group didn't buy it.
Gary examined the radio equipment and Jerry confirmed Gary's analysis when he went into a long-winded explanation of numbers stations. It turned out Jerry was familiar with the concept, had a former interest in HAM and CB radio, and had rigged up an automated station to relay instructions to truckers as to when and if there were picks up at the farm that could be heard several states away via shortwave radio.
Jerry revealed the operation ran across several states and the numbers station was the closest he could come up with as a means of sending a one-way secret code to their network so that the truck drivers didn't have to stop to use a payphone or risk revealing anything over their CBs.
After the police finished interviewing everyone and evidence was gathered, the group went to the police station. Trevor, Matt, Starla, and Tabby had to wait for their parents to pick them up due to being minors.
Gary P. here! Looks like we stopped numbering but it's been awhile since the recap update... over a year and a half! I just realized it was my turn to summarize and you know how my memory is! So, I wasn't here for a lot of this so bear with me. Let's see... *checking notes* Here we go!
After being interviewed by the cops and going home with their parents; um that would be Trevor, Starla and Tabby anyway since they were minors, I can't remember if Matt was of legal age when this happened, everyone went home. I remember Starla wasn't allowed to fly her plane the rest of the summer and Trevor's mom gave him a good talking to about responsibility but nothing much happened to him. Tabby didn't really share much but seemed really nervous since her dad was out of town and I don't think Matt's parents really said anything to him.
What we didn't know at the time is Shelley's ex, Tony was actively looking for her. Since she didn't get the keys back to her Trans-AM, at least not yet, she had to call her mother. That is how he managed to get her location. You see, Mr. Alfonso, had the line at Shelley's mom's place tapped. They probably... oh, you don't want to hear about that! You want to catch up on what happened! Sorry, I have a bit of a bad habit of getting off on irrelevant side stories.
Anyway, where were we? Oh yes! Anyway, Shelley's car wasn't found by the bad guys while she and the band were tied up at their abandoned hideout despite taking her keys. You may remember she'd parked it at the mall and gone with everyone else in Matt's van.
The next day I helped Shelley get her car towed back from the mall while she was at Speedy's. That's when she called her mom about getting a spare set sent to Texas since the only others were back home in Pennsylvania. Or, I guess she called her mom before she went to work after she got back from the police station.
So, in the meantime, Tabby was struggling with some things. We didn't know what all was going on with her dad at the time and he was out of town as I mentioned. She was very worried about the trouble she was going to be in when he got back from his trip, not to mention Marie and the other cheerleaders, were plotting against her and Starla. It seemed the Big Cheese, that was what we called Chuck E., the main character at the pizza place we worked at. He was the boss mouse, the head honcho and... well you get the idea. So Marie, the Big Cheese in this case, had a plan... she didn't like the fact that two of her squad had been mixed up in all of this.
Marie was going to have her dad speak to Tab's. You see, she and the other girls didn't approve of Tabs and Starla being in Threat of Invasion, their band with Matt and Trevor, or playing D&D here over at my place on top of getting kidnapped and hanging out with Shelley who had been there when that girl was found in the dumpster behind the Rat Palace and Marie's car was found when they went boating with Trevor. The band and game had to do with the rise of that whole Satanic Panic thing that came to a head a few years later in 1984, but I'm rambling again. So, sorry!
Tabby had gotten a call from the coach about needing to talk to her about her behavior regarding that very thing. So, the following day, while Starla and Shelley were at work, Tabby came by. She wasn't scheduled that day although the 3 girls had gone on to work after getting released by the police station the day before so they had a bit of a chance to talk more already.
Anyway, I guess poor Tabs was still bothered by some stuff that happened at the car thieves hide out. It seemed the group had been tied up and separated into different rooms and buildings on the farm where they were held prisoner. Trevor and Starla had both separately managed to get loose and free the others and I guess poor Tabs was the last one to be found and rescued by Starla and she was a bit embarrassed she couldn't get loose on her own. I was never clear, but I guess everyone else was untied but her at that point.
Soooooo, she wanted to try to see if she could free herself from being tied up and stopped by my place with some... supplies including a hacky sack and scarf. She wanted it to be authentic in the sense that I was supposed to tie her up tightly enough she couldn't cheat and had to try to free herself without any help. She was pretty specific about how she wanted it done. I assume that was how she was tied up by the gang.
I promised I wouldn't share that so I won't go into that too much here beyond what I already have said here, but let's just say we set a timer she was still a little tied up... and gagged an hour later when it went off. I don't know what she had hoped to accomplish there, but maybe it helped her out somehow. She seemed to give up struggling after a little bit, but when asked if she wanted me to let her out, she shook her head no. Perhaps if nothing else, it just showed her there was nothing she could have done in the situation. I can't help but think she was somehow punishing herself for something else, too. I always had the feeling there was something going on with her home life she didn't want us to know about. Regardless, she endured her captivity until her time was up. After I let her out, she helped me put some of my trains away and left to go back to her house before I went to pick up Shelley (who wasn't there when I arrived) Back to Marie...
So, while all that was going on, Marie was watching the news the next day at lunch and saw the whole news story with the interview from the night before. She and the older girls gave Shelley, Tabs and Starla some trouble at work the day before. Anyway, her cleaning ladies shows up the following day while Tabs was tied up over at my place and I guess the woman's daughter or grand daughter that worked with her went to the rival high school and Marie was pretty terrible to her. She even refused to pay the two for their work before they left.
From my understanding, her father made her drive out in his car to bring their money to them after dinner. She still didn't have a new car after Jerry and the same gang who had kidnapped Shelley and the band took it a week or so earlier. Anyway, there was a confrontation with the girl and a friend of hers who was the captain of the rival cheer team. That was a few days before Marie... oh! You haven't gotten to that part yet. I don't want to ruin anything...
That leads us to what Shelley and Felicia were doing around that same time later in the day after Shelley got off work. That's when I went to pick her up, but she'd somehow gotten a ride with someone else I guess to get to the newspaper office. Probably good that Tabs didn't go with me then, but she could have met up with Starla a little earlier since she said they had band practice. Threat of Invasion was scheduled to perform at the city's July 4th party later that weekend.
Remember Jerry's accomplice who we think had Shelley's keys I mentioned a few minutes ago? Well, he'd made his way across town on foot and taken a family hostage and Shelley and Felicia were on the scene to cover the stand off. That's where we pick up...
After being interviewed by the cops and going home with their parents; um that would be Trevor, Starla and Tabby anyway since they were minors, I can't remember if Matt was of legal age when this happened, everyone went home. I remember Starla wasn't allowed to fly her plane the rest of the summer and Trevor's mom gave him a good talking to about responsibility but nothing much happened to him. Tabby didn't really share much but seemed really nervous since her dad was out of town and I don't think Matt's parents really said anything to him.
What we didn't know at the time is Shelley's ex, Tony was actively looking for her. Since she didn't get the keys back to her Trans-AM, at least not yet, she had to call her mother. That is how he managed to get her location. You see, Mr. Alfonso, had the line at Shelley's mom's place tapped. They probably... oh, you don't want to hear about that! You want to catch up on what happened! Sorry, I have a bit of a bad habit of getting off on irrelevant side stories.
Anyway, where were we? Oh yes! Anyway, Shelley's car wasn't found by the bad guys while she and the band were tied up at their abandoned hideout despite taking her keys. You may remember she'd parked it at the mall and gone with everyone else in Matt's van.
The next day I helped Shelley get her car towed back from the mall while she was at Speedy's. That's when she called her mom about getting a spare set sent to Texas since the only others were back home in Pennsylvania. Or, I guess she called her mom before she went to work after she got back from the police station.
So, in the meantime, Tabby was struggling with some things. We didn't know what all was going on with her dad at the time and he was out of town as I mentioned. She was very worried about the trouble she was going to be in when he got back from his trip, not to mention Marie and the other cheerleaders, were plotting against her and Starla. It seemed the Big Cheese, that was what we called Chuck E., the main character at the pizza place we worked at. He was the boss mouse, the head honcho and... well you get the idea. So Marie, the Big Cheese in this case, had a plan... she didn't like the fact that two of her squad had been mixed up in all of this.
Marie was going to have her dad speak to Tab's. You see, she and the other girls didn't approve of Tabs and Starla being in Threat of Invasion, their band with Matt and Trevor, or playing D&D here over at my place on top of getting kidnapped and hanging out with Shelley who had been there when that girl was found in the dumpster behind the Rat Palace and Marie's car was found when they went boating with Trevor. The band and game had to do with the rise of that whole Satanic Panic thing that came to a head a few years later in 1984, but I'm rambling again. So, sorry!
Tabby had gotten a call from the coach about needing to talk to her about her behavior regarding that very thing. So, the following day, while Starla and Shelley were at work, Tabby came by. She wasn't scheduled that day although the 3 girls had gone on to work after getting released by the police station the day before so they had a bit of a chance to talk more already.
Anyway, I guess poor Tabs was still bothered by some stuff that happened at the car thieves hide out. It seemed the group had been tied up and separated into different rooms and buildings on the farm where they were held prisoner. Trevor and Starla had both separately managed to get loose and free the others and I guess poor Tabs was the last one to be found and rescued by Starla and she was a bit embarrassed she couldn't get loose on her own. I was never clear, but I guess everyone else was untied but her at that point.
Soooooo, she wanted to try to see if she could free herself from being tied up and stopped by my place with some... supplies including a hacky sack and scarf. She wanted it to be authentic in the sense that I was supposed to tie her up tightly enough she couldn't cheat and had to try to free herself without any help. She was pretty specific about how she wanted it done. I assume that was how she was tied up by the gang.
I promised I wouldn't share that so I won't go into that too much here beyond what I already have said here, but let's just say we set a timer she was still a little tied up... and gagged an hour later when it went off. I don't know what she had hoped to accomplish there, but maybe it helped her out somehow. She seemed to give up struggling after a little bit, but when asked if she wanted me to let her out, she shook her head no. Perhaps if nothing else, it just showed her there was nothing she could have done in the situation. I can't help but think she was somehow punishing herself for something else, too. I always had the feeling there was something going on with her home life she didn't want us to know about. Regardless, she endured her captivity until her time was up. After I let her out, she helped me put some of my trains away and left to go back to her house before I went to pick up Shelley (who wasn't there when I arrived) Back to Marie...
So, while all that was going on, Marie was watching the news the next day at lunch and saw the whole news story with the interview from the night before. She and the older girls gave Shelley, Tabs and Starla some trouble at work the day before. Anyway, her cleaning ladies shows up the following day while Tabs was tied up over at my place and I guess the woman's daughter or grand daughter that worked with her went to the rival high school and Marie was pretty terrible to her. She even refused to pay the two for their work before they left.
From my understanding, her father made her drive out in his car to bring their money to them after dinner. She still didn't have a new car after Jerry and the same gang who had kidnapped Shelley and the band took it a week or so earlier. Anyway, there was a confrontation with the girl and a friend of hers who was the captain of the rival cheer team. That was a few days before Marie... oh! You haven't gotten to that part yet. I don't want to ruin anything...
That leads us to what Shelley and Felicia were doing around that same time later in the day after Shelley got off work. That's when I went to pick her up, but she'd somehow gotten a ride with someone else I guess to get to the newspaper office. Probably good that Tabs didn't go with me then, but she could have met up with Starla a little earlier since she said they had band practice. Threat of Invasion was scheduled to perform at the city's July 4th party later that weekend.
Remember Jerry's accomplice who we think had Shelley's keys I mentioned a few minutes ago? Well, he'd made his way across town on foot and taken a family hostage and Shelley and Felicia were on the scene to cover the stand off. That's where we pick up...
"Yeah, so... Shelley told me about her secret... uh, Tony. I didn't share the details of my home life with Gary and Shelley, but later, I told Starla everything in the car when it was just the two of us and made her promise not to tell. I tried tying myself up and stuffing the ball in my mouth and holding it in place with a scarf that night after everyone went to bed in my bedroom but it didn't really accomplish anything since I could let myself out anytime I wanted. It was sort of to punish myself for opening my mouth about the thing I swore I wouldn't. I trusted, Gary, so I went to his place when Shelley was at work and had him tie me up. I brought the ropes in bag. That's really why I did it. Telling him that I was embarrassed I couldn't free myself on my own was an excuse to explain it since I know it sounded crazy. That hacky sack? That's the same one the kidnappers shoved in my mouth. I don't know why saved it. I know, weird. I was 14 and had a lot of issues. What can I say? I did destroy it after I got home, though. I guess that gave me a little bit of satisfaction, like 'take that!' ya know?"
"So, not sure why you care or why it is any of your business, but I had a stupid situation with daddy over the help. I don't trust those townie riff raff and kept an eye on them while they cleaned. Anyway, there was a little miscommunication about the payment. Daddy got home and was really upset and made me go gas up the 'Vette and run the money over to their little trailer park village. It was only one step above a homeless encampment! I got out of there as soon as I could, but was confronted by the queen bitch of our rival high school's cheer squad what's her name. She tried to act tough, but the little townie girl who helped her hillbilly grandmother clean the house tried to talk some shit. Her Mamaw called her inside under threat of 'gettin' a whoopin' and I left. It was some straight up Green Acres shit. I hope I never have to set foot on that side of the town again. When they say 'wrong side of the tracks', they aren't joking.
Ace reporter Felicia Jackson here. You are not gonna believe what just happened with me and Miss Shelley Higgins. There was a standoff on the other end of town over near Reiner High. Turns out, one of those gang members that kidnapped Miss Higgins and her friends had broken in and taken a family hostage. He was a young doctor. He, his wife and their daughter who attends Reiner were kept tied up in their home overnight. A neighbor apparently figured out something wasn't right and called the cops.
Mike sent me and Miss Higgins to go cover it. It turned into a full-day ordeal that ran late into the night. The man behind it, who Miss Higgins called "Mouse" was one of the ones that tied her up on that farm she was held at. He and Jerry Hardy were out to get her Trans-Am. I'm still not sure how they ended up at Doreen's and tried to break in, but that's how they caught Jerry.
This Mouse guy made his way through the night and Dr. Farwell apparently didn't secure the garage to their house, broke in, tied up his daughter and then woke the parents up and took them hostage which lead to the whole ordeal.
He finally came out after dark with the daughter, but the police were able to rescue her and take him into custody. Eventually, they got in and freed the parents. We weren't able to talk to anyone, though. The girl went to the hospital for observation. I was tempted to try to get a word but the chief said no interviews. We decided to call it a night.
I swear all this started when Miss Higgins arrived. It seemed all too convenient. But I don't know how she could of been in on this. It has me wondering... After spending all day with her, I almost think she's alright....
Mike sent me and Miss Higgins to go cover it. It turned into a full-day ordeal that ran late into the night. The man behind it, who Miss Higgins called "Mouse" was one of the ones that tied her up on that farm she was held at. He and Jerry Hardy were out to get her Trans-Am. I'm still not sure how they ended up at Doreen's and tried to break in, but that's how they caught Jerry.
This Mouse guy made his way through the night and Dr. Farwell apparently didn't secure the garage to their house, broke in, tied up his daughter and then woke the parents up and took them hostage which lead to the whole ordeal.
He finally came out after dark with the daughter, but the police were able to rescue her and take him into custody. Eventually, they got in and freed the parents. We weren't able to talk to anyone, though. The girl went to the hospital for observation. I was tempted to try to get a word but the chief said no interviews. We decided to call it a night.
I swear all this started when Miss Higgins arrived. It seemed all too convenient. But I don't know how she could of been in on this. It has me wondering... After spending all day with her, I almost think she's alright....
Wow, another really bad day for me and it isn't even lunch time! So... I got called in to work today unexpectedly. Yea! Not bored or alone and some extra money! Boo! Shelley is out, though! There was a big hostage situation thing and she and Felicia were out late covering it and I guess they have follow up to do. At least Starla is there with me.
I missed morning prep, but got straight to work when mom dropped me off. Things started off okay until the bitch brigade showed up and started harassing me. They were were deliberately trying to confuse and sabotage me by changing their orders rapid fire. Of course, the queen bitch Marie wouldn't let up. Things came to a head when she intentionally slammed the car door into me when I arrived with their food and things went flying.
She then stepped out and began to berate me in front of everyone. To Starla's (and everyone else's) horror, I lost it and attacked Marie. I just had enough and she pushed me too far. Then to make matters worse, Karen North, the cheer coach showed up.
Although there were a bunch of witnesses that saw it wasn't my fault, I was overwhelmed and took off. No idea where I'm going, but hoping Shelley is at the newspaper office. It's only a few blocks away. I am so screwed! If I wasn't in enough trouble, I just bailed on work and I'm pretty sure I'll get fired. Plus, I am pretty sure I don't have to worry about the cheerleading camp initiation or being on the squad anymore. Right now, I'm more worried about the band. We have a gig tomorrow... at least we did. Mom and dad are going to kill me...
I missed morning prep, but got straight to work when mom dropped me off. Things started off okay until the bitch brigade showed up and started harassing me. They were were deliberately trying to confuse and sabotage me by changing their orders rapid fire. Of course, the queen bitch Marie wouldn't let up. Things came to a head when she intentionally slammed the car door into me when I arrived with their food and things went flying.
She then stepped out and began to berate me in front of everyone. To Starla's (and everyone else's) horror, I lost it and attacked Marie. I just had enough and she pushed me too far. Then to make matters worse, Karen North, the cheer coach showed up.
Although there were a bunch of witnesses that saw it wasn't my fault, I was overwhelmed and took off. No idea where I'm going, but hoping Shelley is at the newspaper office. It's only a few blocks away. I am so screwed! If I wasn't in enough trouble, I just bailed on work and I'm pretty sure I'll get fired. Plus, I am pretty sure I don't have to worry about the cheerleading camp initiation or being on the squad anymore. Right now, I'm more worried about the band. We have a gig tomorrow... at least we did. Mom and dad are going to kill me...
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