Chapter 9

~New Characters Introduced~

Lance, Lanette, Bridgette, and Bill

Original Date of Post: 09/09/2007

Narrator: This is a public service announcement, brought to you in part by the sponsors of this great story. (Crickets chirp) Play Track 16 please!

So won’t the real Slim Shady please stand up? Please stand…

Narrator: I SAID TRACK 16!!!

You see children, drugs are bad

And if you don’t believe me ask your dad

And if you don’t believe him ask your mom

She’ll tell you that she does them all the time

So kids say no to drugs

So you don’t wind up like everyone else does

And there’s really nothing else to say

Drugs are just bad…Mmkay!

Narrator: This is what I get for working with idiots and buying Walmart edited CD’s!

Miss Agatha: So we have a deal?

Lance: We have a deal. (They shake hands) You have my word that this will go smoothly Miss Agatha.

Miss Agatha: Don't let me down. (The next morning in the hallway)

Sakura: Misty, who's that guy with your sister?

Misty: I've never seen him before. But looks like Daisy's got a new crush.

Sakura: She sure does work fast.

Daisy: Oh my goodness, it’s only your first week but you made a very good move by hanging around me Lance.

Lance: Not a problem Miss Waterflower.

Daisy: Lance, darling, Miss Waterflower is way too formal. In fact, it makes me sound too old! You can just call me Daisy! (Winona walks up) Well hello Winnie!

Winona: Daisy.

Daisy: I want you to meet my new boyfriend Lance. That’s right Winnie you’re not the only one who can get friendly with a new boy.

Winona: I’m happy for you Daisy. Now if you don’t mind, I’m running late. (Winona walks away and Lance glares at her)

Lance: Who was that girl?

Daisy: Oh, that’s just Winona. She’s sweet, can be a pain in the ass sometimes.

Lanette: The same can be said about you Waterflower.

Daisy: Well hello Lame-ette! Aren’t you late for the I-Love-Winona Club?

Lanette: Funny Waterflower! I see you’ve found yourself another boy who will have his heart shattered soon.

Daisy: Funny.

Lanette: My apologies, we haven’t been formally introduced. I’m Lanette!

Lance: Very nice to meet you Lanette. (Thinking) This could be the big break that I’m waiting for. To settle this uneasy feeling about that Winona girl! (At lunch)

Daisy: Aren’t you hungry?

Lance: Eh, not so much!

Daisy: I don’t blame you for losing your appetite at this place. The food that they serve here is very questionable!

Lance: Say Daisy, I’m sure you know what’s going on around here. Like, where do you go when you want to have a fun time?

Daisy: Well I go out to dinner if that's what you mean.

Lance: Let me rephrase my meaning. You see, I have some friends who want to have a different kind of fun. Rave wise!

Daisy: Rave? Oh…You mean…

Lance: Yeah, I have those kind of friends unfortunately.

Daisy: Well, you should be a good friend and try to set your friends straight. I mean, you don’t want them to end up like some of the dead-heads we have at this school.

Lance: Dead-heads?

Daisy: You know, drug users!

Lance: Really? Who might they be? (Later in the day)

Truant Officer Jenny: Stand back folks! Keep the area clear! (Whistles blowing)

Marisa: What on earth is going on?

Misty: I don't know. (They run up to the crowd) Marcus, what's happening?

Marcus: Someone’s getting arrested!

Sakura: Apparently, these guys are drug smugglers of some sort and somebody tipped off Miss Agatha and the police.

Lily: I betcha I know who that person was! It was that nark! (Points to Marisa)

Marisa: Don’t call me a nark!

Lily: Thanks to you, my boyfriend is going to jail. You know, some things should have just kept quiet, at least until Prom has come and gone. And who knows, maybe someone planted the drugs on him. It could have been an honest mistake!

Misty: Lily, you’ve only been dating this guy for four days. Besides, Marisa couldn’t have snitched to Miss Agatha. I know for a fact that she was in classes all day.

Marisa: Yeah, plus I haven’t done anything sneaky in months.

Lily: You snitched on me just last week about…

Marisa: Oh shut up! (Lily leaves)

Marcus: You didn’t do anything since the…

Marisa: Marcus, we swore to take that secret to the grave. SHUT IT!

Marcus: (Gulps) Right little buddy!

Marisa: But I honestly have no clue as into who tipped off Miss Agatha. Maybe someone is finally living up to the example I have set for this school.

Marcus: But we’re only freshmen, remember? But you do have a point. Most of the school knows who you are being the office na… (Marisa growls) I, I mean since you report to Principal Oak. By the way, you’re doing a fabulous job! (Nervous laugh)

Daisy: Oh my goodness! Lance honey, you better tell your friend to get off the stuff now.

Lance: Don’t worry Daisy. My friend swore not to touch the stuff again. But of course, he’s always said that on and off for the last five years.

Daisy: You better not try that stuff.

Lance: Who me? Never. (Stares at Winona and Lanette) Huh? I wonder where those two are heading off to.

Daisy: Who?

Lance: Hmm. If you'll excuse me Daisy, I have to ask those girls about some...assignment.

Daisy: Okay, but don't take too long. (Nearby)

Winona: Well, that was certainly something we haven’t seen since last year.

Lanette: Tell me about it, not since the mascot incident last year.

Winona: I don’t see why you had to keep all of the pictures and video clips from when he got arrested.

Lanette: As I always said, it was just like a car crash, you just can’t turn away. I’m just disappointed that there wasn’t a police beat down like the last time.

Lance: Hello ladies.

Lanette: Oh, it’s only Daisy’s new boy-toy! Pay no attention!

Lance: Please, ladies, call me Lance. What’s up with you girls?

Winona: We were just discussing this whole drug incident. More like Lanette is getting a thrill out of the police activity.

Lanette: Strange isn’t it? I thought they caught the real drug dealer last year when they beat down the mascot. In fact, I betcha the guys who got arrested today and the mascot from last year are just lackey fall-guys for the big supplier.

Lance: You don't say.

Lanette: Do you want to see my pictures of the big mascot beat down? They're a real hoot!

Winona: PUT THOSE AWAY LANETTE!

Lance: Any thoughts?

Lanette: As in who could be the big supplier? Not a clue! Our old mascot is still in the federal prison, so there must have been someone bigger than him. (Lance leaves)

Winona: Wonder where he could have gone to?

Lanette: Who cares?

Bridgette: What happened here?

Lanette: Hey sis!

Winona: Some guys got arrested for possession of drugs.

Bridgette: You don’t say!

Lanette: Yeah! This is the biggest thing since the mascot incident last year. The most entertaining thing all year!

Winona: Oh boy! (Wallace runs up) Hi Wallace!

Wallace: Hello Winnie, I was just with Mary and she told me that Miss Agatha is planning on a locker inspection tomorrow.

Lanette: Sweet! I better bring my video camera!

Winona: Give it a rest!

Lanette: What do you think sis? Huh? Hey, where’d Bridgette go off to?

Winona: Probably to get away from your hysteria. (Later that night at Lanette's house)

Lanette: Rest up little beauty! If and when the cops bust this guy, I'll be there filming your embarrassing beat down. (Giggling)

Bridgette: Hey sis, I'm gonna be out.

Lanette: Huh? It's almost 10 o'clock!

Bridgette: Oh there was something I had to pick up. Kind of an emergency.

Lanette: Oh, then knock yourself out. (Bridgette walks out the house)

Bridgette: (Sighs) Okay, enough stalling. This is the life you've chosen. (The next morning in a classroom)

Lanette: I can’t wait to see the carnage.

Winona: We don’t know if anyone is going to get caught today. Besides, only an idiot would be stupid enough to stash their drugs in a locker after people got arrested for drug possession.

Lanette: You just like to bring me down, don’t you?

Winona: And another thing, Miss Agatha usually does these random locker checks while we’re in class. How are you going to know anything?

Lanette: Simple! I talked to that one girl Marisa to give me an update through text message. Plus, Mary the other office aid is going to post me with updates as well. With those two, I can’t lose!

Winona: (Sighs) You just love to feed on stupidity, don't you? (A little later in the hallway)

Principal Oak: Okay, so we'll do this hall first and then during second period we can sleuth through the freshmen lockers. (Dogs growling)

Truant Officer Jenny: Sounds like the dog has caught the scent of something. (Dog barking)

Lance: Open the locker. I think we'll find what we need to.

Principal Oak: How are you gonna open that?

Lance: Crowbar. (Opens the locker) Bingo! Quite the haul.

Truant Officer Jenny: Unbelievable! Who's locker is this?

Miss Agatha: (Gasps) It...It can't be. (In another classroom)

Lanette: Do you hear that noise?

Winona: It sounds like it's coming closer. (The door slams open)

Truant Officer Jenny: There she is, men. DETAIN HER! (The police surround Winona) Winona, you are under arrested for drug possession.

Winona: WHAT?!

Lanette: WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?! Winnie, you didn’t!

Winona: I didn’t do anything!

Lance: Isn’t that the understatement of the year? (He flashes his badge) You are in so much trouble.

Lanette: You're a nark? You’ve got the wrong person!

Lance: Open your eyes Lanette you’ve been befriending a drug lord all this time. We went into Winona’s locker and found enough drugs to drop Elvis.

Winona: WHAT?!

Truant Officer Jenny: You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say, can and will be used against you in a court of law. (Moments later)

Misty: Another arrest?

Sakura: I betcha anything we're going to be on the news again. (They walk up to the crowd)

Misty: (Gasps) THAT'S WINONA IN HANDCUFFS!

Sakura: What?! This isn't...right! Why do they have Winona in handcuffs?

Misty: Look, there's Wallace. He can tell us more. (They run up to him) Wallace! What in the hell is going on? Winona is being hauled away!

Wallace: Well after that one arrest yesterday, the school decided to do a random locker search this morning. (Tears up) They ended up finding drugs in Winnie’s locker.

Misty: That just doesn’t seem right! We’ve got to prove her innocence! Prove to everybody that Winona isn’t a drug user, dealer, or any thing like that!

Sakura: But what can we do Misty? They found the evidence in her locker and now she’ll go to prison for years and years. And she was such a sweet friend!

Wallace: It’s strange! I’m by Winnie’s locker every single day and never have I seen any weird items in there. Another thing, I was with her all morning up until first period. And during this time, she never went into her locker.

Misty: Wonder what could have happened?

Lanette: It was a set up!

Misty: Who are you?

Lanette: Eh? I guess I’m not as popular as Winnie! I’m Lanette and I’ve been best friends with Winnie for many, many years. I know that somebody set Winnie up. I will find the son of a bitch who set her up! I don’t care if it’s my mother, father, sister, cousin, aunt, or transvestite uncle, I will get to the bottom of the case! I and my team of investigators!

Wallace: Who would that be?

Lanette: You, you dummy! You want to clear your girlfriend’s name right?

Wallace: Well yeah but, is it just going to be you and I?

Lanette: Of course not! We’ll have help! (Nearby)

Marcus: Sad. (Camera flashes)

Todd: Very sad. (Camera flashes) It’s times like these where I actually feel guilty about taking pictures like this. And then I just say to myself that it’s all in the good name of journalism.

Marisa: Hey sleazebags! What the hell are you two doing?

Marcus: Nothing little buddy!

Marisa: Nothing? Doesn’t look like nothing! Are you making Winona’s reputation worse by putting out some sort of crap that isn’t true?

Todd: Why would we do something like that? Besides, I’m trying to get my picture on the front page of tomorrow’s newspaper. Anyways, the evidence is right in the locker. Winona is guilty, case closed! (Lanette walks up)

Lanette: Like hell she is! (Todd jumps) Come on Marisa!

Wallace: Okay, so what do we know so far?

Lanette: Lance was here as an undercover nark, to expose the big drug dealer of the school. What I don’t get is why the drugs would be in her locker.

Marisa: Try to think about it this way. Did Winona have any enemies?

Lanette: Well there is Daisy! But then of course, there’s no way she could have done such a devious job like that. Plus, she put the BLONDE in dumb blonde. She couldn’t tell the difference between E and a Tick Tack! And the person who did this has to be a real genius of breaking into Winnie's locker to plant the drugs and I don’t think Daisy could do that.

Wallace: But other than her, I don’t think anybody would want to set Winona up like that.

Lanette: Except… (She runs off)

Marisa: Where’d she run off too? (Boy screams)

Lanette: CONFESS! ADMIT IT!

Bill: What in the world are you screaming about?

Lanette: You’ve always had it out for Winona. You couldn’t stand the fact that she beats you in every election every year. You knew that the election was next month and you just needed something big to get Winona out of your hair!

Bill: Your brain must be broken! I would never do that!

Lanette: LIAR!

Bill: Get off me or I’ll sue for harassment!

Lanette: I’d like to see you try to say anything once I knock out all of those teeth!

Wallace: Lanette! Get off of him! Come on, you can’t just jump on any random guy in our class.

Lanette: But I know Bill would have something against Winona. Bill and Winona have been rivals when it came to school politics and no matter what Winona came out on top. But now, he’s the real drug dealer and set her up!

Wallace: Come on Lanette! (Bill runs off)

Lanette: (Sighs) I’m impressed Bill did something so devious and wrong!

Wallace: I don’t think he’s the real assailant. But still, we need to clear Winona’s name.

Misty: We want to help too!

Sakura: We know that Winona is innocent and we want to help you guys clear her good name.

Wallace: Huh? Misty, Sakura?

Lanette: It couldn’t hurt! (Bell rings) Okay, we’ll meet up again at lunch. (At lunch)

Marisa: Okay you guys, Mary told me something interesting. Miss Agatha actually hired Lance to go undercover. According to Lance’s report is that he had a huge suspicion of Winona from the start.

Lanette: That snake in the grass!

Wallace: What’s everyone else in school saying?

Sakura: A lot of people in our classes are saying that Winona is guilty and that she really is a drug lord. While others are in denial about the whole thing. (Lanette sighs and gets up)

Misty: Where are you going Lanette?

Lanette: You know, I think I’m going to take the rest of this day off. We'll speak again tomorrow, okay? (She walks away)

Misty: What’s with her?

Wallace: Think about it, Lanette and Winona have been best friends since they were babies. Even though, I’ve only known and dated Winona for a couple of months, that bond just doesn’t seem as tight as the bond between those two. Lanette believes in all of her heart that Winona is innocent, but the evidence is just really piling up for the other side.

Marisa: I understand what Lanette is going through. I would never want to be torn like that when it comes to any of my friends. (A little later in Lanette's room)

Lanette: Ugh... (Lays down on her bed) It can't be true, can it? Winnie, can't possibly be a drug dealer. I pass by her locker many times through the year. Plus if she was the alleged dealer, wouldn't there be evidence in her own room? I've never seen it. (Groans) None of this is making sense. (A couple of hours later) Huh? (Opens her eyes) Oh man, it's almost 4. I better check to see if Bridgette is home. Hey sis, are you in? Sis? (Opens a door) Ew, I never noticed what a real pigsty her room is. (She trips and falls down) Ow...damn it. (Growls) When she gets home I'm gonna give her a piece of my...Huh? What's this under her bed? What the hell?! (Gasps) Unmarked pill bottles? These look like some of the stuff that they confiscated from Winnie's locker! Wa-wa-wait a minute, this is nuts. It can't be my big sis...could it? (Crouches down) Oh man, it's worse than I thought...there's more under here. Sis...you're a dealer. (Sighs) I know what I have to do. If I know about this and don't tell somebody, it can spell a lot of trouble for me in the future. (Goes to the phone)

Bridgette: I’m afraid I can’t let you do that! (Lanette screams)

Lanette: Sis! (Growls) I have a few questions for you and I would appreciate it if you were honest with me. Are you the big drug lord? (She nods) Just one more...did you set up my best friend by planting drugs in her locker? (Silence) Sis!

Bridgette: Yes...yes I did.

Lanette: HOW COULD YOU?!

Bridgette: I’m sorry Lanette. I’m sorry for everything. It’s been my fault for everything throughout high school.

Lanette: So...it was all you?

Bridgette: That's right. I’m the supplier. I’m the reason why the mascot got caught last year. I’m the reason why your best friend is in jail. After I heard that there was going to be a random locker search, I knew I had to hide any trace I had in my locker and put them in another locker. At the time, Winona was the only target on my mind and for that I am sorry. I was able to pick Winona's lock with a hairpin, so I stashed everything in there. I’ve tried year after year to try and get out of this. But somehow, I find myself in a bigger hole than before. But I can’t let you go to the police. I’m asking for your help sis! Keep this our little secret. (Lanette slaps her in the face)

Lanette: You traitor! I’ve looked up to you for all of these years. I’ve always said that you were such an inspiration in my life. But there’s no forgiveness for this! As far as I’m concerned, I have no sister. I’m going straight to the police on this and set Winona free! (Picks up the phone)

Bridgette: HEY! (Jumps on top of Lanette)

Lanette: Get...off of...me!

Bridgette: Not a chance. I'm going to make sure you stay silent... (Pulls a knife out of her pocket) ...for good!

Lanette: (Gasps) You're insane! (She kicks Bridgette and runs) Gotta get help! Gotta get help! (Runs out the door) Somebody help! (Screaming) SOMEBODY HELP ME! (Nearby)

Misty: Lanette lives near here?

Wallace: Yeah, I'm sure she could use a little cheer up. Huh? Wait, isn't that her? (Lanette runs up to them)

Lanette: (Gasping) It was my sister. It was all my sister.

Misty: What was?

Lanette: She framed Winnie, she's the freakin' drug lord! And now she's trying to kill me! (They both gasp) I need to call the police before she comes back.

Wallace: Here Lanette.

Lanette: Thank yo... (Bridgette strikes her across the head and she falls to the ground)

Bridgette: That'll teach you a lesson little sister.

Misty: Lanette, Lanette, answer me! THIS IS CRAZY! SHE'S YOUR SISTER!

Bridgette: You have no idea how painful this is for me. You have no idea what I’m going through with my life.

Wallace: Please Bridgette, just come to the police station and I promise that we will help you get some professional help.

Bridgette: No wonder Winona likes you. Just like her, so naïve and so trusting. It’s that nature that will keep you weighed down. And that is what will be the cause of your demise! (Pulls out her knife) Goodbye Wallace!

Lanette: THINK FAST! (She punches Bridgette in the gut and falls to the ground) It’s people like Winona and Wallace that make this world a great place. It’s people like you that make me physically sick. Wallace, call the police. Misty, go find help. I'm gonna try to keep her pinned to the ground.

Misty: Right! (She runs to the end of the street) HEY! (A car stops) Truant Officer Jenny? (She gets out of the car)

Truant Officer Jenny: What the hell are you...?

Misty: We need your help! (They run back over)

Truant Officer Jenny: What is going on here?

Lanette: Truant Officer Jenny, Winona is innocent. She’s the real drug lord. She planted the drugs in Winona's locker so she could clear her name. Check her room and you’ll find all that you need.

Narrator: Bridgette was arrested on the spot and everything in her room was confiscated. Winona was sitting in the jail cell wondering what went wrong when the police came to her cell and told her that she was free. As she went to the front, she saw Lanette and Wallace waiting for her. Winona started to get tears in her eyes and thanked both of them for believing her word. (Later at Winona's house)

Winona: So where are your parents?

Lanette: While the police are investigating, we’re staying in a motel for a couple of days.

Winona: Listen Lanette, we’ve been through a lot now. I just want to know why you actually did what you did. You had the chance to put your own sister ahead of me.

Lanette: Well, when Bridgette was telling me her side of the story, a thought raced through my mind. What would Winona do? I thought of what you would do in this situation. I knew that you would do the right thing by turning her in, even if it was your own sister.

Winona: Wallace told me that you were pretty shaken up by the whole ordeal.

Lanette: I know I should be mad at my sister for what she has done. Betrayed my parents trust, as well as my own! Not to mention, setting you up like that. I don’t know if there will ever be a time when I can fully forgive Bridgette. Despite all of that, she is my sister and I still love her.

Winona: As you know, I’m an only child. I don’t know what it’s like to have a sibling. But I’ve always thought of you as my sister in some weird way. I’m so glad that you believed in me like that. (They hug)

Lanette: Hey someone had to take a stand. It might as well be me!

~*Preview*~

Lanette: It's school election time and Winnie and I are running for Student Body President and Vice President. The two of us together will run this school. Oh but that snake in the grass Bill and his evil cohort Celio are up to no good by mudslinging our good names. Well it's time for a few tactics of our own. Don't mess with this kitty, she's got claws! Next time on Romance 101, Chapter 10...See you next time!

Song(s) used:

*Eminem - The Real Slim Shady

*Eminem - The Kids