Episode One
Blind Date
Scattered trash tumbled along the street as the violent wind blew through the Windy City that day. A white sheet of paper twirled and looped in the wind then found its resting-place at the doorstep of store shop. Above on the altered sign, it read, "Gunsmith Cats."
Inside the store, the two gunsmith cats quietly wasted time by cleaning the gun cabinet glass or reading magazines. There hadn't been a customer all day. Also, there hadn't been any recent cases to work on.
Rally sighed as she finished putting her beloved CZ-75 handgun back together. She put the gun back in her holster and reached for a logbook under the counter. "May, what's today's date?" Rally asked while opening up the book.
May looked up from her magazine. "It's the fourteenth! How could you forget?"
"The fourteenth?" Rally looked puzzled. "Oh, right...Valentines Day. I forgot all about that."
"You really need a man, Rally! This is ridiculous! You spend every Friday night wasting away at home! Today's Valentines Day, and you're gonna do the same thing!"
"Oh, shut up," Rally mumbled as she wrote some things down in the notebook.
May sighed deeply and threw down her magazine. "Rally, we haven't had a customer all day! Let's just go home!"
"Yeah, and just when we close down, someone will show up."
"Please, Rally!"
"No, can't you listen?"
"Rally!" May whined.
Rally closed the logbook. "What for?"
"Nobody is gonna stop by! There's no sense wasting away here when we could be at home!"
Rally put the book back under the counter. She looked up over at the clock. "It's only two in the afternoon."
"Just this once, Rally! Please!"
Rally rolled her eyes and stood up off her stool. "What, you got some date tonight or something?"
"No! Kenny's not coming into town this weekend. I just wanna go home!"
Rally grabbed her favorite pair of safety glasses. "I'm sorry, but we've got to earn a living you know." She put the glasses on. "Just chill out while I go shoot, okay?"
"Rally!" May moaned. A smile appeared on May's face then she suddenly sat straight up. "Oh, Rally?"
Rally looked back at May just before she stepped into the shooting gallery. "What?" She asked apathetically.
"If you close down early, I promise we can have pizza for dinner for one straight week."
Rally's eyes perked up. "Really? No Chinese food?"
"Really. No Chinese food."
"No take backs or arguments?"
"Geeze, you really think a lot of me don't you, Rally!"
"Don't got much to go on."
"Gee, thanks!" May suck her tongue out. "So how about it?" "Hmmm...alright. You go call in an order from Antonio's while I go shoot. Then fire up the car."
"Alright, Rally! Thank you!" May jumped off her stool and ran off into the other room to call in the order.
Rally shook her head and headed off into the shooting gallery. "She must have some date that she's not telling me about. Otherwise, she wouldn't be this desperate to leave early."
A few minutes later, Rally and May headed towards home in Rally's impressive 1967 Shelby GT 500. They decided to start eating a little early and were munching on pizza while driving home. Rally, actually being in an extremely good mood from the pizza, let May choose the radio station. They cruised along the streets of Chicago getting closer and closer to their house; however, they had to stop for the train. Usually Rally would get upset and impatient because of the train, but today she actually bopped her head to May's music and sat quietly.
"May, give me another slice."
"Sure thing, Rally," May said nervously as she handed over the slice of pizza.
"Thanks."
"Uh, Rally..."
Rally bopped her head to the music. "Step by step, heart to heart, left right left, we all fall down like toy soldiers..."
"Rally!"
Rally shook her head. "Uh...what? What is it, May?" Rally smiled warmly.
May bit her lip. It was moments like these that reaffirmed the special sisterly bond she and Rally shared. Although Rally was usually tough and ornery, it was moments like this that May knew Rally really cared. And now, she was about to ruin the moment.
"May? Are you okay?"
May took a deep breath. "Uh, the reason I wanted to close down early today is because..."
Rally looked over at May. "What is it?"
"You see, Rally, I...uh...well...I've noticed that you haven't been getting out much, and seeing since it's Valentine's Day and all..."
Rally looked sternly at May. "May?"
"I kinda set you up on a blind date tonight."
"YOU WHAT?"
"I said I kinda set you up on an blind date tonight..."
"I HEARD WHAT YOU SAID! WHY IN THE HECK WOULD YOU DO THAT? MAY!"
"Oh, come on, Rally! You need to get some fresh air!"
"I DON'T NEED ANY FRESH AIR!"
The train finished passing by, and Rally hit the accelerator. The car suddenly jolted forward, and started zooming down the street.
May's forehead smacked into the dashboard. "RALLY, CUT IT OUT! YOU'RE BEING SUCH A BABY!"
"I NEVER ASKED YOU TO DO ANYTHING! JUST STAY OUT OF MY LIFE! WHY CAN'T YOU UNDERSTAND I DON'T NEED YOU!"
"What's that supposed to mean?" May crosses her arms.
"Look, I..." Rally fell silent. "I...didn't mean it like that..."
"Then what did you mean?" May tapped her fingers against her arm.
"Well the fact is...YOU SHOULDN'T BE MESSING AROUND IN MY LIFE! I NEVER ASKED YOU TO!"
May turned off the radio. "COME OFF IT, RALLY! BESIDES, WHEN IS THE LAST TIME YOU'VE EVER BEEN ON A DATE?"
The car fell dead silent.
May smirked. "You've never? Haven't you?
"What's it matter anyway?" Rally said solemnly as she stared forward while driving. She remained silent after that and keep her eyes forward.
May knew this look. Rally wasn't just mad anymore but deeply offended. "Rally..." May sighed. "Would you just please go out with him?"
"No."
"Rally!"
Rally made a sharp left turn and pulled onto her street. She and May looked forward to see a car parked on the curb outside their house.
"Who's that?" Rally asked.
"I dunno."
They pulled into the garage and got out of the car. Rally pulled off her sunglasses as she saw a man step out of the car.
"Oh, it's Harry. What's he doing here?" May asked.
"Harry?"
"Harry Briscoe. Your blind date, Rally."
"Well, I guess it really isn't blind, now is it, May?"
"Shut up."
A short plump man waddled forward in a checkered suit. He nervously fiddled with his glasses as he approached the two girls. "Hello, May."
Rally cringed at sound of Harry's squeaky voice.
"Hi, Harry...What are you doing here so early?" May asked.
"Well, I thought I'd just leave early and take my time to find your house."
May pulled up her sleeve and looked at her watch. "Uh, it's only three o'clock. I told you to drop by at six."
"Well...that...can give me time to get to know you and all. So where's Miss Rally Vincent?"
May turned around and saw that Rally wasn't there. "Hey!" She looked around the yard to see Rally sneaking into the house. "RALLY VINCENT! Get over here!"
Rally turned around and smiled sheepishly. "Uh...hi..."
Harry blushed as he got a look at Rally. Then he started fiddling with his glasses again. "It's a pl...pl...pl...pleasure to...meet...meet...you..."
"Uh, yeah...same here." Rally faked a smile.
May sighed. "Why don't you come inside and sit down, Harry?"
"Okay."
About an hour later, Harry sat on the couch watching Star Trek, his favorite show, while Rally and May were upstairs. Becky happened to drop by within the hour and eventually went upstairs to get away from Harry's detailed speech on the life of Captain Kirk from Star Trek.
"Gosh, May, where did you dig that guy up?" Rally asked as she brushed out her dark hair. "Well, it's not that easy to find a date for you! Most of the guys I asked were afraid of you!"
"What for? There's nothing to be afraid of!" Rally balked.
"Oh, yeah?" May spat. "The last guy who asked you out had to get surgery after you kneed him in the...well...you remember..."
"He was pushy. What was I supposed to do?" Rally walked into the bathroom.
"Uh...just say no?" May rolled her eyes. "Hey, Becky, give me a Pepsi."
"Yeah, sure." Becky handed a soda to May. "You know, this is all quite fascinating, but I suppose Rally does have a point. The man had to tell about his athletes foot and Star Quest...or Travel...or something."
"Star Trek," Rally said from the bathroom.
"See, you know some things about stuff he likes." May opened her Pepsi.
"Oh, yeah, that makes us highly compatible." Rally almost laughed. "You could at least found someone I might be able to tolerate."
"Well, all the guys around the neighborhood think you're scary. What was I supposed to do?"
"Uh, just try stay out of my business. Now I have to go out with "Captain Kirk" because of you!"
"Why did you just tell him no?" Becky asked after laughing at Rally's joke.
"Oh sure! Make me look like the bad guy! Hopefully, we can get this thing over with, and I'll never have to see him again!" Rally hollered from the bathroom.
"So what are you wearing tonight?" Becky took a sip out of her water bottle.
Rally walked out of the room wearing a midnight blue dress. The sparkles shimmered in the light as she walked out. "Well, it seems like May is forcing me to wear this. I can't believe you even bought this for me."
"It's for occasions like these, hon."
Becky sat straight up. "Wow, Rally...you look nice."
Rally blushed but turned her face away from May and Becky. "Oh shut up..."
"No, I mean it. You do."
Rally rolled her eyes as she grabbed her shoes and headed downstairs. "Looks like my Friday night is shot."
"Oh, Rally." May rolled her eyes.
Harry opened the front door for Rally. "Ready to go?"
"Yeah, just a second." Rally bent over on her side to slip on her high-heel shoes. She hated the stupid shoes, but May insisted.
"You two stay out of trouble!" May hollered. May and Becky sat on the couch in pajamas with a large bowl of popcorn. "Yeah!" Becky exclaimed. "We better not get a call from the police about you two!"
Rally looked up and gave them both a dirty look. She stood up straight once her shoes were on. "Aren't you two going out?"
"No," Becky said.
"Ready?" Harry asked.
"Yeah, let's go."
Harry and Rally walked out the front door to Rally's house and shut the door behind them. Rally stopped to lock the door while Harry headed to the car. Rally then turned around to see Harry holding open the passenger door to a 1974 Ford Pinto. Rally didn't know whether to laugh or cringe at the "deathtrap" of a vehicle.
"Hop in, Rally." Harry motioned his hand to the door.
"Uh, I'm driving." Rally turned on the sidewalk heading toward the garage and went to fire up the Cobra, as she liked to call her car.
"Hey, wait." Harry waddled after her. He walked up to the garage door and jumped back once he heard the engine of the Shelby roar.
Rally then reversed out of the driveway. She leaned out her rolled down window. "Get in." Harry waddled over to the passenger side and slid in. "You know, my mother doesn't think it's a good idea for women to drive..."
Rally slammed the accelerator and the car reversed out of the driveway. Harry flew back in his seat and slammed against it real hard. "Then your mother and I wouldn't get along very well." Rally smiled as she clutched the gear shifter of the car. She put the car in drive and zoomed forward down the street."
Harry finally managed to take a proper seat, and he buckled in. "My mother also doesn't like dominant women..." He took a deep breath of relief. "...but, I don't mind so much..."
Rally laughed as she pushed the accelerator harder. "Your mother apparently tells you a lot of things."
Harry gripped onto the seat as Rally went faster and faster. "Yes, she does. Could we not go so fast? I get very car sick."
Rally suddenly hit her brake. "Yeah, you're not throwing up in my car. I just got this baby back from the shop."
Harry grabbed his stomach from the sudden stop. "I'll try not too."
"Good."
Harry held open the door to Mario's Pizza for Rally as she walked in. She decided to leave her normal neighborhood for the date just in case anyone saw her. She looked around the restaurant and only saw a few people and luckily, she didn't know any of them as she hoped.
"I need to go to the bathroom. You order the pizza while I'm gone." Rally headed off toward the restroom.
"Okay, I can do that. Any preferences?"
"I eat whatever." Rally then turned around a corner.
"Okay."
Rally came out of the bathroom and joined Harry at a couples table. "He had to pick a two seat table, didn't he?" She thought to herself.
"You were gone 5 minutes and 37 seconds. I was starting to worry about you." Harry said as he put his recording pencil away.
"Why? I wasn't gone that long." Rally gave Harry a strange look.
"Once when I was on a date in high school, the girl slipped out the bathroom window and left me at the restaurant."
Rally bit her lip. "Uh, I'm sorry."
"It's very painful to talk about." He pulled out a package of tissues and blew his nose and wiped his eyes.
"Oh..." Rally looked around the room. She then caught a whiff of some horrible smell. "Uh, what is that smell? It smells like a yak!"
"Pizza!" An older twenties thin woman in an apron walked up to Harry and Rally. She set the pizza down on the table. "One lactose intolerant soy cheese pizza."
"Lact...what?" Rally asked, almost gagging.
"Lactose intolerant pizza. You know, I've been working here since I was fifteen, and I'd say you two are the first to order it. My husband's family have run this place for 60 years, and they think you're the first too."
"Oh what a momentous occasion," Rally apathetically said.
"Stick around. We'll take your picture later." The woman walked away.
"That's great. Our date will be immortalized forever." Harry grabbed a slice of pizza. "Which slice do you want?"
"Uh, I'm not hungry anymore." Rally put her head in her hands.
"Well, okay." Harry took a bite. "So what do you like to do for fun?"
"Shoot guns, drive cars."
"My mother says guns are dangerous."
"That's cause the idiots that have them don't know how to use them," Rally spat. "Then the government's gotta crack down because of idiots like them."
"I don't mind an edgy girl! Oh, no, not at all! I'm fine with an in- charge woman." Harry said before taking a drink of water.
"Just like your mother right?"
"Right."
Rally sighed and took a drink of her Pepsi.
All of the sudden, a huge explosion blew up half the restaurant. Rally jumped down to the ground and hit behind a flipped over table. "HARRY! GET OVER HERE!" She grabbed Harry's shirt collar and yanked him behind the table.
"What's going on?" Harry asked, crying and hyperventilating.
"I don't know!" Rally hollered. She pulled out her trusty CZ-75 handgun from her leg holster.
"IS EVERYONE OKAY?" A younger man ran threw the remaining part of the restaurant.
Suddenly, a group of five men stepped into the opening. They were dressed exactly like regular people except they wore ski-masks.
"Who are you?" The young man questioned. He looked closely then his eyes opened up wide. "Wait! I can explain!"
One of them, who appeared to be the leader, pulled out and fired off a machine gun from his trench coat. Everyone screamed and ducked as the young man was sprayed with bullets over and over again.
"MARIO!" The waitress who gave Harry and Rally the pizza screamed. "MARIO!" She jumped over the counter and ran out into the middle of the restaurant. As the young man, named Mario, collapsed, she caught him in her arms and screamed.
"WHAT THE HECK!" Rally hollered. She poked out from behind the table and started firing at the five men. She managed to hit the leader in the stomach but the other men started firing at her. She screamed and dropped her gun once she was hit in the right arm.
"RALLY! ARE YOU OKAY?" Harry asked, still balling.
"I'M FINE!" Rally picked up her gun and kept firing as the men left. She and the retreating men exchanged more bullets until they were out of sight. "DANG IT!" She screamed. She grabbed her wounded arm and held it tightly. "DANG IT! THEY GOT AWAY! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!"
"OUCH! Watch it!" Rally hollered as the paramedics wrapped up her arm in bandages.
"Sorry, Ma'am."
"Rally!"
Rally looked up. There was May running right at her in her Cubs tee- shirt with Becky trailing right behind her in a blazer.
"Oh, Rally! I came as fast as I could!" She hugged Rally tightly. "I'm so glad you're okay!"
"Geeze, May! I'm all right! Don't squeeze so hard!" Rally exclaimed.
"Oh, Rally, I was so worried about you..."
Rally sighed lovingly and patted May's back. "It's alright, May. Everything's gonna be okay now."
Becky adjusted her glasses. "Really, you need to be more careful, Rally. Your wounds could have been fatal."
"What was I supposed to do? The place just kinda exploded. I was just having dinner."
"Speaking of which, where's Harry?" Becky asked.
"The police are questioning him," Rally said. "Yeah, he's a little shaken up."
"Gee, his mother will probably never let you two go on a date again," May said. "I had to bribe her with a cheesecake just to get the first one set up."
"May!"
May smiled and shrugged her shoulders. "Sorry, Rally..."
"Well, well, well look what we have here. My favorite pussycats..."
Rally, May, and Becky froze.
"Don't tell me that's who I think it is," Rally whined.
"I can't believe it," May moaned.
"Well, believe it," Becky said.
The three of them turned around and faked a smile. "Bill!"
"What's up, pussycats?"
"Apparently not your fashion sense," May hissed.
"Oh, I sense a little hostility here..." Bill rubbed the back of his neck. "So how's it going, girls?"
"We are not doing anything for you," Rally spat out.
"Hey! Hey! Hey! Easy now! That wasn't my intent coming over here! I was just here to tell you a few things."
"Like what?" May asked. "Did you finally learn to dress yourself in the morning?"
"Ha! Ha! Ha! No!" Bill said. "Perhaps this is another case we can crack together? What do ya say, pussycat?"
"Excuse me, but your not going to be doing anything around here!" A voice snapped.
Bill turned around while the girls looked up to focus their attention. There stood a young man dressed in grey suit pants, a white shirt, and a black tie. He stood tall and firm with his sleeves rolled up, obviously to show off his muscles. His brown hair was neatly cut, and his eyes were deep brown.
"Well, hi..." May slurred in a drunken daze. "My name's May Hopkins. What's yours, handsome?"
Becky elbowed May. "Does the name Kenny ring a bell?"
"Oh right!" May shook her head.
The young man sharply turned his head to the right looking straight at Bill. He glared then smirked. "You can go now. The ATF doesn't need to be involved."
"Well, why didn't you just say so before?" Bill spat before he walked away.
"Who are you?" Rally asked.
"The name's Devin Park. I'm with the Chicago Police Department." He puffed up his chest. "I graduated top of my class at the academy. I also broke 14 of the school's records."
"So you know Roy then?" Rally asked, concerned about her friend.
"Yeah, I know him," Devin said. He smirked then looked up at Rally. He held out his fist to Rally then rolled his wrist making a flower appear as a magic trick. He handed the flower to Rally, which she reluctantly took.
"Uh...thanks..." Rally stuttered. She fell silent after that.
Devin stood there for a moment waiting for a response. As he waited he looked around at the other officers. "Well, I guess I better go. There's a lot of work to do." He turned around and walked away.
May slapped Rally upside the head.
"Ouch!" Rally exclaimed. "What'd you do that for?" "What is the matter with you?" May hissed. "What?" Rally asked. "You complain about the people I find for you to date then that Devin guy starts hitting on you, and you do nothing! He was actually hot, and he wasn't afraid of you either!" May complained. "Why didn't you ask him out?" "Wait a minute! I never said that this dating thing was going to be permanent! I just went out with Harry so I would hurt his feelings!" "Rally, I don't know what to do with you sometimes!" "Would you just keep your nose out my business!" Another police officer walked up to the group and stood next to Becky. He looked at Rally and May fighting for a few moments. "Popcorn?" Becky asked, holding a bag of popcorn. "Yeah, sure." He said as he watched the two fight, quite entertained. "I thought we were friends, Rally!" "Friends don't go behind each other's backs, May!"
Becky grabbed a hand full of popcorn. "Yeah, they'll be at it all night."
Late that night, the Shelby Cobra pulled into the driveway of Rally's house. Rally yanked the keys out and got out of the car. Becky and May stumbled out of the car and entered the house through the garage. Harry started heading toward the front door so Rally tiredly followed.
"I can't believe all that happened. My mother will be so upset. I hope she doesn't have another heart-attack..."
Rally punched in the security code for the house then manually unlocked the front door. She grasped the handle while yawning and opened it.
"Maybe we'll have to try this again. Goodnight, Miss Vincent."
"Yeah, goodnight."
Harry took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He puckered his lips and learned forward only to find his lips meeting the wooden front door.
"Rally?"
Blind Date
Scattered trash tumbled along the street as the violent wind blew through the Windy City that day. A white sheet of paper twirled and looped in the wind then found its resting-place at the doorstep of store shop. Above on the altered sign, it read, "Gunsmith Cats."
Inside the store, the two gunsmith cats quietly wasted time by cleaning the gun cabinet glass or reading magazines. There hadn't been a customer all day. Also, there hadn't been any recent cases to work on.
Rally sighed as she finished putting her beloved CZ-75 handgun back together. She put the gun back in her holster and reached for a logbook under the counter. "May, what's today's date?" Rally asked while opening up the book.
May looked up from her magazine. "It's the fourteenth! How could you forget?"
"The fourteenth?" Rally looked puzzled. "Oh, right...Valentines Day. I forgot all about that."
"You really need a man, Rally! This is ridiculous! You spend every Friday night wasting away at home! Today's Valentines Day, and you're gonna do the same thing!"
"Oh, shut up," Rally mumbled as she wrote some things down in the notebook.
May sighed deeply and threw down her magazine. "Rally, we haven't had a customer all day! Let's just go home!"
"Yeah, and just when we close down, someone will show up."
"Please, Rally!"
"No, can't you listen?"
"Rally!" May whined.
Rally closed the logbook. "What for?"
"Nobody is gonna stop by! There's no sense wasting away here when we could be at home!"
Rally put the book back under the counter. She looked up over at the clock. "It's only two in the afternoon."
"Just this once, Rally! Please!"
Rally rolled her eyes and stood up off her stool. "What, you got some date tonight or something?"
"No! Kenny's not coming into town this weekend. I just wanna go home!"
Rally grabbed her favorite pair of safety glasses. "I'm sorry, but we've got to earn a living you know." She put the glasses on. "Just chill out while I go shoot, okay?"
"Rally!" May moaned. A smile appeared on May's face then she suddenly sat straight up. "Oh, Rally?"
Rally looked back at May just before she stepped into the shooting gallery. "What?" She asked apathetically.
"If you close down early, I promise we can have pizza for dinner for one straight week."
Rally's eyes perked up. "Really? No Chinese food?"
"Really. No Chinese food."
"No take backs or arguments?"
"Geeze, you really think a lot of me don't you, Rally!"
"Don't got much to go on."
"Gee, thanks!" May suck her tongue out. "So how about it?" "Hmmm...alright. You go call in an order from Antonio's while I go shoot. Then fire up the car."
"Alright, Rally! Thank you!" May jumped off her stool and ran off into the other room to call in the order.
Rally shook her head and headed off into the shooting gallery. "She must have some date that she's not telling me about. Otherwise, she wouldn't be this desperate to leave early."
A few minutes later, Rally and May headed towards home in Rally's impressive 1967 Shelby GT 500. They decided to start eating a little early and were munching on pizza while driving home. Rally, actually being in an extremely good mood from the pizza, let May choose the radio station. They cruised along the streets of Chicago getting closer and closer to their house; however, they had to stop for the train. Usually Rally would get upset and impatient because of the train, but today she actually bopped her head to May's music and sat quietly.
"May, give me another slice."
"Sure thing, Rally," May said nervously as she handed over the slice of pizza.
"Thanks."
"Uh, Rally..."
Rally bopped her head to the music. "Step by step, heart to heart, left right left, we all fall down like toy soldiers..."
"Rally!"
Rally shook her head. "Uh...what? What is it, May?" Rally smiled warmly.
May bit her lip. It was moments like these that reaffirmed the special sisterly bond she and Rally shared. Although Rally was usually tough and ornery, it was moments like this that May knew Rally really cared. And now, she was about to ruin the moment.
"May? Are you okay?"
May took a deep breath. "Uh, the reason I wanted to close down early today is because..."
Rally looked over at May. "What is it?"
"You see, Rally, I...uh...well...I've noticed that you haven't been getting out much, and seeing since it's Valentine's Day and all..."
Rally looked sternly at May. "May?"
"I kinda set you up on a blind date tonight."
"YOU WHAT?"
"I said I kinda set you up on an blind date tonight..."
"I HEARD WHAT YOU SAID! WHY IN THE HECK WOULD YOU DO THAT? MAY!"
"Oh, come on, Rally! You need to get some fresh air!"
"I DON'T NEED ANY FRESH AIR!"
The train finished passing by, and Rally hit the accelerator. The car suddenly jolted forward, and started zooming down the street.
May's forehead smacked into the dashboard. "RALLY, CUT IT OUT! YOU'RE BEING SUCH A BABY!"
"I NEVER ASKED YOU TO DO ANYTHING! JUST STAY OUT OF MY LIFE! WHY CAN'T YOU UNDERSTAND I DON'T NEED YOU!"
"What's that supposed to mean?" May crosses her arms.
"Look, I..." Rally fell silent. "I...didn't mean it like that..."
"Then what did you mean?" May tapped her fingers against her arm.
"Well the fact is...YOU SHOULDN'T BE MESSING AROUND IN MY LIFE! I NEVER ASKED YOU TO!"
May turned off the radio. "COME OFF IT, RALLY! BESIDES, WHEN IS THE LAST TIME YOU'VE EVER BEEN ON A DATE?"
The car fell dead silent.
May smirked. "You've never? Haven't you?
"What's it matter anyway?" Rally said solemnly as she stared forward while driving. She remained silent after that and keep her eyes forward.
May knew this look. Rally wasn't just mad anymore but deeply offended. "Rally..." May sighed. "Would you just please go out with him?"
"No."
"Rally!"
Rally made a sharp left turn and pulled onto her street. She and May looked forward to see a car parked on the curb outside their house.
"Who's that?" Rally asked.
"I dunno."
They pulled into the garage and got out of the car. Rally pulled off her sunglasses as she saw a man step out of the car.
"Oh, it's Harry. What's he doing here?" May asked.
"Harry?"
"Harry Briscoe. Your blind date, Rally."
"Well, I guess it really isn't blind, now is it, May?"
"Shut up."
A short plump man waddled forward in a checkered suit. He nervously fiddled with his glasses as he approached the two girls. "Hello, May."
Rally cringed at sound of Harry's squeaky voice.
"Hi, Harry...What are you doing here so early?" May asked.
"Well, I thought I'd just leave early and take my time to find your house."
May pulled up her sleeve and looked at her watch. "Uh, it's only three o'clock. I told you to drop by at six."
"Well...that...can give me time to get to know you and all. So where's Miss Rally Vincent?"
May turned around and saw that Rally wasn't there. "Hey!" She looked around the yard to see Rally sneaking into the house. "RALLY VINCENT! Get over here!"
Rally turned around and smiled sheepishly. "Uh...hi..."
Harry blushed as he got a look at Rally. Then he started fiddling with his glasses again. "It's a pl...pl...pl...pleasure to...meet...meet...you..."
"Uh, yeah...same here." Rally faked a smile.
May sighed. "Why don't you come inside and sit down, Harry?"
"Okay."
About an hour later, Harry sat on the couch watching Star Trek, his favorite show, while Rally and May were upstairs. Becky happened to drop by within the hour and eventually went upstairs to get away from Harry's detailed speech on the life of Captain Kirk from Star Trek.
"Gosh, May, where did you dig that guy up?" Rally asked as she brushed out her dark hair. "Well, it's not that easy to find a date for you! Most of the guys I asked were afraid of you!"
"What for? There's nothing to be afraid of!" Rally balked.
"Oh, yeah?" May spat. "The last guy who asked you out had to get surgery after you kneed him in the...well...you remember..."
"He was pushy. What was I supposed to do?" Rally walked into the bathroom.
"Uh...just say no?" May rolled her eyes. "Hey, Becky, give me a Pepsi."
"Yeah, sure." Becky handed a soda to May. "You know, this is all quite fascinating, but I suppose Rally does have a point. The man had to tell about his athletes foot and Star Quest...or Travel...or something."
"Star Trek," Rally said from the bathroom.
"See, you know some things about stuff he likes." May opened her Pepsi.
"Oh, yeah, that makes us highly compatible." Rally almost laughed. "You could at least found someone I might be able to tolerate."
"Well, all the guys around the neighborhood think you're scary. What was I supposed to do?"
"Uh, just try stay out of my business. Now I have to go out with "Captain Kirk" because of you!"
"Why did you just tell him no?" Becky asked after laughing at Rally's joke.
"Oh sure! Make me look like the bad guy! Hopefully, we can get this thing over with, and I'll never have to see him again!" Rally hollered from the bathroom.
"So what are you wearing tonight?" Becky took a sip out of her water bottle.
Rally walked out of the room wearing a midnight blue dress. The sparkles shimmered in the light as she walked out. "Well, it seems like May is forcing me to wear this. I can't believe you even bought this for me."
"It's for occasions like these, hon."
Becky sat straight up. "Wow, Rally...you look nice."
Rally blushed but turned her face away from May and Becky. "Oh shut up..."
"No, I mean it. You do."
Rally rolled her eyes as she grabbed her shoes and headed downstairs. "Looks like my Friday night is shot."
"Oh, Rally." May rolled her eyes.
Harry opened the front door for Rally. "Ready to go?"
"Yeah, just a second." Rally bent over on her side to slip on her high-heel shoes. She hated the stupid shoes, but May insisted.
"You two stay out of trouble!" May hollered. May and Becky sat on the couch in pajamas with a large bowl of popcorn. "Yeah!" Becky exclaimed. "We better not get a call from the police about you two!"
Rally looked up and gave them both a dirty look. She stood up straight once her shoes were on. "Aren't you two going out?"
"No," Becky said.
"Ready?" Harry asked.
"Yeah, let's go."
Harry and Rally walked out the front door to Rally's house and shut the door behind them. Rally stopped to lock the door while Harry headed to the car. Rally then turned around to see Harry holding open the passenger door to a 1974 Ford Pinto. Rally didn't know whether to laugh or cringe at the "deathtrap" of a vehicle.
"Hop in, Rally." Harry motioned his hand to the door.
"Uh, I'm driving." Rally turned on the sidewalk heading toward the garage and went to fire up the Cobra, as she liked to call her car.
"Hey, wait." Harry waddled after her. He walked up to the garage door and jumped back once he heard the engine of the Shelby roar.
Rally then reversed out of the driveway. She leaned out her rolled down window. "Get in." Harry waddled over to the passenger side and slid in. "You know, my mother doesn't think it's a good idea for women to drive..."
Rally slammed the accelerator and the car reversed out of the driveway. Harry flew back in his seat and slammed against it real hard. "Then your mother and I wouldn't get along very well." Rally smiled as she clutched the gear shifter of the car. She put the car in drive and zoomed forward down the street."
Harry finally managed to take a proper seat, and he buckled in. "My mother also doesn't like dominant women..." He took a deep breath of relief. "...but, I don't mind so much..."
Rally laughed as she pushed the accelerator harder. "Your mother apparently tells you a lot of things."
Harry gripped onto the seat as Rally went faster and faster. "Yes, she does. Could we not go so fast? I get very car sick."
Rally suddenly hit her brake. "Yeah, you're not throwing up in my car. I just got this baby back from the shop."
Harry grabbed his stomach from the sudden stop. "I'll try not too."
"Good."
Harry held open the door to Mario's Pizza for Rally as she walked in. She decided to leave her normal neighborhood for the date just in case anyone saw her. She looked around the restaurant and only saw a few people and luckily, she didn't know any of them as she hoped.
"I need to go to the bathroom. You order the pizza while I'm gone." Rally headed off toward the restroom.
"Okay, I can do that. Any preferences?"
"I eat whatever." Rally then turned around a corner.
"Okay."
Rally came out of the bathroom and joined Harry at a couples table. "He had to pick a two seat table, didn't he?" She thought to herself.
"You were gone 5 minutes and 37 seconds. I was starting to worry about you." Harry said as he put his recording pencil away.
"Why? I wasn't gone that long." Rally gave Harry a strange look.
"Once when I was on a date in high school, the girl slipped out the bathroom window and left me at the restaurant."
Rally bit her lip. "Uh, I'm sorry."
"It's very painful to talk about." He pulled out a package of tissues and blew his nose and wiped his eyes.
"Oh..." Rally looked around the room. She then caught a whiff of some horrible smell. "Uh, what is that smell? It smells like a yak!"
"Pizza!" An older twenties thin woman in an apron walked up to Harry and Rally. She set the pizza down on the table. "One lactose intolerant soy cheese pizza."
"Lact...what?" Rally asked, almost gagging.
"Lactose intolerant pizza. You know, I've been working here since I was fifteen, and I'd say you two are the first to order it. My husband's family have run this place for 60 years, and they think you're the first too."
"Oh what a momentous occasion," Rally apathetically said.
"Stick around. We'll take your picture later." The woman walked away.
"That's great. Our date will be immortalized forever." Harry grabbed a slice of pizza. "Which slice do you want?"
"Uh, I'm not hungry anymore." Rally put her head in her hands.
"Well, okay." Harry took a bite. "So what do you like to do for fun?"
"Shoot guns, drive cars."
"My mother says guns are dangerous."
"That's cause the idiots that have them don't know how to use them," Rally spat. "Then the government's gotta crack down because of idiots like them."
"I don't mind an edgy girl! Oh, no, not at all! I'm fine with an in- charge woman." Harry said before taking a drink of water.
"Just like your mother right?"
"Right."
Rally sighed and took a drink of her Pepsi.
All of the sudden, a huge explosion blew up half the restaurant. Rally jumped down to the ground and hit behind a flipped over table. "HARRY! GET OVER HERE!" She grabbed Harry's shirt collar and yanked him behind the table.
"What's going on?" Harry asked, crying and hyperventilating.
"I don't know!" Rally hollered. She pulled out her trusty CZ-75 handgun from her leg holster.
"IS EVERYONE OKAY?" A younger man ran threw the remaining part of the restaurant.
Suddenly, a group of five men stepped into the opening. They were dressed exactly like regular people except they wore ski-masks.
"Who are you?" The young man questioned. He looked closely then his eyes opened up wide. "Wait! I can explain!"
One of them, who appeared to be the leader, pulled out and fired off a machine gun from his trench coat. Everyone screamed and ducked as the young man was sprayed with bullets over and over again.
"MARIO!" The waitress who gave Harry and Rally the pizza screamed. "MARIO!" She jumped over the counter and ran out into the middle of the restaurant. As the young man, named Mario, collapsed, she caught him in her arms and screamed.
"WHAT THE HECK!" Rally hollered. She poked out from behind the table and started firing at the five men. She managed to hit the leader in the stomach but the other men started firing at her. She screamed and dropped her gun once she was hit in the right arm.
"RALLY! ARE YOU OKAY?" Harry asked, still balling.
"I'M FINE!" Rally picked up her gun and kept firing as the men left. She and the retreating men exchanged more bullets until they were out of sight. "DANG IT!" She screamed. She grabbed her wounded arm and held it tightly. "DANG IT! THEY GOT AWAY! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!"
"OUCH! Watch it!" Rally hollered as the paramedics wrapped up her arm in bandages.
"Sorry, Ma'am."
"Rally!"
Rally looked up. There was May running right at her in her Cubs tee- shirt with Becky trailing right behind her in a blazer.
"Oh, Rally! I came as fast as I could!" She hugged Rally tightly. "I'm so glad you're okay!"
"Geeze, May! I'm all right! Don't squeeze so hard!" Rally exclaimed.
"Oh, Rally, I was so worried about you..."
Rally sighed lovingly and patted May's back. "It's alright, May. Everything's gonna be okay now."
Becky adjusted her glasses. "Really, you need to be more careful, Rally. Your wounds could have been fatal."
"What was I supposed to do? The place just kinda exploded. I was just having dinner."
"Speaking of which, where's Harry?" Becky asked.
"The police are questioning him," Rally said. "Yeah, he's a little shaken up."
"Gee, his mother will probably never let you two go on a date again," May said. "I had to bribe her with a cheesecake just to get the first one set up."
"May!"
May smiled and shrugged her shoulders. "Sorry, Rally..."
"Well, well, well look what we have here. My favorite pussycats..."
Rally, May, and Becky froze.
"Don't tell me that's who I think it is," Rally whined.
"I can't believe it," May moaned.
"Well, believe it," Becky said.
The three of them turned around and faked a smile. "Bill!"
"What's up, pussycats?"
"Apparently not your fashion sense," May hissed.
"Oh, I sense a little hostility here..." Bill rubbed the back of his neck. "So how's it going, girls?"
"We are not doing anything for you," Rally spat out.
"Hey! Hey! Hey! Easy now! That wasn't my intent coming over here! I was just here to tell you a few things."
"Like what?" May asked. "Did you finally learn to dress yourself in the morning?"
"Ha! Ha! Ha! No!" Bill said. "Perhaps this is another case we can crack together? What do ya say, pussycat?"
"Excuse me, but your not going to be doing anything around here!" A voice snapped.
Bill turned around while the girls looked up to focus their attention. There stood a young man dressed in grey suit pants, a white shirt, and a black tie. He stood tall and firm with his sleeves rolled up, obviously to show off his muscles. His brown hair was neatly cut, and his eyes were deep brown.
"Well, hi..." May slurred in a drunken daze. "My name's May Hopkins. What's yours, handsome?"
Becky elbowed May. "Does the name Kenny ring a bell?"
"Oh right!" May shook her head.
The young man sharply turned his head to the right looking straight at Bill. He glared then smirked. "You can go now. The ATF doesn't need to be involved."
"Well, why didn't you just say so before?" Bill spat before he walked away.
"Who are you?" Rally asked.
"The name's Devin Park. I'm with the Chicago Police Department." He puffed up his chest. "I graduated top of my class at the academy. I also broke 14 of the school's records."
"So you know Roy then?" Rally asked, concerned about her friend.
"Yeah, I know him," Devin said. He smirked then looked up at Rally. He held out his fist to Rally then rolled his wrist making a flower appear as a magic trick. He handed the flower to Rally, which she reluctantly took.
"Uh...thanks..." Rally stuttered. She fell silent after that.
Devin stood there for a moment waiting for a response. As he waited he looked around at the other officers. "Well, I guess I better go. There's a lot of work to do." He turned around and walked away.
May slapped Rally upside the head.
"Ouch!" Rally exclaimed. "What'd you do that for?" "What is the matter with you?" May hissed. "What?" Rally asked. "You complain about the people I find for you to date then that Devin guy starts hitting on you, and you do nothing! He was actually hot, and he wasn't afraid of you either!" May complained. "Why didn't you ask him out?" "Wait a minute! I never said that this dating thing was going to be permanent! I just went out with Harry so I would hurt his feelings!" "Rally, I don't know what to do with you sometimes!" "Would you just keep your nose out my business!" Another police officer walked up to the group and stood next to Becky. He looked at Rally and May fighting for a few moments. "Popcorn?" Becky asked, holding a bag of popcorn. "Yeah, sure." He said as he watched the two fight, quite entertained. "I thought we were friends, Rally!" "Friends don't go behind each other's backs, May!"
Becky grabbed a hand full of popcorn. "Yeah, they'll be at it all night."
Late that night, the Shelby Cobra pulled into the driveway of Rally's house. Rally yanked the keys out and got out of the car. Becky and May stumbled out of the car and entered the house through the garage. Harry started heading toward the front door so Rally tiredly followed.
"I can't believe all that happened. My mother will be so upset. I hope she doesn't have another heart-attack..."
Rally punched in the security code for the house then manually unlocked the front door. She grasped the handle while yawning and opened it.
"Maybe we'll have to try this again. Goodnight, Miss Vincent."
"Yeah, goodnight."
Harry took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He puckered his lips and learned forward only to find his lips meeting the wooden front door.
"Rally?"