The bustling street of busy people and zooming cars awoke Kari as she laid in her bed in her sunny Los Angeles apartment, which she shared with her two best friends Ginger and Steph. The sun shone through her bedroom window, since her room faced the east where the sun rose as it sparkled on her beaded curtains thoughout the room. She looked at her alarm clock and did a small groan, for it was only five forty-five, but she knew she had to get up for the new jobs her and her roommates were about to take on.Sitting upright in bed and finally getting up, Kari glanced at the outfit she picked the night before and laid out on the circular bubble chair in the corner of the room. It was a white mini skirt with a baby blue top with thick straps on the shoulders that curved more around and not over and her white go-go boots. It was determined to be lucky and she knew it wouldn't fail her this time.
After she got dressed, did her hair and put her make up on, she quietly closed her bedroom door, as not to disturb the other two and made her way down the small flight of stairs in their over-sized pad. Going to the kitchen to make some coffee she found that it was already made.
"Morning sunshine," Kari heard a voice behind her.
It was Ginger already dressed and ready to go in her pink and yellow mesh patterened mini dress and white sandals, with a white headband to match. "How did you sleep?"
"Good," Kari stetched as she made her way to the table with a cup of coffee. "I was just almost too excited about work to get sleep," she mused looking at the newspaper. She couldn't help being excited, althought the three really didn't have a clue as to what they were going to be assigned to.
"Me too." Ginger sat down next to her with a green coffee mug as she looked outside the Sunset Strip view outside their dining room window. "I wonder what we're going to do..."
"Hopefully some photography," Kari said, sipping her coffee and adding more sugar. "I just got a new Nikon, my other camera was well used." Kari reminiscenced on how many times she used it for running around everywhere.
Just then they heard the third bedroom door bang shut.
"Sleeping beauty has awaken," Kari joked.
Steph came from under the staircase where her room was located. She had on an attractive light green sweater with a black skirt with tan nylons and some black boots. "Did I miss anything?"
"Just paper readin' and coffee," Ginger stated playfully in her southern accent.
"Not much then?" Steph joked as she determinedly opened all of the windows in the living room and adjoining kitchen, like she did every morning.
"Oh come on, coffee doesn't smell that bad," Ginger mock protested as Kari shook her head and poured herself a cup.
"Yes, it does," Steph said turning on the table top stove. She was going to boil water and make tea, which in her opinion, was way better than coffee.
"Hippie."
"Cow Murderer."
"Woah, mellow out," Kari said pretending to break up a huge fight.
"Nark!!" Both Ginger and Steph yelled at the same time.
The three burst into laughter at the stupidness of it all, but it was too early in the morning for them to care. Besides, they had other things on their minds...like the fact that they were about to start an internship that could start their film careers.
At six-o-clock sharp they arrived at the studio, trying to calm themselves down.
It wasn't really working. The tiniest thing would set them into fits of laughter.
So when out of nowhere Micky Dolenz came running down the hallway, not looking where he was going, and Kari didn't move out of the way in time, Steph and Ginger about died.
"Hey Hair-Net Boy!! You can't run from us forever!!" a low voice with a Texan accent sounded as the three other members of the Monkees caught up with their friend.
"What the...?" Peter said trying not to laugh as he, Davy and Mike tried to figure out why Micky was lying on top of a girl, not much younger then them, and others were laughing so hard they were crying.
Micky quickly stood up, embarrassed and helped Kari up.
"Sorry," he mumbled checking to make sure she was all right.
The other three Monkees joined Ginger and Steph in hysterical laughter as they pieced together what happened. Micky and Kari both blushed wanting to die at that moment, but just then Mike reached out and snatched Micky's hair net and he, Peter and Davy ran for their lives in the direction from whence they came.
"Got to go!" Micky said and ran after his fellow band members, yelling "I'm going to get you, you dirty rats!!"
That only caused Ginger and Steph to fall to the floor, hysterical.
This was going to be an interesting day.
"I guess we'd better check in. Let's see if we can't find someone that looks important around here..." Ginger mused as they began to walk deeper into the studio.
"Wonder what they have us do. I hope I get to write a good article on them or something," Steph said hopefully.
"And take pictures for a magazine spread," Kari added energetically.
"Or be an assitant director," Ginger offered.
"You know," Steph said as they walked. "I can't believe that Micky Dolenz just completely toppled Kari like that. I thought that was all just an act for television."
"I did, too," Kari agreed as Ginger approached a man in his mid to late thirties sitting beside a camera in a directors chair, talking with someone, obviously telling the assisstant something about the upcoming scene.
"And see if you can't round all four of them up at once for a change," the director said, and the assisstance gave a sarcastic snort as he took off.
"Excuse me," Ginger said to the director as the girls stepped in front of his chair, casting looks back at the set they'd seen on the television of the crazy beach house. "I believe you were expecting us as interns f--"
"Oh yeah! Yeah, hey, Babes. We've had three girls quit on us. Three personal assistants for the guys. You'll take calls, get coffee, help with wardrobe, schedule lunches, everything in that bag. After this scene we'll have a break and they guys will be in their dressing rooms-- I think, it's hard to tell sometimes-- and you can introduce yourselves to them then. Here's a list of phone numbers and stuff like that for whoever I assigned you too." He handed the girls sheets of paper. "Is that cool with you chicks?"
"NO!" the three chorused with looks of shock on their faces.
"Well... I guess--" the director began.
"Wait a minuet," Steph interrupted him. "Excuse us for a moment." She pulled Kari, who was staring with shock, and Ginger, who looked livid, over to the side.
"I'm going to kill that guy at the agency!" Ginger said through clentched teeth. "I didn't take this job to run and get Davy Jones a bagel!"
"We have to look at it this way," Steph said calmly. "Either we take this job... or we starve."
Ginger was silent.
"Well?" Steph prompted her.
"I'm thinking."
Kari spoke up. "I see you're point, Steph. Besides, it'll be good to be around at an actual, hip television show like this. Could bring in some good opportunities."
"Yeah, like we could become famous for our fabulous telephone voices making lunch dates for Micky!" Ginger enthused in all sarcasm.
"Gingie, come on..." Kari swung Ginger's hands back and forth.
"I knew we shouldn't have started into these kinds of jobs... I knew it... we should have been a band..."
"So then it's settled, we're the Monkees personal assistants," Steph said with a decisive nod.
"Bu--" Ginger was cut off by Kari and Steph walking over to the director. She followed defeatedly.
"Change your minds?" he asked as they approached.
"We did." Kari smiled at him.
"Groovy. Now, the boys are a little rowdy... and they like to tease... They're quiet the handful. They like making trouble and messing with people sometimes, and sometimes they may be short with you if it's been a hard day or it's really busy. Just make sure you keep that in mind." With that, and the girls' nervous looks towards each other, the director called for action. They girls hadn't even noticed the Monkees were on the set, nor had the Monkees seen them; they'd been wrestling with each other and only stopped to begin delivering their lines.
"Gonna be a long day..." Ginger sighed.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"And CUT!" the director yelled. "Print that," he pointed. The three girls had just watched with amusement at the improvisation and "romping" around the Monkees had just done.
"See? It won't be that bad," Steph coaxed Ginger.
"Yeah, well..." Ginger drawled. "I still have my doubts."
Kari rolled her eyes as the director lead them to where the four boys were sitting in their chairs, reading over lines and drinking coffee and goofing around, mostly goofing around.
Mike was the first to notice the girls with their director. "Well what do we have here?" he said in a slow drawl. The rest of the guys looked up to see the girls they had met earlier.
"Hey Babes, these are your new personal assistants. Now don't scare these chicks away like you did the others." The director winked and turned as the seven looked at each other.
Kari was standing closest to Micky. "I believe you two have already ran into each other," Davy smirked. The others laughed hysterically. Kari did a sarcastic grin and rolled her eyes at the shorter of the four, not particularly getting the best vibe from him. She stuck her hand out to Micky and said confidentaly, "Hi! I'm Kari Cranston, your new assistant."
Micky shook her hand grinning a rather mischevious grin. "Micky Dolenz. Erm, sorry about the events earlier," he said. "It wasn't really my fault." He shot a glance at the others who looked away innocently.
Steph made her way towards Peter. "Peter Tork eh?"
Peter nodded. "Yessir yes." He smiled and shook her hand. "Nice to meet you er, um..."
"Steph. Steph Oliver-McKnight." She kept shaking his hand, as of he wouldn't let go. After looking at her hand that she realized wouldn't be released anytime soon, she looked up at Peter and couldn't help but think of what a cute dimple grin he had. She felt herself blush so she looked back down at her hand, that was still being shaken.
"So," Mike looked at Ginger. "Guess it's just yew and me left." He eyed her up and down. Ginger held her tongue as he did that, trying not to rip his head off. She soon composed herself enough to do an introduction.
"Ginger Barbour." She formally stuck her hand out in a matter-of-fact way. Mike just looked at her hand.
"Michael Nesmith," he returned with the same expression on his face, completely ignoring her gesture.
Ginger stood to protest, but the four boys were being called back on stage.
"Looks like you're going to need that back," Steph said trying her hardest not to laugh.
"Seems so," Peter replied in the same manner, still not letting go of her hand.
Steph, not about to let him win this easily, turned their handshake into a thumb war, receiving a devilish grin from Peter.
Ginger just glared at Mike, who looked at her without expression, intrigued by his new assistant. He locked eyes with her and suddenly got the impression that if he gave her hell, she'd give it right back.
He smiled to himself and mockingly bent his head towards Ginger. He brought his left hand up to tilt his imaginary cowboy and said in the most obnoxious Texan accent he could muster, "Ma'am."
Ginger's jaw dropped in annoyance as she watched him walk away. Davy walked past her, laughing at her expression as he followed Mike to the set.
Micky and Kari has witnessed the whole ordeal both smiling because they knew how both their friends could get.
Micky turned to Kari and said, "After this shoot it'll be lunch and we'll fill you all in then."
"That sounds good."
Micky nodded awkwardly and walked over to Peter, who had trapped Steph's thumb with his own.
"I win!" Peter shouted happily.
"Unfair! You cheated! Rematch!!" Steph exclaimed.
"After this scene," Micky said as he grabbed his friend by the arm and practically dragged him over to where Davy and Mike were standing.
"I did not cheat!" Peter said as the four stood together in a cluster in the middle of the set.
"So what do you think about these new assistants?" Mike asked, looking over in the direction of where the three girls sat, almost out of view.
"I think Micky's got a real knock out. Wouldn't mind her as my assistant," Davy said, grinning.
"Ok, knock it off," Micky said, unusually irritated at his fellow band member.
"Oooh!!!" Mike, Peter, and Davy taunted, suddenly realizing that something was up.
"Knock it off!" Micky said laughing, embarrassed.
"Knock what off?" Peter asked innocently.
The four laughed as the stage lights began to turn on and placed in the right spots.
"So what do you think of them...collectively?" Davy asked, getting back to the original subject of the conversation.
"I think that this is going to be fun," Peter said, exchanging looks with Mike and Micky. "Real fun."
"I think this is going to be a nightmare," Ginger said the the girls, rubbing the bridge of her nose.
Steph gave a disbelieving snort. "Maybe for you, but I think Kari and I lucked out."
Kari wiggled her eyebrows and smiled. "Way out."
The girls watched a couple of takes for the scene. The boys were arguing with their landlord over something, but kept veering out of the scipt and making up their own absurd lines. After about three takes as the director was getting ready to call for action, Mike spoke up.
"Wait a minuet! I just realized something. Where's my assistant?" He glanced over to where the girls had stopped chatting to see what he was talking about.
"Oh good God..." Ginger muttered.
"There you are... come here, I need you to do something for me." Mike jerked his head back, instructing Ginger to come over.
All of the guys on the set were trying unsuccessfully to mask their snickers, and the girls were having even less luck covering up their giggles.
Ginger let out something that was like a cross between a sigh and a growl, then turned to set her cup of water down to go see what Mike wanted.
"No, bring that with you," Mike said, stopping her from setting the cup down.
Ginger's eyes narrowed a little as the laughter was becoming a little more pronounced. Mike had a serious expression on his face. She walked up to him, glared up at him-- and it was way up at him, a good 10" at least-- and asked without blinking in a stoney voice, "Yes?"
Mike didn't say anything. He reached down and lifted the water from Ginger's hand, downed it all, and then handed the empty cup back to her.
Only then did Ginger's eyes move off of him to look at the trash she was holding, then back at him with a "you think you're just so funny" smirk.
"Thanks," Mike smirked back.
Ginger stepped closer to him, ignoring the now very obvious snickers from everyone, reached up behind him, and ripped the green hat off of his head and put it behind her back.
"Give that back. Right now," Mike ordered her, looking directly down at her.
"No," she said simply.
"Give it back or I'll have to make you," Mike warned.
Ginger's "try it" grin widened.
Mike reached out and yanked Ginger's head band off. "What about that?"
Ginger twirled Mike's hat on one finger. "Guess I'll have to put this through the shedder or something equally as horrible..."
"How about," Mike began, "we swap."
Ginger gave him a look like she was sizing him up. "Alright."
"Since you took my hat first, you give it back first. I'll give you the headband back, I promise."
After looking thoughtful for a moment, Ginger decided to chance it. She lazily held Mike's hat out on one finger which he grabbed and put back on his head. "Now my headband."
"I think I'll hold on to it for a while to teach you a lesson," Mike drawled with a half smile, backing up.
Ginger didn't say anything. She eyed him as he turned around with his back to her, casting her a look over his shoulder. "Alright... we'll see who's the fastest learner..." With that Ginger walked back over to the girls as filming resumed, Mike having laid her headband on the bandstand.
"What was that about?" Kari snickered.
Ginger's response was deadpanned as her fists were clenched to her sides as she stood with the other two, with a cup of coffee.
"Ooo, watch out so she doesn't spill that on you Mike," Steph whistled.
"I would..." Ginger muttered.
"Hey!" Kari clicked. A lightbulb should've appeard above her head. "I have an idea. I'm going to talk to them as soon as this shot's over."
Steph and Ginger nodded, not knowing what Kari had in mind, and they knew anything could happen.
Kari ran up to the set as soon as Mike headed for his dressing room.
"Come to get Ginger's headband?" Davy asked her, winking.
Kari tried not to gag and continued with her schpiel. "So," she turned to the others. "Mike really pissed Ginger off back there."
"I'll say, she could've punched a hole in his face," Micky laughed. Kari couldn't help but laugh also.
"Yeah. Mike sure knows how to aggravate a person," Davy said.
Peter rolled his eyes.
"I was thinking..." Kari trailed off. "Maybe you all could help us chicks get him back..." A mischevious and sly grin slid across her face.
"Heh heh, anything!" Davy slid across, only closer to Kari. Kari went to the other side in between Micky and Peter.
"And if you boys do a good job, lunch just may be on me," Kari continued, avoiding eye contact with Davy at all possible costs.
"Ooooo," Peter rubbed his hands together as they were in their little huddle.
Ginger and Steph watched with interest. "I wonder what she's talking to them about?" Ginger asked.
"I have no clue," Steph replied, taking a sip of water. "She's coming back to us."
Kari came rushing back with a huge smile on her face. "They're in!" She looked over to where the dressing rooms were and saw Mike coming out of his. "Good! C'mon." She gestured for the other two to follow her. "Now, Micky, Peter and the other are going to distract dear Mikeypoo while we go in and get a personal item of his." Kari grinned at her master plan.
"What kind of 'personal item'?" asked Steph
"How does saluting the flagpole sound?" Kari asked.
The three looked at each other. "Perfect," they chorused, and Steph and Kari began to sneak over to the crack of the door of the dressing room.
Micky and Peter had started to so something they knew Mike would hate and would get revenge on them for.
But they didn't care.
"Hey, Mike!" Micky called from the hallway just outside his dressing room.
"Yeah?" Mike asked, stepping out to face Micky and Peter.
"We were wondering where you left the headband. You did make Ginger very mad. Maybe you should give it back, she is after all, only here to help you," Peter said as purely as possible.
"Uh... I think it is back on the set," Mike said, starting to feel a tiny pang of guilt.
"Great! Let's go!" Micky said enthusiastically as the three men walked to the place where they just had been.
It was then that Kari and Steph snuck into Mike's open dressing room and began to search for Mike's unmentionables.
"Found them!" Kari exclaimed.
"Cool, now let's split!" Steph said heading to the door.
"Wait a minute! I am not touching that!" Kari exclaimed, horrified.
"Oh for Pete's sake!" Steph sighed, utterly annoyed.
She strode over to Mike's underwear drawer and grabbed a handful and walked out into the hallway, Kari, who was speechless, right behind her.
"Here you go," Steph said handing over the stolen goods to Ginger, who was waiting with Davy at the flag pole right outside the studio.
"Five pairs?" Davy asked looking at Steph oddly. "Do we need that many?"
"The more the merrier," Ginger said as she attached each pair to the string on the pole.
They had just been raised to the top of the pole when Mike, Micky, and Peter came outside.
Micky and Peter stopped dead in their tracks at the sight of the five of Mike Nesmith's underwear flapping proudly in the wind, looks of utter glee on there faces.
Mike narrowed his eyes and sighed and he turn to look at Ginger, who was saluting him.
He tilted his head and smiled a sickly sweet smile, "I am beginning to cherish the moments we spend together..."
"Well," Micky bounced over to Kari, making her giggle. "I guess this means we get lunch off of you."
"Guess it does," Kari nodded in agreement. "Where does everybody want to go?"
"Actually," Ginger spoke up. "I have to meet my sister for lunch today so I--"
"But you don't have a sister! Or a brother!" Steph said with shock and puzzlement.
Ginger just dropped her shoulders defeatedly, then Steph realized she'd blown her cover. She didn't really care though, it was far too fun watching Ginger squirm.
Mike let off a big smile. "Aw, now, you weren't trying to get out of having lunch because of me were you?"
"Desperately," Ginger said flatly.
"Smart girl," Mike muttered to her.
Before Ginger could retaliate about what exactly that meant, Peter spoke up. "I know exactly where we should go," he said, mostly to Steph. "It's great. They usually have a live band, very casual."
"Sounds great," Steph said, smiling very serenly at Peter.
"So how are we getting there?" Kari asked.
Micky pointed. "It's just down the street, we can walk."
"Let's get going then," Kari said, going behind Micky and pushing him forward, the rest following. Peter and Steph were having a rematch thumb war, and Davy was tagging along beside Kari, jabbering on about something Kari apparently couldn't hear at all.
Ginger cast Mike yet another dirty look before either of them moved, as if mentally prodding him to go first so as to lose the opportunity to pull any jokes behind her back.
"Ladies first." Mike made a grand sweep of his arm.
Ginger gave him a warning glance, then stalked off to get close to the others. Mike was mentally plotting what his retaliation would be as he ambled after her. There were endless opportunities for revenge at a resturaunt.
In the middle of a very heated thumb match-- Peter and Steph had pretty much forgotten all the rules and were throwing their arms around madly trying to pin the others' thumb at any and all costs-- and Davy's rambling about being from England to Kari, the group arrived at the dinner and went in. Ginger let the door slam back into Mike's face.
"You're quite the gentleman," he told her as they sat down in a large back booth. Peter sat on one end, then Steph beside him. After that sat Kari then Micky and Davy. Ginger slid in beside Davy, then Mike sat down, squishing Ginger into Davy as much as possible.
"Well 'ello there..." Davy leered at her, Kari being engrossed in conversation with Micky at the moment.
"It's not my fault," Ginger said immediately, clenching her teeth at Mike. "He's shoving me."
"Right, love," Davy said casually, taking a menu.
"Cool it, alright?" Ginger pulled her arm out from behind Mike.
"Who's the assisstant around here?" Mike cut her a sideways smirk. Before she could answer him, he tossed her a menu. "What am I having today?"
Ginger look from him to the menu, disgusted. "Pick for yourself."
"But you're my faithful assisstant! I really like broccoli, by the way. Keep that in mind." Mike turned to look at the diner like he'd never seen it before, leaving Ginger alone with the menu.
Ginger glared at Mike and turned to see Kari still talking with Micky, Davy trying to get in on the conversation, but Micky was moving in front of him. Kari looked over at Ginger and giggled, for she knew Ginger was having a hard time and it tickled her.
Steph and Peter were having a conversation about what intstuments that could play. "Wow," Steph's eyes widened to cupcakes as Peter named off many intstruments such as bass, banjo, guitar, french horn, etc. "You're just a one man band aren't you?"
Peter just grinned and nodded. "Seems that way sometimes." He took a drink of water and put his hand down extremely close to Steph's. "So how about you? What kind of stuff can you make music with?"
"Not as much as you," Steph replied. "I play the cello and the violin."
"Oh really?" Peter raised an eyebrow. "Interesting." Steph felt his foot bump into hers. And stay there.
"Well I think I know what I'm going to order for you, Mr. Nesmith," Ginger spat out as rudely as she could.
"Oh really?" Mike looked over to her and sat up taller to make it seem that he had to look way down to see her. "What am I having?"
Ginger smiled. "Anchovies and chips."
Mike's looked dropped. "What?"
"You heard me." Ginger smiled. She was quite pleased with her desicion.
The waitress came and took their orders, Ginger speaking before Mike could even put a word in and quickly came back with their food.
Mike looked at his plate. He picked up a fork and picked at the fish and chips with a disgusted face.
"What's wrong, dear?" asked Ginger taking a bite out of her Caesar salad. "Is it not good?" She pretended to be shocked.
"Oh no, I'm just not hungry that's all," Mike sighed.
"Oh yes you are." Mike looked up when he heard Kari's voice. "Remember who's paying for this..." Kari gave him a look like a mother trying to give her small son vegetables.
Mike grumbled and took a bite, a small bite. It wasn't really too bad. But there was no way he was showing them that. He pretended to gag at every other bite he took until his plate was clean.
"Well see I told you it wasn't so bad!" Ginger cooed like he was a baby. She dapped his mouth with a napkin. "All full!"
Mike fake smiled and sat back in the booth trying to come up with revenge plans.
Everyone else was full too and Kari paid for the check. They filed out of the booth and headed out. On the way back to the studio Davy eased his way towards Kari. "So, 'ow about dinner tonight and maybe a flick?" he asked using his "charm".
Kari stopped in her tracks. Everyone else stopped too, to see what was going on. Kari quickly looked at Micky panicking.
"Actually, I have clothes for you to wash that my old assistant never got around to," Micky said, coming to the aid of Kari.
Seeing her look of help actually made him feel better. It was nice to see a girl not fall deeply in love with Davy.
It gave him hope.
"Me too," Mike said quickly looking right at Ginger.
"Do you?" Steph asked Peter.
"If you want, yeah," he shyly replied. He didn't like the whole aspect of "Personal Assistants", and it was going to take him a while to get used to the fact that Steph, who was beginning to feel like a friend, worked for him.
"We'll give them to you at the end of the day," Micky said, his mood rising. "Lets get back to work guys."
"What should we do in the meantime?" Kari asked, not knowing what they were actually supposed to be doing all day.
"Um... hang out on set... I honestly have no clue."
"We'll find more work for you tomorrow," Peter added, jokingly.
"Ok, well, we'll see you around then," Steph said waving good-bye.
"Yeah...see you around," Mike said, still looking at Ginger.
As the four walked away, Ginger turned to her friends and said, "Did I ever tell you how much I hate that man?"
The three girls laughed and headed in after the boys.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Right after the last take of the day, Mike walked over to his room and grabbed all of the articles of clothing he could find, clean or not, he took them outside and dumped them all in the dirt. He stepped on them, making sure to get them all very dirty.
Micky came out walking slowly, eating a candy bar, curious as to what his friend was doing.
"There," Mike said gloating in satisfaction.
He looked up to the flag poll where his underwear was still dancing in the wind.
He looked back at Micky and saw his candy bar. It was then that a devilish idea crossed his mind.
"Give me that, Mick," Mike said outstretching his hand.
"No!" Micky exclaimed, much like a kid, and held the bar close to his heart.
"Just do it."
Micky, eyeing Mike suspiciously, handed over his candy.
"Seeing how she likes my underwear..." Mike said with a grin on his face.
There was no doubting who "she" was and Micky did not like where this was going.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ginger, Kari, and Steph where at the laundry mat near their apartment after work with the bags of clothes that Micky, Mike, and Peter had given them.
"I tell you, that man is going to be the death of me," Ginger sighed reaching into her bag, full of Mike's clothes.
She immediately paused, a look of horror on her face.
"What, what is it?" Steph asked, putting one of Peter's shirts down.
Ginger slowly pulled her hand out of the bag to find it covered in brown goo. She looking into her bag to see a pair of Mike's underwear covered in the same stuff.
She screamed in horror and in a split second fell to the floor unconscious.
When Ginger came to, she was laying across three chairs, a wet rag on her head. She sat up immediately. "I'll kill him! I. Will. KILL. Him."
Steph sat down on one of the chairs. "We did his laundry for you. And that was a candy bar, by the way, so don't freak out."
"I'm still going to kill him! That was not funny at all. Ohhh he'll pay for that one..."
Steph smiled wickedly. "We're taking care of that."
Ginger brightened immediately. "How? What are we doing?"
"Putting a little surprise for him in his laundry just like he did," she said causually as Kari carried the laundry over to them.
"All fixed up for your dear Mikeypoo," Kari said with a smile as Steph and Ginger each took a bag of laundry. "Now lets go get some sleep. I have the feeling we'll be needing all our strength for this job..."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Early on the set the next morning, the girls arrived, each carrying their bag of laundry. All four Monkees were sitting in makeup chairs. The makeup artist was working on Davy, while the hairdresser was fussing over Micky.
"I like it that way. You don't need to spray it down," Kari said, bouncing over to Micky and plopping his laundry down in front of him.
"Ha! See? I told you girls like it!" Micky told the hair dresser, who walked away.
Ginger called out to the hair dresser as she and Steph approached the group. "Surely you're not finished yet? Look at this one here! His hair's so bad he has to keep that stupid hat on all the time..."
Steph peered over Peter's shoulder at the book he was reading. "Oh, I've read that! Wait 'til the next chapter!"
"Really?" Peter said eneregetically. Most of the girls he met hadn't read much of anything.
"So, Nesmith. Here." Ginger heavily dropped Mike's laundry bag in his lap, making him choke on his doughnut. "You got a little powder on your nose there. And some jelly on your bottom lip."
"Really?" Mike said, licking his lips then staring at her with the powder from the doughnut on the end of his nose, looking ridiculous with it paired with his calm face. "Why don't you get it off for me?"
"Okay..." Ginger said casually. She bent down very close to him, almost like she was about to kiss him. Mike just looked at her with absolutely no emotion. Then Ginger raised a giant powder puff she'd swiped off the make up counter and dabbed it right in Mike's face, covering him in white. "There. It's all blended in."
Mike blew some powder away from his mouth. "Thanks." He stood up and took his laundry into his dressing room, not saying another word. Everyone was cracking up.
"Wait til he changes into his costume for today..." Kari snickered.
"Oh my gosh, what did you do to his laundry?" Micky said immediately because he knew what Mike had done.
Kari, Steph, and Ginger laughed evily. Then heard Mike's dressing room door open again, but not all the way.
He yelled across the stage, "That's not funny at all!" then slammed the door.
"What's up?" Peter said with a grin.
Steph blurted out in giggles, "We switched all of Mike unmentionables with chick's!"
They were all cracking up when Mike walked back out in new clothes and a clean face, holding a bundle.
Ginger stiffled her laughter. "Problem?"
Mike shook his head. "Nope, no problem. Just wanted to give you these back. When you leave my place, you've got to remember these next time." He raised the bundle high above Ginger, and dramatically released frilly, lacy, silky underwear into Ginger's arms.
Ginger just gave him a look as the rest were dying laughing. "So... what are you wearing then?" She knew the dressing rooms had shoots for all the dirty laundry in them and that Mike must've put all his clothes in them before he changed due to the fact he was mad, leaving him with nothing else to put on underneath.
"Would you like to check?"
There was never a louder outburst of giggles from the other five.
Ginger looked at him and dropped the underclothing. "You will die, a slow and painful death, you know that?"
Mike looked unimpressed.
"And I will be there to make sure," Ginger went on, getting closer to Mike as she spoke, pushing him.
"Gingie, Gingie," Kari ran inbetween the two and pushed Ginger back, so she didn't kill one of the Monkees. "C'mon sit down, drink coffee." She handed Ginger a styrofome cup of coffee and Ginger sat down next to Micky muttering under her breath.
Kari put her elbow on the back of Micky's chair and rested her head on her hand. It'd been a long night with Ginger ranting about Mike. Micky turned his head. His face was right next to Kari's. Kari jumped back, surprised.
"You okay babe?" Micky asked giggling.
Kari sighed. "Yeah, just a hard night with those two." Kari rolled her eyes., but smiled all the same.
Peter stood up as he read. Steph came flying and jumped on Peter's back, Peter droppping his book and catching her. "Want a piggy back ride do we?" Peter asked, stilled startled.
"Weeeee!" cried Steph as Peter carried her around.
The rest saw and laughed. Micky seemed particularly fond of his idea and tried to jump on Kari's back. She screamed and jumped about a foot away causing Micky to land flat on Davy. Micky looked down and screamed as well. He instantly jumped off and wiped himself off, rubbing his hands onto Ginger and Mike, acting all girly.
"Wot?" asked Davy. "I don' 'ave cooties."
"HA!" Kari let out an outburst laugh that sounded more like a honk than a laugh. She quickly composed herself and stood next to Mike. Mike looked at her with a weirdly and she moved to Ginger. "He scares me," she whispered.
"Yeah well..." Ginger went on muttering.
"Next scene fellas!" the assistant stage manager yelled out.
"Gotta go!" Davy ran to the set, this time Kari moved out of the way. In the way of Micky, causing another run-in. "Gee we'd better stop meeting like this," Micky joked, grinning.
Kari laughed and moved to the right.
"Aww no more rides!" Steph pretended to pout. Peter carefully set her down. He twirled his chair around.
"Here, sit here whilst you watch." Peter waved his arm as a gesture for her to "be his guest".
Steph took her seat as Peter went to catch up with the others. He ran into Mike. "Michael watch where you're going!" Peter pretended to fume.
Mike looked at him deadpan and rolled his eyes. He eyed Ginger. 'Must pay back. Must not give into,' he thought robotically. She was wearing another mini dress, this time purple and blue, with a halter-topped top. He then eyed Kari. 'Wearing those damned go-go boots again,' Mike shook his head. 'Just better hope Ginger doesn't sick her on me.' He noticed Kari was looking at something. His eyes darted as he followed to where she was looking.
He went to follow Peter looking over his shoulder to take one last look at Ginger, who was pulling up a chair to sit beside Steph, thinking how those dresses she wore looked good on her...
He looked back in front of him just in time to dodge a stage lamp. He quickly recovered, hoping nobody saw his near accident. He looked around and once satisfied that nobody saw it, he continued on to the set.
As the boys walked away, a blonde girl, about their own age, walked up to Kari, Ginger, and Steph.
She was about as tall as Ginger and had bleach blonde hair and makeup plastered on her face. She had on a yellow mini dress with long sleeves that flared out.
"Am I late? What did I miss?" her high pitched voice squealed.
The three girls just looked at her wondering who on Earth she was.
"Um..." Steph managed to find her voice, "You're standing on Peter's book."
"Oh! Sorry."
Steph bent down and picked it up once the girl took a step backwards. As she began to unbend the pages and try to do a bit of damage control, Ginger asked, "Who are you?"
"I am Patricia. Patricia Clark, but you can call me Patty. I am Davy's assistant."
"Oh..." Kari managed to get out. "Well we're the new ones for the other boys."
"Oh, well it's nice to have more girls around. That one day with it only just me was a mess."
Patty laughed and the girls were horrified to hear that her laugh was worse than her voice.
"Well, looks like your girl showed up," Micky said to Davy as they were getting ready to do their scene.
"Man, how can you stand that?" Mike asked as Peter and Micky jokingly covered their ears.
"Oh, come on, guys; it's not that bad," Davy said matter-of-factly.
Just then Patty's laugh tore through the studio again and Peter, Mike, and Micky just looked at Davy.
"Ok, fine. You all win."
The boys laughed as the director yelled, "Action!"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~