"I'm not running any further!" David stated as he struggled to keep up
with his friends. Jack, Mush and Kid Blink were way ahead of him.
Jack
opened the door to Medda's hall and rushed the guys inside. "Hurry up!
We're gonna miss the show!" Jack commanded.
"Made it," Mush said. "We
watchin' from the wings?"
" 'Course," Jack said, leading the group to
their usual spot. "Just in time..."
"Introducing..."the announcer
began, "Miss Medda Larkson!"
"WOOOOOOOO!!!!" Kid Blink yelled.
"MEDDA!!!"
Medda sauntered on stage and began to sing her newest song,
"My Love is You." The guys clapped wildly. Once Medda finished, she
laughed and waved her feather.
"Thank you!" she gushed. "And now, I'd
like to introduce a friend of mine- Mango!"
"Who's that?" Mush asked
Dave.
"Why do you always expect me to know?" Dave grumbled.
At that
moment, a short, faired haired man flung himself onto the stage, dancing
around and showing off his glittery gold shorts.
"Oh, Medda!"The figure
squealed, giving her a hug. "Thank you so much! Mango loves you!"
Jack
was confused. "What the..."
"You never seen him before, Cowboy?" Mush
asked.
"Medda's always got friends poppin' up," Jack
shrugged.
"You're so sweet Mango," Medda giggled. She tickled him with
her feather. "Now how about a song?"
"Yes!" Mango wiggled his hips.
"The Mango is ready."
"I miss you honey," Medda said as she sauntered
across the stage.
"Just like the desserts," Mango crooned, "miss the
rainfall..."
"The duo looked at each other and smiled. "Miss you, miss
you, miss you..." they sang together.
Meanwhile, the guys in the wings
shrugged, not quite sure what to make of Medda's newest co-star.
"Time
for Mango to go!" Mango said at the end of the song. "Bye bye!" He ran off
stage giggling. "Oh, Mango loves you!" he called at the crowd.
"That
was strange..." Jack noted.
Mango took one last look at the audience
before rushing into the wings. Distracted, he didn't even notice that he
was about to walk right into Kid Blink. "Ow!" Mango yelped as he ran into
the newsie.
"Sorry..." Kid Blink muttered. "Didn't see you. It's hard,
having only one good eye and all...What's your name again?"
Mango
looked Blink right in the eye and twriled his fingers in front of Blink's
face. "Mango..." he whispered before running to the dressing
room.
"Hey, BLink, " Dave interrupted. Medda's back on!"
"Mango..."
Blink repeated. "Mango..."
"Who-oa- look at that dress!" Mush
said.
Blink didn't notice. All he could think about were those glittery
gold shorts...
* * *
"Extry, extry!" Racetrack yelled. "Fiasco on
Wall Street!"
"Extry, extry..." Blink echoed.
A man stopped Blink.
"I'll take one." He handed Blink a penny.
"Yeah... um..." Suddenly
Blink's mind wandered away to a vision of Mango, dancing in hiis glittery
gold shorts. "Mango..." he whispered.
"My pape?" the man demanded. He
snapped his fingers bringing Blink back to reality.
"Oh. Sorry." Blink
absentmindedly handed the man 2 papes and walked away.
* * *
That
night as Kid Blink wandered into the lodging house, Kloppman asked him for
his lodging money.
"Sure Kloppman." Blink grinned. "It's in my..."
Before he could finish, Blink remembered Mango's sweet voice and lavish
dance moves. He sighed. "Mango..."
"BLINK!" Kloppman
yelled.
"WHAT?!?" Blink was angry to be interrupted. "Oh-the money..."
He dug into his pocket, handed Kloppman his wages and headed for his
bunk.
* * *
But Blink couldn't sleep that night. All he could think
about was Mango...Mango's face...his laugh...his glittery gold
shorts...
"Mango..." Blink whispered. "Mango..."
"Blink!" Specs
yelled. "Go to bed already!"
"Enough is enough," Blink declared. He ran
out of the room, down the stairs and out of the lodging house. After all,
Medda's evening show was probably just about over...
* * *
"Mango!"
"Mango!" "MANGO!" At least a dozen adoring fans were waiting outside
Mango's dressing room when the star returned.
"Stop! No!" Mango pushed
his way into the room and slammed the door. He clung to his pink robe and
looked in the mirror. "Why...why...why must I be the Mango?" He sighed
and picked up his mail.
" 'Dear Mango', "he read " 'Come visit me in
Brooklyn. I'll be at the bridge. Love, Spot.' No. 'Mango, I want to write
a story about you. Now, that's Mango, as in Mang? -Bryan Denton.' Eww.
'Mango I must break out of jail to see you. Regrets, Warden Snyder.' Who's
THAT?"
Just then, Blink burst into the dressing room witha
bouquet of flowers.
"Who's there?" Mango asked.
"It's me. Kid
Blink." He got down on his knees. "I must have you, Mango! I need
you!"
Mango sighed. "Can you take the sky away from the skyscrapers?
Can you take the green out of the grass? Can you take the ink off the
newspapers and say, "Hey papes! Don't be read anymore!' "
Blink
scratched his head.
"No!" Mango stated. "such is the Mango!" He pointed
to the door. "Go!"
"But, Mango, I would have told you why I wear the
eyepatch!"
"No! Mango said, smacking his right buttcheek. "Go away!
Mango hates you!"
"But..."
"No buts!" Mango smacked his butt
again.
Blink fought back tears. As he headed for the door, Mango turned
around and reached out for him. Blink optimistically looked back.
"GO!"
Mango shouted.
"Goodbye, Mango," Blink said slowly, walking out the
door.
"Why...why must I be the Mango?" Mango wondered, powdering his
face. Then he remembered what his father had always told him: "When in
dubt, smack your butt" Mango smacked his butt and smiled.
* *
*
Meanwhile, a dejected Kid Blink wandered the streets of New York.
"Mango..." he called fighting back tears. "MANGO!!!!!!"
THE END!
So, what did you think? Email Strawberry and tell her.