Part 575

The drums rumbled like thunder and the lights flashed as the five girls rose up in place of the Boys. Most of the crowd didn’t notice right away, but as the first few rows caught on, a wave of laughter washed over the rest of the crowd, working its way from the front row to the back of the house.

Stepping through the fog, the spotlights landed on Becca and Sarah, and Becca began to sing.

Humidity is rising - Barometer's getting low
According to all sources, the street's the place to go
Cause tonight for the first time
Just about half-past ten
For the first time in history
It's gonna start raining men

The music rose to a crescendo, and the dancers burst to life behind her as Sarah joined in on the refrain.

It's Raining Men! Hallelujah! - It's Raining Men! Amen! I'm gonna go out to run and let myself get
Absolutely soaking wet!

Flash pots on the front of the stage were ignited and as showers of sparks fell around the women a montage of the Boys’ pictures flashed on the screen behind them.

It's Raining Men! Hallelujah! It's Raining Men! Every Specimen!
Tall, blonde, dark and lean
Rough and tough and strong and mean

The girls affected a posed attitude of prayer, lifting their hands to the heavens as they sang the praises of Mother Nature. If the looks on the faces of the women in the audience were any indication, they were in complete agreement.

God bless Mother Nature, she's a single woman too
She took off to heaven and she did what she had to do

She taught every angel to rearrange the sky
So that each and every woman could find her perfect guy
It's Raining Men! Hallelujah! - It's Raining Men! Amen!
It's Raining Men! Hallelujah!
It's Raining Men! Ame---------nnnn!

The crowd was on their feet now, singing along. Unbeknownst to the women center stage, they were about to get some visitors.

"Aha!" AJ crowed, "I got ‘em!" Holding their blue robes in his hands he tossed one to each of the other four men.

"Where were they?" Kevin asked.

"You’ll never believe it, stashed in the spare trunk."

"The trunk?" Howie asked, frowning as he fastened his robe.

"You mean the fake one?" Nick asked with a grin.

"That’s the one," AJ laughed.

"You ready?" Kevin asked. "Let’s go, we have a prank to repay."

I feel stormy weather / Moving in about to begin
Hear the thunder / Don't you lose your head
Rip off the roof and stay in bed

The ‘thunder’ rumbled even louder, and the guys used it to their advantage. The noise was a great cover for them as they took their places on their toasters. They began the countdown.

5 … 4… 3… 2… 1 ….

The refrain began for the last time, and Kevin gave the signal. As the girls hit the word ‘men’, all five men popped up from the underworld, landing onstage right behind the women.

It's Raining Men! Hallelujah! - It's Raining Men! Amen!
It's Raining Men! Hallelujah! - It's Raining Men! Amen!
It's Raining Men! Hallelujah! . . .

Becca and Sarah could barely sing, they were laughing so hard. Nick stood behind Becca, and Howie behind Sarah, as they finished the song. The closing bars of the music seemed to repeat incessantly as they were led in a very sock-hop type of dance, complete with twirls and spins, blue choir robes billowing irreverently.

"Mook?" Kevin asked over his headset. "Segue right back into The Call. Yes, pick it up right where we left off."

Flawlessly the band switched songs, and when Becca realized what they’d done, she tried to get away from Nick, to get offstage. He was having none of it.

The drums beat hard and fast, and she twisted around to him. "Nick, let me go!"

"Uh uh, baby, you’re staying here. We got a song to finish." He smirked at the look on her face and winked at Howie who was having the same conversation with Sarah.

Lisa, Fi and Nikki were giggling as they realized how the tables had been turned, and when Becca and Sarah shot them helpless looks, they just shrugged and found a new partner to finish off the set.

Part 576       Index