Mike woke up his usual grouchy self the next morning, until he realized that Gwen was going out with him that night. He grinned and whistled to himself as he got the coffee ready and started to cook some eggs.
“Why are you so happy today, mate?” Davy grumbled, rubbing his eyes.
“Well, my dear little Davy, I just happen to be in a good mood.”
“I don’t buy it. You’re never in a I’m-feeling-groovy-I-think-I’ll-just-whistle-for-no-reason mood.” He grabbed the coffee pot from him and poured himself a cup rather sloppily.
“Coffee can stunt your growth, you know.” Mike drawled, patting the smaller man on the head condescendingly.
“Quick! Bring out the trumpets and the horns, Mike Nesmith just made a joke too.” Davy snapped sarcastically and then stomped away to the kitchen table.
“Why are you in such a grouchy mood?”
“Everyone’s entitled to a bad day.”
“But you’re always so god-damn cheerful. On most days it makes me wanna strangle you.” Mike sipped his coffee merrily.
“Okay, it’s that chick Anne.”
“What, for once a girl doesn’t want you?”
“No. Well, yes. I mean, I have the feeling she just kinda wham-bam-thank-you-man-ed me last night.” He slouched down and looked forlornly into his cup. Mike burst out laughing. “What’s so funny?” Davy furrowed his eyebrows angrily.
“It’s just that-someone used you, for once. Normally it’s you leading on some poor girl, and now-now-“ He sputtered his drink from chuckling so hard.
“Thanks Mike. You’re such a good friend.” He shoved his chair back and stalked upstairs to his room and slammed the door. Mike rolled his eyes. Such the little whiner.
“Good morning.” Micky greeted Mike a few minutes later. “What’s up with Davy?”
“He’s being bratty. Trying to tamper with my good mood. Well, it won’t work. IT WON’T WORK, SO STOP SULKING!” He shouted at the bottom of the stairs, then Davy came out, gave Mike the finger, and retreated back inside his room.
“I see what you mean.” Micky agreed, stuffing a jelly donut in his mouth.
“Where’d that donut come from?”
“I dunno.”
“You mean you didn’t buy it this morning?”
“No.”
“So you just ate it, without knowing where it came from, or how long it’s been around here?” Micky shook his head. “Must you try my patience like this?” He sighed and tried not to think of the kinds of things Micky must’ve eaten when he was a kid.
Peter wailed from somewhere inside the pad.
“What now?” Mike groaned. Peter came running into the kitchen.
“I lost Mr. Crabbers!” He cried.
“Who?” Micky asked, now eating Mike’s scrambled eggs.
“Mr. Crabbers! You know-Mr. Crabbers!”
“Ohhh…you’re pet crab?” Mike asked, beginning to understand.
“No! I don’t have a pet crab. Mr. Crabbers is my pet turtle, you guys know. I got him two days ago.”
“Mr. Crabbers…turtle…nice try, Mike.” Micky patted his arm.
“You lost him after two days? Jesus Pete, and you wonder why your mother never let you have a dog.”
“Mike, what am I going to do? Poor Mr. Crabbers, he doesn’t know his way around the pad yet!” Peter fretted, not hearing Mike’s remark.
“Don’t worry Pete. We’ll try and find the turtle.” Mike sighed, trying to keep a hold on the good mood he had woken up to, and not really succeeding.
“Never fear!” Micky raced out of the kitchen and returned a few minutes later, large trench coat and fake mustache on, big magnifying glass in his left hand. “Just call me Sherlock Dolenz.”
“Thanks Micky.” Peter looked at his friend gratefully-as if suddenly having a trench coat on made the chances of finding Mr. Crabbers much greater.
“And new shoes will make me run faster.” Mike muttered. “Micky, where do get this stuff? Maybe a better question would be why you get this stuff.”
“Elementary, my dear Watson!” He answered, and then proceeded in looking around the pad with the ridiculous magnifying glass.
“Why me? Why?” Mike groaned and buried his head in his arms.
“Why me? Why?” Anne groaned coming down the stairs, followed closely by Gwen dressed in only a slip with lots of make-up on.
“Let me entertain you. Let me make you smiillleee…” She sang in an unnecessarily low and sultry voice.
“What is she doing now?” June asked from the kitchen.
“She’s pretending to by Gypsy Rose Lee. Again.”
“-Let me do a few tricks, some old and then some new tricks, I’m very versatile…”
“The question is why?” June served herself some tea and sat down on the floor, seeing as they hadn’t set up the table and chairs yet.
“I have no idea.” Anne plopped down beside her, glancing at Gwen, who was now waltzing around the living room with a pretend partner.
“It might have something to do with her date with that guy tonight.” June suggested.
“That’s probably it.” Anne agreed, making a face. Mike and Gwen. Nope, can’t see it.
“You know, he invited us to go see them play tonight. You can come, if you want.”
“Nah. I think I’ll just stay home and read.”
“Read, read, read, that’s all you ever do!” Gwen whined, wiping off her lipstick. “Can you write a new song? About Mike?” She asked with a dreamy sort-of voice.
“No! Write your own damn song about Mike.”
“’Kay…I like Mike…He ain’t no Spike… me might like a tyke…”
“I’m sorry I suggested that.” Anne whispered to June.
“I am too.”
“…I think I’m in love… I’ll go buy a dove…I’ll feed it a melon …”
“…You ain’t no John Lennon…”
“That doesn’t rhyme!”
“Well, it was close enough.”
They all jumped as someone knocked on their door.
“I’ll get it!” Gwen shouted and raced to answer it. “Oh, hi Micky! What’s up?” She smiled and held the door open for him.
“Um, why are you-?” Anne asked, motioning to his detective outfit.
“He’s dressed like a gumshoe.” Gwen said matter-of-factly.
“I know, but why?”
“Why are you dressed like that?” Micky asked Gwen, who blushed.
“I was being a stripper for a bit.”
“Oh. Well, Peter’s pet turtle is missing, so I was wondering if you guys could help us look for him?”
“Oh sure! Just let me get dressed…” Gwen raced upstairs.
“Poor Peter. I’ll go over as soon as Gwen’s ready.” June smiled at Micky, and they both turned to look at Anne.
“Erg. Fine, I’ll help find the damn turtle.” She sighed and slammed her book shut.
“Great! I think the chances of finding him will be better with more people searching.”
“It’s only logical, Micky.” Anne answered, tapping her foot impatiently. “Gwen! You ready?” She shouted upstairs.
“Just a minute!” Then Gwen appeared all dressed and slid down the banister.
Three hours and fifty-two minutes later, June supplied Peter with a very dusty and slightly crazed-looking turtle.
“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Tha-“ He jumped up and down, cuddling the found Mr. Crabbers.
“Okay, you’re welcome.” She grinned and looked pretty pleased with herself. He gave her a huge hug, which she also seemed quite pleased with.
“Mike! Mike! June found Mr. Crabbers!” Peter raced over to Mike and shoved the baffled turtle in his face. Mike didn’t even notice-he, Gwen, and Anne were engaged in a pretty intense game of Go Fish. Mike was having a better time just watching Gwen, who was bantering casually with him and Anne, and smiling his way frequently. Not that her banter was that much different from his usual banter with Micky, but somehow it was much more attractive coming from Gwen.
Davy had avoided Anne and everyone else by taking the car out for grocery shopping, and Anne ignored him completely. Mike had planned on remaining mad at Anne, but couldn’t really, since he found that he really liked her despite her annoyingness. She warmed up to his obnoxiousness too, and even agreed to come with the others to their gig at the Club Cassandra that night.
“Got any fives?” Mike asked, continuing on with the game.
“Nope. Go fish.”
“One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish.” Gwen called out cheerfully.
“If you recite that one more time-“ Mike threatened after snatching up a few cards.
“I know Gwen. Forty-two times is enough.” Anne joked.
“Did you know Dr. Seuss wrote a porn book?” Micky sat down after looking at everyone’s cards to see who was winning.
“You would know that.” Mike stated with an edge of disgust.
“Eeewwww!” Anne and Gwen said at the same time and crinkled their noses.
“I’ll never be able to read Hop on Pop again!” Gwen moaned.
“Wait, you actually still read that book?” Mike raised his eyebrows.
“No…but you know what I mean.”
“Sure.” Anne said sarcastically. To Mike she said “She still keeps it by her bed, along with Green Eggs and Ham. They’re her favorites.”
“Ooh, you shut up!” She swatted her friend with her cards, dropping them in the process. “Oops.”
“Clumsy fool!” Mike laughed, bending down to help her pick them up.
“Flumsy cool. Hey, I like the sound of that!” Peter skipped past them happily with Mr. Crabbers.
“Oh go-wait, I think it sounds cool too.” Anne shrugged. “Got any aces?”
“Go fish.”
“One fish, two fish, red fish, blue-“
“Gwen!”