In the last edition, Shirley and Carmine's dance studio had been chosen out of all the studios in Wisconsin to go to the Central Division Championships in Chicago. Then Lenny and Laverne were also chosen to go to the swing dance competition, along with Shirley and Carmine. Right now, they're on the train. About another hour to go.

(Lenny, Laverne, Shirley, and Carmine are sitting in a four seat row. Laverne is sleeping for some reason with a huge grin on her face. Lenny is sleeping with his head on Laverne's shoulder. If she was awake she would have smacked him off just about now. Shirley and Carmine have lifted up the arm rest and curled up together on one and a half seats. The girls in Shirley's dance class are extremely envious and asking for something to pull them apart just about...... now!)

(The train suddenly stops and everyone on it jerks forward. )

(From the row behind them, Shirley is hit with a book on the head)

Shirley: (looks at it) Whoa, this thing hurts!
Carmine: What book was it, angelface?
Shirley: All 2000 pages of the Bible!
Lady in back of them: Sorry!
Shirley: How could Lenny and Laverne sleep through all this?
Carmine: I'm going back to sleep.
Shirley: I can't now. I have to think.

(she reclines her seat back, and suddenly, she is tossed forward.)

Lady in back: Try that again and I'll give ya a smack!

(Shirley, unable to recline her chair for fear of being attacked by Moses and pals. She sits on her side, being faced with Lenny's greased hair. She turns around again, and puts her arms around Carmine's waist and trys to fall asleep. And she does. Works for me. =o) )

(about an hour later, over the intercom comes an announcement)

Announcer: We have now arrived in Chicago, please pick up your bags and walk out in an orderly fashion.

(the dance teacher stands up)

Teacher: Class, class, pick up your bags and walk out and wait for everyone. We're taking the bus to the hotel.

(Shirley punches Laverne in the arm)

Shirley: Vernie, we're in Chicago! Wake up!
Laverne: Shirl, I'm gonna kill ya! I was having the best dream of my life!
Shirley: Smut can wait! We have a competition to get to!
Laverne: Smut waits for no one.

(they all walk out and stand around waiting for their bus. Everybody's checking their costumes and accessories and seeing if they have all their makeup and hair accessories for each dance. In other words, everyone is a nervous wreck screaming their lungs out if they forgot a hair ribbon or safety pins. [I've been to one of these things before, we really do this at big competitions.] )

Shirley: I am calm.
Laverne: You are calm.
Shirley: How can I be calm at a time like this? I forgot a hair ribbon! Laverne, they take points off for this!

(One of Shirley's friends from dance class, Christine #1, smacks her with a ballet shoe.)

Shirley: Thanks Chrissy, I needed that.
Chrstitine #1: No problem, what are friends for?

(someone from inside the huge crowd of students screams. Shirley, being one of the very paranoid ones, runs to the middle and sees Ashley screaming, with her head inside her costume bag)

Haley: (trying to calm Ashley down) Ashley! Get a hold of yourself! You'll ruin your bun!

(Ashley pulls her head out of the bag)

Ashley: I didn't bring a costume! I didn't bring one! I forgot one! Why?!
Haley: If you don't shut up and stay calm I'll smack you with this pointe shoe*.

(*= these shoes are like ballet shoes, except with wood in the front. Very hurtful. Don't mess with someone with a pair of these.)

Stephanie: Hey! The bus is here! Come on! We can buy all this stuff in the store of the hotel!

(a sight of cheerfulness rises from the girls and guys, then they all run towards the bus)

(Christine #2 walks over to Shirley)

Christine #2: So Shirl, is that your partner for the swing contest? The guy for the greasy hair?
Shirley: Not in this lifetime. The one with the curly hair, Carmine, he's my partner. He's in our dance classes, you should know.
Christine: Anyway, see that guy over there? (she points to someone who looks a LOT like Squiggy)
Christine: He's the nicest guy. I met him at the Pizza Bowl, and we took some of the swing classes. His name is Andrew.
Shirley: Squiggy? You're dancing with Squiggy? You're gonna lose!
Squiggy: Shirley?
Lenny: Squiggy?
Carmine & Laverne: Squiggy?
Laverne: How'd he get here?
Squiggy: I'm gonna beat ya in the contest Leonard. Be prepared.

(him and Christine get on the bus and the four of them are in shock)

Everybody: SQUIGGY?

(a few minutes later, they're in the hotel and everyone is rushing towards the hotel for hair pins, safety pins, and sewing kits. [You learn to sew at an early age when you're at a dance studio.] Not to mention the essentials: chocolate and orange juice [warning: for separate eating only, do NOT mix if you know what's good for you]. After buying everything they all need, the girls and guys go upstairs to their hotel rooms. Very posh indeed.)

Teacher: Alright, Shirley and Carmine, over my dead body are you two sharing a hotel room.
Shirley: That can be arranged.
Teacher: Laverne and...... Jessica (#1). You go in room 3B.

(they pick up their bags and trudge towards the room)

Jessica#1: I'm not gonna lie to ya Laverne, I wanted Marie to be my roommate.
Laverne: I wanted Shirl to be my roommate. Let's make the best of it. (back to room orders)

Teacher: Shirley, you're with....... Jessica(#2). Room 3E.

(they grab their stuff and walk away, with only Carmine and Lenny left. )

Teacher: Carmine, Lenny, you're in room 3F.

(Shirley snickers from down the hall)

(after everyone gets settled [in other words, 3 hours later] they're called to the ballroom downstairs for a dance class, where they rehearse their dances for the main competition and routines for the swing competition)

Teacher: Okay, Laverne and Lenny, let's see your swing routine. Who choreographed this for you?
Laverne & Lenny: Huh?
Stephanie: Who made the routine? All the steps and everything?
Laverne: Oh, umm, uhh, one of the teachers. The real cute guy teacher.
Teacher: ::raises eyebrow:: Let's see it.

(after a very complicated routine with a lot of tosses and spins, which comes out seemingly perfect, the class is dismissed and they can wander around the hotel until 6 o' clock)

Laverne: Hey Shirl!
Shirley: What?
Laverne: Let's go find some makeout places. That guy in the jazz class asked me for a date.
Shirley: You mean Derek? Oh, he's cute. He's real cute. He's too cute. I want him!
Laverne: You have Carmine.
Shirley: Just as cute. Anyway, where do you think could be a good place to makeout?
Laverne: Follow me, follow me.

(they get into an elevator and go to the top floor)

(at 6:30, the whole studio is in the dining room, just talking after dinner. Lenny and Carmine are talking to Squiggy and Derek.)

Lenny: So you have no idea where Laverne is?
Derek: I have no clue. She said she was going with Shirley to find makeout places.
Carmine: Knowing Laverne, she probably found a guy to test out one of those spots. But Shirley just disappeared with her?
Derek: Yeah, it looks like that.
Carmine: Well they better be on time, the competition is tomorrow at 9.

Part 2!