The Big Adventure - Chapter 3

As they walked into Chuck's Bike-o-Rama, Pee-wee greeted the local BMX kids, who had become kind of a mainstay in the shop. They were always hanging around. Darcie gave them a shy wave, curious as to what exactly Pee-wee was going to pick up.

"Hi, guys!" Pee-wee greeted them.

"Hey, Pee-wee."

"Hey, Chip. How's it going?"

"Alright. Is Dottie still working on your bike?"

Darcie rolled her eyes at the mention of Dottie. She was still annoyed from her earlier encounter with her.

"No, I've had it back a couple of days already."

"What's she doing to it?" Chip asked, curious.

"Can't really talk about it. You know, James Bond kinda stuff."

"Like she's that smart..." Darcie mumbled.

Pee-wee shot Darcie a disapproving look, clearly not wanting her to engage in any further negativity towards Dottie.

"Oh, come on, Darcie! Dottie's a genius when it comes to bikes. She can fix anything!"

Darcie huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Well, maybe she should focus on fixing her personality instead."

The kids laughed. "Yeah, that Dottie sure is radical with bikes."

Darcie huffed and walked over to the opposite side of the store. She didn't want to hear everyone talk about how "great" Dottie was.

Pee-wee watched as Darcie distanced herself from the conversation, her frustration palpable in her body language. He didn't understand why Darcie didn't like Dottie. He exchanged a look with the kids and was about to follow Darcie when Dottie, dressed in blue jean overalls and a long-sleeve shirt, came out from the back room.

"Hi, Pee-wee," Dottie said, getting a little too close to him. Darcie watched from across the store, glaring.

Sensing the tension in the air, Chip and the other BMX kids headed out. "It sure is getting hot in here..." one of the boys said, looking Dottie up and down.

"So is my horn ready yet?" Pee-wee asked, turning his attention to Dottie.

"Yeah, it's ready. Should be loud enough for you now."

Darcie's eyebrows furrowed. Earlier, when she came by the shop asking about the horn, Dottie told her it wasn't ready and there were complications with it.

"Well, where is it? Let's hear it."

Dottie reached into her pocket and pulled it out. Pee-wee went to grab it, but Dottie pulled the horn away. "Wait, I want to talk to you first."

"You are talking to me."

Darcie began to make her way over to them, standing behind Dottie just out of view of where she'd get suspicious that someone was behind her.

"No, I want your undivided attention," replied Dottie.

Pee-wee made a rather unserious face.

"Look, Pee-wee, this is important! There's something I want to ask you..."

Darcie's heart skipped a beat as she heard Dottie's words. Jealousy burned within her chest, a mix of insecurity and possessiveness.

"Mm-hmm..."

"I..." Dottie started giggling. "I wanna know if you'll do something."

Pee-wee looked slightly annoyed. "What?"

"I wanna know if you'll go someplace. With me."

"Like where?" He couldn't hide the annoyance in his voice.

Darcie, unable to contain her curiosity any longer, stepped forward, making her presence known. She cleared her throat, causing both Pee-wee and Dottie to turn their attention towards her.

"What's going on here?" Darcie asked, her voice dripping with suspicion.

"Dottie was just asking if I would go somewhere with her."

Darcie felt her blood boil as she locked eyes with Dottie. "I see. And I see your horn is mysteriously ready after I was told it wouldn't be ready for a few weeks due to complications."

Dottie smirked, her eyes darting between Pee-wee and Darcie. "Oh, did I forget to mention? I fixed it just for him. Special treatment, you know?" Her voice dripped with sarcasm.

Darcie's jaw clenched, her frustration growing with each passing second. She had always been a fiercely loyal girlfriend to Pee-wee, supporting him through his quirks and embracing his childlike wonder. But this constant presence of Dottie, with her flirtatious manner and attempts to undermine their relationship, was pushing Darcie to her limits.

"Where is it you want me to go, Dottie?" Pee-wee asked, innocently.

"The drive-in."

Darcie couldn't believe her ears. The drive-in was her and Pee-wee's special place for dates.

She felt a surge of anger and betrayal as Dottie casually suggested the drive-in, their sacred spot. How could she be so audacious? Darcie glanced at Pee-wee, searching for any sign that he would reject Dottie's proposition. Luckily, Pee-wee rolled his eyes, annoyed at the thought.

"Look, Dottie..." Pee-wee began. "I like you. Like. I like you."

"That's the thing, I like you too!"

"Dottie!" Pee-wee interrupted. She wasn't getting the point, he only liked her as a friend. "There's a lot of things about me you don't know anything about, Dottie. Things you wouldn't understand. Things you couldn't understand. Things you shouldn't understand."

"Things that only I understand," Darcie interjected, smirking at Dottie.

"I don't understand," Dottie replied, shaking her head.

"You don't want to get mixed up with a guy like me."

Darcie had to turn away to keep from laughing.

"I'm a loner, Dottie. A rebel." Pee-wee said, his voice low, as he took the horn from Dottie's hand. "So long, Dot." He headed towards the door.

Darcie, following, walked by Dottie, and stopped, turning to look at her. "You stupid girl..." she laughed. Pee-wee was trying not to laugh himself as they walked out of Chuck's.

They couldn't help but laugh at Dottie's cluelessness. "You see, Darcie? I told you she wouldn't understand."

Darcie nodded, her brown wavy hair bouncing as she walked. "You never cease to amaze me, Pee-wee. How do you put up with her?"

Pee-wee smiled, shrugging.

"I was very close to fighting her and bodyslamming her little ass on a row of bikes," Darcie said after a moment.

"Darcie! I didn't know you had such a mean streak." he laughed.

"Well, I just don't like people messing with my man." Darcie playfully punched Pee-wee's arm.

He laughed, "I love that about you. And I'm not afraid of you." He playfully punched her arm back.

"Oh, I'm not afraid of you either." She teased.

"But seriously," Pee-wee said, looking at Darcie with a serious expression. "I don't know what it is about her, but she just doesn't get it. She can't understand what our relationship is all about. She's like a hot, greasy porcupine draped in overalls."

The duo burst out into laughter, but it was short-lived as they stopped in their tracks. The chain that Pee-wee's bike had been wrapped up in, secured to the clown statue in front of Mario's Magic Shop, lay broken in pieces. Pee-wee's beloved bike was nowhere to be found!

"Oh, this is bad," Darcie said after a moment.

Pee-wee was nearly hyperventilating.

"Sweetie, it's okay," Darcie began, grabbing his arm to try to calm him. "We'll find your bike, it can't have gone far."

He stumbled backward, turning to head back into Chuck's. As he walked in, he blew his newly upgraded horn and collapsed onto a row of bikes. "Dottie!"

Of all the people he could have called out for, Darcie didn't expect that.

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