A Jewel Whodunnit...
SADIE'S SCANDAL
PART ONE:  ISLAND OF DREAMS
Chapter Five: Top Of The Pops

"Well, how do I look?"
Sadie slipped out of the changing cubicle of the big clothing store, exhibiting the outfit with an expectant look. "Yes or no? Jewel wear or not?"
"Definitely yes." Sylva examined her friend critically, then nodded, grinning. "You know, Garnet was so the right name for you. Pink is totally your colour, and with your hair..."
"I know." Sadie looked a little self conscious. "I've always been a bit of a pink girl, you know. And being so fair, I guess I carry it off." She ran a hand through the delicately pink streaked white-blond waves. "Copper did such a cool job too with the highlighting. She's good as any pro...I really feel a part of the group now."
"Or you're a strawberry milkshake." Nancy observed from where she was lounging at the back of the room, waiting for Copper to change back into her ordinary clothes. "But don't fret it, Sadie. Copper turned me into a banana already."
"You both look great, so stop mocking my hard work!" The drummer protested, pushing back the curtain of her cubicle and scooping up the outfit she had been trying on. "Okay, so Sadie and I are set for Top of the Pops now, are we Syl?"
"Guess so." Sylva grinned. "Ooh, I love Oxford Street."
"We'd noticed." Nancy rolled her eyes. "Can we quit clothes shopping now? I'm so bored you wouldn't believe, and if we get stopped to sign any more autographs my hand will fall off."
"Nancy, is it that time of the month, or something? You're in a worse mood than usual." Sylva put her hands on her hips.
"No, I'm not and no it isn't." Nancy snapped. "When you've spent three solid hours trawling clothes shops for the 'right look', and you've been bullied into seven or eight different ugly outfits, it's hard to be enthusiastic about carrying on!"
Sadie laughed.
"Maybe we should grab lunch?" She suggested. "I think I saw a nice little sandwich place across the road, and I don't know about everyone else but I'm hungry."
"Food? Ok, count me in." Sylva dimpled. "I'm ravenous. I hardly had anything for breakfast."
"No, I'm sure that six slices of toast and marmalade is probably a mediocre diet for most young elephants." Nancy put in dryly. Sylva poked out her tongue.
"Nothing wrong with a good appetite." She defended herself. "And we do so much that I need the energy."
"I can't believe we're doing Top of the Pops now, too." Sadie remarked as they made their way across the road to the sandwich bar. "I know I'm saying 'I can't believe' a lot at the moment, but it's all like I'm in some weird dream."
"Top of the Pops scares me." Nancy admitted, taking a seat at the nearest empty table once their order had been placed, and sighing. "The crowd are so-o-o close. And it was okay when Topaz was singing, because she has this whole way of reaching out to the audience and making them love her from the off, but I dunno, this song's different. For a start, I have a vocal."
"Sadie will win the crowd over, won't you Sadie?" Sylva sent her friend a smile. Sadie looked sheepish.
"If I don't throw up or forget my lines." She replied. "This is a huge deal for me, girls. I mean it. I used to watch Top of the Pops as a kid...I can't believe that tomorrow night we're going to be playing it. I know I'm getting like a broken record but it's true."
"You'll be fine, Sadie. Really." Copper assured her, casting the waiter a smile as he delivered their food and drinks. "And we're all there to back you up."
"Well, I hope that'll help and I won't flake on you." Sadie picked up her coffee, taking a sip. "But right now I'm scared to death at the bare idea."
"Won't the Teenangels be playing, too?" Nancy observed. Sadie almost choked on her drink.
"Teenangel...Outsiders?" She asked. Sylva nodded.
"Yeah. Their single is number one this week, I think...so they probably will be." She grinned. "That's cool, actually. We haven't seen them in a while."
"We haven't - praps not since Vi and Taylor got married." Copper mused, then she noticed Sadie's expression, frowning.
"Sadie? Something up?"
"No...no I'm fine." Sadie shook her head, hurriedly setting her coffee mug down on the table. "I'm sorry, it's just...kinda weird hearing you talk about them like they're just another bunch of people when they're so big over here."
Something about her words did not ring totally true, and Copper eyed her thoughtfully, but decided against pushing it.
"They are just another bunch of people." She said instead. "And also good friends of ours, too. We've played a lot of things together, in America and here. It'll be neat to see them again."
"Vi is Mrs Conway now. That makes her sound so old." Sylva reflected. "I so wouldn't want to get married that young."
"Copper's engaged." Sadie pointed out, seemingly relieved at the change of topic, but her blue eyes were still clouded and anxious.
"Yeah, but mine's a long engagement." Copper reminded her, absently fingering the pretty diamond ring which sparkled on the fourth finger of her left hand. "Aaron and I both love each other like mad and we know we want to be together, but before we do we want to make sure we're ready for that big a commitment. Call it a test period, if you like." She grinned. "I like it, though. It feels like we're going in the right direction, anyway."
"I wish it was that happy for Topaz and Cameron...she deserves a happy ever after too." Sylva sighed. "And I hate sad endings, they suck."
"If Cameron is such a nice guy, maybe they will get together again." Sadie suggested. "He seemed okay the few times I did meet him in chat, and Topaz talked to me a lot about him online. She sounded totally smitten. I know she's not really talked much about him since Hollie came, but I guess I'm like you, Syl. I want a happy ending." A shadow crossed her face. "If you find a decent guy in this screwed up world, you should damn well keep hold of him."
"Or chick, in Zoe's case." Sylva reminded her, naming video artist Zoe Montgomery who had recently come out publically and admitted her relationship with dancer Fiona Daniels. Sadie nodded.
"Yes." She agreed. She sighed. "Sometimes I wish I was gay. Men suck."
"Ok, that's one for our next interview." Nancy observed drolly. "Sadie wishes she could pull a chick."
"Well, ask Zoe to find you one." Sylva suggested with a smile. "I'm sure she'd help."
"Syl, don't." Sadie poked a tongue out. "You know I'm cursed with being attracted to only the opposite sex anyhow. Just that I keep getting hurt when I go near them...I'm probably best being a nun or something."
"Aw." Sylva pouted. "No way. That's it, Sadie, before we leave England we're getting you a date!"
"No!" Sadie shook her head.
"C'mon, it'll be fun." Sylva wheedled. Sadie shook her head.
"Syl, really, no." She said. "I...I'm not ready." Her expression became haunted. "Besides, he's in this country, and we're in the press a lot. If I did, however innocently, well it could be the worse for the guy, when I go home. Neal has connections everywhere."
"You should forget the jerk." Nancy advised.
"Not always easy to do." Sadie murmured. "Leave it, please. I don't want to ruin my time here by thinking of him if I can help it."
"It's cool, Syl's done." Copper told her gently, sending Sylva a meaningful look. "And she was teasing you. She wouldn't make you do anything you weren't happy about." She reached across the table, squeezing her friend's hand reassuringly. "Tomorrow night we're gonna show this country exactly what Sadie Monahue is made of, and that's all that counts right now!"

                                                                    ***************************

"It's Friday night, it's still number one, it's Top of the Pops!"
The lights sparkled and shimmered around the stages to the resounding cheers and applause of the excited crowd as the first act began to play. From behind the scenes, Sadie peered nervously out at the crowded studio.
"I'm gonna faint." she decided. "I'll never make it from here to the stage, I feel like crap."
"You're not the only one." Nancy took a tentative sip of her mineral water. "I hate going out there. It's fine once we begin, but before...ugh."
"You two are as bad as each other." Sylva rolled her eyes. "Copper, please tell me you don't feel sick too?"
"Nope, I'm fine, if a little nervous." Copper grinned. "We're not on for a bit, girls, so chill, huh? No point in getting wound up till we're on to play."
"I thought I saw Jewel's name on the bill!"
A voice came from behind them and the group turned as one girl to face the speaker.
"Rose!" Sylva exclaimed. "We thought you'd be here!"
"Congrats on number one." Copper added. Rose dimpled.
"Hey, you know, we churn them out." She said, winking. "Hey, new friend? Where'd Topaz go? What's the story?"
"Topaz is taking time out from Jewel, she has other things to handle." Sylva said briefly. "This is Sadie. She's English, like you guys. Sadie, Rose, from the Teenangels."
"Neat." Rose sent Sadie a grin, which Sadie returned rather shyly. "So you're a new Jewel, huh? Temporary or permanent?"
"Once a Jewel, forever a Jewel." Copper said with a smile in Sadie's direction. "Besides, Topaz isn't decided if she's coming back or not yet."
"She...is all right, I hope?" Rose looked concerned, and Copper could tell that memories of her own recent ill health still crossed her mind. She nodded.
"She's fine. Just taking stock of life a little." She said vaguely. "We can't tell you any more, Rose. We kinda promised not to talk about it much."
"Oh, I see." Rose looked startled. Then she shrugged in her usual happy go lucky way. "Oh well. No matter." She grinned. "The others will be up soon - they'll be stoked to see you all again!"
Nobody noticed as Sadie's face blanched at her words, for at that moment Rose's prediction was proven correct, and the remainder of the Teenangels, minus only their singer entered the backstage area, laughing and joking together. Rose came to greet them.
"Hey, look what I found, guys!" She exclaimed. "Tourists!"
"Hey, I'm half native, so watch your mouth!" Nancy protested amiably. "And Sadie's born and bred."
"Sadie?" The tall girl with the ginger hair looked startled at this point, and Sadie involuntarily took a step back into the shadows. Rose, however, was not one to allow the new girl to be - as she thought - shy, and she linked arms with the newest Jewel, drawing her into the light.
"Come on, we don't bite." She said playfully. "Guys, this is Jewel's newbie. Apparently Topaz is taking time out from things."
"She is? How come? Is she all right?" Jade Jones, the drummer for the group asked.
"Yes, she's fine." Sylva nodded. "She said if we saw you to send you all her love."
"Sweet of her." A dark girl observed in her gentle, softspoken voice. "Tell her we reciprocate."
"Did something go wrong with her and her bloke, by the way?" Guitarist Samantha Phillips, Sylva's cousin asked curiously.
"Long story." Sylva rolled her eyes. "Best you don't ask."
As the conversation moved onto other topics, Sadie found that she was being stared at, and, reluctantly, she raised her gaze to meet that of the ginger haired girl.
"Sadie?" The girl repeated, almost disbelievingly.
"I...I have to go tune my guitar." Sadie said hurriedly, disentangling herself from Rose's grip and fleeing the backstage area before anyone could stop her.
"What was that about?" Rose cast the tall girl a questioning look. "Amber, what did you do to her?"
"I wish I knew." Amber's expression was troubled.
"She did say she felt sick before, about performing." Copper remembered. "Perhaps that's it." She sighed. "I hope she's going to be all right. It's a big deal for her, and all new as well...she's so nervous about performing here tonight."
"Amber, is something bothering you?" The dark girl asked gently. Amber shrugged.
"It's cool, Vi. No matter." She said, shrugging it off. "Hey, we should probably hook up with Opel and tune up, huh? So long as they're done with her in makeup, finally!"
"Finding an eyeshadow colour that doesn't clash with her hair is always fun." Rose giggled.
"I heard that, Rose." Opel, singer for the Teenangels sent her bandmate a playful smile from the doorway. "And I'm ready...what's going on?"
"We're going to tune up, so say your hellos to Jewel and lets scoot." Amber said quietly. "We got a number one to perform."
Once the English band were gone, the remaining Jewels exchanged looks.
"We're on soon, we should find Sadie." Sylva said. Copper nodded.
"I hope she's all right." She responded. "She bolted pretty quick."
"Where do you suppose she went? Back to the dressing room?" Nancy wondered.
"No, Nancy, I'm...I'm here."
A tentative voice came from behind them and the trio turned as one girl to face their missing member.
"Where did you go to?" Sylva demanded.
"Are you all right?" Copper added gently.
Sadie nodded.
"Yes, I'm fine." She agreed quietly. "I had to tune up, we play in a minute or two."
"You sure?" Nancy asked. Sadie nodded impatiently.
"Yes, leave it alone." She responded curtly. "Now, if we're playing, let's play!"



Chapter One: Nerves
Chapter Two: Bonny England
Chapter Three: A Bitter Shock
Chapter Four:  England's Jewel
Chapter Five: Top Of The Pops
Chapter Six: Sylva's Lie
Chapter Seven: Alyssa
Chapter Eight: Maidstone
Chapter Nine: Copper's Discovery
Chapter Ten: Amber Steps In
Chapter Eleven: Revelations
Chapter Twelve: Jetta Interferes
Chapter Thirteen: A Shock For Jewel

DISCLAIMER: PLEASE NOTE
Copper, Nancy, Sylva, Anna, Blade, Raesha, Sirena, Topaz, Aaron, Sophie, Justin, Elliot, Rosita, Luis and any other characters in this fiction which do not appear in the animated Jem series are copyrighted to me (E.A Woolley) as of January 2002 <unless otherwise specified> and are not to be reproduced without permission ANYWHERE. Jetta, Pizzazz, Stormer, Roxy, Raya and all other original Jem characters are the copyright of Hasbro Inc, Sunbow, Christy Marx and the other writers of the Jem series. The future world of Pizzazz, Raya, Jetta, Roxy, Stormer, Clash, Synergy, the fate of Jem and her memorial are all copyrighted to me. The future world of Kimber and Shana is copyrighted jointly to myself and Gemma Dawn.
The concept of 'Jewel' is entirely my own, and any apparent link with any fictional or actual person or persons of this name is entirely coincidental. Equally the characters in this fiction are not based on any real life individual.
The concept behind the future world of Danse, Aja and Craig, the idea behind Jerrica's futureworld and the split of the Holograms is copyrighted to Gemma Dawn, whose Teenangel Outsiders fiction is directly twinned with Just a Dream. The character Sammi and any of the other Teenangel Outsider characters mentioned in this fiction are entirely copyright to Gemma Dawn and appear here only with her permission.
Pay her page a visit!