July 1963

Part one was written largely by Mel and Lars, the creators of Jo and Ed respectively.

Story written from Jo's point of view.

Melodies of the latest hits played within the walls of Jo's recently acquired apartment, a sound that added to the environment. Jo and Eydie were gathered comfortably around a coffee table, engrossed in a pile of teen magazines. As they flipped through the inked pages, Jo couldn't resist the urge to softly hum along with the familiar tunes that were playing on the radio. Currently the song that played was 'He's So Fine' by The Chiffons, which had become a recent favorite of hers.

As Jo continued to flip through the pages, a peculiar pattern caught her attention - the striking similarity in appearance among most of these musical groups featured. Pausing for a moment, Jo's thoughts wandered, imagining the Surfers in matching outfits. She let out a soft laugh at the thought and looked up from the pages as she adjusted her glasses to cast a glance at Eydie.

"What if," she mused, a hint of excitement hidden in her words, "We all matched, just like these folks I keep seeing in here?" Jo spoke, pointing at the page she was currently looking at.

Eydie looked up at Jo's sudden comment. His eyes wandered onto her magazine, grabbing it to get a close up of the pages. After flipping through several outfits of wildly varying patterns, his face scrunching up at quite a few, one finally caught his eye. The striped turtleneck. Despite its simplicity, Jo too could see how it stood out from the rest of the page.

"Look at that one, Joey! Can we get the stripe ones?" He turned the magazine for her to see, pointing at the pictures aggressively. Jo couldn't help but smile as she watched Ed's face light up with excitement. His enthusiasm was infectious, and she found herself nodding in agreement with his idea.

"It's real nice, it'll make us look spiffy!" She replied, letting out a small giggle.

"Spiffy- that's just the word! And the new guy could really use it..." He pointed out as he looked towards Emile who was sitting across the room, "Poor guy looks so out of place."

Jo followed his gaze. Currently, the thin man was too entranced by advertisements on the television to hear them, his nose pressed against the screen as if he was scared to miss something. His dusty plaid shirt and trousers were not only far too big for him but had also clearly seen better days. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly with concern before she turned her attention back to Ed.

"Yeah, you're right," She replied in a smaller voice, "If he's going to be our lead singer, he needs to fit in with us a little."

"True..." Suddenly Eydie jolted up, his eyes turning big, "Hey- how about we all get makeovers? We can go shopping and look all cute... We can even bring Emi along!"

Before Jo could reply, he jumped to his feet and strolled up to the scrawny man. Even as he giggled, Emile still didn't notice Ed until he reached out and ruffled his shaggy hair.

"Hey, Emi. Stop lookin' all stupid at the screen and come with us. Me 'n Joey wanna give you a makeover..."

Finally shifting away from the television, which seemed to be merely showing some advertisement, Emile would look up towards Ed. He had to pull his hair out of his eyes, another sign that it could really use a cut, as he stared open-mouthed. "Make what?"

"Oh, you know, a makeover," Ed shrugged, "It's like, something that changes your looks. Very cool thing."

"Yeah!" Jo agreed as she stood up and followed Ed, "Like your clothes, for example. We could help you find new ones! I mean, nothing wrong with yours, they're just not exactly..." She paused and looked him up and down, searching for a word that he would get, "Music like ours."

"Oh," Emile slowly got to his feet, looking at the colorful outfits of the other two before looking down at his own drabbier clothes, "I guess not." He stretched out his trousers specifically as he continued in his thick country voice, "These here were my brother's and- and he thought music was just kid's stuff. 'Bout as much point to singing as there is trying to pin a barn swallow, that's what he said."

"Well, you can still keep them, if you want to, we just thought it'd be fun if we all looked alike!" Jo said quickly, flashing Emile a soft smile as he looked back up. She felt a bit bad for him, hearing his words. A makeover was beginning to feel a little more urgent, if just for his sake. Jo tried to think of how they could start, figuring hair would probably be the best place. She always cut her own hair, how different would it be cutting someone else's?

With a gentle grab of his arm, she guided Emile to the coffee table and sat him down. The magazines were still scattered around on top, and she quickly scooped up the nearest three.

"Pick out any hairstyle, I can try to recreate it for you!" Jo spoke, placing the magazines in his hands. His face shone the moment his eyes laid upon them, and he glanced up at Jo in wide-eyed surprise.

"Oh really? Just for me? Goodness..." He hunched over and fumbled through the pages, biting his lip as though overwhelmed by the options. Ed slowly walked over and watched, smiling wide with endearment.

"How 'bout this here one? Or maybe this- oh..." Finally Emile pressed his finger against one photo in particular, seeming attracted towards the fluffy side-part. "Ooo I know! I want this one!" He stated, holding up the page excitedly, "Could you do that for me?"

Jo squinted, her eyes narrowing as she followed his pointed finger. She bit the inside of her cheek nervously, beginning to second guess herself. She thought for a moment, trying to figure out a plan for how to do the style he wanted. Eventually, she gathered up enough confidence and nodded.

"I should be able to!" Jo told him with a smile, "Give me one moment." Standing up, she scurried off to grab the scissors she used for her own hair. Once she returned, she quickly got to work snipping away at his grown-out locks. She was careful, making sure not to cut off too much. By the time she finished, though, long strands of brown hair had fallen all over the table and floor.

Leaning away to get a full view of the final product, Jo beamed with pride. The haircut had turned out exactly like it was supposed to. She gently ran her hands through his hair to style it before stepping back.

"That should be it... You look real out of sight, man!"

Looking up from his magazine, Ed gave a quick smile and thumbs up. "Agreed. You look great, Emi."

"Really? I wanna see!" With an excited grin, Emile rushed to his feet, disappearing into the bathroom. A few seconds later he returned, jumping like a little boy on Christmas day.

"Oh thank you to the well and back!" He exclaimed, dropping to his knees in front of the coffee table. Grabbing the magazine, he looked at the photo again and brought it to his chest, smiling at Jo. "Why, this- this is just 'bout the best hair I've ever did got, sweets. I look just like a rocker looks. Surely I must pay you."

Jo couldn't help but let out a small giggle hearing the several phrases Emile spoke. The bubbling joy in his voice was like a cute love song, bringing a warm smile to her face.

"I'm glad I could help, but please don't worry about paying me, Em!" She reassured him, rejoining him and Ed in the comfort of her living room floor. She sat herself beside Ed before speaking up again, "You know, you could come shopping with Ed and I, though..." Her voice was brimming with friendly invitation as she casually reached for another magazine. Inside, though, her heart fluttered with hope that he'd agree. She could already imagine the whirr of fun that would be if he came along.

And to her relief, Emile's eyes lit up as he straightened his back. "Goodness, I would love to do that. I've been wanting so long to see the city, and- and nobody's ever taken me anywhere before. 'Specially not the big clot of buildings that is. We don't got anything like that where I come from. But..." He sighed, his gaze and shoulders lowering, "I don't got money. I suppose I could come and look."

"Don't worry about that, I have some extra money from the gigs we've been playing recently. I can take care of it!" Jo flashed him a reassuring smile as she replied.

"So can I, and besides," Ed added, pointing a finger at Emile's clothes, "You still need a new outfit. That's part of the makeover."

Now Emile glanced from Jo to Eydie and then back again, at last lowering his eyes. A bashful smile rose across his face.

"You're much too kind..." He said quietly, gently playing with his fingers, "I won't get a lot, now."

~~~

Twenty minutes later, the three were already out on the road. While Jo drove the car through the busy L.A. streets, Eydie hung out in the back seat with Emile. The newly-cut country boy had his nose pressed to the window, his eyes staring up at the tall buildings in wonder. As the radio played some more fresh hits, Jo mostly listened to Ed pointing out various landmarks for Emile. It was funny hearing his many innocent questions about the big city. Already she could tell that they were in for a great time.

When she at last began to pull into their destination, Emile leaned forward, trying to see over her seat.

"What's this place?" He spoke up, repeating a question he'd asked several times on their trip. Jo grinned as she put the car into park, turning to look at him.

"This is our favorite shopping mall. You'll love it, come on!"

The entire time that they exited the vehicle and strolled through the parking lot, Emile's eyes were transfixed on the huge building that stood before them. Ed had to hold him by the arm so that he didn't get left behind while Jo took the lead. It remained that way as they headed inside. Indeed, they were met by an immense hallway flanked by shiny storefronts and flashy advertisements on all sides. In the middle ran a lounge crowded with people young and old, traditional and modern, and the heart held a massive fountain surrounded by real ferns. As impressive as it was, Jo could only imagine what it was like for Emile.

"Have you ever seen anything like it?" Ed soon asked, turning towards their new companion. His mouth was slightly ajar as he slowly shook his head, his gaze darting to and fro. For a moment, Jo frowned with concern, considering too late that he could be overwhelmed by the amount of sights and sounds. But eventually, he turned to smile at them, starting to jump excitedly.

"I wanna explore!"

It was fortunate that Ed was still hanging onto Emile's arm because the moment the words left his lips, he pushed away from them in an abrupt burst of speed. Jo laughed out loud as Ed had to pull his arm back like the reins of a runaway horse.

"Slow down! We gotta stick together, remember?"

Although Emile seemed to get the message from then on, they stopped by nearly every store on the way. It felt like a long time before they finally walked into the general clothing store. Lines of men's button-ups and dress pants filled the aisles near the entrance. That said, they were all of rather simple styles. Jo knew they would have to visit somewhere more boutique to find the real hip clothes that she and Ed were looking for, but it would do Emile good for now.

This time Ed took the lead, guiding Emile towards a rack of long sleeve shirts of a dark blue color. The scrawny man watched intently as Ed picked out a few from the front of the rack.

"First, we have to figure out your size. You're about the same height as me, so I think a small should do you just fine," He stated, handing Emile one of the shirts with mock formality, "Pant size, though, now that's a little more complicated..."

A few minutes of searching later, Emile stepped out of one of the dressing rooms wearing the blue shirt that Ed had picked out tucked into some straight white pants. Along with the haircut, he looked like a completely different person from that morning. The two of them cheered encouragingly as Emile made a slow circle.

"It's perfect, Emi!" Jo exclaimed.

"Yeah, real groovy!" Added Ed.

As Emile stopped to face them, he played with his fingers again in a shy manner. "Thanks, but... what does groovy mean?"

"Groovy?" Ed stood up, walking over to Emile and giving his arm a playful shove, "Groovy's you, man!"

Jo giggled and soon followed him, reaching for Emile's hand. "Go change back to your old clothes for now, though. Then we can buy these and, well... whatever else you want! We'll be waiting over at the counter."

As expected, the prospect made him jump and speed off to the dressing room in a hurry to change. Jo and Ed both chuckled to themselves as soon as he was out of earshot before drawing slowly to the counter.

"Isn't he just a doll?" Ed asked, "It's like having a little brother. I mean, granted, he's twenty, but..."

"No, no, I know what you mean," Jo agreed, feeling the soft satin of a dress next to her, "And how well he's adjusting, too. He'll be perfect for the stage. I could see him there a moment ago, trying on those clothes."

As Ed leaned against a rack, he let out a sudden annoyed sigh. "Too bad Doc could still get his way. Then it's goodbye to a record deal."

"Oh, Ed, don't say that," Jo huffed light-heartedly, briefly turning away from the dress to give him a gentle shove, "Doc will change his mind. Why, if he could just look at Emile now, he'll understand."

Right after she finished speaking, Emile's loud voice sounded from a little ways across the store.

"Jo? Ed? Hello?"

Glancing back towards Ed with a suppressed giggle, Jo rushed after the noise with a small "I'm coming!" When she finally grounded to a halt in front of Emile, however, she almost failed to recognize him. Before he even caught up, Ed was already laughing at the sight before them.

Piled almost a head above Emile's own was a massive clump of different shirts and pants threatening to fall through his wiry arms. In fact, Jo counted at least two or three already on the floor behind him. Seeing that Ed would be of little help, she hurried in to stop Emile from going further. Too late. Just as she put her hands to the pile, it suddenly came crashing down over Emile and nearly took her with it. All that remained were a pair of legs and some tufts of hair once the clothes finished burying him. As if Ed couldn't laugh any louder.

"Emile! Are you okay?" Jo gasped, genuine concern taking over her amusement at first. A muffled response followed. She then reached down and pulled out a black sweater. At last, Emile's unharmed head poked out, his eyes wide with only surprise, much to Jo's relief.

"Gee, thanks, Emi!" Ed said jokingly as he crouched beside them, "Clothes for the whole group and then some!"

Emile merely looked from Ed to Jo dumbly. She was at a slight loss for words herself. Her common sense not to spend more than they needed and her love for making their new friend smile battled in her mind. Finally she sighed and placed a soft hand on Emile's shoulder.

"Come to think of it, Emile, I don't think there's enough room in my car for all of this!" She flashed him a reassuring smile, "Besides, we only just started shopping. Why don't you pick your favorite pants and your two favorite shirts? Or three?"

Finally catching onto Jo's idea, Ed nodded along, picking out one of the button-ups. "This yellow one here is a solid choice! The best by far!"

As the two continued to help him clean through the pile, Emile's smile fortunately returned. In the end, they couldn't help but buy him four shirts. Jo winced a little when she got the receipt back, but upon looking back up to him bouncing around with the shopping bag, she decided to keep the price to herself. "Oh, thank you, Jo! Thank you!" He repeatedly gushed, the exaggerated delight in his off-beat country voice worth far more than gold. As they started to lead him out, she shared a beam with Ed who was no doubt thinking the same thing.

How sweet that Emile was! Now if only they could get him to understand money...