It was a cold winter's day. Tiny snowflakes gently fell from above, glimmering like stars on a clear night sky.
The new year was only a couple of hours away, and all the kids in town had been planning to celebrate with a big party that evening.
Stephanie managed to convince her uncle to let them borrow the sports hall, since it was big enough for everyone to fit both during and after the party.
They had agreed on bringing their sleeping bags with them and have a big sleepover after the festivities was over.
Trixie were to fix the decorations, Stingy had promised to (with some smooth persuasion from the others) bring a cake,
Pixel were going to bring some records to play on Stephanie's boombox, and Ziggy… well, he promised not to each too much candy before the party had even started.
Milford and Bessie had their own plans and would not be joining them, much to the kids delight. Not only did the grown ups get some time for themselves,
but more importantly the kids could do whatever they pleased. To a certain degree, of course. Stephanie had promised her uncle to behave and not make a huge mess,
and the other kids promised as well.
"Are you doing okay up there, Pixel?" Stephanie looked at her friend with a somewhat concerned expression on her face.
Standing on a ladder, the young boy mounted a speaker to the wall, high up in one of the corners of the hall.
"Yeah it's alright, I just have to-"
Trying to place the speaker (and not exactly succeeding) Pixel lost his balance on the ladder. Screaming and flailing his arms all around in a minor panic, a familiar blue figure rushed into the building. But before Sportacus even got to see where he was needed, the boy fell off the ladder only to be caught by his friend down below.
"Wow, thanks Stephanie!" Pixel regained his balance on ground, but still felt a little shaken. He blushed, scratching his neck while staring at his feet. "You saved me…"
"It's okay Pixel, that's what friends are for," she replied with a smile.
Sportacus let out a faint sigh as he picked up the broken mess on the floor.
"Is this yours?"
Pixel gasped at the sight of his speaker. It was most definitely broken. Confirmative. "Oh no! My mega speaker 3000!"
"I'm sorry Pixel. But you should be more careful next time. Always ask an adult for help if you need it, okay?" He looked at him expectantly.
"...Okay, I promise," the boy answered, still a bit upset about the loss of his speaker.
"Good. Now, what are you guys up to?" Smiling widely, Sportacus gaze wandered through the room.
"We're preparing for New Years Eve," Stephanie explained, "You should join us tonight!"
"I would love to! I'll come back later, I have some things to take care of first." Stephanie nodded to his reply.
"Oh, and Pixel-" The boy looked up from his speaker to meet Sportacus.
"Be careful, okay?" A nod, and then his eyes went back to his speaker.
"Stingy!" Trixie shouted across the room, "You were supposed to write the YEAR on the cake, not your name!"
"But it's my cake," he clarified, pointing his hand towards himself.
"No it ain't, we've been through this already!" The both of them glared at each other from each side of the room.
Sitting on the floor, Pixel continued his examination of the speaker. It wasn't beyond repair, but fixing it would take a while and he really didn't want
to spend the rest of the evening in his room trying to.
"It's alright Pixel, we still have my stereo to play your records on."
A faint smile spread across his face as the pink haired girl swooped down next to him.
"It won't sound quite as good, but it's better than nothing, right?"
"Yeah, I guess... Hey, Stephanie-" He fumbled a little with his shoelaces, not really sure where he was going with this. "Do you… Could we hang out, tomorrow maybe?"
"I'm sorry, I can't." Stephanie bobbed her head to the side, "Perhaps another day."
Pixel's posture sank even further, "Oh, alright…"
They were both sitting quiet next to each other for a good minute or two before Stephanie got up to help the others.
"I'm sure you can fix the speaker, don't be sad about it," she said, shrugging with a smile on her face.
With the speaker in his arms, Pixel got up from the floor as well. Maybe staying in his room wasn't such a bad idea after all. In fact, at the moment, it sounded like a great idea. Everyone else seemed to be busy with something, so they probably wouldn't notice if he left for a moment. That is, everyone except Ziggy, who bounced up like a rubber ball to Pixel as he walked towards the door.
"Where are you going Pixel?" he asked, removing the lollipop from his mouth for a second.
"I'm just… going to see if I can find a spare speaker."
"Okay, come back soon!" And so, Ziggy bounced off again, bubbling with excitement for the evening.
Pixel tied his scarf a little tighter around him. It sure was cold outside this time of year. How Sportacus managed to survive the winter in just his regular clothes was beyond Pixel's understanding, but whatever made the man happy… He sighed heavy, his warm breath forming little clouds in the air. Stephanie didn't seem to have any time for him lately. She always had something to do, or someone to be with. At least every time he asked her. Whenever the others were around, she seemed fine with hanging out. Sometimes, he got the feeling that she just didn't want to spend time with him at all. It had been fine the whole summer. Of course they spent a lot more time together with the other kids, but still. Just the two of them, playing video games or browsing his computer, it was a nice change now and then.
Engulfed by his own thoughts, Pixel failed to notice a particularly odd pipe sticking up from behind the wall. It followed his movements kind of enthusiastically before hastingly disappearing when a certain hero approached.
"Hi Pixel, are you alright?" Sportacus carefully kneeled down while placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Do you want to talk?"
Pixel stood quiet for a moment.
"What do you do when you like someone, but you're not sure if they like you back?"
Sportacus seemed a little confused by the question, or rather why he asked it.
"And how do you make them like you?" the boy added.
With a small giggle Sportacus stood up, hands on his hips.
"Just be yourself Pixel, it's always the best answer" He winked, and with those words he flipped away again.
...That wasn't exactly the advice he'd been hoping to hear. He didn't need to be himself - he needed something way more effective.
"Silly, isn't it?"
Pixel jumped, a little spooked by the sudden voice behind him.
"That Sportaflop, always preaching lessons that doesn't help. Am I right Poodle?"
"It's Pixel," he muttered, spinning around to face Robbie.
"Yeah whatever."
A small grin laid upon Robbie's face as he slowly walked around the boy, circling him over and over, examining him like a museum object or a furniture piece.
He abruptly stopped in front of the boy.
"You like the girl, don't you?"
Pixel's face turned red of embarrassment. "Who-Of course, we're friends!" he answered.
"I see," Robbie sneered. "Then you won't need my advice on how to get her to like you."
Pixel bit his lip, looking at the footprints in the snow.
"Since she already likes you too, I mean," Robbie swiftly continued, making his way away from the boy.
Pixel lifted his head, quickly trying to figure out something to say.
"I want to hear it Robbie! If you… uhm, if you'd like to tell me, please."
The tall man walked back to the boy again, rapid steps crunching in the snow.
"It's simple, really-" He leaned in from behind, placing his chin on the boy's shoulder.
"You just make her like you."
Pixel groaned, irritated."That's exactly what Sportacus said!" Robbie straightened up, obviously offended.
"No it isn't! Now listen up: You're a smart little boy, how about you use this knowledge of yours to make her like you, hm? How does that sound?"
Pixel's gears started to spin in his head. Of course! How could he not have thought about this earlier?!
"Thank you Robbie!" He run off towards his house, leaving the tall man behind. A wide grin spread from ear to ear on Robbie, rubbing his hands together.
"Now all I have to do is wait for that little brat to come up with some ingenious thing to control minds with, and steal it from him! And with that,
I'll make sure that everyone in LazyTown will listen to me and only me! Robbie, you truly are a genius man."
"Where's Pixel?" Stephanie glanced around the room looking for her friend. "Has anyone seen Pixel?" Trixie, standing on a chair leaning over a table, shaked her head.
"Nope, haven't seen him in hours," she said as she hung up the last garland.
Stingy had just entered the sports hall, holding a big cake on a silver plate. He squinted as he made eye contact with the pigtailed girl.
"I have 'fixed' the cake", he muttered, placing it on the table. Trixie stepped off the chair to closer examine his work.
"Stingy!"
"BUT WHAT IS IT NOW?" he fumed, "I wrote the year on it, just like you told me to!"
"It says 'Happy New Year Stingy' on it, that's what it is!"
"Of course it does- it's MY year!"
Once again the children began a mental showdown, fire burning furiously in their eyes. Stephanie rolled her eyes with a sigh. Ziggy had already fallen asleep,
Trixie and Stingy were fighting and Pixel where nowhere to be found. This was going to be one long evening…
"There! It's done!" Pixel raised his hands in the air, proud of his work. On his desk laid a book, a diary nonetheless. But that wasn't the only thing lying there.
There was also a small, glittering pink pen.
"When Stephanie clicks the button to use it, she'll fall head over heels for the first person she sees! And that would be me."
He held a tight grip on the book and pen as he started putting on his outer clothing again, ready to get back to the others.
"She's gonna love this! It's a perfect New Year's gift!"
On his way back to the sportshall, a slender figure appeared before him stopping him right in his tracks.
He was tall, had a big chin, and-
"No way Robbie, I'm not falling for that costume."
The slender figure's eyes widened, looking at the boy in huge surprise.
...
What?
He didn't fall for it?
But, they always did?!
"How did you?- Forget it, hand over the-...whatever you've made!" Robbie grunted as he forcibly tried to take what was in the boys hands.
"No! This is for Stephanie, not for you!" His grip tightened further, but to no use. Robbie grabbed the diary, holding it high up in the air so the boy couldn't reach it.
"A small child is no match for a man like me," he proudly stated, "I'll be keeping this, thank you".
He started flipping through the empty pages. "Is there an instruction manual to how I use this-"
Pixel jumped up and down, trying to take back the book - or rather the pen that hung on its spine.
"Give it to me Robbie! You don't even know how to use it!"
Robbie spun around over and over trying to get rid of the boy, flailing his free arm around frustrated.
"THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT YOU LITTLE- I KNOW HOW TO USE A BOOK!"
Pixel stopped for a moment. "Alright, then keep the book, but I want the pen! Is it a deal?"
Robbie stroke his chin. "Hm… fair deal, you can have- wait a minute". Pixel held his breath. Uh-oh.
A sly smile spread on the tall man's face as he examined the pen, and he threw the book back at Pixel. He fumbled a little before he managed to catch it.
"So, this is the little thing that...does the thing," Robbie mumbled.
"Pixel!"
The boy turned around. A flashing blue streak closed in on them, jumping over the nearby wall and landing a few feet away.
"My crystal was signaling, what's happening?"
It was at this moment that Pixel really started to understand what a dilemma he had put himself into. If Sportacus knew that he made that pen, he would be very disappointed, he could already foresee that. But he couldn't let Robbie get away with it either.
"U-Uhm, I eh… I slipped on the ground, it's… slippery. The snow, the snow is slippery."
Sportacus' eyes moved from one person to the other, expressing pure and utter confusion.
Robbie nodded rapidly with a nervous attempt at a smile. "-I fell too… Slippery."
"It's… a little slippery," Sportacus nodded slowly, still completely lost.
Pixel saw his chance in this peaceful moment and reached for the pen. Unfortunately, he didn't manage to grab it, but instead made Robbie click the button. A quick jolt of electricity rushed through the man's body, launching him backwards landing on his back. Pixel tumbled and fell on his bum with a thud, rather happy that Stephanie didn't have the chance to try the pen out. That wasn't really supposed to happen.
Sportacus rushed to Robbie's side, kneeling down and grabbing his upper back, pulling him up towards himself carefully.
"Are you okay Robbie?", he asked, worry overrunning him. The slender man - whose hair that normally were styled and slicked but now sprawling in every direction possible - opened his eyes and blinked away his dizziness. He drew his focus to the blue eyes in front of him.
"I'm fine," he answered, smiling weakly. "I'm perfectly fine, thank you."
Sportacus worried expression changed slightly into confusion, but still remained some worry although of a different kind.
"Are you really sure about that?"
Robbie nodded, sighing peacefully. "I am in the gentle but strong arms of a hero," he said,
"A soft embrace filled with caring and passion. A gesture of true love."
At this point Sportacus didn't know if a concussion was the best possible outcome, or if he'd simply gone mad. Both of them were problems that he didn't know how to fix.
His gaze fell upon the boy.
"Pixel, I understand that you didn't want Robbie to hurt himself but you should be more careful."
The child scratched his neck, not knowing what to answer.
"And You-" Sportacus said, looking at the man in his lap again, "You really shouldn't make such dangerous things." Pixel let out a small sigh of relief.
What Sportacus didn't knew, didn't hurt him.
"Oh you~", Robbie blushed while fluttering his hand gently.
"Well, I guess I have to turn down the invitation to your party Pixel. I can't leave Robbie alone now, it seems a little risky."
Oh right, the party. Pixel had completely forgotten it by now, after all that happened.
"I'll tell the others," he answered short. "I'll head there right away."
"Alright, goodnight Pixel!"
He could hear the two men in the background while making his way to the others, Robbie insisting that Sportacus carried him home to his lair.
"There you are!" Stephanie immediately run up to Pixel as he walked in, giving him a quick hug.
"I was kinda worried that you wanted to play video games instead," she continued. Pixel shook his head with a tiny smile.
He looked down on the book still in his hand before giving it to her.
"Sorry I'm late, I just wanted to give you this." He blushed. "I didn't wanna miss hanging out with you guys tonight."
It was true, even though he honestly felt rather tired at the moment.
Stephanie smiled wide and surprised. "Aww, it's really cute!" she gushed happily, "Thanks Pixel."
"Ah, it's nothing."
The evening seemed to brighten up a bit for him.
The hours passed by as the children celebrated, and Pixel were actually having a really good time after awhile. As the clock ticked closer and closer to twelve, they started preparing for the New Year fireworks at the town square. The temperature had fallen quite a lot since Pixel came, Stingy even permitted Ziggy to borrow his scarf
because of the cold. They all went out, locking the door behind them and set off to the square. Halfway there, Pixel suddenly remembered something.
"You guys go ahead, I'm just going to pick up my camera. I'll see you guys in a minute!"
He ran back to the sportshall again, placing a hand on the doorknob. Locked. He forgot. With an irritated sigh he leaned his head on the door. Oh well, some photos weren't that important, so he might as just head back to the others. But before he started his way back, he saw a familiar face.
"Pixel!" Sportacus shouted across the street. The boy started walking in his direction.
"Hi Sportacus. I thought you said you were going to look after Robbie?"
"I am", the man replied with a sigh, "but I needed a little break." Pixel bobbed his head to the side. The man seemed completely out of breath, which was unusual for him.
"SPOOORTACUTIEE~"
"Hide!" Sportacus quickly dragged Pixel with him, hiding in a bush. "Be quiet," he whispered.
There was a sense of panic around him, a fear of something - or someone, and Pixel knew who.
The man turned to him, looking at him with a very serious expression.
"Pixel," he whispered, "if you have something to do with this, say it now."
Pixel swallowed hard, his face covered in guilt too obvious to miss.
"I… I might have had that," he answered quietly.