Disclaimer: I do not own The Mr. Men Show or any of its characters. I only own the idea for this story which includes the backstory to the main character (the first story goes into great detail about what happened in case you're confused).
I hope you all like it!
The TV played in the background as Mr. Lazy laid out on his couch, but he wasn't watching the show that was on. He was staring up at the ceiling, his mind whirling with so many questions.
Am I doing the right thing? Should I wait for another time? Should I call him up and tell him that I don't need him to come over anymore?
No, he answered himself. Besides, he should already be heading this way by now. He wouldn't pick up his home phone.
For a moment he felt confident and believed that this had to be done. But then alarm shot through him. What if it goes bad? What if he doesn't want to be my friend anymore when he finds out that I've been lying to him since we met?
"Relax," he told himself out loud as he sat up. "This is why I'm telling him first. If it doesn't go well, he will forget anyways, so I shouldn't be worrying so much."
But Mr. Lazy couldn't help but worry. This would be the first time he's ever told anyone. His old friends knew the real him and what happened that made him become lazy and not want to do anything even if they didn't care. But nobody here in Dillydale knew about his past.
That will change after today though, he realized. Am I really ready for everyone to know who I once was?
Before he could decide if he was ready or not, he heard a knock at his door. He took a deep breath and let it out, trying to calm himself. "This is it."
He got to his feet and walked the short distance to the door, opening it to find one of his closest friends standing there in front of him. "Hello, Mr. Scatterbrain," he greeted the magenta Mr. Man.
Mr. Scatterbrain smiled at him. "Hi, Mr. Lazy." Suddenly confusion clouded his gaze as he glanced around before turning back to Mr. Lazy. "Um… what am I doing here again?"
"I called you," Mr. Lazy reminded him. "I need to talk to you. Please, come in." He stepped aside to allow Mr. Scatterbrain to enter his trailer, closing the door once his friend was inside. He gestured to the couch and watched as the magenta Mr. Man sat down, looking expectantly at Mr. Lazy.
Okay, how do I start this? the green Mr. Man wondered. From the beginning I guess. The thought of finally coming clean after years of hiding behind lies and secrets made him feel like it would be simpler to just turn his back on his life now and start a new one. But he's already done that once, and he really liked living here in Dillydale. It was time he stopped running from his past and told his friends the truth about him: His real name and why he was now called Mr. Lazy.
"I don't know if anyone's ever told you this," he began nervously," but I didn't always live in Dillydale." He remembered Mr. Scatterbrain moving here shortly after him, so he wasn't sure if their friends ever mentioned Mr. Lazy living somewhere else before settling down in Dillydale.
By the look of surprise that appeared on Mr. Scatterbrain's face when he said that he'd guess either nobody thought it was worth talking about someone new moving to town or the magenta Mr. Man simply forgot, like he forgets everything.
What do I say now? Finding the right words to confess everything was proving to be more difficult than Mr. Lazy had thought it would be. Should I just come right out and say it? The longer I take to explain, the more confuse he might get.
"You see, Mr. Scatterbrain," the green Mr. Man went on," where I used to live, I had a different life and a different name. Something happened…" He had to pause for a moment, fighting back the tears that were building in his eyes as he thought about the Little Miss who he used to love and who he wished was still here with him. Finally he was able to talk again without his voice cracking. "Something happened that made me who I am today, lazy and… And depress," he added after another short pause.
He waited to see his friend's reaction, expecting him to look shocked or surprised or maybe even offer to comfort him. But Mr. Scatterbrain just blinked a few times, staring at Mr. Lazy with a blank expression like he didn't hear a word he just said. Mr. Lazy sighed and sat down beside him, suddenly regretting wanting to practice what he would tell the rest of his friends on Mr. Scatterbrain. He should have known that he wouldn't be able to pay attention long enough for him to get a proper response out of him.
"Are you okay, Mr. Lazy?" Mr. Scatterbrain placed his hand on Mr. Lazy's shoulder.
The green Mr. Man glanced at him. "I'm trying to figure out how to tell you and all of our friends something very important." Mr. Lazy sighed again, feeling the stress of everything weighing him down. "But you're too distracted to understand, and I'm afraid of how everyone else will take it. Maybe this is a sign trying to tell me that I should just keep all this to myself…"
A frown appeared on Mr. Scatterbrain's face, and for once he actually looked thoughtful. A moment later he jumped off the couch. "I know!" he suddenly exclaimed. Before Mr. Lazy could ask him what he was doing, the magenta Mr. Man reached for his arm and the next thing he knew he was being dragged from his trailer. Mr. Scatterbrain didn't even give him a chance to close the door behind them.
Mr. Lazy watched as they passed a few houses. Then he turned back to his magenta friend. "Where are we going?" he inquired, but Mr. Scatterbrain didn't answered, only continued to pull him. Soon the observatory came into sight, and Mr. Lazy suddenly understood. "You're taking me to Mr. Nosy and Mr. Small. Why?"
"I think they will be able to help," Mr. Scatterbrain admitted when they stopped in front of the metal door, and he finally let go of Mr. Lazy.
"How?" Mr. Lazy was confused.
"Since I'm too distracted to listen, you can tell them and they will listen," the scatterbrained Mr. Man explained. "Then they can tell everyone else so you don't have to."
Mr. Lazy thought about what he just said, realizing that wasn't a bad idea. It would also take some stress off him since he wouldn't need to go from Mr. Man to Mr. Man or Little Miss to Little Miss, repeating the same story over and over again, the whole time worrying about breaking down in front of his friends. This way he'd only have to confess everything once and let the best friends spread the news to the rest of the town.
He'd probably have to clear up some stuff afterward and answer a few questions, but at least all of Dillydale will know about his past even if he wasn't the one telling them.
Finally, he nodded. "Okay, Mr. Scatterbrain," he agreed. "Let's do it."
Mr. Scatterbrain blinked, suddenly looking confused. "Do what?" he questioned, seeming to have already forgotten the idea he had proposed to Mr. Lazy only a moment ago.
Mr. Lazy let out a soft sigh, pushing down his rising frustration. He didn't want to get upset with his scatterbrained friend. "Let's just see if they're home," he suggested, and he turned back to the door, knocking on it and praying that they would answer.
After a few moments the door opened and the best friends stood there, smiling at the Mr. Men in front of them. "Good tidings!" the small man greeted them while the light green Mr. Man just waved. "What can we do for you?" Mr. Small asked.
"Can we come in?" Mr. Lazy stared hopefully at the friends.
They shared a look before stepping back. "Of course," Mr. Small replied.
"Thank you." Mr. Lazy walked inside, aware that Mr. Scatterbrain was right behind him.
Mr. Nosy closed the door, and then the four of them stood there in awkward silence until finally Mr. Small cleared his throat and asked," So what did you need?" He blinked up at Mr. Lazy.
I should just get right to it, the green Mr. Man told himself, knowing that if he hesitated for long he might change his mind and continue to live his life of lies and secrets.
"Well, I was trying to tell Mr. Scatterbrain," he began to explain, but he paused for a moment to glance at the magenta Mr. Man, noticing the vacant look in his eyes, like he wasn't listening to the others. Turning back to the best friends, he started over. "I was trying to tell him that Mr. Lazy isn't–" He took a deep breath and then let it out again–" isn't my real name."
Almost at once interest filled Mr. Nosy's gaze and he leaned closer. "What is it then?" he asked.
Before Mr. Lazy could answer, Mr. Small spoke up, looking confused and shocked. "So, wait, you've been lying to everyone since you moved to Dillydale? Why?" There was hurt in his voice like he couldn't believe that one of his friends would lie to him for so long.
Mr. Lazy lowered his eyes to the floor. "It's a long story," he murmured. "But I hope once you've heard it, you'll understand why I've been lying," he went on, glancing up at the friends. "I didn't mean anything personal. Nobody here knows the real me, but I think it's time that changed."
For a few moments Mr. Nosy and Mr. Small didn't say anything, only glanced at each other. Finally the small man gestured to their couch. "Please, get comfortable," he invited. "If it's a long story, we might as well sit down for it."
Mr. Lazy nodded and walked over to the couch. Mr. Scatterbrain joined him right as he shifted into a comfortable position. Looking up, Mr. Lazy saw Mr. Nosy sitting in a normal size sofa chair while Mr. Small settled down in a smaller one.
Mr. Nosy took no time to ask again," What's your real name?"
Mr. Lazy didn't answer right away. He just stared at the light green Mr. Man, realizing that he was about to speak the name he had been born with for the first time in many years. He never thought he would ever say it again, but here he was, getting ready to confess everything to the two nosiest people in the whole town. Soon everyone in Dillydale will know about his past and that he's been lying to them.
Suddenly he was nervous all over again, afraid to find out how his friends would react to the truth. But he couldn't back down now. He's hidden his past long enough. It was time to come clean about everything.
"My real name is Mr. Active," he finally told them, noticing the surprised looks they gave him.
"Really?" The best friends shared a glance before turning back to Mr. Lazy. "If your real name is Mr. Active," the small Mr. Man started asking, sounding confused," then why are you so–"
"Lazy?" Mr. Lazy guessed, interrupting him. When Mr. Small nodded, he explained," I used to be more active. I actually enjoyed getting out and doing stuff. I loved going on adventures and seeing new things." He went off in a daydream, remembering all the long hikes he used to take, all the mountains he climbed, all the forests he went exploring in, and many more things he wouldn't even dream of doing now that he could barely find the motivation to get off his couch.
He was pulled back to the present where he sat in the observatory by a familiar voice. "What happened that made you stop all that?" Mr. Nosy asked him.
Looking past them, Mr. Lazy pictured the pink Little Miss as clear as if he had just seen her yesterday. "I was in love once," he told them, just barely noticing that the best friends' eyes grew huge with surprise. "We were inseparable," the green Mr. Man went on, turning his full attention back on them. "We did everything together and we never went anywhere without the other. It was starting to get really serious." Suddenly his voice cracked and he stopped talking, desperately fighting back the tears. He didn't want to start crying in front of his friends.
Mr. Nosy and Mr. Small shared a quick glance. "What happened?" the nosy Mr. Man asked Mr. Lazy. "Why aren't you together now? And why are you going by a name that's not your real one?" His eyes were shining with a mix of confusion and curiosity.
Mr. Lazy stared at him, feeling his throat tighten with emotion as he thought back to the day that changed everything, the day that ended his adventures and eventually led to who he was today. "I had insisted on climbing this tree," he explained, his voice shaky at first, but as he continued it became steadier to his surprise. "It had branches hanging over a river, and I thought it would be fun to see how high we could climb. We were almost at the top when–"
Suddenly his voice cracked again and this time he was unable to hold in the tears. They rolled down his face, but he quickly wiped them away, taking in a deep breath and letting it out as he desperately tried to calm himself.
A hand appeared on his leg and he looked up to see that Mr. Small had got out of his chair and was now standing in front of him. He removed his hand and climbed onto the couch beside Mr. Lazy.
"It's okay," he murmured. "Take your time."
Mr. Lazy blinked at him gratefully even though he knew he couldn't see his eyes behind his big hat. For a moment he glanced at Mr. Scatterbrain, almost forgetting all about him. He's been silent since the friends invited them inside, and Mr. Lazy didn't expect that to change any time soon because he was just sitting there, watching the others but not showing any emotions that match what his friends were saying.
"What happened when you were almost at the top?" Mr. Nosy pressed, and Mr. Lazy turned back to him, surprised to see how eager he looked to hear the rest of the story.
Mr. Small flashed him a look before jerking his head toward Mr. Lazy, who guessed the small Mr. Man was trying to get his friend to realize how upsetting this subject was for him. Mr. Nosy must had understood because he murmured out an apology.
"That's okay," Mr. Lazy said, forcing a smile. Then he frowned. "The wind suddenly picked up and she lost her grip. She had been able to grab onto the branch," he went on after the friends let out a gasp as if they were watching the whole thing unfold before them. For a moment they looked relieved, but that quickly changed as Mr. Lazy continued. "I tried pulling her up, but every time I moved the branch would too. She had no choice but to let go before the branch snapped and we both fell in." He ended with a miserable sigh.
"She fell into the river?" Mr. Nosy shared a worried look with Mr. Small before turning back to Mr. Lazy. "What happened then?"
Mr. Lazy stared at him for a long moment. Then he closed his eyes and turned his head away from them. "I never found her body," he whispered. The silence that followed his words told him that the friends understood what he meant. "We held a small ceremony to honor her life, but after that, nobody spoke of her again, and nobody seemed to care… to care about my depression." Finally he turned back to the friends to see them staring at him with sad eyes.
"Oh, Mr. Lazy, we are so sorry," Mr. Small told him, and he glanced at his best friend. Mr. Nosy nodded as if agreeing with the small Mr. Man.
Mr. Lazy took in a shaky breath and let it out. "People mistook my depression for laziness," he started explaining, but Mr. Small finished his sentence for him.
"So they renamed you and left it at that. Is that what happened?" Mr. Small blinked at him sympathetically.
Mr. Lazy nodded. "I couldn't go on living near people who clearly didn't care about my feelings, so I moved here to Dillydale. But at the time, since it was still so fresh, I didn't want to go through the pain of explaining why my name's Mr. Active but I don't do anything active, so I kept the name Mr. Lazy." He sighed deeply.
"But it seems just as painful now than it would have back then," Mr. Small observed, frowning.
"I guess since I didn't have anyone to help me cope with what happened, I was never able to get over it. It still hurts just thinking about her…"
Mr. Small placed his hand on Mr. Lazy's leg again. "Well, now you have us," he told him, and he glanced at Mr. Nosy, who nodded in agreement. "If you need anything, just tell us and we will do all we can to help you."
Now's my chance, Mr. Lazy thought, remembering the other reason Mr. Scatterbrain had brought him here besides just to confess everything to the best friends. "Actually, there is a favor I wanted to ask you." He stared hopefully at them.
Mr. Small pulled away from him and shared a surprised look with Mr. Nosy. "What do you need?" the light green Mr. Man asked Mr. Lazy.
"I want all of Dillydale to know the truth about me," Mr. Lazy told them. "My real name and what happened, but it was hard just saying all that once."
"So you want us to tell everyone for you," Mr. Small guessed.
Mr. Lazy nodded slowly, suddenly realizing that he was asking them for a lot, but he was still hoping they would agree. "Can you?"
The friends glanced at each other again. "Of course," Mr. Small finally said, turning back to Mr. Lazy. "If that is what you want then we will spread the news to the rest of Dillydale so you don't have to go through any more pain."
A smile crossed Mr. Lazy's face as relief washed over him. Soon everyone will know about his hidden past. There will be no more lies or secrets. "Thank you."
The four Mr. Men left the observatory at the same time, and after thanking the best friends again, Mr. Lazy went on his way with Mr. Scatterbrain right beside him while Mr. Nosy and Mr. Small went the opposite direction.
For a while Mr. Lazy and Mr. Scatterbrain walked together until the magenta Mr. Man wandered off. Mr. Lazy called out a goodbye to him, and Mr. Scatterbrain waved in acknowledgment.
Then it was just Mr. Lazy. For the first time in what seemed like centuries he felt light on his feet like a huge weight has been lifted off his shoulders. It came as a relief to him that soon all of his friends will know the true story. He wouldn't need to lie to them anymore.
He tried to ignore the voice in the back of his mind that was taunting him, trying to convince him that he wouldn't have any friends after news of him lying to them for years got out.
I imagine the majority of them won't be happy to find out that I'm not who they thought I was. He remembered how hurt Mr. Small had been after he confessed that his real name wasn't Mr. Lazy. But after hearing everything, he understood why I had to lie, and I'm sure everyone else will too once they know the whole story.
Suddenly he came to a halt, another thought hitting him. What if they leave something out? Or tell them the wrong thing?
For a brief second he wondered if he should have been the one to confess the truth to the rest of his friends after all. But then he quickly reminded himself how painful it was just to say everything once. There was no way he could have repeated it over and over again. He pushed his worry away, trusting the best friends to remember what he told them. And if there is any misunderstanding, I can just clear it up later, he told himself.
When Mr. Lazy finally got back to his trailer, he closed the door behind him and flopped down on his couch. He glanced at the TV, trying to focus on the show that was on, but his mind kept going back to Mr. Nosy and Mr. Small. What were they doing right now? Have they told anyone yet? How did they react?
Do they hate me now?
That question echoed in his head, chilling him to the bone. He didn't want any of his friends to hate him, but if they did, he'd understand. He has been lying to them since he moved to Dillydale. He wouldn't be surprised if people started looking at him differently after learning that at some point he hadn't been as lazy as they always thought he was.
At last his whirling mind relaxed long enough for him to slip into a restless sleep, though he soon found himself waking up again. For a moment he was confused. Then he heard the knocking at his door again.
"Who could that be?" he murmured as he started climbing off the couch, but he froze when he realized what was happening. The news is out. Now everyone is coming to see if it's true.
He considered not answering the door, believing it would be easier to just stay on his couch and never talk to any of his friends again.
But he knew he couldn't do that, especially after he went to the best friends and asked them to tell everyone else so he didn't have to. Now he needed to step up and do his part. He couldn't avoid this any more.
He forced his feet to take him over to the door, opening it to find a small group of Little Misses standing in front of him. He noticed that they were looking at him with soft eyes, but he saw the sadness deep in their depths.
Mr. Nosy and Mr. Small told them, he realized, briefly wondering who else now knew the truth. The whole town maybe? New travels pretty quickly in Dillydale…
"Um… hi," he stammered out when none of his friend said anything.
Suddenly Little Miss Sunshine threw her arms around Mr. Lazy's neck. "Oh, Mr. Lazy, we are so sorry," she said as she pulled back to blink up at him. "Mr. Nosy and Mr. Small just told us, and we feel bad that we didn't know sooner."
"Yeah," Little Miss Whoops agreed with the bubbly Little Miss. "If we had known, we would have tried to help you."
Mr. Lazy shifted his feet, lowering his gaze. "There was no way you could have known," he murmured. "I just feel bad for keeping all this to myself for so long. Do-Do you hate me?" he forced himself to ask, and he looked back up at them.
Little Miss Sunshine and Little Miss Whoops stared at him in surprise. "Of course not," the yellow Little Miss replied. "We could never hate you."
Little Miss Whoops murmured out an agreement, but the third member of the group, Little Miss Naughty, let out a huff and crossed her arms. "Why did you lie to everyone for so long?" she demanded, narrowing her eyes at him.
I knew some of my friends would be upset, Mr. Lazy thought, frowning.
It looked like Little Miss Whoops are going to stand up for him, but before she could say anything, Mr. Lazy spoke up. "When I first moved to Dillydale," he started explaining," the memory was too fresh, and I thought it would be easier to keep the name I was labeled with. As time went by and I started making more and more friends here, I felt really guilty for lying to everyone until finally I decided it was time to came clean. I didn't mean to hurt anyone," he added, hoping they understood.
Little Miss Sunshine rested her hand on his shoulder for a moment. "It's okay, Mr. Lazy." She paused before asking," Which name would prefer to be called?"
That question took him by surprise. Nobody has called him Mr. Active for many, many years. It was the name he was born with, but it was tied to his old life where he lost his love and discovered that the people he had thought was his friends really didn't care about him.
But with the name Mr. Lazy he had built a new life here in Dillydale, and even though he's been depressed since Little Miss Loyal died, he had been able to make more friends who were loyal to him and cared about his feelings just like she did.
Mr. Active was in the past, and he wanted to move forward, not go backwards.
The truth was out, but he didn't expect to ever go back to the way he used to be, not when he didn't have the Little Miss who he loved beside him. He will never forget her, but he now lived in Dillydale and everyone here knew him as the person he became after he lost her. It would be weird to ask them to call him something different.
Finally he decided.
"You can call me Mr. Lazy."
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Thank you for reading!