#78 Disco (K)
for the wonderful thymeladykatl
It had been four hours that they were on the dance floor. Anthony and Edith were gently swaying together, trying not to focus on the others. Anthony was calculating in his head just how much longer his knees would last at this rate.
After all the only reason they were there was to raise money for charity.
If only Edith's mother hadn't picked Disco! He tried to block out the garish decorations and the awful Travolta-esque suit he had been forced into. Of course Edith had fared no better, no one should have to suffer through that many gold sequins on a dress. And how she was managing to stand, let alone dance, in those gold wedges, he'd never know.
It was down to five couples; Matthew and Mary, himself and Edith, Tom and Sybil, Evelyn and Lavinia, and surprisingly enough, Elsie and Charles Carson.
Oooooh
Do it!
"Oh god."
Oooooh
Do it!
"Not again"
Oooooh
Do it!
"I swear your mother is a sadist," Anthony whispered in her ear, before they tiredly began doing the hustle.
One of the rules of Cora's charity dance-off was that they had agreed to when they decided to participate was that when a particular song was played, the corresponding dance had to be danced.
Edith nodded tiredly, her large hoop earrings bouncing.
There was a large thump to their right. Turning they looked to the left, where Charles and Elsie had taken a tumble, knocking over Mary and Matthew, disqualifying both couples.
It looked like Edith's breast cancer charity might just have a chance.
It was the fifth hour and Edith's head was resting on his shoulder, her fingers twisting his polyester shirt. They had just had a ten minute water break, everyone that was left dragged themselves over to the table and chairs were refreshments were waiting. Most of the onlookers had been participants at one point, and most of them were asleep by now.
Edith had curled herself up in his lap, in that almost-but-not-quite dozing off state familiar to all insomniacs.
Sybil, however, had fully fallen asleep. Unfortunately, she didn't get up when the time was called, disqualifying her and Tom.
Mary and Matthew came over to take care of her. She lasted longer than anyone had thought she would. She had just given birth a few short weeks ago, but Sybil was a strong one.
It was six and a half hours into the competition, Edith had thrown her shoes off somewhere and Anthony had long ago lost his white jacket to the fold-up chair closest to the break area. Evelyn and Lavinia were in a similar state of dishabille, except Lavinia was quite adamant on keeping her shoes on.
His knees were screaming at him and he could feel the trembling in Edith's arms. He honestly didn't think they could make through another dance when he heard all too familiar and now hateable melody starting.
They could barely move and he could feel Edith trying to support him as one of his legs tried to give out. He was almost certain that they would lose when it was suddenly all over. Lavinia's heel had broken, disqualified for falling.
They had done it. By the grace of God, they had actually survived it.
The clapping began, not strong, just barely audible. Most of the audience was passed due to exhaustion.
Somehow Cora looked fresh as a daisy and alarmingly bright-eyed as she present the rather large check over to them.
Later, as the collapsed into bed, not even bothering to change, Anthony asked Edith for a promise.
From then on out, the Hustle was officially banned from the Strallan household.