The Toonbilation was beginning and everyone gathered around the Toonville Town Hall and surrounded the big Christmas tree as the band played and lights turned on. The cheer amongst the crowd settled once their dedicated mayor tapped the microphones to get their attention. Once they were silent, Mayor Westergaard spoke.
"Well, it's time for our Holiday Cheermeister of the Year Award!" He announced excitedly as the citizens roared with cheer. "Congratulations, Mr. Black!"
He gestured to his right as if expecting Angus to be standing there, but didn't see him there and gasped to the crowd in fake shock. Granted, Mayor Westergaard was expecting this to happen and immediately felt glad that the maniac was nowhere in sight, which means he could be the next Cheermeister instead of him.
"Oh my gosh. He didn't show? Who could've predicted this?" asked the mayor rhetorically.
After re-thinking his decision, Angus had his arms crossed and finally made up his mind.
"Alright. I'll swing by for just a minute, allow them to envy me, grab a handful of popcorn shrimp and blow out of there." Angus debated and headed for the door, but stopped to think for a second. "But what if it's another cruel prank? What if it's a cash bar? How dare they! Alright, I'll go. But I'll be fashionably late."
"Yes, no, yes, no, yes!" He flexed an index finger while having a final moment to determine his last choice and growled. "Definitely not!"
Then he made his way to the door while Slash watched him and waited for him to go.
"Alright! I have made my decision! I'm going at that's that!" He told Slash, but then looked at his crossed fingers. "Oh, I had my fingers crossed."
But Slash had had enough of his antics and wanted him to go so badly. So to get him to go by force, he pulled the rope and activated the trap door that sent Angus into the tube to Toonville.
"Maybe I should flip a coin!" He screamed, mentally not wanting to go back to Toonville, but he had no other choice. He hollered, he yelled as he was pulled through the wide pipe.
Jack was disappointed that Angus didn't bother to show up and accept Christmas, even for just once this year. Even his friends were upset that things didn't turn out the way they they expected.
"Well, then I guess the award goes to the...the runner-up." Mayor Westergaard suggested.
"That's right." The Duke took over the microphone. "A man for whom Christmas comes not once year, but every minute of every day."
The Toons all nodded in agreement and chattered amongst themselves.
"A handsome and noble man. A man who's had his tonsils removed twice."
Everyone laughed, while Jessica groaned in disgust.
"That's an interesting story." The mayor replied, hoping to avoid embarrassing comments. "But what happened was..."
He was cut off when he heard a loud rumble. Everyone watched as the garbage tube open up and out popped Angus. He shot out of the pipe and flew into the air, screaming and flailing wildly. He smacked against the marching band's drum, sending him flying backwards. Angus slingshotted off a "Toonbilation 1,000" banner and was flung forward where he landed face-first right into Jessica's chest who gasped in surprise.
"Hello, Jessica." His muffled voice came from between her breasts.
"He actually made it! I told you he'd come!" Jack shouted with joy.
"Yes!" clapped Maria.
Angus got off of Jessica and stood to his feet, staring dangerously at the crowd who gasped at the sight of him. His head turned to face Mayor Hans Westergaard, his long-time rival, the very person who bullied him in school and caused him to hate Christmas in the first place. Staring back, the mayor stood still like a statue with green eyes burning into his soul with pure hatred. Angus moved a bit closer to him, like a wolf preying on a rabbit, watching it's every move and waiting for the right time to pounce and attack. Angus then quickly came face-to-face with Hans, making everyone exclaim in fear. His eyes fell upon the crowd as they all stared back and waited for him to do or say something. Angus fought back an eye-roll, seeing the Christmas-laden town as it usually it this time of year. Finally, he broke the still silence with a tiny "Boo", and the Toons all shrieked and back away a step.
"Hot crowd. Hot crowd."
Jessica got a good look at him after all these years. He sure has grown, she thought.
"I believe I'm here to..." He liked his teeth. "...except an award of some kind. And the child mentioned a check."
"I did not." Jack corrected as his parents placed their hands on his shoulders.
"Alright, then give me the award. COME ON, WHILE I'M YOUNG!" He screamed impatiently, wanted to just grab his award and leave this stupid town as he called it.
"Don't you worry, Mr. Holiday Cheermeister." Mayor Westergaard informed him. "You'll get your award. But first, a little family reunion. They raised you, they nursed you, they clothed you. Here they are, your old biddies!"
From out of the crowd, Flora, Fauna and Merryweather, the ones who raised Angus since infancy, emerged from the rest of the toons and smiled, seeing their own "child" again after so long. Angus only glared at them.
"Are you three still living?" He asked.
"We missed you!" The trio gushed while Angus groaned with disgust.
"Let me see the sweater, Merryweather." Flora ordered her accomplice.
"Sweater?" asked Angus while they chattered and came closer. "What are you talking about? I can't do that. I say-AH!"
But, unfortunately, the trio along with a few other Toons surrounded him against his objections while the mayor chuckled.
"Don't touch me there!"
Angus finally got them to back off, but when he did, he noticed that he was now wearing a Christmas sweater with blinking lights. He yelped in surprise. The crowd roared and shouted with enthusiasm as they brought forth a large chair.
"Put him in the Chair of Cheer!" A local drunkard shouted.
"What? What's a Chair of Cheer?" asked Angus to Merryweather, then he looked at Jack with a fishy stare. "You didn't tell me about the Chair of Cheer!"
"Come on, Mr. Black? Please?" begged Jack.
"It's gonna be great! We promise!" Maria responded with a desperate stare.
"No, no, no! Honestly! I can't do it! I'm not ready! It's too much too soon! AHHH!" Angus tried his best to object, but his protests were on deaf ears and they forced him into the Chair of Cheer against his will.
"Yes, it's that time of year." Mayor Westergaard announced. "The cheermeister's ride in the Chair of Cheer!"
Angus was immediately not enjoying this already, not one bit. This was his worst nightmare come alive.
"Put me down! I mean it! I'll get a lawyer! There'll be hell to pay!"
"First, you'll put your taste buds to the test the Toon-Pudding Cook Off!" announced the Mayor.
"Toon-Pudding Cook Off!" The Duke screamed along with him, earning him a glare of annoyance from Mayor Westergaard.
Angus was seated and had a napkin tucked from his collar and was being fed Toon-pudding again against his will. He didn't have the best taste buds as whatever was being put in his mouth tasted bad to him.
"Mine's first!"
"I really don't know-!" Angus tried to say, before being fed.
"You'll enjoy this!"
They put more and more in his mouth. One of the local bakers fed him some as well. "This is not pudding."
Angus spat some of it out and asked, "Well, what is it?"
He suffered more minutes of this heinous torture and a Toon held a spoon of something to him. He shook his head for him not to feed it to him, but another Toon opened his mouth for him and the spoon was put inside. Soon after, Angus was put in the lead of a conga line as everyone, but him, danced to the conga music.
"Christmas Conga!"
"See? Look at the time! I really should be getting back!" Angus tried to get them to listen, but they pushed him, forcing him to cooperate. "Alright!"
Angus danced exaggeratedly along with the dancer while Jessica watched and shook her head to the beat.
"Fruitcake! Fra-la-la!"
Once again, he was put into the eating contest as Angus was now being force-fed fruitcake. One offered one to him.
"No." He pleaded, but they shoved some in his mouth anyway.
Later, they carried across the crowd in the Chair of Cheer, going up and down, making Angus feel a wave of nausea set in front the amount of fruitcake and pudding. He held his mouth closed, trying to his best to not vomit.
"Fudge Judge!"
Angus was getting annoyed by this sick game and they now had fudge.
"Made it myself!"
They placed them into his mouth and he began to chew.
"Mine are homemade too." The cashier from Schlesinger's replied, giving him some as well.
"Put it in!" Angus urged defiantly, now feeling determined to win this. "Is that all you got? Is that all you got?"
They carried him again in the Chair of Cheer while Angus held his overstuffed stomach, looking green in the face. Next, they had a bag race and Angus was beginning to participate. He ran past the other racers full of confidence and determination and he held his arms out with pride as he crossed the finish line and broke past the ribbon. Everyone cheered and Jessica was about to join, but she cut herself off, thinking about if she should or not and wondering what the mayor might think. Angus had won the bag race and he cheered to himself while the Toons applauded and shouted with encouragement. Mayor Westergaard's face fell with disappointment as he had hoped he would lose. Jack, his family and his friends cheered as well.
"He's number one in the sack bag run!" The drunkard declared, handing Angus his ribbon.
"NUMBER ONE! I'M NUMBER ONE! I'M NUMBER ONE!" Angus screamed with great pride at his accomplishment. "NO ONE CAN BEAT ANGUS BLACK!"
He cheered and whooped, now enjoying the praise he was receiving. The proud Angus blew out kisses to everyone as he was carried in the Chair of Cheer. For the first since his childhood, he was actually beginning to like Christmas once again. Maybe he wasn't so bad after all. Maybe he just needed a little pick-me-up. He stood by Mayor Westergaard and Jessica at the podium, wearing his Cheermeister crown, made of a Christmas wreath. Angus clapped and laughed.
"And now it's time for the moment we've all been waiting for!" The mayor announced on the microphone as Angus put his arm around his shoulder.
"Ah, yes! My award!" Angus agreed and whispered into Mayor Westergaard ear, "Write the check."
"There is no check."
"Are you sure?" asked Angus looking at Jessica. "Because I was sure someone mentioned a check."
"There is no check." The mayor reiterated. "And now it's time for Present-Pass-It-On! As always, we start with our Cheermeister."
A small present was given to Angus. Surprised that someone had actually offered him a present for the first time, he couldn't help but squeal with glee. Angus grabbed the present, opened it and took out the gift. His smile disappears as his eyes laid upon an electric shaver. The same exact electric shaver he had used to cut his hair in school, which caused everyone to humiliate him. He stared at it intensely and gripped it in his fingers. Why would he get this now after it caused his episode years ago?
"The gift of a Christmas haircut." Mayor Westergaard smiled a huge grin while Jack looked on from the crowd with worry.
