I could hear laughter. The laughter was soft and musical. I could hear Robbie's laughter as well echo through the lair.
"This place is amazing Robbie!
It's beyond amazing! Tell me how many people have actually seen all this?"
"You really want the truth? Well so far only you Lucy. Sportacus came here a few times but he never stayed for long. You know Sportacus he never stayed still anywhere for even a minute. He was always moving, moving, moving. That guy never knew how to relax.
Arrrgh! He used to annoy me so much. Just every little thing about him bothered me! Sorry, but it's true. He was so annoying! He was a bit like lice.
No matter how hard you scrubbed you could never get him out of your hair. Now that he's gone things are better now."
"That's not the same song you were singing before I came here. It sounds like you miss him Robbie".
"Miss him? Are you crazy?! I hated him. He was my arch enemy for crying out loud! How could I miss him? What's there to miss anyway?"
"I'm not crazy Robbie. It's okay to miss someone. It's okay if you miss him; to miss someone is nothing to be ashamed of. You don't have to care for a person In order to miss them. Sometimes people just grow on you. Sometimes you don't miss the person themselves you just miss the regularity that person gives to your life. Sportacus gave you a routine. He gave you something to do everyday and something to look forward to. Now that he's gone you miss that. Okay you say you don't miss Sportacus, I'll accept that but I think what you really miss is the thrill of the pursuit. You miss hunting him down everyday. I'm sorry if he wasn't always there for you. I'm guilty of the same crime. Some people just aren't capable of being a good friend to anyone. Being someone's friend takes patience. Some people just don't have the patience to be someone's friend. Sportacus sadly was just one of those people. You told me yourself that Sportacus was always moving, so he didn't even take the time to get to know you. So he couldn't have truely been your Friend, Robbie."
" Maybe you're right. Actually...you are right. You are so right, Lucy. Super heroes don't make many friends now do they?"
"No, not usually but that's the cost of being super. Being super demands great sacrifice sometimes giving up friends is one of them. Sometimes Super Heroes have to give up every kind of lasting relationship in their lives. Being a super hero is hard knock life and it's full of lonliness...at least that's what I've heard."
"How did you get to be so wise Lucy?"
Robbie praised her. Why was he was praising her? She sounded like she was repeating something straight out of a book.
" Simple I grew up".
" Have you- you-you really always been my friend this whole time?" Robbie examined the palms of his hands.
" Yes Robbie of course I have and I always will be...forever. Though lately I've been a terrible friend".
Yes! You most certainly have! You haven't been around hardly at all.Take Charge Robbie. Be the King of the Castle and Banish her from your Kingdom Robbie. Be a man Robbie. Let her know who the boss is.
" You? Terrible?! How?"
" I should have come more often to visit you and I didn't".
" Oh that doesn't matter. What matters is you're here now."
I didn't know that Robbie had such a forgiving nature. Robbie's hand interlocked with her own. If I had stomach it would be sick right now. How did she know so much about Superheroes? Why did she look so tragic when she talking about them? It seemed as if she could hear his inner thoughts and see into his very heart. She didn't even know him. Robbie had figured that out all on his own.
Perhaps she had a tragic story. Perhaps she too had lead a lonely life. Big deal. Lonliness is part of life. Robbie is always stronger when he's alone. He brought me to life one night when he was alone. So now I always come to him at night. Still I can't come to him unless he calls me with his heart. He has to wish me to be with him. I can't come out of my box on my own. He obviously won't be summoning out of my box tonight. He has his childhood sweetheart by his side. One of these days he'll forget me altogether. When that happens I too will become a relic. I can't let this happen.
"Can you promise to be my friend forever?"
Robbie's voice sounded strained and weak.
"Yes of course I can Robbie. I, Lucy Goodwill promise to forever be your friend".
She placed her other hand on her opposite shoulder.
" You've said that before. I remember now. You vowed to be my friend right here in Lazy Town. I asked you to be my friend and that's exactly what you told me. You did that pledge thing too."
" I know. I took an a oath and I broke it. I probably broke your heart didn't I?"
"You? Break my heart? That's a laugh. You didn't break anything. If you've really been my friend this whole time then...you- you- you've kept your promise...to me."
Oh brother! Was he really just going to let this go? She just shows up after 30 years and she's just welcomed with open arms. This is ridiculous. Robbie is supposed to be bitter and brokenhearted.
"You know what Robbie? I was your friend even before you asked me to be".
" Oh stop it. You're making me blush. You know I Hate to change the subject but You were always so smart. You were the smartest girl in the whole school. You were the smartest girl in all of a Lazy Town. You were the smartest person I knew in Lazy Town. I've always wondered what made you so-so-so smart. Seriously how did you get to be so smart Lucy?"
" I already told you, I grew up".
"Yes I know I can see that. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out. I've grown too if...you've noticed. Look I don't want to play guessing games. I don't like to play games in general. Just tell me."
"Alright. I was just always a little faster then most I suppose, faster at learning that is. Everybody else was in the process of growing up. The truth is I was already grown up before i met you. I was pretty much on my own most of the time. There weren't any heroes around to save me. There weren't any knights in shining armor to come to my rescue. It was just me and my wits. I had to get smart pretty quickly. I had no choice. I had to use my head in order to survive. I'm sorry i must be boring you".
"You? Bore Me? No, no, don't be ridiculous. Trust me you'd know if I was bored. Oh believe me I'd let you know. I'm very vocal. I'm kind of funny that way".
" Kind of funny? You are funny, you always have been and I mean that in a good way".
" Oh I can be quite serious. I have a serious side. If you give me a chance I might suprise you."
Sometimes such moments as these i wish I could close my eyes. I wished I could I could cover my ears and shut out the world. I've been shut out from the world most of my life but now I'm alive, im finding it harder and harder to separate myself from the world. I part of me wants to return to my former state but fortunately for me I cannot return. I am bound to this new state of being. It's all Robbie's doing. I owe him my life since it was he who gave me life. Why was he trying to woo her? Was he just trying to impress her? If so what the point of impressing her? Robbie I admit can be very charming when he wants to be but he is by no means a sensuous being. He was sensuous in the sense that he lived life as fully as possible but he was not at all a provocative individual. He was a passionate person and he could be somewhat alluring at times but surely he wasn't sexy. Being sexy was not in his nature. So why on earth was he trying to be something he wasn't? How i wish I could sleep then I wouldn't have to watch these two make fools of themselves.
" You don't have to suprise me Robbie because I know you. I know you can do anything you put your mind to. You can be anyone you wish to be. Afterall You are the Master of Disguise."
Lucy softly complimented him.
" Oh I am the master of many things at least I used to be. Now I'm just - I'm just a has- been".
"Oh Robbie, Why would you think that? Look at me, Robbie you are not a has- been and you never will be".
Lucy's voice was tender with confident concern.
Robbie crossed his arms in protest and he jutted ou his chin in defiance.
" Oh yes I am. Nobody knows who I am anymore. I'm just a- just a big- big nobody that's what I am. I mean who do you know that's actually heard of me?"
"I've heard of you, Robbie". Lucy sounded so small and tragic.
" Well of course you've heard of me. You know me but the rest of the world they don't know me".
" Do you honestly care about what the rest of the world thinks of you Robbie?"
" Yes of course I do. Well...um...er...no not really to tell you the truth".
" Then what are you so worried about? Robbie you're not just some big nobody. You are somebody. Most importantly you're somebody to me. You may not be making any headlines at the moment that doesn't mean you're a has- been. It just means you're taking a little break from the spotlight. Celebrities do it all the time."
" They do? All the time? Really?"
"Mhmmm, all the time".
" And did you say that I'm actully a celebrity?"
" I suppose in a way I did. I was implying it. Are you alright Robbie?"
Robbie's usually fair complexion went from fair to pure ivory, from ivory to a deep mauve. He was obviously pleased at this new discovery. The thought of being a celebrity absolutely delighted him. Robbie smoothed out his waist coat and smugly chuckled. Then he remembered he had a guest.
" What? Oh yes I'm fine. Infact I've never felt better. Afterall I am famous. Yes I am Famous! You know mother would be so
proud".
" She most certainly would be. I remember she always took pride in whatever you were doing. I don't think you could have ever disappointed her. She loved you too much".
" Well that's the perks of being an only child. However I believe I disappointed her plenty of times?'
" How? You were always so perfect". she laughed incredulously
" Perfect?! You were the perfect one if I remember. You with all your straight A's and big words. You were every teacher's pet. Every teacher's dream. I wasn't perfect. For instance Mother wanted me to be a Lawyer. I remember she had my whole life planned out for me. She planned to send me to Harvard but...I knew that meant I would have to go far far away and leave Lazy Town...forever and I didn't want that, no siree, I didn't want to do that at all... so naturally I stayed here. Then of course that was a great disappointment to her but sometimes that's just the way the cake crumbles".
"Oh Robbie you're not a disappointment to anybody especially to her Your mother I know for a fact was your biggest fan. When last I left you were the epitome of popularity".
" I was what?!" Robbie squawked back at her.
" You were quite the popular guy. You were the class president, you got all the leading roles in drama, you part of the debate team and you even a member of tge chess club".
" Whoa! There Lucy! That chess club thing was- was for- for a limited time only. I sound like a commercial, never mind that. That debate team was just a passing fad. Anyhow it was my mother's idea. 'Oh Robbie you are so smart.Why don't you join the chess club?Come on Roberto make mama proud"my mother told me.
I told her I didn't like it. Infact I hated it. So I joined the Glee club instead.Why do I get the feeling you are somehow unhappy with me?"
Indeed her whole body language had changed. She was no longer facing him, her arms were crossed and she was leaning forward slightly, putting her in a slouched position.
" I was afraid of this. I hurt you didn't I?"
Robbie's unusual grey eyes darkened to a somber shade of blue.
Robbie looked like a bashful little boy.
" Oh, no it wasn't like that. It wasn't you. I'm not unhappy with you I'm unhappy with myself. You see my Mom and I, we moved around alot. It's like we were running from something. It wasn't like anything. We were running from something most likely from someone. I could see it in her eyes that hint of fear. I knew something wasn't quite right. I knew something was wrong. I knew this constant moving thing wasn't normal. maybe it was my fault. She was a single Mom, so she was always working it seemed. I wasn't bitter towards her, I'm not bitter at all with her, even now. I knew she loved me and she didn't have much choice but to leave me with friends and relatives, so she could go find work. So my mother came home one night, I remember it was really late at night, she came to my bedroom and told me we would have to move again. I wasn't happy about it besides being angry i was absolutely heart broken. I knew I would have to tell you and I knew it was going to be hard. What i mean to say.is I'm sorry i didn't say goodbye".
Oh brother. She was in tears by the last sentence. She almost let out a sob but then she choked it back so all was heard was uneven gasped. Robbie's expression was one of complete cluelessness.
" What are you talking about?"
"Haven't you been listening to a word I've been saying?"
" Yes of course I've been listening. I've been here here the whole time. I haven't gone anywhere. I've been right here in front of you the whole time." his baritone voice became thin, forced and hoarse.
"Then you know that in left you. I didn't even give you an explanation, I just left. I didn't even have the courage to tell you in person. Real friends don't do that. Real Friends-"
" Real Friends leave a note
I know".
"Then you're not angry with me?'
" No not in the slightest.You left me a explanation in the box. That orange one with the little dancer inside. Once I saw that music box, I knew that you had already gone. Here I even kept the note".
They were talking about me. They were talking about my box. Did that mean I actully belonged to Lucy at one time? I saw Robbie take out a small folded piece of paper that definitely looked like it had seen better days. He cleared his throat, carefully unfolded the piece and began to read the letter out loud.