Disclaimer: All characters in this fanfiction belong to Warner Bros. Studios, apart from Monty's family.
Chapter 9
Strange Feelings and Strange Hideout
5th Dec
The morning of December 5th arrived in Acme Acres, on a wonderful Sunday. Its rays of sunshine caressed the tall buildings, the sleepy houses and made the snow-covered city shine like a pile of diamonds. However, beside the wonderful spectacle which occurred every dawn, this one also brought wonderful news: there were only 20 days left until Christmas.
If the snow and weather weren't enough, now the citizens of Acme Acres also had the number on their calendars staring at them, reminding them that the Holiday Season was finally here. And, just like every year, along with the Holiday Season also came the Holiday Craze. It was barely 11:00 in the morning and the city was already bustling. People had started decorating their houses, going shopping for Christmas trees, presents and food. The Acme Mall was crammed and so were most of the grocery stores and restaurants. Even the movie theaters, which had started showing Christmas films, were packed (and of course, the fact that it was also Sunday didn't help).
The Acme Mega Multiplex Theater was so full that it was remarkable how the walls hadn't burst open already. Toons of every shape, color, size, and age were squeezing among others, either to get tickets, buy food or get a better look at the movie posters.
Monty and Elmyra were among them. Being Sunday and because Elmyra had suggested it at the beginning of the week, the two had decided to spend a day at the movies. Richard had kept his promise and let Monty enjoy a free Sunday at the movies. Normally, Monty would think twice before hanging out with Elmyra, but, given that it was either that or another monotonous day at the company, filled with boring paperwork, he chose to not complain and go out with her.
Currently, they were trying to make their way through the suffocating crowd and (preferably) not get squashed or trampled over. It proved to be rather difficult, especially since some of the Toons were three times their height and didn't even realize that they were blocking the way. At one point, Monty had to shout at a couple of hippos to 'move out of the doggone way!', because they were obscuring the view without noticing.
"Hm. Some people are so rude." The female hippo said, indignantly. "Come on, Flavio. Let's go. Our movie is starting already."
"Lead the way, Marita, amor." Flavio said lovingly, taking his wife's hand and heading for the cinema, completely oblivious to the fact that they flattened everyone in their way.
"Stupid pachyderms." Monty grumbled to himself, before turning to the movie posters. Most of them were, of course, Christmas movies, such as "Home Alone", "The Santa Clause", "Miracle On 34th Street", and Disney's most recent, "The Nightmare before Christmas".
Monty clicked his tongue in annoyance, eyes roaming across the colorful banners, trying to find a film of another genre. He had never been fond of Christmas movies. Or family movies in general. They came across as cliche and cheesy cash-grabs, with the same corny message about childhood, love, family and the "true meaning of Christmas" - a concept which Monty hated. There was no such thing as the "true meaning" of Christmas. It was just a holiday, centuries old, that people still celebrated because of tradition, religious beliefs or for fun. There wasn't anything "meaningful" or "magical" about it and Monty never understood why anybody would make it seem more than it was. But then again, Hollywood never surprised him with how low they could stoop. . .
"Oh, Monty, can we go see that one?" Elmyra squealed, grabbing his attention.
"Which one?" He asked, already dreading the answer.
Elmyra pointed at a poster which illustrated a snowy wonderland, elves dancing around, carrying presents and Santa Claus in his iconic sleigh, pulled by reindeers, with a gentle smile on his face. The movie was called "Santa Claus and The Land of Smiles" and it was probably the most disgusting thing he'd seen all day.
"Yeah, no. I'm not seeing that junk." He said plainly.
The girl's face fell. "Aw, but why not?"
"Because I came here to see a good movie, not a sappy children's story with a reused plot."
"Come on, Monty!" She pleaded. "It won't be so bad!"
"That's what you also said last time, when you forced me to watch that crappy teen soap opera!"
Elmyra let out a gasp and then clasped her hand across her mouth. "But 13 Something is a really good show!" She exclaimed, sounding rather offended.
"Sure. If you have the IQ of a squirrel, that is." Monty said, with a scoff. When there was no reply from the redhead, he glanced in her direction. What greeted him was Elmyra doing her best pleading face, with big shiny eyes and her lower lip sticking out in a pout.
"Pleeeease! Let's go see 'Santa Claus and The Land of Smiles'! Please, Monty-Wonty!" Her lip trembled a bit and, sure enough, her eyes were beginning to water.
Max sighed, indignantly. Part of him was annoyed at the girl for putting on such a show, the other part was mad at himself for almost giving in. Almost.
"Elmyra, I'd rather go to my Father's company and work there for the rest of the day than watch this movie. Plus, you said this time I'm choosing. So stop making that face and let me decide!"
Elmyra sighed, disappointed, but quit her puppy face, nevertheless. "Okay, okay. But you're buying me whatever sweets I want."
Monty glared at her but didn't complain. Instead, he focused again on the movie posters, searching for one more to his taste. Then, his gaze landed on something. Monty's eyes went wide, and a smirk crept on his face, as he realized that he found his type of film.
"Hey, Elmyra." He said, grinning. "Check out that one." Monty pointed to one of the posters in the far-right corner, a bit isolated from the others. Elmyra glanced upwards and, upon seeing what movie Monty was referring to, her face paled a bit.
The banner depicted an opened, blood-colored eye, whose pupil was shaped like the silhouette of a man holding a chainsaw. On the edge of the inferior eyelid rested an incredibly detailed bee. The insect looked as if it was about to pierce the person's cornea. Beneath the chilling picture, was the movie's title: "Candyman". And above it was another sentence, one that induced both curiosity and unease: "Try saying his name five times."
"You wanna see 'Candyman'?" She asked, her voice missing a bit of its usual excitement.
"Yup." Monty replied. "It's right up my alley. Nothing like a good horror movie to distract us from all this holiday madness." Then, sniggering playfully, he asked, "You aren't scared, are you?"
Elmyra shook her head, though there was a glint of insecurity in her eyes.
The two swam through the crowd of Toons, all the way to where the line for tickets began. It was so long, neither of them could see the end of it, and what made it even worse was the fact that everything seemed to move in slow motion. Of course, it didn't take too long for Monty to start losing his temper.
"You'd think that during this time of the year, these idiots would hire more people!" Monty complained, rather loudly. "But, then again, that would mean they would actually have to be competent and intelligent." He peered again, ahead of him, at the crowd of people waiting to get tickets and food. "And judging by the sight of it, they're the opposite of that!"
Near him, Elmyra broke into a fit of giggles and Monty turned to her, scowling. "Something funny?!"
"Oh, nothing!" She said, though her chuckles were still audible. "It's just that you're so cute when you're angry." She cooed, batting her eyelashes at him.
Monty rolled his eyes in disgust. "Please, don't make me stab you." He said wearily.
Elmyra made no comment. Instead, she watched him with a playful twinkle in her brown eyes, and Max couldn't tell what was more annoying: the look she gave him or the inexplicable burning sensation in his cheeks.
"Oh, why on Earth am I still hanging out with the likes of you?!" He asked no one in particular. Still, the answer came in the most irritating way possible.
"'Cause you looooove me!" Elmyra said in a sing-song voice and Monty glared at her.
"It was a rhetorical question, stupid! And no, that's not the reason! I'm here only so I don't have to work at the company!" He snapped at her, but Elmyra's smile didn't fade. Quite the contrary: it only got brighter, as if there was a hidden meaning behind Monty's words that only she understood.
Rolling his eyes one more, Max turned away from her, grumbling under his breath. After a minute or so, he peeked in her direction to make sure she wasn't staring at him anymore. Sure enough, Elmyra had shifted her attention to the movie posters plastered on the room's walls. Only when he was absolutely certain that she wouldn't glance at him, he finally dared to bring a hand to his face. Surely enough, it was warmer than it should have been.
Monty cursed himself. This shouldn't have been happening! It was most embarrassing that he, Montana Max, the richest, meanest kid in Acme Acres, was blushing after a girl called him cute. Especially since that girl was Elmyra Duff of all! And the worst thing was that he couldn't even understand why it was happening or when it had started in the first place.
When he'd first met Elmyra, Monty instantly disliked her. Her babyish talk, her deathly grip, her downright stupidity, her low-income family, plus her unnatural obsession with animals (rabbits, especially) and girly things (dolls, pink, tea parties) had caused the rich boy to keep his distance from her. Later, when she developed feelings for him and the endless chasing began, Monty started being more obvious in his disdain for her, always running away and insulting her whenever he got the chance. There was no other emotion he nurtured for Elmyra other than hate and that's how things were for the first year at Acme Loo.
Then, the Junior Prom arrived.
After being rejected by the gorgeous Mitzi Avery and feeling a tiny bit of the pain he had caused Elmyra when he brutally told her 'I don't like you!', Monty had gone and apologized. The girl immediately seized him in one of her bear hugs and Monty was forced to spend the rest of the night with her. Even though he would never admit it to anyone, least of all to Elmyra, that night had been rather enjoyable. They danced, they talked, and, for the first time, he got to see more of Elmyra than just her manic, animal-obsessed side. True, she still rambled way, way too much for his liking and could be a tad overwhelming with her affection, but she was a good listener, very responsive and, sometimes, she had even managed to amuse Monty with her chaotic nature and unconventional way of thinking. All in all, that night had concluded well, with an exasperated, but not totally miserable Monty driving home an ecstatic Elmyra.
The events of that night (a night that now held a special place in many people's hearts) also had long-lasting effects. After the Prom, Monty and Elmyra's relationship wasn't quite the same anymore. They began interacting more, and these interactions weren't just chases and insults, but actual conversations. A simple 'hello' while passing each other in the hallway, a little chat by the locker about how their weekend had been or calling each other at home to ask if they could borrow some notes for whatever class. They weren't just members of a one-sided relationship for which nobody had a name anymore, but actual acquaintances who were starting to get to know each other better. However, Monty intended to leave it at that, because no matter how much he grew to tolerate her, she was still very annoying. Maybe he might've softened towards her a bit, but he would never consider her a friend.
Or so it was, until their (forced) date.
Monty had never known up until that day that his parents and the Duffs already knew each other. Or rather, Mrs. Duff and his Mom knew each other, since his Father probably had no interest in being friends with a couple like Elmyra's parents. Apparently, the two women had attended high school together. Angelina was head cheerleader for the school's football team and Emily (since that was Mrs. Duff first name) was the school's news anchor and reporter, which meant their paths crossed more than once and soon, they became friends. After graduation they still kept in touch and even now they hung out together whenever they had time between jobs, a house to keep together and a family to take care of. At some point, the two women thought it was a brilliant idea to set him and Elmyra up while they went out for dinner, because if they got along pretty well, why shouldn't their children?
So, Monty was bribed to take Elmyra out on a 'date'. It had been a horrendous day, filled with anger, humiliation and movies for five year-olds. However, it all concluded in the most unusual way. When he walked Elmyra to her door and was about to seltzer her, as punishment for all the pain she'd put him through, something unexpected happened, something which he couldn't have predicted in a million years. Completely out of the blue, Elmyra had. . . kissed him.
It lasted only a few seconds, but even those were enough to leave an impact on the boy. One moment, Elmyra's painted lips were pressed against his. The next, he felt shivers running down his spine, followed immediately by hotness shooting through his body like fire. From his lips, down to his toes, the warm tingles captured every part of him until there was nothing more, but him and Elmyra, engulfed in flames. The next few seconds only intensified the feeling, to the point where he was completely burning. After it would end - if it would ever end - Monty was sure there would be nothing but ashes in his place. He was only vaguely aware that the seltzer bottle had exploded in his hand and was now spraying its substance around them. He was sure he was going to explode too. . .
And then it ended. Almost as suddenly as it started. Just as he was getting used to the feeling of Elmyra's lips atop his, the girl pulled away. It was awful not having her against him. His face felt bare as the night breeze caressed his reddened cheeks and the intense, but wonderful sensations were starting to die, much to his disappointment. Part of his brain - a tiny part that could still function properly - was yelling at him, telling him to pull himself together, then give Elmyra the cold shoulder. But that was easier said than done, as the whole experience had left him incapable of even lifting a finger. All he could do was watch, slack-jawed and wide-eyed, as Elmyra gracefully walked to her house, bid him goodnight softly, then shut the door. Monty was all alone, his mind abuzz with tangled questions, which his mind was too tired to unwind at the moment.
No other feeling, emotion or sensation that Monty had ever felt could compare with that kiss. That was all he could think about for the next few days. No matter how many cold showers he took, how much he tried to forget or reminded himself that it was Elmyra, - Elmyra, for Spielberg's sake - the memory of that kiss still made his pulse quicken. Even to this day, whenever Monty remembered that night (as the memory had the tendency to pop up in his mind randomly), his toes curled, and the phantom of a familiar tremble ran down his back.
And yet, Monty had completely dismissed the idea of asking Elmyra to be his girlfriend. That was where he drew the line. No matter how fast his heartbeat was whenever he thought about the kiss, there was no way in the world he'd be in a relationship with her. Not after the humiliation he had suffered at Weenie Burgers the day before. His reputation was much more important than some girl!
So, when he'd found out the next day at school that Elmyra was telling everyone they were in a relationship, he was rather pissed off to say the least. Monty confronted her and told Elmyra to 'stop spreading lies', since they weren't 'a thing'. Despite his greatest efforts not to, his stomach still turned upside down when Elmyra's smile fell and when her brown eyes became glossier than usual. But he never gave in.
And so, the two never became a couple. Monty had made sure of that. Whenever he thought that Elmyra was trying to flirt with him, he changed the subject, ignored her, or bluntly told her to put an end to her antics. Still, as time passed, Monty started noticing a pattern in his own behavior, one which he didn't like at all. Each time Elmyra made sweet eyes at him, Monty would either: a) blush, b) start stuttering uncontrollably, c) lose 35 IQ points or d) all of the above. It was annoying, it was embarrassing, it was deplorable, it was. . . completely out of his control.
He couldn't even wrap his head around why he was acting that way. Was it because her attempt at flirting awakened memories of the kiss he was desperately trying to forget? Or was it maybe because. . . he might have started. . . started to feel. . .
Monty shook his head violently. What kind of intrusive thoughts were these?! There was no way in the world that he could feel. . . that for anyone, especially towards Elmyra. With a quick glance in the girl's direction, Monty breathed a sigh of relief, realizing she wasn't looking at him. That was good because the boy knew he was blushing. Hard. Again, unacceptable.
Aside from these foreign, puzzling emotions and the memory of a blood-warming kiss, that date had left Monty with another thing: a friend. Of course, the boy wouldn't be caught dead saying that out loud. If you asked him what he thought of Elmyra, he'd say that she was an annoying girl, with an IQ lower than mayonnaise and his feelings for her hadn't changed since the first day at Acme Loo. But it was obvious for anyone with eyes that it wasn't the case. The chasing and running away were completely gone, replaced by lengthy conversations near the locker, by extended phone calls which lasted longer than necessary, by going out together. . .
Yes, that was probably the most important and visible shift in their relationship: Monty and Elmyra started hanging out outside of school. That was something which didn't happen before their date, probably because they weren't so close then. But after that day, the two began spending more and more time with each other.
At first, it was just Elmyra tagging along whenever Monty went to Weenie Burgers or to the mall, after school. It wasn't such a big deal, so he allowed it. Then, these meetings became more frequent. Soon, they began calling each other, asking if they wanted to hang out. Some of their usual locations included the mall, obviously, fast food restaurants, the movies or even the park, where they went for short walks every now and then. As time passed, they developed a little routine of theirs, where they went out at least once a week, usually at the weekend.
Monty couldn't exactly pin-point how or when they got so close. It just. . . happened. And it was clear as a bell, even to him, that all those events had pushed them closer. The Prom, their date, all of that had paved the path for this.
And, if he was honest, these outings were kinda fun. He never had a friend before, and he never thought he needed one. . .but, Monty had to admit, it did feel pleasant to have someone by his side, eager to do the things he liked, and who wasn't paid to do that. Sometimes, even with all the money and all the toys in the world he had, it still could get awfully lonely in that mansion. . .
"Alwight, next pwease!" The voice at the counter shouted, pulling Monty out of his spiral of thoughts just in time to see the couple in front of him move aside and reveal the employee seated behind the glass window. A familiar, bald man.
"Professor Fudd!" Elmyra squealed joyously, before Monty could even voice his confusion as to why their teacher was there.
"Aw, hewwo you two." Elmer said, a faint smile creeping upon his tired face. "Came to enjoy some howiday movies?"
"We sure did!" Said Elmyra, still beaming at her mentor. "We wanted to get into the spirit!"
"That's vewy nice. Wish I could have some fun wike you, kids." The hunter said, his smile faltering a bit.
"Then why are you working here?" Monty asked. "Doesn't seem like the most festive place to me."
Elmer sighed. "You're wight, Monty, it isn't. But the Acme Mega Multipwex needed some hewp this busy time of the year and since my cousin works hewe, he pwoposed I come and help." The man then shrugged. "Famiwy is famiwy, after all. Besides, some extwa cash doesn't hurt."
Elmyra giggled and Monty cracked a smirk, as well. He had always liked Elmer. Not as much as Sam, of course, but he still viewed the man as a role model of some sort and was definitely his second favorite teacher.
"Weww, enough of that, now. What movie do you want tickets fow, kids?" The teacher asked, looking into his computer's screen again.
"'Candyman'." Monty said, taking out his money.
Elmer paused. Slowly he drifted his eyes to look at his students, a glint of unease in them.
"'Candyman'?" He repeated, making sure he understood correctly.
"Yeah, I've already said it. What, can't you hear?" Monty snapped.
Elmer looked at them in disbelief. "Childwen," he said seriously, "that movie is not age appwopwiate for you. Ewmyra, you'we not even 14 yet and this is a howwor movie."
Monty's eyes narrowed at his professor. "What are you, our babysitter? You're not here to tell us what we can or can't see, so hand over the tickets!"
The former hunter sighed but did as he was told. Monty was indeed right, after all. There were no age restrictions for this movie, which meant anyone could see it.
"Have a gweat time." He said, handing them the tickets and putting away their payment in the cash register. Monty mumbled a goodbye, while Elmyra waved happily at him. He returned the gesture, smiling lightly.
As the two teens walked away and the next person came up to the counter, Elmer made a mental note to speak to his boss after work and propose age restrictions for some of the movies.
XXX
Monty kept his word and bought Elmyra all the sweets she desired. A bag of caramel popcorn, a few chocolate bars, and another bag of gummy bears.
"You better share that with me." Said Monty, as they sat down on the cushioned seats. The commercials had already started playing on the big screen and there were quite a few people inside the theater already.
"Of course, Monty. You didn't think I was gonna hoard it all for myself, didn't you? Gotta watch my figure after all." Elmyra touched her waist and slightly wiggled her body, smiling playfully at the rich boy.
Monty merely rolled his eyes, but still took the chocolate bar that Elmyra held out for him.
The movie started shortly after that. The opening scene consisted of the city of Chicago filmed from above, with eerie music playing in the background. As the camera panned to the left and gave the viewers a more complete sight of the large boulevards and immense buildings, the production team's names appeared on the screen. Then, the scene changed, and a beehive replaced the image of the bustling city. As the small yellow insects worked around the honey beeches, the deep voice of a man started speaking about all the heinous acts he had committed.
Monty suspected this might be the Candyman talking about his crimes. It was pretty interesting, definitely better than any of those garbage, commercialized Christmas movies. He looked over at Elmyra, but immediately noticed that she didn't look as excited as he felt. Her expression was one of unease and she was starting to move uncomfortably in her seat.
"Something wrong?" Monty asked, a bit annoyed at her constant moving around.
Hearing the question, the redhead immediately straightened up. "Oh, yeah, sure. I'm fine. Very fine. No need to worry." She smiled, somewhat strained.
Monty raised an eyebrow. The girl didn't sound convincing in the slightest. "Well, why don't ya lighten up? It's just a movie. It's not real, ya know?"
Elmyra nodded and stopped her shifting, focusing back on the film.
Monty also turned his head back to the screen, glancing ever so slightly in Elmyra's direction. He knew the girl wasn't a fan of horror movies and he often liked to tease her about it (like he just did outside), but he didn't think she'd be frightened from the first few minutes.
'Eh, she'll be fine. At least I'll have some fun when she jumps out of her seat at the first scare and hits the ceiling.' He thought, chuckling a bit at the pictured image.
But, that wasn't the case. By the time the movie got to the Candyman's backstory, Elmyra claimed she needed to use the restroom. Although, judging by her uneasy demeanor, Monty suspected she didn't need to go.
"Be back soon, or you'll miss the interesting parts!" He called after her.
Elmyra nodded slightly, before sprinting out of the theater room, leaving only a tail of dust behind her. Staring at the door behind Elmyra had just disappeared, Monty wondered if it had been such a good idea after all to bring Elmyra to a horror movie.
Shrugging off his suspicion, he turned once more to the film. But, as time passed, Monty soon realized that Elmyra hadn't come back yet. Stealing a glimpse at his watch, he frowned. It had been ten whole minutes already. Why was Elmyra taking so long?
'She's fine.' Monty tried telling himself again. 'It's just a movie. She can't really be that scared.'
Yet, despite all his attempts to reassure himself that Elmyra was okay, he couldn't shake off the uneasiness that kept pecking at his insides. His attention was no longer on the movie, as he continued looking towards the theater's door, somehow expecting to see a completely unbothered Elmyra walk through them.
Another five minutes passed, during which Monty continuously shifted in his seat. His fingers drummed on the arm support and his eyes glanced non-stop at the empty chair next to him. At one point, it all became too much. Monty threw his arms in the air and let out a frustrated yell. This earned him a few glares and hushes from the other viewers but, as usual, he couldn't have cared less.
No longer interested in the movie, he got up and marched outside the theater to look for the missing girl. Part of him, the one that he acknowledged the most, was annoyed at having his plans for the day ruined by Elmyra. The other part of him felt a little worried that something might have happened to her or that she was too scared to come back. There was also the barely noticeable, but definitely there, shiver of guilt that cruised through his body. After all, he was the one who made her go to this movie.
The Multiplex was still a little crowded but, much to his relief, incomparable to how it had been an hour ago. This made it easier for Monty to walk around, without being trampled over by larger Toons. Monty headed for the men's restrooms, since he figured that the women's one should be in the same area. But, as he turned around a corner, he came across a sight that made him stop in his tracks.
Down the hallway, there was Elmyra, but not alone. Four familiar figures surrounded her. The first two were rats. One of them was a male, with dark fur and a malicious gleam in his eyes, while the other one, an orange-furred female, with a mean smirk curling her lips. The other two were ducks, also male and female. The boy had golden feathers and a stylish haircut, while the girl's were light purple, with long hair of the same color reaching her waist. Both bore the same wicked grins. Monty knew who they were and his fists instantly clenched. The Perfecto Prep alumni.
"Hey!" he shouted, and all heads turned to him. Before anyone could say or do anything, Monty crossed the distance between them, grabbed Elmyra by the arm and yanked her away from the gang.
"Aw, look. Prince Charming came to save his little princess." The female duck, going by the name of Margot Mallard, taunted.
Monty glared daggers at her, before addressing the male rat. "What the heck are you doing, Roddy?"
"What? Can't someone enjoy a movie around here? Or do you Acme Loo-sers think you own the place?" Roderick Rat retorted, his smile only getting wider.
Monty's eyes narrowed even more. "And what does Elmyra have to do with your trip to the movies?"
"Oh, come on, Monty." Said Rhubella Rat. "We were just playing with her. You don't need to be such a protective boyfriend, y'know?"
The Perfecto students all cackled at her remark, while Monty's face got a tad redder, from both fury and embarrassment. He felt his chest puff with hate towards the four teens in front of him and their whole school.
Now, Monty had never been a proud patriot when it came to Acme Looniversity. There were a lot of things he didn't like about his school: the lack of luxuries, many of the students, most of his teachers (with a few exceptions, of course). Not to mention that his own principles were much more in line with Perfecto's moral code than with Acme's. Yet, never, not even once, had it crossed his mind that he wanted to transfer to that school, despite it being full of snotty, rich kids like himself. The dislike he harbored for Perfecto Prep was perhaps the only thing in common he shared with his fellow peers at Acme Loo. But even that was because of completely different reasons. While the majority, if not all, of his schoolmates loathed the Perfecto students because of their constant cheating in sport events and their superiority complex, his motives for detesting them were more personal.
Initially, Monty wasn't supposed to attend Acme Looniversity. His Father had wanted him to go to Perfecto Prep, the school that he had also studied at, along with his siblings. But Monty had made other plans for himself. He wanted to go to Acme Loo simply because that's where his childhood hero, Yosemite Sam, was teaching. The boy had also heard about the mentor-protege program and it had thrilled him to the bone. The thought of being Yosemite Sam's apprentice was almost too exciting to even fathom. The only problem with this little plan, however, was his Father, who almost exploded with rage when he heard that his son didn't want to follow the 'family tradition' and attend the same school that he did.
What followed were days and days spent trying to convince Richrad to let him go to Acme Loo. It had been a ferocious battle, between a severe father and a stubborn 11-year-old boy. At first, Richard seemed unmoving to Monty's cries and tantrums, like a giant mountain that could never be bent by the wind, no matter how strong it was. But, at that time, Richard hadn't realized something: Monty was a spoiled brat who was used to having his way all the time and didn't like being told to do anything. So, his Father's constant nagging and pushing him to follow a certain school had only made Monty resent Perfecto even more.
In the end, what made Richard give in was Angelina. Monty knew that his mother had a weakness for him and couldn't stand seeing him upset (hence why she constantly spoiled him and showered him with gifts). So, being the little opportunist that he was (or rather, that he was taught to be), he abused that weakness to the max. All that was needed were a few tears, hugging her tightly and begging her to let him go. As expected, Angelina was touched beyond description and that very evening she went to talk to Richard. Now, the thing about Angelina was that, although usually she went along with whatever her husband wanted, she had no problem resorting to certain persuasive tactics to convince him to do something her way. Using her polished negotiating techniques, which included telling him how famous their son could become if he attended that school or what an honor it was to have Yosemite Sam be his mentor, Angelina finally managed to convince him. And that was how, in the end, Monty went to Acme Loo, much to his delight.
But this experience had also left him with a strong disdain for Perfecto. After all that fighting and all that nagging, he didn't even want to hear its name anymore, let alone see someone that learned there. That school could go to heck, with students and everything!
"Why don't you guys get outta here?" Monty said, scowling at them. "Go on, scram!"
"Who's gonna make me?" Roddy pushed, getting closer to Monty until they were face to face.
Monty rolled up his sleeves, ready to throw punches if Roddy decided to start a fight. But then, he realized something. . . they were outnumbered.
Now, Monty wasn't the type to shy away from physical confrontation. He knew how to fight, both thanks to boxing classes that he had taken in the past and to Yosemite Sam, who had taught him some tricks. There were numerous occasions when Monty had ended up in the principal's office because he had gotten into fights and, by now, Acme Loo was aware of his tendencies to get violent when someone crossed him.
On the other hand, the Perfecto kids also shared the same notorious reputation of being bullies who enjoyed picking fights. There were countless times of them beating up other kids (their age or younger), especially if they were from Acme Loo, as if it was just a fun game. And right now, those very Toons were more numerous and had both cornered.
A quick mental evaluation of the situation made Monty draw the following conclusion: they were screwed.
Max took a few steps back, feeling not so eager to fight anymore. The other four Toons advanced towards them, as if sensing their fear. Mind racing for a way out of this tangled situation, Monty did the very first thing that crossed his mind.
"Hey! What's that?" He pointed up to the ceiling, somewhere behind the Perfecto gang. Sure enough, like any cartoon villain did, the four of them turned to look, giving the human Toons a few seconds to run.
Monty took advantage of the spare time and, without hesitation, grabbed Elmyra's hand and dashed down the hall.
Behind him he heard Roddy shout an annoyed "Hey!", undoubtedly because he had realized they'd been tricked. Monty glanced behind them for a split moment and, sure enough, the two rats and waterfowl were right after them.
Mumbling curses, he took a sharp turn, never letting go of Elmyra's wrist, the Perfecto gang only inches behind them. They sprinted through the crowded Multiplex, dodging people and objects, jumping over small Toons, and sidestepping the bigger ones. With some, they nearly collided, making them drop their food and tickets. This unsurprisingly earned them ugly insults and angry shouts but, caught in their hot pursuit as they were, they ignored it.
Behind them, Monty and Elmyra could hear the Perfecto students gaining ground on them. Roddy was barking orders, urging his friends to run faster and to "not let them get away!". Losing them seemed hopeless by now, as no matter how many sharp turns they took or how big the crowd was, the Toon animals were still right on their tracks.
Monty could feel his energy starting to drain. His breath was coming out in pants and his face was now red with effort. His pulse had dropped into his stomach and a horrible, sharp pain was piercing his chest. He felt ready to collapse any second.
Suddenly, Elmyra shouted, "In here!"
Before he could even realize what the girl meant, Monty felt a strong tug on his arm and found himself being unexpectedly dragged into a poorly lit room. As soon as they entered, Elmyra forcefully slammed the door and pulled the latch. Just before it shut, Monty spotted a "Keep Out!" sign on it.
Not even two seconds after Elmyra had locked them both inside, someone began to knock insistently and to roughly pull the door handle.
"Open the door!" Came Roddy's rough voice. "Open the door, you Acme Loo-sers!"
Monty and Elmyra stepped back, neither of them wanting to comply. They could only wait as Roddy and his friends knocked and punched and kicked the door, all while shouting threats and insults.
Then, out of nowhere, another deeper voice came, one that made the door-hitting and the yelling stop.
"Hey! What are you hooligans doing to that door?!" The man shouted. "Can't you see the sign?! Scram, you little riff-raffs!"
There was a noise of scrambling feet, as if more people were trying to run away. What followed was a short pause, before Monty and Elmyra heard heavier and steadier footsteps getting closer to the room they were in. The sound stopped abruptly and the two realized that someone was standing in front of the door. They held their breaths.
"Stupid kids…" They heard the man grumbling to himself, the same one that had shouted at the Perfecto gang. There were a few soft thugs on the door's handle.
"At least they didn't ruin it." He said, before walking away.
There was a period of silence, during which both Monty and Elmyra didn't dare to speak, in fear that someone might hear. Only a minute after, when no sound disturbed the quietness, they finally exhaled with relief.
"We were lucky." Elmyra said. "Usually, this door is locked. Looks like someone forgot to do it now."
Monty gave her a puzzled look. "And how do you know that?"
"Oh, I've been here loads of times. It's more of a habit now." She said with a shrug, as if entering a forbidden area on a regular basis wasn't a big deal.
"You're joking." Said Monty, staring at her incredulously.
"No, Monty, why would I?" She said with a smile. "Now, come on. We'll have to leave through the exit that's down here."
She turned around and started walking down a staircase, followed by Monty. There weren't that many stairs and soon, the two found themselves in what Max could only describe as some sort of huge, half-dark basement. It was filled with rows and rows of shelves which, in turn, contained probably hundreds of tapes. 'So, this is where they keep the movies', Monty thought.
"Elmyra, why do you come down here often? What's so interesting about this place?"
"Oh, I like going to forbidden areas!" Elmyra responded happily. "It's so exciting! I always find funny and interesting things around here, in boxes or on the ground. I take them home and I use them for games or for traps for cuddly-wuddly animals. It's like a treasure hunt! Oh, and not to mention that, down here are cutie-wotie mousies that I can hug and pet!"
Feeling kinda disturbed by her statements, Monty nodded awkwardly. "Right… Interesting things, you say… Like what?"
"Let me show you!" The girl grabbed him by the hand and dragged him through the room, zooming past the shelves holding thousands of movies.
When she stopped running (making Monty almost fall over), they were standing in front of a gigantic, wooden chest.
"Open the lid!" She urged him.
Monty obeyed, still feeling quite perplexed. The chest was filled with insignificant things, from necklaces, bracelets, hair clips to small purses, pocket mirrors, watches and so on. Elmyra immediately started scrambling through the objects, taking them in her hand and admiring them, before tossing them back or stuffing them in her dress pockets or Hammer-Space.
"What the…?" Monty said, startled. "These are lost things!"
"Yeah, I know, Monty! Like I said, treasure hunt!"
Max blinked. Then, as the girl squeaked with excitement at the little nothings she found, he shook his head. Just when he thought Elmyra couldn't get any weirder, the girl went and proved him wrong.
"Oh, and look at that!" She squealed, skipping to a large table, which seemed to have a round, white screen attached to its countertop.
Monty strutted to the desk, analyzing it as well, though noticeably with less glee than the girl. He noticed a tag attached to it and bent over to read it.
"'Animation Light Table'..." He mumbled the words written on the tag. Huh, so that's what it was. A bit of a weird place to keep it. Maybe it was defective or or something.
"Ooh, I wonder what this button does." Elmyra said curiously. Monty looked at her and, realizing what she was talking about, his face dropped.
"Elmyra, no!" But it was already too late. The girl pressed the button and, the next second, a strong, white light came out of the round screen, almost blinding them both.
"Ahhh! Turn it off!" Monty yelled. Elmyra clumsily waved her hands forward, searching for the 'Off' button, which she thankfully found after a few seconds.
Once the powerful light was out and their eyes readjusted to the semi-darkness of the room, Monty immediately started his scolding.
"You idiot! This is an animation light table! Don't you know how it works?"
Elmyra blankly stared at him before shaking her head, a gesture to which Monty facepalmed.
"Do you even pay attention in Animation Class at all?" Monty asked, annoyed. "This table produces a strong light to help animators clean up the drawings or see under layers. But, if you turn the light on randomly, without adjusting it first, then you can blind yourself!"
"Ooooh…" Elmyra gasped with wonder while admiring the table.
"You know what, that's it! I've had enough with this place! Get me OUTTA HERE!" He shouted furiously.
"Well, if you insist." Said Elmyra calmly, far too used to Monty's outbursts by now.
She led him through the basement, until they arrived at a large red door above which the word 'EXIT' was written with glowing letters. Monty tried to open the door but found that he couldn't. He pushed it, pulled it, kicked it, punched it, but to no avail.
"The heck with this door!" He shouted, huffing and puffing like an angry bull. "Why isn't it opening?!"
"Because" Elmyra said, "it's locked."
Monty blinked. "Then how, are we gonna get out?" he growled, his voice strained with anger.
"Like this!" Elmyra chirped and took her light-blue bow adorned with a skull off her head.
Shoving a confused Monty out of her way, she used the hair clip attached to her bow to pick the lock. Monty watched in bewilderment how, after only a few seconds of Elmyra messing with the latch, the door let out a soft 'click' and slowly swung open.
His jaw dropped hitting the floor.
"How-? Wha-? How did you-?" He spluttered, unable to form coherent sentences.
Meanwhile, Elmyra simply dusted her bow off before fixing it back on her head, then happily skipped outside, into the cold winter air. The frosty weather didn't seem to bother her however, despite the fact that she didn't have a winter coat. She wore only a light-blue sweater, with white under-trousers beneath her skirt and black boots. Cartoon Logic must've kept her from being cold.
"Come on, Monty-Wonty! Don't stand there looking like a fishy-wishy on land." She said, waving at him to follow her.
"You know how to pick locks?!" Monty finally spoke.
"Of course, Monty. Haven't I told you that I often go into restricted areas? How do you think I get in?"
"But, but- when did you even learn how?!"
"Oh," the girl waved her hand dismissively. "I didn't. I tried it once, after some time I succeeded, and I could do it ever since."
As they walked away from the Acme Mega Multiplex Theater, Monty slowly processed what he had seen and heard. The fact that someone as dumb as Elmyra possessed such a useful skill that she had learned on her own… and to think he had never taken advantage of it! If only he had known, he could have used this for so many schemes of his! Also, there was that tiny part of him which felt jealous that Elmyra had such a cool talent, and he didn't.
"Anywayyy," Elmyra's girlish voice pulled Monty out of his thoughts. "Thanks for coming to see if I was alright."
"What?" the boy asked. "What do you mean?"
"Oh, you know… Back there, when you went to look for me in the Multiplex because you were sooo worried." She batted her eyelashes at him, smiling cutely.
"Wha? Wait, how did-?" He paused, shocked by the fact that the girl could read him like an open book. Elmyra was still regarding him with a peculiar, amused look. Monty glared. "Ahh, shaddap!"
Elmyra giggled, for the hundredth time that day. "Oh, Monty, you're so silly!" And then, she gave him a soft bop on the tip of his nose.
"Oh, yeah? Wanna talk about 'silly'?" He said the word in an emphasized, mocking manner. "Well, why don't we talk about you, weirdo? How you can't sit twenty minutes through a horror movie that isn't even real, but you can wander around dark, forbidden, rat-infested places as if you're walking through a park?"
"But that's not fair, Monty!" She whined. "That movie was really scary!"
"Suuure it was." Max teased. "Or you simply couldn't handle it."
"For your information, Mister, that's not true." She turned around, and walked away, nose up in the air, playfully mimicking an attitude of annoyance.
Monty watched her go and rolled his eyes. But then a wicked thought crossed his head. Grinning rather evilly, he sneaked upon her, quietly, and, without warning, grabbed by the waist. Elmyra jumped and let out a small shriek, to which Monty responded with a loud cackle.
"Monty!" The girl scolded, while trying to contain a smile of her own. "That's not funny!"
Monty, however, continued laughing. "I told you you're a scaredy-cat!"
"Oh, yeah?" Smirking, Elmyra took some snow in her hand, shaped it in a small, round ball and threw it at Monty. The snowball hit Monty square in the face, silencing him, as well as making him wobble on his feet a bit.
It was Elmyra's time to laugh now, complete with holding her stomach and pointing at him. Soon, however, her giggles were also put to a stop, as another snowball hit her right in her orange hair. She lifted her gaze up at him startled, but only for a moment. Then, she grabbed even more snow, preparing to create an even bigger snowball.
"Wait, wait, wait, hold it!" Said Monty, holding his hands in front of him. Elmyra paused to look at him, curiously. "I'm not in the mood for this right now. Actually, I'm kinda hungry. It was a full day after all. Let's go to Weenie Burgers instead and grab something to eat, how's that?"
Elmyra's face brightened up at the suggestion. "Oh, Monty, I'd love to!"
Happily, she grabbed him by the hand and dragged him down the sidewalk, a bit too forcefully. Monty, however, didn't complain about the death grip on his wrist, way too used to it by now.
As they walked down the street, heading to the renowned fast-food restaurant, Monty realized something: his free day was almost over. Tomorrow there was school and after that, instead of going home, he had to go to the company and help his family with stupid work. He frowned angrily at this fact. How in tarnation was he supposed to fit homework, studying for approaching exams and work at the company this month?!
"Monty? You okay?"
Realizing that his concern must've shown on his face, the boy shook his head before answering. "Yeah, sure, I'm fine. Just… realized it's gonna be a long, busy month."
"Oh, stop worrying so much, will you?" Elmyra tried to cheer him up. "You'll manage it somehow." She smiled encouragingly at him.
"Yeah…" Monty shifted his gaze onto the snowy pavement, losing himself in his own thoughts again. But suddenly, he felt something creeping up on his spine and he let out a surprised shout.
"Ah! What the…?" He looked around, fretful, until his eyes landed on Elmyra, who started laughing.
"Ha! Gotcha! I got my revenge." She said, through chuckles.
"Oh, ha-ha, sure. Very funny." He said but couldn't hide his snicker. "Why do I even hang out with the likes of you?"
"Cause you loooove me." Said Elmyra, echoing the answer she had given previously that day, to the same question.
Rolling his eyes and shaking his head, Monty continued walking beside her, into the Weenie Burgers parking lot and towards the restaurant's entrance. But, as they opened the door and stepped inside, he couldn't help but feel that Elmyra's presence, as annoying as it could sometimes be, along with the crazy moments they shared together, like that day for instance, would somehow make that suffocating month a little easier to bear.