Chapter 74
Twenty minutes had passed since the Eds had arrived at the dance, and the large hall had become quite crowded. The DJ had announced the opening of the buffet a few minutes prior, prompting the student body to form a single file line in front of the long buffet table.
All of the members of the Rethink Avenue cul-de-sac were currently sitting at their large dinner table, dining on the cuisine provided by the towns top catering company. In the midst of her meal, Nazz paused the friendly conversation to refill her drink cup. The somewhat ditzy minded blonde girl rose up from the dinner table and made her way across the room towards the punch bowl.
Upon reaching the large, glass fixture, Nazz retrieved the accompanying ladle, and a paper cup. As she lifted the ladle, along with a helping of punch, the sound of an individual closing the lid of one of the coolers filled the air. She promptly turned her head to the right, at which point she spotted Johnny. The boy had came to the dance despite not having a date, electing to wear a blue suit. Interestingly enough, the boy had also arrived without his ever present companion Plank, truly a rare sight.
As Johnny proceeded to open his soda, displaying an expression of sadness, Nazz observed the boy in an equally melancholy manner. She and Johnny had not spoken since the moment they were aggressively dismissed by Double Dee, and Nazz decided that it was finally time to clear the air. She retrieved her cup of punch, and slowly made her way to Jonny's position.
"Hey Jonny," said Nazz.
"Hey Harley," said Jonny, "Or should I say Nazz."
"Pretty big screw-up, huh?" asked Nazz.
"Yeah," said Jonny in a disheartened manner, in complete contrast to his usual cheerful persona.
"I can't help but notice you left Plank at home," said Nazz, "That's really unlike you dude."
"I guess," said Jonny, "I made up my mind, I'm ditching the whole superhero thing. I'm no crime fighter, I made things a whole lot worse than they already were. And I brought you into my little pointless game, when you were only trying to do the right thing."
Jonny turned towards Nazz.
"I've done a lot of thinking over the last few months," said Jonny, "I'm getting older, and I'm starting to realize I can't go around talking to a piece of wood forever...I think I'm going to let Plank go..."
"Jonny..." said Nazz as she placed her hand over her mouth.
"The truth is," said Jonny, "I know everybody in the cul-de-sac thinks I'm weird, going as far to use me to annoy people, like the Ed's did to make money that one time, and back when Julia visited for spring break. I never really had a real human friend, but I really liked the time we spent together last spring trying to 'get rid of' Julia. Even though it was for a 'bad' purpose, things worked out great in the end and I had a lot of fun, I didn't want it to end. That's why I blackmailed you, to have an excuse to hang out with you...and to have an actual person to talk to."
"Wow Johnny," said Nazz, "I'm really surprised. Why didn't you just tell me that from the get go!?"
"I dunno," said Jonny, "I'm just a weird kid who talks to a piece of wood. I don't have anything to give back, so why bother being honest."
Nazz sighed.
"Listen Jonny," said Nazz, "I have to admit, I was really annoyed with being Harlequin Honeydew at first, but after we started investigating a potential real issue, I started to have a little fun."
Nazz paused briefly, as she put her hand on Jonny's shoulder.
"And I have to agree," said Nazz, "You probably shouldn't carry Plank around forever, or spend all of your time playing superhero. But that doesn't mean that those things have to go away. Dude, you probably have the craziest, most awesome imagination I've ever seen in a person. I mean, like, you made up a whole superhero team around your own theme, complete with two sidekicks and all of those gadgets. That's something to really be proud of."
Jonny remained silent as Nazz continued her words of encouragement.
"I suggest you try your hand at writing," said Nazz, "It will be a great way to channel your creativity. Perhaps a comic book, about Captain Melonhead and Splinter, with Splinters alter ego being some kind of wood/boy hybrid or something."
Nazz smiled as she reached her hand towards Jonny.
"While you may be forced to grow up on the outside," said Nazz, "Plank, Splinter, Captain Melonhead, and Harlequin Honeydew will always live on...in here."
At that point, Nazz briefly touched her hand to Jonny's chest in the area of his heart, causing the bald headed boy to smile.
"You know what," said Jonny, "That's a really good point, maybe I do it!"
"You should," said Nazz, "But don't think you can save all of it for yourself, I'll be over for a bit every weekend to write the Harlequin Honeydew parts. No one can portray her like the real thing!"
Nazz reached her hand out, as if to request a hand shake from the eccentric boy. Jonny returned the favor, touching her hand with his as the two shared a smile.
Their shared moment was quickly interrupted, as a loud yet smooth sounding voice penetrated through the sound of the soft rock music. The voice was that of the DJ, who had decided that it was about time for the nights main event:
Alright Alright Is Everyone having fun tonight!?
The entire hall replied with an exuberant "Yes!" in unison.
Good, very good. While all of you fresh young faces are enjoying the wonderful dinner prepared by our friends at the Waterfall room, I think it's about time for the event you have been waiting for all season. Yes, that's right folks, it's time to crown the Peach Creek High School Winter Ball Queen.
The entire hall erupted in a series of applause.
At this time, I'd like all of those standing to take their seats and direct their attention to the stage.
"Well, it's time," said Nazz.
"Yeah!," said Jonny, his exuberant personality fully restored, "I think I'm gonna blow this pop stand and get started on my comic book. I'm not really a suit and tie guy anyway!"
"Go for it dude!" said Nazz as she began making her way back to her seat, "I'll see ya around!"
"You bet!" yelled Jonny as he began making his way towards the door, "See ya later Nazz, have fun tonight...YAHOO!"
Nazz giggled as she watched Jonny happily run to the exit at what seemed like light speed. She then turned and made her way back towards her table of comrades.
As Jonny ran down the stairs, and out the doors leading onto the Main Street, he neglected to realize that he had passed a familiar face. In his excitement, he barely avoiding colliding with the small, stout frame of Eddy, who had finally arrived at he dance hall. The boy appeared to have been sweating bullets, as if he had ran for miles to the venue. He was wearing a well tailored black suit jacket and pants, under which he wore an emerald green vest, matching tie, and white undershirt. His thin hair had been slicked backward with gel, and his black shoes appeared to glisten under the street lights. Most notably, he was currently holding his right hand high in the air, clutching the metal hook of a clothes hanger. The hanger seemed to contain a long article of clothing, fully concealed by a black zipper bag. Due to Eddy's height, the hanger required to be held high, in order to prevent the bag from dragging on the ground.
Eddy simply had too much on his mind to pay any attention to Jonny's exit, as he briskly made his way into the building and up the stairs. He proceeded to hang his garment bag on one of the available hooks in the hall antechamber, after which he made his way towards the double doors leading into the Waterfall Room. Slowly and carefully, he pushed the door open just enough to observe the surroundings of the entire room.
As the DJ continued to hype up the crowds in anticipation of awarding the winter ball crown, Eddy frantically searched the room for his friends. After around ten second of searching, he came across his peers, seated at a round table in the center of the room; he also took notice that Lee was nowhere to be found.
In addition, another quick scan of the room revealed the presence of Lindsay. The blonde girl was seated at a table consisting of several unidentified students, merely due to the fact that they needed a seat at that time. She refused to socialize, maintaining a stoic expression as if she were deep in thought.
Realizing that the DJ was about to start the ceremony, Lee's absence, and Lindsay's presence, a disheartened expression overcame his face. The short Ed boy closed the door, and returned to one of the decorative benches situated in the antechamber, at which point he proceeded to sit down and bury his eyes into his hands.
Back inside the hall, Double Dee and Marie, as well as Ed and May stared across the table with saddened expressions; their eyes all being focused on the two empty chairs they had reserved for Lee and Eddy.
"Well, there's that," said Marie, "She got what she wanted, the crown is hers."
"I'm afraid I must agree," said Double Dee, "All we can do is make the best of our situation, and enjoy the remainder of the night."
At that point, the DJ decided to officially begin the ceremony.
Alright, it's time for the moment you have all been waiting for all season. As you know, you have been voting all season for the special young lady that you feel best exemplifies the spirit of the season, and now it's finally time to crown the victor. With that, we have managed to narrow down the playing field to two finalists, who I am sure all of you are quite familiar with. I am happy to say that our two finalist are not only winners tonight, but also stunned the crowds in the annual holiday talent show, earning their places as the two finalist during that event as well.
The DJ paused for a few moments as he raised a small cue card up to his eye level.
First without further ado, let's welcome our first contestant. Hailing from the city, this young lady is active in the Peach Creek High School Cheer Squad, a talent that earned her second place in the Holiday talent show. She enjoys the finer things in life, such as fashion, modeling, and designer handbags. Please welcome, Ms. Lindsay Statorowski!
At that point, the DJ cued up a track that consisted of a funky guitar riff playing a loop (Readers, please refer to the YouTube Video "Um Jammer Lammy Loading Screen Music" to get an idea of what I'm imagining here). As the music played, the audience began to clap, as many turned their heads towards Lindsay's position.
Lindsay herself did not move a muscle, as she was so engrossed in her thoughts that she had not even realized her name had been called. With a quick nudge from one of the students sitting next to her, Lindsay snapped back to reality, at which point she slowly rose from her seat, and walked toward the stage, staring forward as if she were a ghoul.
It didn't take long for Lindsay to climb onto the stage, taking her place slightly left of center. As the spotlights shined down on her, the normally confident Lindsay did not seem to be herself. She was not smiling, standing with her hands on her hips, or striking any other form of flirtatious pose. Rather, she remained neutral, her eyes panning around the room at rapid pace as if she were searching for someone.
At the Rethink Avenue table, all female parties, stared at the stage with expressions of disgust. Lindsay's actions have caused some form of harm to each of the girls in the past, and all three a relatively good reason for being upset with her. In contrast, the boys all seemed to react in a different manner; Double Dee simply observed the ceremony, conveying a subtle sadness, while Ed and Kevin remained indifferent, choosing to continue eating their dinner. Rolf however appeared quite focused on the stage, completely fixated on his "Beautiful Sweet Babushka". His eyes appeared glassy as he smiled, enamored by how pretty Lindsay appeared under the spotlights.
At that moment, the DJ decided to continue with the ceremony.
Now let's meet our next finalist. Also hailing from the city, this young lady loves mathematics, cooking, and ballet, a talent which managed to win the hearts of hundreds after she and her boyfriend gave a stunning performance of the Nutcrackers Grand Finale at the holiday talent show. Please welcome, Ms. Annalee Kanker!
The DJ once again cued up his funky guitar rhythm as he awaited Lee to stand and take the stage; however, after around five loops of the music, the DJ began to realize something was awry.
Annalee Kanker...is there an Annalee Kanker in the house?
As the DJ stood and began glancing around the hall, Lindsay continued to discreetly pan her eyes around the venue, adopting a nervous expression as she did so.
After about three more loops of the music, Marie decided enough was enough. She slammed her hand on the table and stood up, rolling her eyes as she did so.
"She's not here!" yelled Marie, "She decided not to show up!"
After her rather brash declaration, Marie promptly returned to a seated position, folding her arms angrily as she did so. The entire table' attention, (with the exception bring Rolf) turned their attention to Marie, with Double Dee placing her arm on her shoulder as May walked around to the other side of the table to console her.
Back up on stage, Lindsay seemed quite distressed. She bit her lip slightly as she turned her attention to the bare wooden surface next to her, the spot where Lee was supposed to be standing tonight.
Well folks, it appears that the lovely young lady in the back has informed us that Annalee is a no show. Unfortunately, we are going to be required to disqualify her from the competition. By the rules of the winter ball queen campaign, when one of the finalist does not make an appearance, the other finalist wins by default."
The DJ paused as he stood up out of his seat, he then placed the microphone to his mouth and continued speaking in a highly enthusiastic manner.
Well, we have our winner folks! This years winter ball queen is Ms. Lindsay Statorowski!
The DJ placed his microphone down, and pressed a white button on his mixer, cueing up the victory music he had set for the event. He then proceeded to applaud, joining in with the thunderous salute currently being delivered by most of the hall.
At the Rethink Avenue table, all of the teenagers remained virtually silent, in state of shock realizing that the opportunity for Lee to win the prize she had been seeking all season had been blown. Rolf was, of course, the only individual at the table who was displaying any form of positivity regarding the situation. He slowly applauded as he stared in Lindsay's direction with dreamy eyes.
Up on stage, Lindsay was in quite the state of shock as well. Throughout the entire ordeal, her mind had been racing with thoughts regarding her desire for the crown, among other things. The bewildered girl was suddenly surprised by a slight tap on the shoulder, at which point she turned around to find one of the teachers, who had attended the dance as a chaperone. The teacher offered her congratulations, after which she reached up and placed a small, silver crown on top of Lindsay's head. She then proceeded to drape a silver sash, decorated with the words "Winter Ball Queen" over the tall girls head. Neither of these actions seemed to phase Lindsay in the slightest; she continued to display a wide-eyed stare as the teacher walked off of the stage.
As the applause died down, the DJ chimed in once again.
Again, congratulations to our winter ball queen, Lindsay Statorowski. Now I'd like to invite Ms. Statorowski up to the microphone to say a few words regarding her most recent accomplishment! Come on up!
The DJ silenced the music and held the microphone towards Lindsay. The blonde continued to remain silent and still, nervously staring at the microphone as if she were deep in thought. She then briefly turned her attention to the crowd, who continued to gaze upon the stage awaiting her response. Finally, she glanced down toward the sash that was placed over her shoulder moments ago, repeatedly reading the words displayed on it for what seemed like forever.
Eventually, Lindsay seemed to break free from her thoughts, while simultaneously readopting her typical scowl. At the same time, she suddenly turned and proceeded to walk in the opposite direction of the DJ booth. The crowd watched in complete silence as Lindsay walked away from the stage, refusing to acknowledge anyone whatsoever, as her high heels clicked on the marble floor. In a flash the tall slim girl had disappeared, taking her leave through the exit doors on the far side of the hall.
As Lindsay slammed the exit door shut, the DJ remained idol perplexed at the situation presented before him. Nevertheless, he regained his upbeat composure and seamlessly continued.
Well it appears that while Ms. Statorowski is big on talent and holiday spirit, she truly is a woman of few words. That's alright, to each her own. We've got a few more hours of fun on the way, and I promise I'll be sure to make most of it. Again, let's hear a round of applause for the Waterfall Room for hosting this awesome event, and we'll be back in about twenty minutes to take you all to the dance floor with some classic hits. See you then.
At the Rethink Avenue Table, Marie decided to comment on the situation.
"Woman of few words," said Marie in a sarcastic manner, "After all that fighting, and making an ass out of Lee, she didn't even have the decency to thank everyone for electing her. She got what she wanted, it's all over now, time to accept fate and enjoy the rest of the dance."
Marie picked up her fork and continued working on finishing her platter. The remainder of the table followed suit, not saying a word to each other for the remainder of dinner.
As the Rethink Avenue residents analyze the events surrounding the crowning of the ball queen, Lindsay flung open the double doors acting as the entrance into the hall with force. The girl appeared visibly upset as she angrily stomped across the antechamber, entering the small hallway that lead to the area of the rest rooms. As she ground her teeth with what seemed like caged up fury, a slight tear formed in her left eye, eventually breaking loose and beginning its journey down her cheek.
The girl had intended to make her way to the restroom, where she would lock herself in one of the stalls to cry in secret. However, she was barely able to make it past the area of the water fountain, when a familiar voice stopped her in her tracks; the same one as the previous night.
"Congratulations Lindsay," said the voice of Eddy, emanating from behind in a soft intonation, "You finally won the crown you wanted since the beginning of the season."
Eddy proceeded to take a few steps down the hallway, stopping a few feet shy of Lindsay's position. He leaned his body on the wall as he folded his arms, glancing up towards the back of her head.
"Or should I say...the crown SHE wanted since the beginning of the season." said Eddy.
Lindsay clenched her fists ever so slightly at the conclusion of Eddy's statement, at which point he decided to continue.
"I watched the whole ceremony from out here," said Eddy, "You looked like you were thinking a lot up there. Now I'm sure of it, that whole arrogant diva attitude is nothing but a bullshit illusion. You couldn't even focus because you were wondering where Lee is."
Lindsay remained focused towards the end of the hallway, being sure to hide the tears that we're currently streaming from her eyes in a slow manner.
"I see the conflict in you," said Eddy, "As much as you feel the need to be her puppet, you sure do suck at doing it. That's a compliment by the way, it means that you actually have a moral conscience, something that she lacks. It's why you're thinking about this so much."
Suddenly, Lindsay snapped in Eddy's direction.
"Alright smart guy," said Lindsay, "You seem to have all the answers, so tell me. How do I fix this?"
"You know what you have to do," said Eddy as he turned, and began walking towards the double doors leading into the hall. As he placed his hand on the golden handle, he turned back towards Lindsay.
"I know what it feels like to be given up on," said Eddy, "I see who you really are, and I'm not giving up on you yet...just like Lee never did."
Eddy paused for a few moments, matter which he opened the door, turning towards Lindsay one final time as he entered the hall.
"She's at home in her bedroom by herself right now," said Eddy, "Just thought you should know."
At the conclusion of his statement, Eddy closed the decorative door, isolating the cacophonous music within from the antechamber. Lindsay remained in her position momentarily, placing her hand over her mouth as she pondered her situation. A few moments passed, at which point she briefly glanced toward the ceiling, while simultaneously adopting a determined expression.
In an instant, Lindsay found herself traveling towards the stairs at a rapid pace; though her speed limited by her high heeled shoes and apparent joint pain, she nevertheless seem quite determined to reach her destination, where ever that may be.
