A/N: Hope you like!! Oh, yes, after this chapter is posted, I'm changing the rating to M. Thank you all for your support and I'm glad to bring this story to your eager minds.
Now that this is rated M, I can use correct terms instead of cutesy things, like "member" We are all grown ups here and can hear words... right? good. Sorry it took so long. I hope you guys know that I really want to finish all of my unfinished LT fics (whole two of them) by the end of summer.
Chapter Six: A Rotten Weekend
Perhaps it was the smell of fresh oranges that made Stephanie jolt up from her bed, or maybe it was the feeling of being watched. Whatever it was, Stephanie felt hungry and nervous. Sportacus clearly sat at the edge of his bed, admiring Steph's sleepy eyes upon their slow opening. The morning began with enough anxiety to blanket Lazytown completely three times. There was no way anyone would get out alive.
"Hello, Stephanie." Sportacus greeted.
Stephanie sat up and stared blankly into ocean blue eyes.
"Would you like some breakfast? I have oranges . . . your favorite."
"I'm not hungry." She heard her stomach growl. "I'll eat later."
"Are you going to do anything special today?" Sport asked. "Do you need any company?"
Stephanie slipped out of the bedsheets onto the white floor. "I'm going to my Uncle's and relaxing. Other than that, I hope to have a quiet day."
After taking an orange from a bowl of fruit nearby, Stephanie began to wonder if she was even hungry. Breakfast was always an important thing to her, but this morning she felt indifferent to habits. On the bed again, Sportacus watched as Steph peeled away the layer of bright skin from the fruit. Juice ran along Steph's fingers and dripped to the floor. She seemed uninterrupted by this.
"You're dripping orange juice everywhere, Stephanie. Could you be more careful, please?"
Steph looked at him with a storm in her eyes.
"Are you alright?" Sportacus felt uncomfortable.
The orange fell to the white floor, staining it with anger.
"Everything must be so perfect for you," Steph began. "All you have to worry about is a floor. I'm leaving."
"No, wait!" Sportacus stood and took Stephanie's arm gently in his grasp.
She yanked her arm away from him and charged out of sight.
Sportacus glared at the orange mess on the floor; Juice leaked slowly from it's insides. Instantly, he stomped on the fruit and felt the wetness seep into his shoe. His frown deepened as he realized that nothing could take away the harsh words from his favorite girl.
Stephanie had taken her suitcase and changed into normal clothes before descending to the ground below. She straightened her back and walked towards her Uncle Milford's house. He answered lovingly, welcoming her back for the weekend and asking her how prom was. She lied, of course, telling her Uncle it was the most fun she'd ever had.
When Steph reached her room, her suitcase dropped on the floor just before she hit her bed full force. Steph began to tear up, but held the sadness behind her eyes tight like a clenched fist. It was unnatural for her to bottle any kind of emotion, but what was she to do? As she contemplated in her room alone, it was clear to her that she could never love Sportacus the way he wanted her to. Her heart belonged to no one, and would always remain so. It was a depressing thought; however, Steph knew it was true. If she couldn't even be with a boy she'd been best friends with for years, there was no way a lifetime pal would work out as a significant other.
A bedside clock chimed twelve times. It was noon. Time for lunch.
"Stephanie," Milford called from the bottom of the staircase. "Will you be eating lunch with your friends today? I've packed a picnic for you to bring as a surprise. Bologna sandwiches, apple slices, and fruit punch."
She had almost fallen asleep just lying in her bed. Stephanie had been in deep thought for about two hours. Nothing shook her from the trance. She knew Milford was talking, though, and tried to process his words.
"Sure, I'll be down in a minute." She bellowed from her room.
In a moment or two, Steph finally picked herself up and looked in her vanity mirror. With a quick swish of eyeshadow and a splash of lip gloss, Stephanie was ready to face the public. The first steps down her stairs were the hardest. She wanted to be left alone.
"There you are," Milford began. "I was wondering if you were ever coming downstairs."
Steph replied, "I was reading. Now that I've rested awhile, I think I'm ready for a good lunch with good friends."
Milford smiled. He handed Steph a wicker picnic basket and a purple frisbee.
"You didn't have to get me a new frisbee, Uncle Milford. I haven't played for a year or two."
"Well, it won't do me any good. Who am I going to play with? Bessie doesn't really play sports, you know." Milford's mood suddenly dropped a few degrees.
Steph thanked her Uncle and wished him a nice afternoon. She left the house, hoping not to see Sportacus the rest of the day. Once Steph reached a little hill near Lazytown's Playground, she put the picnic basket down. The weather wasn't too bad; Sun was out to play with no clouds in sight. Steph thought the sky was perfectly blue like Sportacus' eyes.
When all was quiet, Stephanie placed the frisbee on the ground with the picnic basket.
"Stephanie!"
An excited Trixie ran over to Steph's side, along with Ziggy and Stingy.
"Hey everyone." Steph said, "My Uncle packed us a picnic. I figured one of you would see me on this hill."
"We used to sled down this hill in winter," Trixie exclaimed.
Ziggy grinned from ear to ear and said, "We spotted you a mile away."
Pixel soon appeared, carrying a football under his arm. He had become more muscular and athletic over his teenage years, forever catching Trixie's gaze. He didn't know she had a crush on him, though. Once everyone was settled on the long green grass, the picnic began. Stephanie pulled out the sandwiches, apples, and juiceboxes for her friends. To her, there was nothing wrong with drinking a juicebox.
"So how are you, Steph?" Pixel asked.
She replied, "Good, I suppose. Just dreading graduation. It's right around the corner, you know."
"I'm next," said Stingy. "Next year is my year to graduate. You can all start saving up now. I'm asking for a car as a present."
"It's not your birthday, Stingy. I think a car is a little too much to ask for." Ziggy spoke common sense, hoping Stingy would agree.
Stingy grunted and said, "I can ask for anything I want. Mother says she and Dad will most likely comply with my wishes for a certain price. I just have to continue receiving a three-point-nine grade point average and keep up with chores."
"Oh," Trixie mumbled, "you're just a show off. Stephanie is still top in her class. Isn't that right?"
Stephanie blushed a deep shade like the rouge on Bessie's cheeks. Thinking logically, Steph chamged the subject.
She took the last bite of her sandwich and asked, "Does anyone want to play frisbee now? We can eat the apples later on."
"I'm in," shouted Trixie. She smiled wide enough to show off her pearly whites.
After the remainder of the group heard Trixie, they decided to be part of it too.
"Alright, so we're just going to play with no rules and no points until we get the hang of it." Pixel suggested. "That way, everyone who hasn't touched a frisbee in over a year can become more comfortable. Sound good?"
The small group agreed.
The frisbee was whipped into the air, a flying saucer whizzing by without a care in the world. Stephanie wasn't supposed to be having fun. With a tight grasp on the frisbee and a quick launch into air, she watched the toy fly to Stingy. Her heart pounded with excitement. She missed her friends. She missed laughing and playing. Stephanie missed childhood.
On the other hand, growing up for Stephanie was a picnic; Never a day went by that she didn't smile. Once high school began, work was tougher and friends were more dramatic. Stephanie kept her chin up, never caving in to peer pressure. And now . . . her senior year of high school comes rolling in like thunder on a beautiful, cloudless day. Stephanie started feeling like she was drowning in a pool of frustration.So, being with the only true friends she ever had was very comforting. In fact, she even let slip the events of prom from her mind.
The frisbee landed in Stephanie's hand once more. Another loud whiz by her ears signalled a perfect throw. Frisbees everywhere would be jealous of how well Steph threw hers. It gained speed and height as it continued to spin forwards. Finally, the dizzying frisbee stopped.
It fell to the ground after hitting Robbie Rotten in the chest.