A/N: Alright, so I have a million fanfics I'm working on at once. What a good idea...not! haha I can do it. I'm trying not to put everything on here at once. I even have three fics that I began but aren't on fanfic yet. Want to know what they are? Yeah, well you have to wait. Hehehe.
You are all going to love me.
Oh . . . Stephie and the Beast will be updated in the near future, but I have some awesome LT fics I'm insterested in starting before I go back to that. I want to get them out before I forget. Hehe.
Chapter 8: please Stay, Rainy Day
Sunday came rolling in with a misty rain and cloudy skies. Stephanie felt relieved from any obligations to play outside with her friends. She smiled at the thought of an actual day off to relax and think.
Uncle Milford was cooking pancakes for breakfast. His niece laughed at the white flour on his nose and cheek.
Steph normally found rain to be depressing. She stared out the window, sighed, and took the first bite of breakfast. Her stomach grumbled; It wanted more.
"What will you do today, Stephanie?" Milford asked.
"Hmm," she replied, "I'm probably going to clean my room a bit. Maybe I'll dance too."
After the last of Stephanie's pancake was consumed, she went to her room.
Clouds continued to weep upon the earth, which sent shivers down Stephanie's spine. As she lay on her bed facing the ceiling, her thoughts scattered. Sportacus' handsome face flashed like lightning in her mind's eye. Steph had two choices: Allow Sportacus to drive her home in his airship, or beg Uncle Milford to travel three hours. Milford wouldn't mind visiting his brother and sister-in-law, but Steph hated imposing. With another few minutes of simply staring out the window, Stephanie fell into a deep sleep.
0o0o
"-and since you and I have both known her for so long," said Sportacus, "I wanted to ask for your advice."
Robbie Rotten stared at Sportacus as if he were the next prey of a fiercely handsome and deadly animal. What most shocked him didn't even involve Sportacus' random appearance or reason for coming, but the gall he had for bringing up their current subject after years of being enemies.
"It's nothing serious, but I'd appreciate your honesty." Sportacus impatiently tapped his fingers along Robbie's orange chair.
"Alrighty Sporty-pants." Robbie folded his arms and answered firmly, "I'll tell you what you need to know . . . for a price."
There wasn't a doubt in Sportacus' mind that Robbie would bribe him to leave Lazytown in order to hear any answers.
Robbie planned on ordering Sportacus to leave Lazytown forever. However, he changed his mind the moment he saw Sportacus' firey glare.
"Alright." Robbie stepped back and said, "Maybe I'll tell you for free. What do you want to know?"
"Do you think Stephanie would ever consider me something more than a friend?" Sportacus asked quickly so he didn't back out like a coward.
"I . . .I'm not sure you should be asking me that, Sporty."
"Why not?" Sportacus pouted.
After letting a discouraging sigh escape his lips, Robbie answered honestly. "I simply don't care if she fancies you or not, Sportadance. Your love life is none of my business, and I will never care about Stephanie's either."
"Robbie," Sportacus added, "I'm not asking you enemy to enemy. I'm asking you man-to-man in hopes that you can shed some light on the subject."
"Alright. Here's the deal Spiffercus. I don't care." Robbie's runaway thoughts were the train carts without a track. Despite his hatred for Sportacus, he had an epiphany.
As the two stood silent for a moment, Robbie realized that his place in life very much allowed access to see what Stephanie really thought of Sportacus. Robbie felt it necessary to then explore this possible plan and its rewards. If Sportacus is happy with the outcome, Robbie would no longer hear his whining. On the other hand, Sportacus might become depressed and look to Robbie for grown male support. Either way, Robbie gains trust and respect. Ultimately, the chance to rid of Sportacus stood at the goal like a trophy for such deceit. . . .and who said Robbie would tell the truth?
Robbie patted Sportacus on the shoulder and said, "I know what I can do for you."
0o0o
There's nothing here for me. Nothing there either. I need to live on as if prom night didn't happen. Somehow, I must overcome this . . . But if I ignore it all and tuck the pain away it won't hurt anymore.
And Nathaniel . . . He was a lost cause from the beginning, but it still bothers me. Why did I have to like him so much? All I got in the end was a red face and boiling anger. How does that help my life?
To think that I always thought beauty permanently engraved itself into each ad every single moment in a person's life. I was so dumb to even imagine being a girlfriend of a nice man. And Sportacus can never see me the way I want him to see me. Not as a life-long friend with sexual tension, but a woman with emotional needs.
Stephanie dragged her feet out of bed. She slept most of the day away. The rain stopped, leaving the world drenched in its gloomy showers.
"Uncle Milford?" Stephanie walked downstairs into the living room.
Milford turned the television set lower and faced his niece. "Yes, Stephanie?"
"Would it be alright if you brought me home instead of Sportacus? I really don't want to be in the air tonight. I think I ate something bad and it's not agreeing with me." Stephanie hated to lie, but there was no choice.
"Sure, honey. I'll be ready in about an hour if you want to say goodbye to your friends."
With that said, Stephanie ran back to her room to gather her belongings. She felt no reason to say goodbye to her friends today. Her new indifferent attitude slowly oozed from the deepest darkest corner of her mind.
0o0o
Sportacus paced. In another room, a clock's ticking faintly sounded each second. He couldn't believe he accepted Robbie's offer. He would not only find out Stephanie's feelings for Sportacus, but Robbie would convince her to be his girlfriend. If all went well, Sportacus somehow believed his end of the bargain would evaporate.
On the other hand, if Sportacus really did have to leave Lazytown forever, he hoped for Stephanie's accompaniment. Nothing compared to the thought of losing a home and a best friend. Sportacus knew what it felt like to be disappointed. He didn't, however, know the terrible pains of being heartbroken. This of all things scared him the most in the world. Death dared not compare to the feeling of being dead while alive. What Sportacus understood of a heartbreak included worse-case scenarios of suicidal tendencies to not-as-severe nights of endless tears. Either way, he never wanted to fall victim to such agony.
0o0o
Being rotten was Robbie's forte. Never in his twenty-plus years of life did he imagine portraying the little warmth he held in his heart. As he sat in his fuzzy orange chair, he conjured the plan with more detail and depth. He would disguise himself as a senior in Stephanie's high school. The only problem was sneaking into the school and staying there without being noticed or seeming suspicious. No trouble; Robbie knew how to lie with a straight face.
"Stephanie has no idea what's about to happen. I'm going to make her change her mind about Sportacus forever."
The truth in Robbie's statement scared him a bit. Two possible paths lay before him. To go down one would land him on Sportacus good side, except for exiling him from Lazytown afterwards. On the other hand, Robbie Rotten could very well live up to his name and forever scar the two secret lovers. He felt like the Grinch in a way . . .
To give the presents back or not to give them back? That is the question. Do I care enough to see them both happy and out of my life simutaneously? Or shall I cause chaos? Hmm. Decisions, decisions.
The Master of Disguise carefully picked apart each scenario. A malicious grin formed from ear to ear, causing even the mice to cower in fear.
"Yes," Robbie said to himself, "Pinky is such a gullible girl, after all. I'm sure after I'm through with her she won't know which way is up. Her emotions will be so overwhelmed she will have wished to be someone else, somewhere else. Ha! Robbie Rotten . . . is a genius."
0o0o
Rain plopped on the outside of Milford's car. Down the window they slid, not caring which path was the right one. Stephanie wished life were that simple: Land wherever, go wherever, and repeat once back in the comfort of a cloudy haven.
"Well, Stephanie, we're off!" Milford glanced over at his niece. He made sure Stephanie had her seatbelt on. Milford took driving as serious as a funeral.
Steph replied, "Good. Don't mind me, I think I'm going to listen to my headphones. Rain makes me think a lot and music helps me concentrate. Maybe I'll think of a good farewell speech for Graduation."
"No problem, Stephie!"
The Oldsmobile crawled like a turtle onto the slippery roads. They reflected a wet world of imperfections that Stephanie now saw in a new perspective.