A/N: The Editor of the Lazytown Chronicle here! Sorry it's been a while since the last update, but as Sportacus told me the other day, there's more to life than writing all the time. Remember, the Writer owns nothing. Please read and review.
Bessie got busy. First she called everyone in town to make sure they were coming. Then she decided to make the attire dressy casual since it was a little last minute. She hired a local caterer and ordered gobs of food. Then she started calling bands and interviewing them. Finally, at the end of the day, she sat down and wrote out the invitations. And when she awoke the next morning, she went to the mailbox and mailed them off. But one invitation was special. That invitation she rolled up and put it in a special capsule. Then that capsule she placed inside a shoot. She pulled the lever and up up up it went into the sky. Sportacus was in the middle of breakfast and throwing an apple around, when he jumped in the air, did a somersault landing in time to catch the capsule as it popped up into the air.
"I've got mail!" he exclaimed taking out the invitation and smoothing out the creases. "We cordially invite you to the first annual Lazytown summer dance. Dressy casual attire. From 6pm to 8pm for children, 6pm to midnight for adults." Then the next line made his eyes widen, "You may bring one guest...Who could I bring?" he asked himself. But he already knew the answer. He wanted to bring Tara. But could he work up the nerve to ask her? Thinking over all of this, Sportacus absentmindedly caught the flying apple he had thrown around his ship and took a big bite out of it in thought.
Meanwhile, Tara just went out to her mailbox and sighed taking out the pile of letters,
"Occupant...bill...bill...occupant...You may have already won one zillion dollars...bill...hmm...an invitation?" Tara opened the letter and read, 'We cordially invite you to the first annual Lazytown summer dance. Dressy casual attire. From 6pm to 8pm for children, 6pm to midnight for adults.' Cool beans...One guest huh? I wonder if Sportacus would like to go?" Tara paced a bit, tapping the invitation against her chin, "Hmm...I don't want to scare the guy off...and I'd like to know if he's interested in me too...So I'll wait and see if he asks me to the dance. Of course...I can drop little hints!" She giggled at the thoughts of all she could do, when suddenly, the Major's voice came over the town loudspeakers,
"ATTENTION EVERYONE! ATTENTION! IMPORTANT TOWN MEETING! IMPORTANT TOWN MEETING!" Tara put away her mail and ran to join everyone at the center of town where Major Meanswell pulled back on a lever producing an entire stage and podium. Everyone gathered round as he went up to the microphone.
"What's going on?"
"What's happening?"
"What is it?" Up in his Airship, Sportacus heard the Major's announcement and immediately went into action.
"Down!" he shouted getting on his platform that lowered from the airship. "Ladder!" he yelled as the ladder spilled out of his ship to the ground below. He climbed down and then quickly jumped over six walls, flipped around three tree branches and did four somersaults to make his way to the large crowd around town.
"Sportacus!" yelled everyone in a greeting.
"Hi guys!" Sportacus said with a wave. Then he looked up and there was Tara smiling at him.
"Hi Sportacus." she said warmly. His palms getting sweaty, Sportacus said softly,
"Hi Tara...how..."
"Oh good! Now that everyone is here we can get started!" the Major said over the microphone. Sportacus sighed as he listened, "As you all know...Lazytown shall have it's first annual Summer Dance! There will be a dance contest for children as well as for adults! So that everyone can join in the fun!"
"Stephanie you could win that contest hands down!" Pixel said as the other kids agreed. Stephanie blushed,
"Thanks guys..." The Major continued,
"But I must go over the rules...first...since the Summer Dance is a little more formal...every person in the contest must have a dance partner!"
"Partner?" asked Stingy.
"A dance partner?" asked Ziggy as all the other kids were confused but the adults nodded in understanding. Except for Sportacus who started looking a little nervous...
"Yes...they must move as one and in synchronization! Pop dance mixes are fun...but there are many more exciting dances that must be performed with a partner! Like the Foxtrot!" The Major danced a little step, "The Samba! The Salsa!" As he danced again humming a Hispanic melody, everyone giggled and Trixie asked,
"Like...what they put on nachos?"
"That makes me hungry!" Ziggy said as Stephanie giggled,
"Ziggy..."
"And of course...my own personal favorite...The TANGO! Pixel...a tango beat if you please?" the Major asked the boy with all the electronics. Pixel punched a few buttons on his armband,
"Whatever you say Mr. Major!" Suddenly the air was filled with a spicy melody with a solo violin over everything and the Major reached over to Bessie,
"Miss Busybody?"
"Oh Milford! Certainly!" she said taking his hand. The Major spun her into him, placing his hand on her waist.
"Ooohhh..." went the crowd. Their arms were wrapped around each other, one set of arms straight out before them as they slowly came forward about four steps, then they turned and went the other way four steps, the Mayor spun Bessie out again, before pulling her back and dipping her over his knee."
"Aaahhh! Yay!" applauded the crowd as the Mayor righted himself and Bessie saying,
"Thank you Miss Busybody."
"Oh Milford..." sighed Bessie. Sportacus politely clapped but he had a look of dread on his face as the Mayor said,
"Well! Now that everyone knows what 'slow dancing' is suppose to look like...The rest of the rules are simply each couple must dance every type of dance there is. I am pleased to announce that Miss Busybody will be giving lessons tomorrow to anyone who doesn't know how to dance a certain step." Everyone nodded with some random people saying,
"That's a good idea..."
"What fun!"
"That's cool..."
"...And...the winning couple of either the children's dance contest and the adults...will each receive..." The Mayor pushed a button and a pedestal with two large golden trophies came up and everyone gasped. The Mayor finished, "A beautiful first place trophy!"
"IT'S MINE!" Stingy yelled.
"Wow!" said Ziggy and Trixie. Meanwhile, Robbie Rotten was crouched behind a wall and he gasped at seeing the trophies,
"I must have that trophy!" Mayor Meanswell reminded everyone,
"Remember...everyone in the dance contest must have a partner! That's all everyone! Have a good..." Everyone rushed off leaving only the kids, Tara and Sportacus standing there, " Day?" the Mayor finished. Robbie asked himself,
"A partner? Does that mean I need a...date! Hmm...wait! I can't be in the dance contest! That would be moving! And that goes entirely against my plan!" Then a light bulb went off in his head, "But wait a minute...if I have a date...maybe it will make those rotten kids listen to me...if they listen to me...I can convince them I know a cool dance move the Blue Elf doesn't! Especially if my date does it too! I'm a genius!" he started to laugh manically when he stopped short, "But who can I call?"
Back in his lair, Robbie took out a little black book and blew off the cobwebs and dust. After coughing a minute, he picked up his phone and dialed the first number in the book. He checked his nails as it rang when a woman picked up,
"Hello?"
"Hello? Is this...Ana Abersome?" Robbie asked with a rough voice.
"Yes...who's this?" she asked. Crossing his legs, Robbie said smoothly,
"You might not remember me, we went to Lazytown High together...I was Captain of the Knitting Club and I was wondering..."
"Robbie Rotten!" she exclaimed with disgust.
"Yes that is to whom you are..." Robbie stopped when he heard a click and the familiar sound of someone hanging up. "...speaking...This is going to take longer than I thought..." As Robbie thumbed through his list of names, Tara asked the kids back at the center or town,
"So are you kids excited about the dance contest?"
"Yeah!" cried Stephanie enthusiastic as always.
"Well...I don't know...why would anyone want to dance like that? It looks like a snooze fest!" Trixie said.
"And why dance with a partner? Especially if you can have a trophy all to yourself?" Stingy said.
"Yeah...how can dancing to violins and clarinets be as much fun as dancing to a cool techno beat you can make on your computer?" asked Pixel.
"Because learning something new can be fun, right Sportacus?" asked Stephanie.
"Right...and I'm sure once you try slow dance, you'll learn to like it!" Sportacus said.
"Well if that's what it takes to win that trophy...then I suppose I can try it!" Stingy said.
"Yeah...me too!" exclaimed Trixie.
"Me too! Me too!" said Ziggy jumping up and down as the kids started walking off excitingly talking about the dance lesson tomorrow. Tara hung back with Sportacus and asked,
"So...are you going to enter the dance contest, Sport?" Sportacus grew nervous,
"Uh...maybe..."
"Well you'll need a partner right?" asked Tara.
"I would have to have one. The Mayor said so." Sportacus said.
"And...it'd have to be...someone you know...right?" Tara asked edging near him.
"Right..." Sportacus said.
"Someone you like..." Tara said.
"Right..."
"Someone...who's a woman?"
"Absolutely!" Sportacus said.
"So...who are you going with?" asked Tara expectantly.
"Well...actually..."Sportacus said gathering his courage. Suddenly, his crystal began to blink and he exclaimed, "Somebody's in trouble!" Tara stomped her foot,
"Oh wait!"
"I have to go!" Sportacus said running off. Tara sighed,
"A superhero's work is never done! I wonder if Lois Lane ever had these problems?"