Chapter 14 A Second Chance

"And so, I was like 'armpits? What the heck are you talking about? I'm a bob-omb, I don't have armpits!"

Lemmy chuckled along with Luanne and Benny at Chester's joke. They were currently eating the banquet that Rouge had promised them, which just so happened to be one of the most delicious meals Lemmy had in a long time. Considering that he was served food intended for royalty, that was saying a LOT! But to someone's possible shock, the succulent Italian food wasn't the main appeal of the banquet for the Koopaling. It was getting the opportunity to spend time with his new friends for the last time.

"Oh man, Chester, that guy sounds like a total idiot!" Luanne said. "You must have the patience of a saint!"

Chester smirked. "If I do, it's the only saintly thing about me."

"Oh, don't say that!" Benny said as he drank some of his water.

"It's true!" Chester chuckled. "Hang around me for more than five minutes and you'll know I'm a sinner down to the fuse."

Lemmy giggled. "Well, maybe that's a good thing. Maybe your rotten soul helps you be more fun."

Chester focused his glittering eyes on Lemmy. "Sure. You could look at it like that. If you don't have any problem spending eternity in hell with me, then I can give you the most thrilling time of your life!"

Lemmy shook his head, the smile still plastered to his face. Honestly, he was feeling better. He wasn't at one hundred percent, in fact, he was far from it. But still, he felt better. He felt less like he was drowning in sadness and more like an actual person who could laugh with his friends.

He took another bite of his eggplant parmesan. "Oh man." He chewed and swallowed, the simple act of eating helping him to feel even more like an actual person. "This is really good. Almost makes me think Rouge should've reserved this meal for the winner."

"Over the cash prize?" Luanne asked.

"Absolutely!" Lemmy giggled. "I'd take food over money any day!"

Chester snickered. "Of course you would say that; you're royalty. Money is no object for you."

"True, but still." Lemmy took another bite. "This is the kind of quality food that no amount of money can buy."

"Ehh… I don't know," Benny said. "I'm sure there are some upper-crust steakhouses that have food this good."

"Sure," Lemmy took another bite of his meal. "Wouldn't bet money on that though."

Luanne laughed. "Not if you want to eat at those places you won't!"

The whole table laughed. Lemmy's mood was getting better and better, improving little by little. Maybe he should keep in touch with these guys even after he left. They were all really pleasant and friendly, and he liked being around them. Chester, Benny, and Luanne almost made the fact that he was going to be leaving the competition worth it. Oh, speaking of which…

"Hey. I wish you guys luck with the rest of the contest."

"Thanks, Lemmy." Benny slurped up a spaghetti noodle. "That's really sweet."

"Well… you guys deserve it. You all have a shot at winning, I know you do."

"How can you?" Chester asked with a blink. "You haven't seen us on stage."

"Oh, so this whole conversation that we've been having doesn't show you guys's senses of humor at all?" Lemmy, Luanne, and Benny laughed, all while Chester smirked and shook his head.

"Okay, yeah, I see your point." He sighed. "Still, it's going to be an uphill battle."

"Maybe," said Luanne. "But hey, look at it this way. It'll be really satisfying when one of us actually does get to the top of the hill."

"True, but it's still going to be a struggle," Chester said with a worried tone.

"But that doesn't mean you guys shouldn't try." Lemmy pointed his fork at them. "Take it from someone who no longer has the opportunity to do so. You guys should put your all into this Laugh-Off. You should show everyone it's your time to shine. If you do that, even if you don't win, you'll leave a pretty good impact on the audience."

When he said that, Lemmy felt a pang. That's what he wanted to do, after all, and now he had been robbed of the chance to do so. The legacy he would leave behind was of a koopa who got kicked out of the first round of the Ultimate Laugh-Off. People would probably laugh at him for reasons that he didn't even intend. They would see him as a loser. They would see him as a joke.

Sighing, Lemmy sipped at his soda. "Yeah. You guys should do your best. If not for you guy's sake, then for mine."

Luanne smiled. "Don't worry, Lemmy, we'll all give it our all." She scooted closer to him. "And remember, this is a setback, but it doesn't mean that it's the end of the world."

Lemmy smiled weakly. "You're right. I can find new opportunities in other areas of life." He paused. "I mean, I'm not sure which areas exactly, but I'll find out."

"I know you will," Luanne said, her voice exuding faith in Lemmy's abilities. Seriously, that tone, paired with her expression, was going to stick with Lemmy for the rest of time. He would hold this memory near and dear to his heart no matter what path in life he decided to take. If nothing else, that could be the single most positive thing he could take from this contest.

"Thanks, Luanne. I'm really glad that…"

"Excuse me!" Rouge's voice resounded from the front of the room. She picked up her water glass and tapped a fork against it. "Everyone, can I have your attention please?"

Lemmy exchanged a look with his friends as the whole restaurant grew silent. They all turned to Rouge, who had a less-than-happy look on her face. Lemmy knew right then and there that this announcement was not going to be good. Or at least, he thought that until…

"I regret to inform you that some of the first round's winners have dropped out of the competition unexpectedly," said Rouge. She pulled a paper out of her pants pocket, unfurled it, and cleared her throat. "Dana Carpenter, Olivia Purson, and Patricia 'Patty' Oliver will regrettably not be advancing to the next round."

Lemmy blinked. Wait. Patty dropped out? If Patty dropped out… didn't that mean…?"

"So…" Rouge's face rose back up. "Since these three have forfeited, the people who have lost to them will take their place and advance to round two. That includes Emily Horvath, Eric Catcher, and Lemmy Koopa."

All three of those people gasped. Lemmy's heart pounded, and he couldn't close his mouth as he stared at Rouge. "I… I'm back in…?"

"Well! That's the announcement I needed to make!" Rouge giggled. "Go back to enjoying your meal, everyone!"

As Rouge sat back down, Lemmy's thoughts raced. He was back in the competition? Like, seriously? He was legitimately, fully back in the competition? That… that…

"Oh my God." Lemmy's face rose into a smile. "Oh my God!"

"Lemmy, you're advancing!" Benny exclaimed. "I can't believe it!"

"Yeah, me neither." Chester didn't look as thrilled as Luanne and Benny. He didn't look disappointed, but he also wasn't enthused. "Why would three people just forfeit like that? There's a flipping cash prize on the line; why would anyone give that up?"

"I don't know," Luanne said. "But still… Lemmy, isn't this amazing?"

"Yeah." Lemmy was shaking now, the joy in his mind ballooning like crazy. "Is this really happening?" He pinched himself on the arm, never feeling this thrilled over experiencing a form of pain. "It is! I'm actually advancing! I'm actually advancing!"

"I know!" Benny laughed and raised his glass. "This deserves a toast!" Lemmy beamed as he raised his glass. "To Lemmy Koopa, the clown who got lucky!"

Lemmy giggled. "I did get lucky." He clinked his glass with Benny and drank some more of his soda. "Oh, this is incredible! I'm getting a second chance! I can redeem myself!"

"Yeah, you can." Luanne chortled. "Great job, Lemmy!"

Lemmy felt a pang when he heard that. It was a tiny one, but it was there even still. After all, the words that Luanne had said to him up in the hotel room… they were kinda meaningless now. They could no longer apply to Lemmy, so they didn't have any value anymore. Right?

Or… maybe Lemmy could still choose to learn from them as well as appreciate this golden, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. He could still find joy in clowning as well as seeking out other ways in life. And… maybe those other ways in life will make him become a better clown overall. Maybe the metamorphosis he'd go through would afford him more good, not just when chasing a new dream but also when chasing his original dream.

Realizing this, Lemmy drank his soda with a smile. "Thanks, Luanne," he said as he set the cup down on the table. He wiped his lips and giggled. "Oh, I've gotta tell my siblings about this!"

…

"Are you serious?" Ludwig asked on the phone.

"Yes! I am!" Lemmy did a happy little dance right there on the hotel room floor. "Patty dropped out, so I'm advancing to the next round!"

There was silence on the other line as the other Koopalings grappled with this bit of news. "Well… that's good!" Wendy said. "That's really good, Lemmy; you should count yourself lucky!"

"Oh, I am!" Lemmy jumped in place. "This is amazing! Like… planets aligning amazing!"

"You know, I am inclined to agree," said Iggy. His voice didn't sound as starstruck as Lemmy's, which did make red flags go off in his head. "This whole thing is just… well…"

Lemmy seized up. "Iggy, what's wrong?"

"I do not know. It is possible that nothing is wrong. I just…" Iggy sighed. "I just find it suspicious that three people decided to drop out of the contest so suddenly."

Lemmy frowned. "You know, you and my friend Chester are in the same boat." He put his hand to his chin. "And I guess you guys do have a point." His frown got deeper. "Should I be concerned?"

"No! No, Lemmy, of course not!" Ludwig exclaimed. "You're getting a second chance! Sure, the circumstances are definitely a little fishy, but you don't have to worry! If anything, worrying about this will get in the way of your next performance."

"That is true…" Lemmy put on a smile. "Okay! You're right, Ludwig; I'm not gonna worry."

"That's the spirit, Lems!" Ludwig sounded really excited when he said that, possibly as a way to inspire Lemmy and make him feel the same way. "You've got this!"

"Yeah. I've got this." Lemmy would make sure that he would go the distance. He was going to win this competition. He would make his siblings proud of him. He would prove to the audience that he could be funny, and… he would leave a mark on them. That had been his entire motivation for joining the contest in the first place, and he was going to fulfill it. None of the dreams in his head were unattainable. He would make sure that everything went smoothly, that things were gonna turn out just fine in the end.

"Well, I'll talk to you guys later. Make sure you watch Round two on the TV, okay?"

"Wouldn't miss it for the world, Lems," said Ludwig.

Lemmy beamed. "Thanks." With that, he hung up and got in bed. The feeling he had when getting in bed this time around was completely different. Before, he felt nothing but despair. Now, he had nothing but hope.

"Yeah." Lemmy closed his eyes and smiled. "I got this."