Ring Ring!!

[GreenStuff220]

CHAPTER THREE – MYSTERY AND TRADITION


Perhaps it was the spirit of the season that saved Robin from what otherwise surely would have been Megan’s (playful) wrath. When he arrived at the apartment approximately nine minutes late to pick everyone up, the only punishment he received was a flirty smirk and a Christmas kiss on the cheek. It probably would have been on the lips, to be sure, had her little sister Bethany and her boyfriend Jack not been watching with amused glances.

‘’Merry Christmas, Nutmeg,’’ Robin whispered to Megan. He briefly laid his head in her hair, and returned her kiss on the cheek. He then lifted his head, looking at her with the deepest admiration and, even amusement.

‘’And to you, Rockin’ Robin,’’ Megan smiled. She looked up at him, giving him a knowing look. Yes, she knew perfectly well that just seeing her, looking so pretty in her red Christmas dress and pinned up blonde ponytail had entranced him and put him under her spell. Works every time, she thought to herself.

Bethany and Jack looked on at the two, Bethany with a wistful sigh, and Jack with a disgusted look on his face.

‘’Ugh, get a room, you two!’’ Jack shot. Robin stopped his lips in mid pucker, looking down at Megan. Her only response was a shy smile. He smiled and shook it off.

‘’I have a better idea,’’ Robin said, smiling. ‘’Why don’t we all go skating! I mean, that’s what we came to do, right? Let’s go, everybody!’’

Shouts of joy filled the air as the four youngsters ran to Robin’s car, each of them fighting to sit in shotgun as they went. At first, Robin was pretty amused to see the three of them grappling for it, but then he remembered Christmas was not a time for fighting – friendly competition yes, but not fighting.

‘’Hey, hey you guys! Come on now! Now, I would think that this would be no contest by now – everybody knows that only the Queen gets to sit in shotgun,’’ and he winked at Megan.

‘’Pfft. Whatever,’’ Jack muttered under his breath.

Though Robin cast a brief glance in his direction, he decided to let it go for the day. Not the time, he thought. He opened the car door for Megan, then climbed around to the driver’s side to take the motley crew for a day on the ice. As soon as he made sure everyone was strapped in, he started the car and prepared himself for a fun time. He glanced quickly over at Megan, who was smiling.

‘’Do it,’’ he playfully commanded.

Bethany laughed and gave Robin a playful look. ‘’Here we go again.’’

Megan laughed with Bethany, while Robin waited patiently for Megan.

‘’Ok, ok,’’ she said, and pushed the hands free device for the phone.

After about three rings, good old uncle Kermit was on the line.

‘’Well, well,’’ Kermit said tauntingly. ‘’This must be my nephew who’s going to suffer a most embarrassing defeat tonight, am I right?’’

‘’Ohhhh nooo!’’ Robin shot back. ‘’This is your nephew who’s going to personally make sure that you can never show your face at family gatherings again out of sheer shame!’’

‘’Oh, is that so?’’ Kermit chuckled. ‘’You seem to think you’ve got something marvelous up your sleeve this year that’s going to bring you some better luck than last year..or the year before..or..’’

‘’As a matter of fact, I do!’’ Robin grimaced, glacing over at Megan. She only smiled and shook her head. From the rearview mirror, he could see Bethany and Jack doing the same.

‘’This year I’ve got a secret weapon that’s going to blow you out of the water – and we’ll know once and for all who reigns supreme in this family –and who gets the last gingerbread cookie!’’

‘’We’ll just see about that!’’ Kermit spat, still smiling.

‘’Indeed we will! But for now, I’ve got to go – I’m off to the store to buy you some tissues, since I’m sure there’ll be crying when you lose tonight!’’

‘’Aggh! Save your tissues! You’ll be needing them yourself. Until we meet again, young one..’’

‘’Yes..bye.’’ Robin hung up, laying his head against the headrest in laughter, and looking over at Megan.

‘’What?’’ he said, his smile still there.

‘’Do you two have to go through this every year?’’

‘’Yes,’’ Robin said, now growing serious. ‘’It’s a Frog family tradition. It’s just not Christmas without our annual lighting contest. And besides, it’s all in good fun. Uncle Kermit knows I let him win every year.’’ And he winked at her.

Again, all Megan could do was laugh and shake her head.


As Kermit hung up the phone, he chuckled and nodded his head.

‘’Poor kid,’’ he said to himself. ‘’He really think he’s got a chance this year. I think not. But bless him for trying.’’

Kermit placed his phone back into his jacket pocket, and plugged in all the Christmas lights so he could inspect them. He then walked to the driveway and turned away so he could get a good look at the whole lighting scheme. Yeah, he noted to himself, the orange lights definitely need to be just a hair brighter. And the green ones, too. Other than that, it was sheer perfection; more than enough to retain his family title, he thought. It almost wasn’t fair. He crossed his arms across his chest, nodding in satisfaction. Behind him, Piggy was watching through the window and sighed as she wondered, ‘Do they have to go through this every year?’


Meanwhile, back in Robin’s car, Robin had cranked up the radio, and everyone was singing along to Christmas carols and car dancing . Everyone, that is, except Robin. Megan had been the first to notice it. There was a look on Robin’s face that she just couldn’t quite place. He definitely didn’t seem unhappy, but not completely happy, either. He was grabbing the steering wheel very tightly, and was swallowing what seemed to be lumps in his throat. Every now and then, he would look over at Megan with a little grin, and go back to his driving. Yes, Robin seemed almost…nervous. But, nervous about what? What could he possibly have to be worried about? Megan didn’t have a clue, but she was determined to find out.

 

[The Count]

Megan's one of the fic characters I've come to rully like over the years. And now we have more of her family joining the craziness.

As for the lighting competition... I can still see Kermit in the Clark Grizzwald role singing that one line, "Jooooooy toooooo the World!" as his lighting extravaganza is perfectly displayed for all of five glorious seconds before they make the power conk out. Either that or the lighting competition from Whoville where Kermit goes all out like Betty Lou Who, just to have Robin win by presenting a simple lighted chandelier like Martha May Whoviere. But we know that was because Mayor Augustus Who was already going to give her the win anyway in an unfair contest. What a jerk.

Thanks for posting, hope to read more soon.