Hi-ya folks and happy pre-4th to those taking the weekend to celebrate. Well, here it is - the last chapter and epilogue of 7 Ball! Enough talk, let's get to it!
Chapter VIII
Once the door had closed, the discussion started.
“Do you think we made things difficult?”
As one, both Kermit and Piggy turned from the door and joined the others to look at Fozzie. “I hardly think we’ve made things difficult,” Gonzo replied, though he was a bit uneasy at saying it.
They of course ignored the way Piggy smirked, but they all knew – their association with each other could be kryptonite to their relationships.
“Hey,” Rizzo spoke up. “Let’s not get all in the dumps about this.”
“Rizzo’s right,” Rowlf replied. “I mean, she looked like she was having a good time.”
“So have the others,” Fozzie said, grabbing his hat and worrying it in his hands. “Remember that one girl who was in theater arts? She was an aspiring actress…”
“She wasn’t that good,” muttered Piggy.
“In any event,” Rowlf interrupted. “We’re really sorry about barging in tonight.”
“It was my fault,” Fozzie began. “If I hadn’t been so excited…”
“Fozzie,” Kermit started. “You can’t blame yourself. Guys, listen, it was just a coincidence; we’re used to having you guys around.”
“Kermit’s right,” Piggy said, heading towards the kitchen. “Amanda has endured backstage at Muppet Theatre, endured the cast of the Muppet Show, has hosted the lot of us at her own business establishment, and yet continues to come back. I’d say she seems to be perfectly content.”
As the diva made her final steps to the kitchen, Kermit called out, “You’ve been dealing with that and more and you’re still coming back.”
Turning, Piggy replied, “Yes I know.” She then held up her left hand, stating, “And I’m even doing it without any reward.”
The Muppet director managed to contain the gulp that wanted to climb down his throat; he did manage the angry scowl that he directed towards the others when he heard the snickers.
“Sorry, Kermit.”
[hr]
On the other side of the door, on the way to the other side of the city, Scooter had kept quiet in fear of saying something that would launch a barrage of heated words directed towards him and his friends.
So concentrated on driving and his own inner worries, he hadn’t heard Amanda state what a wonderful time she had and that she wondered if all their dinner parties were that way. Seeing and feeling the tension that was coming off her boyfriend, Amanda stopped mid-sentence.
It seemed clear that Scooter had not enjoyed himself tonight and the Whatnot could not for the life of her understand why. Was it something she had said? She had done? Hadn’t done? She had originally thought he was worried about her reaction to them, but perhaps he worried about their reaction to her. Maybe she had been reading the situation wrong – she had though they liked her, but maybe they didn’t.
Perhaps this ‘coincidential’ dropping by was actually an act, a deliberate one.
Needless to say, the ride back to her apartment was a silent one. Once they arrived at her front door, she watched and waited as Scooter got out the driver’s side and then came over to the passenger side and opened her door. Solmnly, the redhead left her seat and got out of the car and found herself face to face with the driver.
“I’m sorry.”
They said at the same time and were completely confused as why the other was offering an apology. “I’m sorry about tonight,” Scooter repeated. “I had no idea that anyone else would be coming by; I mean, I probably should have expected it, but…”
“I’m sorry your friends don’t like me.”
“What?”
“What?”
“What did you say?”
“I said…” Amanda began, but then stopped. “Isn’t…isn’t that why you didn’t enjoy yourself tonight? I thought…I thought it was something I did or said…”
“What!?” Scooter exclaimed, surprising himself by the loudness. Looking around, he took the girl by the hand and lead her to her door. “Why would you think that no one liked you?” he asked. “From what I saw, everyone just adores you!”
“Then why are you so unhappy about tonight?”
“Because I’m sorry that you don’t like them!” he cried. Taking both her hands in his, he whispered, “I don’t know if I could choose between the two of you. I don’t think I could.”
“Is that what you think?” she whispered. “That I would make you choose?” The sudden realization at what the problem had been with the red-haired Muppet all night long did cause her to laugh slightly. “Scooter,” she breathed. Placing a hand on his cheek, she turned his head so he would look at her.
“My darling Scooter,” she said. “I have never and would never make a guy choose me over his family.”
Scooter wasn’t sure if it was what she said, how she said it, or the way she looked at him when she spoke it, but it simultaneously enraptured him and delighted him all at once.
He had no other choice but to kiss her.
Was there a better way to end a night? Amanda couldn’t think of one, even as she settled comfortably in the arms of her beau. When their kiss ended, they stared dreamily at each other. “Do they really like me?” she asked.
“Told you,” he whispered back. “They adore you.”
“What about you?”
“What about me?”
“Do you adore me, too?”
Moving closer, Scooter whispered, “I think I’m way past adore at this point.”
And then he kissed her.
Epilogue
Piggy was doing her normal bedtime routine when Kermit leaned against the door jamb. “Well?”
“Well what?”
Entering the room without so much as an invitation, Kermit continued with, “Did she pass with your approval?”
“If you’re talking about Amanda,” Piggy replied. “Then to answer your question, of course she passed. With flying colors, if you’re so interested; I’ve liked her from the beginning.”
“So then why do you plan on torturing Scooter with the notion of having lunch with her, Janice, and Camilla?”
“Can't four lovely women not have lunch in the great city of Hollywood?” Piggy countered, turning to look at him. “I am but one voice in the sea of many, my love.”
Kermit took a seat on the edge of the bed, a confused look on his face. “So you don’t think Janice and Camilla like her?” he asked. The very question sounded odd to him; Janice liked everyone and Camilla usually liked those she deemed trustworthy.
“I never said that,” the pig replied, standing and going over to the wardrobe. She was being featured in a few of the acts tomorrow and she wanted to make sure she everything she needed to be her wonderful, awesome self.
“And really, Kermit,” she admonished, turning back to him. “You’re one to talk.”
“Excuse me?”
“Oh you heard me, Frog,” she said. “Don’t act as though you’re above all of our protectiveness. I remember one summer when you heard that Robin had a girlfriend and what did you do?”
“It just happened to be around the time I was set to go back there anyway,” he insisted.
“Oh sure,” Piggy said. “I’m sure that also included the phone call that I received in which you proceeded to complain that the girl wasn’t good enough for him.”
“There were some things about her that…”
“And then there was that time when Gonzo and Camilla were on the outs,” the diva continued. “Do you remember that? When that rooster she was seeing decided to audition? You called him, and I quote, ‘an untalented hack who couldn’t peck his way out of a paper bag’.”
“I also seem to remember that you had a lot more choice words than I did,” Kermit mumbled.
“Admit it, Kermit,” she stated, matter of factly. “There have been more times than maybe you want to admit that relationships have made your blood boil. And if anyone knows when to make your blood boil, it’s me.”
“In more ways than one,” the frog smirked. When she was right… “Alright,” he conceded. “It’s no secret that we tend to protect our own.”
“And what about you, Monsieur Frog?”
“What about me?”
“What do you think about Amanda?”
“I like her,” he answered, honestly. “She’s outgoing, obviously smart, and can obviously handle anything we could possibly throw at her; though I’d like to limit that as much as possible.”
“Well there you go.” Standing, Piggy placed a hand on Kermit’s shoulder, only to steer him towards the door. “Now it’s been a very long night and Moi needs her beauty sleep and you need to get to bed.”
“What’s wrong with the one that’s in here?” he complained.
“Weren’t you the one that said he couldn’t behave himself when around me?”
“I’m sure I didn’t say it like that.”
Spinning around quickly, Kermit faced her stopping the momentum that would have had her run straight into him. “You mentioned that it’s late,” he whispered. “And my room is so very far away; I’m not sure I could even reach it with how tired I am.
“I could sleep on one side and you wouldn’t even know I was there,” he continued. “I promise to behave.”
Whether it was the look he was giving her or that they had been walking on egg shells around each other for months while living together, but whatever it was, Kermit the Frog was an appealing guy at the moment.
Grabbing him by the scruff of his neck, she kissed him.
If Kermit was stunned or shocked, he didn’t show it. And really, why should he? He’d been getting kisses like these for quite some time from her, the only difference was that there had been a long distance of space between now and then.
“I thought you wanted me to behave,” he whispered.
“I never said anything about me behaving,” she said, kissing him again.
Kermit chuckled. “Oh, you’re good.”
“I haven’t even started yet.”
And that's the end of that. Sorry so short; the beginning was actually supposed to be longer, with a continued conversation in the kitchen, bu sadly I forgot how that conversation was supposed to go.
No worries though, this is hardly the end! next up - 6 Ball Merengue! What happens when Fozzie's Angels take Little Miss Whatnot out for lunch? Why hilarity, what else? That's next on the Pool Hall series.
And don't think the Monday series is done - there's a third, Monday Post Production and maybe some other stuff. What do you guys want to see next? I'll put it to a vote -
#1. Monday Post Production
#2. Grosse Point Blank
#3. (Miss Piggy's) Muppet Adventures
#4. Hostile Takeover
Just pick the number you think looks good and that's what I'll start on after 6 Ball! Thanks for reading!
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