User blog:SaenihpNnylf/Save Me The Last Dance Chapter 6

'''Hello, yeah, this was a bit of a wait. I'm a college student okay. I was busy. I'm pretty proud of this chapter. Some pretty dang important stuff going on here so pay attention!'''

I could only watch as he sat up, brushing off some of the sand. I took in a breath looking around at the other friends who were still sleeping. "We need to get somewhere more private; could we go to your house." I asked, afraid that someone might wake up and see us together, even though, looking at my watch, it was only one o'clock in the morning.

"That sounds groovy, I can dig it," Disco Bear said, getting up to his feet, by now I have figured out what most of those sayings are supposed to mean. "Let's take my car though."

Normally, I'd be against the idea of taking any car anywhere but I was so exhausted and if we happen to pass someone that's awake, it would be much easier to hide before I'm spotted. "That sounds good," I agreed with a nod. "Lead the way." He started walking towards the parking lot which I followed, feeling much more free. I could stay here or turn and leave at any time I wanted and even though I didn't want to, I felt so much safer to have that as an option. I didn't have to get in the car. I didn't have to go to his house. It was my own choice.

Obviously, I don't know much about cars so I can't really tell you much about the one he took me to besides that it does not appear cheap at all. Looking around the back, it didn't seem too environmentally unfriendly... for a car. Once I was inside, the front seat appeared to be one whole piece and there was predictably a disco ball hanging from the mirror. "So, can you dig it?" he asked getting in the driver's side.

Looking around again, I had to admit that the whole set up was pretty nice so I answered in the like, "I can dig it." He smiled at that. I'd imagine not just because of the answer but I can't imagine anyone has responded to him in his way before. I couldn't say I know anything about it personally but it seems to be better than if I just said 'Yes'. I made a mental note of that for future reference.

"Groovy, let's get going then." I just nodded and we were off.

The ride was surprisingly smooth and not bad for a car-ride. I kept an eye out the window for anyone that might be awake, luckily there weren't any. "We'll figure something out," I promised to both Disco Bear and myself. I wasn't sure which was more or even if either of them were.

"I'm sure we will," he agreed but something in his voice lacked conviction, it was obvious that he would find it better if we didn't have to but at this point, I seemed to be too far gone to turn it back around that easily. I was smart enough to know that I was deep in hot water, though, metaphorically. "You have already managed to make it this far at least."

"I know what you're thinking, Disco Bear," I admitted looking over at him. "but I just can't. I should have been from the beginning but I wasn't so at this point I just can't. I'm sorry."

He went silent for a few seconds and I turned my attention back to the window when he suddenly said something that simply couldn't be more surprising. Also something that made virtually no sense. "You know, we went on a date once, Petunia and I."

If his point was to capture my attention, I worked. I turned back to him, studying his face in scrutiny but not find everything. It just couldn't be true. "You must be joking."

He laughed a bit. "Now you know what it feels like." I knew what he was referring to and I assume you all must too. "I am serious though. It was years ago and ended predictably but it was voluntary, I didn't have a knife to her neck or anything."

"I find that really hard to believe." Though that doesn't say anywhere near everything I have to say, I couldn't really find any words for everything I really did want to say. "Why didn't she ever tell me?"

"Probably the same reason you haven't told her." Okay, that is fair. "It wasn't that big of a deal. She decided to give me a chance and deeply regretted it. If anything, it only made her hate me more, but I did have a point to telling you this."

"Alright, what was the point then," I asked, trying to work this out. I wanted to just be able to trust him on it and I feel a bit guilty that I didn't but what he was saying just made so little sense that it was hard to just take what he said for face value. I could ask Petunia but if I did, she'd wonder how I found out and I can pretty much guarantee that the two of them… and probably Lumpy, were the only ones who knew.

Not to mention the likelihood that she would lie about it if I did ask.

"My point was, does knowing this now change your opinion of her in any negative way?"

No, if anything, if he's telling the truth, then it's good to know that she did give him an actual chance instead of just hating him for no good reason. "No, of course it doesn't." As soon as those words left my mouth, I realized why he was asking that. "That's completely different though. You said yourself that it wasn't that big of a deal."

"While that is true, it's still something to consider." When he stopped the car in front of his house, something seemed off, which did make it seem a lot more likely that he was telling the truth.

I thought about how much he avoided my question when I told him the truth up until that very moment he handed me that note. "Is that why you were so hesitant with me?"

"Yes, it is," he admitted looking down. What ever happened on that date must have been really rough on him. I can kind of relate to that. I know I have personally been on a lot of disastrous date for reasons beyond the physical disasters, that one with Cuddles definitely comes to mind but none of them were as bad as this one must have been. It was obvious that he just wanted to change the subject as he pushed open the car door. "Let's just get inside before anyone sees you."

Even though I knew full well that it was really just an excuse, it was still nice to hear.

It was at that moment that I really realized that as much as I've seen the outside, I had never actually been inside Disco Bear's house. I had heard various rumors of him being rather frivolous but I never actually believed them. After all, while Happy Tree Town is far from poverty, under Lumpy's rule, it didn't seem that anyone but Lumpy himself and to a lesser extent, Flippy could be 'wealthy' by any means.

I guessed that seeing the inside of his house and what it contains would either confirm or disprove these rumors but, unfortunately, I hadn't actually gotten the chance to go inside as before I even started climbing the stairs, an electric current shot through my entire body.

This may sound weird but while I was being electrocuted, I tried to figure out where exact it was coming from. Lightning? No, I'd be ash by that point. Fallen power line? No, that would feel different.

I fell dead too soon to gather any other possibilities.

Once I resurrected that night, there wasn't a single question on what had electrocuted me. There was only one explaination when I woke up shackled to an iron ball in the middle of a jail cell.

As you can imagine, this only rose many more questions that I didn't have the answer to. Primarily, why the hell I was in jail. While, officially speaking, Lumpy could arrest anyone for no reason at all, the simple fact is that he doesn't because he'd just lose a slave. No, there had to be a reason.

I tried to rack my brain through every one of Happy Tree Town's rediculous laws and even the few logical ones and came to a complete blank on what one I might have broken to wind me up here.

There's also the issue of how long I was in for, since I don't know the answer for the first question, it could be anywhere from life to forever.

With great, exhausting effort thanks to the ball and chain, I made my way to the bars lining the cell I was in. I called out, both hoping to get a response and hoping not to, "Chief Lumpy!"

'''Yes, I did just go there. I told you there was important stuff here. So, why is Giggles in jail? If you think hard enough on previous chapters here, you might just figure it out. Though, please do comment with anything. Praises, constructive criticism, exclaimations of shock, questions, old war stories... actually, keep those to a minimum.'''

'''Oh, and as for the "life to forever" thing. Life in prison is exactly that, until you die. It's a very light sentence in Happy Tree Town.'''