When Milo and Amanda arrived at the end of the passageway, they found a figure behind the makeshift receptionist desk they recognized from a few months back, flattop and all.
"Hello, Mr Blunt", Amanda greeted.
"Hello Amanda", Mr Blunt greeted back in his usual gruff, but friendly tone. "And hello you too, Milo."
"Hey Mr Blunt, haven't seen you since you put us in detention back when you substituted for art class", Milo replied. "How's your dance troupe coming along?"
"Mr Blunt has actually been working here at the staff for the past few weeks to gain experience and find recruits at the same time", Amanda explained to Milo.
"Yep, and you gotta keep bringing food on the table, too", Mr Blunt added. "Looking for recruits to your troupe doesn't make as much money when you don't have a job, after all. How're you kids?"
"Very well, actually. Amanda's excited to hear the Dance Hall's organizing a tango dance competition next week, so we came here to sign up as contestants", Milo explained, as Amanda nodded giddily. "To actually try it out."
"Ah yes, I know about her passion for tango", Mr Blunt noted, as he picked an unfilled sign-up form from a stack of them. "I'm personally more of a ballet type of guy, but I can see why one would like it. And hey, you two also like ballet anyway."
Mr Blunt then laid down a pencil. "Alright, you two will have to fill in this form, and then the rest of the staff will take care of it."
Milo and Amanda wrote down the required information in the form and returned it to Mr Blunt.
"Alright, you're in", Mr Blunt confirmed. "See you kids next week! Oh, and have fun at the open house today!"
"We will, thank you", Amanda replied.
However, just as she and Milo were about to leave, a voice intercepted.
"Well well, if it isn't Murph and Lope, from Danville's Jefferson County Middle School."
Milo and Amanda turned around, seeing a pair of teenagers around their age. One was a boy with a dark tan skin, black hair, pointed nose and a green scarf. The other was a girl with fairer skin, blonde hair, make-up and a green bow headband.
"Oh hey, it's Anthony and Ashley from Huntington Hill's Park Shores Estates Middle School", Milo noted. "It's been a while since we saw you guys at Cake 'Splosion last winter. How are you two doing?" Milo suck out his hand towards Anthony.
"Don't talk to us like that, peasant", Anthony spoke coldly, swatting Milo's hand away as he and Ashley walked past him and Amanda. "We aren't here to dawdle around losers like you."
"...Didn't we win from you last time we met?" Amanda pointed out.
"A fleeting, one-time victory", Anthony waved aside, reaching the receptionist desk. "We are here to participate in the Tango Teen Couples Dance-Off", he then spoke to Mr Blunt.
"And win", Ashley added.
Mr Blunt gave the duo their form. "Alright, here's your form."
As Anthony and Ashley filled in their form, Milo attempted another conversation. "So, you joining for fun, as well?"
"Uh, no", Anthony denied. "We came here as soon as we heard of this dance-off, and we will win it to prove that I'm-"
"We, are the best tango dancers in the Tri-State Area", Ashley finished, as she gave the filled form to Mr Blunt.
"Cool! Wish ya good luck!" Milo smiled.
"Don't you 'good luck' us, loser", Ashley retorted, turning to Milo.
"Honestly Murph, you and your perfectionist girlfriend might as well give up", Anthony gloated. "Ashley and I will trounce anyone on the dance floor. Both of you are unskilled, and you in particular have bad luck chasing you on your heels."
"Oh, we're not here for the win", Amanda corrected.
"Yeah, I thought so", Anthony grinned. "You two don't usually win unless your bad luck takes a break and some contrived plot device feels pity for you, do you? It's how you won Cake 'Splosion over us, after all."
"Uh, actually, we won because of our skills on that one", Milo corrected. "I mean, we delivered the cake to Mr Bravo, albeit in an extreme fashion, and he liked the cake."
"He found it MOIST", Amanda added.
"Yeah", Milo giggled at Amanda's impression. "Besides, any case of Murphy's Law was handled expertly by Amanda and I, using everything I had packed carefully in my backpack, and that while making the cake."
"Pft, so you really think you can beat us this time, too?" Ashley scoffed.
"Nono, I just want to try out my favorite dance for the first time", Amanda corrected. "I don't expect to win the competition."
"Of course you wouldn't, with Murph on your side", Anthony sneered. "So that means you admit you won against us because of luck at Cake 'Splosion?"
"That's not what we're saying at all!"
"Then it's a challenge!" Anthony declared. "If you can win from us, we will mow your backyard lawns, but if we win from you, you will mow ours instead."
"Be careful: Anthony and I come from rich families with REALLY large gardens", Ashley warned.
"Wait, we don't want to challenge you!" Amanda desperately spoke.
"Yeah, we only want to join the competition for fun!" Milo added.
"That's not gonna work, I'm afraid", Anthony tsked. "Either you admit that you won from us by pure luck, or you prove to us that you're better by winning from us at the tango."
"So we're either forced to lie that we lack any skills on my favorite TV show, or we're forced to compete in a battle we will lose and mow your extremely large lawns?!" Amanda asked.
"You can always forfeit the Dance-Off..." Anthony grinned.
"But this could be my only chance to try the tango", Amanda cried.
"Not to mention that you might force us to mow your lawns at a forfeit anyways", Milo pointed out.
"That's right! No matter how you look at it, it's not gonna be fair!"
Milo, Amanda, Anthony and Ashley looked up where the other voice came from, only to see Melissa Chase alongside Zack and Lydia.
"Oh hey Melissa, Zack, Lydia", Milo greeted. "Guess what? Anthony and Ashley from that time Amanda and I were on Cake 'Splosion are also going to compete!"
"Oh, I've heard the entire thing, don't worry Milo", Melissa leered.
"What do you peasants want?" Anthony asked Melissa. "Can't you see we're busy with Murph and Lope?"
"First of all, their last names are Murphy and Lopez, and second, you guys are being completely unreasonable", Melissa claimed. "They don't want to join your stupid game; they just want to have fun."
"And admit that they were only lucky to have won against us at Cake 'Splosion?" Anthony questioned.
"You guys seem to care a lot about Milo and Amanda having won against you that one time", Lydia pointed out.
"Yeah, sounds like you guys are really bitter that you lost against them, and only made up this challenge as some kind of rematch", Zack theorized.
"Which you two shouldn't even be salty about, since you cheated to get in the finals in the first place!" Melissa pointed out.
"Us, cheating?" Anthony spoke offended. "We don't cheat!"
"Oh come on, a five-year old can see that you have sabotaged the other teams when the judges weren't looking", Melissa fired back.
"Releasing a jar of ants in a chocolate castle for them to eat up whole..." Zack added.
"...launching cans of whipped cream to demolish another cake with a ship..." Lydia continued.
"...and performing a false start at the final round", Melissa finished. "I don't care if it was 'allowed', but you have no right to complain that Milo and Amanda won when they got there fair and square, while you two had to resort to cheating and sabotage. And that while Murphy's Law could've made it worse for Milo already!"
"Humph, you may say that we cheated at Cake 'Splosion", Ashley scoffed.
"...But we can promise you that won't happen with the Tango Teen Couples Dance-Off", Anthony continued, "for I-"
"We."
"We, are expert tango dancers. We have won the local tango competition at Park Shores Estates Middle School, and the local tango teen contest from the rest of Huntington Hill."
"And we have the proof to back it up, in case you don't believe us", Ashley stated, as she and Anthony pulled up their phones, each showing a photo. On Ashley's, the two were wearing gold medals and holding 1st place certificates for the Park Shores Estates' tango competition. Anthony's photo had them carrying a trophy for ranking 1st in the Huntington Hill tango teen contest.
"So it's safe to say we're the best among Huntington Hill's teenage dancers. And now, we are going to prove we're the best among every other teen in the Tri-State Area! Starting with Danville's TTCDO."
"You are so sure of that?" Melissa asked. "Then, I suppose, you can trounce Zack and I as well, then?"
Zack widened his eyes. "Uh, Melissa, what are you doing?"
"Playing their game", Melissa nonchalantly replied, as she dragged Zack to the reception desk. "Mr Blunt, we are going to compete as well."
"Huh, well alright, I suppose", Mr Blunt replied, giving Melissa and Zack a form as well. The two filled in the necessary details (although Zack did so with uncertainty about what Melissa was planning) and returned the form to Blunt, all while Milo, Amanda, Anthony and Ashley looked back in sheer confusion.
"Oh, and may I also have an empty sheet of paper?" Melissa asked Mr Blunt. "I need to write something down."
Mr Blunt gave Melissa what she asked for, who spend a good few minutes writing on it with a ballpoint pen she had on her person. Once finished, she picked up the piece of paper and went back to Anthony and Ashley.
"Here I have an agreement you lot can sign. When you do so, you agree that if you win against both of our teams, Milo, Amanda, Zack and I will mow your lawns, and otherwise, you will mow all four of our lawns instead.
Anthony and Ashley read the agreement, then signed it both. "It's a deal!" both of them said.
"Good", Melissa grinned. "Now, how about you, Milo, Amanda?"
"Uh, Melissa, can we have a time-out?" Milo asked.
"Of course", Melissa agreed. "I'm sure you have a lot of questions."
Melissa, Zack, Milo and Amanda moved away from Anthony and Ashley towards and empty corner.
"Melissa, this is crazy!" Amanda whispered angrily. "I only wanted to try out tango, why are you dragging us into their stupid competition further?"
"Yeah, we can't win against tango experts like them, even if they didn't play fair in something completely different", Milo agreed.
"And why am I forced to compete as well?" Zack asked in whispers.
"Calm down, everyone", Melissa whispered. "I am well aware that none of us really want this, but Anthony and Ashley are obviously too obsessed with beating you to want anything else, so we gotta play along. With me and Zack in the game, we can at least soften the blow for you guys and make it more equal: four kids mowing two extremely large lawns vs two kids mowing four moderate ones sounds way more fair than two kids mowing two extremely large lawns vs two kids mowing two moderate ones."
Milo, Amanda and Zack pondered.
"...Well, I suppose that sounds indeed more fair", Milo eventually whispered.
"I suppose spending time with Milo, and you two as well, would still be fun, regardless how tedious the task is", Amanda realized.
"I guess I'm in, too", Zack shrugged, "but I still think it's kinda risky."
"Maybe not as much as you think", Melissa smiled, as she handed over her pen and allowed them to sign.
Returning to Anthony and Ashley, she stated: "Okay, all six of us have signed this agreement." She then turned to Lydia. "Lydia, I entrust you on keeping the agreement. Don't lose it: everything written on that piece of paper is very important."
"You got it", Lydia said. She pulled her phone out of her pocket, made a photo of the agreement, and put both items back in her pocket. "No way I will lose it before next week now."
"Thanks, Lydia", Melissa smiled, as Milo, Amanda and Zack joined the two.
"Well, I guess that's that", Anthony grinned, as he and Ashley walked past the quintet. "See you losers next week."
"And don't forget to bring your lawnmower", Ashley added, seemingly towards Amanda. "You're gonna need it, with me being Anthony's partner... and Murph being your burden!"
As the duo disappeared from sight, Zack asked: "Uh, we don't have to do their yard work right away when we lose, right?"
"Don't be silly, Zack", Lydia chuckled. "The agreement states that you'll have to start the week after."
"Yep, and I also planned out designated times for when the losers are expected to start", Melissa explained. "For example, Anthony and Ashley will have to spend one yard a day, while we have to spend half a yard a day; both cumulating in two weekends each."
"You know, maybe it's because Milo and I were busy baking our cake, but I do not remember Anthony and Ashley being this... obnoxious", Amanda admitted.
"They seem just as equally determined to win, though", Milo said.
Melissa walked towards Mr Blunt. "Mr Blunt, you were a substitute arts teacher. Did you, by any chance, encounter Anthony and Ashley before?"
"No, but I have seen countless of students like them", Mr Blunt responded, squinting his eyes. "The preppy, snooty, smart-alec students that think they're better than you and don't give you a single ounce of respect, not even when you put them on detention... and I have put countless of kids like those on detention. Having met so many kids like that has made me forget what I liked so much about art, and made me put any kid with smart-alec comments on detention..."
"Wait, I thought cramped hands, shattered dreams and washing dishes for 15 years made you forget what you like about art", Zack pointed out.
"See, that's the kind of smart-alec comment that makes me paranoid", Mr Blunt told Zack. "The kind of comment why I put you lot on detention back then!"
"...I wasn't being put on detention", Lydia commented.
"There! Again a comm-" Mr Blunt began to complain, before he stopped himself and breathed in. "I'm losing myself."
"Sorry about that, Mr Blunt", Milo apologized.
"It's not your fault", Mr Blunt dismissed. "Just go have fun at the open house and the upcoming tournament, will ya?"
"Will do", the five teens chorused, as they left.
While Milo and the gang were walking down the passageway back to the foyer, Milo could not help but to think of what Ashley had said when she and Anthony left.
"...and Murph being your burden!"
Her stating such a thing, especially the way she phrased 'burden', gave Milo an uneasy feeling he couldn't shake off, especially given the context that Anthony and Ashley are so confident about themselves.
It's true that Murphy's Law could ruin absolutely every occasion at the least predictable, most random moment. It's also true that Milo had been teased, bullied, and outcasted because of his inherited condition. Usually, Milo took those things in stride: there were plenty of times Murphy's Law hadn't hindered anyone as much at all, and sometimes even helped them instead. And, people nowadays liked him. He didn't have a lot of bullies, if at all.
But for some reason, this time it felt different.
Maybe it was because he was now very close with Amanda Lopez, who would've abhorred Murphy's Law half a year ago. Yes, she isn't afraid to hang out with Milo anymore, but that was only since last winter. And Amanda had known about Milo since first grade, about six and a half years ago.
And old habits die hard.
Milo figured that, if Murphy's Law struck hard enough under certain conditions that required utmost delicacy, it would be very possible Amanda might snap back and avoid Milo like the plague. This theory was usually hidden deep in the back of his mind, but thanks to Ashley's remark, the idea somehow got in front and center of Milo's thoughts.
Milo shook his head. "Don't be ridiculous, Milo", he thought to himself. "Amanda's not gonna leave you that easily. It'll take something more catastrophic than even the Sphere of Calamity for her to even consider that. Besides, she wanted to tango for fun, she doesn't care about winning or losing. Yes, that was before there were any stakes, but it's spending an entire weekend mowing grass at worst. There's no way she's going to hate you just because of a single, disastrous evening!"
Milo found himself back in the foyer, as he followed Amanda to the ballet room, smiling and making sure to enjoy the open house as much as he could while trying to not let any bad thoughts get the better of him.
Despite that, though, Ashley's claim of Milo being a hindrance was still stuck in his mind, and any bad thoughts of Amanda giving up on Milo would still linger...
Author's Note: Surprise: Anthony and Ashley from "Cake 'Splosion" return! They never had any dialogue in that episode, however, but their appearances and actions tell me that they are confident, quite snooty, low enough to resort to sabotage, and a hint that they can't quite get along with each other themselves, so I based their dialogue and personalities on that. I also brought back Mr Blunt from "The Mid-Afternoon Snack Club", because why not. I suppose that Milo being triggered by Ashley's remark might seem a bit out of character for him, given that he's been called worse and took those better. But I believe this time is a bit different, now Amanda is with him and reciprocating his feelings. I guess it's natural for him to think that, given Amanda's perfectionism, enough chaos can easily cause her to reset to zero and forsake Milo. Amanda has grown, though, so I will dedicate a chapter about her reassuring Milo and get him back to his senses in the future. I haven't written it yet, but I'll make sure it'll be a very, very sweet part. Well, that's all I got for today. See ya later! |
| Previous: Chapter 1: A Ballet Backstory and Tango Tournament |
Chapters of El Milonga de Murphy (Go to top) |
Next: Chapter 3: The First Practice Session |