Dancin' Scene
Marianna Trench was running out of excuses. Everyone that frequented Club Calypso (and some who didn't) kept asking why the annual dance contest wasn't being held that year. She couldn't possibly tell them it was because the reigning Dancin' Queen, Daniela DeSka, her sister, had threatened to kill her if the contest was held. Oh, why the hell not?
"Okay, attention up here, freaks and drunks! Y'all wanna know why there isn't a dance contest this year?" The drunken din dropped to nil, and all heads turned toward the owner.
"Well, Daniela's gonna kill me if I hold it. So go harass her, okay?"Sixty-some-odd heads swivelled toward Daniela, still skanking with her boyfriend Pez even though the music had stopped. Aware that all eyes were on her, silver-haired Daniela exaggerated the movements that had won her a crown eleven months and twenty-three days ago (well, the most recent one). The Calypso crowd were suddenly divided. Should they harm her for ruining an annual tradition, or should they just unconditionally love and blindly follow their Queen? Yosef Mattias Sprechen began arguing with himself. Frogman and UPChuck were arguing, too, but after a while it was more about Doreen than Daniela.
Marianna decided to check on Pollythene Pam. She was serving pinata coladas to two of Doreen's children, who were listening to "Auntie" Dream prattle on about Texans. "Mum, she's killing my business! Usually we're hopping by this time, but Dream's managed to scare off at least three people so far!" Marianna rolled her eyes. Pollythene and her mouth were perfectly fine. "Dream, hon, get your elvin self over to the big-kids' bar." Marianna dragged Dream away from the juice bar, all the while telling her that although UPChuck wasn't perfect, at least he was there to yell at.
"What about your husband, M?"
"Hush ye, Dream. It was an arranged marriage, and you know it."
"And don't you find it strange that you haven't aged since you got married?"
"It's a blessing, and one oughtn't question such blessings." Just then, Priscilla Aaron came up to the bar. The new waitress was turning out to be a wonderful employee. The fascination with Elvis was a bit annoying, but it could be worse. She could have a beehive hairdo a la Priscilla Presley. "What's up, Priscilla?"
"It's Elvis' birthday next week! And I need three Bahama Mama's for Daniela's table, and please, something to knock out Frogman. A pill, a bouncer, anything! He's fighting with UPChuck again." Priscilla grimaced.
Dream stood up. "I think I'll try to drag Uly away from Doreen... You know, sometimes I think he still likes me."
Duh, thought Marianna. "Thanks, Dream. I didn't hire any bouncers when we re-opened. Now that Frogman has become a regular, I might need a few. Want a job?"
"No... I'm too busy."
Yet manage to hang around here nearly 24/7, thought Marianna. Suddenly a chair came crashing across the room and slammed into the bar, shattering (the chair, not the bar). "UPChuck!" Marianna screamed. "Take the damn fight outside!"
"It wasn't me!" he protested. "Frogman threw the chair! I just ducked." He turned to Doreen. "See? He's violent. You never know when he's going to start throwing you instead of just chairs."
"I'm not going to throw her." Frogman smiled, in his strange way that seemed charming to everyone except UPChuck and Marianna. "Why would I throw my girlfriend? But if you want to fight, why don't we take this outside?"
"We can't take it outside, Frogman," UPChuck sneered. Dream cast a worried glance at Doreen, who didn't notice. "The set designers haven't built the outside of the Club yet." How true, thought Marianna. But they'd better not break anymore chairs.
Daniela sauntered up to the bar in her self-assured, rather snotty way. "So, Marianna, I hear you'll be holding the dance contest this year. Didn't we discuss this right before the grand re-opening?"
"I don't know anything about this dance contest. I just said it's your fault we aren't having one."
"Well, then, I guess my sources have misinformed me." She slithered off to her corner booth. Marianna sighed. She would have the dance contest. Death, or better yet, estrangement from Daniela, was a small sacrifice to make for patronage. She began sketching advertisements and posters for the contest on a cocktail napkin.
"Marianna." Dream woke Marianna from her reverie. "I'm going home... oh, are those sketches for the contest posters?" Marianna nodded. "I was going to say, without a contest, there is no title for Daniela to hold, so the only way to keep her title would be to preserve the contest. But, I guess you don't need that kind of support."
"No, but thanks Dream. I'll see you tomorrow. Will you be playing the set with the Trenchcoats? Starts at ten."
"Probably. See ya."
Marianna waved goodbye, shoved the sketches into her pocket, and started wiping down the bar. Next week would be risky- the contest could cost her her life. Last year, when Marianna had gotten Dream drunk, she'd almost won the contest. Daniela had panicked, and had one of her 'minions' drill holes in the poor elf's elm. Dream was still recovering. Well, she'd learned not to get an elf drunk, anyway. What inspirational lessons would this year's contest bring?
Next week: Calypso's Coveted Crown
Watch the battle of the babes as Daniela fights to defend her title!