Work Text:
11:00 PM
The chime from the grandfather clock in the hall announced the beginning of the hour. Stephanie perked up from the book she was reading. She wasn’t usually awake this late, but tonight was special. In precisely one hour, it would be her birthday, and one of her friends had promised her a special gift. Stephanie saved her place with a bright pink bookmark and quietly hopped out of bed. Already dressed in a white skirt and striped pink tee-shirt, all Stephanie had to do was grab her purse and slip on some shoes. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror, taking a moment to fix her ponytail. Stephanie switched her desk lamp off once she was happy with her looks. She crept to the window, opening it as slowly as she could so as not to wake her Uncle.
She took a deep breath of the cool night air to calm her nerves. She had never snuck out before. She could almost see the disappointment in her Uncle Milford’s eyes if he found out. Not to mention the scolding she’d get from Sportacus. However, tonight was a special night.
With resolve, Stephanie hopped out her bedroom window onto the soft grass below. She carefully shut the window behind her before beginning her trek to the treehouse. Stephanie noted LazyTown was uncharacteristically peaceful in the late hours. The only sounds she could hear were the soft rustling of the wind in the trees and the chirp of crickets. She still felt a bit nervous despite knowing no one was awake to catch her. Maybe Pixel was still awake, but there was no chance he’d be outside to see her.
Stephanie stopped short at the tree trunk, looking up to the wooden treehouse she and her friends had built years ago. The wood was sun-bleached, and you had to take care not to get splinters while climbing the ladder. It seemed almost like yesterday they had built the treehouse. However, Stephanie couldn’t remember the last time they were all in it together. Climbing the ladder was slow going as Stephanie really wasn’t fond of getting a splinter. After a minute or so, she found herself on the patio, the wood creaking beneath her feet. Although it was dark, she could see a figure seated in the old treehouse through the doorway.
“Took ya long enough, Steph,” A gruff voice teased. Stephanie recognized it instantly and practically skipped into the treehouse with a smile plastered on her face.
“Sorry, Trixie. I didn’t want to wake Uncle Milford up,” She explained.
“Jeez, Pinky, we’ve gotta get you out more,” Trixie laughed. The other girl was certainly no stranger to sneaking out late. She’d invited Stephanie a few times, but she had consistently declined until tonight. Stephanie sat down across from her friend, pulling the purse off her shoulders and leaning back. Even in the darkness, she recognized Trixie’s silhouette. A baseball cap lazily placed atop her pigtails, a sweater that was far too big for her, cuffed jeans, and hightop skater shoes. Stephanie had always admired Trixie’s style, although she preferred things more clean-cut than her friend.
“So… what did you wanna do?” Stephanie asked. Trixie shook her head and stretched her arms up.
“Dunno. Just wanted to hang out with the birthday girl,” Trixie answered earnestly.
“Not quite yet,” Stephanie giggled. “Hey, is that lantern still up here?”
“Oh, right.” Trixie did her best to search in the dark. Eventually, she found the old lantern and fumbled to turn it on. A white glow sprang to life, making it easier to see in the dark. After a moment, Stephanie’s eyes adjusted to the warm light. She could see Trixie much better now. Her friend seemed to be having a more challenging time adjusting to the light, squinting and rubbing her eyes lethargically. Stephanie also noted Trixie had brought her backpack along. It seemed to be packed full, slouching heavily on the floor next to her friend.
“I’m used to being up here by myself so I don’t really need the light,” Trixie explained. Stephanie felt a bit guilty for not accepting Trixies offer sooner. She wondered how many long nights her friend had spent up in this tree.
“Aren’t you worried someone will notice your gone?” Stephanie questioned.
“Nah. Haven’t you noticed the whole town is dead by 8:08?” That was the bedtime Sportacus recommended. Stephanie nodded thoughtfully. Perhaps that was a bit on the early side. Lately, she’d found herself staying up well past 8:08 to finish reading a book or to listen to a new album Ziggy had lent her. Sportacus most likely would be disappointed with her lack of sleep schedule. But she couldn’t help it! Sometimes it was just impossible to put down what she was doing.
“It feels like forever since we’ve been up here together,” Stephanie mused, looking around the old treehouse. It was a lot smaller than she remembered. All five of her friends used to cram in the small space to come up with ideas for new games. Now, Stephanie doubted that anyone else could fit in the room beside her and Trixie. Her friend simply nodded, looking out at the stars. She looked a million miles away, or maybe she wished to be a million miles away. Stephanie gently kicked at her friend to grab her attention.
“You okay, Trix?” She questioned.
“Always,” Trixie half smiled, “Just feel like we’re getting old.” Stephanie chuckled lightly, shaking her head.
“Missing the good ‘ole days?”
“Not really. Sometimes I miss how close we all were then,” Trixie spoke in a severe uncharacteristic tone. Nowadays, Stephanie would go days or weeks without hanging out with one of her friends. When they were younger, she spent every day with at least one of her friends. Even when Stephanie was alone, she usually looked for someone to play with. Stephanie was still sociable, but she’d learned to like being alone.
“Me too,” Stephanie sighed, looking up at the sky. Memories of childhood flooded her head. Hot summer days, holiday parties, competitions, secret clubs, and games. It was almost unbearable to think in just a few minutes, that chapter of her life would be over. Eighteen kicked off adulthood, and Stephanie just simply wasn’t ready. A lump began forming in her throat as the realization crashed in.
“What time is it?” Stephanie asked in a voice as steady as she could muster. Trixie checked her watch.
“11:27,” She answered, “What you think I’m not gonna say-” Trixie cut herself off, a look of concern taking over her expression.
“Stephanie?” It must have been severe if Trixie wasn’t using a nickname. Stephanie lightly touched her cheek and immediately felt a tear tract running down her face.
“Oh!” She exclaimed, rubbing her eyes and face with the collar of her shirt. “It’s nothing. Just feel like we’re getting old.” She continued with a forced chuckle. Trixie’s expression didn’t soften. Instead, she pulled her backpack onto her lap and unzipped the front pouch.
“I was gonna wait till midnight, but I think you need it a bit early,” Trixie handed Stephanie an empty plastic cup. At first, she thought this was just a weird joke gift Trixie had given her. Her friend then pulled a cloudy glass bottle from the bag, pouring some for herself first before holding it out. An indication for Stephanie to hold her cup out to get her share. Trixie gave her about a third of the cup’s worth of the drink. Trixie had already begun sipping when Stephanie realized what was happening.
“Trixie! We’re not supposed to drink this stuff!” She exclaimed in a harsh whisper. Trixie just gave her a rueful smile and took another swig.
“Trust me. It helps you feel better.” Stephanie sat in disbelief, gaping at the cup and then back to her friend. She knew Trixie liked to cause trouble sometimes, but this was different! A lecture built up in her throat, but she found herself unable to speak. Her expression tightened as she continued to stare at the clear liquid bouncing against the side of her cup. Trixie apparently sensed she was not convinced.
“It’s not like anyone is gonna see us. It’s not a bad thing anyway! You’re 18 now, Pinky! You can do whatever you feel like!” Stephanie shuffled in her seat, looking back to Trixie with a concerned look. She was technically an adult now, but she wasn’t supposed to have this stuff quite yet…
“You don’t have to drink it if you’re worried about getting in trouble... But seriously, it’s not a big deal,” Trixie said. Stephanie paused, her initial shock replaced with the dilemma. She opened her mouth to recite her speech.
“But Sportacus-” Before Stephanie could even finish her sentence, Trixie butted in.
“We’re not 10 anymore. We don’t have to do everything he says. Just look at you being up this late and with a birthday party in the morning, no less!” All those long hours spent together were not wasted. Trixie knew precisely what buttons to press to get Stephanie to fold. She began to doubt her morality, considering all of the things Sportacus had told her that she ignored. Staying up late, forgetting to brush her teeth, watching trash TV for hours with Pixel, betting she could eat more caramels than Ziggy, shopping online all day with Stingy… So far, she’d been fine, so this should be no different… right? Maybe this could be her ‘thing’ with Trixie?
“Urgh, fine! But just one sip!” Stephanie hesitantly put the cup to her lips. She took another moment to gather her nerve. Having no idea what to expect, she took the leap, throwing the cup back and gulping. She certainly wasn’t expecting the intense burning in her throat and on her tongue. Stephanie managed to swallow most of the drink before coughing on what felt like a chemical burn in her throat.
“Slow down, Pinky!” Trixie squeezed into the space beside Stephanie, patting her back reassuringly. Ew, ew, ew! How could Trixie drink this stuff?
“Take a small sip to start! Like this,” Trixie demonstrated, taking a careful sip from her cup. Stephanie shot her a glare and wiped her mouth.
“No way! That was disgusting!” She retorted.
“Please just one more try, Steph? I promise it helps.” As much as she wanted to dump the rest of her drink out the window, Trixie’s puppy dog eyes were too hard to fight. Stephanie let out a long sigh before holding the cup back to her lips. She took a slow sip, just as her friend had done. Although it still burned a little, it certainly was more manageable this time.
“Still sucks,” Stephanie said sharply. Trixie laughed.
“Jeez, I thought you were gonna choke to death! What a way to celebrate your birthday!”
Despite herself, Stephanie giggled, jabbing Trixie playfully with her elbow.
“I would haunt you forever if I died off your shitty alcohol.” Trixie’s eyebrows shot up in surprise.
“Pinky!”
“What?” It took Stephanie a moment to fully registered what she had said. She’d always been cautious with her words and hadn’t yet had to pay a quarter to the swear jar her uncle kept. Stephanie held a hand to her mouth, looking up at Trixie. Well, there went that record.
“Oh shit,” She exclaimed. The other girl burst into laughter. Trixie’s hearty laugh was warm, and Stephanie quickly joined in. The two girls eventually fell into quieter giggles. Their uncontrollable laughter had left both girls winded. It was worth it for the feeling of weightlessness on their spirits. Stephanie wiped away the tears that had formed in the crinkles of her eyes.
“I needed that, but you knew that, huh?” She asked, turning to Trixie with a bright smile. Her friend looked slightly flushed, most likely from their laughing fit. Trixie smiled shyly and took a swig of her drink. The two girls were still cramped together, but neither cared enough to move. Stephanie mirrored Trixie and took another sip. The burning sensation wasn’t even noticeable this time.
“Happy Birthday, Steph,” Trixie hummed warmly. She held up her wristwatch to show Stephanie the time.
12:07 AM
The birthday girl smiled and laid her head on Trixie’s shoulder. Her troublemaker friend really outdid herself this year. Stephanie never would’ve imagined this was the gift she needed most.
…
“Stephanie?”
Both girls sat up, startled by the voice. Stephanie held onto Trixie’s arm instinctively as the two stared out the doorway of the treehouse. Someone was almost to the top of the ladder. Stephanie could see them clearly silhouetted from the lantern’s glow. She felt like she was in one of those cheesy horror movies she saw on TV sometimes.
“Oh and Trixie too.” Stephanie relaxed, recognizing the soft tone of LazyTown’s resident hero.
“Sportacus!” Trixie exclaimed. “You scared Stephanie half to death!” Stephanie let go of the other girl’s arm to give her a light shove.
“I wasn’t the one who jumped out of my skin!”
“I was just getting ready for a fight that’s all!” Trixie retorted.
“Girls-” Sportacus cut in. He looked slightly concerned as he crouched in the small doorway.
“Your uncle was worried about you. He checked on you, but you weren’t in your room,” He explained, patient as ever. Before Stephanie could answer, Trixie piped up.
“It’s my fault. We were just gonna stay up until midnight, so I could wish her happy birthday first,” She explained in a hesitant tone that Stephanie was not used to hearing. Sportacus smiled slightly.
“I understand. But please tell your uncle next time. He gets very worried about you, Stephanie.”
“...okay. I’m sorry,” Stephanie said softly.
“You too, Trixie.” He added.
“Yeah, yeah, I know,” She huffed. “We’re going home now.”
“Don’t forget your stuff,” Sportacus stopped, clearly noticing the now empty liquor bottle. If not for the plastic cup she still held, Stephanie might have poked fun at Trixie for being caught redhanded. Sportacus turned back to them with an accusing glare. Trixie sheepishly laughed.
“...Would you believe it’s water?”