Holiday Hullabaloo

Chapter 8

Meg and Chad had just made it to Jeremy's apartment as rehearsal finished. 

"Jeremy? Charles? Are you there?" Chad called. 

"Yeah, we're right here, Chad!" said Charles Wallace.

Chad and Meg came into the room.

"Oh. Hi, Cal, Andy. Are we interrupting something?" said Meg.

"Nah, we just finished. What's going on?" said Calvin.

"Listen. I'm glad you're both here. It'll save me the torture of telling one Warrior at a time" said Meg.

"What's wrong, Meg?" said Andy.

"There's been tragedy at Actorville" said Meg.

"So tragic... I'm afraid it's weighed everyone in the studio down" said Chad.

"Oh my god; what happened?" said Calvin.

Meg started to well up as she tried to talk.

Chad saw her discomfort and held her gently. 

"D'you want me to do it?" he said.

"No. You've told enough people" said Meg.

She looked at her brother and best friend. "Walt Disney's dead."

Charles Wallace and Calvin looked at each other with devastated expressions.

"Really?" said Charles Wallace.

"Yes" Meg cried.

Chad hated seeing Meg cry, so he hugged her tight. 

"But how?" said Jeremy.

"He had lung cancer" Chad whispered.

"Now hold on. Not from that neck pain everybody talked about" said Calvin.

"Exactly, Calvin. Walt had his neck examined and tests revealed cancer" said Chad.

Calvin smacked his knee. "I knew it. I knew it. I knew it was more serious than an injury!"

"The one man who inspired me to become a screenwriter" said Charles Wallace.

"It was awfully brave of you to break the news, Meg. It's a step up for you" said Andy.

"You think so?" said Meg drying her eyes.

"Absolutely. The first time I adventured with you, you kept trying to run" said Andy.

"To be fair, Andy, so did I" said Chad.

"Me too. Those Warriors go on very dangerous adventures" said Jeremy.

"But either way, I'm proud of Meg. She's my brave soul" said Chad touching Meg's cheek.

Meg smiled through her tears without saying anything. 

"Still. I can only imagine the impact Walt's death left on his crew. Especially his animators" said Calvin. "I was speaking to Milt Khal just last week; he said he was getting worried."

"We all were. No one had ever heard Walt say 'goodbye' before" said Chad.

"And the animators that are also a band. They never let their music interfere with pleasing Walt; he always said they were the hardest workers in the studio" said Charles Wallace.

"Yes. And to think Walt almost had me in a movie" said Jeremy.

"But they had to cut your scene" said Calvin.

"Never mind that. Chad, your scene wasn't cut. How are you after the tragedy?" said Andy.

"I s'pose I'm alright, Andy" said Chad.

"I find that hard to believe" Charles Wallace whispered.