Chapter 1

One Rainy Day


It was an ordinary day, a Tuesday in fact. Mac was heading to Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends like he always did after school.

The spring sun had broken through the clouds and was now shining brightly down on the wet pavement. Mac jumped into a puddle with his yellow Wellington boots. He smiled happily as he opened to creaky wrought iron gate that led to Foster's. A strong gust of wind blew, rattling the bare tree on the right side of the path. Mac pulled his knitted hat down over his head as he trudged to the front door. The wind died down just as he reached the porch steps. Mac removed his hat and looked up.

"Gwaaah!" Mac yelled falling backward and landing in a puddle. That had surprised him. He looked up. There was a teddy bear sitting on the porch of Foster's.

That was odd. Mac got up. His trademark green backpack was soaked, as well as the back of his pants. He sighed and alighted the stairs once more.

Mac looked at the teddy bear, it stared back at him with black button eyes.

It didn't look like an imaginary friend, maybe someone had forgotten it. Mac picked up the teddy bear and knocked on the front door.

He could hear the chime echoing in the foyer.

"Bloo could you get the door?" Frankie said from behind a towering basket of laundry.

"Do I haaaaaaaave too?"

"Ugh, you're such a baby. You're standing right there! Just open the door!"
"I'll get it Frankie. Is that okay?" Wilt ducked under the doorway that led to the foyer.
"Thanks Wilt." The redhead frowned pointedly at Bloo as she passed.

"Whaaaat?!" Bloo said at her angry gaze, "Wilt said he was getting it!"

The front door opened.

"Oh, Mac! Hi!" Wilt waved his good arm at the boy.

Mac stepped over the threshold, "Hi Wilt." He pulled off his drenched backpack.

"Mac, you're completely soaked!" Wilt noted the small puddle of rainwater that was forming around Mac's feet.

"Ha ha!" Bloo pointed at his creator and rushed forward. Leaning close to Mac's face, Bloo's eyes grew big and sparkly. A grin split his face "Awww...Did the little baby wet himself?"
"No Bloo, I fell in a puddle." Mac rolled his eyes at his best friend.
"Did the big bad wind scare you?" Bloo asked in a baby-voice.
"Tch, no," Mac scoffed, "This did." He held up the teddy bear he had found on the front porch.

At this Bloo fell to the floor rolling in a fit of laughter. "A teddy bear?" He jumped up and snatched the bear out of Mac's hands. "Oh no! Look out! It's a teddy bear!" Bloo waved the bear in Mac's face. "I'm so scawy." He said, speaking for the bear, waving it's arms. "Raaaaaawr."

Mac crossed his arms, "I only brought it in because I thought it might have belonged to some kid who came to adopt a friend."

"Mac's afraid of teddy bears. Mac's afraid of teddy bears." Bloo began to chant as he danced around, swinging the the teddy bear.

"Stop that!"

"Um, excuse me. I don't mean to interrupt, but this is not ok."
"You can say that again," Mac rolled his eyes as Bloo swarmed around him, waving the bear in his face, its long limbs flailing and smacking his head.

"Well, yes. But what I mean is, that is not ok." Wilt pointed at the puddle at Mac's feet again, "Mr. Herriman has been telling Frankie that there shouldn't be any dirt on the floor. And she's been cleaning like mad after all the rain."

"Bloo!"

The three turned around to see a very angry Frankie glaring them down from the first floor hallway.

"How many times have I told you, don't track mud into the house!"

Bloo paused, giving the matter some serious thought.

"Six," he answered after a moment, "definitely six…no wait…maybe only seven."
"Ugh!" Frankie grabbed Bloo and held him up to her face, "Just you wait, Herriman's going to give it to you good, blob boy."
"Mac did it!" Bloo said pointing at his creator.

"Mac?"
"Hi Frankie."
"You know better than to bring mud into the house, especially with all of this rain." Frankie pulled out a rag and dropped to her knees. Shebegan wiping up the rainwater.

"I'm sorry, but I fell into a puddle."
"I can see that," she said standing up and inspecting the white tiled floor, "Well no damage done, it was just water."

"WHAT?! That's it?!" Bloo popped up in front of Frankie. "If it was me, you'd be sending me to my room by now, with no TV for like a year!"

"That's because you've already covered the entire house in mud four times this week!" Frankie yelled.

"What's all the hubbub, Bub?" Madame Foster was tottering down the stairs.

"Oh, hi Grandma."
"Goodness me. Mac you're wetter than a rubber duck after a scuba lesson."

"Um…yes...?" Mac responded with a confused look on his face.

"Well, come with me. I'll get you a new change of clothes." The old woman tottered away, "and maybe some for Bloo too! Wa ha ha ha!"

"No thanks, really. I'm good." Bloo said edging away slowly, "I'm just gonna go back-"

"Nonsense! Wilt you come along too!" In an instant the old woman was at their sides again. She grabbed both Bloo and Wilt by the arm.

"That's really nice of you, but really I'm ok."
"Don't be shy! Join the fun!" How she managed to link arms with all three of them and drag them up the stairs, they'd never know. Frankie shook her head and left the foyer to do the laundry that she had temporarily neglected.

Nobody noticed the teddy bear that Mac had brought in had gone missing.


Found this today and just had to post it. I had the idea for this story a long time ago, maybe two years now? I dug it up and I thought I should post it.