"Mandy! Hey Mandy!"
The annoying voice pierced painfully through her ears, adding greatly to her frustration.
"What?!" She asked without turning to face him.
"Come and play with me! Pleeeaaaasee!" The boy fell begging onto his knees infront of her.
Mandy sighed. They were in Billy's frontyard. She was sitting on one of his deckchairs reading a book, or trying to at least. Billy had already gotten bored of pestering Grim and had decided to come and interrupt her temporary moment of peace.
"Go pick on someone else, I'm getting to the good part!" She snapped.
"But-but Grim doesn't wanna play either! I WANNA PLAAAAAY!" He bawled loudly.
"UGH! Fine! Whatever, just be quiet already!" Mandy snapped her book shut and slammed it down onto the deckchair. She had no choice but to run along with him.
The two were young, 10-year-old kids, a boy and a girl who lived in the same street in a place called 'Endsville'. Billy was a rowdy, hyperactive, maniacal boy who had a knack for disturbing the peace. He was seldom quiet, happy-go-lucky and constantly seeking attention.
He was quite funny to look at, with his enormous, bulbous nose and that typical cheesy grin on his face. He had a mess of orange hair, which was always concealed beneath his favourite red hat.
Mandy on the other hand was very very different. She was a surly, blond girl with a sadistic personality which sometimes almost bordered on evil. She enjoyed getting people to be her slaves, and she was so cold-hearted that she never expressed any emotion (save for anger). Infact, she never even smiled! No matter what time of day you saw her, she always had that nasty frown pasted on her face.
However, despite all this, it was safe to say that she was surprisingly close to Billy, and there were even rumours flying around that the two were secretly in love with eachother! Absurd, perhaps, but who knew?
"Ooh! Ooh! What should we play first?!" Billy squeaked as he burst into the house, accidentally threading onto his cat's tail. The poor creature shrieked and dashed under the sofa, trembling with fright!
"Billy! How many times do I have to tell you to stop stepping on Milkshakes!" The plump man sitting on the couch who resembled the boy so much shook his head in annoyance.
"Oops! Tee hee! Sorry dad!" Billy chuckled.
"Man, you're unbelievable kid!" Billy's dad, Harold, sighed and went back to reading the newspaper.
"Billy! Lunch is ready!" A woman's voice chirped from the kitchen.
"OOO YAAH BABY! LUNCHTIIIIIIIIIME!" Billy shot off into the kitchen, nearly crashing into poor Milkshakes again, who had plucked up the courage to come out of hiding.
"Good lord Billy, don't you ever stop shouting?!" Mandy asked calmly as she followed him into the kitchen and sat down, watching him stuff his face with sandwiches.
"Nopfe!" He spattered.
"That's my Billy!" His mom went over and kissed him fondly on the nose, beaming at her 'baby' as she loved to call him. She shared his iconic, flaming hair, and loved to spoil him rotten.
"Fanks, mommy!" He said, showering the tabletop with crumbs.
"Ugh, Billy! Don't talk with your mouth full!" said Mandy.
"Gladys! What about me!" Harold called out from the living room.
"Oh honey, I'm coming!" Gladys dropped her kitchen gloves into the sink and waltzed out of the room. A few seconds later, they could hear smooching sounds coming from the living room.
"What the heck is all this racket?!"
"Oh, hey Grim. Billy's family is just losing it as usual..." Mandy looked up at the man who had just entered the room.
Well, to be more specific, Grim was a skeleton. Infact, he was the grim reaper himself!
The story of how he had ended up spending his days with Billy and Mandy was an odd one indeed. It had all started when Billy's hamster, Mr. Snuggles, had reached the end of his days. Naturally, on such similar occasions, the grim reaper would arrive on the scene to take the souls of the dead to the Underworld. But Billy and Mandy weren't just any kids, and not only were they not scared of Death himself appearing in their room, they actually challenged him for Mr. Snuggles's life! Grim had laughed at their seemingly pathetic offer, but had accepted. So confident was he that he would win, that he had even promised that he would be their bestfriend forever if they beat him! Unfortunately for him, the mischievous duo had tricked him into losing, and so they had won Mr. Snuggles's life back, and even gained the grim reaper's friendship as a prize!
Grim was a peculiar character. With his long, flowing, black cloak and his lethal scythe, he was certainly one to be frightened of. But Grim wasn't all that bad, infact, he was quite friendly! He did everything Billy and Mandy wanted like the most obedient friend, and never once laid a finger on them. However, he never tired of stating his unapparent hatred for them, and constantly reminded them that they were his life's curse.
"Tell me something I don't know..." He said, eyeing Billy with much irritation: "I was just trying to sleep in! Can't a reaper even do that?!"
"Nope, not around here!" Mandy sighed, frowning at Billy as he giggled naughtily.
"Ooh! Ooh! Hey guess who's coming over!" Billy shouted suddenly.
"Irwin?" Mandy guessed uninterestedly.
"Nooooooooo!" Billy said tauntingly.
"Francesca?" Grim asked.
"That's right! She's comin' over at-" Billy was interrupted by an abrupt knock on the front door.
"-10," Mandy finished for him: "Come on Grim, lets go greet her. I'm tired of watching Billy anyway."
"Right," Grim frowned at the annoying boy before following after the surly blonde. As they passed through the living room, they saw that Harold and Gladys were still kissing passionately, Milkshakes watching them with interest.
As Mandy opened the door, she saw a young girl of 19 standing there, her usual mess of inky black hair framing her sweet, heart-shaped face. She wore her usual black-rim spectacles and was beaming down at her.
"Francesca..." Mandy gave her a nod.
"Hi guys! Hey there Grim..." Francesca added nervously, her cheeks reddening as she caught sight of her favourite reaper.
"Hi Francesca, please do come in. I need a break from these two..." said Grim.
"So Francesca, what brings you here?" Mandy asked as she closed the door behind her: "Came to see your boyfriend?"
The poor teen froze, avoiding Grim's eyes.
"B-boyfriend?! W-what boyfriend?! I d-don't have a b-boyf-friend here, heh!" She stuttered nervously.
"No? Then why do you wear make-up all the time? Or wear those lovely Victorian dresses?" Mandy continued to tease. It was true, Francesca had an irresistible crush on Grim, a crush so profound it bordered nearly on obsession. She was desperate to catch his attention, and so always covered her face in make-up: bluish eyeshadow, thick eyeliner, mascara, dark lipstick and the like. She also liked to wear her gothic, Victorian-styled dresses just for him, since these were obviously to his liking.
How had Francesca met Billy and Mandy? She was 9 years older, yes, but she had known them since they were little kids. She lived right next to Mandy's house and used to babysit her sometimes when she was just a toddler too. Obviously, she had then come to know Billy, the hyperactive maniac who chased Mandy around wherever she went. Francesca had become almost as good a friend to them as Irwin, the only difference being that he was their age of course. But one day, her life had changed forever.
She had been going to the mall with Mandy, when the youngster had said something about her and Billy having a new 'bestfriend'. Interested, Francesca followed suit and allowed Mandy to introduce her to this new guy. Of course, Mandy had never said anything about the man being a skeleton! She had intended to give Francesca a fright, but her plan had backfired entirely!
One look at the Grim Reaper, and Francesca had found herself drooling like a total idiot! Her heart had increased twice its normal speed, and she had suddenly realised that the apparent hoax known as 'love-at-first-sight' was no hoax at all, but her current situation!
And now, Francesca loved Grim more than she had ever thought possible. She frequently had dreams of kissing him, being in his arms, gazing into his hollow eyes. But she knew she would never find the courage to tell him. She was far too afraid that she would be rejected, and that was one thing she knew she wouldn't be able to handle. No, it was best to play it safe and leave things as they were...at least for now.
But Billy and Mandy were quick to catch on, and they knew all about her passionate feelings for the reaper. They never missed an opportunity to tease her about it, especially infront of him!
"I...uh, I like this style! Hehe! Geez, don't I have the right to look pretty?" Francesca felt a hot flush creeping up her neck, betraying her.
"Oh well! Whatever you say!" Mandy said nonchalantly as she made her way to the kitchen.
"What on earth is she talking about?" Grim asked confusedly.
"Oh nothing! You know her! Heh! Kids these days!" Francesca chuckled.
Wow, since when have I grown so old?! 'These days', really! She chided herself.
"So, um, Grim, wanna go for a walk with me?" she suddenly found herself saying. She instantly found herself wishing she had said nothing. She was way too shy to go out with him alone!
"R-really?! Yay! I get to have a break from those two pipsqueaks!" Grim cheered happily: "Let me just go lock up me scythe. Wouldn't want them messing around with it!"
A few minutes later, they had left the house and were walking down the street. It was a pretty day, with a bright shining sun and sweet blue skies. But the only beauty Francesca had eyes for was that of the wonderful grim reaper walking beside her.
"S-so, you don't like Billy and Mandy all that much huh?" She asked.
"No, I hate them! They are such an insufferable pair! Their only purpose in life is to get on my nerves!" He exclaimed.
"Oh no, don't say that. Mandy has a tough personality, and Billy is a total maniac, true. But they really do think of you as their friend. I mean, especially Billy, he's really close to you, he told me a bunch of times that he'd go crazy if you weren't there. And Mandy trusts you the most out of everyone she knows," Francesca explained.
"Y-yes, I suppose so..." Grim sighed.
"And, admit it, if you really hated them, you would've decapitated them a long long time ago," she reasoned.
"Um, yeah well I..." He appeared quite nervous now.
"Come on Grim, you like them, I know you do. And don't give me no silly excuses, I know you're not a bad person," said Francesca.
Grim said nothing. He simply hung his head, defeated.
That girl...she can see right through me! He thought.
A while later, they arrived at the park and sat down on a bench. It was quiet, and there were few people about. Francesca stared at Grim from the corner of her eye. She was dying to touch him, but she was too afraid to do so.
Dammit, he's so sexy! I'm just so tempted...I gotta hold his hand or something!
A million thoughts raced through her mind, and yet she did neither one. The situation was far too tempting, and yet, what if he refused?
"Is something wrong?" He asked, sensing her unease.
"Uh, n-no, nothing..." She murmured: "Um...Grim?"
"Yes?" He asked, gazing curiously at her.
"Um..." Dammit! I can't do this! I just can't!
"If you need to talk about something that's bothering you, please don't hesitate!" He said gently and, to her greatest shock, placed his hand on her shoulder.
Try as she might, she couldn't keep her lips from curling into a smile. It was just like magic! The touch of his lovely hand made her cheeks redden and her heart speed up.
Of course, he noticed this, and soon began to confirm his suspicions.
She likes me...He thought.
He wasn't displeased. In reality, he liked her too. She was one of the very few people in this world that didn't make his life hell. She understood him the most, was always there for him, and always listened to his troubles. He felt that with her, he could share anything...
And, she was pretty...
"Grim...c-can I just...?" Francesca leaned gently on him, and nearly died of pleasure when he wrapped his arm around her shoulders in response.
It was beyond paradise, it was heaven. The soft touch of his cloak caressed her cheek, and she closed her eyes, relishing the moment.
I sure hope I'm not dreaming! She thought. This all seemed way too good to be true.
But it was true, and it was the start of something very special between them.