"One, two, three, four…" Chucky began as he hid his face on the tree trunk while Mary quickly looked around to find a place to hide. She looked over her shoulder and decided to dive into the bush. "Five, six, seven,.." Chucky continued to count. Mary smiled to herself. She was very excited that she would be starting school soon, but she loved every moment that she had alone together with her best friend. Especially since her mother was so sick lately and hardly had any time for her anymore.
"Eight,.. nine,.. ten!" Chucky exclaimed as he finished counting and opened his eyes before he turned around to start looking for his friend. "Mary!?" he called as he started searching around the yard for her. That's when all of a sudden his pregnant wife stuck her head out the door.
"Chucky!" she cried just as soon as he had come out of the shed. "You have a letter!" she yelled.
"Not now Tiff I'm lookin' for the kid!" he told her as he got down upon his hands and knees and started crawling towards the steps. "Mary?" he questioned as he looked underneath them. Mary took a big gasp of air but then quickly held in her breath hoping that he hadn't heard her. Unfortunately for her it was too late.
Chucky grinned as he stopped and looked over at the bush beside the steps and saw her beautiful blue eyes sticking out of them. "Hehe, gotcha." He told her.
"Oh man! That's the third time you found me today!" she groaned with a roll of her eyes as she climbed out of the bushes. "Oh well, I guess it's my turn to find you." She said.
"Yeah just hold on a second kid, Tiff wanted me for something." He told her before he stood up and ran up onto the porch.
"Who's this from?" he asked as she placed an envelope inside his hand.
"Some guy named Don Mancini." She told him while Chucky withdrew his knife (which he rarely used anymore) and ripped it open. He was unaware that Mary was still standing behind him when he started to read it silently to himself.
"Oh my God Tiff I don't believe it! I'm going to be famous! He said that he heard all about me and loves the concept of a killer doll so much that he wants to turn it into a movie franchise!" he exclaimed. "That's the coolest thing that I've ever heard!" he exclaimed excitedly but Mary just simply let out a sad sigh and hung her head.
"Uh Chucky? You might want to check out the little one standing behind you." Tiffany told him as she circled her finger and pointed back at Mary.
"Huh?" Chucky questioned as he spun around and saw the expression on her face. "Hey kid what's up?" he asked her.
"You're leaving me." She answered sadly.
"Yeah, I know but,.. I'm gonna come back. And I don't leave for another few weeks. We have plenty of time to play before then." He explained.
"You don't get it do you? My father told me the same thing before he left for Baghdad. He promised me that he would come back but he never did!" she shouted angrily.
"Yes I know but that's because it was all my_" Chucky began as he quickly held up his hands to try and stop her.
"Then you came and things got better! But now you're leaving me just when I'm about to lose my mother! I thought you were my friend!" she snapped.
"I am!" he insisted but she completely ignored him.
"How could you do this to me!?" she yelled before she ran away.
"Kid!" Chucky cried. "Mary, please, sweetheart listen to me!" he cried before he stuffed his letter inside his pocket and ran after her.
…
Mary sat up inside her treehouse and looked at the picture that her mother took of her and Chucky standing outside it wearing their tool bets. Chucky also had on a yellow hard hat and was beaming proudly as he had one arm around Mary and one hand waving at the camera. Mary let out another heavy sigh when suddenly she turned to see Chucky struggling to pull himself up onto the ledge.
"Look kid," he began sounding like he had been out of breath. "you've got to listen to me." He finished before swinging his leg onto the top of the ledge and finally managing to roll himself over to her. "Whew, made it!" he cried as he continued breathing heavily.
"What are you doing here?" Mary questioned.
"I just wanted to talk to you that's all." He began as he sat down beside her. "Now, why in the world would you think that after all we've been through I would just leave you behind?" he wondered when suddenly he reached down inside his pocket and placed his chained bling necklace around his neck. "Remember this?" he asked her.
"You made this for me when we first became friends. It's funny, how one little thing can mean so much. It was the day you changed my life around kid." He told her. "And yet, I often think if it would have happened sooner, than maybe just maybe your father would still be alive." He said.
"It isn't fair! He promised he would come back!" she shouted as she broke into tears.
"Now don't be mad at your dad kid, after all it wasn't his fault. I'm the one who_" he began as he quickly turned his head away from her and took a deep breath.
"Chucky? Are you alright?" Mary asked him.
"No, of course not. After all these years it still eats me up inside." He said as he turned to look back at her and hung his head full of guilt and remorse.
"Oh c'mon Chucky, I know you're sorry about what happened. You've told me over a million times." She told him with a sniff before she brushed away her tears.
"Yeah I know, but I still wish that I could change it." He admitted.
"Well if you did that then we probably would have never met." She pointed out.
"I'm sure you would rather have your father around than me any day." He told her.
"Chucky you're my best friend in the whole entire world. You said it yourself, I was the one who changed your life around. Right now I'm the one who should be sorry. Sometimes I say things that I don't mean. I was just upset that you we're leaving, that's all. I mean who's going to play with me after school's over? Who's going to read to me before bed or stay up late with me watching movies on the weekend?" she asked him.
"I am." Chucky answered with a grin. "Because I'm taking you with me." He told her.
"What?" she questioned with uncertainty and disbelief. "Why would you do that?" she wondered.
"Because I'd miss you too damn much if I didn't. Besides it's in California, that means that I can also take you to Disneyland." He told her.
"Yay!" she cried. "Thank you Chucky, I love you." She told him before she flung her arms around his neck.
"I love you too." He told her as he hugged her back and smiled warmly at her before a second later they broke apart.
"Tag! You're it!" she cried as she touched him lightly on the shoulder and raced down out of the treehouse.
"You better run Mary Barclay!" he shouted with a mischievous laugh before he leapt up to his feet and the two friends started laughing and chasing each other through the woods just enjoying their playtime.