A/N: (recycling my old one...)
OMG, I am SO sorry everyone for the wait! I've been super busy with school and stuff, and I've had some personal problems (and a huge case of writers block) and I've been distracted by my own original story that this has been put on the back burner! I'm really sorry and I'll try to get the next chapter out sooner! And honestly, I hate this chapter.
But the story's almost finished guys! Just a few more chapters, five at the very most. Probably less than that though.
***
Okay, I redid this chapter, because I hated the other with a firey passion. I almost printed out and burnt it, but that'd be a waste of time. I'm still not too happy with chapter, but it's better than the other I guess. Also, believe it or not, the Bethany in the beginning of this chapter (after energy drinks, sugar and caffeine pills) is me after one bottle of flavoured water. It's the Splenda... But anyway, enjoy! :)
"Okay Todd, my darlingest darling, what should we do today?" Bethany asked, bounding into Todd's room the second he finished tying his shoes. Without even waiting for an answer she continued, "Don't care! Well, I have the most brilliantest idea in the history of idea-like thoughts!"
She bounced around his room, knocking over most of his things and playing with everything from his lampshade to the door handle.
"Want to know what it is?" she beamed, acting as if she hadn't just messed up his previously clean room. He shook his head slowly, feeling as if she were draining out his energy and using it for herself. All he wanted to do was sleep...
"No-no-no!" she screeched as he leant backwards, eyes closed. "No sleeping for you! We're going... Shopping!"
"Shopping?"
"Yes silly-billy-willy-dilly-dally!" she cried, grinning manically at him. At this particular moment she was scaring him almost as much as the scary neighbour man. "Shopping! For Christmas and such!"
"Christmas shopping?" he repeated, sure he had heard wrong.
"Yes! You need cheering up; Christy-mass is the holiday of cheer and such! It's perfect! You'll get presents and be happy, and I'll get presents and be happy! Oh how happy we will be!"
Todd sunk back into his pillows, not wanting to go anywhere with this crazy woman who had seemingly replaced his nanny.
"Now get!" she cried, grabbing his arm and fairly throwing him out of the door. "We need to pick up some more energy drinks, candy and caffeine pills; we're all out for some strange reason."
***
"Oh, the mall is such a fantabulous place, is it not?" Bethany sighed, clasping her hands to her chest and spinning around dreamily, seemingly having forgotten about the little boy at her side. "Oooh, shoes!" she cried, grabbing Todd roughly by the arm and dragging him towards the store. "I've been looking forever for this one pair, I saw them in a magazine once, so awesome, and I need them! Do you hear me? NEED!"
Todd merely sighed; she was getting on his nerves, although she seemed a lot calmer than she had been in his room. He trudged along behind her as she gushed over all the shoes, before finally settling on one pair that she immediately paid for, choosing an overly large bag as opposed to the standard size.
"Come on Toddy, something for you now!" she trilled, grabbing a hold of his head and plopping him into the giant bag alongside the strappy orange heels. "Where to? Toy store? Or do you want your own heels?"
"Home?" he asked, not daring to get his hopes up.
"Home Retailers! Perfect, we'll get you a new bed!" she laughed manically, running towards the store. "I've got your parents credit card after all!" She laughed some more as she ran, the adrenaline in her blood system allowing her to run for much longer than she usually would have been able to. That is, until she stopped suddenly, staring at a man clad all in black.
"Johnny?" she muttered, more to herself than Todd, but he heard her anyway, taking this as his cue to hide in the bag until the scary neighbour man was gone.
"JOHNNY! JOHNNY-JOHNNY-JOHNNY-JOHNNY!" Bethany screeched, jumping up and down, attracting the attention of most shoppers, but not the one she was aiming for.
Todd wasn't even aware of movement, but soon he was being examined by Johnny, Bethany's cries of 'shoes!' audible in the distance. All he could see was the scary neighbour man's face peering down at him, a frown on his face.
"Why do you have him in a bag?" he demanded, stopping her in the middle of her unheard rant about her new shoes.
"Huh? Who? Who's in a bag? Where?" she asked, looking around by her feet for any stray children in bags.
"Squee!" Johnny clarified, shaking the bag and causing aforementioned boy to roll around on the shoes uncomfortably.
"Oh, him." She said dismissively. "He likes it in there, don't ya' Todd? Of course he does."
"He didn't even answer you!"
"We have a psychic connection. Not something you'd ever be able to understand, you've never had a connection with anyone, have you?"
"There's no such thing as a psychic connection."
"Is too!"
"Is not!"
"Is too if you've had enough sugar and caffeine to broaden your mind!"
"You're just high!"
"You're just jealous."
"I'd kill you now if it weren't for Squee."
"Well go find somebody else to kill then, because I'm leaving anyway, Todd and I are going bed shopping!"
"Why does he need a new bed?"
"It's Christmas, you're not supposed to get stuff you need!"
"That's just stupid!"
"You're stupid!" Bethany finally screeched, storming away towards the Home Retailers fuming.
***
Three beds and a coffee machine later Todd and Bethany sat on a bench in the mall, licking ice cream and discussing the merits of buying a bigger house to fit all the beds. Bethany had finally calmed down enough after buying the third bed and now they were having a perfectly respectable conversation, and Todd was much more outgoing (although that still wasn't saying much) towards her, even gracing her with a small smile when she said that his parents could stay at the current house while they went off and lived in the new one.
"I mean, it's not like they're there that much anyway, I think they ran away. And even when they do come home, they stay locked up in the master bedroom or the study. You wouldn't miss them, and they probably wouldn't miss you."
"They would so miss me!" he protested, indignant on his parents' behalf.
"Oh I'm sure you're right," she smiled, pulling the boy into a one armed hug, "it's impossible not to miss you when you're not here!"
"Thanks." He mumbled, clutching the box of Lego's he got, worrying about whether or not his parents would miss him if he left.
"Hey, cheer up kid!" Bethany grinned. "It's almost Christmas, don't look so suicidal."
"Suicide?" he squeaked, fear entering his eyes at the very thought of the word.
"Never mind, let's get you home." She smiled, picking up their multiple bags (most of which were filled with presents for Todd- bought when he was picking out his Lego's) and leading him out of the mall, nodding to the security guard at the door and smiling politely at Johnny, who ignored her as he continued to brutally murder a woman in a fur coat outside the doors of the mall.
Everything felt right.
