A Miniaturization with Molly McGee

by birby6

When something goes awry, a thirteen year old with a ghost would never be on someone's emergency list. After an incident at school with a girl named Molly McGee, a younger girl named Nancy suddenly falls into one of the most drastic perspective changes of her life. Now at the size of a bug, only Molly and Scratch could potentially find a way to undo it...with situations to boot!

2. Chapter 2: Molly, Misery, and the Mini

Pain…

Regret…

Angst…

Nothing concretely summarized Nancy's feelings ever since the incident.

From normal to mini in one quick action, clearly her mind took it as possibly the worst moment of her life. Even after all of her panic attacks and pure anxiety from the depths of her disability, nothing prepared her for the changes in perspective and the new girl that started it. To think she concluded to have Nancy to herself alongside a ghost seemed like something out of a fever dream, and yet she learned the hard way that everything aimed for the neck with her around. She almost couldn't bother to open her eyes just because everything around her acted as something harsh beyond comprehension. If Molly McGee wanted to have a miniature girl to herself she definitely held the height to do so while the victim remained helpless in every aspect. She wanted to wake up and take everything as nothing but a bad dream, and while she slept it remained somewhat of a clean slate. For once she peacefully counted sheep and temporarily forgot her troubles, which helped to prevent any kind of snoring. Even as she enjoyed her slumber she never managed to take her attention off of something familiar in the distance, and every time she stared directly at it the image distorted. It uttered some bustling noises, and yet no other details emerged. Nothing but ups and down for the young girl, and she wished to push all of it aside and pretend they never happened.

The image provided louder cacophonies of indescribable noises as a slow light slowly shined before her eyes, and before she knew it they fluttered wide open. She expected to see herself under the covers of her bed while her large Motichan chair squeaked to wish her a good morning. Everything seemed so calm and collected when she woke to the sounds of the kitchen downstairs…

Her mind became tainted the moment she distinguished the back of Molly's bookshelf on a massive scale.

It started subtle, but over time the moments started to rear back like a hoard of roaches. Her sight remained glued to the wood and refused to budge while something acted up in her. Before she knew it her heart accelerated to blistering speeds while she nearly choked on the air around her. Her head slowly shook back and forth while her eyes fogged up into muddied windows that became wet in a thunderstorm. Her body locked up as her skin lost most of its color and became moist to the reality she found herself in. All of her limbs slowly receded into her as she rounded herself into her knees like an abridged pill bug. She held back torrents of tears to failing results and soon enough she silently began to weep to herself. It soaked most of her body and covered her in mucus, but nothing else remained on her mind but the punishing fate imposed on her. Her bad dream turned out to be a living nightmare.

Her time to herself covered the noises from under, and it didn't take a genius to figure out who made them. Once one more noise hit her eardrums she paused for a moment as it sounded pretty nearby. She wanted to keep her sorrows to herself, but because basically everything desired her soul after her shrinkage no other option waved through her head. It took a couple of extra seconds, but eventually she mustered enough to faintly peek off from the top of her knees. If something wanted her head she better have at least one final look before it happened.

She suddenly found herself before the two biggest eyes she had ever seen.

"Moooorning Nancy! Let's start the day with a smile!"

Her heart skipped a millions beats before the tiny girl shrieked for a second and frantically backed up further away from Molly's massive face. In all the time spent sleeping her mind nearly wiped the memory of the scales behind next to everything, and her captor's expression served as a reminder that she won't ever have private time again as long as Molly kept her as a useless dust mite. She still couldn't get over the fact that she essentially had to stick with a mythological titan while her size remained next to nothing, and if Molly wanted she could completely wipe her off the face of the map, accidental or intentional, and nobody would ever know. Someone's demeanor served as a dangerous facade to lure in potential victims after all, and Nancy served as the one most unfortunate to potentially have the hook dangle before her.

Molly's voice hit her eardrums like a million freight trains, which gave her a monster of a migraine, but it didn't solve the fact that the reality brought on her became true at the flip of a switch. The immense force of anxiety built up again for a second time, and soon enough she dug herself back into her knees just to get the punishing sights out temporarily. Molly's cheerful smile slowly went south once she noticed the tiny girl's reaction.

"No, no, no, no, everything's fine Nancy! We, uhhhhh, promised to change you back, remember? Ummmm, turn that frown upside down, errrrrr…please?"

Her attempts to possibly settle Nancy's mood ended as successfully as a wet piece of toilet paper. Eventually her legs acted out a frenzied tap dance as the panic began to settle in. She turned her head back and forth and chewed the tips of her fingers for a few seconds as her young mind tried to lay out blueprints for a potential save only for crucial corners to get charred off and replaced with something new.

Molly bit the bottom of her lip until she couldn't take it anymore.

"Scratch!"

The first few seconds resulted in next to nothing, but as time rolled on the signs became more apparent. It started with the rumbling of the small dollhouse in Molly's room before it immediately ceased and sent the respective ghost clean through the air and into the opposite wall. His face planted itself against the wall before he slowly peeled himself off of it, but in the process he left behind his two eyes. He accidentally hit the ceiling until he figured out his mistake and plucked his eyes from the wall before he placed them back into their rightful places…but left him cross eyed for the moment. He hit his head a couple of time until he finally managed to see straight, and once he saw Molly he deeply frowned.

"You just had to call me up at this very moment, did you? NOW how will I know who framed detective Shirley?! The season just hit its climax and I've waited THIS long!"

"Yeah, sorry about that Scratchy. We kind of have an issue here…if you remembered yesterday." Molly replied before she pointed over to the nervous wrecked Nancy in a skewed fetal position. She kept her face in her knees while Scratch floated up to her for a closer look. His expression didn't chance much.

"…you didn't think this through much, did ya? Seriously, you immediately decided to take the girl in because of that accident and-"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it! Don't want to dwell too much on that fact!" Molly stated while her voice quivered. "You have ANYTHING in mind to settle her down?"

"You went to ME…for COMFORTING advice?" Scratch answered almost in a way that he couldn't believe his hearing. His mouth hung agape for a moment before he clammed back up for his two cents.

"Okay, you clearly lost dozens of brain cells yesterday. You basically asked a vegetarian which meat tastes like chicken from what I'm hearing! What made you suddenly decide-"

"Not HELPING Scratch." Molly interjected through her teeth while her shuddering continued. The two continuously glanced between themselves and Nancy multiple times while they tried to comprehend how to handle such a situation. Despite her bottled up emotions, Nancy could hear both of them very clearly even if she refused to look up. She wanted to cover her ears because the more reminders she picked up from her senses the worse her fate set in stone in her mind. Molly expressed such positivity, Scratch provided grumpiness and ignorance, and Nancy emoted misery and sorrow to the injustice bestowed upon her. If that didn't set up a perfect trifecta for a future sitcom or cartoon than something else definitely will.

Molly rubbed the sides of her head for a moment while she contemplated on some kind of action.

"Come on, come on, come on, I should know this by now! I started the whole MISSION Squad for these very reasons, and failure definitely leaves bad first impressions! I can't have that sort of outcome day one, especially since I just settled in and made my mark! You got this Molly, just focus and you'll come up with something…"

She paced around her bedroom with her face aimed at the floor while Scratch flatly watched her from the sidelines. He had to admit she did act out in a fashion that amused him, especially in her panic, but the fact that she wouldn't shut up got on his nerves a bit. He still required some adjustments to get used to basically having a ball and chain wrapped around him to her, but at his current rate he still had a long way to go. Anything to make her slam her mouth shut would provide the pain to his joy at the moment.

"I say we just leave her to herself and let the harsh reality sink in. Heck, I'm still experiencing such turmoils on a daily basis shackled to you, so if I can possibly handle it…I see no reason why she couldn't take on the new lifestyle."

Molly immediately shot imaginary daggers in his direction while she quickly stood firm and visibly frowned.

"Not an option Scratch, DEFINITELY not an option." Molly answered. "From giant shoes, hungry animals, and even a colony of ants she can't handle the outside world without us!"

"Yet I'm forced into that same situation. Your point?" Scratch asked with a slight snarky attitude.

It rubbed off on Molly the wrong way and almost set her off completely. She knew he didn't have it in him yet to admit a friendship with her, more of an acquaintance as some folks would say, but just because he accidentally bound himself to her didn't mean he lacked some good in him. Even so, for now her tolerance levels varied, and at that moment it felt the heat behind her head. Molly may have spelled all type of positive emotions from her personality and face alone, but tucked away in certain corners set various miscellaneous parts she wanted to prevent from becoming public. Every light has a dark circle after all and vice versa.

She spoke with determination and happiness which mixed into one complete sequence of statements.

"I cannot go back on my promise when someone deserves it. I want to bring happiness to the world and I can't ignore the misery behind something I possibly caused. Nancy needs me more than anything else beyond what I'm used to, and I'm up for whatever trials her status brings to the table. I won't disregard anyone under those punishing conditions. She needs my help, and I feel like I'm the only one that can make things right for her."

Her brief and supportive nature hit Nancy's hearing in a way she never thought possible. After that incident where she pushed her into the massive cake her attention span never diverted to the common reactions. Instead of desiring to forget and move on, she took responsibility and took action to right the wrongs smitten upon her and the innocent victim. Such a stunning revelation even got the young girl to tilt her head slightly upward even if she couldn't stand the different perspectives yet. She just met her yesterday and she already considered her something to cherish like a true friend. She never even got to witness her long enough when she stood at her normal height as most of her time spent was when Nancy lost all of it. It remained somewhat of an enigma in concept to someone like the eleven year old, and yet Molly understood despite the slight age difference. If she put her mind to it and kept watch on the speck she knew had a life beyond such an unjustifiable punishment, maybe, just maybe, Nancy won't have to see huge clumps of dust and…

Her mind cut off when she quickly noticed Molly and her massive presence walk up to her before she set her sights on the worried shrunken girl. Nancy almost couldn't take the pressure and nearly hid her face back into her knees.

"Sorry about that delay Nancy. My priorities ran all over the place these past couple of days, but despite that I'm ready for anything! You understand where I'm coming from, right?"

Nancy kept her mouth shut and refused to open it while the intimidation factors took control of her actions. Molly may have stated that she desired to keep her safe and sound, but Nancy couldn't comprehend how such a factor played out when everything wanted a piece of her helpless body at her stature. She had no idea how she functioned and the mindset behind it, so it became a guessing game to see which stuck. Molly McGee won't have the privilege to babysit anytime soon at her current rate, and only time will tell if she ever accomplished such a feat.

A small burst of wind waved through her hair which stirred her curiosity enough to force her sight to come out of hiding. It almost stunned her and made her heart stop as she saw one of the biggest hands placed before her at the edge of the shelf. Molly still expressed a heartwarming smile smile as she kept Nancy in her sight.

"Come on Nancy, make the first step into a friendship beyond the size scale. I'm just a big friendly girl that understands your current plights. I made the MISSION Squad for you after all, and if I can make the first leap I know you can too!"

The volume behind her voice compared to Nancy unnerved the latter to an extent, and yet Molly's behavior remained upbeat and active. The shrunken girl had no idea how she managed to remain that way despite the foreboding consequences if anything went awry. In some ways it almost made Nancy feel like she took the problem like the high magnitude behind it never existed, and yet it couldn't have been the contrary. If she lacked any type of seriousness then maybe it felt more like a burden to have her as the giant guardian angel that always stuck by her, and yet she found no other potential option. The smile across her face could very well have a dangerous precedent down the road, and yet Nancy knew she must follow her instructions or face possibly heavy discipline. As nervous and afraid as she felt in Molly's presence, the bigger one called all of the shots whether she wanted to or not.

She shivered and shuddered all over for a couple of seconds while Molly watched overhead. Just so she wouldn't potentially hold her up, Nancy worriedly put her legs to use and finally lifted herself off her bottom. It only took a couple of steps before she would eventually get on Molly's fingertips, and yet two ton weights laid dormant across the tiny girl's feet. The deep wave of unrestricted outcomes remained only a few movements away, and if she went for it she couldn't turn back. The bigger girl already made her dedications moving forward, but the polar opposite remained a different story.

"Come on tiny, you can totally rely on me! Although, if you can, I still have to go to school, so…if you can speed things up and move onto my hand already I would really appreciate the notion!"

She just spilled a minor urgency to get her to comply quicker, which only compounded Nancy's decision further. If she needed a certain jump start to hasten the pace she unquestionably got it, and even though Nancy saw no other choice it made more panic settle in for her even if Molly never held any knifes pointed at her. She held out one foot at first after the first few steps put her at the shelf's edge near Molly's fingers, which meant one more step would seal the deal and put the giant's girl's safety in her hands…which became quite literally at the moment. While she intended to take a couple more seconds for herself, the most minute of dust across the surface of the shelf did her in as she slipped and landed almost face first into Molly's skin. She didn't know if Molly paid any attention, considering the size difference, but at least she lacked any lasting injuries. While a bit unintentional, she already had her decision set in stone. From that moment, Nancy's fate rested with Molly McGee and Scratch until they managed to reverse her entire shrinkage…even if the future remained bleak in Nancy's eyes.

Scratch watched from the sidelines and once the process completed he remained stagnant and sprouted some extra arms that began slowly clapping.

"Wow, bravo. Brilliant. I'm shaking in my ectoplasm. You really showed her good there kid. Can we get a move on before I get sick from all the sappiness?"

"Awwww, thanks for the support Scratchy!" Molly replied before she zipped over and gave the ghost a big hug using her other arm. It immediately took Nancy for a ride and careened her around in Molly's palm, which banged her body around but nothing too serious. It didn't take a genius to hear the obvious sarcasm behind Scratch's tone, and while Nancy lacked any clue to understand for certain if Molly knew as well or plainly ignored it in the end she got to squeeze her ghostly friend into a balloon again. She started to have doubts if Molly truly stood out as the correct choice to solve the "miniature" crisis smitten upon her, but once she came across dead ends in her head she immediately dismissed them.

She kept herself curled up a bit in some leftover worry before Scratch wiggled free and Molly steered her attention back to the tiny girl in her hand.

"Wow, I almost can't believe we finally got started with the whole fiasco. I wish I could still hold onto you and pretend like I'm a titan, but I don't want to be late for school. I'll consider it sometime later though and… Oh. My. Gosh. I already have SO many ideas for future games to make her happy! Ooooooh, I CAN'T CONTAIN MY EXCITEMENT!"

"I pretty much put that feeling to rest the moment I got cursed to you." Scratch said. Nancy remained silent even after the reassurances from Molly before the large girl moved her hand toward a certain part on the side of her shirt, and once Nancy got a good look she understood what she had in mind. Molly even played along a little bit using her upbeat attitude.

"Go on, fasten your seat belts for a wild pocket adventure with the amazing tour guide, Molly McGee! Please try to remain seated between the fabrics and keep your motions to a minimum as we don't want any unintentional tickling. For the best experience feel free to stick your head out to witness the drastic scenery behind such perspective changes! We hold no responsibility…actually, scratch that thought. As long as you don't feed the dust bunnies feel free to let the tour guide show you a great trip! Thank you for choosing the Molly Express Lane and enjoy you time with us, heeheehee!"

Once glance down from Molly's fingertips and Nancy already didn't appreciate her next destination. Even though she could determine any loose dirty spots the giant girl couldn't see with the naked eye, the darkness contained within a large flap of her shirt gave her goosebumps all over. From the endless black depths displayed in full it almost made the whole thing feel like another sky diving lesson but with a bottomless pit as the landing spot. After her long and strenuous fall into Molly's backpack that helped kick start all of her tiny troubles in the first place, the scales heavily weighed down on the side that required no such extremes. Molly never seemed fazed by such a minute action, but she never understood all of the turmoils Nancy went through in the first place. Unless she found herself in the same shoes as the small autistic girl, her knowledge about the contraries between normal and shrunken sizes remained in the dark.

At first she lacked the best view of such a hideaway, and due to the obscured vision it coaxed Nancy into tiptoeing a bit further for a closer look. The last few steps became crucial in what happened next, for soon after she attempted her final one her balance tilted everywhere until she found herself in the air aimed straight at the open darkness. She managed to utter one brief scream before the lights went out and the dive suddenly ended. Her entire body hit the inside of the pocket with a small thud, which thankfully cushioned most of the damage for the young girl. She coughed a couple of times from some dust intakes before she put herself in a more comfortable position. For a hiding spot it seemed not too bad at first, even soothing in a couple of spots. While the darkness inside proved cumbersome for someone like her, at least the top still had some light to peek out of on occasion if she wanted. While a pretty common place to keep lowly valuables, in terms of a spot that remained close to the only ones that knew about her predicament it became better than most other places off of the top of her head.

Nancy remained around the bottom of the hiding spot when the entire vision from above her became plaster with Molly's friendly face and smile.

"Well? All comfy in there?"

For the first time today, Nancy actually answered back.

"Yes. I can work with this… While a bit stuffy…I'll get used to it… Please…don't hurt me…"

Molly's happy face put on a joyful grin and displayed a pinch of confidence behind it.

"Nancy, no matter what it takes, I'll make sure to keep you safe at all costs. I said it a million times already, but you can totally count on me to solve EVERYTHING! Just hang tight and lay low for a bit, okay?"

"I'm pretty much forced to tag along with cuffs around my arms and ankles… Darn it, I nearly forgot that I lack legs from all of the glitter in my eyes!" Scratch's voice answered from above.

Nancy curled herself up tight in the corner of Molly's pocket while she felt the moments almost immediately. She jerked around in all direction while the giant girl from above made her way to wherever she had in mind, although from her statements about school Nancy already had some guesses in mind. For the most part the picture around the opening shifted drastically from one area to another, and since Nancy never set her eyes on the inside of Molly's home before everything seen retained their freshness as first sights. Due to Molly's unsteady movements she couldn't afford to climb up and catch a few quick glances at the inside of the whole abode, although if she heard the truth from the large girl and ghost she most likely would get a few chances to see for herself. From the instant snippets she witnessed from the moving picture above, she briefly noted a few rungs of a ladder and Scratch's flat demeanor, but other than that the lack of more solid shapes made identifying any individual object almost an impossibility. She really wanted to forget that it only just begun with her as an unwilling prisoner to a girl that just moved to Brighton in the first place, and yet nothing ended up as fantasy. She took a shrinkage for an unknown reason all right, and Molly McGee had her whether the tiny girl wanted to or not.

The rumbling around her continued on for a bit longer, and by that point Nancy tilted her head down so she wouldn't find herself any dizzier from all of the shifting colors from the opening. Molly's shaking while she moved already gave her enough of becoming light headed. If something similar became one of the reasons as to why Scratch didn't like her she easily got the message after the last few bumpy rides. Molly stated she still had stuff to learn about what to do and what not to do about having a tiny girl bunk in with her, and she clearly failed the first lesson with movements. If she ever found a decent moment to speak with Molly in her free time, well… She already put a pin into a certain recommendation.

Eventually, after a couple of minutes, the shifts ceased. Nancy nearly hit her head on the bottom of the pocket, but she finally had a moment to recollect herself and hold down buckets of bile. Her head rang millions of phone calls that resonated like an annoying cacophony, but at least she remained intact for the most part. After a few deep breaths she regained some of her original self, and after the ride Molly put her through she had a simple fact set in stone. Whenever she eventually managed to visit an amusement park, she immediately ruled out roller coasters as something she would willingly ride.

After a few more moments, some other noises hit her hearing. They came from outside her head and above to where the pocket's opening set. She went through a few lesser gravity shifts before they settled back down again, while provided a much clearer picture from sound alone. It seemed like some kind of bantering at first, but any individual words remained muddied in the water. If she wanted to listen in on the full conversations she had to willingly go for it, although she never deemed herself as someone who thrived off of climbing. Despite the setbacks set in place, she already began to get the creeps the longer she sat in the depths of Molly's pocket, even if she stayed in there for a short time, and the bigger girl gave her the permission to peek out when she wanted. With the thoughts cementing her decision, she took a couple of breaths before she gripped the fabric in front of her and tucked her shoes into it in the process.

"Just hold it in and don't look down… Just hold it in and don't look down-"

As the troubling thoughts surged through her mind as a makeshift safety net, the troubled kid made her few steps upward. Even though she still saw dust in a couple places, for the most part the girl never slipped and fell during her climb up. She never took the hobby of rock climbing in her life and even passed over it whenever the topic came up she immediately scouted out for the nearest bathroom and locked herself into one of the stalls, but after she ended up forced into doing it just to get out of Molly's pocket for once it seemed not that bad…almost. As long as she kept her head away from the death laden fall below her mindset focused on the checkered flag. The thoughts about falling and possibly changing into Scratch's relative upon impact really made her hair stand on end, but her mind remained on target just to ward off the reaper's breath down her neck.

She felt buckets of sweat pour down her head, but after her limbs nearly snapped into twig her took a well deserved breather once the light hit her eyes. Because of her secrecy between the girl and ghost she couldn't afford to stick her head out all the way, but she found enough to see where Molly wandered off to that forced the tiny girl to hold back piles of vomit. One she took in the full picture it didn't surprise her to much to see a kitchen of sorts, and she had to admit it provided a more impressive display than back at her own house. One large counter made its base near the middle while it extended along the wall to form a bunch of different cabinets. A particular space along the wall set along a common refrigerator that showed a couple of magnets that Nancy couldn't make out upon first glance. Some large blocks extended with the counter and along the walls as well, which she immediately found out were more cabinets. It actually surprised Nancy some even though she heard that it was commonplace for many homes around her area.. She always wondered why such structures existed, especially to certain folks that lacked the height to commonly reach them, and she hears musings about her parents considering one before Molly…reduced her to nothing. For some reason she thought it carried a bit of elegance behind it, almost like very few people even knew about its existence, let alone owned one, since it seemed counterproductive unless the required people seemed fit for one. Either way, she knew someone like Molly probably wouldn't have an easy time getting to them unless they stood atop of the counter or an extra chair, which the kitchen had around the front. An opening to another part of the house set in one of the corners next to a common stove, and close by a faucet ran its water into a sink alongside a dish washer. While it had features that came standard with kitchens, it impressed her once she noticed the parts she'd never seen before until that moment.

While one glance up revealed Molly's joyous and smiling face, she didn't arrive in the kitchen alone. The last few jerky movements turned out as the last few actions taken before she sat down at the table, and close by in a chair next her sat someone else. Upon first glance he displayed a similar appearance to Molly, but his spiky frown hair immediately provided a difference that made him stand out in Nancy's eyes. While she lacked the proper angle to fully see his entire body, she saw enough to figure out that he stood at a lower height than her giant girl captor. He even had a certain roundness to his body that almost made him look like a large ostrich egg, which she tried to scrub out of her mind before the thoughts deluged into other comparisons. At least his choices for attire stood out as pretty casual, with some type of orange hoodie underneath a long green sweatshirt of some kind, although Nancy never had the keenest of insights into choices of clothing. She appreciated the flip flops around his feet with comfy socks tucked underneath because of the heat, although she preferred sandals herself. She found it easier to walk around in them and let her feel the terrain around her toes, especially when it came to beaches, but she understood that preferences varied from person to person. If he shared similar interests she might want to hang out with him at some point, but thanks to the accident she had to put those plans on standby. Even so, it made him out as young misfit keen on various hobbies beyond her knowledge, at least from what Nancy determined.

Someone else also had a presence in the room, and he stood by the sink as he washed his hands under the sink. In a stark contrast to Molly and the boy next to her he stood out with long orange hair instead. His long nose really stood out that made him seem like someone switched him at birth with a completely different family. Despite the opposites she noticed immediately, he didn't stand out as completely ugly or grotesque in any aspect. In fact, Nancy thought he gave off a unique appeal outside of Molly's persistent joyfulness and the other boy's…plumpness? Nancy couldn't pinpoint too much since she had no idea what personality each one shaped out to be, but she had her hunches. As for the tall man at the sink, his casual choices for clothing which included a long green sweatshirt, similar to the young boy's in a way, light blue pants and dark blue sneakers gave impressions to the tiny girl that he really liked to sit on a couch and watch football, even if she never had the most pristine knowledge of the sport. He definitely aged higher than Molly or the boy from the height difference alone, although she didn't know if she saw wrinkles across his face or not. If he ended up as Molly's father she definitely had questions regarding family trees, but she couldn't judge on first impressions alone. He could've had some very interesting qualities tucked away for Nancy to witness at some point, so she set her expectations somewhere pretty high up for him.

As for the last person she noticed, unlike the man, she resembled Molly a bit more than the others. She still had the similar brown hair that she had, although some type of bun curled near the back. For the most part Nancy chose to not stylize her hair too much, especially since it made her stand out more among everyone else, although she preferred to have her ends some type of blue color. While the woman displayed no coloration of blue around the spots Nancy liked, she still thought it suited her for some reason. Her face gave off some type of "soccer mom" vibe to the tiny girl even though her features resembled Molly's pretty nicely. She bet that if she said that kind of remark around Molly her presence might actually disappear, since the wrath of anyone monumentally larger than her pretty much spelled doom. As least the woman's green shirt looked really nice with a white undershirt in her eyes, and the navy blue pants and purple shoes complemented her in a way no other person could. All of it mixed together to form a distinct person of a woman, and Nancy already had her guesses as to who she was in relation to everything else in the establishment. Her tall height alone provided enough to hypothesize the role the woman had in the house. She still had the appeal of someone her age, and even though Nancy probably wouldn't get to speak with her on account of the secrecy behind the accident, she guessed that the woman easily carried some great accomplishments over her shoulders.

She accounted for everyone in Molly's family and easily understood where Molly's positivity came from, or at least a structural part.

The boy had his sights on a phone of some sort in his lap while Scratch immediately flew head first into one of the cabinets, and after a few seconds he immediately stuck his head out with a distinct box in his hands while he had his face stuffed to the brim before he swallowed.

"Yes! I found the Pain and Misery! How did you know that I cherish this beyond recognition?"

The woman glanced up from the stove for a second to address him.

"I had to fight tooth and nail for that box, thank you very much! Pretty much everyone at the store had an eye out for that brand, and I'm pretty sure I gained a couple of gray hairs in the process."

"Hey, as far I'm concerned, everyone I know should have these!" Scratch stated before he quickly rushed to the fridge for some milk. While he did so it provided a clear picture of the front of the box, and once Nancy read the large letters it came as no surprise to her.

Why anyone gave a cereal brand that name went beyond her comprehension.

Once he took out the carton and mixed between pouring cereal then the milk, it slightly irked Molly in a way.

"Hey Scratch, save some milk for us! You know I can't mess up the most important meal of the day!" Molly replied before she pointed to her trademark smile. "See this? See how even dentists desire such perfection? I've had my amazing smiles for years and I'm NOT one to fall into the depths of the marshes of gloominess!"

Scratch swished around some of the milk in his mouth before he answered.

"I heard patience is a virtue, so hold your horses and let me have my time. Besides, I'm taking on a slight initiative since I stayed in this house before you did, so I think I should have SOME ownership of certain aspects."

"Like what, exactly?" Molly asked with a cocked eyebrow. It didn't take long until she took a small glance downward and noticed what the ghost talked about. Right in the center of the table set a very apparent sticker of a large red denied circle with the words "Scratch's stuff. Don't touch!" plastered all over the front in big bold black letters. While it proved his point to an extent, once she glanced back up she immediately saw dozens of those stickers across many other objects. He included the fridge, chairs, multiple cereal boxes, and even a few bottles of dish soap. He definitely placed more around the place, even if she couldn't see all of them at the moment.

"I'm pretty sure we brought all of this stuff in here when we moved in-"

She didn't get to finish her sentence when she heard some weird muffling next to her. Both Nancy and Molly turned toward the source only to witness the boy next to her as he tried to pull one of Scratch's large stickers off of his whole face. He got somewhat close a few time, but for the most part it remained stuck like glue.

"Oh! Darryl!"

Molly instantly grabbed hold of some available space on the sticker and assisted him in his attempts to get the whole thing off. While solo it proved somewhat difficult, but as a duo it became no trouble at all even if they struggled a little. The instant it peeled off Molly immediately lost balance on her chair and flipped over, where she hit the floor with a thud and almost made Nancy fall out of her hiding spot. Luckily for the both of them it became almost a none issue and they remained uninjured. For the most part, at least Scratch never resorted to superglue or duct tape or it could have gone much worse.

The boy, named Darryl, sat up in shock for a quick moment before he hastily ran his fingers over his face in case he got hurt. He took out his phone and looked at himself in the camera, which comically also had one of Scratch's stickers over the back, and while he showed a little bit of red in a few spots he suffered next to nothing. Even so, it didn't calm him down any quicker.

"You tried to take ownership of my brother?!" Molly exclaimed in bewildering astonishment. "Did you even think before this?!"

"Molly, he technically isn't the smartest ghost around, but even so…you could have at least put that on my back or something!" Darryl added soon after.

Scratch poured an entire mouthful of cereal into his maw and swallowed.

"Okay, I'll admit that I went a little overboard, but I can't risk any of you calling dibs on MY stuff! Of course, I originally intended to add something extra to the design there, but, well…I lack the funds. Just take this extra carton and leave me to my own agenda right now."

The ghost reached inside the fridge and brought out another large carton of milk from the back. He floated over to the kids and set it down before them, only to turn his back immediately to his own cereal and milk…without a bowl or spoon. Nancy swore she hear a small groan from Molly as she watched Scratch act on his own accord, and she couldn't blame her from the display. She may have it bottled up somewhere, but she clearly didn't want to have disdain and distraught across her usual perky self. How she managed to uphold those standards possibly took a lot out of her, for Nancy barely mustered enough to hold herself together so she never broke down on the spot. Molly's mindset contained much more under the hood than Nancy originally thought, which should have came as no surprise to someone like her.

Nancy kept her eyes on the family as Darryl got up and walked over to one of the cabinets and reached inside for a second. Once his head popped back out he held another cereal box in his right hand, and from the cover alone she knew what he wanted. She couldn't help herself to a bowl of "Fruity Hoop & Hurdles" every now and then when her parents arrived back home with the groceries. Not only did many of the shapes resemble typical donuts with a hole in the middle, but they even contained some that even contained shapes similar to large hurdles straight from track and field events. Quincy the blue killer whale and his huge leaps into the rings on the cover of the box helped sell the brand to millions, even though she heard rumors that he originated as a rejected Olympics mascot. Even so, she loved the fruitiness behind all of the various shapes and even remembered the little slogan that always got uttered from the TV from each commercial.

"People afraid of hurdles will never get over it!"

Somehow she felt like it didn't click as much, but she didn't care as the cereal still tasted good. To see that Molly also enjoyed it meant they had at least one thing in common, but Nancy didn't want to rely on similarities too much between them because Molly instigated the whole shrinkage fiasco in the first place.

Molly and Darryl both poured their fills and picked up a couple of spoonfuls before they snacked them down. Molly's expression alone told her everything about how she enjoyed it. Both ends pointed straight up as the eyes above widened as if they had just come across a lost puppy. Nancy knew the exact same feelings every time she took a bite from that particular cereal, and most often than not she normally asked for seconds. The certain brand always lingered in the back of her parents' minds, so they always put the recommendation somewhere on the list when they drove out to the grocery store. The sights already made Nancy start to drool, and she would have continued if she never heard something on the other side of Molly.

"Uhhh, mom? Any reason you have that large stack of paper there?"

It caught Nancy's and Molly's attention, but Scratch had his mind off in his own world as he cherished his cereal and milk with his afterlife. At least Nancy learned that the tall woman with the common features ended up as Molly's and Darryl's mother, and close by as she stood by the stove set a large stack of paper that seemed blank at first. Of course they could have gotten flipped upside down which would have covered the particular surface, but she couldn't figure out for sure from the angle. One glace at the woman and she definitely had something run through her head before anyone managed to see her in full. While she may have seemed normal on a quick few second glance, one thorough inspection revealed some type of war story. From ruffled hair, wrinkles below the eyes, and even some slight shudders every now and then, Mrs. McGee may have stood out in a frigid winter from such similarities Nancy thought of. If she didn't know any better, anyone could have mistaken her as the one and only abominable snowman, and yet she clearly wanted no relations despite her appearance. Somehow she had an even more run down display than a teacher who just stayed up an entire night counting grades from students' homework.

Her drained overall figure faced the kids with a small frown as a cherry on top. It took a few seconds for her to perk up and answer.

"Oh, sorry about that. I've had so much work done yesterday and I have more to go through with later. They've pretty much gone crazy over their kid…"

She started to drift off a bit to sleep, but she quickly pried her eyes back open like a crazy person. Molly then tilted her head a bit in slight confusion.

"Uhhhhh, do you still have your job in mind? I can't recall…"

"No, no, not about that." Mrs. McGee replied. "I volunteered to help a particular family with a certain crisis. More specifically, I'm helping a family…handle this."

The woman wasted no time as she grabbed one of the pieces of paper and showed its front side for the kids to see. Her fatigue got the best of her as her eyes went dreary, but for the ones at the table they each reacted to such a clear image in their own way. Darryl remained content for the most part, although he still had some loose milk in his mouth, as his mind went blank with no recollection of such an image even when he first arrived in Brighton. A part of him tried to connect the wires but they became jumbled in the end and it worked his brain into overdrive. To save the rest for school he cut ties with the thought and let things progress normally with less influence from him. Molly almost felt milk spray out of her nose while she dipped even further than her brother's attitude, and she almost felt like her mom just sucker punched her straight in the chest. The back of her head started to sweat a little while temperatures rose under her skin. All fingers pointed to her and she knew it too well. All of it revolved around only distinct aspect after all, and the true nature behind it remained behind closed doors. Part of her wanted to bolt at the sight and write it off as a complete fluke or coincidence, and yet her eyes didn't fail her. She saw those certain movie and she clearly lacked the preparation behind such tactic, but if she fessed up it only would put more pressure on everything. Suffice to say, the dreaded terror painted a dark cloud above her head that no rainbow could ward off.

For Nancy though, she easily took the most punishment.

It confirmed just about everything that persisted in the corners of her head the moment the larger than life girl decided on how to proceed. All that time they still cared for her well being, and yet she earned imprisonment as a consequence for something beyond her control. It drilled straight for her chest and left her with just an inch of her life remaining, and in the end she wished it would have just ceased altogether. To feel their arms, chest, and love served as some of the most beneficial safety nets to help cushion her current reversals of misfortunes, and yet her stature meant her eyes met their feet much to her grinding sorrow. While it displayed the most minute of promises, even during her first day, it almost shattered her thoughts of hope. Her captor clearly had a mind off somewhere else in terms of seriousness, and her ghastly companion proved no better upon first impressions, which left her as the helpless prisoner with not a single light from a crack in the wall. Mrs. McGee probably never intended it, but she dashed most of Nancy's dreams of normal height ever again from the one image alone, even if the intention behind it remained pure.

Time seemed to drag on from that moment even though nothing happened, but eventually Darryl made his statement first.

"I…don't recognize that girl. Looks pretty cute though. How long has that started?"

"Since yesterday." Mrs. McGee answered. "Something about a large birthday cake and how she completely vanished under their noses kept ringing through my head and the couple kind of won't stay quiet about the matter. I wished them the best, but I felt like I should help them through their dire troubles. They want their little girl back."

She almost acted on instinct, or it could have been all of the locked up emotions as they spilled out, but she couldn't hold everything in any longer. As torrents of tears spilled down her cheeks and her nose oozed snot, Nancy attempted to yell out for some kind of help like the crushed prisoner she became. However, Molly had herself one step ahead of it so just when Nancy began to start the giant girl that kept her secret instantly put her right hand straight across her pocket that contained the tiny one. Nancy's voice became muffled into next to nothing and covered Nancy's vision in darkness. Molly didn't want the real secret behind Nancy's disappearance out there, especially after she just settled into Brighton.

"Did I just hear something?" Darryl asked as he perked up more than usual. Molly tried to put on an inconspicuous act as she expressed a lukewarm smile while her voice quivered all over the place.

"Errrr, ummm, nope! Definitely nothing wrong here! Uhhhhhh…Scratch! Keep that chewing to yourself!"

Scratch poured the last of the cereal and chugged at the last portion of his milk carton while he kept his mouth open, but once he heard Molly his face went flat while his cheeks puffed up like he stored food for the winter.

"I mayffff eaffffff aloffff, buffffff effffffen I haffffff fffffffome effffffffiffffffuefffffe!"

"Please keep your mouth closed while you eat Scratch! Heheheheheh…" Molly's obvious facade continued. She practically dripped in blatant guilt as her face told all, but the others just looked at her like she just went through an episode in her head. While her cover over her pocket that contained Nancy may have kept most of the outside world from the shrunken kid she found a small crease between two of her fingers that provided Nancy a mostly clear picture of their expressions, and they clearly gazed at Molly like she came from another planet. She wanted to admit that she found such blatant expressions humorous, but after the bombshell that dropped it pretty much shot down that opportunity.

The awkwardness continued for a few more seconds until Molly broke the ice.

"Ummmmm, well, I think we wasted enough here! When milk gets caught in a wind tunnel it SURE takes a lot out of you! Come on Darryl, let's get in the car already!"

"But I didn't finish my-"

Before her brother could finish, the nervous and cheesiness smiling Molly zipped by and grabbed him by the arm before she pulled him alone for the ride. Mrs. McGee's mind went blank for a moment while she tried to comprehend that sort of quick process her daughter went through and her hasty display behind it. She stared for a few moments at the exit before she glanced back at the paper in her hand, even if her comprehension behind such actions remained up in the air. She knew her daughter liked to stand out from the norm so she wouldn't fall prey to the "common archetypes", but even then she still gave her at least one surprise on a daily basis.

"…I guess she took the problem into her own hands again." Mrs. McGee said pretty flatly.

"You really have the obliviousness of a sea cucumber." Scratch thought as he finished his breakfast. He would have spoken up a short time later, but before he could do so he heard the one wretched word he detested with a passion even since that fateful day.

"Scratch!"

His pupils nearly disappeared before a pink aura formed around him and he began to get swept toward the opening that Molly went through. He panicked for a moment as he tried to hold onto one of the cabinets, which broke off, then to the tiled floor, which also failed to hold him, before he latched onto one of the edges of the exit. His hopelessness bled into his final statement as he stared down Mrs. McGee for one final moment.

"Tell Mr. Nibbles he owes me later!"

Right when he finished he disappeared down the hallway to the one girl he foolishly bound himself to. It didn't straighten out Mrs. McGee's thought process behind the recent happenings, but she didn't need to when she had kids to drive to school. She shook her head for a before she glanced back down at her stack of paper and almost cringed at what the other parents put her through. Sure, they had good intentions, but from the amount the manually printed out she had a lot of space to cover. Still, if Molly or Darryl suddenly went missing she probably would have progressed through similar intentions beyond the sanity of everyone else. She couldn't fathom how dire the parents must have felt after the news hit them, even if it only occurred since yesterday, and yet they relied on her, plus many others, to spread the word. If the public became more aware their efforts would multiply ten fold from the amount of additional support. It started as something minor, but publicity wielded quite a weapon to potentially figure many parts out.

Right as she turned to leave with the pile of papers in hand, she briefly turned over to her husband who, for the entire time, had his hands in the sink while he stared down at them. It stirred the curiosity in her until she had to ask.

"Hey, honey? You've had you head in the clouds since you came down here, so what's the issue?"

He mumbled something to himself that she couldn't determine before she heard a deepening sigh. While she planted her feet in place to not get frightened off, a few hairs on her back stood on end from such noises. She slightly tilted her head before Mr. McGee slowly wiggled his back and then immediately turned around to face her, and the glint in his eyes complemented what he covered from the rest of the family…even if it ended up as a common kitchen item at first glance. Something evidently coursed through his head the whole time, and he wanted no distractions.

His wild grin really stood out to her.

"If you can excuse me…these drenched gloves need to strangle a certain flying creature. THIS…IS…PERSONAL."

Without missing a beat, he marched straight through the hallways and up the stairs for a situation she couldn't grasp at the moment. To save herself the trouble, she decided to leave him alone to handle…whatever he had in mind.

---

The drive to school remained typical like always. Molly made extra sure nobody could sneak a peek at the shrunken girl in her pocket, which put her a bit on edge, although she let her eyes provide the entertainment from all of the sights around Brighton. Nancy didn't find the opportunity to stick her head out to witness her new surroundings, which left her with Molly's huge face above as the only show on the station. Even though her eyes raced everywhere across the window, because she just moved to Brighton a couple of days ago it pretty much explained itself. While she saw a couple glimpses of Scratch from the opening, for the most part Nancy only saw Molly's face while she gazed endlessly through the glass. However, even though she wanted to share similar feelings with her captor, after she saw the poster it pretty much ruined the rest of her day. She knew the real reason why, Molly as well, followed by Scratch, behind her disappearance and the fact that she couldn't cry out for help helped drive in her status as a shrunken prisoner of the new girl in town. Molly thought it didn't stand out as a big deal, but for her tiny victim…she could never understand. At least the car radio calmed her nerves, at least for the moment, while it provided a slow catchy tune by a band her father rather enjoyed in his free time. Because her line of sight lacked the inclusion of Mrs. McGee or Darryl her detection as to how they handled the drive remained an enigma even if their voices came up on occasion. From an eager young thirteen year old, an unsatisfied ghost, a shattered captive, and two other family members with their own traits, some could easily call the McGee family a circus and it would perfectly fit.

After the short and sweet drive, the car settled before Brighton's one middle school, and already some students began to walk up the stairs and through the front doors. Molly made her way out of her seat first followed by her brother, which gave Nancy full view of the establishment. Even though only yesterday it didn't stand out as anything special, one change in the size perspective painted the building in a different light. From her angle, it now had the potential to rival some of America's biggest monuments and even then it possibly stood even taller than them. It almost intimidated her to know that she would have to go inside with Molly, and if she broke away from her at any moment the crowded halls most likely meant she never stood a change at survival. She didn't want to admit it, but she had to rely on Molly's huge stature to possibly get through the day in one piece or risk demise.

Mrs. McGee drove away soon after, which left the kids and ghost alone while more students arrived.

"I'll meet you inside Darryl. I, uhhhhh…forgot to tie one of my shoes."

"Okay. I'll see you inside!" Darryl answered. He proceeded to run up the stairs and glanced back at his older sister for a split second, although once he did he noticed Molly's standard pink and yellow shoes fully tied up as if they never got touched in the first place. As weird as he excuse sounded upon the sight, he let it slide and headed into the building.

The instant she lost sight of her brother, Molly bolted over to the right side of the school and into a couple of bushes so nobody could see her. Scratch floated close by as unimpressed as ever while Molly glanced down at her tiny occupant, who still didn't display the most positive of vibes. The tiny girl watched as her captor raised one of her hands and placed it right before the lip of her pocket.

"Go on, Nancy. I got you."

She wanted to ignore the request and silently cry to herself after everything she witnessed the moment she woke up, but she learned the hard way that anyone that stood over her held their ideals over hers. None of her decisions mattered, only the ones in charge, so it became obvious as to what she followed up with. It took a couple of tries to hoist herself up over the lip, but eventually Molly used her other hand to help push the tiny kid using one one of her huge fingers. It assisted to finally put Nancy into her grasp, and once she made it safely she slowly walked into her palm and nervously looked into her planet sized eyes and supportive expression.

Molly McGee spoke first, and her voice boomed over to Nancy due to the height difference.

"I see you stayed put during the ride and kept your seat belt strapped at all times. I think you deserve a quick breath of fresh air for a moment, you know, since it's your first time."

Even while Molly expressed her usual infectious smile, Nancy refused to utter a word. She tilted her head downward and barely made eye contact with Molly while she curled up for some kind of close comfort. Her deep sorrow seemed to rub off on the big girl as a bit of her smile faded.

"Come on Nancy, how many times do I have to reiterate that I'm going to find a way to change you back? You can't dwell on the negatives forever, and I'm amazing with others! Please, you can trust me on this!"

"I don't think that will completely flip her mindset on the spot." Scratch said. "Kid probably still needs time to take everything in…like my unfortunate fate."

"And how would that keep her quiet so she doesn't give herself up instantly?" Molly asked. "I can't go to juvenile court when I just moved here!"

For once Nancy actually looked back up to Molly and hastily shook her head as if she agreed on that. She still refused to move out of her comfort zone, but at least basic communication remained under all of the wraps with some digging. As much as she disliked Molly for taking her as a hostage, if she got thrown in the slammer the chances of her size returning would diminish into the single digits. She never wanted the situation to happen in the first place, but nobody else could know about the reason behind her disappearance.

Both Scratch and Molly had their eyes on Nancy as she reacted, which caused the older girl to get a bit giddy which shook the hand that held Nancy a little.

"Nancy? Did…did you just react?"

She found her answer when the worried girl lightly nodded her head, which forced Molly to hold back waves of excitement. Her smile perked back up as realizations hit.

"Ooooh, yes! You do have some good somewhere under all of that timidness! I know it seems bleak right now, but as long as-"

"Hold it kiddo, something caught my eye about this." Scratch interjected, even going as far as to put a hand over her mouth. Molly acted dumbfounded for a second from such an action before the ghost looked over to the tiny girl. Nancy could feel her heart stop the moment Scratch put his attention back on her and she didn't realize until a few more seconds in that she had locked her sight on him the moment he floated back next to Molly. Whether by a frightened fascination or worry for her safety, Nancy couldn't take her eyes off of Scratch while she cowered in Molly's hand.

Nancy felt more frights come forth when she saw Scratch float close to her, but with a bit of distance for some reason. Before she knew it, she turned to the side only to notice a loose eyeball tower right next to her that she failed to see before. She immediately yelped and crawled backward hurriedly before Scratch picked it back up and put it back into the empty socket. Molly giggled for a moment at the display before the ghost spoke up again.

"That's not what I meant." Scratch remarked with a flat frown to the two girls before he got over to Nancy.

"Hey kid, raise your right hand and lift your left leg."

While Nancy still exerted tons of worry and nervousness beyond recognition, under all of the covers a faint sense of confusion rose for a second. It seemed like such an out of place request that she didn't know how to react to it at first. Even Molly appeared like she just heard something out of left field as she cocked an eyebrow in the ghost's direction.

"Come on kid, errrr, Nancy. Just do what I want." Scratch reiterated. His stare pierced through Nancy's very being that spooked her to a deadly degree. I almost became a point to her that he would outright end her if she didn't do what he instructed. Even though she restricted herself to not move a muscle, Scratch forced the actions out of her as she hastily found her with her right arm in the air and her left leg pointed outward. Her heartbeat became nonexistent as she became the ghost's personal plaything which put her on edge.

With those actions out of the way, Scratch then went for something else while his eyes thinned out.

"Pinch your nose and touch your back."

Nancy fearfully wasted next to no time doing what Scratch wanted despite the choice of actions.

"Now say that you'll gift me your special beanbag chair."

Molly gave Scratch a deadpanned look after what she heard while Nancy struggled to get the words out. She really appreciated that certain relaxing chair after all and wouldn't want to freely give it away. Scratch seemed to understand Nancy's unwillingness so to speed things up he instantly got up to her miniature self and created one of the most grotesque and alarming expressions he could make straight at the girl. Molly even lightly gasped at what the ghost pulled before the sudden scare forced Nancy to scream in terror and push the words out.

"AAAAAAAHHHH'ILLGIVEMYSPECIALMOTICHANCHAIRTOYOUANDNEVERQUESTIONITAGAIN!"

Scratch immediately drew back with a few comical laughs of his own as the girl curled back up and lightly sobbed to herself. Her face basically transformed into a tomato from all of the crying and experiences she went through while Scratch appeared to have no empathy toward her.

The whole incident didn't sit well with Molly though.

"Scratch! You just made everything a million times worse! She didn't deserve that!"

"Hey, I needed certain results and I got them. Besides…I want that chair." Scratch answered. Molly shook her head and crossed her arms with a visible frown that didn't faze the ghost too much but it made him get to his point a bit quicker.

"Okay, okay, I guess I got too carried away there. Even so, since she did every single thing I told her to do, and although I'm completely clueless as to how…I think she can perfectly see and hear me."

Molly didn't fully take it in at the moment.

"You asked for all of that just because you thought Nancy could…"

She quickly trailed off once she realized the unexpected turn of events. She stood still for a moment as if the process the information before she slowly turned with slightly wider eyes than usual to the tiny Nancy by her shoes.

"Nancy…can you really see Scratch?"

Nancy shuddered while in a skewed fetal position as the giant before her asked her the question. After all of the hassle put on her by Scratch she almost didn't want to answer but since she contained no worthwhile positions to retort at her minuscule stature she pretty much had no other choice. With her eyes locked to Molly high above her, Nancy steadily and slowly nodded her head in agreement.

Her motion got picked up almost immediately, although one took it harder than the other.

"So…that half a centimeter girl can see and hear me while completely miniaturized like that? Okay, NOW I know we have something unorthodox here. Molly, you know that only you, your family, and the ones you trust the power to can see me while I'm transparent in the open, right?"

"Umm, yeah? I'm pretty sure I made my point when I asked her."

"THEN HOW CAN THE MIDGET SEE ME LIKE THIS?!"

Scratch nearly got up to Molly's face and almost grabbed her desperately around the neck, which took her by surprise and almost made her drop Nancy. As for as the shrunken girl was concerned, at first she didn't know why it was such a big deal to the ghost. While he lost most of his color and went transparent it seemed like something all ghosts could do. It stood out, but nothing drastic occurred to morph his shape, even if she heard from Molly that he could do so if he wanted, so she never saw the big deal between that detail. He could have over exaggerated it to astronomical heights, but from the way he spoke and his serious expression, clearly something didn't sit right with him.

Molly became startled for a second while she tried to provide a decent answer, even if she never had the mind of a genius.

"As much as I ADORE the fact that you came to me for a question, I…I wish I knew. Maybe her disability has a factor in it? Even so, we still have a long road to walk down, so…maybe we can figure it out as the days pass. Something really messed with her after all, and we just took her in."

Scratch deeply frowned before he turned back around and hit his forehead as the realizations hit.

"Geez, I can't believe I went to you for advice. This whole situation REALLY screwed with my head, and I can barely stand these weird traits that I can't comprehend. I'm, well…I'll just put it on the back end and say it's because of her autie, ummm, autysin…botizee…"

"Her autism?" Molly asked while she slightly tilted her head.

"Yeah, that word." Scratch answered. "I don't hear that often, so I'm pretty new to it. I'm actually a bit surprised you still remember it after just learning about it yesterday."

"Yeah, I'm just learning about it too." Molly replied. "Who knew something like that existed? I always had it in the back of my mind, especially since we kind of have no choice because of her stay with us, but I'll understand more about it the more we have our little friend here!"

Nancy shook all over while the two talked about her disability like they took it at face value. If they really cared about how she functioned and all of the roadblocks she dealt with on a daily basis, in her eyes they possibly would have taken it more seriously. Of course Molly desired to remain high in spirits while Scratch relied on the total opposite, but that didn't mean they lacked the understanding the ramifications behind such a mental state brought on her. They still had much to learn over time, and if Molly wanted to gain knowledge behind the disability she had every right to go for it. Besides, she only just started to watch over her tiny status, and somewhere down the line she might know what made her tick and know how to handle it to an extent.

Her expectation took a nosedive though when she saw Molly steer her sight back over to her tiny self.

"Just as a backup…I did say the name correctly, right?"

Nancy silently and sluggishly nodded her head in agreement.

"Yes… You got it right…"

Molly smiled in a friendly manner.

"Okay, good! I don't want to inadvertently get the pronunciations wrong as you stay with us, especially to something of that caliber. You, uhh…want to get back into my pocket now? I still have school to attend after all, and I DON'T want to have my first late day!"

"If you say so…" Nancy answered back. Molly nodded happily while she bright her hand closer to the side where her pocket set. Soon after Nancy slowly walked over to the tips of Molly's fingers and silently glanced down back into the darkness within, which even then gave her the shivers. Despite the ride into such an opening already, she still contained the worries behind the unknown and what laid beyond the black. Molly unquestionably thought next to nothing about it and likely would have dived in head first, but for Nancy she kept her legs embedded in cement. She still had to go for it, but her legs told her otherwise.

Her legs refused to budge from the spot, but before she could muster up something the gravity under her shifted and tilted her forward. Nancy almost lost her balance but soon after she tumbled straight into the mouth of darkness once more. Her face hit the fabric on the side but otherwise she remained unharmed. Once she landed some loose dust got in her mouth which she coughed up, and soon after she tucked herself into the pocket's corner and sat there like a helpless bug. She only had the light of the opening to see above, but the image soon formed into Molly's huge face.

"Sorry, I had to rush you there. I don't want to get in late, and I already have a lot on my mind as is. No offense obviously, as I put your restoration at the TOP of my mental list! Fastened your seat belt for the second trip?"

"Ummm, yes. I…think so." Nancy answered in a somewhat calm demeanor.

"Seriously, you think you have comfort in there?" Scratch's voice said overhead. "I knew a ghost named Bernie, and after an incident with a roller coaster he flew straight into pavement and lost he rectum after he skidded across pavement! Yeah, you probably won't last under that constant motion."

Nancy very visibly witnessed a quick second of Molly as she leered in another direction, probably at Scratch out of sight.

"Okay, okay, sheesh! Not the most appropriate time…even though the ghost doctors from that incident reported no end in sight."

With that final statement out of the way, Nancy immediately took notice of Molly as she began to move again. Even though she probably needed to stay hidden, because Molly said she could do so if she wanted, for a better view of the world above Nancy put her legs and arms to use and climbed up to the lip of the pocket once more. She actually got up a bit quicker than last time, although the movements from the giant girl that kept her hidden made the trek upward slightly more difficult. Even so, she managed to see the light through buckets of sweat, and soon enough she immediately noticed as Molly approached the front doors. One small stairway later and she arrived straight at them, but Molly didn't open them immediately. Now Nancy became the one that didn't understand the situation, and once the entire pocket started to shake slightly the red flags came up.

Even Scratch lacked the understanding behind her pause.

"Ummmm, Molly? You gonna head inside?"

Both Scratch and Nancy glanced over Molly's face, and she clearly felt unnerved to a certain extent. She bit the bottom of her lip while while her eyes arched in such a way that she might have seen something worrying. Parts of her skin even went pale that also helped reinforce their guesses, and her constant shudders painted the same picture. She had something on her mind, and they just needed to figure out what.

She shot a quick glance at the ghost beside her with her nervous face.

"Well, uhhhhh, of course. Yes, we'll head inside, I just, errrrrrr…have a couple of cramps in my legs! You should know how that feels, right? Give me…a few more minutes!"

Scratch's face went completely flat.

"Molly…I have no legs. What's going on now?"

"Well, ummm…" Molly stuttered. "You see…after yesterday…"

It took only a couple of seconds for the others to put two and two together and figure out what made her so worrisome. Yesterday kick started the whole problem in the first place, and after an incident that shook the whole school while the news spread like wildfire, it really put the spotlight on Molly. She instigated the whole situation in the first place, and whatever the public thought of her after that remained up in the air. If it dipped somewhere on the lower end it possibly had dire consequences on the other for her to live through.

Scratch took it better than anyone else. He appeared to stare off into space for a minute before he slowly smiled.

"Oh, right! I almost completely forgot about the incident that sparked the whole problem in the first place! Hoo boy, after something like that-"

"Not helping Scratch!" Molly interjected with a pinch of seriousness. She faced the front doors for a second time while her pupils contracted and she continued to shudder. Because she placed Nancy in her pocket the tiny girl also got taken through the motions, and while she remained quiet she understood her current feelings. If she stood in her shoes she probably would have wanted to remain out of the public eye at least for a couple of days until it died down, but due to the school's mandate Molly had no chance to fall back.

She watched overhead while Molly pinched her forehead for a moment and Scratch smiled like a goofy idiot and changed into the most appropriate thing to possibly make the situation more entertaining to him…a small drum with two sticks on the side.

"Okay, let's see how the public views you after you smothered Nancy in frosting! Can we get a drum roll, please?"

The ghost immediately set the tone as he comically began the aforementioned sounds from himself. Nancy read Molly's large face and she could tell that Scratch's "choice" only put more pressure on her shoulders. Nothing like something from the other side to set the mood for such a mundane task.

She tried to ignore the sounds while she took a couple of deep breaths.

"If everything goes well, you'll still have your dignity intact. Come on, I can do this. I CAN DO THIS!"

Her personal pep talk came out a bit louder than what Nancy expected, but it didn't solve the fact that she still remained a bit worried. Molly clashed her teeth and shut her eyes for the moment while she grabbed the door handle, and slowly after that her breathing slowed in an attempt to possibly calm down. Her feet remained planted against the ground while she angled her body forward in some kind of valorous and courageous stance. Some would say that she potentially took the whole process a bit too far, but after something as catastrophic as the humiliation of another girl in front of a filled to the brim cafeteria she needed all of the extra insurance she could take…much to Scratch's amusement.

Molly's eyes narrowed into small cracks while she took a couple more extra seconds. Her hand grasped the handle like a bull and she locked herself into a staring contest with the door.

…

…

…

…

…

"Alright…here I GO!"

After she took one more step forward, Molly mustered the courage to eventually push the doors open. She kept her eyes closed and her back straight at first, but after a few moments passed she eventually opened them. She finally made it into the school halls for the first time since she buried Nancy in cake frosting, and her expectations went through the roof at first. Whatever the case, she found herself smack in the front entrance.

…and she saw nothing terrible at first glance.

Scratch frowned while Nancy felt relieved as they saw students walk past them without any utterances about yesterday. All three of them relied on some kind of misfortune or some kind of reaction from anyone else, and yet everything progressed normally. They shook the foundation and yet it never happened to the students before them, as if they never set foot into school since the start.

"Did I just stumble into another dimension or something? I'm seeing everyone else, and not a single heckler dunked me into the floor!" Molly stated in her typical over reactive way. "No cake costumes, picket signs that spout insults, or…dodge balls shaped like cupcakes?!"

She scanned over the students that walked by her, in her own over the top manner, and just like she saw initially, everyone acted like they should despite what happened yesterday. It didn't get rid of her high guard and overreactions, but some she felt some kind of relief under all of the immense stress. For Nancy, she easily related to Molly since she couldn't stand large anxiety attacks either, and for once she got to sit back for once. Any kind of spotlight placed on her only provoked such deep feelings to her after all, and Molly knew it as well under different circumstances.

However, Scratch felt something completely different.

"Aww, I riled myself up for nothing! I even had my notebook out to write a report for the council! URRRGH, why must reality hate me?!"

"Because if I ever suffered in any aspect, you would tag along whether you want to or not." Molly answered before she switched gears completely. Stars formed in her eyes before she stated:

"Besides, it shows how connected and close we are! You know you love staying with me, Scratchy!"

"…maybe somewhere deep, deep, deep, deep, DEEP down, but not right now." Scratch answered.

With that said, Nancy tucked herself a little bit downward while Molly took some deep breaths for safety before she began to down the halls to her locker. It gave Nancy an ample opportunity to scan around quietly to herself, and immediately she spotted differences. From normal size to shrunken speck it brought changes to the way she saw the world around her, and even at school next to everything towered over her like nothing. Every student that walked by gave off the same daunting appearance as Molly, as one step across her back meant she would finally get to understand how a bug felt, which gave her chills as she thought about it. The hallways acted as gateways that held entire universes from her perspective, and the lockers served as the holders that contained each galaxy. Each classroom shared its own cluster of universes, and the gods that shared descriptions like "teachers" and "students" influenced each one like pets in a cage. They never thought too much about it, as it seemed elementary behind such basics, and yet Nancy saw the truth. What stood out beforehand as the school she attended for years really contained the titans of creation that could smite any unworthy adversary that didn't share the same height requirements, and Nancy stood at the lowest of the low.

Molly already had her path set in stone, so before long she eventually arrived at it in once of her trademark smiles. Each one had its own unique combination, and even though Nancy saw the one behind her behemoth caretaker as she twisted it, she wouldn't have the ability to operate it anyway. Because of that, Molly didn't bother to hide it from the tiny one in her pocket, and after a few quick twists the door flew open.

"While it would seem reasonable to put you in my locker and wait later, you deserve the full Molly experience. Besides, I don't see the fun in just sitting in complete darkness, so stick around and hold on for the ride because you'll see just about everything while I go through my classes!"

"Uhhhh, as much as I don't want to act as a voice of reason, you really think you can pull that off? After your introduction you just barely squeezed by as a 'normal' person." Scratch said while emphasizing the word "normal". "What makes you think you can handle one more extra into the mix?"

"Hey, I handled the incidents with you, did I?" Molly replied. "Got out of that relatively unscathed, and I'm getting the hang of having Nancy around anyway! I know what I'm doing, and she'll learn that it's not so horrid and terrible as the smallest thing around!"

The uncertainty hit Nancy like no tomorrow. As upbeat and happy as Molly insured, it also gave the tiny girl part of an opposite effect. It almost rubbed her the wrong way as if she didn't take the whole shrinkage situation seriously, and yet she couldn't argue with someone as huge as her. She lacked everything as a speck in Molly's pocket, and she went along with it. If Molly truly cared she possibly would have displayed a different expression, and yet she waltzed around with a gleaming smile like everything went along perfectly. If that didn't exemplify in her mind that she may have possibly tagged along with the wrong girl, she didn't know what.

And then she suddenly felt the dripping chills. Even from the lip of the giant happy girl's pocket her skin crawled like a sub zero winter. Out of everything to have occurred up to that point, the dire atmosphere became the moment she understood the most. Not a lot of people understood just how such creeping shadows can affect one's senses, but Nancy knew it all too well. From the slight shivers the whole pocket went through Molly seemed to have taken it in too, and Nancy knew too well that Scratch never had it in him to provide such coldness. While she learned to cope with it over time it meant only one distinct situation, and unless they understood like she did they probably had no preparations for it. While it messed with the senses, its presence alone meant a certain someone took center stage.

And she made her appearance right when Molly shut her locker.

Both Molly and Scratch yelped for a second once they saw her face immediately from behind the door, and the void across her face told them nothing but the bare minimum. Nancy knew her too well, so she never had it in her to go along with the other two, but Molly and Scratch understood nothing but the well-defined shape of her overall figure and her choices for attire and looks. Even though she gave off next to no clues, Nancy understood from how she acted from all of the times they spent together that she had pretty negative vibes at the moment while her hidden eyes glared at the girl with a ghost.

Molly took a few seconds to calm herself down before she settled back into a somewhat normal demeanor, but she never got the chance to speak first.

"So…you're the one that just moved here to this worn down town, huh?"

She immediately shot her with poison darts right from the get go, all while she never expressed a single ounce from any angle. Nancy kept her eyes on her somewhat calmly while she felt the goosebumps across Molly without a single glance upward at her face. The friendly girl she always lived to act as actually had worry under all of her happiness, and it only took Katrina's grim and dark personality to knock it out of Molly's smile.

It came as no surprise to her then as she heard Molly struggle to find the will to answer.

"Well, umm… You…kind of have that correct. I…did just move here."

Her uneasiness even rubbed off on Scratch, who took one long look at Katrina and shuddered. For a ghost like him to want to get away from her, she really got the point across even if she lacked the ability to see or hear him.

"Geez, I don't know what that girl wants, but already I don't want to stick around any longer. What kind of twisted person raised someone like that?! She could easily pass off as a ghost with the horror to boot!

Molly couldn't answer him as she couldn't take her eyes off of the expressionless goth girl who locked her in place and paralyzed her with her blank stare. Despite the fact that Molly stood a bit taller than her, Katrina acted like the factor never mattered and walked up straight to her like any other person. For someone younger to stand up to something like that, she really set her priorities straight. Nancy knew how Katrina liked to get certain points across, but even though she understood her methods still managed to change her into a worrywart on command.

Her words stuck more needles into Molly's skin.

"The rumors were true then. Such high bubbly emotions in one single girl, and yet…ignorant as well. How typical for a new neighbor…and yet you also pushed a certain girl into a humongous birthday cake…"

It came as no surprise to Nancy that she learned about the accident that occurred yesterday, especially since the news spread almost instantly like a plague. She could practically see fangs bared from her while her gaze prevented Molly's movements, and yet she only got started with her "poisonous" procedures. Even though she knew how, she rarely ever found the chances to use them, especially since she only pulled them out in defense or protection against friends and family. She didn't know Molly, and Molly definitely didn't know her and probably never wanted to after the moment. Katrina knew how to put vulnerable kids to their knees if they met the requirements, and she pulled all of the strings on Molly for her blunder against the frosted victim. It fit her dark tendencies and hobbies if her overall display didn't immediately sell it.

Her effects on Molly did the trick while her eyes leered at her under the bangs.

"I, well…I didn't mean to…"

Her response instantly caught the interest of Scratch, to took a moment to quickly gander at her current expression. He dared to not move any further forward even with the traits that kept his reveal away from the goth girl.

"Am…am I seeing sweat?" Scratch said as Molly's incredibly nervous face dropped buckets. "Holy crap, I'm actually witnessing one of the rarest sights imaginable! You…actually feel scared for your life, don't you?"

Molly couldn't answer. Katrina froze her stiff as the Medusa she acted as. Scratch tried to move in close to try and possibly pull her out of it, but from such darkness that flowed throughout her actions, something he'd never seen before, he backed off in an instant. Even though he desired to act as the sole being responsible to inflict Molly with misery, from the goth's actions alone she performed his job far better than he ever wanted. After all of the times he tried to scare Molly and put her in her place, it took only one single girl, who even had a younger age than her, to do so without any sort of otherworldly presence.

Katrina's deadly monotone voice struck her again.

"While I should ask for your name, because you've become somewhat of an underrated celebrity around these parts, I think I should follow the crowds and call you by the new one given due to the stereotype you created. How do you feel about…Cake Crasher?"

Nancy required next to no reminders to understand that Molly wanted none of it. Even through her shudders her entire back remained upright as if to not put more pressure than she already had over her shoulders.

"Ca-ca-ca-ca…Cake Crasher? But…but I never meant to…"

"Yet you struck an innocent girl who wanted nothing to do with you." Katrina stated as she prodded Molly's fear again. "You came in early, so you've never seen 'The Rush' in full swing yet. While the students here currently like to remain early birds…a majority already have that nicknamed cherry picked just for the one who erupted the whole school into unceremonious laughter. From now on until the day you perish…you'll forever have the title as the Cake Crasher…Molly."

The tensions escalated the moment she stated her actual name. Even Scratch saw the writing on the wall and immediately barred himself into one of the nearby lockers like he saw the start of the apocalypse over the horizon. Soon after that, Molly eventually found the urge to take a step back, and Nancy had her guesses that she wanted to bolt away and never remember that such a moment ever happened. Despite it, Katrina never placed her gaze on anything else other than Molly's nervous beyond everything expression and the unfortunate circumstance she found herself in. She had someone older than her pinned without ever lifting a finger, which showed just how serious she could act when everything aligned in the correct formation.

"You're on your own kid! I'm retreating to the fallout shelter if you need me!" Scratch said from inside the locker. Molly never reacted, because Katrina maintained a hold on her emotions like she desired to strangle her.

"Okay, uhhhh…I'll accept that name, but, ummmm…I kind of have to go now…"

"Oh, I'm not finished yet." Katrina gravely stated. "I still have much more to speak to you about…"

After that final moment, Molly finally reached her limit with her and put her legs to use. Without as much as a consideration, she instantly turned around as her legs turned into a blur and dashed away while the adrenaline pumped through her from every pore in her body. For once the complete opposite occurred between Molly and Nancy, for the one that always maintained a joyous smile became the scared one while the timid and shrunken one knew better and remained level headed. Of course Nancy knew the true nature behind how Katrina acted, and because of that she found no need to panic unlike the one supposedly invincible to any type of negative feeling. In only a couple of minutes the entire concept of everything flew right out the window, and nobody understood how they were supposed to feel anymore.

Molly wanted a head start over the girl, and yet the one in her pocket knew that it remained futile. Right as Molly rounded a corner while her heart accelerated, she found herself face to face with the cold goth once more. It caught Molly by surprise, but at that point her expectations buried themselves in the ground. Katrina's disturbed creepiness bound Molly to her, whether she wanted it or not, until she felt like it, and yet Nancy understood that kind of behavior from the goth girl all too well.

Her gaze stoned Molly's legs again as she went further into her statements.

"Do you know who you entwined your fate with that day?"

Molly's pupils nearly vanished as she found no other choice than to slowly shake her head. No matter where she wanted to go, until Katrina got her point across she always had the older girl in her sights.

"You brought misery to a girl named Nancy, Cake Crasher Molly. I suppose you don't know about the particular MINDSET she always has. She may not look like it, but she hates the spotlight, ESPECIALLY ones before an entire society. Not only did you humiliate her like that…you also messed with my best friend…"

"Buh-buh-best…friend?" Molly stammered.

"Yes, my best friend." Katrina's spike ridden tone replied. "Let me get this point across, Cake Crasher. I don't like it when anyone threatens my friends and family, especially to new arrivals like you that think they can get away with anything. When I find out that someone messed with one of them, I tend to get upset…"

Before the worried Molly knew anything about it, Katrina got up close to the older girl, glared at her straight in the eyes, and grabbed the collar of her shirt.

"Very upset…"

Even though Molly stood a bit taller than her, Katrina had no problem pulling her down until they practically got within their own personal spaces. However, it came with a rather nasty side effect to the girl Molly held completely from view. Nancy could only watch as her best friend snatched Molly from the top of her shirt and dragged her down to eye level, and when that happened it brought Nancy along at a very weird angle. Soon enough she found herself flat near the lip of the pocket, and she only managed to get one vital glance downward before Katrina brought the early teen up close. That one action sent Nancy out of Molly's pocket and into the air once more, and at that point she most likely went through more of them than first time skydivers. Her heart nearly gave out as she flailed her arms for some kind of impossible leverage, but like the previous times her sorry self went through it only lasted for a short time until she impacted against the ground. She wanted to scream initially, but before she could go for it her entire body hit the ground at once…and she got out unscathed. From one skydive to the next, Nancy survived all of them with relatively minor, or completely untouched, injuries across her body.

"Why…why must I go through torture like that?" Nancy thought to herself in a nervous manner before she looked around where she ended up. She never went far, since she fell straight down, and as she glanced upward she saw the raging war between titans of creation. While Nancy quickly learned of how much reduction she went through after she met Molly, the sheer scale of the sights never ceased to remind her about how crippling such shrinkage brought upon her. Katrina basically held planets from her fingertips and Molly contained black holes in her fists alone. One minor action from either equaled tragedy for someone like her, and they knew nothing about her tumble to the floor which made her situation even worse. Even so, she had to find a way out and somehow signal to Molly that she now stood on the floor helpless.

And while all of her troubles happened, she heard in full volume the booms of both titans as they clashed.

"You don't want to see me degrade myself to such practices. While I know better, when I see someone like you ruin the face of someone close, well…I hope you know how to reverse a hex."

"Okay, okay, I get it! I won't ever mess with Nancy again! Just let me go and I'll make sure-"

Katrina pulled at her collar again which made Molly stumble on the spot, and that became enough to put Nancy's legs into action. The colossus above her moved her pink and yellow shoes to the side which made massive booms against the ground and sent Nancy into the air each time. Every time a shoe got up close Nancy panicked and ran in the opposite direction to avoid the receiving end at the bottom. They kept her boxed in between them and left her between Molly's legs where she dared herself to not gaze anywhere upward. She had to find some kind of escape route after all, but the sheer size of Molly's shoes proved such a tactic next to impossible. If she had any clue that Nancy fell out of her pocket in the first place she probably would never consider moving her feet in any aspect, but without the knowledge…it became an all out free for all.

The giant bulldozers that Nancy knew as Molly's shoes kept her in place as the hit the ground again and again. She came within inches of hitting them from the bottom yellow portions, and helped exemplify just how terrible of a reduction she took. To see even one of the most inconsequential parts of Molly's shoes tower over her killed a lot of her mood in an instant. Even so, she needed to get her attention or risk the giant girl accidentally crushing her. However, if she shouted to her it came with one major caveat. If she alerted Molly about her current status, most likely Katrina would inadvertently listen in. Because any further insight about her punishing shrinkage provided more of a risk, Molly desired to limit the knowledge between her and Scratch, and yet if Nancy didn't act now…

"Stop! Stop! Stop!"

She shouted at the top of her lungs right before Molly shoe boomed close by and barely missed her by a couple of inches. To think such stylish footwear for the young teen carried the reaper's scythe would never pass by someone normally, but for Nancy she clearly saw it in full swing. They sent her into the air for a second while Nancy glanced up for some kind of reaction.

Her shouts seemed to do the trick as she saw the titanic Molly suddenly pause for a second, even through her large fear of Katrina's deadly tactics.

"Hey, did you hear that?"

"Don't try to divert the topic away from your utter demise. I've prepared quite a few hexes specifically for these kinds of situations."

Katrina dragged Molly down again and made her stagger even more, which became more chaos for the tiny one by her shoes. Dozens of large booms echoed all around her while each step almost brought the guillotine over her head.

"Please stop! I'm down here! I don't want to get crushed!"

Molly perked up again, and soon after Katrina did so as well.

"What sort of tactic do you have on the backburner, Cake Crasher? Trying to weasel your way out via any means possible?

"No, I'm not doing it!" Molly answered. "I recognize that voice, so if I…"

Nancy took a couple of deep breathes as she watched Molly slowly turn her face downward toward her feet. Nancy waved her hands and jumped continuously, and that became enough for the girl to take notice.

"NANCY! Oh my gosh!"

"Nice try, jerk. I won't fall for childish tricks like that."

"No, really! I see her on the floor, just…give me…"

Katrina wouldn't release her grip on Molly, but that didn't stop the recipient from an attempt to get Nancy off of the floor. It proved a bit of a struggle, but Molly barely managed to lower her hand down low enough to pick up the tiny girl between two fingers. She lifted her up back to eye, and soon enough Nancy got an eyeful of both Molly and Katrina.

"She's right here! She's right here!"

Molly mustered enough to lift her hand up and place it between her and Katrina. She soon opened it up, and from the tips of her finger Nancy stood up and gazed over the bangs that shrouded Katrina's eyes. It seemed like Molly had a similar idea and that she possibly would have revealed Nancy just to end the skirmish, although the news that she had a very close friendly relationship with her may have served as the straw that broke the camel's back. Either way, she finally revealed Nancy to her close friend before the confrontation got even rougher.

At first Nancy stood a bit nervously atop the ends of Molly's fingertips, but because she knew Katrina more than her captor she didn't build up too much, especially to her best friend. Because of the rather enigmatic nature behind the goth girl, she had no idea how she would react upon the sight of her miniaturized self, but she soon got her answer.

"Na…NANCY?!"

It almost came out as a total shock from her, and before long she released her hold on Molly's collar as something else took over. The older girl took a moment to brush off any excess residue and smooth out the creases across her clothes, but quickly after she got back to Katrina and Nancy. From the movements under her alone, Nancy could tell that most of Molly's intense nervousness flew the coop once she realized that the escalation between them ceased and ended before it got worse.

Now Molly became the one to take a couple of deep breaths before she answered.

"Okay…okay. Yeah, I have her right here safe and sound. Please don't take this any further, for we have no idea how it happened…"

Katrina's paralyzing gaze took a lot out of the young teen which almost brought her to her knees, and as nervous as Nancy felt at that moment to hear Katrina address her specifically meant the two of them basically stood in the clear. The goth never pulled out the big guns unless she needed to, and Molly dodged a bullet right between the eyes.

"Nancy, am I really seeing you? What happened? You don't even stand up to my fingernails!"

"I…I really wish I knew…" Nancy answered.

Before Molly could add to Nancy's statement, the two got interrupted by a familiar grumpy ghost as he phased back out of the locker he stayed hidden in. His eyes remained a bit wider and he appeared a little more on edge than usual, but other than that he still stayed the same. Katrina obviously couldn't see him, which left both Molly and Nancy as the witnesses.

"Did I hear it right in that the radioactive zombies left the planet? If the bombs still haven't gone off, you better-"

His eyes soon settled on both Molly and Nancy before he glanced over to Katrina. Once more realizations hit he settled back down in his typical way.

"Oh, looks like I avoided everything in the nick of time. Phew! For a second there, I thought both of you would have changed into ghosts too. Actually, on second thought, that probably would have made this whole curse a million times worse."

Molly and Nancy shot him a brief glance before they got back to Katrina, mostly because of his invisibility to anyone but them at the moment.

"Well, umm…I can explain." Molly said to the goth in a pinch of slight nervousness. "You see, when that accident occurred-"

"No need to say anything here, Cake Crasher." Katrina interjected. "Well…at least not in the open like this. If what you have to say has the complete truth behind it, I prefer we go somewhere more condense. Let's say…the girl's bathroom?"

From ferocious to standard in a few flips of the switch, Katrina now seemed to provide some support for the other three. Molly and Scratch almost couldn't believe it, but Nancy understood her far more to know that she could do so at any moment. It added to her unpredictability which helped form the unique personality underneath all of the black. Of course, around Nancy she normally stuck to a somewhat cooperative mindset, but that didn't mean it stayed stagnant at all times. It made it so nobody could get a good read on her, even to her best friend, which added to the mystery behind some of her more "colorful" choices.

While Nancy stayed content with Katrina's request, Molly took a moment just to put herself back into her normal mindset.

"That…seems reasonable. We really don't want to be seen in the open together in case anything bad were to occur. You know, like juvenile court? I can't get thrown in the slammer for this weird set of circumstances! I'M ONLY THIRTEEN!"

"Relax, I can tell you've had you share of what I'm capable of."

While the voice that got uttered easily came from Katrina, her mouth never moved an inch from her last sentence. In fact, it never came from her direction at all. It only took one glance behind them to figure out the origin behind it, and when they set their eyes of them they saw it as something related to witchcraft. Scratch had his mouth agape while his eyes rolled out of their sockets, while Molly and Nancy only stared and didn't know how to feel. While Nancy understood that Katrina desired to become the first greatest spell caster, especially for someone of her nature, to see something so crazy made her rethink her priorities to a certain extent.

While one Katrina brought misery to Molly in an instant, the status of two of them set at a different level.

Molly and Nancy constantly glanced back and forth between the two while Scratch picked up his eyes, wiped them down, then glanced at both of the identical twins rapidly for some type of comprehension. The two Katrinas mirrored each other perfectly in stature and attitude, which added to the strange situation the group found themselves in. From one blank stare of one to the identical twin of the other, it threw everyone's calculations off beyond normal boundaries.

"Uhhh, Nancy? Does your best friend have an identical twin or something?" Molly said while she stammered a bit in speech.

Nancy shook her head while she expressed similar feelings.

"Errrrr…no?" Nancy said. "She has a few sisters, but not…like this…"

"I'm calling it right now and I don't regret it. Nancy, you have one screwed up friend!" Scratch exclaimed while he glanced back and forth between the two Katrinas in an endless loop. He even began to peel off parts of his ectoplasm from his sides while he tried to come up with some kind of explanation, and yet he concluded on nothing.

Before the three could freak out even further, one of the Katrinas offered something else to soothe them off a bit.

"You have your explaining to do, and I have mine. Let's discuss everything in the ladies restroom so we don't draw anymore attention, hmmm?"

---

It became pretty hard to focus on the way to the destination without any type of glance at identical twins who perfectly mimicked each other. Scratch probably took it more seriously than Molly or Nancy, as he continuously mumbled to himself while he ran his eyes all over them like an up to date security system. While he had his fair share of scares and screams before Molly moved in, never had such black magic graced his eyesight until Katrina put on a mirror split act from another dimension. No matter how much he thought about it nothing became absolute to satisfy his need to determine the reason behind such witchcraft. Molly and Nancy sprouted some curiosity in the process as well, but not to the same level as the ghost. If anything, it unnerved them to know that someone understood how to pull something like duplication off. Even though Nancy's knowledge of her best friend provided some leverage, even she remained clueless about the whole scenario. It really brought out the darkness of Katrina's personality into something beyond their knowledge and comprehension. Molly made friends with a ghost, Nancy made friends with a goth that lived for her hobby, and Katrina…had a friend in herself apparently.

It took next to no time at all to reach the respective bathroom, and immediately it brought back excruciating memories for the tiny one. From frosting to faucets, it heavily reminded her of the pain she wished she could forget and never return to. Right at the last stall near the wall she sat and watched as multiple teachers tried to scrub her down while the now ex vice principal laid on the banter about how her whole birthday remained ruined thanks to a young girl. She lost count on how many sponges filled each teachers' hands as they rinsed through her hair, legs, and entire body to rid all of the sugary goodness out of her, and she only wanted some alone time during her stay. It even seemed Molly remembered the consequences of the whole fiasco, as Nancy felt the girl's fingers squeeze her tighter as she set foot inside. To think that Molly had some kind of guilt after she turned her into the laughing stock of the school never passed through Nancy's thoughts until she provided her deepest apologies the night before, for she thoroughly expected for her to join the crowds as they ridiculed the victim. She had all the power to make it happen, and yet she held back and stood by her side…even while her new friend barely had a presence to her colossal body. While a bit early to call her someone to rely on, at least for Nancy, she displayed some humanity underneath all of her upbeat emotions like any other friendly person. While they walked into what some called an everyday run of the mill school bathroom, for the happy and sad girl it carried baggage that they had to live with.

Right when everyone made it before all of the stalls, Scratch instantly broke the ice.

"Okay, now that we've settled and skirmished a bit, CAN YOU TELL ME WHY I'M SEEING TWO OF YOU?! I know about the undead and everything in between, BUT NOT BLACK MAGIC LIKE THAT!"

The sight of the two identical Katrinas messed with Scratch's mindset so much that he completely forgot that the two couldn't see him. Of course, for Molly and Nancy they heard and saw him in full, but because of the setback Molly spoke for him…even if his delusional fit stood out as pretty hilarious.

"Alright, first things first. Explain the magic trick you have going on, for I'm pretty intrigued by how you pulled it off. I'm pretty sure Nancy wants to know as well."

The shrunken girl took a glance at the two twins from Molly's grasp and silently nodded in agreement. They gazed at the girl within Molly's fingers for a few seconds before one of them answered.

"I can't truly explain it without getting into the grotty details. I'm still learning about hexes and their after effects-"

"You can cut the act now, you know. I think it's time to finally clear their heads after the display back there."

One of the Katrinas cut the other mid sentence as she stared at her for a moment, which cause the one that got interrupted to close her eyes and shake her head. At first it seemed like an act of denial, but soon enough the ghost and other two girls got their eyeful after what happened next. The one Katrina took a glance forward toward the other three before she lightly smiled and took hold over the front of her hair, which included the bangs. After that, the others watched, minus the other Katrina on the sidelines, in amazement and worry as the girl tugged hard which dragged her hair downward and pulled longer strands out. The action alone made her audience wince, and the hair tugged even further down like elastic bands. At that point her face stayed completely covered by the hair, and they had no idea if she felt any pain from everything she revealed so far. From that moment it almost seemed like a monster in disguise that lured them in to feed on their souls, and yet the display bolted them in place until the whole process finished. Clearly something else was at work that made fear stir up in the witnesses right after Molly received an immense scare earlier, which provided no breaks in between.

However, right then and there, the Katrina that had her hair pulled out like a long roll of tape completely flipped the whole scenario on its head.

"Gueeeeeeeeess, WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO?!"

She completely let go of her long hair, which gave off a loud snap, and uttered a phrase that changed in tone and pitch near the middle of it. Right as her hair snapped back into place, the girl's shape completely changed, and it took the three by absolute surprise. Not a single ghoul or monster had the appearance of the goth girl in the first place, but another young girl fooled everyone which stood out as something nobody expected in the slightest. She had around the same height as Katrina, which meant that Molly also stood higher than her, and her happy smile really brightened up the room. While she displayed typical Caucasian white skin, her eyes maintained a similar style to Molly's in a rather upbeat fashion. Her hair touched around her shoulders while its blonde sheen made for a very spectacular sight, almost like she got pampered from a professional hair stylist. She wore a light shaded pink sleeveless dress, which displayed some violet zigzag patterns at various points, with a white undershirt beneath it, and her sneakers carried style as well, in combination with her long white socks, with a sky blue getup and fluffy decals of clouds plastered all over. While her choice of attire provided a unique distinction that made her entire personality pop, it became child's play to the main attraction she put on display. Out of everything that immediately stood out to the girls and ghost, the cap on top of the girl's head became the main attraction. It seemed to fit snugly and even appeared slightly bigger than her actual head as some type of half circle. With the distinct light pink plastered all over it and the large white dots that appeared in random spots everywhere across it, it gave off some strong impressions that she may well have some relationship with a mushroom or two. Once she formed out of her Katrina disguise, the hair she pulled changed into the large half rounded cap which she wore like it became her signature. Her stance and overall choice of tone brought some high indications as to her true nature underneath, and from impressions alone they calmed down a little. Whatever girl Katrina met that completely turned the tables turned out as someone not from the monster category, but somewhere else that the girls could relate to.

Her sparkling blue eyes glued to Molly while she almost had her hands up to her cheeks. She zipped over to her in an instant and gave her next to no time to react, although Scratch took everything in more personally.

"So…I'm not seeing some fiendish vampire or some mischievous raccoon dog…thing, but a shape shifting normal girl?! I've heard absolutely NOTHING about this ANYWHERE! Am I losing my mind or something?! WHAT AM I SEEING RIGHT NOW?!"

His miniature meltdown continued for a moment as he phased into one of the stalls and uttered some breaking screams as if his mind began to melt before him. Nancy could picture in various positions as he tried to calculate some kind of worthwhile equation as to how such a phenomenon existed, and yet she discarded it pretty quickly since his breakdowns fell on deaf ears anyway…at least to everyone not herself or Molly.

The girl left Molly no time to speak as she did the talking for her.

"Oh my gosh, I've never seen someone like you in ANY aspect around here! You seem like someone that REALLY adores making friends and keeping in touch with them! Ooh, do you consider me a friend? I hope you do, because I have SOOOOO many questions to ask! You completely fascinate me in every aspect and I want to know EVERYTHING!"

The girl zipped around Molly at every angle and scanned her eyes over next to every inch of her body. Molly almost felt stunned at first by such acts, and yet she never found a moment to speak out to her since she ran her mouth off at every possible second. The girl almost blew Nancy out of her grasp from how quickly she moved around the young teen. Her intrigue had no bounds at the moment and even though it weirded both Molly and Nancy out, after the show she put on earlier they knew something was up with her and she definitely had more to talk about.

She poked at Molly's legs, pinched her arms, glanced inside her mouth, rummaged through her hair, and performed many other acts of fascination while she ran words off at every possible moment.

"Who do you live with? How old are you? Do you have any siblings? What's your favorite color? Have any favorite foods? Any favorite hobbies? Do you play any sports? What kind of movies do you like? What's your blood type? Collect any trading cards? Black and white or color? Got any fears? What's your phone number? Do you eat veggies or meat? Why do you have such an adoring face? Frog, toad, or newt? Where do you come from? How do you maintain your metabolism? Have you ever wrestled a gator? Have you reopened any websites recently? Sparkling or regular? How about-"

"Errr, can I have some privacy here, please?" Molly interjected. The girl instantly paused right in front of here while her eyes locked with Molly's. Before long, she hastily took a step back, shook her head, and closed her eyes while she put her hands on her cheeks.

"Oops, heheheh, almost forgot my manners there! Sorry!" the girl answered. "I tend to feel a bit giddy every time I see someone incredibly fascinating before my eyes! I've never seen someone like you in, like, FOREVER! So many possibilities, and yet I come across such an AMAZING girl that I MUST have as a friend! Come on, you feel it too, right? Please say yes!"

The girl's blue eyes glistened in the sunlight while her ecstatic expression spelled so much and brought pressure upon Molly's shoulders. On one hand, to see someone with an attitude that almost eclipsed her cheerful personality meant they possibly fit together like peas in a pod, and to hear that she wanted to become friends with her on the spot already raised her spirits further than anyone else she met in Brighton. However, she just tried to completely run her through the floor when she played as someone else, which already gave her a scare she never knew existed in her before. Combined with the fact that she still had Nancy to watch and the secrecy behind such an outcome, any further eyes on her meant a higher risk of a potential leak to the public. She made it clear that she couldn't handle an orange jumpsuit, and with the girl's wordy mouth it possibly put a damper for the future. So many possible situations over the horizon, and yet it hinged on one potential answer.

Before anyone else managed to speak up, a very messed up Scratch finally exited the closed stall. The top parts of his head either fell or gotten ripped off because it seemed like he suddenly decided to go bald for once. Some redness appeared over his eyes and his arms seemed to display multiple bite marks of some kind. Even with all of the though, it seemed like nobody witnessed his breakdown while any kind of comprehension flew straight out the window. For now, he eventually became content after all of the craziness from the first day with a shrunken kid…at least until something else stretched him out.

Right as he got out in his run down form, he let loose a couple of exhausted breaths while he slapped his forehead a couple of times.

"Okay…okay…I think I cooled myself down for now. Definitely found my zen mode…at least until something else melts my mind. I've seen too much for a ghost like me can handle…so can someone cut me some slack for once?! First we had Nancy's creepy friend, and now…now…"

His tired eyes slowly set on the eager mushroom capped girl, who still had her eyes on Molly and smiled.

"Ah, so that weirdly pitched screaming came from THAT girl. First she mimics someone else and now she speaks like a sugar crazed Molly? I think I feel my mind melting again…"

"Easy there now. We still have introductions to talk about." Katrina said to the girl, who couldn't see or hear Scratch anyway. Scratch deeply frowned even though he desired to remain out of the public eye.

The girl caught on rather quickly about what Katrina stated, so her smile nearly reached her eyes as she zipped all over the room and got everyone close together before she joined herself. Katrina seemed a bit stunned at first since she failed to move in the allotted time, but because her eyes remained covered it remained in the air for the onlookers. Molly held Nancy close just in case while the tiny girl in her hand watched the actions unfold in slight confusion.

Before anyone else knew it, the girl immediately shook hands with Molly, with the latter using her free hand and not the one holding Nancy, and soon enough she mixed and matched with everyone else until everyone got their share in the spotlight…until she started to repeat herself.

"Molly, Olivia. Olivia, Molly. Nancy, Olivia. Katrina, Molly. Olivia, Katrina. Katrina, Nancy. Nancy, Molly. Molly, Katrina. Katrina, Nancy. Molly, Olivia. Katrina, Olivia. Olivia, Molly. Nancy, Katrina. Olivia, Katrina. Nancy, Olivia. Katrina, Nancy-"

"You're pushing your luck at this point." Katrina stated flatly. Once the girl heard that, she instantly stopped and withdrew herself from the group.

"Argh, I'm doing it again! Okay, okay, simmer down…let yourself fall somewhere cushy and soft. Ooh, so many eager thoughts! Focus now, focus…"

Everyone watched as the girl pulled up a portion of her dress and bit on it as she settled down a bit. Despite her choices and crazy thought process, as Nancy glanced up at Molly she already had her guesses as to what she really thought about someone like the other girl. From the time she saw Molly and her over reactive tendencies, she must have really thought she fit right in her comfort zone. While not to the same degree, when Molly felt her emotions burst through the roof she let the world know in mere moments, and Nancy guessed that she saw herself in the girl's shoes. Clearly Scratch lost his mind and basically wanted to stay clear, but right away she determined that Molly gladly had the offer to become friends on the side. Both wanted to make friends after all, despite the different circumstances behind both girls, and the two of them seemed like a perfect match.

Scratch rubbed the sides of his head as the girl's annoying voice rang through his hearing, and soon after the girl appeared instantly in front of Molly with an endearing smile.

"Heheheheh, yeah. I still need to control my urges. Sorry! Anyways, ummm, aww shoot! What did I want to say? Urrrgh!"

She glanced down for a second and snapped her fingers a couple of times before it came to her.

"Oh, right! Introductions and all of that! Nearly forgot, hahahah! Anyways, I'm Olivia! I'm sure you know my…unique talent at this point? I STRIVE for perfect accuracy after all!"

"Yeah, you sure gave me a scare back there." Molly stated as she smiled back and began to warm up to her. "From you statements earlier you must know me already. You seem like a really interesting kid here!"

The over ecstatic girl, who they learned had the name Olivia, hopped up slightly in joy.

"Yay, you like me AND my talents! I…I think I might cry! I'm overwhelmed! Please, can we become friends? Please, please, please, PLEASE?!"

"You can shut up for one thing with that annoying voice of yours." Scratch said. "After you've finished, can you finally address the elephant in the room and explain HOW YOU CAN CHANGE FORM?!"

Like every other instance beforehand, his words fell on deaf ears which meant Molly had to speak for him.

"Olivia, I would LOVE to become friends with you! I've never seen someone that could possibly match up to my feelings, and you've easily passed the test!"

"Eeeeeeeeeeeeee! YAY!" Olivia exclaimed with complete glee. In an act nobody saw coming, she rushed over to Molly and gave her possibly one of the most binding hugs ever conceived by someone of her age. Even Molly got taken aback when she found herself lifted off of the ground, which almost made her drop Nancy, and through the last amounts of air in her lungs she managed to utter a single phrase.

"Olivia…too much…can't breathe…"

Scratch watched from the sidelines as weirded out of the whole thing as ever, but once he saw Olivia inflict a stranglehold on her new best buddy he couldn't help but lightly chuckle in response. After all of the times he suffered from Molly's death defying hugs he found it quite humorous to see her at the other end for once. While the hugs given across him eventually ended as he managed to slip out every time, Molly had no such luxuries…and yet the single fact never occurred to him at the time. He thoroughly enjoyed seeing the one who showed her affection from the action at the receiving end for once, even if it possibly broke a bone or two. If she could have taken anything from the moment while he watched with a smile, it was to loosen her grip next time.

Even though she muttered out a few words, Olivia heard them clearly and got the message. Once they hit her hearing she instantly let go and allowed Molly to take a breather. Because of the tightness, it also mirrored over to Nancy. She nearly broke down from Molly's fingers as they coiled around her. She almost collapsed into Molly's palm while Olivia smacked her forehead in response.

"I have to control these urges, I HAVE to control these urges! Stupid Olivia, STUPID Olivia!"

Once Molly caught her breath she replied back to possibly calm the girl down.

"Easy there, I know how it feels to get carried away! How about you show me how you change into others to help forget that it happened, okay?"

Olivia perked up more than usual, and as if a switch flipped inside her head her emotions completely turned around while she eyed Molly with a large smile.

"Oh, right! I almost forgot to show my premier talent to my new friend! So much transforming, and yet I don't have all day! I'll show you just how deep I can get with this, but I have to warn you…I take my talents very seriously."

The others watched as the girl took a few steps back and closed her eyes. After a couple of deep breaths she held her arms out and concentrated, then right at that moment she grabbed the front part of her cap and stretched it downward, similar to how she changed back earlier. The witnesses watched in slight confusion as Olivia pulled the cap further and further down until it completely covered her face but still remained on her head. Nancy flinched a little since it seemed like it hurt, and yet the weird girl acted as if everything went normally up to that point. If she truly acted like a pro she probably knew how to take things further, even if her methods appeared a bit painful. She continued to tug at the frontal part further and further down until it completely blocked her face from the outside, which painted a mystery over what would happen next. The simple act seemed like such an inconsequential one and yet she insisted that she needed to go through with it, so everyone left her to her own agenda to figure everything out.

Finally, after a couple more seconds, she stopped tugging and let it go. Everyone's expectations remained up in the air, but soon after she pulled everything down she immediately released her grip and let loose a loud snap. What remained behind the cover took everyone by storm. Molly immediately had her eyes glisten, Nancy couldn't take her eyes off of her, Scratch's jaw almost hit the floor before he poked his eyes out, rubbed them a few times, then put them back in their sockets, and Katrina remained blank as always typical for her interests in certain hobbies. For Olivia to create such an upset she truly displayed something completely astounding.

…as she shaped herself to become the splitting image of the young teen with a ghost for a friend.

She completely nailed everything to pristine perfection. From the choice of clothes, shoes, color, and even typical happy expression, it really seemed like she just became the first replica of the young girl. So many questions surged through the minds of someone like Scratch, especially since she even gained some extra height to match who she eventually copied, and basically put their minds into meltdown. No such feats ever graced feeble minds like the young kids, and yet their eyes didn't lie. Despite a single action with a flip of a cap, they had the perfect copycat before them like it became a common occurrence.

It didn't sit well for a certain someone though, and he spoke pretty flatly soon after the "colorful" display.

"Well…I'm going to require another moment of comprehension now. If you need me…I'm going into the stall over there to scream…like any sane specter."

His never flinched in the slightest as he hovered over to the stall he went in previously and phased right through the door. Right when he disappeared inside, various yells and shouts rang through the room like he tried his hardest to open a pickle jar or completely lost his mind. Out of everyone to possibly take one for the team, one would expect Scratch to end up as the last one to potentially go for it. However, after what he saw with his over dead eyes it clearly became some kind of breaking point. It made the most sense for him to scream into the toilet, but any sense of reason left his head soon after the performances started. The ghost reached his limit and it only took a young girl with a knack for mimicry to finally break his mind into window shards.

Molly kept her eyes glued to her doppelganger from the start, and her eyes glistened with glee. She hastily put Nancy back into her pocket before she rushed over and stared at her clone as her excitement hit the roof. Her smile knew no bounds, which instantly reflected over to the other, and soon enough her twin moved and acted in the exact same manner she did. While most would probably call it weird and request that the other drop such a facade, for Molly she never wanted it to end. She found another friend to look to and experience with when she wanted…herself.

She immediately let her words loose, which also mirrored over to her "reflection".

"Oh my gosh, I can't believe… No way, you even speak like me?! I can't believe I'm actually seeing… You even… THIS IS SO AMAZING! How do you even know what I'm going to say?! Uhhh, I just moved here and I'm still learning so much about the world… Wait, can you read my mind or something?! I can't think of anything else as to… YAY, I HAVE A NEW SHAPE SHIFTING FRIEND!"

Nancy basically got up close interactions while Molly played around with how well she can become best friends with herself…which sounded very out of place as she thought about it. Every limb, torso, and everything else related to movement played out completely accurately to what Molly acted out. Just to add to the perfection behind such a master imitation, Molly's voice hit her hearing twice from both sides. While she heard of great voice imitations in the past, none came close to what Nancy heard. Her senses never picked up the voice of the one before, but a second iteration that really seemed like Molly took a trip into a cloning chamber. From the expressions of both sides Molly really adored the fact that she essentially had another version of her that played exactly how she acted herself, and it exemplified the performances of the girl that once stood before. How such a phenomenon existed flew out the moment she changed out of the Katrina illusion, although not to the same level that Scratch basically went crazy over, but one part became clear. It astounded her to know that such mastery of the art existed, and it came from someone around her age with an actual personality underneath all of the costumes and masks.

Molly continued to play along with her identical twin for a few more minutes before she eventually settled down. Her twin caught on rather quickly and backed off as well with a smile, which signified what she went for next. Just like the first disguise, the other Molly took hold of the front parts of her hair and tugged away at them downward. It lasted until she managed to completely covered her face with them, and after a few more seconds she let go which gave off one loud snap. When the dust settled, the clone had vanished and the once over eager mushroom capped girl took its place before everyone as if she never replaced anyone in the first place. For such a brief encounter, it already caught the interests of the audience beyond normal performances, because they didn't just witness someone's surprise guest at a birthday party.

Molly immediately spoke her mind in her typical overly happy fashion.

"I've seen a litter of puppies against a window of a pet store and couldn't leave them alone, and I've ridden a roller coaster that flipped twelve times and spiraled into crazy twists beyond my happiness, but never have I seen something so amazing as a girl that can change into me on a whim! How do you do it?! YOU HAVE TO TELL ME YOUR SECRETS!"

"I'm very curious as well, although I'm more so impressed on the inside." Katrina said. Nancy glanced up at the two and silently nodded in agreement, for she also wanted to know the details behind such a performance.

They found their responses met by a slow shake of the head from Olivia.

"Sorry, can't just let those details fly off the shelves like that! I can't let anyone else steal my thunder after all, and I've seen some REALLY desperate people that wanted to know in my travels!"

"Travels?" Molly asked while a certain giddiness stirred up in her. "You mean…you made a stop here at Brighton…LIKE ME?!"

She lightly began to hop up and down while lightly squealing to herself as Olivia answered with an equal expression.

"Molly…you don't know the half of it."

Olivia's head began to lightly bop up and down as a certain tune hit everyone's ears. A mix of high energy circus music mixed with bubblegum played as the next big tune started.

Your Friendly Neighborhood Copycat

Olivia: I was once an ordinary girl, bent on following the norm

but then I found an interest, to make everyone else smile!

With my pink hat, adorable face, and my love for all things fun

I travel around and put on my show, not everyone acts so vile!

From faces, to shapes, and even voices

you haven't seen anyone like me!

The one, the only, the one with the cap

who knows how to put on a great mimicry!

Molly: (With incredibly interested dilated eyes) Can you change into a puppy with baby eyes and a whimper?

Olivia: (Pulls her cap down and snaps it upward, revealing the correct form) Brown fur or gold? The more details the better!

Molly: (Completely amazed) How about a pigeon with two large arms and a face of someone's cat?

Olivia: (Pulls her transformed face down and snaps again, revealing the correct form) Don't make me cry, I can do this in my sleep! I'm a very active go-getter!

Who shall I go and entertain tonight?

Who shall I go and entertain tonight…with my talents?

My joy in life is seeing everyone smile!

My joy in life is seeing everyone smile!

To imitate and laugh as I don a cowboy hat

I'm just your friendly neighborhood copycat!

From faces, to shapes, and even voices

you haven't seen anyone like me!

The one, the only, the one with the cap

who knows how to put on a great mimicry!

Olivia struck one final happy pose before everything ended. She caught everyone's attention at that point, minus Scratch since he still stayed in the one stall yelling from all of the craziness he couldn't comprehend, and none of them underestimated her talents. They truly came across someone that stood in a league of her own, and all for the sake of entertainment. Molly probably displayed more interest in her than the others, but that didn't mean they lacked any in the first place. It made them feel a bit warm inside to know that they had made friends with someone like her.

Before anyone else could speak up after everything, Molly and Nancy silently watched as they saw Scratch phase back through the bathroom stall door after another semi-meltdown to himself. As he made his way back they noticed that he pulled out most of the tufts on top of his head out which left a somewhat bald scalp with various rough exposed patches…even if he lacked any type of skull underneath, and the various amounts of deep marks on his back, which he didn't seem to mind. To top all of it off, his eyes appeared like he stayed up all night on an all movie marathon even if he desired not to fall to those terms. While at first it may have seemed like he got his time to himself when he went in, as he came out he clearly went through more the others didn't know about.

His voice wavered in an out as his "bloodshot" eyes glanced over everyone.

"I heard someone playing those records again! I better not have missed out on much…because I clearly can't take any more of this…insanity!"

While Molly and Nancy wanted to answer him, because Katrina and Olivia didn't have the requisites to see or hear him, they chose to ignore him for now just to keep things on track. Besides, not everyone can handle the truth behind the binds the held him to Molly in the first place, even if Katrina displayed immense fascination in anything dark, which included ghosts.

"…I see you've pretty much become acquainted with us." Katrina said to Olivia in her usual monotone voice. "I almost can't believe someone like you exists…and I'm the one that first met up with you to begin with."

"Well, you can't get anything more accurate than what I'm capable of." Olivia replied before her giddiness acted up again. "Oh boy, I can't wait to hang out with all of you and play so many games in our free time! Ooh, maybe we can try that hopscotch game I've heard so many good things about! Of course I also heard about hide and seek, tag, jump rope, musical chairs, or maybe, ooh, there's also-"

"Sorry to interrupt, but we can't exactly hang around all day because of, you know, school?" Molly interjected. "Don't get me wrong, I would LOVE to hang around with you and play, but for now…I have classes coming up that I can't miss."

Nancy glanced up at Molly's massive face before she nodded her head in agreement. It didn't put a damper in Olivia's attitude though, because she still expressed a wide and eager smile that everyone saw.

"Oh right, I almost forgot about what the 'normal ones' do around here. Okay, we'll plan something out another time, because I'm not leaving this town anytime soon. I like all of you, and I'm REALLY getting accustomed to SO much here! Please don't forget about me, okay?"

"You can at least tell us why you wear that toadstool shaped hat so I don't keep losing my sanity!" Scratch stated. "I'm pretty sure I lost millions of brainpower in my fits of insanity! HOW DO YOU DO IT?!"

After everything he went through for some kind of comprehension about Olivia, Scratch seemed to have forgotten about how nobody in the room could see or hear him other than Molly and Nancy. Because of the setback, Molly replied for him.

"Oh, we won't forget you in the slightest! How could I forget someone with that much talent under that hat of hers? Speaking of which, why don't you take it off? I mean, it's not exactly cold out."

Olivia's smile slightly faded before she grabbed her cap and gripped it tightly.

"Well, ummm, I kind of wear it as a signature so everyone doesn't forget me and my status. I can't exactly take it off without, uhhhhhh, others possibly forgetting about me. Besides, it's very comfy and I don't mind it! I'm just THAT good at acting, you know!"

"Okay?" Katrina stated while she slightly tilted her head. The others never got far into the thought until Olivia steered the topic in another direction.

"Say, ummm, don't you have to explain how Nancy suddenly shrunk Molly?"

"Oh, uhhhh, right! I almost forgot about that from your transforming and whatnot!" Molly answered before she glanced down at the tiny girl in her pocket. Nancy looked back into Molly's world enveloping eyes and nodded silently before she gazed over to Katrina and Olivia. They wasted so much time with the mushroom capped girl that they left next to no time to explain the circumstances surrounding the girl they huddled into the bathroom for. Molly still had classes to go to, and she couldn't stay in an entire bathroom all day unless she wanted the lowest grades on her score cards.

Molly glanced at both Katrina and Olivia before she tried to explain everything as concise as possible.

"Well, to make a long story short, I have no idea how it happened. After the accident in the cafeteria I tried to apologize to her personally, but I never found her back at her home. The next thing I know I find her back at my place where I could easily mistake her for a dust mite. I've had her with me since, and I can't let anyone else know that this happened unless I desire to wear an orange jumpsuit. Please, don't leak this to the public. I promised to find some kind of cure, but…"

"We don't know where to head off next." Nancy added. She had no idea how she finally managed to say something after everything else, but she also couldn't believe it herself. Her mind easily put a pin into seeing someone very close like Katrina as a potential candidate, but for now she didn't want to think too much about it, especially since Molly had center stage at the moment.

Katrina visibly frowned upon hearing the news while Olivia matched Molly's negative vibes.

"Oh dear, I'm so sorry to hear that." Olivia said. "Just hearing it makes me want to…tear up…and huddle into a corner…"

"Not now Olivia, we have more pressing matters." Katrina said, which calmed the young copycat down some.

"I'm still wondering myself about how to solve everything so I can finally get some peace and quiet around here!" Scratch exclaimed. "This first day alone has thrown me into a loop of confusion…and MORE confusion!"

Scratch basically lost a large chunk of his mind at the moment, as the combination of everything that lead up to that point put his entire being into overdrive. Despite all of his freak outs and meltdowns, no one would never truly understand unless it was Molly or Nancy.

"Actually, you probably came to the right person to take on such an issue."

Everyone's attention immediately turned to Katrina, who gave off a slight smile.

"I deal with everything gloomy and dark ever since I took on such a hobby, and if the stars aligned properly you may have found yourself stricken from something I'm already used to. While I'm still trying to create any type of spell, especially since I've been at it for what seems like forever, I can easily put that to the side to try and figure out the true nature behind your shrinkage…if it turned out as something from the dark side."

Certain parts of Katrina's statement rubbed Nancy the wrong way. The possibility that she suffered from some kind of spell or hex always stood out as an option, and yet she never took it seriously until that moment. After Molly showed Scratch and how he bound himself to her at all times, it really painted a grim picture for the tiny girl. The ghost didn't have a decent way out of his burden, so the chances for Nancy to find a way out of her predicament remained less to none in her eyes. Katrina failed to conjure up something yet, so it remained up in the air as to whether she possibly knew of a method to solve the current crisis. The uncertainty under Katrina's blank face put a damper in Nancy's spirits.

Molly's eyes went slightly wider from Katrina's words.

"Oh my gosh, thank you so much for the help! I'm doing as much as I can from my end, and after the bombshells that struck yesterday-"

"I'm not helping out because of you, Cake Crasher." Katrina interrupted in a cold tone. "I'm doing this for my friend. I haven't forgotten that you started the whole problem in the first place AND humiliated her to the masses."

She snapped back at Molly without as much as a single strike across the face. Her statements actually forced Molly to stagger a bit, and even then Nancy knew she held back on throwing out all of her punches. After the stunt with Olivia when she played under the guise of Katrina she pretty much knew what would happen if the goth girl went all out with what she was capable of, and she never even lifted a finger. She didn't forgive Molly just yet, especially after the dire incident, and from her coldness alone she probably had a long way to go until she even had a sliver of forgiveness built up in her. Molly messed with her best friend after all, and she made her point clear that nobody messed with the ones she cared about unless they wanted to experience tragedy in its entirety.

Molly stammered a bit from the poisonous warning thrown at her as her mouth went crooked and her pupils contracted.

"Errrr, ummm, okay! I'll, uhhh…keep that in mind! Let's, uhhhh…figure out how we'll cover up for Nancy next since, you know, everyone says she vanished after all…"

"Ooh, ooh, ooh! IKNOWIKNOWIKNOW! PICKMEPICKMEPICKMEPICKMEPICKME!"

The giddy Olivia joyously hopped up and down lightly while she raised her hand and waved it like she sat in an audience during a new car giveaway. It became pretty obvious who to turn to next, although the distraught Scratch already had headaches from earlier.

"I've…practically given up at this point. I'm just going to say that I'm seeing magic tricks…with glitter and ketchup…" Scratch said in a dreary tone.

Everyone watched Olivia as she started her most famous trick once again for the crowd. Her upbeat and happy smile disappeared behind the fabric as she pulled the front of her hat downward until it covered her face completely. They could practically hear the large stretching sounds, most likely rubber, as she went through the whole process like the pro she claimed to be. She kept it going downward for a few more seconds until her face became covered completely under the front side of her hat, and everyone else knew what would happen. As they imagined the girl as she happily grip behind her cover, she let loose her grip and allowed everything to snap into place. From that moment Olivia left the building as someone else took her place, to which Nancy couldn't believe her eyes.

She saw herself as if she never came across Molly in the first place.

She perfected her form to the most minute details. From the blue tips of her hair to timid stature the doppelganger on the other side pinpointed everything to make it seem like she somehow had an identical twin. As if she needed another reiteration to the perfection behind each transformation, Nancy witnessed herself in her typical way all from a splitting image of someone else. At first glance, she even took note that she managed to get the proportions right. Her shrunken height didn't get displayed by the mimicker, but her normal one like everyone else. While it hurt a bit to see herself as a normal girl even though she knew otherwise, she had to admit that Olivia put on a perfect act from first sights alone that could possibly help cover for her.

"Ah-ah…amazing." Nancy said. "She…even got my correct height."

"Well, she stated several times that she strives for perfection." Molly said. They watched as the transformed girl even stared down and seemed to take more nervous gestures as if they really saw another Nancy before them. Katrina even went up to her for a closer look, but before she could try and see her face…

"DON'T TOUCH ME!"

Nancy's twin exclaimed such a powerful and repelling phrase that the real girl actually said when she couldn't handle space. She let the words come out in such a manner that it fooled everyone for the moment, and when the doppelganger suddenly glanced at everyone and took a few steps back after she realized what happened it completely sold them on the fact. If they didn't have the knowledge beforehand they most definitely would have taken her in as the real Nancy, which they knew the entertainer wanted everyone to think when she performed her acts.

"How does that work? HOW DOES THAT WHOLE THING WORK?!" Scratch exclaimed to audience of nobody but Molly and Nancy.

"Okay Olivia, you proved your point. Think you can keep that up continuously until everything gets solved?" Katrina asked.

Everyone looked in her direction as they watched the once timid image of Nancy grabbed the front side of her hair and pulled it straight down over her face. It made some of the other girls, mostly Molly and Nancy, wince since they knew the true feelings behind pulled hair, and soon after the twin's face ended up completely covered. After one straight release and loud snap later, they saw Olivia back with them and her appealing pink hat.

"Sorry if I didn't reply sooner, for I'm just THAT good at acting and get carried away at times." Olivia answered. "As for standing in for the tiny girl there, pffffffft, I can do that for as long as you want!"

"You'll actually do that for us?" Molly asked as her pupils dilated. "Oh my gosh, thank you so much! You have no idea how much this means to solving this!"

"No problem Molly! I'm just happy I finally got to meet someone so…fascinating!" Olivia said while the others could feel her giddiness act up again. "Like I said, I like you! You seem like someone I would LOVE to hang with, and I can handle this whole 'impersonating Nancy' duty no problem! If I get the chance to in my free time…can we play around sometime?"

"Sure! I can't deny someone with that amazing attitude after all!" Molly replied. Olivia would have gone on one of her happy and joyous ventures around the room upon hearing the answer, but before she could do so she became distracted by something from Nancy.

"Does this mean that you'll take me in, Katrina? I mean, it seems logical that once we find the reversal to my reduction we use it right away. Besides…you know me better than anyone else, and Molly…"

The timid tiny girl glanced up at Molly's huge face, who looked back and cocked an eyebrow in her direction.

"Are…are you saying I'm not fit to handle you? I've gotten you this far, didn't I? I thought you learned to trust me on this."

Nancy sunk a bit downward into Molly's pocket with a look of guilt, which the big girl took as an unofficial answer. Before she could answer back though, Katrina spoke back up.

"Yeah, sorry Nanse. You wouldn't last a day in my care. From all of my hobbies that I strive for on a daily basis, plus the fact that I just bought a pet tarantula, I'm sure you would lose your sanity pretty quickly."

The instant she finished, Nancy zipped straight back up to see her enlarged friend, regardless of Molly's expression. Scratch also perked up a bit, but after nearly ripping himself apart from the displays put on by Olivia he didn't have it in him to speak, especially if it amounted to nothing in the end.

"But-but-but-"

"I know you don't want to last like that any longer, and trust me when I say I can feel your pain despite my personality." Katrina answered. "I need to look into things on my end and I can't do so while always looking out for you. All of us need to pitch in something if you want to stand with us again, and even though I loathe what that creature did to you…"

Her head tilted in a certain direction, and it became a no brainer where once Nancy noticed Molly as she tepidly smiled and rubbed the back of her head for a moment.

"Yeah, that won't pass for me." Katrina answered before she got back to Nancy. "Anyways, with the inhospitable conditions of my house beyond normal mindsets and every other option…you should accompany the Cake Crasher for safety. She seems to already have some accurate guesses about you and has a well established house contrary to my abode."

Nancy felt her heart stutter to a crawl while Molly's smile widened into something more happy. Her statements became the last things she expected to get uttered from her best friend's mouth, and she usually acted so supportive. Staying with a complete stranger that just moved to Brighton recently seemed like such an out of touch plan that if someone else said such words she would equally feel just as awkward. She caused her shrinkage in the first after all, and now it felt more like a hostage situation than she thought previously. Any sane person would possibly immediately ridicule such a tactic and attempt to never bring it up again, and to someone like Nancy it sounded like something straight out of a horror movie where the victim never escapes. Molly's go-happy demeanor meant nothing to quell the salvage emotions of a tiny shrunken girl.

…yet her best friend insisted it.

It took a couple more seconds, but after she realized that her best friend provided her support a faint light shined in the sea of darkness. Katrina stated that she cared for her and would go to extreme lengths to ensure she remained safe, so by that notion her intentions became clear. She never saw it as a consequence for something she did in the past, but as a safety net until something surfaced to lead them into the right direction. Even if she absolutely hated Molly for punishing her best friend, she still chose her in the end for the duty of keeping her safe. They may have differing views, but they cooperated, despite only briefly knowing each other beforehand, for the trials ahead. If Katrina trusted Molly…it sounded like something worth going through with.

She made her decision.

"Well…if you say so Katrina…I guess I can stay with her for a bit longer…"

"YAY!"

Before Nancy even knew it, she quickly found herself plucked from the pocket and into Molly's fingers once again. Her huge face and smile took up her entire vision for a second until she plastered her all over her chest in another one of her massive and joyous hugs. From her grip and motions alone she probably had a lot built up in her and only required a single key to release all of it.

"It's so nice to hear those words! I know you don't trust me now, but down the line I hope that will change for the better! Remember, we still have the MISSION Squad!"

"Umm, what now?" Katrina asked.

While everything unfolded before him, so many grave thoughts plagued Scratch the moment he heard the current plans for Nancy. To hear that she won't have somewhere else to call home but the same house he became forced to share with Molly, it only provided dread and terror for the ghost. He could barely handle one girl, but another never stood out as an extra. In fairness, she lacked the contagious enthusiasm that Molly expressed on a daily basis and stood at a fraction of her height, but that didn't help the fact that he had to adapt to a second unwelcome guest. He already barely tolerated Nancy during her brief stint yesterday, and now he needed to deal with it until something gets figured out in the future.

Molly took a moment to pull Nancy out into her hand before she answered.

"Oh, right, that tidbit! I've gave ourselves the name the MISSION Squad so we can focus more on solving these weird set of circumstances involving Nancy. I thought it was pretty clever and I can't get the little jingle I made for it out of my head. So catchy!"

Olivia immediately answered next in her usual giddy manner.

"Ooh, ooh, ooh, does that mean I'M part of the group too?! I'm helping cover for her, so it seems fair that I should join the group! Please, please, please?"

"Of course you can join! I mean, I can't deny a friend and an attitude like that!" Molly answered.

Olivia immediately exploded in joy and happiness right next to Katrina, who kept her emotions to herself like always.

"YAAAAAAAY! I'M ACTUALLY PART OF SOMETHING! I'm so excited I can barely contain myself! Oh, maybe I can act as the group cheerleader! I have SOOOOOOO many design ideas that I can make work! Do you think this could work? I have this one off of the top of my head!"

With that said, Olivia instantly stopped and planted her feet before she pulled down the front of her hat again. Everyone knew the drill by then, so when they heard the inevitable snap they knew they would see someone else completely…or someone familiar with a unique twist. For her next transformation, Olivia actually changed herself into the guise of Molly again but her choice of outfit changed into a vibrant cheerleader outfit in the official colors of the town's middle school.

"GO! GO! GO! MISSION Squad! GO! GO! GO! MISSION Squad! M-I-S-S-I-O-N, M-I-S-S-I-O-N! MISSION Squad! YEAH! YEAH! YEAH! MISSION Squad! YEAH! YEAH! YEAH! GoooooooooOOOOOOOO MISSION SQUAD! YAAAAAAAAAY!"

"Wow, I LOVE it in every single way!" Molly said in utter amazement. "Of course, we kind of have to keep the entire group secret because, well… I can't exactly handle wearing a jumpsuit, okay?!"

"Understood! I'll keep my lips sealed!" Olivia stated before she snapped back to her original shape and kept her eager and happy smile.

"I'm excited on the inside, just to let all you know." Katrina said before she went a little off topic. "I think we already stayed too long in here. We should probably head to class soon."

"Classes? Pfffffffft, you know I don't go through those!" Olivia said.

"Olivia…" Katrina said before she lightly frowned.

The ever changing girl got the message pretty quickly.

"Okay, FIIIIIIINE! I'll meet up with her later."

"That's more like it." Katrina said. "You better also get going soon Molly. I'm pretty sure we ran the clock pretty dry with all of these explanations."

"Oh, definitely!" Molly answered. "We discuss things later, okay?"

Both Katrina and Olivia nodded before they head off to the bathroom's entrance and exit. Katrina disappeared over the corner first followed by Olivia, but soon after the overly giddy one popped her have back in. She eagerly gave Molly a happy wave, which she also performed back, but its duration lasted a bit longer than expected. It seemed Katrina also took notice as they heard an interrupting noise from around the corner, which provided Olivia the memo to move along. She glanced over to the side where Katrina supposedly stood and uttered a few tepid chuckles before glanced back at Molly and happily winked. The giddy girl disappeared with the goth girl soon after, which finally gave the three time to themselves. Olivia really had a similar personality to Molly's, but with bucket loads of sugar added to the mix.

"She glanced at me! I swear she looked in my direction at the last moment there!" Scratch exclaimed through his crazed demeanor.

Molly placed Nancy back into her pocket before she answered the deranged ghost.

"You really have to just let all of that go before you degrade yourself further. Come on, I still have classes to attend Scratchy!"

"BUT SHE REALLY GLANCED AT ME! THE GIRL CLEARLY HAS SOMETHING WRONG WITH HER!"

Molly didn't answer her ghost bestie as she focused on getting to her classes before school started. Right as she left the bathroom the ghost eventually noticed her absence and rushed off after her while still in an insane state.

"I'M NOT CRAZY, OKAY?! I KNOW SHE LOOKED IN MY DIRECTION AT THE LAST SECOND! COME ON MOLLY, I'M NOT NUTS ABOUT HER!"

Right when he left the entire bathroom the whole room now set in complete emptiness…at least for a few more seconds. It started off slight near the back with a small current, but over time it soon formed into a familiar portal Scratch would understand in an instant. However, the one that eventually crawled out had no such features of common undead specters, and it only had one single thought embedded into its mind. It scanned the room at first before it lightly hissed and scurried across the floor as it followed the trail left behind.

It desired something on a silver platter.

---

Nancy made sure to keep herself as quiet as possible while the bigger girl that provided a hiding spot took each of her early morning classes. She watched every time Molly walked in and out of each class as efficiently as possible, and during all of that she seemed to know how to go about each time. She took some quick trips to her locker between each subject matter, but other than those minor delays she encountered no major ones. Because she set at a grade or so higher than her, lots of the subject matter of each class lacked any impact to the young girl. Molly seemed to understand quite a bit and got to work at certain papers, and each time it left Nancy alone to her own "tiny" agenda. She refused to set foot anywhere outside of Molly's pocket or risk potential disaster, which pretty much left her to scan the premises since she would have to get used to it for the future. For the most part she only got a good picture of the backsides of other students, minus her giant captor, although during certain periods she managed to find a good glimpse or two as some select few students. Like everything else around her, they eclipsed her in height at every possible angle, which painted a grim picture if they ever managed to make a step in her direction unwarily, and also seemed to place their focus on their classes. She overheard some provide some chatter to Molly before class began, although the ambiance of other students and their words left most of the details out of her reach. From first glances alone they appeared to know Molly and treat her like any normal girl, even if she acted a bit kooky at certain moments. Even after only the first couple of days she already made her mark on Brighton middle school, which she deeply desired the moment she arrived, which Nancy failed to do despite living in the town her entire life. While she didn't envy Molly and her go-lucky personality and attitude, a part of her wished she understood how she got everyone to know her in such a short time frame.

Despite all of the commotion above her, Scratch still remained completely visible to her as he made rounds close to Molly…although he took most of the time to try and calm himself down from all of the unorthodox sightings he witnessed earlier on. From Nancy's shrinkage, a goth girl and her gravely dark tendencies, to a shape shifting girl with perfect accuracy behind her disguises, it came as no surprise to see him try to cram everything in and accept the reality bestowed before him. From shoving his head into someone's backpack and screaming, vigorously rubbing his head that shed splotches of ectoplasm, to bashing his head against a chalkboard that detailed the signs of head trauma, the ghost took a bit as he took the facts in piece by piece. Because Nancy had therapy sessions to help suppress her own freak outs, of the methods he put on display she recalled none of them as the most effective. Either he never took any sort of therapy session, or he lost his mind so much that he forgot anything effective. Even so, he probably wouldn't resort to something simplistic in Nancy's eyes. If he didn't have the transparency to everyone but herself and Molly, Scratch would most likely wreck the place in his "fits of warranted solitude" even if her tiny stature contributed to why he acted so crazy at the time. While she didn't question him, she dreaded the possibilities if he even down entire cups of coffee in one sitting if his tactics revolved around screaming and hitting himself.

After a couple sessions of class from various subjects, including history and math, eventually they reached the common cool down period in lunchtime. Because she basically got fed with nothing but the smallest of crumbs, Nancy looked forward to having something on the table for Molly to sneak over to her even if it became heavily watered down from her size alone. While for the most part Scratch recouped his state of mind to a much more manageable state, it mostly came from the fact that he finally got the chance to eat something. He already counted on a couple of hunches for the lunch special, even if Molly brought her own bag, and once he floated through the doors he took one deep breath through his nose and shivered in delight.

"Ah, about time we finally earned the right to eat. I always have my list of demands at the ready just in case!"

"Yet you didn't do anything but scream and bash you head against everything." Molly said.

"Don't remind me or those feelings might come back!" Scratch retorted. He then took a moment as he floated over and took a glance at the "special" for the week, which he checked every single time just in case anything caught his eye. Molly made herself comfortable and sat near an empty table that may not have stood out as anything to her, but for Nancy it only reminded her of the punishment she went through ever since that fateful moment. For her to decide on that particular spot meant she didn't think too much about it despite what happened, and it brought slight misery to the shrunken girl. Molly still had a long way to go if she ever wanted Nancy's trust in the long run, and even then she remained unsure if she wanted it in the first place.

The cursed ghost scanned the words thoroughly and expected everything to come up dry once again, but just as he desired to leave he read the last few words and he nearly heard the bells chime overhead.

"Wha… Am I really seeing… Oh my gosh, OH MY GOSH!"

"Something caught your eye there, Scratch?" Molly asked after she turned her chair to face him. The ghost turned around and faced her, only to see one of his eyes out of its socket almost plastered against the writing near the bottom.

"Don't rub it in." Scratch answered pretty flatly before he put his eye back in. "I'm talking about the beautiful words right across this bulletin IN FINE PRINT."

Before the two girls knew it, Scratch immediately zipped over to Molly and pushed her up close to the bulletin like an excited toddler. It took a moment for Molly and Nancy to see it, but once they saw the news it they understood Scratch's current feelings. Right at the bottom under the "lunch special" section they easy made out the words "New England Clam Chowder" written out like a declaration of some kind.

"Oh, right. Now I get it." Molly said with slightly narrowed eyes. "I didn't know you had it in you for a delicacy like that."

"…you clearly missed the times I browsed the food catalogs your mother brings back from shopping." Scratch answered as he shook his head in disgust.

"Wait a minute, so YOU were the one that made all of those papers disappear?!" Molly said before she almost went on a rambling tangent. "I always thought it was Darryl playing an early April Fools joke on me!"

"Hey, when it come to delicious tastes, I'm always first in line…staring down the clerk at the counter." Scratch said. "Besides, you have no idea how legendary of a dish such splendor finds itself in the hands of the miserable ghost."

The ghost took on an elegant pose as a light shined on him that glistened through his eyes.

"When it comes to exotic goodies from far away lands, such stations ghosts find themselves relegated to become such burdens to the taste buds. Brighton has its fair share of delectable treats, and yet…such limited scopes. I've seen many phantoms wag their fingers at me as if they know I'm missing out on a blessing…and it really irks me to no end. From the moment I took my duty as the ghost of this worn down town, I made it a personal goal to get a taste of ANYTHING that wanders into these borders, for you may never have the chance to understand true love…until it slides down you throat. I WILL TASTE ANY EXOTIC FOOD THAT MAKES ITS WAY TO BRIGHTON…FOR IT MAY ONLY HAPPEN ONCE IN EVERY GHOST'S AFTERLIFE…WITH A PINCH OF COCKTAIL SAUCE!"

Molly took his entire speech like she just witnessed a historical figure provide some of the most precious words right in front of her. Her eyes comically blew up and dilated while cheesy tears fell down her face.

"I've…never seen such dedication from you Scratch. It makes me feel blessed to know that my bestie knows how to write up something that TUGS at the heart strings. I…I almost can't take such an appeal like this."

"Get used to it, became when I'm dedicated I GO for it." Scratch answered. "Now if you need me, I got about a dozen shrimp with my name on it and I CAN'T stand lines in any capacity."

Before the two girls knew it, the ghost slipped right through the wall in front of him for first dibs on the lunch special. They could already picture what ran through his head at the moment, and after such words he uttered he easily didn't kid around when he explained his dedication. It remained calm for now, but once the students find bowls disappear in front of them it spelled pandemonium which Scratch would DIE for. Unless they already understood the nature behind it, any unaware students that waited in line basically wandered onto a horror movie set without thinking too much.

As the ghost went by the book to get what he wanted, Molly put herself back at the table and glanced into her brown bag. She lightly smiled as the visuals came up, even if Nancy couldn't see them herself from the angle. She watched as Molly rummaged through the lunch bag and brought out what ended up packed in there. Nancy saw a common turkey sandwich in white bread with lettuce, a few orange slices, and a common juice box. Nothing too substantial in Nancy's eyes, just what many considered as standard when it came to lunch periods.

"Ah, yes! Nothing but the quint essentials for an energetic girl like me!" Molly said.

She went for the orange slices first and carefully brought them out of the plastic bag. She glanced at them for a second before she said a small phrase with a certain chime to it.

With a fruit of such splendor and the nectar of bright, let the day go ahead and bathe everyone in light.

Such sweetness, such love, and desire to embrace. One drop of an orange will put a smile on your face.

Nancy watched in awe silently as Molly finished up and took a couple of bites on a particular slice. Even during a downtime the young teen had different ways to think things through that Nancy never saw before. If almost made her feel inconsequential and invisible when it came to her actions, which, while she normally desired such outcomes, became pretty much standard for her and her personality. Some drops of the slice almost fell right on top of her since Molly didn't pay too much attention, but for now she let her have the time to herself. After her constant attentive watch over for the tiny one in her pocket, she possibly desired such a time for a while now.

Nancy withdrew into her own mind to let Molly have her time, but snapped back to reality once she noticed two of the giant girl's colossal fingers right in front of her with a near microscopic piece of an orange slice between the digits.

"Don't fret, I never forgot about you. I can't ignore my new tiny friend, especially someone like you. Here, have this. Just one taste brings a smile!"

It didn't surprise Nancy to hear Molly try to squeeze a bit of happy banter between such a minor interaction, for she knew that her tiny passenger remained a bit down in the dumps since everything started. While it lacked any major effect, the sight of some type of food, even severely watered down, raised her spirits a bit to know that the giant one always had her presence in the back of her mind. She even made sure that the piece for Nancy remained small enough to hold in both of her tiny hands, which showed her dedication and care behind such a "miniature" consequence. While she would have preferred something different, she had to give it to Molly for attempting to smooth things over.

She reached out a bit before she grasped the piece and let it stick between her fingers. While only a fraction of the actual fruit, it obviously lacked the rounded and colored features that helped separate it from the others of its group. Even so, Nancy hesitated to eat it at first from looks alone.

"Got something on your mind there? I thought you had an empty stomach at this point."

The colossus that kept her boomed overhead which caught the tiny one's attention and brought to her to the looming friendly face.

"I…I do." Nancy answered. "I don't really prefer these types of fruits though…"

Molly gazed at the speck in her pocket and raised both of her eyebrows.

"You don't like oranges? I've never heard of such a lie in my life! Surely you've taken some orange juice before, right?"

"Ummm, yeah." Nancy answered with a few stutters. "I drink some from time to time if I lack any other alternative. Is that wrong?"

"No, no, not at all!" Molly boomed overhead. "I understand completely where you're coming from, but I'm certain that if you give it a chance you'll find that both have a lot more in common than you think. That saying I stated earlier? Made that up around your age to help me get used to it better, and I'm not lying when I said that it makes you smile."

She couldn't make out if Molly lied through her teeth or spoke the genuine truth. After all, she lived under different conditions compared to how she lived her early childhood. Her parents normally maintained certain standards when it came to food she didn't like, which involved her at times not having the ability to leave the table unless she ate everything off her plate. At the worst of moments, the dreaded green beans, which Nancy rebuked more than anything else, had its presence among the mashed potatoes and chicken which at one point took next to an hour before she eventually ate it and almost hurled. If Molly thought of her as the uncooperative kid at the table she would have her behind glued to her chair for a long time just to get through Nancy's tendencies and refusals when it came to certain foods.

Nancy's continued hesitations brought Molly's eyelids down a notch.

"You leave me no choice… Actually, I probably would have showed this sooner or later. Prepare yourself for a Vitamin M in positivity, for I don't just pull this out for anyone!"

Nancy had no idea what she meant, and in some ways she didn't want to find out. However, she didn't have a say in what Molly should do so she could only watch as the young teen reached for another orange slice. Once she grasped it she took a glance down at the shrunken girl and raised her eyebrows a couple of time like she had something special in mind. After the slight display, Nancy looked her down as she witnessed the giant girl shove the entire orange slice straight into her mouth which caught the tiny one by surprise. Molly's cheeks puffed a little while she seemed to wriggle the slice around in her mouth for a short while, but before long she stopped. Before Nancy knew it, the giant Molly opened her mouth in one of her trademark smiles, but it came with a rather comical twist.

She never saw the whites of her teeth as a different image took their place and filled up her expression with fruity goodness.

The sight alone manage to get a few chuckles out of Nancy's timid nature. She understood now what Molly meant about the smiles with the fruit, and it came as no surprise to why she enjoyed it so much. Even Molly seemed to laugh a bit under her "fruity" smile while she saw Nancy crack. Even when she looked out of place, she learned that Nancy had some good under all of that nervousness built up.

Molly pulled the slice out as she noticed the giggling Nancy.

"I'm seeing a smile there! I guess you didn't expect that, huh? Orange you glad I thought about it? Hahahahah!"

Once the words hit her ears, Nancy felt her back stiffen. Her eyes went wide for a split second as she saw something in her she never thought existed. She instantly covered her mouth and lightly shook her head soon after. Ever since she found herself staring up at a girl millions of feet higher, she thought that any emotion that represented satisfaction and happiness left the building and never came back. Misery and sadness took over to the circumstances that put her into a crippled state, and yet she only needed to glance into the back room to find what she wanted. To think they never left to begin stabilized a certain portion of her mental state, and yet she never saw herself like that when she woke up. For some reason she lacked a small portion of sadness that seemed missing as the day progressed, although she pinned part of it on the fact that Katrina now had her back and understood where she went since the accident. A small scratch clawed at all of the terrors brought on her by her shrinkage, and it only took a small display from Molly to see it.

The amusing show Molly put on for her gave her enough to finally look back down at the small portion of orange she didn't want to taste at first. For once she saw something not so disgusting but something bearable even if she never tasted it yet. After the statements and display from Molly it really seemed like she spoke the truth, so she brought the piece closer to her face while the stickiness spread across her fingers. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a second before she inevitably took a bite out of it.

She never went back to refusing the fruit since.

Molly stated the facts for her and she delivered on them. Not only did the taste reflect the juice she drank, but it may have been slightly better for her taste buds. She immediately swallowed and took another bite, which she also enjoyed, which the giant one saw overhead.

"Yay, it seems like you love it! You made the first couple of steps Nancy, and I will stay with you the entire way! We'll get you back to normal in no time!"

Soon after that, Molly happily nodded before she turned back to the table for her own lunch time. Nancy sagged a bit into the pocket for some time to herself, especially with her orange piece, but due to the angle it became impossible to not see the planet sized face of Molly McGee like she took place of the sun. She had her doubts that Molly completely stopped paying attention to her, as she made it crystal clear that her current mission, of the "MISSION Squad" no less, stood at the top of the priority list. She made extra sure to have her eyes on her at all times, even as she munched down on her lunch.

It worried Nancy a bit as the two of them ate at their own paces, especially when she glanced up at Molly. Because of the consequences behind such reduction, she knew full well that she could end up at the receiving end of such consumption and become history in seconds. While the assertions provided by Molly told her otherwise, just one mistake spelled her demise. She very well may find herself stuck somewhere only to witness the inside of Molly's mouth followed by one final gulp. The worry alone painted a certain dread in the back of her mind, even from someone who dripped happiness on a daily basis, as she just might end up seeing the digestive system firsthand from one simple mistake…if Molly's gastric acids didn't finish her off first. The less she thought about such painful experiences the better, especially when it came to the possibility of getting accidentally eaten and seeing Molly's innards with her own two eyes.

She shut her eyes and held her head for a moment just to get the horrid thoughts out, since she knew the contrary behind such a fate, and as she came to something hit her hearing from above. She finished off the rest of her orange piece before she scooted back up to the pocket's lip and lightly peeked out. Molly's huge friendly face loomed over her like usual, but once she gazed toward the front she immediately understood what caught her attention. Someone else took a seat at the same table across from her, and she even brought her own tray with some kinds of foods she couldn't fully recognize. Her eyes seemed like they've went through an all-nighter even though she understood that probably wasn't the case, which sharply contrasted to Molly's bright outlook. Her brown hair kind of matched the same tone set from her face, as various loose strands wanted their presences out in the open like they desired to star in the next big movie. When it came to Nancy's own hair she couldn't stand such mistakes even though she desired to stay out of the limelight, and yet the new girl didn't care as if looks never mattered. She had to give it to her for that kind of mindset, and the rest of her choices also seemed to match such required obliviousness. For her clothes she wore some type of long green sweatshirt which confused Nancy at first since the current weather didn't put the temperatures down that low, and her pale green pants seemed to complement her supposed hot comfort. However, she found it surprising to see some kind of large hole open on the left leg of her pants, which indicated some type of ignorance that completely blew Nancy's mind. To not notice such blatant damage and parade it around like nothing was wrong seemed completely unconventional and unique that irked Nancy in more ways than one, but she had more important things to think about. To top everything off with her choice of footwear, two dark green boots straight from the wilderness covered her feet like winter as if winter arrived just yesterday. Everything about her screamed like she just woke up from hibernation with a family of bears, and Nancy wouldn't feel too surprised if she guessed correctly. Of course, she couldn't judge the girl from her choices alone, especially because her best friend wore unique choices herself on account of her "dark" hobbies, and if anything she could very well have sweetness on the inside. Because of such considerations, she could only find one word to describe the new girl: distinct.

Molly finished off the next bite of her sandwich before she addressed the other girl…in her usual upbeat Molly fashion.

"Libby! My main girl! Great bestie! The Libinator! Best friend! AmphLibbia! How's my best friend doing today?"

The girl, apparently named Libby, looked at Molly across from her and chuckled lightly.

"Heheheh, you never disappoint with you presence. I really appreciate that."

"Hey, besties have to stick together no matter what!" Molly answered. "Got anything going on later?"

Libby shook her head.

"Not too much. Still handling the backstage scenery for that upcoming play with the drama class…and Andrea. They say I'm 'competent' enough to do so."

"Oh, really? They picked the right girl for the job, if I do say so myself." Molly answered. "I can pretty much guess which role Andrea desired the most."

"Yeah, I know." Libby said with a slight straight face. "I didn't think she would fit in that mermaid suit, but expectations love to prove me wrong. I assume you have Scratch nearby?"

She found her answer when various screams sounded out from the back kitchen followed by some yelling at a certain tone the girls figured out in an instant. It caused a bit of commotion from some other students enjoying their own lunches, but they mostly remained on the sidelines and chose not to involve themselves. After what he said earlier, the tiny girl should have come to terms that such an occurrence became standard from a ghost like him. He clearly ran on his own set of rules when it came to his interests, even if it provided intense horror to the ones that lacked the understanding behind his nature. Scratch sure thought of himself as important to get what he wants when it came to what he liked, and everyone else stood out as collateral damage.

Soon after, Molly and Nancy saw Libby's face as it went flat.

"I'm not hearing a horde of rats back there, aren't I?"

"Heheheh, yeah. He didn't even give me the chance to tell him about the one MAJOR caveat to the whole lunch special today." Molly said at a slightly lukewarm tone while she expressed a tepid smile.

"His impatience will bite him back the hard was, I guess." Libby replied. "Almost reminds me of this one girl I ran into in the hallway today."

"Really? How so?" Molly asked.

Libby twiddled her fingers a little and glanced down at them for a moment.

"Well, she wouldn't stop gazing over me like I just arrived at a prison complex for one thing. I think she tried to pat me down at point and wouldn't stop asking questions at a continuous rate. I swear she had the most enamored eyes I've ever seen, and soon after I heard the bell ring she stated something about becoming friends before she ran straight out the door. I mean, Scratch has his personality traits, but that one girl… Yeesh, even I need personal space!"

It took less than a millisecond to figure out who Libby rambled on about, especially after everything that occurred and brought Scratch to the insane asylum. It became almost too reasonable to see such enthusiasm and enthrallment in one girl steer her toward others, and she took full advantage of them. Of course Libby didn't know the true nature behind such an enigmatic girl, so to see her weirded out didn't stand out to them as too surprising. If she decided to put her full talents on display then maybe she could get her point across, but because she took it upon herself to take the appearance of Nancy and fill in for her it probably became the best if she left Libby out of the knowledge. Molly made it perfectly clear after all that she wouldn't fit well in an orange jumpsuit, and she desired to keep it that way.

Nancy got lost in her thoughts so much that she almost missed the point where Libby talked about Scratch, which told her that Molly's friend knew about his existence. She had her doubts that Libby could see him at all times though, especially since she had no family relations with the McGees at all from what Nancy understood. However, because she somehow obtained the ability to see him while under the same conditions anything became possible at that point in her mind.

Molly chose to speak up soon after.

"Oh, right! The weird girl that wears a toadstool for a hat! I, ummm, wouldn't worry to much about her. She wants to see everything after she just arrived in Brighton, at least from what I heard."

"Molly…she stuck her head into my hair and sniffed it." Libby stated pretty flatly.

Nancy stayed quiet and watched Molly's smile fade into halfhearted territory.

"Well, uhhhhh… She still has plenty to learn in due time! I mean, it worked for me right? Now we're best friends for life! You can't ignore that!"

Libby chuckled and smiled back.

"Yeah, you definitely stated the facts right there. Kind of makes me wish that yesterday never happened."

For such an ambiguous terms to Nancy, she saw certain writings on the wall and shuddered to herself as things continued. Molly seemed to understand as well as Nancy swore she thought the giant girl skipped a beat when Libby finished.

She didn't blame her when she heard her act like she remained clueless to the endeavors that occurred…which had the opposite effect from her acting.

"Uhhhhh, something happened yesterday? What could POSSIBLY have happened that day to RILE everyone up in SUCH a barbaric manner? I don't recall ANYTHING of the sort in this BORING old school!"

Molly failed at auditioning and she never applied yet.

"Molly, I'm not playing games here. I know you haven't lived under a rock the whole time." Libby stated. "Care to explain?"

"What? About my OBVIOUS normal day trying to bring SUNSHINE to Brighton?" Molly answered in the most obvious guilty tone imaginable. "NOTHING out of the ordinary here! NOPE, none at all!"

She botched her second attempt at getting any sort of role in any future theater production.

"Really?" Libby answered before she cut to the chase instantly. "I heard you humiliated and embarrassed a young girl to the whole school."

She fired the kill shot and left Molly to fend for herself. While she did her best to masquerade everything built up in her, Nancy could see the dread behind her endearing eyes. It made it seem like Libby intended to state the facts from the start, which told the opposite of what her appearance stated. For a so called "bestie" to the one that sent the whole school into fits of laughter, Libby's intentions remained straightforward, at least from what Nancy saw.

She lowered herself slowly down deeper into Molly's pocket while the conversation continued above her.

"Oh, uhhhhh, that small detail! Yeah, I may have accidentally set off a domino effect with that LITTLE display, but, well… It couldn't have blown up THAT much, right? I mean, it's only yesterday's news! I'm certain everyone will forget in a week or so!"

Libby's face went flat again.

"Molly, do you know everything I've seen today in art class?"

She never left Molly time to react before she brought out something that really reinforced the point she intended to present. The two girls on the other end noticed that she brought out an average sized piece of paper, and once they ran their eyes over it for a few quick seconds it made their skins crawl. It mostly attributed to Molly, and the whole thing spoke to her in a manner that pounded stakes in her head. They saw the picture on the front, and the details remained vivid so they wouldn't forget anytime soon.

Nancy had her guesses as to how Molly felt about such artistry, even if it painted her in a light she probably wanted no part of. Her likeness stood taller than any building drawn on the whiteness, as anything else below equaled fractions of what the artist had in mind. They gave her the trademark smile she became known for and even a wink straight at the audience while she displayed a piece sign and placed her gigantic shoes over dozens and dozens of confectionery cakes that never reached the bottom yellow parts. They one who drew the whole thing seemed to have angled the drawing in such a way that it seemed like it took the perspective of the victims below, as millions upon millions of indescribable blank people ran for their lives while the bottoms of Molly's shoes squashed the thousands of cakes that made up their homes. Bits and pieces seemed to have flew everywhere and even one unlucky person had its face completely covered in one of the corners from the debris. While she spelled pandemonium from above, Molly didn't care and just gave off her smile like her shoes never brought an end to millions of the delicious pastries, and possibly the lives of others. As a final cherry on top of the whole feast for the eyes, right at the top, in big bold letters that seemed to also be made of cakes, spelled out the infamous title society dubbed her as since the moment everything went down that day. If Molly didn't take the occurrence as serious before, the depiction drawn on the piece Libby provided gave it extra leverage.

Molly probably emoted more astonishment between the two.

"Okay, I have to admit…I would totally see a movie like that."

"Molly, I'm acting serious here." Libby said. "You don't fully understand the magnitude behind what you set off throughout the whole school. I've only showed you a snippet of the whole phenomenon, and there's more coming. I'm not kidding when I said you started something."

The news knocked Nancy down a couple of pegs. While she failed to see sufficient enough evidence to support the claims when they first arrived, because of their early bird mentality she found it quite likely that most of the waves throughout school happened later that she missed. No such additional requirements became necessary for the girl, for she got the message from the one picture Libby brought up, and it told her next to everything. It seemed like the "Cake Crasher" that everyone saw in Molly lead her to become a minor celebrity throughout the community while her victim found no such success. In fact, the picture alone provided no such conclusive hints if she ever had a presence in the first place. While she knew that not a lot of people understood that she attended the same school, to see that nobody even acknowledged her as the one that suffered from the incident drove her spirits down a few steps. To them she became the punching bag without a face and Molly held the advantage as the one that beat the stuffing out of it and claimed the championship title.

Because of their conversation and the low batch of noises from other students, plus the commotion in the back, nobody saw a particular creature as it crawled under the space of the cafeteria doors and set foot inside. Even so, unless it willingly made itself visible or came across someone stricken by a curse of some kind nobody would ever bat an eyes and react in its direction. As a natural predator to certain small critters and insects, Brighton sounded like the last place to house such instincts. However, once Molly arrived things have never remained the same and the creature's arrival became one of the many incidents the occurred since.

Nobody expected a large tarantula to call the small town home…but on a different level.

Like much of the same family of hairy arachnid, it scurried on eight long legs that let it escape danger when needed. It skipped shaving days as the long hairy coats provided some decent padding when taking heavy impacts, which came as standard for its type of species. Its beady head and black eyes gave it a decent perception of the surrounding areas, even if they provided something absolutely grotesque up close. It covered its mouth with appendages that constantly ran over the floors as if it lost its contacts, two on top and two near the bottom, which helped it take in the current path ahead and alerted it of threats. While it displayed lots of similarities to its other brethren, everything after became unique to the insect. Even though it had appendages to help movement and fangs to chomp down on its victims, for some reason two large sized mandibles protruded out from both sides of its face. They constantly snapped in rapid succession as it crawled across the floor, and it intended to use them if things got dicey. As for its abdomen in the back, it overtook its head and even other spiders and tarantulas in scope. It easily rounded out over four times the size of its head, and despite the size it never seemed to slow it down as it moved. All of that topped off with a color scheme akin to the common phantom or specter that also faded away into invisibility on occasion, which gave it away as something related to them. Because of the ability nobody appeared to notice as it wandered into the cafeteria uninvited with a single objective in mind. A nasty ghostly tarantula entered the room and none of the kids knew of its presence.

The large spider gnashed its mandibles like clashing saw blades while it hustled across the floor and nearly dodged a couple of steps from the unsuspecting students above. It pivoted left and right at certain points while its beady eyes gazed down its surrounding for a certain target. It uttered a low hiss as it scurried around until it took cover under an extra table. Dozens of long legs hit its vision along with lots of stylish footwear, but once it noticed one particular pattern its whole body twitched. Its appendages at its front grazed the floor while it tilted its body up for a better glance, and soon after its eyes lit up. With its mindset engraved in stone, it prodded the ground and rushed over to the one it had in mind.

As if reality had a sick twist of fate in mind, right as the tarantula scampered across the floor, another noteworthy ghost flew right out of the cafeteria's back. After around a million of clashing utensils and kitchen wares caused a ruckus as if a fight broke out one final feminine scream got uttered before the ghost appeared right back in the main area. He appeared not too amused and even came out with two bowls over his head, which signified that something didn't go according to plan to anyone with a keen eye. He went through something, but not to his benefit.

He pulled the bowls off like nothing while large puddles of soup dripped off his transparent body. Without missing a beat, he swiftly rotated back to where he came out of and let loose some loud shouts.

"You call yourselves cafeteria ladies?! I can make better soups in my sleep! Who in the right mind uses tofu shaped like shrimp anyway?! You bunch of liars! Even flies are refusing your work and saying it's too much!"

Scratch groaned and pinched his forehead in an attempt to calm down before he turned back around to linger around Molly some more. After a fit like what he brought back there he needed some down time to calm his nonexistent nerves. After he set his expectations too high he let the ones in the back know that they shouldn't accentuate their foods like they arrived from a fancy restaurant. He made it perfectly clear that he set a goal in mind, and they messed with him in the worst way possible. After the show he performed back there, they wouldn't pull a stunt like that again in a heartbeat.

The remained so out of it that he almost missed something small zip across the floor like a curling stone. He tilted his body for a moment and went in a bit closer for a better look until he saw the motions again. Once it stopped under a table he finally saw a clear image of it, and once he figured out that a large ghost spider wriggled its way into the room it immediately dawned on him.

"What the… Oh no, not that! I thought that I… Shoot, that actually goes through and…"

His expression went before he slapped himself in the face.

"The things I do for that girl… Why did it have to come to this?"

As if preparation became a necessity, Scratch took a deep breath and stretched his arms out for a bit until they snapped back and formed into typical long gloves. To complement the style change, he then reached back and brought out a medium sized hat with a net over the front as if he took on the task of keeping bees for a living. He wore it like he got commanded by a military general, and even though he lacked any equipment akin to the type of job, because of his undead nature he didn't have to worry about potential injuries. He really outfitted himself in the weirdest way possible, but it gave him some confidence to chase after the tarantula even if he probably would have smoked bees instead from his choices alone.

"Alright you dumb bug, I got TWO GLOVES and a HAT and I'm not afraid to use them! Not especially threatening? Not when I use them!"

While the ghost chased after the spider across the floor, Molly and Libby still conversed about the stakes set by Molly's blunder the day before, much to Nancy's dismay as she could do but listen in. She never had a single break since the moment she found herself shrunken before the happy go-lucky girl and the one who pulled the trigger on her reaped all of the benefits. Libby didn't let up as she piled on the facts even if she probably never intended to act mean as she did so, and yet the mask over Molly face slowly cracked over time. She wanted the whole fiasco to fade away over time just like Nancy, and yet the chain bound the news open at least for quite some time. It won't go away in only a few days, especially from all of the signs that pointed toward it, and if it lingered around it might stick with her for the rest of her life in Brighton. If so, it also meant that Nancy would always be seen as the victim of the most perfect setup to an embarrassment imaginable, and possibly remain as Molly's shrunken pet forever. It sounded so far fetched and dreadful that it became perfect for the two of them, as opposites tend to attract after all. Hope remained leagues above their reach, and Nancy likely wouldn't have to height to go for it anyway. Molly prospered, but Nancy suffered.

The response from Libby eventually lead Molly to confide, and at that point her mask fell off before it could fade away.

"Okay, okay, I'll admit it! I made a mistake and took Nancy down with it, which put her in turmoil beyond normal standards! I never meant for it to blow up like this-"

"Easy Molly, I understand you mean well."

Her best friend stopped her mid sentence, which caught Molly off guard a bit but didn't settle the sadness built upon the incident in the first for the shrunken one. From there Libby even appeared to smile a little, which soothed certain tensions between the two while it left Nancy in the dark. She never intended to toss knives in her direction after all, although she could have stated so in a different manner so it wouldn't greatly worry Molly and Nancy. She remained as Molly's human bestie after all, and the less time they spent with weapons, whether tangible or not, the easier it became to hang out.

It left Molly with something she needed to get off of her chest, and the slight wrinkles told Nancy everything without a single word.

"Geez Libby, I thought you held the scissors to cut the ribbon of our friendship right there! I never thought you had a thirst for the blood of a friend!"

Libby cocked an eyebrow in Molly's direction.

"Why would I ever think to inflict harm on someone I care about? I'm just stating what I know about the current events. Nothing to worry about! Also…the girl's name is Nancy?"

Nancy felt Molly's mood calm down a bit after that as the girl's heartbeat decelerated against the pocket.

"Uhh, yes! That's her name, all right! I learned it when I looked around for her to apologize after, well, ruining everything. Then she, uhhh, what did you say again?"

"She disappeared?"

"Oh, right! Yeah, vanished off of the map! Heheheh, slipped my mind…"

Her blatant guilt that poured from her obvious smile made first time actors blush. From everything she went on about so far, to see Libby not arouse any type of suspicion from Molly's actions gave Nancy impression that she had a thick head. At that point it seemed like Molly could actually get away with it like she hid a millions skeletons in her closet with a "DO NOT OPEN" sign written in bright neon red letters. If Libby ever took on a job as a police officer or detective, she wouldn't last a full day until they gave her the boot.

"You know I'm actually volunteering to take part in the search party after school?"

Molly almost choked on her sandwich once the news hit.

"Search…party?" Molly said as her pupils contracted. "They actually formed…a search party?"

"Uhhh, yeah. Nancy's parents feel worried sick." Libby answered in a slightly confused tone from Molly's choice of actions. "If I'm going to state the next part honestly, I…I know how she must feel out there. Alone, scared, nervous…I can barely stand those emotions myself. While I too understand those plights…my parents went to take part and I feel I should help out as well. I never even knew beforehand that someone like her even attended this school in the first place…"

From such a brief exchange, Nancy had a lot to unpack from Libby. While she found it greatly relieving to hear that her parents desired to find her, her current state provided the signs to stay out of it for now. While she disliked Molly and her insistence to remain inconspicuous about the true nature behind Nancy's disappearance, she never deserved any potential imprisonment for something she had no control over. If she showed herself to her parents now the attention would skyrocket into endless territory beyond all forms of media, and mainstream attention became the last thing on Nancy's mind to go through with. All forms of spotlight became punishments in disguise and the less she found herself in them the better, which Molly also understood. As long as they kept their lips sealed between themselves, along with Katrina and Olivia, they would remain in the dark away from society.

It also kind of irked her a bit to know that not even Molly's best friend knew she existed. Even though she desired to stay out of the public eye, to have at least a couple understand seemed more reasonable than not.

She would have paid more attention to the conversation overhead if something didn't escape her hearing, and the mere sound of it put some of her hairs on end. She almost refused to tilt her head in its respective direction, but it continued to hit her at a grave tone which warranted the glance downward. Right as it hit her sight she held back truckloads of panic and even had to hold her mouth shut from the streams of screams behind them. To see such terror pushed the boundaries of her fear until they corroded at the walls in seething poison.

While she knew dozens of other girls with arachnophobia, they probably never witnessed any the size of mountains.

As if on instinct, she immediately ducked into the furthest depths of Molly's pocket and refused to bat an eye upward toward the opening. She became an obvious bullseye to the eight legged bug, and she remained quiet in case it desired her head on a plate. She hoped Molly would pick up on it soon before it tracked her down in full, if the young teen had it in her to see it in the first place.

Luckily for her, it didn't take long.

Only one single touch across her leg became enough for the giant one to notice. While she couldn't take her eyes off of Libby completely, right out of the corner of her eye the large tarantula put its legs over her pink and yellow shoes and climbed right on top of them. Right then and there, Nancy felt Molly's heartbeat accelerate as she clearly shifted gears in another direction.

Molly held back a brief shriek while her pupils contracted even more. She muttered something behind her clamped teeth while she clearly saw the hairy bug stare her down like a dangerous predator.

"Hairy legs, monster eyes, sharp fangs… AAAAAAAAH! WHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHY! Scratch! SCRATCH!" Molly muttered frantically while she hung on by the skin of her teeth.

Libby seemed to catch on to something as she glanced at Molly's nervous and worried face, but in a different direction that the others thought.

"I see you have taken the news pretty deeply. I understand how it must feel to know that Nancy still wanders the earth with nowhere to go… I'm getting jitters just thinking about it!"

"Errrr, uhhh, yeah! Definitely!" Molly answered through her guilty smiling teeth. "I still need to apologize after all, in all of her…beady eyed glory…"

She constantly switched between Libby and the tarantula to keep an eye on both, even if she understood that only herself and Nancy probably ended up as the only ones able to see it. It wriggled up to her ankles and once one of its legs set on her skin she tried again to shake it off under the table, but it became no good. She would have attempted to call Scratch again, but soon after the ghost immediately appeared next to her under the table, still in the beekeeper suit.

"You didn't need to call me, for I was already chasing it to begin with!" the ghost said before he glanced off to Libby, who didn't see him. "This hopefully won't take long, but you may feel some discomfort. Just to let you know…I have no idea what I'm doing."

The ghost hovered closer to the spider and cracked his knuckles a little while Molly glanced at him like he just went mad. The bug also took noticed of Scratch's advances and even lightly shrieked in response before it bolted upward to Molly's body and under her shirt. Scratch vigorously followed and soon after the two ghosts ran all over the young teen which pushed her clothes in various directions as the two rushed. Molly tried her hardest to not scream or provide signs of suspicion, but because of Scratch and the tarantula it really pushed at her boundaries. She bit the bottom of her lip while her cheeks puffed to all of the worries built up, all while Libby stared at her in slight confusion. If Scratch wanted to make the issue as blatant as possible, he easily got it as he swooshed around to catch the speedily crawly spider.

Molly's best friend continued on and took her feelings in a completely different direction.

"You don't need to hold back all of those tears Molly, for I understand how it must feel to become the one that brought such a situation to light. She may have escaped the public eye for years, but after yesterday I can't get the sight of Nancy out of my head. I mean, I can completely see myself in her shoes, you know, all alone out there while possibly cowering in a cave somewhere away from society. Ooh, I can't bear to think about her fears right now! Nobody truly understood her after all, and I think I heard the higher ups talk about how she has some sort of-"

As Libby continued on and on about her worries on Nancy's whereabouts, the constant scuffle between Scratch and the tarantula swept Molly around in her chair. It even had its two front legs lift off of the floor, and Molly kept herself together, to failing results, so she would cause a scene. Even so, the cracks formed across her face while her cheeks expanded and sweat poured down her face, all while Nancy covered herself in the very depths of her pocket. It didn't help that her clothes waved everywhere and bulged in various spots like she contained a creature in her, and yet Libby's eyes eventually wandered off while she continued her small exposition about the current events around the missing girl. From fighting ghosts across her body, a terrified shrunken girl, a talkative best friend, and her rising feelings under the facade of her masquerading expression, it became a hassle to suppress all of the details for one close person, especially for a thirteen year old.

She held everything together by a thread, and while she went through everything decently well her expectations took a nosedive yet again. The chase between the two ghosts slowed to a crawl which possibly indicated that Scratch came out victorious, but the truth couldn't have ended up more obvious as something that smacked her across the face. However, while she didn't get stuck by anything, she quickly found a certain eight legged creature between her eyes who only managed to blink once to her before…

Snap.

"AUUUUGH! GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF! GET THIS GROSS THING OFF! AAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

She instantly fell over backward and took the chair with her. Soon after she rolled across the floor and pivoted around in a circle on the side which caught the attention of many students around her. Her mind left the building and completely forgot the more pressing matters with Scratch and Nancy, but at the moment she clearly wanted nothing to do about it. She didn't stop at one specific point because, as she learned from early on in her school career, the most comprehensible thing to go for when stricken with something across your body, according to her panicked mind, became a quick stop, drop, and roll to the end. Despite the fact that it only applied when stricken in flames, Molly didn't care and rolled all over the place, which caught dozens in the crossfire. From loose chairs, calm eating students, ones in conversation, and the janitor at one point, she tripped over a lot in her scuffle across the floor. She even mowed through another kid who decided to work on his science project early, which involved two concoctions contained in beakers, and once Molly rolled into his feet he tripped and put too much of one formula into the other. Suffice to say, he spent a large amount of time in the bathroom soon after just to white the excess black smoke off of his face. For a maneuver supposed to extinguish fires off of the body, for Molly that day it only incited more.

While in only lasted for a minute or so, eventually Molly hit a wall and came to a stop. Her body remained somewhat battered and dusty, for the most part she suffered nothing too bad. She winced as she came to, and once everything settled she found herself looking down dozens of affected students and others puzzled by her actions. It also included Libby, who now more than ever gazed at her like she lost a million brain cells. Even though she had gotten used to having the spotlight placed on her, she couldn't come up with the best excuses on the spot under certain circumstances.

She expressed some worry at first, but soon after she quickly came up with an on-the-fly excuse.

"Uhhhhhhh…the Cake Crasher wants to come up with more ways to crush pastries! No apple pie will, ummmmm, escape my watch with this rolling maneuver! Yeah, errrrrrrr, definitely finding some pies to destroy next, heheheh…"

Everyone that looked at her didn't give her too much of a second thought and went back to their own businesses, although some of the "fans" to Molly's new dessert destroying ways provided supportive shouts and fists high in triumph like they thought of her as the new celebrity of school. After the first couple of days, she concluded that they probably knew she acted in unpredictable manners and just rolled with it, but it earned her some respect among students. Even if only recent, it helped her feel like part of the community which she really appreciated. Any weirdness and incidents just became part of the course with her and the acceptance proved that they saw her as another friendly kid to possibly understand over time. Molly desired to act out of labors of love after all, which easily got on Scratch's nerves.

It didn't take long until Libby made her way over and helped Molly get back on her feet, although she seemed a bit displeased.

"Something happened behind the scenes, didn't it?" Libby asked as her mouth went flat. She went straight for the question with no fluff in between since she knew about the true nature behind Molly's out of place actions. She lacked the ability to see the culprits, but she never got dropped on the head at younger ages.

"Errrr, well, something like that." Molly started while she twiddled her fingers. "You see, I-"

Before she could provide a decent explanation, the bell rang throughout the room. It didn't take a genius to figure out what it meant, so the students around them began to pick themselves up for their next class. She never even got to a certain point that left her best friend guessing on her behalf. The timing really stung, as she wanted to provide the information without the possibility of discussing Nancy, but she didn't have the chance to at the moment.

The two glanced at the bell for a second before Libby looked back at Molly and sighed.

"…and I never got the chance to finish my lunch." Libby muttered before she got back to her friend. "Umm, we can talk later about it, okay? I don't want to miss class, especially this early in the school year, and the less I'm reminded about Mrs. Lewinsky's strict guidelines the more hair I keep from her temper. Sooooo…sometime later, then?"

Molly nodded quickly a few times and smiled.

"Oh, definitely! I actually have a lot to say for such an…experience, and you deserve to understand as my best friend."

"Thanks. That's really nice to hear from you." Libby answered. "See you later!"

Molly waved a little as she watched Libby gather up the rest of her leftovers before she walked through the exit doors. While she wanted to search for both Scratch and Nancy right away, to remain on the safe side she waited until most of the other students made their way out and left the rest of the cafeteria deserted. Even though they saw her as the odd one of school already, she wanted none of them to think of her as too crazy. Any further steps over the bar set by her arrival pretty much spelled worse times during her stay, and she wanted none of that.

Once she made sure the coast was clear, Molly immediately scanned around the premises for her ghost bestie and shrunken companion. While she could have called for Scratch to have him immediately summoned near her, if he ended up somewhere near Nancy she wouldn't have to search for long. After an incident like that she set her expectations to certain spots and hastily looked over those spots first, but she came out empty. It didn't dampen her spirits, but she had to think outside of the box to potentially track them down. Luckily for her, after some light searching throughout the area something sticky hit her head. One she got some of the substance in her hand she recognized it almost immediately. It only took a single glance upward to finally locate one of her missing friends, and he didn't have the most comfortable spot.

In fact, his head remained halfway through the fixture like he wore a makeshift cone of shame.

She heard him mutter something under his breath even if he seemed like he got himself stuck in the first place. While his face stayed concealed from the top, it didn't stop Molly from attempting to help him out in possibly the easiest solution.

"Scratch! Come here, Scratch!"

As if on command, a pink aura surrounded the stuck specter and her started to struggle a bit more to get out. Thankfully for him, the curse actually did the trick and pulled his straight out of the light fixture like he just became soaked in soap. Before long, it pulled him to the floor, which left him as a dissatisfied puddle across the ground…without his nose. He reformed pretty quickly and glared at Molly for a moment before he hovered back up. He then grabbed his nose and smacked it back onto his face before he got back to her.

"I could have gotten through that myself, you know!" Scratch said. "You don't need to wield that curse like a sledgehammer!"

His outbursts didn't faze Molly at all and even incited her playful personality a little.

"I knoooooow, but I like to help out when I can! I couldn't leave a scratch against that lightbulb!"

The ghost narrowed his eyes to Molly's happy smile before he went flat.

"Okay, fine. I'll give it to you this ONE time. Now can we figure out where Nancy flew off to before that spider returns?"

Scratch's last remark snapped Molly back to the task at hand. If Scratch's position told her anything, Nancy potentially landed somewhere nearby. At her size location meant a lot more than any normal kid, and one misstep meant disaster if she played her cards the wrong way. She stiffened up at one point since she wandered around the whole area already, which meant her carelessness possibly meant…

She tossed the thought aside in an instant. Nancy wouldn't put herself in the line of fire and most likely steered away from trouble.

With her mind set, Molly scanned around nearby while Scratch went in another direction for his search. Even though her current thoughts told her otherwise, Molly carefully glanced over every single spot before she attempted any kind of step. She wanted nothing stuck to her shoes by the time her any sort of clue steered her in the right direction. Her promise to Nancy resonated through her and she intended to follow through every single procedure to finally see the tiny one stand next to her eye to eye. Her care knew no bounds even if she didn't show it in full to her yet.

While it could have gone on for a while, eventually her hearing picked up on a certain tone that brought a smile to her face. It required a bit of focus on her end, but soon after her vision picked up the faint shape of a girl heavily diminished in size. Even though she found it incredible to hone in on her senses for a difficult search, it never mattered to her as long as she saw Nancy safe and sound…which she did. Right across the back leg of a table near the back, a very worn Nancy sat while her head made circles from sheer dizziness. To any normal person it possibly became a miracle to see her in one piece with only a slight concussion, but in reality her miniature size actually saved her. If she stood any higher she possibly would have broken a couple of bones on impact, but her lower scale cushioned the blow like she just ran into an air bag.

"Nancy! Thank goodness!" Molly exclaimed. Scratch seemed to take notice of the exclamation and began to hover over while Molly raced over to pick up the girl and bring her into her grasp. However, she failed to take into account the last contestant that took part in the bout earlier and threw Scratch in for a loop, and that became one of her biggest mistakes that day.

…because it crawled and laid in waiting right above the shrunken girl the whole time.

Molly thought it would have ended right then and there, but the tarantula proved her wrong. She got to her knees and her fingers came within inches of picking her up, but right before she could claim her prize the spider swooped down and snatched the shrunken girl straight into its mandibles, which actually scared Nancy out of her dizzying state. It then hustled away from the teen near one of the door before it screeched and stared its prey down in a menacing glare.

"Nooo!" Molly exclaimed.

For Nancy, her situation just steered in the worst possible direction. She understood the fear behind arachnids and how one could find out if they have it, but they probably never had the chance to see the face of one up close. Her tiny stature gave her the full view of the deadly bug's features, right down to the beady eyes on top that provided her worst nightmare. Its fangs could rival saw blades and its legs stretched higher than the largest of trees all while it bound her tightly to prevent any kind of movements. She couldn't help but scream for help to the one who shrunk her in the first place, because the sight of her suddenly became the most competent outcome over the sight of a ghastly ghost spider up close. While everything desired to kill her, even if they wanted to prove the contrary, at least with Molly she never acted too rough compared to something that relied on instinct.

Her screams didn't get far in the end as the spider immediately brought her forward and shoved her right into its fang ridden maw. She panicked even more as she found herself cramped all over, but it only lasted a couple of seconds until the process ceased. Her entire body collapsed to the ground as she slowly opened her eyes, only to see everything as if it went through a white filter. One look around revealed what she went through and where she ended up which set her off in another panic attack.

The tarantula had her encased in its clear abdomen behind it like a caged animal, and it intended to keep her there.

She yelled for Molly and Scratch while the spider pivoted back around and faced the other two. It used one of its legs to pull down one of its eyelids below one of its beady eyes and stuck out its tongue in a rather insulting manner.

"Pfffffffffffffffffffffffffft!"

Right after that it turned back around and zipped straight under the doors with Nancy in tow, which left Molly and Scratch without the one they intended to restore in due time.

Molly almost stood in complete shock as her brain caught up with the times. Her pupils became dots and her arms hung limp while her body refused to move a muscle. All of the time spent on reiterating her intentions to Nancy and she literally let her slip through her fingers. She wanted to see Nancy stand up to her face to face, and yet she couldn't hold her duties for a single day. A large chunk of hope ripped right out of her, and yet she couldn't take her eyes off of the slight crease below the doors where the spider escaped.

"I…I completely failed our first day…" Molly stated in sadness and a slightly hollow tone. "I literally had her in my grasp…only to let the monster eat her…away from everyone else."

Scratch didn't seem too fazed by what happened.

"Well, we tried our hardest. Clearly the both of us failed to take into account the spider population and let one's voracious tendencies get the better of that girl. Oh well, she had it coming the moment you brought her down a million pegs."

The ghost immediately brought out a piece of paper and pencil.

"Now how exactly would you describe what happened in the purest details possible? The ghost council would easily get a kick out of this!"

Two sparks connected in Molly's head, which immediately caused her to turn to her spectral best friend with narrowed eyes and the attitude to match.

"Wait a minute… Showing care to save her earlier, a slightly twitchy eye, back wiggling uncontrollably, smile straight from the scene of a crime, breath that smells like rotten fish paste, an immense interest in the Detective Shirley show…"

Molly then took a step back and gasped before she pointed straight at him.

"YOU UNQUESTIONABLY HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THIS! I CAN DETECT IT WITH MY SIXTH SENSE! YOU KNEW THIS WOULD HAPPEN!"

Despite her over the top reaction, Scratch didn't budge.

"Wow, you immediately went to the most obvious suspect because of our similar relations? Sheesh, and I thought I had the relation issues the moment I found myself bound to-"

"SCRATCH!"

"Okay! Okay! You got me there!" Scratch answered before he crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. "I…MAY have attempted something last night while you slept."

"Seriously, Scratch?!" Molly exclaimed in utter shock and anger. "So you brought over a ghost tarantula to get Nancy off of my back?! Where did you get that sort of messed up idea from?!"

He felt the heat from Molly's furious gaze which made him a bit nervous. While she usually desired to act all cheery and happy on a daily basis, it became almost a fever dream to think that she ever had it in her to feel boiling anger. Scratch's mindset followed the set hypothesis, but once the fire in her eyes burned into his retina he easily disproved the theory instantly. Not only did she have anger deep under all of her cheeriness, but BURNING anger. She almost became a demon in disguise from the flames that blew out of her nose, and Scratch knew how searing such fires burned across one's skin…despite his lack of it. From the first few seconds alone he already never wanted to see his forever bound two ton weight up in arms with his head on a demonic fork again. She completely turned the tables on him and wouldn't let up until she heard his explanation behind Nancy's disappearance.

He felt some drop of sweat fall from his forehead before he began.

"Well, errrrrrm…"

---

When it came to the world of ghosts, scaring the masses became on the most delighted forms of entertainment for such entities. Whether classic forms or jump scares, all philosophies that involved the art turned into popular sports for the specters. Such popularity eventually lead to the creation of a council that rated everyone's methods and graded them based on multiple factors known only to the members, so persuasions never happened to steer rating in a desired direction. However, over time the arts of scaring grew more and more serious and eventually culminated into the only thing ghosts existed for, which, at least to the masses, didn't change much. The most highly regarded spooks acted like terrorizing entities on a daily basis to begin with, so it didn't effect them, but to the select few that couldn't put themselves high on expectations for the council…

They went on a trip of no return.

As such, while the most perfect of scary ghosts usually have everything planned out in full, for some it left a few requirements out of their reach. Environment provided a wealth of opportunities to use it to their advantages, but not everywhere had the greatest of objects to scare the pants off any unsuspecting victim.

That's where a certain shop came in for the rescue.

While it originally started as a small stand, over time the whole business became the Great Hordes of Salvatore's Treasures. From cheesy gags for the kiddies to full on props for scare duties, the place had it all and even millions of extras. When it came to quality none came close to what the collector held in store for the ghosts in need, although some said he held a monopoly of certain items no other specter thought of. On the outside nothing exactly stood out other than the huge sign that lit up and spelled the establishment's name, but on the inside Salvatore made sure it made customer's eyes pop. On the main floor below he put most of the essential scary tools on racks, such as masks, fake weaponry, and even fake pools of blood that most ghosts had on their minds anyway, while most of the uncommon items laid dormant in the back. Of the extra stuff he raised some ghost rats, spiders, bats, and even more obscure ones like chinchillas just to cover as many bases as possible, which became very appreciative over time. Even the young ghosts that just got started with their scaring duties adored the training tools provided by Salvatore, and he even offered reasonable prices to help give them a head start in their terrorizing careers. The store also contained a second floor, and even though any normal mall or large building used stairs or escalators for easy travel ghosts could fly and get where they want to instantly which made such structures redundant. Across the second floor, any enticed shoppers would immediately have their eyes set on the millions of costumes and specialties that didn't fit the criteria below. He hired some construction work to be done for another floor above to handle the extra items, but for now he put most of them on the second until it finished. Any experienced ghost would easily classify such costumes for ghost "unnecessary" or "useless" but Salvatore thought one step ahead. Experienced ghosts could shift that deform themselves into anything if they put their minds to it, but for ones that just started the scaring business the costumes served as great training wheels until the time came. The second floor even played itself out as a wide balcony so everyone could see the ones below them and vice versa, which added to the variety of the place. When it came to essentials for beginners and experts in the ghost business, Salvatore had everyone covered and he prospered from it…which even got recognition from the ghost council as a great place to begin any scaring career.

As for Salvatore himself, he prided himself for the good of his customers…with a bit of extra coinage in the process. As a stout and greedy type, he likewise floated at a slightly taller height than most normal ghosts. His green glowing body and large round green nose stood out as signs of someone who lived a prosperous life and died a hero, at least from what the others said. A part of his upper head maintained a form that resembled hair in a more bowler cut manner, although he had a bald spot on top that he disliked conversations about. Like other ghosts, he had black around his eyes that surrounded his yellow peepers, but to help stand out even more his back displayed multiple small holes that many claimed were actually bullet holes from his body when he died, although for the most part it was only a rumor among ghosts that loved to spread gossip. A few teeth stuck out from his upper jaw similar to other ghosts so many didn't tend to pay attention to those. As much as he loved the green stuff that paid for everything, he never drove himself to methods akin to one ghost named Redd. After all of the forgeries and fakes spread around he deserved the punishments headed his way, but Salvatore never had such methods cross his mind. As a businessman at heart, and the primary distributor of the ghost world, he looked and acted the part perfectly.

That included certain customers that loved to browse his wares…with thousands of IOUs still undelivered.

"How blatant can this one show itself? Those puffy cheeks really help make it stand out."

Salvatore slowly floated over to the cases that housed dozens of ghost rats and stared down the particular ghost with a mean sting.

"That's because you're looking at its butt."

The ghost suddenly raised his eyes before the ghost rat turned around and gave off a mean glare before it angrily hissed in his direction. It then scurried toward the back of the cage where the other rats laid dormant, which surprised the ghost a little but not so much Salvatore.

"Oh, uhhh, right! I always knew that! Just wanted to test you with, errrrrr…knowledge, I guess?"

"Cut the act Scratch, for I'm not stupid." Salvatore replied. "Just what exactly do you have in mind, perhaps?"

"Well, something on the evasive side that can take something instantly and get away before trouble starts, you know, like in those movies?" Scratch explained. "Despite the intentions, I want to go through my situation with style."

He set his hand flat and waved it before her raised his eyebrows up and down like a smooth criminal, which Salvatore understood but kept his cool on.

"Am I going to have to add this to the LONG list of IOUs you owe me?" Salvatore asked before he brought a list out. "I have you down for SEVENTY TWO that you still haven't paid back for."

Scratch instantly frowned.

"Come on Salvatore, you know I have too much going on to repay you! I have the scare business, a backfired curse-"

"…and also a laundry list of one hundred thirty two excuses behind your acquisitions." Salvatore interjected before he brought out another list. "Let's see here. A dentist's appointment, head stuck in a vent full of grinders, sold soul on accident, lost wallet, defective credit card, pummeled by a young pink headed girl, got thrown into a lion's cage-"

"Okay, okay, I get it! Don't need to rub it in!" Scratch interrupted back. "I'll try to pay you back at some point, but I'm really on to an idea here and I need something to take something away and make itself apparent when the time is right! Please, you know you can't ignore me!"

Salvatore watched in disappointment as Scratch expanded his eyes and pupils in a rather forced manner like a lost puppy. He really pushed against the sincerity of what the whole store stood for, and Scratch knew it and abused it to his advantage. In the end, Salvatore sighed deeply in grief before he floated off past him.

"You'll most likely want these ones then." Salvatore said before he glanced down at his list again. "And that now makes one hundred thirty three…"

Scratch grinned from ear to ear, if he actually had any, before he hovered over to the particular cage the store owner picked out. One glance inside and he couldn't take his eyes off of the huge clutter of decent sized arachnids buried in piles like they just feasted on something. The mere sight of them provided an unnerving sensation that Scratch couldn't shake off, but it didn't matter to him. If Salvatore said they were primed for what he had in mind, he would go through with it.

"Wow, I can feel the tension behind the glass!" Scratch said in enticing astonishment. "What are those hairy balls of poison and voracious appetites?"

"Nothing but prime examples of the hungry phantom tarantula." Salvatore explained in a rather formal tone. "Contrary to their name they don't secrete or handle poison efficiently, but they swallow their prey whole and can horde food in their abdomens for about a week without digestion periods. From what I'm hearing from you…these seem like the perfect match for what you want."

"Sweet! I'll take one!" Scratch answered in slight eagerness. "How much?"

Right after he finished, one of the tarantulas in the cage hit the front and spread itself across the glass for the two ghosts to view in full. It surprised them a little, but then the spider showed its beady eyes and continuously bopped itself against the glass with its tongue out. Soon after it got dragged back into the clutter, but it fought back a few times until it disappeared into the crowd.

"Oh, I almost forgot to mention that it easily mismatches colors and thinks of every object as something else entirely. A weird trait for sure, but nothing too detrimental."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. Very interesting stuff." Scratch sarcastically said before he switched gears. "Just tell me how much so I can buy one!"

---

Scratch's explanation didn't calm Molly down at all. In fact, her blood boiled even more upon the knowledge that her best friend willingly did something to kidnap the one she intended to restore in full. To think that someone she expressed her friendship to on a daily basis outright wanted to shatter a promise she intended to keep only made it worse for herself in every way. She wanted to help out Nancy in every way she could, and Scratch wanted to delay such a joyous outcome for both her and the shrunken girl.

"You purchased a tarantula just to get Nancy away from me?!" Molly exclaimed as her cheeks became slightly red. "How could you, Scratch?! I thought you also agreed to help her!"

"Hey, I never agreed at first to take her in! YOU decided on that for me!" Scratch retorted. "Call it a knee jerk reaction or whatever, but I wanted her out of my system the instant you found her panicked on the floor!"

"That doesn't mean she deserves the boot!" Molly replied.

"I'm pretty sure she wouldn't survive that from her size alone." Scratch answered. "You know I paid top dollar for that bug and I definitely got my money's worth!"

Scratch basically saw an intensely demonic image of Molly before him as she gave off one of the meanest glares imaginable while fire erupted behind her and an organ began to play.

"Okay, fine! I admit that I took things a bit too far! I actually realized it soon after I made the calls and tried to redact everything!"

The fire behind Molly calmed down a bit.

"You better not have LIES behind those teeth, Scratch!" Molly stated at a much deeper pitch.

"I'm honest! I'm honest, I swear!" Scratch replied as while he guiltily held his hands up and culpable sweat dripped down.

Molly's angry expression leaned in close to Scratch's helpless spirit while the fire charred a bit off of the top of his head. Her eyes narrowed and stared deep into Scratch's own eyes like a hunter, all while the ghost tried to maintain a leveled head in the presence of the one he bound himself to for eternity to failing results. He didn't want his spirit charred to bits from an otherwise happy girl after all, and he would become the laughing stock of the entire ghost world if that ever happened. Everything depended on what Molly thought of Scratch's words and if she saw sincerity in them to begin with, especially since his normal attitude said otherwise.

As if a switch flipped inside her head, all of her anger faded on a whim and she instantly fell back toward her happy go-lucky attitude.

"Aww, I can't stay mad at you Scratchy! I know deep down you really care about her and me!"

She then immediately zipped up to him and provided the ghost another one of her trademark choking hugs. Scratch could hardly breathe as usual and his faced ballooned into a huge swell before he pulled himself free.

"Whether I want to or not…" Scratch muttered before he changed the subject. "Okay, so I made a mistake and now we have to track that thing down. Got any bright ideas?"

Molly slightly shook her head.

"Not any clear ones. Only just wander around and hope we run into it! Of course, I'm going to need some way to cover up my absence for classes though, and I easily-"

"Did someone call for some spice with a side of Olivia?!"

As if she arrived on a roll call, the young and energetic young girl instantly popped in right behind Molly with an eager smile and some sparklers and confetti behind her as she made her appearance. Her actions made Molly jump up a bit in surprise until she realized who showed up to the party, while Scratch felt the same way but on a lesser scale. To think she immediately barged into the situation provided a prime example as to how she personified herself to the masses, which Molly adored more than others because of similar mindsets.

"Whoa, uhh, hey there Olivia!" Molly said as she tried to catch up to the current times. "Ummm, what exactly are you doing here?"

"Oh, you know, wandering around, seeing the sights, HANGING around such FASCINATING people…" Olivia said while she happily glanced at Molly with dilated glistening eyes. "I can't help myself, especially around someone like YOU, heeheeheehee!"

"Someone lost a lot of brain cells as a child." Scratch muttered while he tried to keep his cool.

"I…really like the enthusiasm there!" Molly replied while she equaled Olivia's expression. "You came at just the right time, for I need someone to fill in for me while I…track something down! Yeah, definitely something I lost!"

She almost slipped up and let Olivia in on what she truly had in mind, but before she spilled the beans she caught the words and hoisted them back. While she loved the fact that she found another that matched her personality and seemed to crank it up even further, she didn't want to to inform Olivia about how she lost Nancy the first day on the job as her large guardian. The less she brought the news to the forefront, the better.

It took a slight moment, but eventually Olivia perked up and happily obliged.

"Ooh, yes, yes, yes! I'll gladly do it without a hitch! How can I NOT reject such an amazing person like you as if I'm cold hearted?! Whatever the case, as long as I'm here you won't have to worry about ANY missed opportunities! OLIVIA AWAY!"

Both Scratch and Molly held their breaths as Olivia eagerly took a couple of steps back and started the process like she usually did. She closed her eyes for a moment before she grasped the front end of her mushroom shaped pink cap and pulled it downward. Once she tugged on it hard enough eventually it completely covered her face, and while they heard some light giggling under the cap it became obvious what would happen next. Some loud pulling sounds of rubber hit their hearing until the girl let go and allowed the cap to snap back into place, but they didn't see Olivia underneath.

Molly really appreciated that she even managed to get her height right in the end, although Scratch took the moment to pry his eyes out, polish them off a bit with his body, then stick them back into their sockets.

"I don't want to lose my mind again, I don't want to lose my mind again…" Scratch thought while he tangled his fingers behind his back to alleviate the millions of questions in his head.

"Nice transforming work as usual, Olivia!" Molly said while she winked and made an A-Okay sign with one of her hands.

"Thanks! I pride myself on accuracy, after all!" the other girl stated in a perfectly replicated Molly's voice. "Feel free to go about in your merry way while I handle everything outside of that! I don't need to become Nancy until after this school thing anyway."

"I owe you so much for this, Olivia! You are amazing!" Molly said before she stared forward and put out a fist in determination. "GET…THAT…ARACHNID!"

Scratch held back the urge to roll his eyes at such a foolish display.

---

With Olivia on the table to take over school duties for the day, it left both Molly and Scratch to search all over the premises for any sign of the ghost spider. Molly handled the hallways while Scratch checked each of the classrooms, while invisible obviously, and even though they saw signs that the tarantula scurried through particular places, whether by loose residue or hairs that any normal person wouldn't have the ability to see, the actual bug lacked its presence each time. Molly even stuck her head into a couple of vents just in case only to gather dozens of dust bunnies into her mouth and nose each time, which she didn't account for. From hallway to hallway and classroom to classroom, the girl and ghost wandered endlessly throughout the building for some kind of definite sign that the spider set itself nearby, but despite their best efforts, no extra tarantula hairs provided the answers to find the bug and its tiny captive.

After scanning through so many areas with less than adequate results, Molly ran out of breath and took a small break against a wall. Scratch never had such a hindrance, but that didn't make him less irritated to know that the creature he bought from Salvatore actually performed its job perfectly and evaded their sights for what seemed like an eternity. Out of complete hopelessness he put his head against one of the lockers to rest his head, only to accidentally phase through through the door like he never cared in the first place.

He heard of dogs eating someone's homework, but not an eight legged insect.

As if he somehow hit a jackpot in the lottery, the locker he just so happened to phase through just so happened to house the infamous tarantula as it had its sights on a piece of paper that it chewed at vigorously like a wolf. Scratch couldn't believe his stroke of luck which made his eyes shoot wide open, but right as he did so the spider instantly stopped munching the paper and slowly turned its head in his direction. He could see Nancy still in the creature's abdomen with her hands over her eyes, possibly from the situation she found herself in, and her face told him that she sat in complete terror and wanted out of it without any further words.

"Molly! I found it! Nancy's also still in one piece!" Scratch exclaimed.

Upon the ghost's words hitting her ears, Nancy's frightened stature silently opened out and her hands lightly pulled away from her eyes. The tears in her eyes fogged up her vision, but she could still distinguish Scratch's otherworldly form above her throughout all of it. Even so, the inside of the tarantula's abdomen became similar to standing inside a giant white balloon, which brought out a filter that covered most of the sights around her in deep white which made it difficult to figure out some objects. Even with the obscured visuals though, the bright yellow of Scratch's eyes provided enough for her to notice the ghost made his appearance as if she made the call. Never had Scratch's presence brought hope into the shrunken girl before, especially since he wanted nothing to do with her the moment Molly stated that she could stay with her for now, but after the spider swallowed her she would take anything to get out of it and pop the sucker across the floor.

At least the immense sickness she felt as the spider ran off seemed to subside one Scratch appeared.

Her voice remained heavily filtered, since she remained stuck in the balloon like abdomen of the tarantula, but she yelled enough for Scratch to figure out what she meant.

"HELP! Get me out of here! Please, not like this! HELP!"

The spider quickly finished off the remains of the papers it munched on, which joined Nancy in the abdomen as a mushy mess, before it highly screeched and bolted right under Scratch and phased out through the locker door. Molly didn't prepare in time for the sudden action, so when the bug rushed out she missed grabbing it by mere inches and almost saw the creature straight in her face as if time slowed down for a few seconds. In that time the tarantula stuck its tongue out once more and pulled one of its eyelids down.

"Pfffffffffffffffft!"

The bug landed safely on the ground while Nancy banged at the walls of her internal prison in a hopeless attempt to draw attention to the other two. Molly acted quick on her feet and pivoted around to grab the tarantula by the back, but like before her fingers barely missed the target as the bug zipped down the halls at a rapid pace. She wouldn't let the minor failure bring her down though, so she trailed off after it while Scratch formed out of the locker and followed her close by. Despite their speed as they rounded the corners, the tarantula acted one step ahead and always maintained a pace faster than the both of them. Nancy called out for their help again and again while all of them rushed by some loose students which remained clueless as to what just ran past them and ruffled up their clothes. Suffice to say, Molly and Scratch wouldn't reach the insect on foot unless they ran marathons for a living.

Molly huffed against the wind while she tried to keep up the pace, but the spider kept getting further and further away.

"We'll lose that stupid bug at this rate! Why did you have to buy that fast spider in the first place, Scratch?!"

"Well, I kind of wanted it to snatch Nancy away then reveal itself to a higher authority, you know, like the police!" Scratch answered. "With that, they would immediately suspect you and hopefully place you, and possibly your family, behind bars so I can potentially wash my stupid curse away!"

If Molly didn't have legs that felt like jelly at the moment, she would have taken the news more seriously. For now, she only mustered up a flat expression in his direction.

"So you REALLY wanted me as the next top orange jumpsuit model THAT badly just for your CURSE?! You really went to the extremes just for a CHANCE to lift it?!"

"Hey, I realized my mistake already, okay?!" Scratch replied. "I had a eureka type of moment and almost became the next Einstein on the spot! Granted, he won't stop creating new theories next to Newton these days, especially with their buddy to buddy code that remains an enigma to-"

"Not important right now to the arachnid chase, Scratch!" Molly interrupted with desperate eyes.

"Okay, okay, I'll focus on the task at hand!" Scratch said. "We won't catch up to it at these speeds though!"

Molly didn't need to hear him twice to understand what he meant. The eight legs ahead of them rivaled some of the greatest body builders of all time and professional athletes without a sweat, and it lacked any semblance of humanity under its grimy ectoplasm. When Scratch wanted something to get away quickly he sure got what he wanted, as the tarantula weaved in and out of danger while its pace remained unparalleled in terms of competition. Even with the ghost that flew above her even he couldn't match the speeds of such ghostly arachnids. Nancy couldn't help but watch them from behind and yell to let them know where to head off to next, much to the spider's dismay. Even so, they had no time to work out and put themselves into shape just to keep the chase going, so they required some type of enhanced upgrade to possibly ramp up more speed.

And right as they weaved around another corner, they found their answer.

While she experienced such a contraption earlier on, along with her younger brother, never had she wielded it as a speed enhancement until that moment. Darryl thought of the right idea when he made use of it for a fun joyride, but at least he carried an extra tool to boost it to higher speeds. Without such a luxury, it wouldn't go the distance to catch up to the arachnid ahead.

…at least unless she amped it up with some spectral assistance.

"Hey Scratch, you want to act like Darryl for the day?" Molly said with a smile of confidence.

He didn't get the message at first.

"If you just stated something subliminal than I'm the wrong ghost to-"

Then the ghost glanced ahead and saw the mentioned object Molly let on about. Once he noticed his eyes perked up more than usual before he wickedly grinned.

"Ohohohoho, now I get it! Clever thinking there, but not only that…I've wanted to do this for a LONG time!"

"Let's shred some wheels on that bad boy, Scratch!" Molly exclaimed before she positioned herself as she ran up to the container. Time seemed to slow down in an epic fashion as Molly leapt up and hoisted herself over the edges into the center while Scratch came in low and merged himself with the mobile contraption, possessing it in the process. The whole thing glowed a ghostly aura while Molly brought herself to the front in one of her trademark smiles. Soon after time sped back up and Scratch immediately took off at blistering speeds while he controlled the wagon, which also brought Molly along for the ride. The worthwhile buff provided the even playing field between them and their eight legged competitor, and they desired to win the gold.

Molly's face flapped and deformed in a comical fashion as the wind hit her, but despite having the appearance of a fun house mirror she remained focused on the task ahead. She blew past more oblivious students that had no idea what happened to ruffle them up, including a familiar face from her lunch period after he cleaned up his charred face. As he left he brought out a couple of chemicals to inspect the damage dealt from earlier, but as luck would have it the speedy tarantula zipped off past him followed by Molly and Scratch's rapid ride. He twirled around in a dizzying spin which forced him to immediately drop his chemicals. They instantly set of a reaction that caused a combustion of fire and smoke in an explosion that covered around half of the hallway. Luckily nobody else but him ended up caught in the crossfire, but it left the student completely covered in black. He managed to only muster up a slight frown before he turned around and walked back into the bathroom without any further actions.

…other than one loud scream soon after.

The tarantula kept its legs in frantic blurs while it kept itself ahead, but once the sounds grew more and more suspect it quickly glanced behind it. Nancy already had full visuals of the rushing duo behind, as much as the white filter over her sight allowed, which brought some hope in her as she banged at the inner parts of the abdomen and yelled some more for help. As for the spider, it immediately uttered an amusing brief shriek before it put its legs into overdrive to try and stay ahead. Even so, Molly and Scratch had the right state of mind as their efforts got them closer and closer, but not to the fullest extent.

In an attempt to hit the bug as it continued down the hallways, Molly reached into the container and brought out dozens of stacked papers. The tops of them blew away into the rushing wind, but for the most part they remained intact.

"Taste yesterday's homework, you creep!"

She immediately let loose many stacks from her hands at the spider, which came at it like swarms of atom bombs. It sidestepped past multiple stacks and remained at its fast pace, which only irritated Molly even further. Stack and stack flew right in the spider's direction, and while she grazed it a couple of times, she failed to hit it head on. Eventually she reached back into the piles and brought out more than just paper stack as if she wanted backup ammunition. With fire burning in her eyes, she tossed the rest of the objects inside at the tarantula. From paper stacks, a live turtle, some loaned books, kitchen utensils, a wooden board, some banana peels, and chalkboard erasers she went through everything and the kitchen sink to try and strike the bug to no avail.

The tarantula even turned backwards just to laugh in her face before it rounded another corner. Molly and Scratch followed close behind, but the never expected the abrupt ending. They trailed through hallways, staircase, and even the janitor's closet in their chase, but they lacked the foresight to immediately come across a door straight in their faces around a corner.

"Scratch, slow down! Slow down! SLOW DOWN!"

Her alerts came out a bit too late for the two of them. The tarantula had no such issues and just phased through the door, but for Molly and Scratch it couldn't have went more in the other direction. Molly ducked into the container to potentially soften the blow while Scratch couldn't do much, and before they knew it both of them rammed straight into the door and collapsed onto the floors of the hallway. For some reason the door never budged and let the two take the full impact head on, and while Molly suffered next to no worthwhile damages, the container fell down sideways before Scratch came out and fell to the floor. He held his head while he splattered to the ground in liquidized form before she subsided enough to form himself back up. Molly shook her head a couple of times as he head carried a few extra pound, but the weight soon lifted before she got back on her feet. Dozens of loose papers littered the ground along with some other extras on the side, which made a mess of the area along with the damaged remains of the container. The crash put a number on them, and yet it let the tarantula get away once more.

Scratch teetered left and right while his expression told Molly everything about how he felt.

"Nevvvvver ugaun shull I evvvvur guuu thruuuuw suuuuhhhhhh lieeeeek…"

He heavily tilted to his right which caused his blue brain to slip out onto the ground. Molly took a step back while Scratch's body frowned and picked up the organ before it shoved it back into his head. He shook himself up a bit and slapped himself a few times which seemed to do the trick.

"I'm making a note to myself to heavily reject something like that again. Well, at least after I possess something like a crash test dummy or something similar."

"I'm…still trying to get over the rush. So much speed…so much speed…" Molly muttered while her eyes remained wide open and her hair stuck all over the place. Luckily for her, it only took a few good slaps from Scratch to snap her back to reality.

"Get it together, Molly! We still have that kid to chase down!"

Molly shook herself off a bit before she got back to him with an answer.

"Thanks, I really needed that. I'll probably leave the extreme stunts to my brother for the time being." Molly said. "Where did that spider wander off to now?"

"That room oveeeeerrr…" Scratch began before he trailed off. One glance of the door revealed immediately where the duo landed, which they knew all too well on several occasions. From possessions to embarrassments the two have seen it all in the room ahead, and the tarantula just so happened to scurry inside.

The auditorium became the last place they wanted to look for something on the verge of giving Nancy up.

Molly and Scratch put their faces against the glass for a better view, and they couldn't have arrived at the most inopportune time. In comparison to other schools in nearby towns Brighton's auditorium, for the most part, got the job done. For the most part it became the primary room for assemblies, but for the drama class it served as the most opportune area for high class acting. Like the standards set by other schools, the large stage contained two long curtains that helped masquerade the stage behind it when showtime needed to shift props and scenes, although the rope that controlled them became known for failure on several occasions, including a popular production of a guy in a green hat. Several leftover props and stage tools dotted around the sides at all times just in case, even though for the most part they never became used due to custom ones brought over by the teachers. From large pieces of cardboard and foam to even a few crank handles, Brighton's middle school made sure to remain prepared…at least in terms of stage plays that the drama teacher always wanted. The seats for the audience each had comfy red cushion for both the back and under for a smooth watch, although most of the students said that they provided "adequate" times at best. For the most part a couple of entire classrooms could seat themselves in a worthwhile fashion before the room became filled, which became perfect for the type of school Brighton had. To some it had the look and feel of a budget movie theater, which summarized the common consensus such a place maintained for such a tight community. Some appreciated it more than others, but for the most part it blended into the building and never stood out as anywhere of importance.

When Scratch and Molly suddenly found themselves at one of the room's side entrances, it appeared to already have a rehearsal in progress. Even though the school year just started, the drama teacher loved to always rush ahead and put together a group for production of a common middle school play. He claimed it as a "learning" experience, but many students guessed that he only wanted to wear his famous red artist's cap and carry around a megaphone like he became some kind of famous director. However, despite his tendencies, he didn't have his presence on stage at the time. Someone else showed her talents under the spotlights, and it didn't take a genius to figure out who wanted the stardom the most. At around the same age as Molly, she stood near the same height as her but went off of a completely different personal agenda. When most students took notice of her they usually stated that her sky blue hair stood out as the biggest highlight, which she took to heart and made sure it always remained in pristine condition to stay on top of any potential competition. Out of everyone in school she easily took the most time covering herself in facial makeup, and the purple eye shadows above her eyes provided all the evidence to back up such claims. She desired to keep the freckles under her eyes out of the picture, both figuratively and literally, when it came to public opinion and advertising. Her casual attire consisted of a long pink hoodie with two white laces near the collar, which also supported a hollow sleeve at the bottom for cold hands, and a small purple blouse below it. She also wore two long dark purple leggings while her sleek gray boots, with even had darker gray bottoms, helped sell the fact that she desired her appearance more than anything. Some treated her with respect, but for the most part the general consensus liked to let her go about her own deals or risk public outrage.

I didn't surprise Molly and Scratch to see Andrea Davenport in center stage during some kind of major scene.

She easily provided her best angles while she went through the motions in a pink mermaid suit. First glances alone told the two that some kind of undersea type of play progressed behind the door, since they saw the background of the stage as a clear blue sky with decals of moving waves below and the large makeshift rock that Andrea sat atop of. In terms of other props, they saw nothing else but a couple of smaller makeshift rocks on the sides of the stage and near the front, which indicated that they didn't completely figure things out yet and put everything down as a steady work in progress. A couple of other students stood on the sidelines in other costumes, mostly in the form of other undersea life like fishes and crabs, but knowing Andrea she probably wanted to hog the spotlight as much as possible. The drama teacher, Mr. Stern, sat in one of the audience chairs in his classic painter hat, dark shades, and cheesy megaphone, which helped sell the fact that he desired to walk in the theater hall of fame. For now the rehearsal appeared to run smoothly with no issues, but with a ghost spider on the loose in there they might have to make an early curtain call pretty quickly.

They watched from the glass as Andrea cast herself to the slight breeze that blew from the side of the stage and let her hair flow through it as if she truly felt the emotion behind her character.

"Oh, I find it such a bore to always find myself relegated to the depths of the sea! How I wish to find some way to explore the lands above without such a curse of fins and gills! I desire such change beyond such travesties!"

She had her eyes on the lights above while she put a backhand on her forehead like she starred in Broadway with a dedicated role. Soon after she finished, another kid made his way on stage in a rather detailed seagull outfit, and flapped his arms as if he flew in the slight breeze.

"But you know such desires only go against the ways of the deep!" the kid said. "You can't go against the ways without stimulating the wrath of the king!"

Andrea quickly turned her sight over to the kid with a less than enthusiastic expression.

"Says the one who already walks on such feet! I deserve more than this, and I will find a way to witness the above world in its full glory!"

The kid in the seagull suit uttered a comical squawk as if he really acted like the type of bird before he answered.

"While I lack the position to go against you, I still think you should proceed with caution. I can't risk a friend like you suddenly meeting an end, especially in the world you hope for."

"Oh, you worry too much!" Andrea answered. "If that's what riled you up so much, you don't need to worry. I'm certain I know where to look for such a method to walk like you."

"Cut, cut, cut, cut!"

As soon as the other voice hit everyone's hearing, the breeze stopped and the rest of the stage lights turned back on. Both Andrea and the kid aimed their sights forward over to Mr. Stern in the front row seats, and just like Hollywood he said the words through his cheesy megaphone.

He pinched his forehead for a second before she spoke up again.

"That won't do at all! I've seen better acting in Old People on Ice! Harold, put you chin up a little higher, and Andrea, try to turn more to your good side! I'm seeing something good in sight, so just hold it in a bit longer!"

The volume from the megaphone ruffled the feathers of the seagull suit and forced Andrea's hair back a bit. Harold frowned before he walked back to the side of the stage he came from while Andrea quickly reorganized her hair back to its long silky appearance. Even though she became rather known for her tempers when things failed to go her way she didn't lash out at Mr. Stern in the slightest, probably to keep her status above everyone else and stay on his good side.

Despite the demands, Andrea did what he wanted and slightly turned her face to the side and smiled, much to Mr. Stern's delight.

"Perfect! Just like that!" Mr. Stern said.

"Like always, I'm a natural at this sort of gig." Andrea replied. "If I may ask, you think we should put more light on my face? I find it criminal that I can't show off my dazzling eyes in full."

"Yes, definitely! I'm struck with inspiration!" Mr. Stern answered before he addressed everyone else. "From the top, scene 1-4 with the mermaid and seagull! Go!"

The others did as instructed and prepared for another run through. As that happened, Andrea took out her phone for a second and took a quick appealing picture of herself before she put it away, possibly to post about it later after rehearsals. The lights dimmed again as the single light shined across Andrea on stage again, and despite the chatter Molly and Scratch could barely listen a brief muttering from Mr. Stern.

"This whole production feels like it lacks something… Talent obviously, but I think it needs a little extra…something…"

Molly and Scratch then witnessed the same scene happen again with the refinements instructed by the "director" in the audience, and it possibly would have went on without a hitch if something didn't immediately catch their attention. Everyone onstage, whether in the spotlight or not, may have done everything by the book, but none of them accounted for an uninvited guest that hurried across the floorboards. It managed to avoid the commotions behind the scenes, which included the other actors and stage crew, and as the scene progressed it scurried onto the forefront like it waited for its cue with the lead actor. For once it became a benefit that it remained concealed to everyone but Molly and Scratch, as it most likely would have created pandemonium on sight, especially to Andrea. They heard words from the production, but their eyes couldn't divert away from the spider on deck, and it made a stance in that particular area.

However, things would get much, much harder for the two as the tarantula eyed down the pretty mermaid in center stage, or more specifically her long sky blue hair. When Scratch heard the fact that the spider saw colors differently, which made its interpretation of actual objects run completely off course, he really should have paid more attention as the spider paused before Andrea. What became long wavy blue hair for everyone turned out as wavy cotton candy for the tarantula, which immediately turned on the arachnid's gluttonous tendencies. Its pupils dilated into huge balloons before it let out a light squeak and scurried over to Andrea's large body and took Nancy along for the ride. Molly and Scratch nearly felt their hearts drop when they saw the tarantula pumped its legs for a quick moment then leapt straight into the air before it landed in the canvas of the girl's pride and joy. She still acted on stage as if it never happened in the first place, and for the two they really wished that became the case. Just to rub it in their faces, a brief glimpse of the spider's head popped out at one point with its mouth full of blue strands and insultingly grinned in their direction. Soon after it turned around and smacked its behind, which shook up the trapped girl inside, before it laughed and submerged back in its own makeshift blue sea…and it's not the setting of the performance onstage.

For Nancy, she couldn't have seen herself in a more compromised position. With barely enough air to breathe in the visible belly of the tarantula, she had no choice in the matter as it took her everywhere with no remorse for its actions. From hallways, theater districts, and now in the endless waters of a girl's hair, it only made her desire freedom that much more. She still majorly disliked Molly for the immediate shrinkage she put on her, but at least the girl had the sense of humanity and wanted to make things right for her even if she looked like someone unfit for such a monumental task. While she had seen Andrea on multiple occasions in the past, like everyone else in the vicinity she almost never acknowledged her existence in the slightest. It came as no surprise to hear that the popular kid in school liked to pretend everyone below her never existed, and for the most part it meant that she never messed with them. While Nancy stayed away from Andrea whenever possible, she got a close up view of the diva she never wanted to see. She could easily mistake the girl's long silky hair as the next major ocean, and millions of sea life could set their new homes along the strands. She found it quite fitting that she took part in a play about the oceans from what Nancy saw close up, and even though she missed a clear view of her face, she most likely maintained similar scopes to what her small stature saw in Molly. Andrea always wanted to become the biggest star in all forms of media, and from Nancy's perspective she already got her wish as someone who can hold the planets within her fingers.

Molly and Scratch didn't need any further evidence to prove how the situation turned for them.

"No, no, no. No, no, no, no, NO, NO, NO, NO!" Molly said in slight panic while she put her hands to her cheeks. "Out of the frying pan and into the BURNING INCINERATOR. We can't cause another scene, ESPECIALLY when it involves Andrea."

"I'm pretty sure we have to save BOTH of our skins, since that stupid spider threw me in for a loop back there." Scratch said. Molly briefly glanced over to him.

"Uhhhhhh, skin."

"What?"

"Because you don't have it."

Scratch stared pretty flatly at Molly.

"You know what I mean, Mol."

"Hey, I'll take anything to try and calm myself down for some kind of new plan!"

Molly chattered her teeth for a moment while she covered her head for some kind of concentration. She couldn't put herself in the spotlight again after lunch, and Scratch missed his chances in that time and never had the speed to catch the tarantula in the first place. It even taunted them as it chewed on Andrea's hair like it adored the taste, which quickly filtered over to Nancy in the abdomen and filled it up even further to the brim, which left next to no extra room left. They could only watch as the tiny girl became plaster against the inside walls while her captor paid no attention and continued to chow down. They had to exterminate the vermin and rescue Nancy before it became too late.

While Molly put her brain into overdrive for some kind of answer to the problem, Scratch ended up as the one to conclude on the solution. He perked up more than usual and snapped his fingers a few times.

"I think I might have something in mind, even though I'd pretty much prefer anything else…than this stupid idea."

He remark made Molly perk up soon after.

"Ooh, my supernatural bestie just hatched an idea! Leave it to you out of everyone else to drum up the marching band of the MISSION Squad!"

"Don't push your luck Molly, for I still think that name sounds terrible." Scratch replied while slightly unimpressed. "Anyways, I'll need to head to the ghost world for a little bit, so I'm going need…uhhhhh…"

His speech went muffled for a brief moment while Molly's face slowly began to change into an emotion she knew too well. Her pupils dilated while her smile grew incredibly wide with minor sparkles around it.

"Scratchy, are you asking…something I know you will…"

She almost got up into his face with her adorable expression which unnerved Scratch to the point where he held back his words a bit further than he wanted. He never thought to see a moment where one of Molly's most common expressions left him speechless and managed to shut him up a bit, but she proved him wrong. Even as he desired to care about himself, Molly always showed him the total opposite to his ways of thinking. Both of them knew where things would head off to next the moment he uttered his words, and the anticipation rubbed off all over the girl that wielded the ball and chain around his waste.

He finally broke the ice just to get her face away from his.

"Okay, okay! I'm going to need your help with this!"

Molly heard the bells and cherubs sounding their trumpets on a constant loop. Rainbows formed over her head while unicorns trotted over them like everyday pavement. Flowers bloomed from all over and drifted their sweet scents through her nostrils like tasty honey. The skies parted and revealed the bright sunshine overhead that planted trees of purity and shined all over Molly like she just met the divine. Her entire body felt limp while her eyes glistened beyond her normal personality, but she had enough in her to clasp her hands together to the gloomy ghost under the lights. From the moment she found herself cursed with her best friend from beyond the grave, she desired more than everything to hear the blessed words from him, and now she can ascend to the skies of friendship in peace like the girl she always wanted to be.

She finally couldn't contain herself and burst into pure happiness, which also involved a joyous jump upward with her fist in the air in triumph.

"YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES! It finally came! Everything culminated into the words I always wanted to hear! I'm needed for something! I'M ACTUALLY NEEDED FOR SOMETHING FROM SCRATCH!"

"Yeah, yeah, don't relish the thought for too long." Scratch answered while he waved away Molly's bubbling thoughts around her. "I just need you to stall for time while I get everything sorted out. Oh, and you can make it so that spider doesn't make Andrea go bald."

Molly humorously stood stiff and expressed a very stern face while she swiftly saluted to her ghost friend.

"I will take this secondary mission for the MISSION Squad like my life relies on it! Nancy's security shall remain securely…secured!"

Her cheeks puffed up lightly while Scratch looked into her distant gaze and rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, you might want to focus on the GIRL and not ME. Just hold the fort down until I get back and DON'T MESS ANYTHING UP."

Quick after he said that, Scratch immediately waved his hands a few times that summoned a familiar portal right next to him. He floated into it and vanished inside, which left Molly on her own to handle the tarantula for a bit. Right when she found herself flying solo, she instantly reverted back to her joyous and happy demeanor.

"I got this. I EASILY got this! I can't let down the MISSION Squad from one simple failure! I'll perform my duties with the MOST efficiency possible! Nobody will get in the way of Molly McGee and-"

Her train of thought derailed when she heard more lines and chatter from the auditorium. She steered her attention back to the room behind the door and felt her chest stagger when reality hit her in the face. While the scenes continued on stage she couldn't take her eyes off of the bug in Andrea's hair that munched on it like a buffet across a long table filled with fattening calories. All of the actors on stage, plus Andrea, had no idea such a trouble brewed during their rehearsal, and yet Nancy relied on her to find a way out of it without any unintentional show stopper. She had to find a way to stall and force the tarantula out for the sake of Nancy's safety.

"I knew there had to be some kind of snag to this." Molly muttered at a flat discouraging tone. As everyone in the large room kept their attention on the front of the stage, they gave Molly a free pass to open the door slowly and sneak in. She kept her movements confined at first to not arouse suspicion, but once she got far enough she found the all clear and got away without a single witness.

She heard Andrea and the other actors as they continued to rehearse onstage, which left the young teen with everything else backstage. While it became somewhat dark, it didn't give enough to hinder her vision as she scoured for something to possibly help Nancy. From loose props, handcarts, and even a few makeup vanities, her eyes saw everything but a possible tool for the situation at hand. She even had no idea at first that Brighton's middle school even had a fog and dry ice machine until she wandered around it in her search, and yet that meant nothing to her at the moment. Backstage provided the bare minimum in terms of helpful items for a girl on a mission to rescue another…at a fraction of her original size.

"Makeup compacts, toy weapons, and even some spotted leotards, but nothing useful!" Molly said to herself. "Come on Mol, do it for Nancy! You can't fail her like this!"

Her mind got caught up in so much that it hurt her head as she continued to think about them. She rubbed the sides of her head and kept her face to the ground while she dug deeper, which meant she never noticed anything ahead of her. As the thoughts surged through her head, her senses failed her and she suddenly walked into another person. Molly yelped a little as both her and the other hit the ground, but they didn't sustain anything long lasting.

"Oops, I'm so sorry about that! I should have paid more attention to-"

She stopped wincing and looked at who she ran into. Once her eyes set on the target her pupils contracted a bit while the other person rubbed her forehead and also concluded on who arrived next to her.

"What the… Molly? How did you… What are you doing here?"

The two girls got to their feet while Molly said her condolences.

"Oh, uhhhh… Libby! My human bestie! Someone always on my side! You know, I'm just…wandering around campus, heheheheh."

Her lukewarm tone and expression didn't fool her best friend, who lightly frowned and tilted her head. She didn't notice it beforehand, but right next to Libby sat a large circular fan at the height of a large dog. It explained where the breeze from the side of the stage came from, and close by she saw much more. A couple of hanging ropes, some small pulleys, and even a large speaker with some kind of control panel all had placements near Libby, which just begged for Molly to mess with them. However, after an incident involving a blender and some duct tape, she learned to keep her fingers off of the big red buttons like they burned on contact. She had her guesses as to what each one did, but she wouldn't let her sense of touch near them unless she knew how they worked. Even so, she should have expected her best friend to have a presence during the drama class, especially after she told her about how she became part of the stage crew…which seemed like a solo responsibility for her and her alone.

"But…but I thought you headed to your next class…like when I saw you in the hallway…" Libby answered before she shifted. "Am I missing something here?"

"Oh, such splendors of the world above! How can one such adore blessings brought upon by such beauty! I better… Huh? What floats over the horizon?"

Libby's back stiffened before she wasted no time to get over to one of the ropes in a hurry. She quickly scanned the front of the stage for a split second before she grasped one of the ropes and tugged it multiple times. As she pulled at it again and again, it became obvious what it controlled as Molly watched the production on stage. Right from the opposite side of the stage from where Molly and Libby stood, a flat prop of a sailing ship rocked back and forth across the background near Andrea. While Libby huffed and puffed a couple of times, after only a few seconds she stopped with the motions and left the prop at one specific position, and after a quick wipe of her brow she went over to the large fan and flipped the switch to turn it off. For such a mundane task for her, Libby seemed to take the job rather seriously.

The two watched as the mermaid suited Andrea set her gaze to the flat ship.

"What such vessel rides the tides like that? Such astonishment has astounded my elegant eyes, and yet I grow rather curious. What does one such hold?"

As much as Molly wanted to keep her eyes away from the show, the fact that the spider practically bathed in the girl's hair put her emotions on edge. Nancy's muffled voice barely came out from her bloated prison, and the tarantula even insulted Molly further as it performed multiple backstrokes through the endless strands before it. It became the secondary show for the one who desired to pull it away from everyone, and yet it ruffled through Andrea's hair like a thick and mucky pool for its enjoyment.

"Okay, now it really wants to push the boundaries here!" Molly thought. She constantly switched between Libby and the tarantula and couldn't balance between the two of them. If she tried to mess something up it meant the whole rehearsal would go out of whack, but if she attempted nothing the spider basically got a get out of jail free card with its living meal in tow. She always wanted to stay positive and remain high on the rungs of the ladder so she never stood a chance to fall to the depths of sorrow, but the sight of the trouble on stage dropped her down a couple times. Her desire to stay happy didn't feel right when someone she cared about suffered right in front of her, and if she prospered from their misery it wouldn't seem so "Molly McGee" for her to live with.

Her quick conclusion put a large pit in her stomach, but she had no other choice.

"Libby…I'm incredibly sorry for this."

The aforementioned girl turned her attention back to Molly before she looked at her in a puzzling manner.

"Ummm, what exactly do you-"

Before she could attempt to finish her sentence, Molly's rushed straight into her and pushed her aside before she put herself direction before the large fan on the side. Libby fell to the ground with thud while Molly worked her fingers on the knob and cranked it to the full capacity. All forms of eagerness and joy took a backseat for the girl as her sights set on the hungry bug that glared at her straight in the ears. Nancy also had her sights on Molly and seemed to say something, but due to the filters of her prison they fell on deaf ears. If she only had stage props and extras to work with she'll use them, as she knew Nancy would have her back if in the same position.

As the fan began to pick up speed, Libby's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as she immediately got to her feet and tried to get Molly away from the controls.

"Molly, have you skipped your brain food lunch?! You'll mess up the whole rehearsal and Mr. Stern will HAVE MY HEAD."

She continued to go up against Molly for control, but her friend wouldn't let up. She kept her hands on the switch, and she wouldn't let go.

"Sorry Libby, but I have someone else I'm looking out for!"

"What?!" Libby exclaimed through the winds that began to reach full speeds. "Does this have to do with what happened at lunch or something?"

Molly bit her bit for a moment before she reluctantly answered.

"Yes, and everything else in between! Without getting into too much details right now…a ghost spider swallowed Nancy and is now combing through Andrea's hair and eating it! I know it sounds stupid, but you have to believe me on this!"

Libby still didn't get it at first and thought that Molly may have ingested something to go crazy, but to remain on the safe side she glanced over to Andrea on stage as the fan picked up speed. It started off subtle, as she could have easily mistaken a sight for something else, but on closer inspection she found quite an oddity that she couldn't explain. While Andrea's hair flowed with the wind, she swore she saw a couple of ends suddenly shorten at certain points, and they slowly built up over time. She knew Molly carried occurrences around her, especially after she witnessed her ghost Scratch, so as the wires crossed in rather obscure angles, all of it slowly came together for her. She realized that, yet again, Molly found herself in another problem, but just because she wasn't related didn't mean assistance remained futile. If anything, it came with the package of becoming Molly's friend in the first place.

…even if her timid nature held her back a bit.

"S-s-s-s…spider? You…you let a ghost spider in here?!"

"Less talking, more fan blowing!" Molly exclaimed as she aimed the large fan in Andrea's direction.

For the production onstage, as usual at first nobody noticed anything awry. Mr. Stern knew the script and any faults that would potentially happen the first couple of weeks, so when he felt the slight breeze when it didn't call for it he blamed on the "first day syndrome" so everyone can get warmed up for their roles. Andrea also knew the script incredibly well, especially her starring role, but when the winds began to pick up she tried to progress as if it never occurred in the first place. However, as the winds increased the flags immediately pulled up, which also caused the others on the side to immediately back away. They knew any slight hiccup meant one of the two would blow their tops off, and they wanted to stay away from the receiving end of the whole thing.

"Uhhhhh, ummmm…" Andrea stuttered before she improvised on the spot. "I…I think I hear a storm approaching…even in this sunny day and…"

Her cheeks began to flap and her eyes narrowed down some before the winds hit their full speeds. Andrea barely held onto the makeshift rock for her life while the background shook and her hair blew like dozens of trees sneezed through her. Mr. Stern, instead of riling himself up for an immense talking to, remained in his seat and raised his eyebrows a little, despite the fact that Andrea became the punching bag throughout the whole thing. He instantly brought out a notebook and began writing something in it while he kept his eyes glued to the stage.

However, one more result happened that only Molly visibly witnessed in full. As she kept the knob on the highest setting, she easily saw the tarantula as it struggled to keep a grip on any clump of Andrea's hair. It didn't take long until it held on for dear life from a couple of strands while Nancy saw the writing on the wall and braced for impact. The spider even couldn't keep its eyes open like Andrea, and even had its cheeks flap in the wind as well which made Molly grin. As much as she wanted to remain subtle, Molly found no other option to potentially get the bug out other than the strong winds of a stage fan, even if Libby went against it.

Even through the winds though, Andrea's temper slowly reached its boiling point as she turned her sights over to the source. She became furious once she saw the instigator against the device.

"MOLLY?! WHAT SORT OF SICK JOKE IS THIS?!"

Molly only mustered up a light tepid smile and a small hand wave, as if she went for a failing attempt to calm the situation down, while Libby made like her turtle persona and put herself out of sight to avoid Andrea's wrath. She didn't want to continue at it, especially in the face of an angry Andrea, but she had a shrunken girl to rescue.

The spider couldn't hold on forever after all.

---

"…and the cement mixer plus the jackhammers all add up to that precise amount. With all of that you should have everything required. Good luck with your excursions, Mr. Disney."

The aforementioned ghost nodded and took all of his supplies with him out the door. As he watched the last customer disappear, Salvatore deeply sighed while he floated by the counter. It became another slow day for the store after all and while the storekeeper adapted to it from the hundreds of years running it, it didn't make things any less boring. For the most part he got left with nothing but the creatures in the back, which preferred to have their times in private for the most part, and even though he enjoyed his time at his job it often left him a bit dreary. Counting all of the dimes and nickels only held him awake for so long until he found himself knocked out, which painted a bad picture for any potential customers as they floated in. Attentiveness became key to his store's success, which came with some inadvertent side effects in the process. After many reoccurring visits from certain customers, he pretty much learned of their general preferences and made his guesses as to how they acted and what they looked for. He even had a knack for figuring things out on the fly, which also included the higher ups and the ghost council, which brought his efficiency through the roof on several occasions. While percentages varied, for the most part any repeated visits of reoccurring customers meant his guesses remained pretty accurate when they needed to.

…which also included repeated offenders.

Soon after, Salvatore reached under the counter and reached for something in one of the drawers. Once he found it, the ghost brought it out and gazed at the two hands as they ticked down. He silently counted down the moments and muttered to himself in the process.

"Five…four…three…two…one…"

Right at the point where he would say "zero", he noticed a certain portal open up right before him. Soon after, it spat out one particular entity that instantly splattered into a pile of goop on the ground before he formed back up. Salvatore fought back the urge to roll his eyes and quietly put the small clock away in the drawers.

"Right on time." Salvatore thought as the other ghost instantly went up to him.

He tried to settle the shopkeeper in easy.

"Uhh, heeeeeeeey Salvatore! My ol' buddy, ol' pal, ol'…some other relatable name!"

His phoned in smile spoke volumes to Salvatore that he knew all too well. Even so, he decided to play along with it for a while.

"Yeah, yeah, Scratch. Still trying to suck it up like always. What do you have in mind now?"

"Well, umm…" Scratch stammered. "You see, about that ghost tarantula I bought…"

Salvatore snorted.

"What about that purchase? I thought you wanted something like that from all the excitement I read across your face."

"No, no, no, it worked perfectly in the end! I'm glad about that!" Scratch replied. "However, you see…something happened…"

Salvatore couldn't hold it in any longer and rolled his eyes before he brought out one of his notebooks again.

"And what sort of trouble did you find yourself in now?"

"It's not a trouble! None of that!" Scratch retorted while his brain tried to conclude on an answer. "I'm just, well…dissatisfied with my product! Yeah, unquestionably that! That spider under performed in many aspects!"

Salvatore refused to look up from his notes at his most infamously bad customer as he wrote down Scratch's plain explanation into the "Scratch's Excuses" list right at the bottom, which became the one hundred thirty fourth jotted down. He really wanted to keep that number rolling, much to Salvatore's dismay, at least from what the storekeeper gathered from him.

Salvatore snorted again but went along with yet another one of Scratch's endless amounts of excuses for now.

"You have a lucky streak going on Scratch, for you know I can get pretty strict when I see blatant liars through their teeth."

"Oh, thank you so much Salvatore! You won't regret it-"

"Unh, unh, unh! Not so fast."

He immediately shut the ghost up in just one stern interjection.

"Come on, what have I got to go through now? You can pick up the tarantula now, and I kind of need it done-"

"Don't rush things Scratch, because I still have my standards with this business." Salvatore interrupted again. "I'll need you to fill THIS out first."

With that said, Scratch watched as Salvatore turned toward the back of the store and rummaged through a couple of drawers and cabinets on the side. While he didn't find what he wanted at first, eventually the store owner came to a stop and pulled out a piece of paper. He silently nodded to himself at first before he headed back and handed Scratch the piece. He didn't need glasses to see the large "Dissatisfaction Form" printed at the top in big bold letters, and various colorful words that detailed various attributes littered the rest of the available spaces, which also included open ones for signatures and the like. Salvatore went from average to professional in one quick motion, and Scratch knew it well.

…although he didn't think too much about it at first.

"So I just need to fill this out and you'll take that critter back? Sweet! Just let me skim through-"

The third time became the charm for Salvatore.

"Oh, that alone won't provide satisfaction for this business."

Before Scratch could even provide a question behind such a statement, Salvatore snapped his fingers which sent more than what the grumpy ghost bargained for. As if on command, massive piles of papers fell from the ceiling and landed right between the two of them, which made Scratch's eyes open wider. He could barely see Salvatore on the other side through the piles, and before long Scratch's demeanor dropped pretty quickly. He definitely had more coming.

"I also have a fee for every single one filled out, you know." Salvatore said with a slight grin.

Scratch only had one thing on his mind as he stared the store owner in the eyes.

"You really don't want to make this easy, do you?"

---

Molly kept her eyes locked on the tarantula like her life depended on it. As the fan reached its maximum speed it barely clung on to the last few strands of Andrea's hair, and it glared back at the young teen with a dark sting that shook her to her soul. Even with her will to wrangle the spider away from someone who distinctly went against her, that didn't mean she deserved to deal with it. Combined with the fact that the bug kept Nancy in its belly to reveal to a higher authority at some point, all of it combined into a recipe for disaster. She knew that "tough love" existed, and from that point she understood the definition in a heartbeat. She only hoped that it wouldn't bite her too hard in the behind in the future…like the incident that sparked all of the troubles in the first place.

Molly watched as the spider hissed at a deadly tone before its grip took its toll and finally resulted in losing it. The insect instantly hit the air and flew across the stage until it smacked against the leftmost curtain. Nancy didn't seem too injured in the impact as most of it routed to the tarantula, but that didn't solve the fact that it still remained loose.

However, that didn't calm Andrea down in the slightest. In fact, she wanted to rip Molly's head off for messing up her hair.

"MOLLY, YOU MESSED UP MY BIG MOMENT!"

She slammed a fist into the makeshift rock she sat on before she fell to the ground in an attempt to get her mermaid suit off. The other actors on the side remained scared stiff of what sort of heinous action Andrea thought of and refused to intervene in any way, while Mr. Stern had enough. He got up from his seat and prepared to give the stage crew a thorough talking to while Andrea blew fire from her mouth and nostrils in Molly's direction. It hurt the young teen to see others upset at her, especially to the fury of Andrea, but she couldn't think of any other way to potentially ward off the tarantula and stall for a bit longer.

Soon after Andrea and Mr. Stern made their stances, Molly felt a blow against her chest as she saw the spider get back on its feet before it scurried toward the mermaid suited girl again for another bite. She tried to turn the dial for the fan, but once it wouldn't start she glanced down and saw that she completely exhausted the motor for the moment. With that device out of the picture, she turned to the ropes and controls next to the cowering Libby, who remained out of sight of Andrea, and rushed over to a couple of them.

"Please give me something to work with." Molly thought before she pulled on one with all of her might. Soon after she heard some rumblings from above followed by a few bangs, and then right as Andrea continued to fight against her suit a large cardboard cutout of what looked like a stereotypical lightning bolt fell from the top of the stage. It barely missed the spider and almost hit its head, but it did cause the arachnid to stagger backward a little. Nancy yelped for a split second while she braced herself for something else, and she found it when Molly went for another rope. Another pull later and another cardboard lightning bolt fell from top of the stage, but it almost conked Andrea on the head. The girl in the mermaid suit recoiled back a little, but she remained furious while she crawled toward Molly and continued to try and push off the long pink tail around her body. While Mr. Stern wanted to interrupt the show at first, once he saw the cardboard bolts it immediately caught his attention. As if inspiration struck twice, he quickly sat back into his seat and brought out his notebook once again. He saw a light fire in the back of his mind and he gunned for it. From one set of actions alone, Molly set the scene herself for a display of disaster and salvation for the sake of her tiny friend.

As she went for more and more pulleys, the cardboard bolts continued to fall. While none of them hit the tarantula in any meaningful way, it kept the bug at bay from the angry Andrea and before long, Libby thought on a possible cover up for all of the insanity. While under the cover of Molly and her antics, the timid girl went for the stage controls and pressed a couple of buttons while she worked on the speaker at the same time. With her quick fingers and problem solving, she eventually brought everything into place for a drastic scene change. She watched as the background suddenly shifted from a bright sunny day to a gloomy dark sky with visible rain clouds above, and to help sell it she immediately turned on the speaker and let it play some very grim rain sounds combined with the occasional thunder. A couple of extra rope pulls brought the rocking ship to the docks and off the stage while some extra cardboard rain clouds hanged from the ceiling which dangled with the shifting scenery. She even managed to call up a couple of moving tidal waves along the background to simulate hide tides and raging waters. If one part didn't help set the stage for an ongoing thunderstorm, than all of them together brought the scene to the forefront.

As the last few cardboard bolts hit the ground, and also Andrea a couple of times which she heavily despised, one final pull of another rope sent a stage light straight down…and right onto Andrea's head. Luckily for her it remained empty with no shards of glass, but it did lodge her head into it. She yelled and shouted some covered words that nobody could determine while she attempted multiple times to pull it off aggressively to no avail. It eventually made her collapse to the ground off of the makeshift rock while the spider stood dizzy for a moment after the last bolt almost hit it. Molly didn't have much time to think, but as her sights raced across backstage another crazy idea formed in her head. She zipped by Libby and arrived next to the large fog machine, and after she checked to make sure the cord remained plugged in she tried to push the machine forward…only to come up short. Its weight proved as something her muscles failed to dent or impact, and yet she needed it for another attempt to delay things until Scratch came back. She went at it again and again, but the machine wouldn't budge.

"Come on, come on! Why…won't…you…move?!" Molly said to herself while she gnashed her teeth and pushed. Giving up remained out of the question. She took on the task of handling a shrunken girl and she didn't want to go against that in any way, but the dilemma with the fog machine's weight became quite the hurdle to jump over. Quincy and his Fruity Hoops & Hurdles knew next to nothing about reality and what teetered between possible and impossible.

Her expectations should have steered over to her friendships instead.

Molly suddenly felt the machine's weight go down which perked her up and put her head forward. It only took one turn of the head to her left to find out why it went that way, and she couldn't have felt more grateful to know that she always had someone by her side even if her personality stated the contrary.

"Just because I can't see it doesn't mean I can't help my friend in need."

Molly fought back the urge to burst in happiness like she usually did while her cheeks held back appreciative squeals in joy and her eyes glistened happily in the spotlight like she just encountered a lost kitten.

"You have no idea how grateful I am to have a friend like you." Molly said before she sniffed from the pure happiness built up in her. Thanks to Libby's help, she had less of a problem than before as the two of them forced the huge machine forward to the side of the stage. Libby flinched a bit as she saw Andrea screaming with the large stage light stuck over her head, and for the most part she hoped that the diva wouldn't catch her in the act. Molly cared less about what the public thought of her, even with the obvious "Cake Crasher" moniker now stuck to her for her stay in Brighton, because she only cared about the well beings of others after all. She went through all of the trouble with the stage production after all because of someone she cared about, even if her reputation would possibly take a plunge afterwards.

By the time they brought up the fog machine, the tarantula shook itself out of its dizziness and prepared itself for another meal from Andrea. It saw a little bit of her long hair as it stuck out from under the stage light across her head, and once it set its eyes on its next meal it widely grinned. It quickly brought out a typical dinner bib, along with a fork and knife, before it licked its chops and screeched in an upbeat fashion. Nancy wanted nothing to do with it, but she did her best to stay in spots least likely to take any hits. While she saw Molly and Libby with the machine out of the corner of her eyes the dark emotions that clouded her mind held her back from feeling anything positive. Her imprisonment became too much in her mind and she could only keep herself safe until something got her out. Suffice to say, things were about to get crazy with everything set in place.

Molly wasted no time at all to activate the machine, and soon enough the thick clouds began to form all over the stage. The constant shouting from Andrea kind of muddled the scene a bit, but because of how her head remained stuck she wouldn't have gotten a good view of the effects anyway. Once the fog settled, the tarantula's rush forward immediately halted and its hyperactive mood subsided to its hindered vision. Nancy barely got any kind of visibility from her prison already, but the fog made it next to impossible. She could barely see the top of the stage from above, but before long the tarantula began to move again. Their surroundings became so hindered that they almost failed to notice the massive body of Andrea as she loomed over them in her struggles. She managed to get one of her large boots out of the mermaid suit right over the spider's squishy body, and soon after she made one loud stomp that shook them up and almost made the spider lose its footing. The bug made a break for it while Andrea raised her foot again and slammed it down, which made large impacts that sent the two into the air for split seconds. She had no idea where to head off to, but anywhere away from Andrea's biggest stance in stardom became her best bet. Andrea always wanted to stand out as the biggest star in media that crushed her oppositions like pancakes, but she probably never thought about it literally to a shrunken girl like Nancy.

She relied on the spider to get her out of trouble and barely witnessed Molly's huge form over her as the spider bopped its head against the background. Clearly the fog took its toll on it and left it in shambles with nowhere to run but the unknown. Andrea's continuous yelling hit her ears while the spider scurried in another direction, and it would have probably progressed a bit longer if something else didn't hit her hearing. It started slow, but after a couple of quick seconds it picked up in tempo and pitch until a distinct tune wandered through the thickness of the murky atmosphere. Some type of light wind flute became known through the sounds and tickled her fancy like some type of mystic melody. She never heard the specific music type before and she rather enjoyed it, but it affected the tarantula even more. As the music continued to play, it immediately stopped in its tracks and stood up firm while its eyes expanded and head twitched. The fog provided a thick cover up, but as the melody progressed it began to let up and revealed their current position. Eventually it completely disappeared and soon enough the helpless tiny girl noticed the close presence of Molly and her best friend Libby. While the one that could see her and the spider seemed like she kept some slight nervousness built up in her, for the most part the relief across her face became the most obvious feature. Libby's timidness became apparent from a miles away, but thanks to Molly's presence for the most part she kept it somewhat in check. After all of the hassle brought upon by Molly, it became a no brainer to make like a cheetah and bolt from the scene in an instant, even if your close friend stood by your side. Scratch had his presence in his most dissatisfied and transparent way possible, which didn't surprise Nancy too much, but the ghost next to him didn't stand out to her that much. However, he had a ghostly flute in his mouth that ended up as the source of the music, and she quickly determined that it somehow got the tarantula to calm down. She didn't know what happened behind the scenes that lead up to the current moment, but her deep thanks knew no bounds which Molly seemed to understand from the sidelines.

The ghost continued to play the instrument which turned the spider's attention over to him. Its eyes widened more than usual while it opened its mandibles and screeched in his direction. It wasted no time as it scurried across the boards of the stage and arrived right in front of the girls and ghost, who gazed down with smiles and towered over them like behemoths…except for Libby at first who took a couple of steps back just in case.

The other ghost played one final note of the flute before Scratch addressed things.

"There, I got your stupid spider back. Now can you have it spit the girl out before I'm reminded about this incident even further?"

The other ghost put his flute away while Molly and Nancy watched from the sidelines. Libby remained somewhat worried due to the tarantula on the floor, but turned in the same direction as her friend anyway.

"Actually, I coaxed my ghost tarantula back. You only went through all of those papers, remember?" Salvatore said.

Scratch deeply frowned before he brought out his banged up hands. They swelled up and burned bright red while his arms contained many, MANY, cuts and triangular chunks that appeared like someone ripped them out with stencils.

"And I learned that cursive is a dead writing style that should STAY dead." Scratch stated with great disdain, pain, and sarcasm wrapped into one. Before long, his arms snapped and fell off of him to the ground like twigs, but because ghosts remained anthropomorphic to an extent, it only took a second or two to grow two new ones. It didn't satisfy his mood in the slightest though.

"Phew, at least we got them back in one piece!" Molly said. "The MISSION Squad still remains at the top of the superhero charts!"

"Oh, so we got Nancy back then?" Libby asked in slight bewilderment. "Did she become a ghost in the process? I still can't see her."

Molly immediately turned back to face her friend for a moment.

"You'll see her soon enough. I think we need to get that spider to, urgh…regurgitate her out."

She nearly lost her lunch as she thought about it, and for once Nancy got the memo pretty quickly. While she puked up a storm yesterday after getting sick, to hear that she ended up on the other end made the current situation ten times worse. It became yet another moment she wanted to scrub out of her mind like a plague in progress, and the process didn't even start. Getting eaten by a spider became bad enough, but to have it heave her out stood at a new level beyond the visuals that followed in her head.

Libby immediately perked up more than usual and covered her mouth before Scratch added his own two cents.

"Can't say I expected something to that level to get that girl out. I assume you know how to force such a reaction out of that spider, Salvatore?"

The other ghost turned to Scratch and slightly frowned.

"Scratch…I know what I'm doing."

While Nancy listened in on the conversations above while the two titanic giant girls in Molly and Libby took up her whole vision, the tarantula stood still and eyed down the shopkeeper ghost while Salvatore didn't flinch and gazed back. Before long, the ghost shook his head and snapped his fingers, which sounded unimportant at first, but then Nancy began to feel the effects around her. It started with some slight rumbling around her that almost sent her off her behind before some really grotesque intestinal sounds rang through her ears. It set up some really dire red flags in her head, but she never got the chance to think too much until the ground from under her began to push her forward. She yelped for a second before she curled up to possibly cover herself for what might happen next, and soon enough she found herself forced through most of the gross objects the spider ate while it scurried around the premises. From mushy papers, worn cardboard, and even clumps of Andrea's hair, she went through all of it and possibly more she couldn't determine. The noises and motions under her continued until she hit a snag and stopped, and right then and there the noises ceased after. Her heart went stagnant as her comprehensions went wild with possibilities, and soon after the results came in. It happened in an instant and left her with no time for conclude on anything, but once a certain hideous noise hit her hearing she suddenly found herself on top of the floorboards on the side of the stage. It almost shocked her at first and left her staring into space for a quick moment, but once reality caught up with her the realizations hit. The tarantula actually puked her out on Salvatore's command, and while she probably required a firm scrubbing she didn't find herself hurt in any aspect.

Molly had her massive eyes on her before anyone else.

"Nancy! You made it out!"

She never saw the next batch of actions coming. While she would have appreciated some time to herself for a bit, she never had the chance as Molly swiftly got to her knees and reached down to pick up her tiny friend. Despite all of the gross bile and mushed up particles all over her, it seemed Molly either didn't care or covered up her true feelings under her smile as she quickly pinched Nancy by the back and slowly lifted her up before she placed the girl in her other hand. The giant girl's fingers carefully coiled around her in a snug manner before she brought Nancy up her her two eyes that could shape entire galaxies. If Nancy didn't get to know her at first she probably would have gotten more nervous and worried than she normally went for, but since Molly had her in her grasp she let up such feelings a little bit…even if Molly miniaturized her in the first place.

Nancy never got a chance to speak first as Molly immediately brought her in close and provided one of the biggest hugs imaginable. She found herself pressed hard against her chest while Molly continued on.

"Yay! I'm sooooooo happy to see you not as spider chow! I almost thought I lost you and left my whole duty to look after you as a failure-"

"Uhhhhh, Molly." Scratch interrupted as he saw Nancy nearly crushed against her. As if a few wires connected in her head, Molly quickly stood up straight and pulled her shrunken friend away.

"Oops! Errrr, sorry about that. You know me and my emotions, heheheheh…" Molly stated while she weakly chuckled at a lukewarm tone.

She left Nancy to cough a little, but for the most part she didn't put too much pressure against her.

"Thank you…for the help…" Nancy replied with a very faint smile. She wanted to add more, but certain emotions in her head held them back. That didn't mean she lacked appreciation for what Molly went through to get her back, but so many conflicting thoughts flooded through her and she couldn't rush through them just yet.

Salvatore floated down to the tarantula on the floor, where the arachnid gnashed its mandibles and squealed happily before it wandered into his grasp. The ghost couldn't help but smile back at the little bug and caressed its large transparent abdomen, which the spider seemed to enjoy very much as it lightly squeaked and even rolled over a bit so he could rub its underside. The display made Salvatore chuckle a little before did so soon after, which relaxed the spider and caused its eight hairy legs to go limp on the side. It surprised Nancy to see a different side of what once held her captive, as it went from stringent and insulting to cuddly and joyful in very quick succession. It almost seemed like a completely different creature took its place, and at certain angles she had to admit…its actions gave it a pretty adorable feel. While she still wanted nothing to do with it, especially in the pet department, to see such a predator painted in a different light made it out as something not so bad after all. She could see why Salvatore liked them, even if her perception of the matter remained the complete opposite.

While Molly held her safe, because she no longer stood inside the spider's stomach, it meant she finally came back into the light of visibility right before Molly's friend Libby. While she might have appreciated the lack of seeing her get hurled out, as her eyes set on the speck in Molly's hands her surprise knew no bounds. Her massive eyes narrowed down to the sorry girl at first, and after a few seconds she pulled back and gasped.

"I've seen crazy things since we became friends Molly, but…but…a tiny girl?! I can barely see her down there! What sort of phenomenon am I seeing now?!"

"Yeah…about that…" Molly answered in a tepid manner. "Remember when you wanted me to explain everything in pristine details? Well…"

She never got the chance at the moment to speak about it when one loud boom hit their hearing ahead. Combined with the constant muffled screaming and yelling it took no time at all to figure out where things headed when all of them looked in its general direction. They focused so much Nancy's rescue that they almost completely forgot about the one that took collateral damage throughout the display, and she easily wanted out. The spotlight atop her head told them everything they needed to know, and before long her lack of vision took its toll as she inadvertently took one erroneous step and fell straight off the front of the stage. The girl hit the ground with a boom and thud, which seemed to dislodge the stage light a bit and allowed it to come off a lot easier. After one quick tug the prop lifted straight off which the girl tossed to the side before she wasted no time as she finally took off the rest of her mermaid suit. After all of that punishments accidentally smitten across her, she immediately turned to face both Molly and Libby…

Hell hath no fury like a shamed Andrea.

Libby straight off took refuge behind the fog machine and ducked behind it while Molly quickly tucked Nancy away in one of her pockets like she usually did. Scratch and Salvatore took to the sidelines even though Andrea couldn't see them anyway, because the fires from the underworld burned in her eyes and they wanted nothing to do with them. She may have some leniency for Libby since she didn't have full involvement in the shame brought on her, but Molly had an entire wrath to handle and char her to bits.

Andrea marched straight over to the sorry girl, which even caused the tarantula to lightly shriek and hide behind Salvatore from the fury in her eyes. It almost seemed foolish to speak against her, but Molly gambled and went for it.

"Errrr, sorry about all of that Andrea. Ummmm…my mistake?"

The other actors on the opposite side of the stage saw the writing on the wall and moved themselves closer to the back right before Andrea unleashed her words.

"Out of every single stunt I've seen you pull…you just poked a bear, you insolent insect. I had on a SPOTLIGHT performance, and you wanted to HUMILIATE me like the CAKE CRASHER everyone sees you as."

"You, ummmm, got it all wrong Andrea!" Molly answered as drops of sweat fell from her face. "I just, uhhhhhhh, well…"

Andrea didn't buy it one bit and heated things up in an instant.

"You wanted me like that unpopular girl when you lit up the whole school, didn't you?! I have INFLUENCE around this town Molly, and when you mess with the golden goose, well… I hope you enjoy how the public sees you OUTSIDE of this building! You'll be forever crushed against my shoes when I post what you did over social media-"

"Yes, YES! I'm finally filled with the inspiration I've desired!"

The temperature between the two simmered down a bit as the voice of a familiar dramatic teachers hit everyone's senses. Libby even poked her head out from her hiding spot and glanced in his direction like the hamster wheel in her head suddenly stopped. The rest of the students in the drama class also poked their heads out with similar expressions, and all of them watched as Mr. Stern got out of his seat and clapped in a joyous manner. Molly, Andrea, Nancy, and the two ghosts plus tarantula stood dumbfounded at what they just heard as they watched the teacher quickly walk on stage with an eager grin. Clearly they stuck him in a certain manner…from an outburst no less.

He wasted no time with words.

"You've finally done it! I knew this whole production missed something, but I've seen the bells chime and winds blowing to the nature of such divine guidance!"

"Uhhhhhh, am I missing something here?" Molly asked with a pinch of minor nervousness.

Andrea still didn't let such an incident run by so easily.

"Mr. Stern, Molly here…she completely screwed up my performance! You saw what she brought to the table back there!" Andrea stated while she pointed straight at the sorry girl's face.

"Yes, I witnessed everything, and I have to say…she provided an entourage of ideas from the depths of limbo!"

Everyone's dumbfounded expressions returned.

"But…but she messed me up! Doesn't she deserve a detention or something?! SHE RUINED ME OUT THERE!" Andrea exclaimed.

"Au contraire, my dear Andrea, she provided the missing piece to tie the whole play together!" Mr. Stern explained with glee. "All of the brightness and flare requires some moments of dark and grim to balance everything out, so I'll have to add an extra scene…which occurs in a spectacular thunderstorm! Eureka, I've done it!"

They could tell that the news didn't calm Andrea down even a little bit, but then Mr. Stern brought one final addition that shook things up.

"This will put my name on the map of Brighton for futures to come, and I want you, Andrea, to lead such splendor going forward! I might even allow…some decent product placement!"

Out of everything to possibly come out of his mouth to calm the girl down, the term "product placement" hit Andrea more than anyone else. As a self proclaimed "commercial actor" on her own accords, when she found an opportunity to squeeze in a slight advertisement for something from her family's own businesses she always went for it. She loved to brag about it on social media which even helped her gain reputation among some of the more popular celebrities online. To think such a popular cream puff like her lived in a run down town of all places instead of a high end mansion that overlooked an entire city seemed improbable, and yet she proved the statistics wrong by her own existence. While she lived a luxurious lifestyle, she desired a more prosperous avenue that she never got.

The others could picture her inner thoughts as Andrea deeply gasped and displayed millions of bright fireworks in her eyes. Her dark frown flipped around before she rushed up to Mr. Stern.

"You're completely speaking my language! If you leave the crucial acting to me, I think I can cut a few corners to make sure my grand status as lead actor can raise everyone's spirits."

"Ooh, I like that idea!" Mr. Stern replied.

"Just give me a day or two and I'll find the proper product to pose with to the masses."

"Perfect! Super crazy!" Mr. Stern said. The pointless display caused Scratch to roll his eyes while Salvatore took the moment to phase himself back to the ghost world with the tarantula in tow. Clearly it didn't impact him so it felt logical to leave it to the ones it did affect. Scratch still owed him countless IOUs, but for now he still had his business to attend to.

The others got taken a little by surprise when they saw Mr. Stern walk over to them. The other actors on the opposing side could only watch as Libby slowly poked herself out from behind the fog machine.

"Excuse me Miss Libby, but who is your happy friend here?"

"Oh, uhhhh…" Libby stammered out at first. "Her name is Molly McGee, sir."

The teacher then immediately turned his attention to the aforementioned girl, who felt more puzzled than nervous as he loomed in close. Andrea stood close by in case he required anything from her side.

"Ah, Miss Molly McGee then! Such a splendid name! How quaint and unique! Tell me, do you have a knack for the sort of stage work?"

Nancy remained inside Molly's pocket while she watched her caretaker answer.

"Ummm, I'm…not the most prolific in such mechanics. I…have my other interests after all."

"And yet you pulled everything off with such greatness and…excellence!" Mr. Stern said while he struck a cheesy dramatic pose on the last word. "You have a talent even if you don't know it! Oh, such woeful thoughts to see you not in this class! I'll say…you are the perfect fit for someone like Libby! I just know it!"

Just hearing his words caused both Libby and Molly to smile in unison. Nancy may not understand the depths of their friendship currently, but first sights alone informed her that they went in pretty deep which became a bit odd since Molly just moved to Brighton. Of course, her relationship with either of them pretty much became nonexistent since she still pinned the blame on Molly for shrinking her in the first place, but it could always change in the future. She desired her normal size back more than anything, which put most of her current priorities in another direction, but if Molly wanted her as another friend…she had the tendencies and personality to go for it.

After everything said and done, Scratch only had one more thing left to say.

"You really dodged a hail of bullets back there, Mol."

---

After the insanity with the ghost tarantula that sent sent everyone through a rush of adrenaline and persistence, everyone finally got the relaxation time they deserved. Molly took her schedule back from Olivia during one of the periods where she switched classes, despite the fact that the shape shifter dipped down a bit since she couldn't act as her any longer, while Libby got back to her classes as well. Scratch had another meltdown in one of the bathrooms again due to Olivia's special talents, which caused some students to claim that they heard some "disgruntled wails" when they did their businesses. Other than that, the teachers confusingly had no idea why a certain small paper trolley laid upside down with scattered papers all around it near the doors to the auditorium, and while they wanted to find the culprit, they saved themselves the multiple headache and wrote it down as another Darryl incident. He loved all forms of chaos around campus, so it seemed reasonable to immediately blame him for such an odd occurrence. Mr. Stern had some script rewrites to go for while Andrea continued to play out her starring role as the dazzling mermaid with her animal buddies, although she chipped in from time to time to offer some changes she thought would "productify" the play into something amazing, which Mr. Stern took into consideration. Anybody who spoke up about her outrage beforehand got down voted to the depths and back on social media, where the girl had a huge influence over her thousands of followers. From crazy to calm, it became just another day for the students at Brighton middle school.

As the school day ended, the three girl and ghost left the building with relief off of their chests. Molly had to somewhat pick up the pace after she received a call from her father that he needed the family's assistance as soon as possible. Apparently the bat he tried to ward off and force out of the house never got the memo and stowed away piles of items in a room it locked off…while it took the key in the process. Now it sat on massive piles and enjoyed the lifestyle of a pack rat like it remained kind of the world, which upset Mr. McGee even more. After the reminders hit him, Scratch figured out that the bat turned out to be the "Mr. Nibbles" he stated earlier in the day and that he had a reputation among the ghouls and ghosts as the "winged kleptomaniac", which the ghost liked to take advantage of on many occasions. He developed somewhat of a friendship with the little guy even if the creature loved to go bonkers with stealing and hoarding, although Scratch also said that he still "owes him later" for something he kept to himself. Despite the troubles at home, it only required some convincing, according to Scratch, to get Mr. Nibbles to fork over his collection, which Mr. McGee took in a rather "colorful" manner. It turned out he only wanted the TV remote and nothing else, to which Molly informed him that they ran on outdated technology anyway. Mr. McGee…didn't take it lightly. They had more in store outside of school that they had to adapt and muster through.

If her father didn't get to hear detective Shirley's iconic catchphrase as the episode started they would never hear the end of it.

Before all of them could head out back to their own abodes, Molly brought everyone over to the couple of bushes outside the school she used previously to hide her shrunken friend to the public. After they made sure nobody had their eyes over to them, Molly took a deep breath and placed a hand next to the pocket that contained the girl. Nancy had her head above the lip at the time, so when she saw the massive digits before her she knew what to do. It took a couple of seconds to hoist herself over, but once she made contact with Molly's skin she knew she made it safe. Once she set foot on the huge fingertips gravity shifted before she found herself in the sights of the two titanic girls and ghost.

Libby let loose her words immediately in rapid succession while she attempted to not rip her hair out.

"So, to recap EVERYTHING I've heard from you…after the accident yesterday Nancy somehow shrunk to where everyone can mistake her for a grain of sand, and then she stowed away back to your place where everyone got caught up with the times. You come to the conclusion that she must stay at your place for safety purposes, and while you kept her hidden you came across Nancy's own best friend who may know where to look due to her dark hobbies. You also encountered that weird pink mushroom hatted girl, who I also met and is named Olivia, who can change her body into anyone and mimic their personalities perfectly, and after a quick back and forth she agreed to cover for Nancy while you kept her safe, which explained the Molly I saw in the hallways before drama class. With everything checked out, now you need to figure out how to reverse the process since you made a promise to Nancy AND you feel somewhat guilty for her humiliation you think you had a part in. Am I missing anything or am I JUST GOING CRAZY?!"

She repeatedly paced back and forth and kept her head down while she continuously rubbed the sides of her head to the audience of her best friend, a shrunken girl, and grumpy ghost. Clearly it became a bit much for her, especially since she became one of the only ones outside of Molly's family to know about Scratch, so the news that more strangeness occurred may have served as a tipping point. Nancy only heard mentions of Libby and not much else, so she didn't know if sudden panic attacks became part of her personality or something else entirely.

Molly tried to calm her down a bit with gentle words.

"Well, you got the gist of it right there. Don't worry too much about it, for I'm at the forefront and I'll figure things out eventually."

She walked over to the freaked out girl and gave her a few heartwarming and supportive pats on the back, which seemed to slow down Libby's pace a bit but not completely. The dreary eyed girl glanced back at Molly while Nancy kept herself stiff so she wouldn't fall off of Molly's hand.

"Seriously Molly, I feel like you have SOOOOOOOO many more skeletons in your closet than you lead on about when I first learned of these…occurrences. I never thought in my life that I would come across…phenomenons like ghosts, ancient spirits, and now miniaturized kids! I can only take so much and NOT reach a breaking point!"

"Don't forget about that shape shifting girl too. I pretty much peeled multiple layers of my brain off trying to think about how she does it!" Scratch said while he pulled his brain out and showed the strained and worn organ. It lightly shrieked from all of the punishments placed on it before the ghost pushed it back into his head harmlessly.

"You won't have to worry any further, because I don't have anything else to hide from you!" Molly answered while she comforted her best friend. "If I had anything else I would have told you by now! Come on Libster, just slow down and take it easy…"

She continued to stroke her back while Libby constantly took some deep breaths and closed her eyes. It wouldn't go by instantly, but such surges of information hit the girl pretty unexpectedly and she didn't prepare for it. In some ways it reminded Nancy about how her parent liked to keep information out of her mind just so she wouldn't panic the days before, like the time they scheduled her for an oral operation and left her in the dark until the last possible second. As much as she hated the feeling of such methods, she understood why they chose to do those sorts of tactics. Panic affects the body in many ways after all, far beyond the comprehensions of a young girl like Nancy, and the less she felt it the better.

After a couple of minutes of friend to friend interactions, Nancy saw Libby cool off into a much more chill stance, even though her choices of attire and common expressions told different stories, and soon enough she glanced at Molly in the eyes like a normal person.

"Okay, okay, okay…I think I got the handle of this… Okay, okay…there. That…really took me for a ride. Thanks for the support there, Molly."

"Hey, I know you would have done the same for me, so it seemed only natural!" Molly answered with the smile. With that said and done, it finally progressed to the main event. Nancy knew what would possibly come next, and soon enough she saw the large looming eyes of Libby as she gazed down at the speck of a body in Molly's hold. Even though she needed to get used to it at some point, for now she still felt her heart skip a beat every time a deity that shaped the planet had her in their sights. While she had her hunches that Libby wanted no ill intentions toward her, because everything carried some type of weapon to end her on the spot at her miniaturized size, whether deliberate or not, her new home stood at the edge of a cliff at all times like a sick game.

Libby took a couple of seconds to glance over the miniaturized girl before she pulled back and lightly gasped.

"I…I can't believe it. That incident yesterday…and she managed to survive this long… How…how does this exist?"

"We…haven't actually figured that out yet." Molly answered with a slight frown. "Whether that accident ended up as the culprit or not, I can't just leave her after everything said and done."

"Ergh, ummm, yeah." Nancy added with a few stutters, which became the first time she spoke since Libby got involved. "I…have to stay with her while…we figure out the true answer behind this…"

She confined herself to herself a bit while Molly understood her current sentiments. However, her words caused Libby to glance back down at her for a second time, which could contain entire galaxies from Nancy's perspective. The sight of such an occurrence made the tiny girl shudder, despite Libby's harmless intentions, and after a few more seconds she reeled back in a very grim and sorrowful manner.

"Molly, do you know how much damage was inflicted on her?"

Molly tilted her head and cocked an eyebrow.

"Uhhh, what do you mean by that? I understand that she somehow diminished into an indescribable dot and requires my attention-"

"No, Molly." Libby interjected. "I mean, do you REALLY know how much damage she took back there?"

One glance of Molly's eyes told Nancy everything she needed to know. Her pupils slightly contracted while her smile straightened into a stale plane. It puzzled the tiny girl a bit to see such reactions form from someone usually all bubbly and upbeat like Molly, and yet something seemed to unnerve her under the covers. If a remark like what Libby stated disrupted her usual personality and emotions, she might have a few holes in the impenetrable defenses such feelings shielded her from.

Even Scratch gazed at her and knew something stirred her up.

"Uhhh, you okay there Molly? You look like you've just seen a ghost… Oops, bad example there, but, well, you know what I mean, right?"

Molly didn't answer at first, but when she did her voice quivered in a few places while her eyes went off in another direction.

"I'm…I'm pretty sure she only took a shrinkage and nothing more. I mean, she couldn't have suffered anything too damaging other than-"

"Molly." Libby interjected again while her eyebrows lower.

She finally cracked under the pressure.

"Okay, okay! She clearly took a lot more under the hood than I originally thought! Her emotions may have started off as extremely timid beforehand, but now…her feelings clearly took a nosedive and I didn't want to admit it to make her feel worse! How did you figure that out yourself, Libby?"

While she gave the shocking revelations to Nancy, Libby quickly replied after before she could think about it.

"Because I haven't seen anyone with that much anxiety behind their eyes in my life."

She pretty much added to the whole thing before the calculations came up in the tiny girl's head. Molly knew all along about her terrible emotions that only amplified once Nancy shrunk, and yet she kept it under wraps to not amp them up even further. While she clearly failed at her attempts, it painted her in a negative light at certain areas as if she never had it in her to watch over the tiny one and possibly would have crushed her across her shoe if given the chance. Her smile very well may have contained lies in the open spaces the whole time. While Nancy still had the trust in Molly up in the air, her admittance to withheld information didn't help her case to possibly win her over. If she thought of her as just another Scratch to push around her way, her fate possibly remained sealed on the spot.

Before Nancy could attempt to speak up on the matter, she suddenly heard Libby above her again as she talked to Molly. She stuttered a few times, but at least she could still figure out what she meant.

"Molly, ummmm, if I may…"

Molly's mood turned back up a little bit, but not by much.

"Yes Libby?"

"Well, errrrr… Can I hold Nancy for a few minutes?"

Molly's eyes shot back up before she glanced down at Nancy who stared right back at the galaxy sized eyes. The two didn't need to exchange words, and even then Molly probably would have spoken up first. Their exchanged expressions served as everything they needed to come to a conclusion.

"Uhh, sure Libby! I think Nancy doesn't mind at all."

The shrunken girl lightly nodded and provided a slight smile before gravity shifted and Molly held her hand forward. She shuddered from all over, but for the most part Nancy's state of mind remained intact as she silently walked up to the behemoth girl's fingers. Her different perspectives picked up the sight of Libby's massive hand as it came in close to Molly's, and even though Libby got to the point earlier the slight shaking informed her of another emotion behind closed doors. Even with the constant minor inconveniences, it somehow felt familiar to Nancy as she carefully transferred herself from Molly's digits to Libby's in only a few steps. Molly already placed her trust in Katrina after all, so it seemed logical for her to do the same for Molly's best friend even though they just met face to face.

Libby brought the tiny girl closer to the center of her hand while the two exchanged sights.

"Well, ummmm, hello there, errrr, little girl. You seem…nice, heheheh…"

Her lukewarm reaction pretty much mirrored over to Nancy while she struggled to get the words out. Molly opened her mouth to say something, but then Scratch immediately smacked a cover over her lips that said "NOT RIGHT NOW" which shut her up for a moment. Normally Molly would end up as the one to interrupt the host, so for the opposite to happen something must have really interested him about the confrontation…or he just wanted to mess with her.

"Well, uhhhhhm yeah, I guess…" Nancy answered. "You seem…friendly as well, to be quite honest…"

She watched as Libby rubbed the back of her head with her other hand.

"Oh, well, uhhhh, thanks, I guess! I'm Libby, you know, Molly's best friend, well, in the human department obviously."

Scratch immediately toothily grinned and gave Libby a thumbs up in response before Nancy provided her own introduction.

"Well, I'm…Nancy. I guess you already figured out…what happened…during yesterday…"

The shrunken girl proceeded to sit down and curl up a bit as the winding darkness swirled around her. She couldn't look up to Libby at the time, but she didn't need to as the giant girl answered back.

"Yeah, you sure made quite a splash throughout school…"

Libby instantly perked up after it dawned on her.

"Oh shoot, bad saying! I…I didn't mean it like that! No offense, obviously! You…you know what I mean, right?"

Nancy kept her eyes down while she turned her head.

"Yeah, I…I understand you meant well. You must feel like the luckiest person in existence right now…to know that you never suffered…suffered…"

A couple of tears fell down Nancy's face as the reminders pounded her into paste. She couldn't afford to look up as the memories flooded back to her, especially since she wouldn't be standing with anyone else for what seemed like a VERY long time. Height never became a luxury to her until she found herself with the bugs, and since then she wanted herself at normal size more than anything. Libby never got to see her initial reactions after all, and even if she could she probably wouldn't want to.

"Wow, I never imagined to come across someone with a similar mindset before."

Her words pierced her sorrow and forced her to halt the sobbing. Her expectations took a hard right yet again, as encouraging words of support became the most probable outcome in her mind. If Molly stood on the receiving end she possibly would had done so, but Libby threw a curve ball in her direction that hit her on the side of the head. In some ways she wanted to stay put just so she wouldn't hear what Libby wanted to say next, but because the girl held her she only saw one solution at the end of the tunnel. Molly's friend definitely thoughts things differently, and yet it made her out as the perfect companion, like what Nancy heard earlier.

Her sad face finally tilted upward to see Libby with a small smile while she tried to keep her hand straight for her.

"I mean, in all of my time here in Brighton, I've never seen a somewhat similar image out of everyone else here. You remind me of all the times I remained timid and out of the spotlight, from parties to gatherings, and to see such reactions with my own eyes…it really hurts. If I knew you existed sooner I most likely would have gravitated to you in an instant, but, well… Better late than never, I suppose!"

It nearly stunned her as she heard Libby's voice. She may have gotten a few hints from her appearance alone, but to hear the confirmation straight from the horse's mouth sealed the deal. In some ways she probably would have gone over to her if she knew sooner about their similar traits, although since she looked a bit older they most likely never had a chance during school with the different grades and everything. While Katrina probably never had a chance to become friends with her, unless she enjoyed the dark and gritty in the first place, between only the two of them they could easily relate. If Molly always desired to remain as the shining light of Brighton, Libby stayed the calming period between activities that kept her in check.

She watched as Libby temporarily turned her attention to Molly.

"Seriously Molly, how could you NOT introduce her to me sooner? I'm basically staring at a mirror with her, and miracles like this only happen once in a lifetime!"

"I only just met her yesterday, Libby. How was I supposed to know that you would connect with her almost instantly? I'm practically her overjoyed guardian at this stage!"

"Well, you've known her longer than Nancy, soooo… Maybe you should have known better?" Scratch said shortly after.

Libby lightly sighed behind her lips.

"Yeah, you probably made the right call for her safety…even with that spider scenario."

Molly quickly shot a certain glance at Scratch which widened his eyes for a second before he settled down. To get things back on track, Libby brought her attention back to Nancy who actually spoke up first.

"I…I could say the same for you…I guess. Of course, I don't exactly know you too much…"

"I'm sure we can rectify that as the days go on." Libby replied. "I do find it nice that you already have a friend to back you up, even if she may think things in a rather…dark manner, and even help with research over a possible reversal. Well…I guess you can also count me in for the same deal."

Molly and Scratch both lit up once they heard the girl's response.

"You…you actually want to help out…with the midget?" Scratch wondered out loud. "Out of everyone in the vicinity of this town…I had you as one of the LAST to assist with this stupid dilemma."

"Scratch, you know she changed a bit since we first met. Power of friendship, baby!" Molly exclaimed before she struck a valiant pose. Libby giggled at such a display which caused Nancy to also do so under her breath, but Scratch never got the memo and only rolled his eyes.

"It's…it's so nice to hear that. Uhhhh, thanks." Nancy replied with a few stutters in between. "Not to act rude or anything…but what exactly will you do to possibly…undo this burden?"

Both Molly and Libby blatantly grinned in unison.

"Nancy…you just so happened to encounter one of Brighton's greatest researchers and detectives. If she can get a scoop on something, well, she GETS IT."

"You're only combing the surface with that statement, Molly." Libby replied before she got to Nancy. "I'm not known as the 'Bloodhound of Truth' for nothing, after all. While your current status may paint an enigma over this whole scenario, I know a couple of places to possibly obtain more information about your weird happenings, and I always read over all of it with a fine tune comb. I know you have your one friend with her expertise in all of the…gritty and vile stuff, but I'm certain she doesn't always read between the lines and understand the greatest of places to look. Ummm, if I may ask, what's her name again?"

"Katrina." Nancy answered.

"Oh, right! Katrina! I'll have to jot that down for later." Libby stated before she finished up. "Anyways, to make a long story short, I can nail down details where others wouldn't dare to look. I may not appear to have the part, but I'm sure Molly can vouch for me on this. You won't get any better person to investigate and read through all of the footnotes and asterisks in dozens of logs than me. I'm not one to brag, but I'm just stating the facts here."

Nancy would have felt more astonishment under her eyes if she had no idea what Libby's good qualities were, but since she explained in full Nancy remained a bit more content than usual. Molly's giant friend appeared to even share a bit more interest in the tiny girl, and after she learned of their similar personalities it came as no surprise. Molly and Scratch already trusted her to an extent, and even though she still didn't completely trust her Libby expressed all of the sincerity in the world. She didn't even have the large upbeat and happy attitude that Molly desired to always keep plastered across her face, and yet Nancy saw the message across her friend's face much clearer. For once, she actually wanted someone to join Molly's small rescue group to possibly undo the punishment placed on her, and Libby would end up as the first one picked in her eyes.

Because of her obvious and blatant choice, Nancy actually didn't hesitate to answer.

"Well…even though I want to keep numbers to a minimal…I can't ignore someone like you. If you really want to help me…go for it."

Molly's pupils instantly expanded as she put her hands on her cheeks and lightly squealed before anyone else could react.

"WELCOME TO THE MISSION SQUAD, BESTIE!"

In a move taken entirely by her emotions, which for her became an everyday occurrence, Molly immediately zipped over to her best friend and gave her one of her standard bone crushing hugs she provided on a daily basis. Libby and Nancy never saw it coming until they found themselves in the hold of the young tween, although Nancy possibly got the worst of it. Because Libby still held her at the time, she suddenly found herself in a tangle of skin and fingers right between the two huge girls. It almost seemed like a clash between two almighty deities for the fate of the universe from where she ended up, and she could barely see to begin with when it happened. She had no idea how long it would last, but Molly better let off quick before her lungs deflated and her body became a Molly and Libby pancake.

Scratch became the last one to possibly interrupt such an interaction.

"Easy there Mol! You still have that auteester kid to look out for after all!"

His words seemed to have jarred Molly out of her overexposed happiness, as the pressure around Nancy began to alleviate a bit until the light shined over her again. She gasped for air while she glanced around to figure out where she ended up, and it surprised her to see that Libby still kept her grasp on her. She never left her hand in the first place, even if her spine nearly broke in the process. Molly's big sympathetic eyes backed off from the two as the reality of the situation seemed to settle in, even if it appeared rather innocent on the outside. Even though Molly desired such joy and happiness out of others, she still had many downsides that held her back from perfection.

"Err, sorry about that. Almost forgot about what the group stood for in the first place, heheheh." Molly tepidly said with some lukewarm chuckles at the end.

"Oh, I'm not offended. I know how you love to act." Libby said before she changed the topic. "Soooooo, what did you say about some squad?"

"You're not missing out on much." Scratch answered in a rather disappointed manner. "Molly came up with a name on the spot for the group of friends to solve the crisis with the midget there. One hundred percent pointless, and yet she won't shut up about it."

"I'd like to see you come up with something better." Molly replied while she crossed her arms and frowned lightly.

"I did, and yet you rejected it in an instant."

"Okay, okay, I get it. You don't need to go on any further there, heheheh." Libby said as she slightly giggled. She then switched gears one final time for everyone else.

"By the way, what did you call Nancy back there, Scratch?"

"What do you mean by that? I didn't-"

It didn't occur to him until a few seconds later after he snapped his fingers a few times.

"Oh, that slight name! Well, apparently it has to do with some kind of…trait, I guess? Oh well, I don't see it as that important anyway."

"Her autism, Scratch. You keep getting the name wrong, after all." Molly replied.

Scratch snorted a little and crossed his arms.

"Not like I hear that word often to remember…" Scratch muttered.

"Umm, her what, exactly?" Libby asked while she tilted her head. "Her botism?"

From stubborn to interested, Scratch immediately perked up more than usual and opened his eyes wide.

"SEE?! Even she doesn't get the name right! So I'm NOT the only one!"

Molly distinctly frowned in his direction before she turned her attention back to Libby.

"No, her autism, Libby. I don't understand much about it right now, but on the surface level-"

Before Molly could explain further, a distinct car horn rang through everyone's ears, to which Libby understood too well. After all of the speak from the situation with Nancy to lectures about similar interests, it came as no surprise to hear an impatient parent reach their limit. Even though one reasonable guess would be one of Molly's parents, Libby reaction told them otherwise. Molly had to cut the explanation short as one of the group had their parents on hold.

She frowned slightly at the noise before she glanced back and Nancy, and then Molly and Scratch.

"Shoot! Guess I miscalculated the time scale and held up my parents! Sorry, but I can't leave them waiting any further. I pretty much heard the gist of everything, right?"

"Pretty much." Scratch answered. "Nothing other than that stupid tiny kid and the group dedicated to solving her case."

"Scratch!" Molly stated with a pinch of anger in her tone. She immediately turned to Libby after.

"Well, I explained everything important for the most part. I still have a bit more, but I went through all of the major bullet points."

"Phew, that's good." Libby answered. "I'll hear the rest when we get together again, okay?"

"You got it, Libster!" Molly stated with a wide smile and thumbs up.

As quick as a flash, both girls held their hands out before Libby dumped the tiny girl in Nancy over to the one that desired to keep her eye on her. With Nancy now in Molly's grasp, Libby waved goodbye to her best friend before she ran off to the car in the distance. Once she made it inside, the automobile drove off like pumps of gas just went on sale. As all of it ended, one thing became certain. Nancy now had one extra person that joined in on her whole dilemma.

After all of the explanations thrown around, Molly glanced down at Nancy and slowly moved her hand over to her open pocket, which Nancy understood instantly and knew what came next. She slowly inched her way over to Molly's fingertips before she carefully plopped inside and made herself snug. Molly smiled before she finally made way out of the bushes and back to the town before her. Scratch followed close by, to which nobody but Molly and Nancy could see him anyway, even if he didn't fully agree to the facts laid before him.

The two progressed along the sidewalk on their way back home while Molly went off about the event that occurred.

"Well, the first day on Nancy watching duty went…pretty well, don't cha think? Who knew just one tiny girl would open a world of possibilities?! I can't wait to see was else develops before our eyes, like…a monster with crabs for hands! Oh, oh, or maybe a journey into the depths of a long lost relic! Eeeeeeeee, I can't handle the anticipation! SCRATCH, PINCH ME SO I KNOW THAT I'M NOT DREAMING!"

"You really want to rush into the big scenarios immediately?" Scratch asked. "Yeah, I'm going to have to advise against that. Losing a limb sounds all fine and dandy until you experience it for yourself, and I know PLENTY of ghosts that would rather take it slow and steady."

"Awwww, come on Scratch! You got to let loose at times and just…take everything in for yourself!" Molly replied. "Hey, Nancy, you agree with-"

Molly quickly glanced down at the tiny girl in her pocket, only to see a familiar motion she wanted to keep out of her head. The mere sight of it hit her spirit in a manner she desired to push to the side and forget about, but Nancy made sure it always showed up as long as her misfortunes continued. Such a carefree and expressive personality lent itself to joyous occasions and amazing outcomes to the girl that wielded such feelings on a daily basis, and for the most part it shielded her from parts of reality that went against it. However, by virtue of her responsibility upon which she stated to watch over the inhibited girl, at her discretion between the three of them, the casing around such a personality cracked to a new world of events that even she might have wanted to stay out of. Such conclusions painted unknowns for such a girl, even if she went against everything she lived for, and such sorrows of a diminished form of torture only lead her into the blank void to figure out for herself.

"Umm, Nancy? You feel okay?"

She watched as Nancy deeply sighed and rubbed her forehead a few times. Her voice quivered for a second while she kept her eyes off of Molly.

"…you really think of this as nothing but an inconsequential issue, don't you?"

Molly didn't understand at first.

"Uhhh, what? I don't quite understand."

Both Molly and Scratch witnessed the tiny girl shake her head.

"Do you consider my issue as a serious problem or not?"

She didn't have it in her to lash out, especially after everything that happened at school, and she fixated her gaze down away from the one that kept her and spectral friend that accompanied her. While she never broke down in front of them like yesterday, she dripped in gloominess away from them.

"Oh, that! Well, of course I do!" Molly replied as she got the message. "I took you in, rescued you from a spider, and introduced you to my own best friend! I can't wait to experience more and see what might happen as long as we stick together! I'll figure things out in no time!"

Nancy shook her head again.

"It sure doesn't sound like it."

She never brandished any weapons of any sort, but her words inflicted enough to stun both Molly and Scratch in slight surprise. Her refusal to look Molly in the eye also helped sell the point she intended to put forth to the table, and yet she never displayed her immense sorrows in her voice. The other two never expected such words to subtly get uttered by the one stricken by a punishment she never deserved, even if she never played out as one that wanted everyone's head on a platter. She still had plenty she refused to share with such a huge girl, and she wanted them to remain locked tight for the foreseeable future.

Her blatant remark forcibly shut their mouths, but she didn't end there.

"The moment I found myself stuck in your own personal world, I've always seen you as the most positive and happy person on the face of the planet. As much as I wish I could have that same attitude…I can't help but doubt your devotion to the severity behind what I went through. You just walk around with that joyous smile of yours…as if everything currently doesn't warrant your dedication. Am I just…inconsequential to what you state? It sure sounds like I'm nothing…and you think I'm just a simple equation that requires minimal effort. I…I don't want to be some kind of joke, Molly…"

She sniffed a couple of times but never shed any tears. Her words possibly left no impact against the girl and at that point she wouldn't care if she guessed correctly. Molly's personality alone helped masquerade any potential flaws that covered her weak spots, and such vibes left as less relatable than what Nancy saw in her. Any other potential relations never saw the light of day in Nancy's eyes, which left her guessing as to whether Molly wanted to help her or leave her as a speck for the rest of her life. The gates to misfortune always had their gates open for shrunken girls after all, and Nancy's terrible status couldn't have enough of it.

The group remained silent for a little while, but then Scratch broke the ice.

"Whoa, she really brought out the obvious for you, didn't she? I mean, she kind of accurately described you in as few sentences as possible-"

"Not now, Scratch." Molly interjected while she put her index finger in front of him.

The ghost stayed flabbergasted for a moment while Molly glanced down at the worried Nancy. Her mouth remained straight even if the tiny girl in her pocket couldn't see it, as she seemed to take the news rather hard. It left her thinking for a moment as she never saw such a strike from a mile away, but by that point she already took the hit. Nancy threw a defused bomb in her direction, and even though it refused to explode, the impact left a dent across Molly's titan height and body.

"I guess I'm not the only one then."

Now Nancy stood at the receiving end of the astonishment wagon. Her back stood stiff while she slowly turned back around and finally looked up to Molly's gargantuan eyes. She still saw them in the most endearing way possible, which Molly appreciated, but the mood already got set and nothing could change it at the moment. Even Scratch seemed to take the news a bit hard as his eyes widened slightly and his body shuddered. The others took the news rather well, but if Nancy launched a bomb, Molly returned the favor with a guided missile.

Her expression still remained pretty flat for the most part, but Nancy slowly began to witness a grin appear while Molly spoke again.

"Here, let me show you something."

Nancy and Scratch watched as Molly carefully took her backpack off and set it on the ground for a second. The shrunken girl got taken for a slight detour when the giant one leaned down and unzipped it before she started to rummage through all of the various objects inside. It brought stark reminders to Nancy from the time when she took an accidental trip inside the sack that brought her into Molly's life in the first place, but unlike then she had her eyes on the inside the whole time. She likely learned her lesson with Nancy and looked through things thoroughly so she wouldn't come across another shrunken girl, even though she probably wanted to. Whatever the case, something clearly stood in her mind that she needed to fish out for her tiny companion.

"Ah, here we go! I knew I kept it in here somewhere!"

Molly's signature grin showed up again as the tween brought out the particular object she wanted. At first it seemed like nothing too spectacular. Nothing but a small notepad with colored dots of various palettes on the cover like a stained glass window set into Molly's grasp, although she did see a couple of scribbles across a few of them that Nancy and Scratch couldn't fully figure out at the time. As various pages of clean paper set in stacks between four clear rings at the top, one could easily makes assorted notes inside and have no issues with missing pages unless someone ripped them out. Very few parts seemed like they took some type of damage, but for the most part it appeared that Molly kept it in pristine condition the moment since she got it.

However, they knew what remained hidden inside were the most interesting bits, and after Molly flipped through a couple she eventually came across the part she wanted them to see.

It almost touched Nancy in a fashion she never completely understood before. While she knew about Molly's talent for drawings, just the mere sight of her next work put her heart into staggering beats. She only saw a faint outline, but she captured her figure in such an accurate manner that it almost appeared straight out of a history book. From her long hair, shoes, and limbs she captured the perfect shape of them while it took up the whole page. It felt criminal to even speak up against such talent, and Molly made sure she wouldn't forget. She saw magic between the lines, even without all of the details most artists thrived for, and already she wanted to see more.

Scratch completely missed the magic though.

"Uhhhh, as impressive as that outline is Molly, I don't quite get it. What are you implying here?"

Molly quickly shot a friendly and heartwarming glance at both Scratch and Nancy before she answered.

"Well, you see… After I took it upon myself to solve the crisis with Nancy, I kind of wanted to personally keep track of another aspect between the two of us. While I know that she doesn't have it in her right now…"

Nancy felt like she knew where the topic would head next.

"What…exactly?"

Molly looked down at Nancy in her typical happy personality.

"I wanted to log your relationship and attitude between us."

She blew the lids wide open with the last statement. Her delicate drawing of an outline became a meter to measure Nancy's feelings toward her like some type of therapist or doctor, despite the fact that Molly lacked the professions in both fields. To think that she went to certain lengths to catalog the journey ahead easy proved that she held some dedication throughout the current times, and it made Nancy's heart throb uncontrollably. While she never broke down, the charm behind such a display made certain feelings bang at her door to get out. A certain part of her exoskeleton peeled off, and while a majority still remained everything had to start somewhere.

Molly continued shortly after.

"I know it might seem bleak at first, and while I adore to smile at all times, under all of it I really do understand the seriousness of your situation, Nancy. I may not always have the signs across my face in big bold letters, but deep down I do care about what happened to you. I have other feelings, even though I don't commonly express them, and I'm not as one dimensional as you think. We still have a lot to learn about each other as we stick together, and I think it's a bit too soon to come to conclusions. I mean, we only just started with this whole fiasco after all!"

She tugged at Nancy's heart strings like a violin player. Everything she said ended up as the facts lined up in single file formation, and yet she ignored them the moment she found herself gazing up the massive figure of Molly. From scale alone, she always thought of everyone bigger than her as an invincible titan that shaped the planet, and yet that illusion shattered once she heard the giant girl speak. Her appearance may state one thing, in the end Molly never had it in her as one to shape galaxies. Nancy saw not a deity, but a human just like her.

"Oh, that reminds me…"

Her slight interjection got immediately followed up as she leaned forward toward her backpack again, which took Nancy along for the ride. Like before it didn't last long, and once she pulled out the particular object it stirred Nancy's curiosity a little. While it seemed like an everyday colored yellow pencil, when Molly got down to it she made it apparent what she wanted it for. After a few quick scribbles, right at the bottom of the outline's feet a few streaks of yellow laid dormant to the whole sketch. It took very little brainpower for Nancy to figure out what it meant, even if she probably would have disagreed about it at first.

Of course, Scratch gave his two cents first before she could speak.

"Wow, you must really have wanted to ruin that clear sketch. I know Nancy threw everything for us off balance, but you could have at least tried something that didn't involve ruining the life's work of Picasso."

"I never meant for this to show up in a museum Scratch, despite my artistic choices." Molly replied. "Have you even noticed that Nancy doesn't seem that sad and miserable since this morning?"

As Molly said that, it actually did occur to her that she spoke the truth again. It almost progressed so naturally that she completely missed the certain point about her mood. From the moment she woke up and broke down into a worried heap it became apparent to her that she may never feel like a normal girl again, but now the storms weakened up a little as she gazed at Molly without any tears. While only a couple of clouds departed as the rains continued over her head, she never thought to see a beginning to a possible palette of an arch at the end. She almost couldn't believe such an occurrence happened to someone like her, and yet history lacked the ability to change. If the journey just started with her, than maybe…

Soon after, Scratch floated closer to Nancy for a better look at her, although his large presence made her shudder a bit.

"Now that you say that, I am picking up some slightly different vibes from her. No small pupils, cowering, wobbly legs, incessant screaming, or clammy skin of any sort from what I'm seeing."

"Exactly. I'm easily seeing some progress, even if at a sluggish pace." Molly said before she addressed Nancy. "You do feel a little different, right?"

"Well…maybe just a little." Nancy answered. "I find it nice that…I can look you in the eyes at least…those galaxy sized eyes…laying pressure on me…"

Molly immediately stopped her right there before her mood could dip lower.

"Now, now, I think we get it at this point! No need to wander off, heheheheh…heh."

The tepid smile and shaky tone in Molly's voice told them everything about how she wanted to handle the situation, so despite her lukewarm response it got Nancy to stay quiet for the moment. It did help provide a segue into the next topic she wanted to talk about with Scratch and Nancy though.

"Oh, who and I kidding? I'm not fully prepared yet to watch over someone of her size."

"Wait, what?" Scratch asked in a slightly puzzled manner. "I thought you said it yourself that you wanted to take on this task from the beginning. Am I missing something here?"

While she never dipped too low in the negative spectrum, unlike how Nancy acted, Scratch and Nancy could see the visible discomfort in her eyes as she continued.

"I don't want to admit it, but I have to get this off of my chest before it begins to eat at me from the inside. I…I may have rushed into things a bit too quickly at first when I saw Nancy as a speck on the floor."

Both Nancy and Scratch tilted their heads while Molly rubbed the back of her head and bit her lip for a second.

"You know I always desire such outrageous situations and activities to brighten everyone's day-"

"You mean like the town name?" Scratch interrupted pretty flatly.

"Don't interrupt my explanation Scratch!" Molly replied back before she went over to Nancy. "Anyways, when I saw this new opportunity before me, I just… Oh, I can't go on like this anymore! To make a long story short, I don't know how to fully handle watching over Nancy!"

While on the surface level it became reasonable to react in shock, for Nancy she had mixed feelings on the matter. On one hand, Molly obviously put herself into the problem without reminding herself of potential consequences that might come with the responsibilities bestowed to her. Her personality lent itself to slight carelessness after all, even if her other sides sat on the bench on hold until their turn. On the other hand though, she cared enough to take it upon herself to look out for her at every opportunity, even if her age indicated otherwise with responsibilities. She even convinced the undead to become her absolute best friend, and a feat like that doesn't come with just any ordinary girl. It seemed like a long shot at first, but both sides of the spectrum evened out and relied on Nancy to conclude on an answer for herself.

Scratch took the news like it never hit him hard.

"Gee, what else have you got to say? I bet you want to talk about how you became friends with a ghost next?"

His blatant sarcasm didn't sit well with Molly.

"I'm serious, Scratch! I want to help her in every way I can, but…I don't know how to. I couldn't reject a problem of her magnitude, and now…I'm unsure how to perform my duties."

"Maybe you should learn to THINK before you ACT." Scratch answered. "I can't make it any more apparent than that. Of course, you're not one to follow those type of standards from what I've seen."

"I've taken that to heart since I realized my initial mistake." Molly said. "In some ways I'm unsure if my overall personality can even reach Nancy. I may not understand the whole concept yet, but I'll learn as things move on. Speaking of which…"

Both Scratch and Nancy watched as Molly reached for her pencil once more and flipped through more pages of her notebook. She took a few deep breaths before she put the graphite to use and concentrated. As the lines progressed under her watchful eyes, it soon became obvious about what she wanted to draw out, and her focus became well warranted at that point. From vivid fingers to a round head, her skills in the field remained above average from what the witnesses saw before them. While she still outlined some erroneous waves and loose sticks, for the most part she got most of the general shape on her first try. She could pass off as a junior artist if she put her mind to it, even though Scratch and Nancy didn't know if she wanted to pursue that certain field.

She had drawn a decent chunk of the figure until around the halfway mark. Right before she could progress to the other side everyone heard a loud snap as a certain piece of the pencil flew off.

"Shoot! I knew I should have sharpened this when I had the chance!"

Molly's slight disappointment lingered for a few seconds before she got back to both Scratch and Nancy.

"Oh well, I'll finish it when we get back home. Since I made Nancy her own happiness meter…why not have one for me as well? I mean, I have much to learn about this job and it helps connect us together! We can only go up from here, and we still have plenty of time to raise the bars into ETERNAL FRIENDSHIP! WE'LL BECOME ONE GREAT HAPPY GROUP JUST LIKE IN THE MOVIES!"

"A load of nonsense in every way, unfortunately…" Scratch muttered while he crossed his arms and glanced to the side.

As for Nancy, something in her felt warm inside as Molly revealed her next few intentions. She didn't know what caused such a happening or the meaning behind it, but her mind let it sit. It provided such a glorious feeling that she wanted it to continue and never let up. Perhaps Molly's eager and heartwarming smile shed some light over the darkness that she never saw coming or something else entirely. Even then, she kept it close and gripped it like a teddy bear she held since childhood.

"Hey, I think I'm seeing a light smile across your face!"

Her mind wandered off so much into her own agendas that she never noticed Molly with her eyes on her until she heard her booming voice. It jarred the shrunken girl out of her trance and back to the world around her, and once her brain booted back up she realized what had happened and had no choice but to answer the giant girl that kept her.

"Oh, well…I guess something about what you said brought a bit out of me. I…I never thought I would feel this again since, well, that incident… Do you think…do you think we can truly pull this off…Molly?"

"From the progress I'm seeing with you, I'm sure we can figure it out and understand each other on the way." Molly answered with her typical and trademark smile.

The two girls then lightly nodded to each other before Molly put her notepad and pencil back into her bag. Nancy made herself cozy in Molly's pocket as the bigger girl proceeded down the concrete in a happy way. She didn't get far until Scratch suddenly spoke up in his standard flat tone.

"I can see the glint in your eyes Mol. You can let all of that excitement out now before you explode."

Nancy had no idea what the ghost lead on about until it occurred a few seconds later. Before she even knew it, she suddenly saw the young tween burst with emotions and joyous vibes as her smile nearly reached her ears.

"OH MY GOSH, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! SCHOOL BECAME SUCH A BLAST BACK THERE! I NEVER EXPECTED ANY OF THAT! NEW PEOPLE, NEW SCENARIOS, NEW…PURE EXCITEMENT! SO MUCH OF IT NEARLY BROKE ME AND I COULDN'T WISH FOR ANY MORE! NANCY COMPLETELY FLIPPED THE TABLES AND TURNED THIS TOWN UPSIDE DOWN THE MOMENT I SAW HER! EEEEEEEEEEEE! SHE STARTED A NEW SECTION OF OUR GALVANIZING FRIENDSHIP TOGETHER! I CAN'T WAIT TO EXPERIENCE WHAT NEW SITUATIONS AWAITS US IN THE FUTURE! MAYBE A TREK TO FIND SOME LOST TREASURE, A PROBLEM WITH A SCIENCE EXPERIMENT THAT GOES WRONG, OR EVEN… EEEEEEEEE! I CAN'T PINPOINT ANY PERFECT EXAMPLE! WHO KNOWS WHAT NEW EPISODES WILL OCCUR BECAUSE OF ALL OF THESE CRAZY POSSIBILITIES! I CAN'T WAIT, I CAN'T WAIT, I CAN'T WAIT-"

"Okay, okay Molly! I think we got the message!" Scratch added as she went on and on while Nancy watched with a small lighthearted smile. "You don't need to reiterate everything we saw and learned back-"

As Molly rambled endlessly as her positivity burst through the roof, right out of the corner of his eye Scratch barely noticed a familiar sticker right across the front of her backpack. He silently frowned once he saw it and knew what had to be done, so as Molly continued while Nancy watched, Scratch floated near the back and tried to pry the emblem right off. Her movements only made the situation harder, and Molly basically lost herself in her own world of happiness and joy at that point as all of them continued back home. They knew they only experienced a snippet of what to come after their encounter with the shrunken one, and for Molly…she wanted front row seats to all of it.

"Ugh, I should really watch what I claim more often!" Scratch thought before he almost peeled the sticker off…only to rip himself in half instead.

The Ghost and Molly McGee!