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They were playing the Buttercup theme, 'I'm a Super Girl'. Well, if I was going to save anything, I would have to do something super, and fast. Mojo wasn't going to wait forever to spoil the party. I couldn't see anything except my feet when I looked straight down. I moved over to my right until I saw Lindsey's feet. I could hear my helper telling me to stop and felt her pulling me back to the left, but I yelled to her that it was OK, I had an idea to stop Mojo. I told Lindsey we were going to play 'Monkey in the Middle' and I was going to switch places with Mojo, and that whatever she did, to make sure that Mojo didn't try to get past her. I think my helper heard me, because after that she just took me right over to the other side of the stage. I was hoping she told the other two teenagers what was going on.
I got closer to Mojo. He was yelling, but I don't think anybody in the crowd heard him because of the music and the cheering.
"Curses! This accursed head will not come off, therefore I can't remove it!"
"You don't want to take it off, Mojo." I said.
"Which one of you stupid brats said that? When I get this off, I will-"
I know it's rude to interrupt somebody when they're talking, but I thought it would be OK just this once. "It's me, Bubbles. No, Mojo, you'll be making a big mistake if you do!"
"Oh yeah? And what makes you think that I would listen to an ersatz Powerpuff Girl Bubbles?"
I didn't know what that meant. (I do now. My Mom had to help me spell it. She helped me with this story a lot.) But it sounded like something mean and I got even madder than I already was.
"Because, Mojo, there's something worse than the real Powerpuff Girls waiting for you if you do!"
"Oh, dear, I am shaking in my boots, which might actually be possible were I really afraid of you, and if they were not also stuck in this accursed costume! What could possibly make me tremble in fear of you, besides nothing?"
"Because, Mister Mean Monkey, there's hundreds of girls out there just waiting for you. Hundreds of them! They're weak, helpless, and scared normal little girls. Useless, normal little girls who can't do anything, because they are normal!"
I remembered exactly everything he said that night he wrecked my friends' sleepover. How could I forget? I was hoping he would remember it, too.
"Muahahahahaa!! Indeed they are! But wait! Why do those words sound so familiar?"
"Because I know who you are...Mojecia!"
"What? No!"
"Yeah, and guess what else, monkey man? Right behind us in the mall is a store called 'The Slumber Center', and I bet it's just full of nice, fat pillows! So, go ahead, take it off!" I took a few steps toward him.
"No! Please, anything but that!"
I couldn't tell for sure what happened next, but it sounded like he went toward Lindsey and she pushed him back toward me. Then, I guess our helpers 'helped' him, because he yelled, "Help, get me out of here!"Then I heard Lindsey's dad say into the microphone, "Whoa, it looks like Blossom went to answer the hotline!"
It sounded like Mojo went offstage back into the dressing room. The helpers told us to keep dancing around to the music and waving, so we did, but we couldn't tell what was going on back there. 'Pray for the Girls' was coming out of the speakers and it made me laugh. It was always the bad guys who needed the help.
The next thing I knew, there was a loud yell by a bunch of people in the audience. "Mojo! It's Mojo Jojo!" Then, there was a really loud cheer. It was Ashley inside the Blossom costume! She was on stage with us! Somehow, they got it off of Mojo. I found out later that he ran screaming out of the tent, away from the food court and into the mall. But not before Ashley gave him a couple more kicks!
It was great! Everybody came to see the 'Powerpuff Girls', but I bet none of them dreamed they'd see what they did. The day was saved!
Lindsey's dad never missed a beat. "Whoa! Was that Mojo Jojo that just ran out of here? Way to go, Blossom!" he said into the microphone, and the place went nuts! We danced onstage to the music and waved to people we couldn't see. They let kids come up on the stage to pose with us for pictures, too. I was starting to get hot inside the costume.
Then, Lindsey's dad said, "With all that excitement, I bet the girls are hungry! They're going to take a short lunch break, folks. Be back here at one for the next show!"
Our helpers got us back into the dressing room and we got out of our costumes. I couldn't believe it! Sitting on a chair were Mojo's boots, his ray gun and that thing he wears on his head! He must have looked funny running away with his brain sticking out! Me and Lindsey right away asked Ashley what happened and everybody was talking at once. Their dads hugged them, because they must have been scared, too, what with Mojo being right there and them not being able to do anything.
But Lindsey pulled away and said, "Aw, Dad, I wasn't afraid, after Ashley kicked Mojo and Susie told me she had a plan to stop him!"
They all looked at me, but right then our lunch got delivered. While we had pizza and sodas and fresh fruit and cookies and ice cream, I told them about what happened at the slumber party. They all thought it was really funny, especially the radio station lady. She couldn't stop laughing!
Then, Lindsey told us that when Mojo came over to her, she said, "Don't mess with me, Mojo, or I'll kick your butt!"
Me and Lindsey (and her dad and our helpers, too, because they were out with us), found out that Mojo fell down the steps trying to get off the stage. Ashley's dad had to pull real hard to get the boots out of the costume, and the helmet, too, so Ashley could hurry up and get in it. That's when Ashley kicked Mojo again, just before he ran out. He didn't care that he was leaving his stuff behind, he just wanted to get out of there!
"Hey," I said to Ashley and Lindsey. "Did anyone tell you guys if you'd get to meet the girls?"
"Yeah!" Ashley said. "We're going over to the mall office after the show!"
"Cool! Maybe they'll autograph those boots for you for souvenirs!"
I was wondering just what the Girls were thinking when they saw Mojo; if they knew it was really him or if they thought it was just part of the show. I found out. The old lady came in through the flap again!
Mojo whipped off the disguise and held up one hand. Funny, he had a new helmet and boots, but no laser this time. He was looking right at Ashley. "No, please, do not kick me!"
Lindsey grabbed the laser off the chair and pointed it at him. "If you came to get your stuff back, you can't have it!"
He waved his hand. "Oh, you can keep them. I get them by the truckload."
Ashley's father looked mad. "Oh, then you're here to aplogize to these kids for frightening them?!"
"What? It is they who should be apologizing to me! But no, I am here because the Powerpuff Girls apprehended me outside of the mall and told me I could either go to jail or come back here and be in the second show."
He paused and pointed at Ashley. "I agreed, very reluctantly...providing that one does not touch me!"
We all laughed, except for Mojo. Ashley and Lindsey decided to trade places for the next show. Mojo sat down and didn't look too happy, and he really looked upset when the lady asked him to have a banana. He went 'Hmmph!', but then said he would have some pizza. Then, it was time to get ready, and Lindsey's dad went back out to get the crowd pumped. I was hoping my dad would get some good pictures. I told the girls about how I counted my steps so I'd know where I was onstage, and Ashley's dad thought that was a great idea. He said he'd put it in the 'package', whatever that meant. I think he meant so that when they do the show in other places, they can do the same thing.
After a few minutes, it was time to go out, and our helpers took us up the steps one by one. I was first, then Lindsey (as Blossom this time) and Ashley. To me, the cheering sounded even louder than before. Maybe it was because I was more used to it, wasn't thinking about the trouble we were in before, and was just paying attention to what I was doing. Now we could just have fun.
We were just waiting for Lindsey's cue to go back and 'take care' of Mojo.
"What's that?" I heard her dad say. "Sounds like the hotline!"
One of the sound guys must have done something in a hurry, because I heard a loud buzzing sound that really did sound like the real hotline! The crowd cheered while me and Ashley waved, waiting for 'Blossom' to do her stuff.
"Oh, look!" Lindsey's dad told the audience. "It's the evil Mojo Jojo, trying to spoil the Girls' big day! But there he goes! Hooray for Blossom!"
They went crazy over that. I knew probably a lot of them saw it the first time, but there were some kids who missed the first show.
Lindsey came back out and got a big 'Hooray!'. Things wouldn't have gone very good without all the help the teenagers gave us. I bet it was fun for them, too. It sounded like everybody was having a good time out there.
We finished up like we did in the morning, with kids coming up to stand with us and get their pictures taken.
All too soon, they were playing the Powerpuff Girls Theme and the show was over. I'll never forget the sounds of the cheering in my ears. While we were getting out of the costumes, we could hear everyone leaving. It was a day those kids who came wouldn't forget right away, and I know I'll never forget it.
We talked some. Mojo was so convincing when he left the second time, because Lindsey smacked him! She said it was because Mojo said Ashley couldn't hit him again, so that's why they decided to switch costumes! Her dad scolded her, saying she shouldn't have after he was nice enough to sign his boots for them. But I don't think he was really mad, because he was laughing with the rest of us.
We said goodbye to the girls that helped us and the lady, and then me and my parents and Ashley, Lindsey and their dads went over to the mall office to meet my friends. On the way, I told my folks what happened and we all laughed some more.
When we got there, I introduced my old friends to the new ones I made that day.
"You guys were awesome!" Buttercup told us.
Bubbles asked, "Weren't you scared when Mojo showed up?"
"Heck no!" we answered at the same time.
Blossom looked at me, all surprised. "Susie, what did you do to him? He was shaking like a leaf when we caught him!"
I told them the story and they cracked up.
Buttercup was holding her stomach, she was laughing so hard. "Aw, man, I wish I could have seen his face when you called him Mojecia!"
"Us, too!" the three of us laughed.
Ashley turned to her father. "Dad, can't you make those things so that the next girls can see out of them?"
"Not without putting holes in them, and they wouldn't look right. But with Susie's idea (he smiled at me), I think everything will go just fine. Girls, I think these shows will be a big hit wherever they are."
They were excited to hear that and wanted to know what my idea was, and Ashley's dad told them.
Blossom asked, "You really think people outside of Townsville will want to go when most of them know it's not really us?"
Lindsey's dad said, "Blossom, how many of those kids out there today do you think believed that was really you up there?"
"I dunno. Not many, probably."
"You're probably right. But they came anyway. That's because they weren't thinking that it wasn't you. Why do you think so many of them were wearing your costumes and holding your dolls?"
"I always wondered about that." Bubbles said.
"Me too." Buttercup added. "Why do they?"
"Because for the little while they're playing, they get to be you. Those kids weren't thinking it was somebody else in those costumes. It was them up there on that stage, them up there on the videos on the TV screen. I bet even some of those grownups out there sometimes wish they could be superheroes."
"Whoa." the girls said.
"Guys?" I said. "I think he's right. I'm luckier than most kids because I get to be your friend, but sometimes I wish I could be you, too. And you know what? For a little while, I was!"
"You sure were!" Buttercup laughed. "All of ya!"
We talked and laughed for a few more minutes and the Girls signed their names on Mojo's boots for Ashley and Lindsey.
Blossom saw the laser and said, "I'd better take this. These things can be dangerous."
Then it was time for everyone to go home. I said goodbye to my new friends and we promised to keep in touch. My old friends I knew I'd be seeing a lot of.
Well, that's my story. I did a lot more than just have fun the day I got to be a Powerpuff Girl. I found out how lucky I am to have the friends I do. I discovered that when you think about doing the right thing and forget about being scared, you can do things you never, ever thought you could. But the most important thing I learned about that day is the power of playing pretend.
Author's notes: This story is based a tiny bit on fact. The pictures, I took in November 2000 at Eastview Mall outside of Rochester, NY. There was a sizable crowd that Saturday morning for the two shows; a much larger crowd than I expected. And the shows were well received, AND very loud! The layout I described as accurately as my memory would allow. The 'Girls' moved about a bit stiffly; I believed it was because they couldn't see a thing. Bubbles was the most animated of the three. The girls inside were, from what I heard, all about nine and connected somehow to the promoters of the show, an FM station and the local Time-Warner cable provider. Besides making up the name for the girl from 'Slumbering With the Enemy', I chose the names of my great-nieces Ashley and Lindsey, who are ten and nine and are, indeed, cousins (and would both not be afraid to give Mojo a few good wallops!).
Gary Curtis
January 2002