Chapter 7
"Well
what are you waiting for." Stretch came in front of Stella's
face, still woozy from his drinking.
" Oh my God, have you
been drinking" Stella asked the lean ghost who was now
swaying.
" Yea? Well what if I dids" Stretch quipped
back.
" Oh...honey...you need to lay down. " Stella
grabbed Stretch big hand and pulled him down on the bed"
Sweetie, you just lay there and I will go make coffee. Wait! Hold up!
How can a GHOST get drunk"
Stinkie looked at his older brother. Stretch really did look bad this time. Depressed almost. Stinkie sighed and looked back at the beauty that was standing over his buzzed brother.
"
We just got talent I guess" Stinkie smirked over at Stella.
Stella rolled her eyes and puts her hand up to her mouth to keep
the fit of giggles from escaping from beyond her red lips. "
Casper, do you want to help me with the coffee"
"
Sure. " and with that the younger ghost and the new house guest
went off back to the kitchen.
"
Um..you ok" Stinkie asked his older brother.
" Nope.
" came Stretch's only reply.
" Oh "
"
Well, good you look like hell" came Fatso booming voice as he
floated through floor.
" Thanks boys. Did I ever tell you
two I hated ya" Stretch said through the covers that he had
let fall over his ' body '.
" Oh yea, all the time, but we
know you don't mean it" Stinkie said matter factly.
Stretch sighed, knowing that was only a half truth at the moment, but was too exhausted for any sort of come-back that would match up to his expected quality.
"So, the dame…tell me bout' her…is she trouble, boys?"
"Well, if trouble has hips like…"
"Stinkie! That's NOT the answer I was looking for…my head hurts faaar too much to hear your endless yammering about her figure right now," Stretch dragged on, "so just tell me what happened while I was out."
"Well, not much…I mean, there was a struggle in the kitchen officer…over a delicious pastry that was MINE…and then we had a short incident in the bathroom…but, umm…no much."
"The BROAD! THE BROAD! I want to know about the girl you lamebrains…jesus, what do I have to do to get some help around here?"
Stretch was becoming exasperated…
"Okay okay…well, honestly we don'ts know too much bouts her, Stretch. We just know she's a runaway bride, and that's she seems to know a little sumin' about us…and she's knows Casper's little friend…what's her name?" Stinkie explained
"Kat?" Stretch asked
"Yeah, yeah…her…but yeah bro, that's about all we know…a real mystery eh?" Stinkie sighed
"Well, I don't see why we need a dame in Whipstaff anyways. Boys, we're fine the way we are…" Stretch moaned, rubbing the spot where his temples would normally be.
"Well, without this dame, you wouldn't have your coffee, so sit back, shut up and drink up!", Stella marched in with her head cocked to the side and a wry smile spread across her face.
Though his instincts offered him several good comebacks, he held back to save his head for the time being…and with her skills, it could be a long battle of words.
"Stretch how much did you drink? You look pale as a…. umm…wait…" Stella paused as all 4 of them burst into laughter…
"Haha, you four are so funny…now shut the hell up," Stretch yelled, "it's time to go to bed around here, geez."
Stella walked over to Stretch coolly and gave him a smart smack across the face, chiding him, "Mm mm mm…don't say such naughty things…there are innocent ears present!" She said lowly and with a wry smile on her face while simultaneously putting her hands over where Casper's ears would have been.
"What? The kid's got…" Stretch started into a heavy rant, but before he could finish Stella turned around to face the other ghosts.
"Now, since your wonderful older brother is home and there is no need to worry about his cute little butt anymore," Stella said over snickering from the two ghosts and grumblings from Stretch, "we can start with the real fun…THE SLEEPOVER! So boys, where do I sleep?"
"OOOH! ME ME ME! Pick me!" Fatso jumped in and said hopping up and down.
"NO! Wait, me me me! Fatso snores and the bed vibrates and…sleep with MEEEE!" Stinkie jumped in
"Oh yeah, well you should SMELL his sheets! And I won't snore, just for you…since, ya know…you're a girl and all." Fatso came back.
All the while Stella was falling over herself in laughter as the ghosts did their best begging and pleading. After recovering Stella says conclusively, "I know…why don't I use BOTH beds!" She went over and pushed Fatso's bed over to Stinkie's.
"Wait a second, WAIT A SECOND! No, you ain't sleepin' in here. Not while I'm around you ain't. Now, I'm gonna get some sleep and when I wake up, I had better not see you sleepin' in the same room as me. Got that!"
Stretch was obviously not too happy.
"Well, sure! You couldn't have made it plainer Stretchy baby. Now, you go rest your sweet little head and wake up tomorrow feeling refreshed and headache free!" Stella said in her soft and smooth voice, with only a hint of her sarcasm showing through, but with honest caring and sympathy.
So, with a roll of his eyes because of Stella's cutsie nicknames for him and his brothers Stretch wondered over to his side of the room. And Stella huddled the other three ghosts over to the opposite side to have a late night chat.
"So, tell me…how did you guys…ya know. How did you..umm…stay here? Or well, how did you die? All of you?" Stella asked inquisitively.
"I'll take this one," Stinkie said slowly and mysteriously, "It was a long time ago in a galaxy far far away. Circa 1940…we three brothers, living the high life, strutting our stuff around the town. Yeah, life was good then. But, see, well…we got into a little business with the um...would you call it the mafia? Well anyways …and see…well, it didn't work out…"
"No, go on, I want to hear!" she whispered, trying to rush the ghost to get to the guts of the story.
"Well, Stretch was doin' some stuff for these people. And see, me and Fatso here…we started coming and meeting this nice Italian family with Stretch. It was a good while before he told us dat' they was more than a nice Italian family…ya know, that they was ruthless killers!" Stinkie kept going, "So, some stuff happened and well…the family stopped bein' so friendly all the time sees. I mean the old woman wouldn't make that great spaghetti and garlic bread for us for free anymore…she'd want us to go and buy it at the restaurant the family owned. And so…one day Fatso and me went down to get some spaghetti and they took us in the back…where they make the stuff. And before I knowed what was goin' on, I looked over and saw Fatso dragged off into the corner, then when I turned back I saw a fist coming at me and I fell back inta' dis' huge vat fulla garlic sauce. And so…I guess some things stay in the afterlife…heh."
"And what about Stretch, how did he go?" she said with a little hesistation.
"Well, really we don't knows…we just guess that he was got by the mafia, same as us." Fatso said.
Stella looked like she was thinking hard and then said, "Well, how did you stay? I mean, Kat use to tell me in college all about ghost and she said that for someone to stay in the afterlife, that must have unfinished business…"
Fatso and Stinkie looked at each other with a slight look of worry then smiled simultaneously.
"Well, I can only speak for myself…but I stayed to see if Brittany and Christina ever finally killed each other…that was my greatest wonder in life…" Stinkie said casually.
"And for me…well, see…you know…that poor rabbit. I wanted to see if that poor rabbit ever got the trix. Cause I mean, that poor rabbit! The kids just keep the cereal and say it over and over: Trix are for kids, trix are for kids! But why do they have to be! He can walk…he can talk. And he wants those trix more than life itself. And those kids…oh, they just keep it and they don't even EAT IT!" Fatso, nearly in tears of passion now, continued rambling a little more about cereal, rabbits, and evil children…
" Shhhh " Stinkie and Casper said as they looked over Stretch who was now spread eagle on his bed snoring a little.
" Awww how cute." Stella said as she followed the three spirts gazes. " So the mafia huh? Thats cool. What a way to go"
" Yea, I guess so. So anyways thats our story, sugar pie. " Stinkie said sleeply.
Fatso tried to hide a yawn through his big hands as he leaned in towards Stella and whispered " If you wanna know more I will be right down the hall. " he gave a wink and then turned to leave.
" Fatso you idiot, if she is coming to anybody its me"
" Boys, Boys...go get some sleep. I will come to both of you in the morning, if your older brother doesn't wake up and brutly murder me for being in his room. " She began to giggle " My God! the mafia, ghost and trix all in one day. Hehe I love it." She began to giggle again.
And soon all of them were laughing. It wasn't until Stretch mumbled something,that they all settled downed and began to leave the young woman.
" Well, don't worry dollface. You will be ok. " Stinkie said with a butchtoothed grin, using her own method of nicknames.
" See ya in the mornin' suger. " Fatso boomed catching on to the name game.
" See ya fellas. " Stella yawned as she watched the ghost go.
So Fatso and Stinkie headed off to bed. As Stella began to look around the room she noticed Casper sneaking over toward Stretch, looking him over throughly. With a sigh the small ghost turned to leave.
"Wait…" she whispered loudly.
Casper paused and turned around to face her.
"Kiddo, you've been quiet all night. So, now it's your turn. You've got to talk to me. So sit down…let's chat for a little while…", she said in her hushed whisper.
"About what?", Casper said shyly.
Stella leaned in close to him, so he could feel her breath on the left side of his face, and said breathily, "About everything…" She said as she slyly looked at his sleeping uncle.
