fanfic-reader01 - Thanks for the review! And I guess you'll just have to keep reading to find out if there are more Grim/Mandy moments ;D But we're also trying to keep these guys in character! P
Pokemongirl99 - Thanks a lot! Always love a good compliment xD
Remember guys, we are free to criticism, on the actual fan fiction and/or picture. Please help us improve!
Here's the picture for this chapter by Zyalea: deviantart (insert . com)/view/10463346/
Xshay
"Ah! What a well deserved rest." Grim said to himself as he sat up in Mandy's pink bed, stretching his arms over his head. ((It rhymes! P)) Swinging his legs to touch the floor, Grim pulled himself up and smiled, still wearing his black pajamas. His dark pits of eyes blinked wildly as they adjusted to the light flooding in through the window as Grim attempted to read the clock posted on the wall.
"8:32... I guess I slept in a little late... Ah well, I better get headin' towards Billy's," Grim told himself rather reluctantly, clenching his fists as a jet of smoke and fire encircled him, disappearing as soon as it had appeared to reveal Grim dressed in his black robe and equipped with his powerful scythe.
The reaper's eyebrows curled up, expressing his thoughts, Why me? Well, seeing as he was tortured by the two children everyday, he did go through rather moody phases every now and then.
Grim drifted down the stairs towards the front door, luckily avoiding the attention of Mandy's parents.
The rectangular, wicker laundry basket yawned inside Billy's house, the dirty clothes shifting. A snort emitting from the container, the lid lifted as the small hands gripped onto the edges and a head full of orange hair rose from inside. Lips smacked as Billy climbed out of his temporary bed, scratching his left cheek.
"I'm hungry." He declared simply, walking in the direction of the kitchen.
"Hi, Pop!" Billy greeted an older man at the kitchen table reading a newspaper, whom of which held a strong resemblance to the boy.
"Mornin', Son." The black-haired, larger man replied. His nose was the most obvious feature that signified his relation with Billy, being almost if not exactly the same as his. The similar chap's eyes were also beady like that of his offspring.
As Billy rummaged through the fridge, possibly in search for a completely non-nutritious food item, he felt the need to ask about his best friend.
"So, Dad, have you seen Mandy? She slept over last night."
His father replied instantly, as if it was an automatic reflex, with a "Nope," his nose still buried in the morning paper.
"Oh! She must still be sleepin'." Billy said, mostly to himself, backing away from the refrigerator holding a few cheese sticks, a gallon of milk, two sodas, and a few containers of Jell-O. Not to mention a slice of cold pizza.
He planted himself next to his dad, starting on his breakfast.
Just as Billy wolfed down half his meal, someone knocked on the door.
"Billy, could you get that?" Harold asked almost right away, his eyes not leaving the article he was reading.
"Okay, Daddio!" Billy hopped down to the floor merrily, walking to the front door.
Upon opening the door, Billy smiled widely once he had recognized the visitor.
"Grim!" He exclaimed, throwing up his arms.
"Hello, Billy," Grim said blankly in response. "Where's-" Grim was silenced as Billy wrapped his arms around his buddy, embracing him in a loving way. Grim raised an eyebrow at the small boy's affections.
"As I was sayin'," Grim cleared his throat as Billy released him, "where's Nergal?"
"Oh, that guy," Billy began thinking. "I guess he kinda disappeared last night." Billy smiled at having answered Grim's question with satisfaction.
The skeletal figure invited himself in, the door closing itself (with a little help from the Grim Reaper's magic.)
"Then where's Mandy?" Grim crossed his arms, noticing his captor wasn't at the breakfast table.
"She's still sleeping." Billy informed Grim, taking his seat at the table where his food was. Billy's dad, Harold, was slurping some Jell-O from its plastic cup that Billy had provided at the table earlier.
"Do ya think she would normally sleep in dis late? It's nine." Grim questioned, crossing the kitchen to the counter and making some coffee as if he were in his own house.
"Poor me a glass of milk, will ya, Grim?" The patriarch of the family asked, totally oblivious to the fact that he had just interrupted a conversation, not to mention that the jug of milk was in Billy's custody at the table.
Grim brought a mug of hot coffee to the table along with a glass cup, placing it upon the table, then taking the milk jug that was placed adjacent Billy and pouring it into Harold's glass.
"I dunno, Grim. Oh oh, I know!! Let's go wake her up!" Billy jumped from his chair, leaving his mess of food to clutter up the table. Grim sulked after him, grumpy about having to get up once he had settled down with his soothing coffee.
Billy strutted into his room with Grim following after, heading towards the bed.
"Hey Mandy, you wanna play??" Billy asked happily, eyes fixed on a bulge underneath the covers.
No response.
Grim leaned against the wall farthest from the bed, not wanting to face the wrath of a grumpy Mandy.
Billy stopped at the side of the bed, extending a finger and jabbing it at the lump.
"C'mon, Mandy!" Billy exclaimed joyously, "wake up!" He turned to his pal at the other side of the room.
"She's not waking, Grim." He pointed out, blinking naively.
Grim sighed, leaving the safety of the wall and approaching the mattress. He took the end of the green blanket and threw it off from over the supposedly sleeping figure.
Billy and Grim gasped simultaneously, for they did not expect what they saw - 'Twas a familiar face, though, nonetheless.
"Oh no! She's GONE! The BOOGIE MAN got her!" Billy sobbed, tears coming from his eyes, his sudden eruption scaring the pink cat that had curled up to sleep where Mandy had been, causing him to flee out of sight.
"I doubt dis was Boogie's work, I put him out of business not too long ago." Grim inquired, his chin in his palm, giving him a pensive look. He turned his gaze to Billy, putting the pieces of the previous night together.
"You said that Nergal 'disappeared' last night, correct?"
"Yeah, so?" Billy didn't seem to exactly follow, his small mind lining up to its small expectations as usual.
"Well, do ya tink dat he might've taken Mandy wit him?" Grim asked, although asking this of Billy was close to pointless.
"Nah, Nergal only wanted ME to go visit him," Billy explained, gesturing in such a way that displayed he felt that Grim's opinion was obviously wrong.
"Well den, you tell me where she might be." Grim said in annoyance, crossing his arms as he peered at Billy.
"Hm," Billy put a finger to his chin elbow resting in his other palm. "Oooh! Ooh! I know!" Billy took off, racing out of the bedroom. Grim sighed, shaking his head in aggravation as he followed after his young acquaintance.
Billy explained his actions as he entered the laundry room. "You see, Mandy's probably looking for ME. I slept here," he pointed to the hamper full of stained clothes. "Reverse psycolocogy." He nodded, pronouncing the term incorrectly, but nonetheless feeling intelligent.
Grim eyed the laundry receptacle, not believing for a moment that Mandy would be looking for Billy in this basket.
However, Billy went ahead and checked anyway, opening the woven lid.
"Aw, we musta just missed her." Billy snapped his fingers, finding only a vacant space where he had expected to find Mandy.
Grim lifted a finger, intending on telling Billy a thing or two, but was interrupted by one of Billy's ideas.
"OOOH! I bet Mandy went looking for me in the kitchen! C'mon, Grim!"
Grim smacked his forehead, mumbling as he went along with Billy's antics. Upon entering the kitchen, Billy ran to the refrigerator, opening it as he licked his lips.
"Er, Billy, I don't tink Mandy would be in da FRIDGE." Grim pointed out, noticing Harold had not moved since they had left the kitchen.
"Well, she may be hiding behind the... CUPCAKES!" Billy said, gasping as he spotted a container of store-bought pastries.
Grim sat down next to Billy's dad at the round table, seeing as Billy started collecting food, this might take a while.