"Jeepers!" Daphne exclaimed, entering the kitchen from the garage. "Where is Shaggy and Scooby?"

Daphne followed the voices to the dining room where the rest of the gang – Shaggy, Scooby, Fred, and Velma – were gathered around the dining room table. Velma was typing away on her laptop. Fred was talking to his mechanic on his cell phone about his truck. Shaggy and Scooby had comic books spread out in front of them and were arguing over who is the best comic book hero.

"Shaggy, Scooby, tomorrow is the annual cooking competition," Daphne said.

"We're not participating," Shaggy replied.

"Reah," Scooby barked.

"Jinkies!" Velma said, looking up from her laptop. "Why? It involves food – your favorite."

"Candy Mandy is participating this time," Shaggy answered.

"I didn't know you were scared of food," Fred replied, hanging up his phone.

"Candy Mandy is not food."

"Then, what is Candy Mandy?"

"It's the nickname of Amanda Walker – a former bully that went to high school with us. She stuffed me in so many lockers, I lost track."

"She sat on my science project," Velma added.

"She pumped expired milk into the gym's sprinkler system and turned it on me and the rest of the cheerleading team during practice," Daphne chimed in.

"Candy Mandy didn't do anything to me," Fred protested.

"That's because she had a crush on you," Daphne said.

"The AV club placed bets on which one of you was going to ask the other out," Velma added.

"I have a plan," Daphne announced. "Fred, you are going to flirt with Candy Mandy and keep her distracted so she won't notice Shaggy or Scooby at the competition."

"I never paid any attention to her during high school, so she will notice something is up when I start flirting with her," Fred protested.

"That's why I'll hire bodyguards to protect Shaggy and Scooby," Daphne replied.

"Thanks, guys," Shaggy and Scooby echoed, grabbing their comic books, sprinting into the kitchen, and talking about various recipes.

In the morning, the gang arrived at Coolsville's Fairgrounds where a large tent was set up. Scooby and Shaggy went to sign in, picked up their welcome packet, and then helped Velma, Daphne, and Fred with the unloading of Fred's truck. The gang carried the stuff across the parking lot and entered the large tent.

In the tent, there were three rows of six tables. Each contestant had a chair and two tables – one table for the food prep and one table for the portable gas stove and a stack of paper bowls, paper plates, Styrofoam cups, and plastic cutlery. Each table had a sheet of paper with a contestant's name. At the other end of the tent opposite the entrance that the gang walked through, there was a portable water tank and the judges' table.

Fred left in search of Candy Mandy. The two bodyguards that Daphne hired arrived, wore suits and earpieces, carried guns, and stood off to the side. Shaggy got out his pot, cooking utensils, and cutting boards. He got to work dicing the vegetables and lamb. People started arriving, taking pictures, and mingling with the contestants.

"Well, look at what we have here," a woman bellowed said pushing away people and approaching Shaggy's table.

The woman had a protruding beer gut and ketchup stained t-shirt. She had curly red hair and green eyes. She shot death glares at the two bodyguards.

"Zoinks!" Shaggy exclaimed, diving below the table. "It's Candy Mandy."

"Rikes!" Scooby exclaimed, joining his friend below the table as well.

"Hey, Candy Mandy," Velma said. "I have a brand new perfume I want you to try."

"Perfume?" Candy Mandy asked.

Velma nodded and sprayed the perfume in Candy Mandy's face. Candy Mandy yawned and collapsed on the floor asleep.

"I added something in the perfume to make her sleepy," Velma explained.

"Boys, can you escort her back to her table?" Daphne asked the two bodyguards. "I'll protect Shaggy and Scooby until you come back."

"Yes, ma'am," the two bodyguards replied and carried Candy Mandy back to her table.

"Where's Fred?" Daphne asked.

"I'm right here," Fred answered, walking over to the group and holding his crotch.

"What's wrong?"

"Candy Mandy threatened to castrate me."

Scooby and Shaggy climbed out from under the table and went back to cooking the meal. Twenty minutes later, the judges rang a bell, silencing the crowd. One of the judges announced it was time to end the cooking and asked the contestants to plate the food. The judges – a short man, a tall man, and an elderly lady – eventually got to Shaggy's table and tasted Shaggy's lamb coconut curry.

A half an hour later, the judges went to the front of the tent and stood by the judges' table. The elderly lady rang the bell, silencing the crowd again.

"The first place winner is Zelda Sprinkles," the elderly woman announced. "Zelda gets to publish her winning recipe into my next cookbook."

Zelda went to the judges' table and shook hands with the judges.

"The second place winner is Shaggy Rogers," the short man announced. "Shaggy won $500."

Shaggy went to the judges' table and shook hands with the judges. The bodyguards and the gang remained a couple paces behind. Candy Mandy moved to pounce on Shaggy, but she froze when Velma flashed her bottle of perfume in her direction.

At the end of the competition, the gang were cleaning up.

"What are you going to do with the money?" Fred asked.

"No offense, Fred, but your truck keeps breaking down during our mysteries," Shaggy replied. "We need a vehicle that won't break down."

"You have a valid point. I could send my truck to the junk yard. Have you thought of a replacement vehicle?"

"There's a groovy van parked in the used car lot in town."

"Do you mean the one with the flowers that has the words 'Mystery Machine'?"

"Yep."

"Good eye. I've been eyeing it for a while. Why not we all clean up here and then visit the used car lot afterwards?"

The End