Okay guys, it's 1 AM as I'm typing up this chapter... so it should be filled with enough insanity to make it worthwhile! :D *please pardon any typos, though*
d~b
*Episode 4*
Manic Monday
Monday morning... pretty much the only time in any week that's filled with dread. Kids have to go back to school. Adults have to go back to work. Something bad always happens to Garfield.
A day where anything could go wrong...
*KA-BLAM!*
Just like what was happening at Paradise Towers, the only place where some loud sound effect seems to always take place at the start of the day- and always seemed to wake up Pugsy at the crack of dawn, as what happened today.
However, it didn't come from Robotnik's secret lab in the basement, or from an apartment owned by the Freelance Police down the hall, or Sheldon Cooper's room, or a detonation squad down the street... Nope, after living in the apartment for nearly a month now, the stocky young man knew it was no mystery as to where such a sound came from.
Zippy's apartment, right next door.
Grumbling curses worth censoring under his breath, Pugsy got out of bed and walked over to Zippy's door, pounding his fist on it, then waiting arms-crossed for her to hurry up and open the door. "Yes...?" She answered casually, opening the door and poking her head out.
"What in the name of God was the sound I just now heard?!" Pugsy demanded.
Zippy cocked an eyebrow. "The... snarling, earth-shattering tone of your voice?"
Pugsy clenched his fists. "The OTHER sound..."
"My voice?"
"ZIP!"
"Alright, alright, alright! ...Sheesh, someone's humor went out the window this morning... I'm just having problem with my toaster this morning. I forgot I took out a couple circuits to use on a new type of stun-gun I made this weekend, and, POW!, the thing blows through the ceiling!" she then held up a piece of blackened bread. "...It burned my toast, too."
Pugsy gave her a glare. "If I hear any more commotion from your apartment, I'm sending you over the balcony- WITHOUT a safety net!"
"Aw, don't tell me you took it down! I was going to show Flip how to use it,"
"Just quiet down! I don't have to come back over here every morning!"
Zippy scoffed. "Please don't. Seeing your face this early could scare the Grim Reaper to death,"
"Better looking than YOUR ugly mug." Pugsy then turned and walked back into his apartment, while Zippy went back into hers.
At the island-counter in the kitchen area, Shaggy and Flip were already awake, the 12-year-old having a textbook lying in front of him, while the lanky young man was cooking breakfast. "Have another lovely chat with our psychotic neighbor this morning, I take it?" Shaggy asked, jokingly.
Pugsy only gave him a look. "Don't start..." he sat down next to Flip, pouring himself some coffee. "Bad enough things are going down at the radiostation- I don't need that ignorpotomas down the hall making things worser,"
"Like, still haven't found a partner for your time-slot, huh?"
"I don't see why I need one! Ever since Ren and Stimpy started having their own radio talk-show, the manager believes we need a two-man host for our segments! I work well enough on my own, why do I need a partner?"
"I'll bet Frasier had the same kind of problem,"
"Ugh, I can't concentrate..." Flip groaned, having been trying to read his textbook since the two men started talking.
"What's going on, Flip?" Pugsy asked him.
"I've got to study for a test tomorrow, that's what." He sighed, closing the book and drinking some orange juice.
"Why didn't you study this last weekend?"
"I tried..."
(We get a flash-back of Flip trying to study in the backyard, only for Derek to douse him with a water-balloon; trying to study in the lobby, but Scratch and Grounder drop a bunch of scrap metal that makes too large a noise- and breaks a window next to Flip's head; and finally him trying to study in the living room, only to get a call from Holly about going to the arcade, to which he quickly agrees)
"...but I couldn't concentrate," Flip finished.
"So the flash-backs prove..." Pugsy commented.
"I can help you study tonight when I get off work, Flip." Shaggy suggested. "If there's one thing I was good at doing in school, it was cramming for a test."
"Yeah- just make sure you help him pass," Pugsy looked at his watch. "I gotta get ready for work, it's almost 7:30,"
"What?! Oh man, I'm going to be late!" Flip yelped, quickly gulping down the rest of his cereal, running to his room, running out seconds later dressed and carrying his bookbag while stuffing his books in it, racing out the door. "See ya guys after school have a nice day bye!"
Pugsy shook his head, sighing. "Whoever said kids have it easy really missed out on their childhood,"
"Yeah, well, they have it easier than adults. They don't have to pay bills, buy groceries, or go to a job- which they were supposed to be at five minutes ago!" Shaggy was saying, looking at his watch and yelping. "Like, zoinks! I forgot I had to go in early this morning!" Quickly, he ran out the door... still in his pajamas.
Pugsy counted down on his fingers. "Three... two... one..."
Shaggy ran back in. "Gotta get dressed first!" he ran to his room, running back out while pulling on a shirt and quickly pulling a pair of shoes on, zipping his fly as he dashed out the door.
d~b
Meanwhile, down in the basement, Robotnik was watching as his lackeys worked on a top-secret machine that was hidden under a white sheet. "Be sure to get it right this time, boys! This time, I aim to succeed in my plans!" he barked.
"Yeah, that's what you said last week," Jasper scoffed.
"Shut up and keep working! If this machine fails this time, I'll-"
*Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!*
Robotnik paused, hearing someone ringing a service-bell up on his desk in the lobby. "...Ugh, what now?" he walked upstairs, seeing Uncle Ted standing there. "What do you want?"
"Oh, hey Robotnik! I was just wondering if you could have your handymen swing by and fix up the heater in my apartment. It didn't kick on this morning, like it's supposed to." Ted told him.
"Yes, yes, I'll have them take a look at it. Now unless there's something else you need, I'm returning to my work-"
*Ding! Ding!*
Ted rung the bell again. "Actually, there is! My nephew, Derek, wants to know if you plan on putting in a vending machine. A nice place like this should have one, right?"
"No! Now I have important matters to get to, so kindly beat it!" Robotnik turned to go back down the stairs.
*Ding!*
He turned sharply back to Ted. "WHAT?!"
"...Oh, nothing. I just love to ring this little bell," Ted tapped his hand on the bell, ringing it again a couple times. "It's kind of hard to resist."
Robotnik took the bell and smashed it on the floor, then stormed downstairs.
Uncle Ted looked down at the broken bell, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a spare bell, setting it on the desk and giving it one more *ding!* before heading back to his room.
d~b
Later in the afternoon, Shawn K. was lounging around out back, just in time for Holly Trueblood to walk over. "Hello, Holly. How are you doing today?" he asked her.
"Oh, just another busy school day... wishing it was summer vacation again," Holly joked.
"Heh, yeah, I know the feeling... At least, I would, if I didn't grow up as a child-star,"
"You were in show business since you were a kid, huh?"
"Well... sports-wise. It was odd- a few people notice you're good at sports, then on talk shows they think you're cut out for your own show, like some of your game-show appearances... and before you know it, you're famous before you're even out of high-school."
"Wow, I hope I can be that famous someday..."
"Oh, believe me, Holly, a celebrity life is no place for a child- where you have more paparazzi stalkers dropping by your house more than school friends, you're trying to keep up with your popularity rather than your grades, and rather than attending a graduation ceremony you're walking down the red carpet to some awards ceremony."
Holly sat down, giving a sympathetic look. "That must have been hard for you..."
"Oh, actually it was that pop-star, Whitney Gears. ...But, my point is, I think I'd rather have a regular childhood rather than having spent it more on television. It would be nice to be able to be a kid again,"
"Speak for yourself," Flip said, walking by, his tie hanging loosely around his neck, his hat crooked, and he looked worn out.
"Flip! ...Oh, don't tell me Derek did this," Holly gasped.
"Huh? Oh, no, he doesn't come by during the week. I've just been trying to study for my test,"
"Having trouble?" Shawn asked.
"Like you wouldn't believe. I tried to study at school, but we had a pep rally during study hall! I had to hurry home just so I could have a few minutes to cram before dinner,"
"I can help you study," Holly suggested. "We don't have school tomorrow because of a teacher's inservice meeting, so I can stay over."
*FWOOOSH!*
The thought of having his crush stay the night caused Flip's hat to shoot up in the air, his eyes growing wide. "U-Um, okay... I'll see if it's cool with the guys!" he said, blushing.
"Great! Give me a call when you ask," Holly said, then walked over to her apartment, while Flip dreamily walked back to his.
Shawn K. shook his head, smiling. "Ah, to be a kid again..." he said to himself.
*Plop!*
He paused, as Flip's hat landed on his head.
d~b
Pugsy was sitting on the couch, going over some applications he recieved that day for a new partner... the remaining total being two. "Hard-working husband, master's degree... in wizardry - nope, sorry, Peter Griffin." he said, crumbling the application, then looked at the other one. "Doctor Drakken... huh brother, can't I find anyone who's not on parole?!"
Shaggy walked in a minute later, looking depressed. "Like, now I know why Garfield hates Mondays..." he groaned, plopping down on the couch.
Pugsy looked at him. "What's up with you?"
"I got fired... again,"
"Geez, Shag, that's the third job this month! What happened this time?"
"Well, I was put in charge of mopping the floors... one thing led to another... lets just say Pop's Diner will be needing a new window and leave it at that," he crossed his arms. "Though I wonder why he let Johnny bring in a pet snapping turtle..."
"So it's back to the Want Ads, huh?"
"Like, are you kidding? I've gone through every job in the paper! I've either been fired from one because of a slip-up, or quit because the bus-boy acts like he broke out of an asylum!"
*BLAM!*
Pugsy cringed. "Speaking of 'asylum patients'..." he muttered, gritting his teeth as he stormed out the door. "ZIP!"
Shaggy sighed, leaning his head back. Flip walked in, having a dreamy look in his eye. "How was school today?" Shaggy asked him.
"Long, boring, and uneventful, as always." Flip replied. "Hey, Shag, is it alright if Holly stays over tonight?"
Shaggy smirked. "Ooh, having your girlfriend stay the night, huh? You little charmer..."
Flip blushed. "She just offered to help me study!"
"Okay, okay... I remember having to use the same excuse when I had a girl over too, ha ha."
"Is that the time when you had Velma come over to swat a spider, and it took her two hours to get you down from the ceiling fan?"
This time it was Shaggy's turn to blush. "Have you've been reading my highschool journal again?!"
"No, just your college one. ...So, can Holly stay over?"
Shaggy sighed. "Promise me you'll stop going through my stuff, and she can."
"Alright!" Flip ran over to the phone to call Holly.
"...And you'd better not tell anyone about that spider incident! ...and it only took her an hour and a half..." Shaggy muttered.
Pugsy walked back into the apartment... with some sort of purple ooze dripping off his face.
Shaggy noticed immediately. "Zippy try cooking again?"
"Zippy tried cooking again," Pugsy sneered, wiping the ooze off his face. "That girl could turn an easy-bake oven into a weapon of mass destruction!"
"Back in second grade!" Zippy piped up, poking her head in the door.
"OUT!"
Zippy took off, and Pugsy slammed the door shut and locked it. "Like, that girl must've been born at the Crazy Town Hospital," Shaggy commented.
"You think?" Pugsy walked into his room. "I'm lying down... before the next disaster hits,"
"...Okay, see you in five minutes!" Flip said, hanging up the phone.
"Got your 'study-date' planned?" Shaggy said, jokingly bouncing his eyebrows.
"Oh, knock it off already. The only thing we're going to do is cram for my test,"
"Like, I don't see why you need to study for a test that involves mystery solving. All you have to do is look for clues... and run as fast as you can when a ghost shows up,"
"I think it's more than that, Shaggy, my dad could tell you that much."
"Yeah, but I've been solving mysteries for years- I think, if I were you, I could ace that test!"
Flip rolled his eyes. "Only if it was in a cooking class. I'm going to go meet Holly downstairs," he walked out.
Shaggy followed him. "Now, hold on a minute! What makes you think I couldn't pass that test?! I had detective jobs before you were born, kid!"
"Speaking of jobs, I thought you had to work late,"
"...I got fired, but that's besides the point!"
"Really? Geez, Shag, you're losing more jobs than hockey players lose teeth!"
"Hey, when you're an adult, job-hunting isn't so easy- not like taking a test on mystery-solving!"
"I bet I could land a good job if I were you... maybe."
"Yeah, I'd like to see you try!"
"What are you two arguing about?" Shawn K. asked, walking up to them.
"Shaggy lost his job, and I have to study for a test." Flip answered, as they entered the lobby, just in time to see Holly. "Speaking of which, there's Holly!"
"Hey, Flip! Ready?" Holly said.
"Helping him study, huh?" Shawn guessed.
"At least that's Flip's excuse," Shaggy whispered, chuckling. Flip gave him a look.
"Oh geez, would you cut it out already?!" Flip hissed.
"Cut what out?" Holly inquired.
"N-Nothing... lets just go,"
"Have fun, guys- but not too much fun!" Shaggy joked, waving to the kids as they walked up the stairs.
"Alright, that's it!" Flip turned and stormed towards Shaggy.
d~b
While all of this was going on, Robotnik was preparing to use his machine. "Are you sure about this, boss?" Scratch asked. "I don't think we set it up right,"
"Yeah, it was kind of hard since the instructions were in Japanese," Grounder replied. "We had to go by the pictures!"
"That is why we're testing it out!" Robotnik scoffed. "Using this machine, I will take over the lives of one of those pesty residents who foil my plans, causing them to do something worthy of getting kicked out!" he then stepped behind a small door, pointing to an antenna on top of the machine. "This antenna will help channel the brain-waves, and send my thoughts into the minds of those three trouble-makers! Then... when I succeed in getting them thrown out, I shall use my machine to take over the minds of all the world leaders, and dominate the planet!"
"Always save the best for last, I guess." Horace said with a shrug.
"You sure about this, boss? What if something goes wrong?" Jasper asked.
"Nothing will! The instructions are clear- all you have to do is pull the switch, and make sure the door stays closed," Robotnik then pulled the door shut... but it got caught halfway, leaving a crack open. He wiggled it a bit, seeing that one of the hinges was busted. "Uh oh..."
"Pull the switch! Got it!" Grounder exclaimed.
"NO, WAIT-!"
*BZZZAP!*
Too late!
Electric waves shot out of the machine, stretching throughout the entire length and height of the apartment building!
Everything seemed to move slowly, as we get a view of Shaggy, Flip, Shawn, and Holly in the lobby, right at the moment when Flip was about to chew out Shaggy for humilating him. There was a bright flash of light, and suddenly everyone was on the ground... dead.
*whisper whisper*
Huh, what's that?
*whisper whisper*
Oh, my mistake. They're not dead, just stunned. Sorry!
Flip sat up, rubbing his head. "Like, man, what was that?" he asked... though his voice sounded like Shaggy's!
"I don't know... maybe the lights blew a fuse?" Shaggy said... his voice sounding like Flip's!
The two paused, looking at each other... or, in this case, themselves. "ZOINKS!/AUGH!" both of them screamed.
"W-W-W-What the...?! What am I doing over there?!" Shaggy stammered.
"What are you doing over here? What am I doing over there?!" Flip yelped.
"Forget that! What happened to me?!" Shawn cried... but his voice sounded like Holly's!
"Lords a leaping! What happened to ALL of us?!" Holly shouted... sounding like Shawn!
"We... we... we've switched bodies!" Flip stammered, trying to control Shaggy's wobbling legs.
"Like, oh man... I'm going to have to go through puberty all over again!" Shaggy whimpered, clutching Flip's hat. "The awkward teenage years were bad enough the first time!"
"Well, at least you're the same gender as you were before!" Shawn stated, looking at Holly's outfit. "Goodness, Holly, do girls really have to wear this tight of jeans?"
"W-What are we going to do?" Holly stammered.
"We'd better check on the others, and make sure they're okay! Maybe someone knows what happened!" Flip stated as they ran up the stairs, though he tripped a couple times. "Geez, Shaggy, why'd you have to have such long legs?!"
"Hey, at least I'm not short, like y-" Shaggy began to remark, but was cut off by a scream.
"YEEEOOOOWWWW!"
"Pugsy!" Everyone shouted, and hurried upstairs.
d~b
"Zippy...? Zippy... Wake up!"
There was a groan, coming from under some blankets. "Not now, Pugs... I'm trying to nap, here!"
"Zee Isiaiah Pugnacious, stop faking, and tell me what the jumping ignorpotomases you did just now!"
"I never fake a nap- and how did you get into my apartment?!"
"We're... not in your apartment... Zippy, please tell me this is a joke..."
Zippy sat up, the covers pulled off her face... or, actually, Pugsy's face. "What the heck are you talking ab-" she began to demand, but froze at what she saw.
Herself!
"W-W-What the...?"
"Zippy... calm down..." came Pugsy's voice out of her body. "Remain. Calm."
That was enough to wake her up, as she gasped and ran to the the nearest mirror. "Please let me be dreaming, please let me be dreaming..." she was stammering, standing before a mirror... seeing, for a fact, that she was in Pugsy's body. Hoping it was just a hallucination, she shakily reached out his hand, touching the reflection before her.
It wasn't.
They switched bodies.
"AAAAAUUUUUGGGGGGHHH!" Zippy screamed... at the girliest, highest-pitch ever. She then began to run around the room, yelping and freaking out.
"ZIP! Hold on! Wait! Hold it! Freeze!" Pugsy was calling to her, watching as she tripped over the couch, knocked over a couple chairs, and bumped into tables as she ran. He sighed, then stuck out 'her' foot, and tripped 'himself'. He then swatted 'himself' with 'her' hat. "Calm down, you psycho, before you break something of mine!"
"Calm down?! CALM DOWN?!" Zippy gripped 'herself' by her jacket. "We've. Switched. BODIES you moron! And in case you didn't figure it out, there's nothing to calm down about!" she began to breathe deeply. "Oh geez, I can't breathe... I'm hyperventilating... I-I-I-I think I'm going to pass out!"
"Get a grip, ZIP!"
She did get a grip- she gripped Pugsy by 'her' shoulders, tightly. "How?! Just... how the heck did this happen?!"
"If I had the answers, I'd tell ya! We just have to relax and try to figure this out... Do you think it happened to anyone else?"
The others ran through the door just then. "Pugs! Are you alright?" came Flip's voice out of Shaggy's body.
"...Survey says, yep." Zippy replied.
"ZIPPY?!" came Shawn K's voice out of Holly's body. "...well, I guess I'm not the only one who switched with a girl,"
"Zippy's a girl?" Holly whispered to Flip's body.
"Like, not anymore," answered Shaggy's voice.
"Could someone PLEASE tell me what's going on?! How did we switch bodies?!" Pugsy demanded.
"Just a simple glitch in the principles of advanced technology, my dear man." came Robotnik's voice, and everyone turned around...
...seeing Uncle Ted! "Uncle Ted? You... sound different," Flip said.
'Uncle Ted' seemed to fume. "I'm not Uncle Ted, you nitwit! My body got switched, too!"
"...Poor Ted," Shaggy said.
"What do you know about the body switches, Robotnik?" Shawn K. asked, suspiciously.
"Only that, due to a mishap, electronic waves shot throughout the building and caused everyone's brain-waves to be rearranged," Robotnik replied.
"Where did these electronic waves come from?" Pugsy asked, equally suspicious.
"From my newest- er... radio-transmitter. Yes, it's a new model, but something didn't hook up right- the directions were in Japanese, so something must've gotten mixed up."
"Okay, so how do we change back?" Holly asked.
"We'll just have to power up the machine, using the exact same frequency as before, and try to switch back... right as soon as I find my body!"
"Speak of the Robotnik, and he'll appear," Zippy commented, pointing over.
Robotnik's body walked in, rubbing his head. "Whoo! You guys won't believe what just happened to me!" came Uncle Ted's voice. "There I was, halfway up the elevator, when suddenly, ZAP!, I'm in the basement! Kind of unbelievable, huh?"
"...Not from where we're standing," Pugsy commented.
Ted looked around, surprised. "Hey, what's going on? How come Zippy sounds like Pugsy?"
"We've all switched bodies, you twit!" Robotnik shouted at him.
Ted scratched Robotnik's bald head, then looked in a mirror. "Oh! I was wondering when I suddenly grew a mustache..."
"C'mon, lets just go down to the basement and use that 'radio-transmitter' Robotnik was talking about," Shawn said.
"You mean that huge metal box with a glass door inside it and the antenna on top? I hope that's not it,"
Everyone gave him a horrified glance. "W-Why...?" Flip asked.
"The thing was a wreck when I ended up in the basement. The handymen said something about a few fuses blowing- which was easy to see, with all the smoke that was coming out of it."
"GAH! MY MACHINE IS BROKEN?!" Robotnik screamed, a horrified glance on Ted's face.
"Hey, cheer up, Robotnik! Nothing a little wrench-turning won't fix- I'll bet you'll have it up by the end of the week!"
"END OF THE WEEK?!" Everyone shouted.
"You lunkhead! We have to get the machine fixed by tomorrow!" Robotnik snapped, taking out the instruction manual. "According to the manual, if we don't get back into our original bodies within a 24-hour period, the effects will be permanent!"
"P-P-P-Permanent?!" Shaggy stammered.
"I think I'm going to faint..." Holly said, as Shawn's body began to tip backwards, though Flip reached out Shaggy's arms to keep 'her' steady.
"What the heck kind of radio transmitter were you building?" Ted questioned.
Zippy then gripped 'Ted' by the shirt. "Listen to me carefully, Robotnik..." she snarled, Pugsy's eyes glaring deeply into Ted's. "You'd better get that machine working again... because if I have to go through the rest of my life looking like THIS, I'm going to find out how far I can shove Pugsy's fists down YOUR throat!"
Robotnik's face developed a panicked expression. "Um... by 'his' throat you mean his ORIGINAL throat, not mine, right?"
"I assure you, my dear man, you'll be back in your body!" Robotnik said.
"I'm a girl!" Zippy snarled, then looked back down at Pugsy's body. "...at least, I used to be..." she began shaking Ted's body. "HURRY UP AND FIX THAT MACHINE!"
"Gah! Let me go, otherwise I can't!" Robotnik pried Ted's body out of 'Pugsy's' grip, stumbling into the hall. "I shall get to work on it right away!"
"Gosh, I wonder if I can still eat nachos..." Ted said, looking at Robotnik's body.
Robotnik came back with a deadpanned expression, grabbing Ted by 'his' arm and dragging him out. "You're coming with me! I don't want you causing any damage to my body OR reputation!"
Once they left, everyone else awkwardly looked at each other. "So... what now?" Flip asked.
"I suppose we could just go about our daily routine," Shawn suggested. "Just as long as we stay in the apartment- I don't think Melody could handle hearing Holly sound like a grown man,"
"Yeah, good thing Flip invited me to stay over," Holly answered.
"Smoothe move, Flip." Shaggy said, bouncing Flip's eyeballs.
"...You do remember Holly and I are in your and Shawn's bodies, right?" Flip retorted.
'Flip's' eyes widened as Shaggy considered this. "...Every crack I made about you two, I'm taking back right now!"
"I don't think living our lives will be that simple in this saturation, Shawn," Pugsy said. "What about my job? I can't go to work like this!"
"Yeah, and I still have my test tomorrow!" Flip added.
"And I have to go home tomorrow, too!" Holly included.
"Okay, calm down! We'll figure something out," Shawn replied, trying to think.
"Good thing I don't have school or a job to go to. Guess I got off easy!" Zippy said, then walked out onto the balcony. "Good luck, guys!" She then jumped over... forgetting she was in Pugsy's body!
"ZIPPY!" Pugsy screamed.
*THUD!*
Pugsy cringed, then ran out into the hall towards the elevators to go down... however, Zippy was already coming back up, Pugsy's body bruised and scratched, with a couple leaves in his hair. "...Fine time to remove that safety net, Pugs..." she groaned, stumbling back to the apartment. "I forgot I'm not as flexible as I used to be..."
"You think?! Be careful with other people's property, you psycho! Don't forget, you're in someone else's body- particularly MINE!" Pugsy snapped.
"Hey, I get mistaken for a boy on a day-to-day basis anyway, so it was easy to forget! ...Outside of the height... and masculinity... and sex-change..." she rubbed 'his' face. "Oy, this is going to be a long night..."
They walked back into the room. "Okay, so going about our daily routines is a stupid idea." Pugsy commented. "What else can we do?"
"I guess we'll just have to stay inside the apartment until the machine is fixed," Shawn said.
"What about my test? I can't skip it!" Flip replied.
"Yeah, and I have to go back home to Melody in the morning!" Holly added.
"Why don't we just pull the whole 'live each other's lives' cliche?" Zippy suggested.
"Because I'd like to KEEP my job, for one thing." Pugsy replied. "And having a psycho like you walk in posing as me wouldn't help!"
"Like, I can take your test, Flip. Like I said, I already know a lot about mystery solving!" Shaggy said to Flip.
"...Why do I get the feeling I'd flunk, then?" Flip replied.
"I don't think that's a good idea, Shaggy." Shawn said. "Having you take Flip's test for him would be considered cheating- even if you did fail. We'll just have to call in a 'sick day' and reschedule everything,"
"Oh man..." Flip sighed. "If I miss that test, I'll flunk!"
"I'm sure your teacher will understand,"
"Unless he's gone through a body-switch, I highly doubt it." Zippy replied. "Why not give it a chance, Shawn? I think everyone would find it suspicious if several of us were suddenly staying home sick- unless we were diagnosed with some sort of epidemic."
"Are you saying this just because you care, or because you just want to make me look like an idiot?" Pugsy questioned, suspiciously.
"...A little of both, actually."
"We'll think about it. Right now, lets just... try to get the hang of things, alright? I doubt we'll have many problems," Shawn said.
"Um... I just thought of one," Holly said, crossing Shawn's legs. "...How are we supposed to use the bathroom?"
The awkward pause that followed lasted up to ten minutes.
d~b
Meanwhile, down in the basement, Robotnik and Uncle Ted were standing by the machine, while Horace, Jasper, Scratch, and Grounder stood by. "Like, wow! Talk about a mix-up!" Scratch exclaimed. "And EVERYONE switched bodies?"
"Good thing we all ducked underneath that tin-foil shield we built last week." Horace spoke up. "Otherwise, we would have switched bodies, too!"
"Too right, we got a lucky break this time," Grounder agreed.
"You're going to get a different kind of 'break' if you don't get started reparing the machine!" Robotnik snarled, clenching Ted's fist.
Jasper developed a sneaky smirk. "Hmm... I don't know. Considering the circumstances, I don't think we should rush into it," he said, slyly. "...That is, unless you're willing to offer a big reward for all our hard work."
"WHAT?! You blithering idiots, if that machine doesn't get fixed by tomorrow afternoon, we're going to be STUCK like this!"
"Yeah... things might get weird at the next family reunion," Ted added. "Talk about not being recognized after a long time!"
"Then our demands should be acceptable," Jasper said, grinning.
"DEMANDS?! You don't get any demands, you black-mailing dolt!" Robtonik snarled, shaking Ted's fist.
Jasper, and the other henchmen, crossed their arms. "No rewards, no work then."
Robotnik seethed, rubbing Ted's face. "Grrrrr... FINE! Name your price,"
"We want a raise in our salary- ten dollars an hour."
"And we'd like more vacation time- two weeks every season," Horace added.
"And more coffee breaks, at least three in the day, 20 minutes each!" Scratch included.
"And a vending machine!" Grounder exclaimed. The others looked at him. "...What? This place needs a vending machine, don't you think?"
"I'd agree to that!" Ted exclaimed.
Ted's face turned red, as Robotnik muttered curses. "ALRIGHT! It's all yours! Just get to work on that machine!" he bellowed.
Jasper nodded, and they got to work. "Nice to negotiate, isn't it?" he said.
Robotnik only groaned. "Blackmailed by my own henchmen, AND stuck in the body of an obese 40-year-old lunatic... what could be worse?!"
Ted looked down at Robotnik's body. "Well... you could be in my condition." he said, earning a death-glare.
d~b
Back in the apartment, everyone was sitting around, talking about how they would work things out. They decided they would give the whole 'live each other's lives' cliche a try for the night.
Flip was trying to quiz Shaggy for the test, as he was determined to take it. "Alright, Shaggy, first question: a diamond weighs a quarter of a pound. A thief replaces a bag of them with a bag of rocks that weighs 10 pounds even. How many diamonds did the thief steal?" he asked, reading from his textbook.
"Sheesh, Flip, I thought the test was about solving mysteries, not doing math!" Shaggy scoffed, busy playing a videogame.
"Mystery-solving does require some math. Suppose you had to go after the thief, but he hid the diamonds in separate areas- how would you figure out if you had the right amount?"
"The real question is, how would he know the bag of diamonds weighed exactly 10 pounds, unless he was in the store while they were being weighed?"
Flip blinked, then looked in the back of his textbook, seeing that was part of the answer! "U-Um... lucky guess. But you won't be so lucky on the test tomorrow!"
"Really? I seem to be doing well while you quiz me- WHILE playing Smash Bros.!"
Flip sighed. "Lets try another question." he looked down at the textbook. "You're investigating a robbery at a manor. The suspects are the maid, the butler, the chef, and the caretaker. The butler claims the crime took place at 2:00. The maid said she was in the garden at 1:00 and didn't come in until 3:00. The chef claims he was shopping for groceries at 1:30 and didn't get home until 2:00. And the caretaker claims he was nowhere on the grounds at 2:00. ...Who's lying?"
Shaggy thought for a minute. "The maid and the butler."
"What? It can't be both... can it?"
"Sure. The maid wouldn't be working in the garden, since that would be the caretaker's job. And the Butler was the one who claims the crime took place at 2:00... How would he know the exact time? And since the chef and caretaker weren't around, no one would see them do it!"
Flip blinked again, then looked at the answers, seeing Shaggy was once again right. "Holy cow... you do know a lot about mystery-solving!"
"I told you, I've been doing it my whole life... That, and that last question was just like the set-up in the late-movie I saw on TV last night."
*Thump!*
The textbook was suddenly dropped in 'Flip's' lap, as Shaggy's body sat next to him. "Can you quiz me, now?" he asked, eagerly.
"I thought you wanted me to take the test... Like, we're still in each other's bodies!" Shaggy answered.
"Yeah... but Shawn's right- as much as you know, it would be like cheating. So I want you to help me out so I don't have to!"
"But what if we're not back in our bodies by morning?"
Flip shrugged Shaggy's shoulders. "Just call the school and tell them I got sick with the flu- Pugsy's using that excuse so Zippy doesn't go to work for him,"
Shaggy shrugged, then nodded and opened up the textbook. "Alright, if you say so!"
d~b
"I am NOT doing this!"
"Oh c'mon, it'll be easy!"
"Easy?! I'll break my neck!"
"Don't be ridiculous, you'll be fine- and I gave you a helmet just for extra measure!"
"Can't I just go out the front door like a normal person?"
"Dude, if I went out the door like a normal person, people would get suspicious! If you want me to keep you in-character, you have to do the same for me."
Pugsy only groaned.
In case you didn't figure it out, the two were standing on the balcony... Zippy's body having a parachute strapped to it, plus a helmet, while Pugsy's body stood by the railing. The two had also switched hats, just so they could have something of their own.
"Can't we just stay put in the apartment until the machine is fixed?" Pugsy begged.
"Oh, stop being a wimp. All you have to do is jump over the edge, pull the cord, and not die. Easy!" Zippy replied. "I'd show you how- but SOMEONE doesn't want people to think he's psycho!"
"...I think if I did this, people would assume that anyway..."
"So, have at it!" Zippy then slapped 'herself' on the back, knocking her body (Pugsy still in it) clean over!
"ZIIIIIIPPPYYYYY!"
"Pull the cord, man! Pull the cord!"
Pugsy quickly pulled the cord... but a mattress came out. "What the jumping ignor-"
*THUD!*
Pugsy's body gave a cringe, as Zippy looked down. "Maybe I should have told he was supposed to climb onto the mattress before shoving him..." she realized, then ran downstairs, seeing a Zippy-shaped crater in the ground. "So... how was the impact?"
"...potamases..." Pugsy finished in a dazed moan, Zippy's head slowly coming up with swirls in her eyes.
Zippy took the helmet off 'her' head and chucked it. "A fat lot of good that thing did," she scoffed, then grabbed her body and slung it over Pugsy's shoulder. "Ah well. We'll try again once you've regained conciousness,"
She walked through the lobby, where Scratch and Grounder were coming up. "Uh... what's up with Zippy?" Scratched asked.
"He-" Zippy began to reply, but remembered she was supposed to be posing as Pugsy, then cleared her throat, trying to immitate his voice. "'She' fell unconcious, so I'm taking her up to my place." with that, she continued on.
Scratch and Grounder blinked, eyes wide, and turned and walked back down to the basement. "He sure has weird tastes..."
"Yeah... I had no idea Zippy was a girl, either!" Grounder questioned.
d~b
Meanwhile, Shawn and Holly were in the living room, Shawn trying to brush Holly's hair. "Sheesh, Holly, how can you do anything with so much hair?" he asked.
"It's not that different than guys brushing their own hair," Holly answered.
"Well, yeah... but my hair's shorter- and I used to have people do it for me before I came here,"
Holly arched an eyebrow. "Really? Your hair is always messy, though!"
"I didn't say I liked how they did it. Eventually I just stopped combing my hair, deciding to just keep it short and shaggy-"
"What?" Shaggy asked.
"Nothing, Flip,"
"I'm Shaggy!"
Holly's shoulders shrugged. "Could've fooled me."
'Flip' gave an eye-roll, then walked back to his room.
"Anyway, guys don't really do much with their hair anyway, unless we have a date or special occasion to go to. ...Only reason I got away with it was because I was a TV star, and it gave me some individuality outside of other game-show hosts."
"Well, girls are different when it comes to hair," Holly explained, taking the brush and combing 'her' hair. "We're obligated to look nice, wherever we go, otherwise be excluded in the social world. ...It's kind of a peer-pressure thing,"
"Never bothered me," Zippy said as she walked in, 'her' body slung over Pugsy's shoulders. "I chose the tomboy route to keep that kind of pressure out of my life,"
Shawn and Holly both arched eyebrows. "What happened to you... I mean Pugs... What happened?" Shawn asked.
"Ah, I tried to give Pugs some lessons in parachuting... The guy acted like he never jumped from 500 feet before!" She dropped her body on the couch, then sat down in a chair.
'Shawn' gave an eye-roll, then began to braid 'Holly's' hair. "Anyway, I just like to look nice. It's actually harder for girls to do, rather than guys- right Zippy?"
Zippy scoffed. "Have you not noticed the body I'M stuck in? ...But yeah, I see your point. Again, that's why I don't try- too much work, too much pressure, and too much waste for life."
"I get what you're saying, Holly- I had to go through the same thing as a TV star. Outside of my hairstyle, I always had to keep my looks in-check... Zippy's right, it gets tiring after a while." Shawn said. "That's one reason why I finally decided to get out of show-business and just settle down for a while. ...I don't think you should worry too much about your looks, either. You're only 12, after all, and you have a good heart."
"You really think so?" Holly asked, a blush coming to Shawn's face.
"Hey, why else would boys flip for you? ...Speaking of Flip, I wonder how he and Shaggy are doing,"
"I'll go check on them, I promised Flip I'd help him study anyway." Holly got up and walked towards Flip's room.
Shawn looked at the braid in Holly's hair. "You know... maybe I should have that girl do my hair one of these days," he commented. "She does a good job!"
Zippy face-palmed. "Oh, geez, Shawn, first you look like a girl, now you're starting to act like one!" she commented.
"Oh, hush! I was just giving her a compliment,"
"For someone who can do hair with man-hands like yours, I agree..." Zippy then held up an iPhone... showing a video of 'Shawn' braiding 'Holly's' hair!
"What the...?! Zippy, erase that video!"
A smirk appeared on Pugsy's face. "It's gonna cost ya!"
"ZIP!" Shawn then began to chase Zippy...
...Though, when the others stepped out, all they could see was 'Holly' chasing 'Pugsy' around.
Didn't help that 'he' caught 'her' and began to wrestle 'her' for the iPhone... and 'she' was losing.
"Ow! Watch those nails!/Give me the phone!/Take it easy!/Phone! Now!/Get off me!/Just hand over the phone!/Yeow! Watch it, or that braid gets yanked out!" they were both shouting.
It was enough to get Pugsy to come to. "Ugh... what's going on?" he asked, rubbing Zippy's head.
"You're getting beaten up by a girl half your age, that's what." Shaggy replied, trying to hold in a snicker.
"SHAWN!" Holly shouted, storming over and prying 'herself' off Pugsy.
Shawn managed to get the iPhone, and deleted the video. "HA! GOT IT!" he exclaimed, tossing it back to Zippy.
Zippy rubbed Pugsy's head. "Geez, Pugs, either Holly's a real fighter, or you're out of shape!" she commented.
"Ah, shut up! You're the one who lost to a 12-year-old!" Pugsy sneered. "And I thought I told you not to cause any damage- that includes, no brawling!"
"Hey, you're the one always saying girls can't keep their hands off you- never thought it meant in a strangling-sense!" Shaggy joked, badly.
Pugsy glared at him... then punched Shaggy's stomach! "OOF!" Flip grunted, holding Shaggy's stomach and falling back.
"Sorry Flip!"
"Hey! Lay off my man, creep!" Zippy snapped... then punched Pugsy in his face with his own fist. "Ow..."
"Oh, so that's how it's going to be played, huh?!" Pugsy snapped, then slapped Zippy's face.
"Alright, that's enough! I think there's been enough violence around here, already!" Holly snapped.
Zippy took a deep breath. "You're right, it's been a bad day, we should all just-" she began to say, then bolted for the balcony!
"DON'T YOU DARE!" Pugsy shouted, running after her.
Everyone watched as 'Pugsy' climbed on the balcony railing, 'Zippy' trying to grab him by the waist, only for both of them to topple over!
*CRASH!*
"Um... anyone want to just watch a movie until this is over with?" Holly suggested, and everyone else agreed.
d~b
~The Next Day...~
Robotnik walked down into the basement, bending Ted's back a bit. "Ugh! I haven't slept that uncomfortably since the time I fired my chiropractor!" he sneered. "Oh, well, the machine should be done by now, then I can rest in my own- HUH?!"
Once he got downstairs, to his surprise he saw all his lackeys sitting around a table- a vending machine behind them- while eating donuts and drinking coffee! "Hey-o, Robotnik! Boy, you really slept in," Ted replied, waving Robotnik's arm.
"What the...?! Why aren't you lunkheads working on the machine?!"
"Well, after you left around midnight, the boys and I decided to take a break and play a little poker before bed. Then we all decided to go out and get donuts this morning," Ted held up the box. "Want some?"
"I don't want your glazed-coated breakfast treats! I want my body back!" Robotnik snarled, then looked in the box. "Ooh, is that a raspberry bear-claw?" he shook his head. "No! Argh! I'm starting to think like this buffoon! You dolts get to work on that machine NOW!"
"Yeah, yeah, we're on it..." Jasper sneered, as the henchmen got to work.
"Hey, uh, do you really have to yell at them like that?" Uncle Ted asked Robotnik.
"Yes!" Robotnik snapped. "Now stay in sight, and stay quiet!"
Ted rolled 'Robotnik's' eyes. "Sheesh, you'd think he'd be in a better mood, being in a well-built body like that,"
d~b
Back in Shaggy, Pugsy, and Flip's apartment, everyone was asleep- 'Pugsy' (who had a bandage on his head and arm in a sling) sprawled out on the floor next to 'Shawn' while 'Holly' was on the couch.
Flip was the first one up, walking into the bathroom. "Gah!" he yelped, looking into the mirror, and sighed. "Oh, right, we switched bodies... man, I hope that machine gets fixed..." He walked out, seeing a couple applications Pugsy had brought home yesterday.
Pugsy, by this time, was just now waking up as well... a bandage covering Zippy's head. "Morning, Shag..." he said.
"Morning, Zippy."
Both of them paused, looking at each other. "Ah, crud... so it wasn't a nightmare. We actually DID switch bodies..." he looked at his own body. "And Zippy made me go over the balcony- in more ways than one!"
"...And got beat up by Shawn K... or, Holly... or whatever." Flip cleared his throat. "So, uh, find any good applicants?"
"No... and unless that machine starts working again, I won't be able to find any!" Pugsy then passed by the balcony...
Unaware of a certain masked figure eavesdropping, before disappearing over the edge.
Pugsy blinked, looking out at the balcony. "Ever have the feeling you're being watched?"
"...Or that someone ripped off Batman?" Flip added.
Pugsy rubbed Zippy's face. "I think I'm growing delusional..." he froze just then. "...That's probably what happened to Zippy!"
"Calm down, dude, just drink some coffee." Flip turned back to the applications, noticing there was a stack of blank ones. "What are the blank ones doing here?"
"Ah, the boss sent them home with me- he told me to pass them out to college students."
"I guess you never got around to it..."
"Are you kiddifying? I went over there, passing out a few, and the saps chucked them at me. ...I think only one of them gave me a decent one,"
Flip noticed it, on the top, reading the name. "Vincent B. Alchemist?"
"That's the one... But the name sounded like a joke, so I'm going to have to look it up later,"
Flip nodded Shaggy's head. "I'm sure someone good will apply,"
"Yeah, hopefully..." Pugsy walked out of the room.
Flip stared down at the applications, then looked back at the hall toward's Shaggy's room, knowing his friend was still asleep. Shaggy helped me out... maybe I can help him out, too! Flip thought, then grabbed an application.
d~b
Back downstairs, the lackeys were having trouble with the machine. "We can't seem to reverse the frequency, Robotnik," Jasper said. "The blasted thing is only set on one!"
"Well, keep trying! I can't stay like this forever!" Robotnik snarled.
"But we've tried everything! We even built some parts from Scratch!" Horace argued.
"...And I'd like them back soon, please!" Scratch commented, now missing an arm, leg, eye, and his lower torso.
"I don't care! Try everything! Rebuild the whole thing if you have to!" Robotnik ordered.
Ted looked over, noticing a masked figure by the machine. With the lackeys facing their boss, and Robotnik not even looking at the machine, no one else noticed. "Um, hey guys..." Ted tried to say.
"Not now!" Robotnik snapped at him, then turned to the lackeys. "I want this thing up and running in five minutes, otherwise I'll be making you boys switch brains- with the use of a carving knife!"
The figure took out his sonic-screwdriver, beaming it at the machine. "Robotnik, there's someone-"
"I said be quiet! ...Now get back to work, you brainless heathens!"
"But-"
"WHAT?!" Robotnik bellowed in his own face. "WHAT is SO important, that you keep having to open my mouth?!"
"The machine, someone-"
"Oy, look! It's fixed!" Jasper said, revealing that the frequency has been reversed, so the switch can be undone.
"It is? IT IS! YES!" Robotnik exclaimed, running over. Ted looked over, seeing a masked figure give a salute, before disappearing out of the building. Before he could think into it more, Robotnik hit the button.
d~b
There was a flash of light that once again enveloped the apartment building. So bright that, once it faded, everyone was awake back in Flip, Shaggy, and Pugsy's apartment. "H-Huh...? How'd I get in the kitchen?" Shaggy asked, rubbing his eyes, as he thought he was still asleep... he then looked down, seeing he was back in his own body. "W-What...? Hey! I'm ME again!"
"You are...?" Holly asked, sitting up. "You are! ...And..." she looked, seeing she was herself, too! "So am I!"
"YIPPEEEEEEE!" came an excited yell, as Zippy ran out of the room, doing cartwheels and leaping over furniture. "I'm a GIRL again! Woo-hoo!"
"Could've fooled me," Pugsy joked, lying on the couch. Zippy swatted him with his own hat before dropping it on his stomach, and taking her cap back.
"Boy, was that an experience I wouldn't want to go through again," Shawn K. said.
"Ditto," Flip added as he stepped out, looking at the clock, seeing it was 7:00. "And it looks like I won't have to call in sick!"
"...Or rip off a cliche that's been done in every single kind of body-switching scenario!" Zippy added, walking out onto the balcony with her parachute. "Well, back to the same ol' routine!" she then dove over the balcony, pulling the cord... and a giant eagle shot out, grabbing her by the arms with its talons and soaring through the air with a mighty screech.
"...Okay... I'm going to be the first to say, I'm glad to have my body back!" Pugsy exclaimed.
"Ditto!" everyone else agreed.
"I'd better get back home. See you, Flip! I had fun- despite Shawn tried to throttle Zippy/Pugsy with my own hands!" Holly exclaimed, walking out.
"Yeah... um... sorry about that," Shawn said to Pugsy, chuckling weakly as he stepped out.
"Well, so much for taking a day off," Pugsy said, getting ready for work. "I'd better head out now,"
"Don't forget the applications," Flip said, handing him the applications- plus one extra.
"Thanks, Flip. You sure you want to go to school, though? You didn't get to study too much,"
"It's okay, I think I learned enough," he looked over at Shaggy. "I had a good mentor,"
Shaggy gave a grin. Pugsy shrugged, and they walked out, glad to be back in control of their own lives.
d~b
Robotnik had his eyes covered... and when he opened them, he was happy to see he was covering his own eyes! He was back in his body! "SUCCESS!" He exclaimed.
"Hey, I'm me again!" Ted exclaimed as well. "This is great! We're all back to normal!"
"Speak for yourself!" came Jasper's voice...
...out of Scratch's body.
"Blimey! What happened to us?!" came Horace's voice out of Grounder's body.
"Boss... I think something went wrong!" came Grounder's voice out of Horace's body, then held up 'his' hands. "I-I-I have fingers!"
"How can you walk on these scrawny legs?!" Scratch asked Jasper, looking down at 'his' legs.
"Be lucky you HAVE legs!" Horace snapped.
"Hey, no problem-o, guys! We'll just use the machine again-" Uncle Ted began to say.
*CRASH!*
The machine, without any real cause, suddenly fell apart into a pile of scrap-metal.
Robotnik sighed. "I'll see if the catalogues have any good deals on brain-switching machines..." he groaned, then smirked. "FOR a price..."
"OH COME ON!" Jasper shouted.
d~b
Pugsy sat in his chair at the radio-station, preparing for another day, when he got a call. "Yeah? ...Oh, hey boss. ...Yeah, I looked over the applications." he said on the phone. "I think that 'Vincent' kid is the only one that's good- at least his profile checked out okay. ...Oh, giving him the afternoon slot? Alright. ...Huh? ...Other application? What other application? ...Really? I must've missed it. ...Oh, no, I know the guy- I think he'd do well. ...Sure, I'll call him up."
He hung up, then took out his cell phone. Well... he's the best option I have left... he thought as he went through his contacts.
d~b
Flip was walking home from school, catching up with Holly in the backyard. "Hey, Flip! How'd your test go?" she asked.
"I passed!" Flip said, holding up a test-paper with a 'B+' on it. "Who would've thought Shaggy would actually be right about something?"
"Speaking of Shaggy, I heard he got a new job!"
Flip feigned surprise. "Really? Where?"
Holly took out her iPod, which had a recorded transmission of a radio-show on it. "Listen..."
Flip put on the ear-phones, listening eagerly.
"...and this is Leo Brave signing out. Want to thank everyone who tuned in- and special thanks to my new partner, Case Rogers," came Pugsy's voice.
"Thanks for having me, Leo. Glad I got the gig," came Shaggy's voice... though it sounded smoother and less high-pitched.
"I had no idea it was Shaggy, until he and Pugsy told us he got the job! ...It was weird, though, because he claimed he never signed up for it!" Holly said.
"Yeah, weird," Flip said, supressing a smirk. "And yeah, I remember he used the voice once when we all went through a drive-thru, and decided to pull a joke on the guy by 'singing' our order... We got the idea from a web-video,"
Holly laughed. "Well, I'm so glad things worked out well for everyone,"
"Me too," They began to walk inside...
*THUD!*
A large mattress landed in the yard, Pugsy on top of it, and both kids gave him a surprised look. "Eh heh... I-I thought I'd give it one more shot," he said, sheepishly.
d~b
A/N: Yeah, you wouldn't believe how badly I wanted to throw in the 'body switch' cliches, but it was so much to choose from and I wanted to hurry and publish this... so yeah, got lazy.
The ending where Shaggy gets the radio job is both a reference and a tribute to his original voice actor, Casey Kasem. RIP, Casey. We will miss you.
Review.