DISCLAIMER: I don't own these characters. Please don't sue.

ALL STAR SCOOBY DOO

Coolsville High Paranormal Mystery Club

:::::OH BROTHER:::::

It was a very uncomfortable situation for Velma, sitting here talking with Fred Jones. It was already a half an hour after the first meeting of the Coolsville High Paranormal Mystery Club was scheduled to begin and so far they were the only two that had shown up. What have you gotten yourself into Velma? She thought to herself. Fred had been very nice the entire time, talking about his future plans for the group and even had a list of positions that would be available to be voted on by the club's members.

"Jeez Fred, I'm not sure how many positions we're going to need. It looks like you and I were the only ones to show up." Velma said.

"Don't worry there will be more. They must just be running late." Fred said with an optimistic smile.

Oh brother! How long is he expecting us to wait? Velma wondered.

"So Velma, are you still into My Little Pony?" Fred asked walking over to sit by her.

"What?" The questions and sudden change of topic caught her off guard.

"My Little Pony?" He repeated. "Don't 'cha remember, I came to your birthday party at the Blake's house when we were kids?" Freddy said.

"You were there?" Velma said but it was lie. Velma did remember all too well that birthday party.

Daphne's mother, after Velma's father's disappearance, had insisted on throwing Velma a traditional little girl's birthday party, filled with pink stuff and balloons, not at all what Velma would have wanted but then again, Daphne's mom had never understood Velma to begin with. Mrs. Blake had invited all of Daphne's friends to the party and told everyone to that Velma was really into My Little Pony so all the guest brought little pink bags and packages stuffed full of the plastic horse toys of all colors and size.

In fact, of all the children that came to that party that day, Fred had stood out in particular to Velma. She'd had a crush on him all through elementary and her and Daphne had many talks about Fred being the boy that Velma wanted to grow up and marry. Mrs. Velma Jones, she used to call herself. But the day of her party, Fred, her crush, her future husband, only had eyes for Velma's best friend Daphne. Daphne to her credit did her best to try to get Velma and Freddy together, but it was to no avail. After the cake had been cut and the gifts had been opened, Velma ducked out the back door and snuck back to her house next door. She remembered crawling into bed, sadly singing, "It's My Party and I'll Cry If I Want To" as tears streamed down her cheeks. A short while later, Daphne had come to find her friend Velma, curled up in a ball, buried under her blanket. Daphne crawled into bed with her and that's where they'd stayed until all the guests had left Daphne's house.

"Yea I was. I'll never forget it. I'd never seen so much pink or so many ponies in my entire life." Fred said with a smile. Velma gave a small snort of a laugh. Her face turned beet red.

"Yea I definitely remember that pink disaster." Velma said looking down, trying not to let her embarrassment show.

"So Velma, what where'd you go to middle school?" Freddy asked.

"Coolsville Middle, like you." She answered.

"Oh, we must've been in separate classes." Freddy recovered.

No. We were in class together. You just never noticed me. Velma could feel a sinking feeling in her heart. Here she sat next to her childhood dream boy and he hadn't even remembered they'd spent three years of middle school together, in some of the same classrooms, every day. What an impression you must make. She thought beating herself up. She wanted leave. In fact she wanted to get up and runaway and never come back. This was why Velma never tried to do anything like social events. Every time she did, she just ended up getting hurt.

"Velma, is everything okay?" Freddy asked, "It looks like you're about to cry." He was sincere with question.

Velma Dinkley, don't you do this! Don't you cry on me. Not here, in front of him. Pull it together girl. She told herself. "No I'm fine Freddy. I just think that without any else coming, maybe it'd be best if we just leave." She said standing to leave.

Freddy jumped to his feet, gently grabbing Velma's hand, "Aw come on, don't leave. I'm sure that somebody else will show up and if not we can come up with some kind of strategy to get more people here next week."

Wow, his blue eyes are amazing. She admitted to herself standing closer to Freddy than she had any other boy in years; and he was holding her hand too. "Well I um, I don't know."

"Come on, please don't make me beg you." Freddy said.

Velma, he's holding your hand! A voice erupted from inside her. Don't be stupid.

"Okay Freddy, I'll stay." Velma said collecting herself and sitting back down, letting go of Freddy's hand as he smiled and sat down with her.

After an awkward moment's pause, Freddy said, "Ya know no one's called me 'Freddy' since middle school." Velma gave a nervous smile. "My Dad wanted me to be called Fred. The summer after 8th grade, he told that 'Freddy' was a child's name and I needed to start going by 'Fred'. So starting 9th grade I was no longer 'Freddy' I was just 'Fred'." He said pausing briefly. "I prefer Freddy. I like Freddy."

"Me too." Velma said with a coy smile.

:::::ZOINKS:::::

"Shaggy . . . Shaggy Rogers . . . Wait up." Mark Dixon and crew called after him running to catch up. "What's the deal man? Why have you been avoiding us?"

"I dunno, could it be because you guys left me high and dry when y'all got caught smoking, leaving me to take the wrap?" Shaggy asked continuing to walk, staring at the ground.

"Aw come on man. You should've just ran like the rest of us. Don't be mad about that BS. That was your fault for not running." Mark said. Tommy and Doogie remained silent like always. Mark spoke enough for all them.

"Yea man, but that wasn't cool. I wasn't even smoking and I got in trouble." Shaggy added.

"Whatever Shaggy, that's behind you now. Don't be such a baby." Mark said, the comment infuriated Shaggy but he said nothing. "Anyways, you still on for Friday night right?" Mark asked. This Friday night, while the rest of Coolsville slept, Mark had planned for Shaggy, Tommy, Doogie and himself to break in and vandalize the school; in particular the gymnasium as a form of payback for the Coach making them run laps for swearing.

"No I'm not. I was never really down with that." Shaggy said.

Mark grabbed him by his shoulder, spinning Shaggy around to face him, "Hey this isn't something that you can just back out from or walk away from. You're in. You got that?"

"Yea, what are you some kind'a pansy?" Doogie chimed in.

"You're doing it." Mark commanded.

"Like no man, I'm not." Shaggy said, standing his ground.

Shaggy was so focused on Mark, that he never saw the sucker punch coming from Tommy. The punch landed solidly on Shaggy's cheek, not hard enough to make him fall down, just enough to knock him off balance.

"HEY MAN!" Shaggy roared tossing his backpack on the ground.

"Don't be dumb, Shaggy." Doogie warned. Shaggy realized that he was staring down three possible opponents.

"What the hell? He's wearing makeup." Tommy said looking at the smudge on his fist and on the one on Shaggy's cheek. "You some kinda girl?"

"Screw you." Shaggy said punching Tommy in the face as Mark and Doogie jumped into the fray.

The three of them beat Shaggy bloody until he stopped trying to fight back. "You're going Friday Shaggy. So help me if you back out on us, you'll get this kind of beating every day!" Mark said shaking hands.

"Every day!" Tommy added, giving Shaggy one final kick as he lay on the bleeding in the dirt.

"Come on, let's go." Mark ordered turning to leave, as his two henchmen followed behind him.

Bloatman's Corner: Thank you guys and gals so much for all the positive reviews and personal messages that you've sent me about this story. I'm really glad that you like it. Please keep the feedbacks coming. I have some really cool ideas for this story and can't wait to see them played out in written form. - Bloatman