Toy Story & Monsters Inc. Crossover
IMPORTANT: Hey everyone! This is story is an idea I've had for a while and finally I'm writing it down. First off, I'd like to point out that there are so many Disney theories. SO many! Brushing up on the ones that are for Toy Story and Monsters Inc., some don't fit my story. I'll try to clear up theories that I use and those I don't. For one, Monsters Inc. doesn't take place in the 1950s or around that time. And time is hard for Toy Story because there are license plates for 1995 and 2018 which doesn't work. It's the same time so obviously Andy and Mary grow up together. I am using Mary Gibbs as her name. Story timeline in Toy Story is messed up and inaccurate. Since Molly is sitting in the front that helps somewhat. Children were allowed to sit in the front until about the 1990s/1995ish. For the purpose of this story, Toy Story takes place in 1995 and naturally moves forward.
Other theories will come up as I go along. I'm so excited for this story! Hope you enjoy!
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Toy Story, Monsters Inc., or any part of Disney.
Toys, Monsters, & Time
Chapter 1- You've Got a Friend in Me
When you're a child, anything is possible. Everything from flight, even if you only end up with bruises instead of soaring through the sky. To unicorns and fairies, even if you never see one. To toys being alive, even if you never see them move. To monsters hiding under your bed, even if you check and they're nowhere to be found. There are children that are scared of those things, afraid to fly, afraid to discover, afraid of the impossible, afraid of what might be lurking. Then there are children who jump every time, never give up on dreams, hope for the craziest of things, and have courage to look for monsters, maybe even be their friend.
But sadly, children grow up. They forget the imaginary friend they had tea with every afternoon. Toys get left on shelves, donated, and lost. Monsters stop visiting them and they sleep through the night without a light. They enter the world of adulthood, where not everything is possible, where dreams are hard to achieve, and the world of childhood is forgotten.
This is a story, perhaps badly written, about two children, best friends, that had a childhood full of possibility, magic, and wonder. They grew up, just like everyone does. They'll discover that while they're no longer kids, no one is ever too old to believe.
August 18th, 1995, Friday- Day of Andy's party from Toy Story
Andy sits at the table eating his favorite cereal for breakfast. Molly is sitting in her highchair playing with some tupperware, though most chaotically end up on the floor. Mrs. Davis puts up her hair as she runs through her mental list of everything she needs to do before the party. Wiping the excess milk off his arm, Andy pushes the nearly empty bowl forward before leaping off the chair.
"Andy," Mrs. Davis pauses her son's actions. "Have you picked up all your toys around the house? Last I saw there were soldiers in the hall."
"Do I have to pick them up?" Andy slightly whines. "What if we want to play with them?"
"Then you'll get them out. We don't need anyone stepping on them before that," Mrs. Davis reasons. "Go pick them up then you can play in your room until your party starts."
"Alright!" Andy enthusiastically runs out of the room.
Mrs. Davis shakes her head with a giggle. The loud outbursts from Molly get her focus. All the distracting tupperware has been lost. Mrs. Davis takes Molly out of her highchair. She squirms and laughs wildly.
"Can you behave while mommy decorates?" Mrs. Davis questions.
Molly becomes more fidgety.
"Didn't think so," Mrs. Davis sighs.
The joyous shouts of Andy can be heard as Mrs. Davis climbs the stairs with Molly in her arms. Andy is setting up his toys when she walks in.
"I've got to leave Molly in her crib while I set up. Can you watch her for me? Just put her toys back in if they "escape"," Mrs. Davis requests.
"Sure. Molly's crib can be the jail!" Andy finds a piece of paper.
Grabbing a red crayon from his desk, he writes "jail" until it's nice and thick. Mrs. Davis helps tape it to the crib.
"Smart thinking," Mrs. Davis praises. "I'll be downstairs if you need me."
"Bye mom," Andy waves.
Mrs. Davis grabs the hidden decorations from a cabinet and pulls out all the supplies onto the table. She unrolls the streamers and tapes one end on the light over the dining table. She twists the streamer all the way to the wall before tearing the piece off and taping it down. The process is repeated seven more times. After that, the "Happy Birthday" banner along with the words "Andy" are put up. Next, six birthday balloons are blown up and tied to the cabinets in the living room. The only thing left is to put out the plates, hats, cups, and other table stuff.
Just as she's finishing, Mrs. Davis can hear the footsteps of her son. He stops in the living room before joining her at the table.
"Wow! Cool!"
"What do you think?" Mrs. Davis asks.
"Oh, this looks great, Mom!"
"Okay birthday boy–" Mrs. Davis chuckles.
"We saw that at the store! I asked you for it!"
Andy jumps up and down while gripping a chair. She's glad Andy is so excited over this. She's been worried about him lately, though he seems to be doing well.
"I hope I have enough plates," Mrs. Davis slightly worries.
Did she remember to get the right amount? Andy doesn't seem to be listening. The two voices overlap each other.
"Wow, look at that! That's so– Oh, my gosh, you got–"
"One, two –four. Yeah, I think that's gonna be enough," Mrs. Davis determines.
"Could we leave this up till we move?" Andy wonders.
"Well, sure! We can leave it up."
Mrs. Davis is relieved Andy is taking the move so well after everything. She didn't think he would want more change, but she really needs it.
"Yeah!" Andy cheers.
"Now go get Molly. Your friends are gonna be here any minute."
"Okay."
Andy picks up Woody on his way and runs up the stairs.
"It's party time, Woody! Yeeeeeeee-haw!"
While Andy is upstairs, Mrs. Davis checks the fridge and cupboards for snacks and beverages. Everything seems to be in place. There's even a spot for the cake when it gets here. A couple minutes later, Andy comes down carrying Molly. Mrs. Davis places Molly in a playpen set in the kitchen. Several toys are sprawled around.
It doesn't take long for the guests to arrive. They all come about the same time. The front door stays open as numerous people walk through. Most parents just drop off their child. One of the moms walks behind her son to the door carrying a box. Mrs. Davis smiles.
"Thank you so much for picking this up for me Coleen," Mrs. Davis takes the box.
"Of course. Are you sure you'll be alright watching the boys all by yourself? I don't mind staying," Coleen offers.
"I'll be fine. I've got it all planned so we should be fine," Mrs. Davis assures.
"If you say so. Let me know if you need help with the move. I'll get Keon right on it," Coleen laughs.
"I will, thanks. I better get back in there."
"Good luck. Seriously though Emily, call if you need anything."
"I won't hesitate."
Mrs. Davis takes the cake inside and maneuvers through the crazy boys to the fridge. Once the cake is down, Mrs. Davis looks over at Molly, still playing contently. After a deep breath, Mrs. Davis gets back into party mode.
The party feels like it stretches on forever, but eventually all the kids are picked up. It takes more effort to get the sugar-induced Andy to bed, but he falls asleep after some time. Luckily Molly had no trouble falling asleep. Back downstairs, Mrs. Davis cleans up the mess. She rewards herself with a piece of cake. Sitting at the table alone, the whole house feels too quiet, empty. Her eyes hover over the spot where her late husband would sit.
"I wish you could have been here. Doing it alone was a lot harder than I thought it was going to be," Emily admits, her voice cracking at the end.
The rest of her cake is left untouched. She goes upstairs to her room and does some packing before going to sleep.
August 20th, 1995, Sunday
The next few days are filled with changes. Andy changes his room theme from strictly cowboys to space quickly taking over. Even though they'll be moving soon, he couldn't wait to get things set up. Mrs. Davis packs up most of their things. Of course, there were some items that didn't need to be taken and others she couldn't part with yet. There seemed to be so much left to do, but if she packed another box, Mrs. Davis was going to go insane. She needed a break and an excuse to leave the house.
After the long day she had, Emily wasn't in the mood to cook. Since it was almost his actual birthday and school will be starting soon, Mrs. Davis decides to go out for dinner, to Andy's favorite place. She opens Andy's room to him playing with Buzz and Woody. By the boxes' contents, Emily can tell her son isn't just spending all his time playing.
"Oh, all this packing makes me hungry. What would you say to dinner at, oh, Pizza Planet?" Mrs. Davis has to hide her smile.
"Pizza Planet?! Oh cool!" Andy exclaims.
He throws the two toys down on his desk and follows his mom out of the room.
"Go wash your hands, and I'll get Molly ready," Mrs. Davis instructs.
"Can I bring some toys?"
"You can bring one toy."
"Just one?"
"I don't want to have to keep track of too many."
"Oh alright."
Andy washes his hands while Emily changes Molly's diaper and grabs her bag. After washing his hands, Andy realizes he has to go to the bathroom too. Then he has to rewash his hands. By the time he's finished, Emily is ready to go.
"Andy, c'mon!" Mrs. Davis calls.
"Okay Mom, be right down. I've got to get Buzz," Andy responds.
It took some debate whether to take Woody or Buzz, but since Buzz has never been to Pizza Planet before, he should go this time. Andy quickly enters his room with a smile on his face until he doesn't spot Buzz right where he left him. Didn't he leave him on the desk? Maybe he fell? Maybe he left him on the bed? Buzz isn't anywhere to be seen.
"Mom, do you know where Buzz is?" Andy inquires.
Maybe she remembers better than he does.
"No, I haven't seen him," Mrs. Davis replies.
Andy doesn't stop looking. He has to be around here somewhere!
"Andy, I'm heading out the door!" Mrs. Davis warns.
"But Mom, I can't find him!" Andy protests.
"Honey, just grab some other toy. Now, come on!" Mrs. Davis prompts.
Andy sighs.
"Okay."
With a roll of his eyes, Andy grabs Woody and hurries to the car.
"I couldn't find my Buzz. I know I left him right there," Andy insists as he approaches the car.
"Honey, I'm sure he's around. You'll find him," Mrs. Davis reassures.
She starts the car after Andy hops in.
"You just had him," Emily remembers. "It's not like he could have got up and walked away. We'll search your room when we get back."
"Promise we'll find him?"
"Forever and ever, I promise."
Halfway to Pizza Planet, the gas light goes on.
"Looks like we have to get some gas first, but then it's to Pizza Planet," Mrs. Davis replans.
She pulls into Dinoco.
"Can I help pump the gas?" Andy asks.
"Sure! I'll even let you drive."
Both exit the van while Molly is asleep in her car seat in the front.
"Yeah?!"
"Yeah, when you're sixteen," Mrs. Davis teases.
"Yuk, yuk, yuk. Funny, mom," Andy sarcastically laughs.
Mrs. Davis laughs, mostly from somber memories. Her husband would always joke like that with Andy. He wanted to prove to his father that he's all grown up, so Andy would want to help out like pump the gas or pay at the store with any loose change he had.
Andy helps unscrew the gas cap. While Mrs. Davis pays and types the right buttons, Andy picks up the gas nozzle and selects the grade. Gas fills the car. Andy watches as the number rises. When it clicks, Andy carefully puts the nozzle back.
"You're getting all grown up," Mrs. Davis grins.
"I'm almost six!" Andy agrees.
"Let's get back in the car," Mrs. Davis gestures. "Next stop…"
"Pizza Planet! Yeah!" Andy finishes.
Only a few minutes later, the van is parked at Pizza Planet.
"Can I play some games Mom?" Andy pleads.
He holds her arm and jumps up and down excitedly.
"Not yet," Mrs. Davis laughs, pushing Molly in her stroller. "Let's get some food first. I told you I was hungry."
They find a table. While Andy watches Molly, Mrs. Davis orders some slices of pizza and soda. Andy hurriedly eats his share so he can play some games. Mrs. Davis pushes the stroller back in forth while eating. Molly loves the motion.
After the pizza is gone, Andy plays some games. He wants to play one game after another. Nearly an hour later, Mrs. Davis tells him they have to go. Andy wants to spend his tickets, but Emily convinces him to save them up so he can get a better prize in the future.
Once again Molly falls asleep in the car. Andy quietly sits in the car, nearly dozing off himself. When their car parks in the driveway, Andy goes to grab Woody but realizes he's not on the car seat.
"Mom, have you seen Woody?"
"Where was the last place you left him?"
"Right here in the van."
"Oh I'm sure he's there. You're just not looking hard enough."
"He's not here, Mom. Woody's gone."
Andy panics. First Buzz, now Woody. What's happening to all his toys? Where could they have gone? Mrs. Davis briefly looks in the car.
"Let's try in the morning when there's more light. I have to feed Molly before putting her down. Why don't you get ready?"
"Okay," Andy sulks.
August 21st, 2005, Monday
The next morning, Andy and Mrs. Davis search the van and the bedroom. No Woody or Buzz in sight.
"Hm, Buzz must be packed already. And you had Woody last night. You sure you brought him to the car?"
"Yes mom. What if I left him at Pizza Planet last night?" Andy freaks.
"Did you bring him inside?"
"I don't remember. But he could be anywhere inside or in the parking lot!"
"I'll call Pizza Planet. Why don't you finish packing your other toys? Maybe they're somewhere around here."
Andy doesn't quite believe that, but he packs up anyway. Everything that can be packed away is put into boxes. Andy somberly enters the kitchen for a snack.
"I called Pizza Planet, but they haven't seen Woody. They'll call back if they find anything. Why don't you ask the neighbors if they saw him in the yard," Mrs. Davis suggests.
"You mean, the Philipps?" Andy's eyes widen.
He's never gotten along with them. Hannah seems nice, but Sid is pretty scary. Not just because he's older, but he likes to destroy toys. Andy can't imagine why he'd want to. Andy shakenly knocks on the front door. Mrs. Philipps answers.
"Well hi Andy, how are you?" she smiles brightly.
"H-Hi. I'm looking for a toy I lost. Have you seen him?" Andy asks. "He's a cowboy."
"I haven't, but one of my kids might have. Hannah!" Mrs. Phillips turns her head to call.
"Mom where are you?" Hannah comes down the steps.
She sees her mom and Andy at the front door.
"Andy lost his cowboy toy. Have you seen him?" Mrs. Philipps inquires.
"And my Buzz lightyear," Andy adds.
"I haven't sorry," Hannah answers.
Andy lowers his head.
"Let me know if you do. I leave tomorrow," Andy informs.
"Oh, that's right. Have a good moving day. Hope you like your new house," Mrs. Phillips wishes.
Feeling deflated, Andy heads home and trudges up the stairs. He flops onto his bed and stares at the window. Mrs. Davis slowly opens the door. Her heart aches for her son.
"No luck?"
"No," sniffles.
A frown appears on Emily's face as she crosses the room. She sits on the bed and rubs her hand along his back.
"I'm sorry honey. Why don't you come down for dinner?"
Andy nods and follows his mother out. After dinner, the two finish packing and continue searching for his missing toys. No such luck. With tomorrow being moving day, it seems like he'll never find his toys. That night, it rains, mirroring Andy's emotions. Andy crawls into bed, not sure he'll be able to sleep. His mother tucks him in. She grabs his cowboy hat and hands it to him.
"I looked everywhere honey, but all I could find was your hat."
"But what if we leave them behind?" Andy worries groggily.
"Oh, don't worry honey, I'm sure we'll find Woody and Buzz before we leave tomorrow," Mrs. Davis sooths.
Andy closes his eyes. Mrs. Davis turns out the lamp and quietly leaves the room, shutting the door behind her. It's another sleepless night as Andy tosses and turns for hours.
August 22nd, 2005, Tuesday
The next morning, Emily wakes up early to get everything ready for the movers to come. They arrive right on time and begin packing everything into the truck. Emily organizes the boxes that go into their van. Andy watches Molly in the yard.
The movers approach Mrs. Davis after everything is packed.
"Are you all set?" one mover asks.
"Almost. Just need to get one more box in, then my kids," Emily answers.
"Just honk when you're ready," the other responds.
The two hop in the moving van. Emily puts the last box in before picking up Molly.
"Time to go," Mrs. Davis announces.
Andy slumps and follows his mother to the car. Mrs. Davis straps Molly in before putting her own seatbelt on. She honks her horn, signaling she's ready for departure.
"Everybody say, "bye house"!" Mrs. Davis tries to cheer Andy up.
"Bye house," Andy looks at it one last time.
He's not eager to leave the only house he's ever known. Especially when he can't find his favorite toys. How is he going to survive without them? Mrs. Davis pulls out first then the moving van follows.
"What music do you want to listen to?" Mrs. Davis beams.
"I don't care," Andy looks out the window in a daze.
"You sure?"
"Yeah."
"Alright… Disney it is."
The drive is quiet except for the music and Molly's laughter. Andy distracts his mind by thinking about the new house. He hasn't seen it yet, and he's not sure he'll like it. Andy tried to understand why they had to move, but his mom just kept saying "we need a change of scenery". Whatever that means.
A thud startles Andy. Turning to the box next to him, he spots Woody and Buzz lying on top. He grins widely.
"Hey! Wow!" Andy cheers.
"What? What is it?" Mrs. Davis fears something happened.
"Woody! Buzz!" Andy holds up the two toys.
"Oh great, you found them. Where were they?"
"Here! In the car!"
"See? Now, what did I tell you? Right where you left them."
Mrs. Davis smiles as she looks at her son hug his toys through the rearview mirror. She wonders how he could have possibly missed them if they've been right here all along. And herself for that matter. The two vehicles turn on the right street. The van parks on the curb in front of their new house. Andy looks out the window. He still isn't so sure about the place. Emily turns and smiles at her son.
"Andy, how about we go in and you can pick out your room," Mrs. Davis advises.
"Really?!" Andy bubbles.
"Really. Pick one of the upstairs bedrooms so the movers know where to put your stuff," Mrs. Davis confirms.
Andy unbuckles and takes his two favorite toys out with him. He flies them across the yard while Mrs. Davis gets Molly out of her car seat. The moving truck beeps loudly as it backs into the driveway. Mrs. Davis carries Molly up the couple steps to unlock the door. Andy darts in once the door is opened. He runs around the empty house, through the family room, the kitchen, small dining room, and living room.
Back in the front, the stairs catch his eye. Without permission, he dashes up the steps. Buzz flies in the air with his left hand and with his right Woody acts like he's running up the handrail. At the top, there's a bedroom to the left. It's a decent size, but Andy crosses the hall to another room. This one is slightly bigger. Now this one is something. Light pours in and there's access to the roof from the garage. A tree stands to the side of the garage, then the neighbor's window. Andy stands completely still and in awe of the room.
Mrs. Davis comes and stops in the doorway. Molly is gently playing with the ends of her hair, pacifier in mouth. Mrs. Davis smiles.
"So, this is the room?" she figures.
"Hmm, what do you think Buzz? Want to live here?" Andy waits for further confirmation.
He presses a button on Buzz.
"To infinity and beyond!"
"What about you Woody?" Andy includes.
He pulls Woody's string.
"Yee-haw! Giddy-up partner! We've got to get this wagon train a-movin'!"
"Well you heard him, we better help the movers," Mrs. Davis speaks up.
"Alright let's go!" Andy beams.
He runs back downstairs and outside. The movers are starting to get boxes and furniture out of the truck. Andy places Buzz and Woody in the car. Mrs. Davis sets up a playpen from the car in the grass. She places a blanket and some toys down. Molly is content to be distracted by her toys and not cry for attention while Mrs. Davis helps out. Andy does his best with boxes that aren't too heavy. Half an hour or so later, the neighbors come over.
"Hello there," the man greets.
Mrs. Davis stops her movements and waves.
"Hi, it's nice to meet you," she returns.
They go to shake hands.
"I'm Jason Gibbs, and this is my wife Sofía," the man introduces.
"Welcome to the neighborhood," Sofía Gibbs smiles.
"Thank you. I'm Emily Davis."
She notices two little kids with the Gibbses. The older one is a girl with short, dark brown hair in pigtails and beautiful, brown eyes. She takes after her mother. The younger one resembles his father more with dirty blonde hair but has a shade or two lighter blue eyes.
"And who do we have here?" Mrs. Davis inquires, kneeling down to their level.
The older girl hides behind her mother, only showing half her face. The boy is a little braver. He doesn't hide but he also doesn't answer.
"These are our children Mary and David," Mr. Gibbs answers for them. "Mary is one month shy of six, and Davis will be four in October."
"Well, it's nice to meet you two. I have two children as well. This is Molly," Mrs. Davis gestures to the baby a few feet away. "She's six months. And Andy is in the house. He's turning six tomorrow."
She sticks out her hand for a handshake. The little girl hides, still too afraid to move. The little boy shakes her hand but pulls it back quickly. Just then, Andy exits the house, jumps down skipping the steps. Mrs. Davis waves him over.
"Andy meet our neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Gibbs, and their children, Mary and David," Emily presents. "Mary is the same age as you."
"Hi," Andy returns.
"Hello!" Davis greets loudly.
Mary is a little hesitant.
"Say hi dear," Mrs. Gibbs requests, putting a comforting hand on Mary's back.
"Hi," Mary squeaks.
"You don't have to be afraid, I'm fun! I have a lot of toys we can play with," Andy exults.
"Why don't you show Mary and David your toys," Mrs. Davis suggests.
"Alright!" Andy cheers.
He runs to the pile of boxes at the car and grabs all his favorite toys.
"Do you want any help?" Mr. Gibbs offers.
"Sure! I would appreciate it," Mrs. Davis accepts.
"I'll help as well," Mrs. Gibbs joins.
"Honey, I don't want you lifting anything," Mr. Gibbs reminds.
"Dear, I'm not due till January," Mrs. Gibbs protests.
"I don't want to take any chances."
"Fine," Mrs. Gibbs sighs. "I'll go make some lemonade for everyone."
The two head over to the moving truck. Mrs. Gibbs squats down to her children.
"Daddy's going to help move some boxes. Why don't you two play with Andy in the yard," Mrs. Gibbs recommends.
"I help!" David insists.
Mrs. Gibbs smiles.
"Alright you come help the grownups. You can make lemonade with mamá," Mrs. Gibbs agrees. "Will you be okay here Mary?"
Mary nods her head. Mrs. Gibbs and David head inside their yellow, two-story house. Andy comes back with his toys and sets the box on the grass. He kneels down and starts pulling them out one-by-one. Mary sits down, crisscross watching Andy closely. He's lined up all his toys.
"These are my best toys," Andy picks up each toy as he talks about them. "This is Slinky, he's an attack dog with a built-in force field. Rex, my t-rex, can eat force field dogs, so the two don't always get along. But don't let that fool you, he typically doesn't like violence. Mr. Potato Head is a master criminal that goes by the name One-Eyed Bart. And Hamm here seems normal and funny plus keeps your money safe, but really, he's the evilest villain of all, Evil Dr. Pork Chop!"
Mary gasps lightly.
"This is Rocky, my wrestler, and RC, a remote-controlled car, but his battery looks dead," Andy continues. "Bo Peep is really Molly's, but I thought you would want to play with her. Oh, and her flock of sheep."
Andy hands Bo Peep over to Mary. She turns her over and examines her. She smiles slightly.
"I just got Buzz here for my birthday. He can fly and even say cool things," Andy lights up, pressing some buttons.
"Buzz Lightyear to the rescue!"
"And this is Woody, he was my dad's and one of my firsts that I still have. He's a sheriff. He leads and protects all my toys. He also can say some things," Andy demonstrates by pulling his string.
"There's a snake in my boot!"
Mary giggles. The two begin to play after that. Though still shy, Mary does her best to have fun. Andy does his best to make Mary part of the team. Amongst their playing, Mrs. Gibbs and David come back out with plenty of lemonade for everyone, including the movers. Sometime later, the movers leave with their truck. The grownups come out of the house not too long after.
"Come on Mary, we need to go home," Mrs. Gibbs announces.
Mary hands Bo Peep back to Andy before waving and running over to her mom. The four walk up the small porch and head inside. Andy gathers his toys and follows his mother inside. His room really only has his bed and dresser set up. The rest of the room is filled with his boxes.
For the rest of the weekend the Davises unpack boxes and make the house more livable, a home.
August 27th, 2005, Sunday
Way too soon, Andy is lying in his bed. Tomorrow is the first day of school. He's a little nervous. Kindergarten was fun, but his mother told him first grade is different. You have to spend more time at school and learn things. He also isn't thrilled about meeting other children. Would he make any new friends? He misses his old friends. It didn't occur to him they wouldn't be going to the same school, but his mother told him they live in a different district. Doesn't seem fair.
August 28th, 2005, Monday
Before Andy knew it, his mom is gently shaking him awake. Andy grumbles and turns to face her. He has a slight frown on his face.
"Do I have to go?" Andy complains.
Mrs. Davis smiles.
"You don't want to miss the first day. I know first grade is different, but you'll enjoy it. You'll see," Mrs. Davis encourages.
"What if I don't make any friends?"
"You will. You're smart and funny. Who could resist a face like this?" Mrs. Davis teases as she squeezes him in a tight hug from behind and squishes his cheeks.
"Mommm," Andy whines.
She releases him.
"You'll do great, I promise."
"You promise?"
"Forever and ever, I promise."
Andy smiles and gets out of bed. He dresses himself and runs downstairs to get breakfast. Molly is in her highchair already playing with her food. Andy downs his cereal and races back upstairs to brush his teeth. The three pile into the car and make their way to the elementary school.
Mrs. Davis pulls into the school lot and parks her car. Today for the first day, the parents will lead and drop off their children. As the three follow the other parents and students into the entrance, a greeter directs them.
"Welcome to Tri-County Elementary. If you need assistance locating your kid's classroom, stop at the table to the left. Otherwise go ahead and walk over to the classroom," she announces.
Mrs. Davis already knows the way to Andy's first grade teacher's room. The words "Mrs. Kain" are written on a huge poster plastered to an open door. The two walk inside, Molly is curious at the sights from her spot in mom's arms.
"Welcome! Who do we have here?" a woman with short blonde hair greets.
"I'm Andy Davis!" he proudly answers.
The woman looks at a list on her clipboard and marks next to it with a checkmark.
"Welcome Andy, my name is Mrs. Kain. I'll be your teacher this year," the woman smiles.
"Hi, my name is Emily," Mrs. Davis introduces.
"Nice to meet you. Do you know how pick-up works?" Mrs. Kain questions.
"Yes, you'll bring the children up to the front gate at 2:30," Mrs. Davis relays.
"Right, and will it be you who picks him up?"
"Yeah, I'll be here."
"Alright, see you at 2:30."
Mrs. Davis leaves with Molly. Mrs. Kain turns to Andy and gestures to the classroom.
"Go ahead and look around with some of the other students. We'll regroup when the bell rings," Mrs. Davis instructs.
"Alright," Andy beams and takes off.
Mrs. Davis turns back to the door and waits for the next student and parents to arrive. Andy looks at all the books on the shelf. The one about planets really grabs his attention. There are about ten other kids in the class, browsing the shelves and looking at other exciting things in the classroom.
"They have a lot of books," one boy with brown speaks up next to him.
"Do you think we'll read them all?" Andy inquires.
"Maybe but there's so many!" he replies.
The two briefly laugh before the boy nudges Andy. They turn to look at the door. Andy recognizes the girl who just came in as his neighbor.
"That girl is super weird," the boy sticks out his tongue in disgust.
"How do you know?" Andy's eyes widen.
"We were in same kindergarten. She's totally weird," another boy with black hair joins in.
Andy stares at her, wondering if that's true. She didn't seem weird when they played. Just a little shy. She spots Andy and waves uncertainly at him. The two boys laugh and pull Andy away. The girl looks down, sad her new neighbor doesn't wave back.
Ten minutes later, the school bell rings, and the teacher gathers all her students on a large, colorful rug in the reading area. Andy is up front with the two other boys. He notices his neighbor is sitting in the way back by herself. Maybe she is a little weird. Mrs. Kain goes over some rules of the classroom and lists some things they'll be learning this trimester.
At recess, all the kids go out to play. Andy is invited to play handball. Something he's never done before but is eager to learn. He wonders if Mary will play, but he sees her sitting on a swing, head down. The group of boys at the handball court steal his attention away.
After more class time, it's lunch. All the first graders eat together in a lunchroom. His class has to sit together at one table. Andy is surrounded by his loud, male classmates. His neighbor is at the end with the teacher. Mrs. Kain looks like she's trying to talk with her, but Mary answers shortly before eating.
When enough time passes, the children are dismissed to go outside and play. Andy is excited to continue playing handball. He wasn't too bad at it before once he understood the rules. This time Mary isn't by the swings, she's jumping rope next to some other girls. Though, they're ignoring her. Andy wants to go over there, but boys don't jump rope.
In class, the teacher has all the students sit down on the rug again. She takes a book and starts to read it. She asks them about some harder words. Some students have no problem answering her. Others are too quiet or unsure. After that, the first graders have a small break. Andy watches as Mary goes to the sandbox and tries to sit awkwardly in her skirt. The two boys with Andy spot her and insist on going over. Maybe they want to play with her too. Andy is wrong.
The boy with brown hair kicks some sand onto Mary. Luckily, none gets in her eyes. She does, however, stand up quickly with wide eyes.
"Hey!" Andy jumps in. "That wasn't nice."
"So? Weirdo here likes sand. Likes to wear it all over her clothes," Zack, the kid with brown hair, taunts.
"I do not," Mary argues quietly.
"Still playing alone weirdo?" the other kid, Johnny, teases. "Still believe in monsters?"
"Of course she believes in them. No wonder no one wants to play with the weirdo Johnny," Zack laughs.
"I'll play with her," Andy defends.
The two boys glare at Andy.
"Playing with the weirdo would make you a weirdo too," Zack warns.
"I'd rather be a weirdo than a mean bully," Andy decides.
"Whatever, let's go play handball," Zack scoffs.
Zack and Johnny leave. Mary dusts off her outfit while Andy steps into the sandbox.
"D-Do you… want to play?" Mary hesitates.
Andy gives a big smile.
"Sure!" Andy agrees, picking up a shovel. "We can be friends too."
"Really?" Mary asks, surprised.
"Really. Best friends."
"Promise?"
"I promise forever."
"Forever," Mary repeats amazed.
"Yeah, forever. Till the end of time," Andy expands. "We'll be best friends till the end of time."
Mary smiles. The two start quietly playing together. Andy's mind wanders to what the two boys said.
"Do you really believe in monsters?" Andy inquires.
Mary turns her head away, her heart racing. He can't leave her. Not after his promise. But what if he still does after he hears the truth? Mary slowly shakes her head.
"No," Mary lies.
"Well, I think monsters are cool."
Mary turns her face back toward Andy.
"I've never seen one," Andy admits. "But it would be cool to meet one."
Mary nods in agreement. The two spend the rest of recess playing.
From then on, Andy stays by Mary's side. Zack, Johnny, and some other boys continue to tease Mary and extend their teasing to Andy. However, Andy doesn't let it bother them. He's not afraid to stand up to them. Mary just stands there even though Andy keeps telling her to "stand up to the mean bullies".
After the first week of school, their parents find out they're in the same class. Mrs. Gibbs offers to pick both up at the end of the day since Mrs. Davis works. They decide to split the days because Mrs. Davis works from home in the afternoons anyway.
The friendship between Andy and Mary blossoms after that. Mary starts to open up to Andy, not be as shy. Things are going well. Even the mean boys leave them alone. The two spend as much time together as possible, even on weekends. As the months go by, it's almost like the two have been best friends for as long as they can remember. Even if the two are apart, they aren't far since their bedroom windows face each other. They spend hours talking through the window when one can't come out to play.
The two families even spend the holidays together. For her birthday, Mary and Andy go to the movies. On Halloween, Andy dresses up as a space ranger. Mary dresses up as his partner. The Gibbses invite the Davises over for an early Thanksgiving meal. As tradition goes, the Gibbses visit Jason Gibb's parents for Thanksgiving. They live in Arizona. For Christmas, Emily Davis hosts an early feast. The two families exchange gifts at that time. Andy gets Mary a cute little jaguar stuffed animal, as a "protector". Mary gets Andy a gift too but says he can't open it until Christmas. At first, Andy doesn't see that as fair but gives in at his mother's insistence. Since Sofía Gibbs is from Mexico, the family spends Christmas with her parents in Mexico.
On Christmas day, Andy misses Mary but is glad to finally open her gift.
"Which one do you want to open first?" Mrs. Davis asks.
"The one from Mary!" Andy chooses.
He eagerly unwraps the paper. It's a Mrs. Potato Head.
"Mary did say I needed more female toys," Andy laughs.
Mrs. Davis notices the box with a certain puppy in it getting restless.
"Why don't you open this one next," Mrs. Davis indicates, pushing the box closer.
Andy is confused when it starts to move and makes noise. His excitement skyrockets at the whimpers.
"Oh, what is it? What is it?" Andy bounces up and down in his spot.
The puppy barks as the lid is uncovered. He jumps up to lick Andy.
"Wow! A puppy!"
The puppy runs around the room excitedly, barking and sniffing everything.
"Now Andy, you have to take care of him. You need to feed him, give him water, play with him, and when he gets a little older, you'll have to take him on walks," Mrs. Davis explains.
"I will! Promise," Andy accepts.
"You do?"
"Forever and ever, I promise."
Mrs. Davis smiles.
"What are you going to name him?"
"Hmm, Buster!"
"What a great name."
When Mary comes back, she's excited about Buster as well. Buster immediately loves her by continuously licking her face and staying by her side the whole visit.
Come January fourth, Mrs. Gibbs gives birth to a little girl, Isabella or Bella for short. Mary absolutely loves her. Andy finds her a little squishy. Mary and David stay with the Davises while their parents are at the hospital. For spring break, the two families go camping together. They take three tents. One for Mrs. Davis and Molly, one for Mr. and Mrs. Gibbs and Bella, and the last for Andy, Mary, and David. The trip is full of fishing, hiking, swimming, and playing with the toys they brought.
Though Mary isn't a huge fan when they fish. Whenever Andy catches one, he shoves it in her face till she screams. Then Mary throws water in retaliation and the two laugh till they can't breathe. And get soaked.
Then summer comes. Much to the annoyance of both parents, Andy and Mary spend every waking moment with each other. They get over it quickly once they see how much they mean to each other. The families go to the movies, the beach, and even a carnival not too far away. They only spend a few days apart when Andy goes to camp.
For Andy's birthday, he gets a bounce house. He invites all his friends from his last school over. Mary is the only girl and at first that makes her nervous. Andy has no problem keeping her spirits up. Summer is perfect. But it ends too quickly.
When school rolls around again, the two are saddened when they don't have the same teacher. Mary worries their friendship will be over.
"Don't worry Mary, we're best friends. We promised, to the end of time. I keep our promises."
That gets a smile from Mary.
"Forever till the end of time."
Though the two go separate ways to their classrooms, Andy watches Mary until she walks through the door. Once inside, Andy enters his classroom, already missing Mary. This is his chance to make new friends, not that Mary held him back or anything. He just hopes Mary is fitting in too.
Mary is a bundle of nerves. Without Andy in her class, she doesn't know if she'll survive. She thinks about crying, but remembers Andy told her to be brave. They're still best friends, that won't change. All the girls already seem like good friends, no way they'll let her join. The teacher assigns the students to a desk. Everyone is in groups of four. Mary is put with two boys and a girl. The three start laughing and talking immediately. Mary doesn't know what to say. They're talking about a show she isn't allowed to watch. Unfortunately, the girl drags her into the conversation.
"What do you think of it Mary? Who's right? Me or Travis?" the girl asks.
"I… don't know," Mary answers shyly. "I can't watch it."
"Why not?" Travis questions confused.
Mary shrugs. The three share a look, one that tells Mary she should have just picked a side. They go back to talking, this time without consulting Mary. Recess couldn't come soon enough. Mary hurriedly runs outside and waits for Andy to come out. He comes out laughing with some boy classmates. She worries he'll want to hang out with them, but when Andy sees her, he smiles and runs over to her.
"Hey Mary! How was class?" Andy inquires.
"Fine," Mary replies. "Yours?"
"Good! Everyone is really nice. What should we do?"
Mary normally hates deciding. She gets afraid Andy won't like her suggestion, not that
he ever minds doing what she wants.
"Swings?" Mary hesitates.
"Sounds good. I'm gonna go higher than you this time," Andy challenges and runs off.
Mary giggles.
"Not higher than me!" Mary counters.
Though the two aren't in the same class, that doesn't stop them from being best friends. They still carpool together, hang out at recess, have playdates at home, and spend time with each other's families. They continue the previous year's plans with early Thanksgiving and Christmas meals at each other's homes.
It was only the beginning of all the years of friendship and fun.
Thanks for reading! So, I changed some things. For one, I made Mrs. Potato Head come from Mary to Andy instead of Molly getting it. Andy is always playing with it in the movies, so it just makes sense. Secondly, there's a theory, confirmed or not, that Andy's father left the family. But in my story, he passed away. Thirdly, you may be confused why Mary is so shy when she behaves so differently in Monsters Inc. Personality can change as a child grows up. For example, I was really crazy at two-years-old but then became really shy at about four. So, it can happen.
Another thing, Mary's house as I described looks a little bit different than in the movie if you look closely. I added windows on the second story on either side of the chimney. Mary's room from Monsters Inc. would also look a little different. Tri-Country Elementary school is a place I made up (so if there is a school in real life that wasn't my intention). This story to me takes place in the San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara or Ventura counties in California. So, they live somewhere in there, but I'll never be specific about names. Lastly, if grammar is bad when children are speaking, that may be intentional and not an error. The real lastly… the story may start out slowly the first few chapters with background and growing up, but I promise it gets better. Keep reading!
Thanks! Please review to show your love or express your opinion as long as you're respectful!