So...uh...the weirdest thing happened when I posted this last week. For some strange, inexplicable reason, the story kept going offline and it wasn't visible on my profile. I attempted to fix it by deleting it and uploading it again, but it still kept disappearing. Eventually, it started going back and forth between being visible and invisible. It was super weird, because this has never happened with any other story I've posted. Has anyone else had this same issue?
Anyway, due to that little incident, this fanfic went under the radar and ended up receiving ZERO views. Which is odd, because it did get a favorite and I got a private message pertaining to it not long after it went up. Unless those two people just acted without even reading the thing, but that's a little outside of logic.
Actually, according to my stats, none of my fanfics have gotten ANY views in the last month. At first I just believed it was because I was no longer relevant since "Meeting Grojband" ended and everyone just abandoned me shortly after. But then I did a test and visited my own stories while logged out and still, no views were logged. So, I'm beginning to think this is just an issue on the website's end. I don't know, let me know if any of you guys have dealt with or are dealing with this problem at the moment. And of course, let me know if in fact you are reading this story or any of my other ones so I know for sure I'm not being paranoid.
With all that said, let's get on with this week's ghostly installment. But first...THEME SONG TIME!
Stretch, Stinkie, & Fatso: Muahahahahahaaaa!
Molly: Can't believe you're all mine
Fatso: Uh, what?
Molly: You and me for all time
Stretch: No way!
Molly: I'm never, ever, EVER gonna be alone again
Stinkie: This stinks!
Molly: It's just you three and me
Fatso: For all eternity?!
Molly: For all ETERNITY!
Stretch, Stinkie, & Fatso: NOOOO!
Molly & Ghostly Trio: It's the Ghost-Ghostly Trio and Molly McGee
Fatso: We've been cursed!
Stinkie: It's the worst!
Molly: Now you're stuck with me
Molly & Ghostly Trio: We're never gonna be apart
Stretch: Is there a way to hit 'restart'?
Molly: Nope!
Molly & Ghostly Trio: We're the Ghost-Ghostly Trio and Molly McGee
Molly: That's me!
Stinkie: Well, that's she. Hee, hee, hee!
Molly & Ghostly Trio: Ghostly Trio and Molly McGee!
Fatso: Oh yeah!
Yes, that is going to be at the beginning of every chapter from now on. Because why not? Okay, let's get on with the actual story.
Chapter 2
Ghoul's Out
It was the morning after Labor Day in Brighton and the Ghostly Trio decided the perfect way to start the day was with a nice mud bath in their very own san phra phrom Molly gave them (which they considered the only good that came out of her staying in their home).
"Ahh…this is the afterlife, huh boys?" Stretch said. "Nothin' like a good dip in soft and sticky dirt to get rid of all your worries."
"I like it 'cause it's filthy!" Stinkie claimed, sinking deeper into the mud.
"It's okay." Fatso replied, eating one of the cucumbers that he had on his eyes. "It's just too bad the tub doesn't have any jets."
"Jets? What the heck would we need jets for?" Stretch asked.
"Ya know, so we could have bubbles."
Stinkie smirked. "Oh, ya want bubbles, do ya? Well, I'll give ya bubbles!"
A soft, squeaky sound came out of Stinkie and bubbles appeared beside him. Stretch and Fatso reeled in disgust.
"Ugh! What is wrong with you?!" Stretch gagged.
Stinkie only laughed, clearly proud of what he just did.
Then suddenly, a loud voice called from outside.
"Streeeetch! Stiiinkiiiieee! Faaaatsoooo!"
The Trio gasped as they were magically pulled out of the tub, squeezed through the window, and smacked into the wall of Molly's room. When Fatso saw Molly looking at the three, he shrieked and covered himself.
"Molly! Don't look at me! I'm indecent!"
Molly rolled her eyes. "Oh Fatso, what's the big deal? You don't even wear clothes."
Fatso wrapped a towel around his torso. "I happen to be emotionally naked right now."
Stretch only facepalmed at his brother's stupidity. "You better have a good excuse for interruptin' our fleshie-free time, bone bag!"
"Yeah, 'cause every minute you take from us is another minute we could spend without you!" Stinkie added.
Molly took a breath. "I'm…afraid, you guys…"
The Trio beamed.
"Oh…is that so? In that case, keep talkin'!" Stretch handed Fatso a pad of paper, signaling him to take notes. "Go ahead. Lay it on us. And don't skimp on the details."
"Well…I know you said you're really popular in the Ghost World…"
Stretch gained a blank look.
"Uh…yes! Yes, we are!" he lied.
Fatso was dumbfounded. "Wait…since when?"
Stretch grabbed him by the lips. "Since forever, ya dimwit! In fact, in some circles, they even call us 'the best of the best'! Heh, heh, heh…" he chuckled nervously.
The Trio began to recall the last time they attempted to get into the Haughty Haunts Club.
"This club is only for popular ghosts," the guard had told them. "Not the worst of the worst!"
The guard then picked the three up, stretched them like rubber bands, and sent them flying.
"Yep! It's true! We're real popular!" Stretch continued. "I tell ya, if there was a list of the hippest ghosts of all time, we'd be number 1! Well, actually, I'd be number 1 and these two guys would be right behind me. They can decide who'd be second and third."
"…Well, obviously I'd be second." Stinkie declared.
"Nuh-uh! I would!" Fatso argued, then became confused. "Wait…second is better than third, right?"
"Duh."
"But how come? I mean, three is bigger than two. Wouldn't it make more sense to start with the biggest number? What is the biggest number anyway? Ten? Twelve? Sixty-twelve?"
Stinkie groaned. "Why don't ya just quit thinkin' while you're ahead before ya hurt yourself?"
Molly sat down on the chest in the attic, clutching her backpack.
"Well, you guys probably can't relate, but today is the first day of school and our family's moved a lot. Y'know, like…a lot a lot? Believe me when I say the first day of school in a new town is super important and the stakes have never been higher." she got in Stretch's face. "Do you realize that even one eensy, weensy embarrassing mistake could turn me into a social outcast forever?"
"You'd be ruined…" Stretch smiled wickedly.
"You'd be toast…" Stinkie sneered.
"You'd be more canceled than Adam Levine!" Fatso chimed in.
"Exactly!" Molly cried.
"Which means you'd have to leave Brighton…" Stretch concluded.
"Probably in the dead of night…" Molly whispered.
"And then the curse would be broken and we'd be back in this house by ourselves!"
Molly looked in the mirror.
"You know…actually, now that I'm talking to you about it, I hear how ridiculous all my fears sound."
Stretch phased through the mirror. "What? No way, you're not bein' ridiculous at all! You should be scared!"
"Yeah! Horrified, even!" Stinkie persuaded.
Molly zipped up her bag. "It's gonna be fine."
"No, it'll be a disaster!" Stretch insisted.
"And I love making people happy, so I'm bound to make tons of friends."
Stretch became so angry, he grew larger.
"OH NO YOU WON'T!"
The room grew darker as Stretch put on his fleshie-scaring face.
"This will be the worst first day in the history of first days! We promise, McGee! You won't make EVEN ONE FRIEND!"
Molly stared at Stretch for a moment, but then she smiled again.
"Aw, nice try, Stretchie…" she picked him up and compressed him down to his normal size. "I already reenergized my positivity. Thanks for being a sounding board! Byeeee!"
With that, Molly opened up the attic door, accidentally squishing the Trio with it, and left. Once she was gone, they sat up from the floor.
"Ugh! She's hopeless!" Stretch lamented.
"She's annoying!" Stinkie nodded.
"She's a super freak, super freak! She's super freaky!" Fatso sang.
Stretch slammed the door on him in response.
A while later, Sharon and Pete had dropped Molly and Darryl off at Brighton Middle School. The two kids stood in front of the sign out front so Pete could get a picture of them on his phone. He then found an older photo of Molly as a toddler hugging baby Darryl and compared it to how his children looked now.
"Wow," he said to Sharon. "Both our kids in middle school. They just…" he sniffled. "They grow up so fast. Next it's gonna be college, then a career, then grandkids…Oh my gosh…I'm gonna be a grandpa! You do it!"
Sharon took the phone. "Okay, big smiles! Who's ready for a fantastic school year with minimal trips to the principal's office?"
"Meeee!" Molly said, smiling.
"Heeerrr!" Darryl said, pointing at his sister.
Sharon snapped a photo.
"All right, you two have a fantastic first day!"
"You know I wiilll!" Molly called, heading to her first class.
Unbeknownst to her, the Ghostly Trio had followed her, intent on ruining her reputation.
"We guarantee you woonnn't!" Stretch cackled, along with his brothers.
During first period, the teacher, Miss Lightfoot, brought Molly to the front of the class so she could introduce herself to the other students.
"Ahem." Miss Lightfoot began. "As I'm sure many of you have noticed, we have a new student joining us today. Welcome, Molly McGee. Would you like to tell us a little about yourself?"
"I sure would!" Molly replied.
The Trio appeared behind the teacher's desk, completely invisible to everyone.
"Fatso," Stretch started. "What say we give this obnoxious little twerp the slip?"
"No problemo!"
Fatso stuck a finger into his head and pulled out some ectoplasm. He then flicked it onto the floor in front of Molly just as she was about to step there.
"Well, one thing you gotta know about me is-whoa!"
She started to uncontrollably slide all around the class.
"Whoa, whoa, WHOA!"
"What's she doing?" a student wondered.
"Okay! We got it!" Molly held out her arms to try to stop herself. "We're almost there! We got it…okay…whew…"
She finally came to a stop…and then slipped again.
"WHOA! We don't got it!"
The Trio laughed hysterically as the girl slid back to the front of the class, spun around with her foot in the air and struck an awkward pose.
"I uh…like to dance?"
She recoiled mentally, awaiting the inevitable teasing.
Instead, the students broke into applause, much to her relief and the Trio's disappointment.
"Not to worry, fellas." Stretch reassured them, writing something on a piece of paper. "There's other ways to humiliate humans."
"Well, that was just wonderful, Molly." Miss Lightfoot proceeded. "Anything else you'd like to say?"
"As a matter of fact, I prepared a speech." Molly explained. "It's not much, just a little something I use every time I start a new school. I feel it really helps everyone learn what kind of person I am, tells 'em all they need to know."
When Stretch finished writing, he floated over to Molly's backpack and swapped her speech with his own.
Molly picked up the paper Stretch left her and started to read.
"Ahem. 'Fellow students, I, Molly McGee, would like to start by saying…'" her eyes widened. "'…you are all the most braindead, moronic, nincompoops I've ever met'?"
The other kids had shocked expressions.
"Wait, wait, this isn't…" Molly skimmed through the speech.
"Let me see that, Molly." Miss Lightfoot intercepted the paper and kept going. "'…I've seen pigs with a higher level of intelligence'?! 'Not to mention less ugly faces'?!"
The Trio snickered as Molly became devastated.
"'You with the freckles, is that thing on your head your hair or did you just build a nest for your pet rat'?"
The freckled kid up front gasped.
"What? B-B-But I didn't-" Molly stammered.
"'And what's going on with the girl in blue? She could park a car between that freakishly large gap in her teeth'?"
Said girl covered her mouth.
"That's not what I-" Molly panicked.
"'But she's nothing compared to how our beloved teacher looks. Talk about poor fashion sense. The Egyptians called, they want their earrings back'?!"
Everyone in the class gasped at this statement. Molly turned deep red, wanting to disappear.
"Heh, heh, heh…" Stretch crossed his arms in a satisfactory way. "Yep, that told 'em all they needed to know, all right. Cue classroom riot in three…two…"
But to the brothers' surprise, the class burst into laughter.
"Aw, man! She's hilarious!" the freckled kid said.
"It's true!" the gap-toothed girl said. "My gap is freakishly large! Hee, hee, hee!"
Even Miss Lightfoot was joining in on the mirth.
"Oh my! Molly McGee, you are quite the comedian!"
Molly stared at her teacher. "I am? I mean…yeah, I guess I have been called a jokester every now and then. Heh…"
Stretch snarled, clenching his fists in frustration.
"How hard is it to get an entire school to shun the world's most irritatin' nutcase?! Boys…I think this calls for desperate measures."
"You mean…?" Fatso worried.
"Are you sayin'…?" Stinkie clasped his hands, looking hopeful.
Stretch sighed. "I didn't want it to come to this…but it's our only option now."
"Go on…" Stinkie begged. "Say it! Say it!"
"…Stinkmeister? Do your thing."
Stinkie wrapped his arms around Stretch and kissed him on the cheek. "I thought ya'd never ask!"
Stretch gagged and wiped off his face.
"Fatso?" Stinkie held out his hand. "Bean me!"
Fatso took out a can of baked beans and handed it off to Stinkie. The smelly spirit proceeded to devour the entire can in one gulp. He then flew behind Molly right as Miss Lightfoot and the class had calmed down.
"Ahh…goodness. Ahem. All right then, Molly, go ahead and take your seat."
"Thanks, Miss Lightfoot! I sure wi-"
BLAAAARRRT!
Molly froze as a loud noise came from behind her and a pale green fog rose into the air. The students took a whiff and started to choke from the foul odor.
"Ewwwww!"
"Oh no she didn't!"
"Somebody open a window!"
Molly looked over at Miss Lightfoot. The teacher appeared as if she was going to throw up. Molly felt the same way, although for a different reason.
Stinkie rejoined Stretch and Fatso, who both had gas masks on.
"There!" Stinkie clapped his hands. "Ain't no way anyone can recover from an embarrassment like that!" he high-fived the others.
"Wait!" Molly pleaded as everyone continued to suffocate. "That wasn't me! I swear! I'm innocent, gosh darn it! You gotta believe me!"
"Of course we do." somebody spoke up.
The whole classroom turned their attention to a girl who had just stood up from her seat. She had shiny, blue hair and was wearing a pink hoodie and purple miniskirt. The girl approached Molly and gave her a friendly smile.
"You…you do?"
"See that girl back there?" the bluenette pointed to a shy-looking girl with glasses. "That's Frida. Or as we like to call her, Flatulent Frida. She's a sweet young thing, but she has some issues with her…you know…digestion? Always has to let at least one loose in the classroom every day. She's a total social outcast."
At that moment, Frida broke a tiny bit of wind, grossing out the other kids.
"Ewww!"
"Heh…sorry, everyone…"
Stretch and Fatso removed their gas masks in disbelief.
"How come we couldn't get cursed with that kid?" Stinkie complained.
"Oh…" Molly winced with sympathy for her fellow classmate. "I see…"
The blue-haired girl held a hand out to Molly.
"Anyways, I'm Andrea Davenport." she pulled her hand back before Molly could shake it. "Social influencer, future disruptor, and Brighton Middle School's official good will ambassador."
The class cheered and applauded.
"It's a lot of things in one, I know." Andrea continued. "I'd be honored if you joined me onstage this afternoon at the new school year assembly."
Molly grinned. "Wow, that sounds amazing. Thank you so much, Andrea."
Suddenly, Andrea's face fell and everyone, including the teacher and the class pet gerbil, gasped.
"Oh-ho-ho! What's this?" Stretch asked as he, Stinkie, and Fatso appeared in the gerbil cage. The rodent shrieked at their sudden appearance and hid inside a tube while Fatso helped himself to its food pellets.
Andrea regained her cool, laughing somewhat.
"Um…it's actually 'Ahn-drea.'"
Molly was confused. "Isn't…that what I said?"
"No. You said 'Ann-drea.'"
"Oh! I-I-I'm so, so sorry!"
Andrea shrugged it off. "Honey, it's fine. It's your first day. Forgive and forget."
"Thank you, Ahn-drea. That's so nice of you."
Molly frowned and she started to panic. Had she said it right that time?
"Oh crud…is it 'Ann-drea' or…wait, what was it again?" she tapped her forehead. "Which vowel? Is it E? A, E, I, O…'Ohn-drea'? Is there an umlaut? Is it like 'Aun-drea'? Or maybe…"
The more Molly talked, the more annoyed Andrea got. Her right eye began to twitch. She panted heavily through her nose. And then she ground her teeth. The whole time, Miss Lightfoot and the other students just watched with discomfort.
Finally, Miss Lightfoot pushed Molly toward the desks.
"Um…Why don't you just take a seat…before you make this even worse?"
"Ooh…" the class went.
Molly made her way to the back of the room, feeling like she was about to cry. She had never been so humiliated.
"Once is an innocent mistake." a random girl said to a boy next to her. "But twice? Unforgivable!"
"She's a monster!" the boy agreed.
"All of a sudden, my flatulence isn't that embarrassing anymore." Frida mentioned.
Molly sat down beside a long-haired girl wearing a green turtleneck. Normally, she would have enthusiastically introduced herself and requested the two of them become friends immediately. But she was too forlorn to even look the other girl in the eye. So, the girl spoke to her instead.
"Psst!" she whispered. "Hey, don't worry. You're not the first one to make this horrible screw-up. In the first grade, there was this girl named Libby. She was bright-eyed and full of promise. Until one day, she called Andrea 'Ann-drea.' And from that moment on, she was an outcast. Forever shunned from respectable society."
"Really? What happened to her?" Molly questioned.
"Oh. She's me. I'm Libby."
Molly once again attempted a hand shake, but Libby backed away.
"Don't get too close! I think I've almost got her worn down." she began to speak louder. "Lookin' good 'Ahn-drea'!"
The Ghostly Trio appeared beside Molly, making themselves visible only to her.
"Well, I'd say this day is officially ruined." Stretch decided. "Why don't we head home so you can start packin' your stuff?"
Despite her humiliation, Molly remained positive.
"C'mon you guys, it's not that bad. I still have the rest of the day. I'm bound to make at least one friend."
And so, Molly spent the next few hours trying to befriend her fellow students. In the hallway between classes, she offered to share some homemade cupcakes with two of them. They both happily took one and bit into them, but when they noticed Andrea giving them a look of disapproval, they dropped the treats on the floor and spat out the already chewed-up bits, both of which landed in Fatso's mouth.
You can't judge a book by the cover
Some books start out slow
In the cafeteria, Molly sat between two other kids and showed them her bagged lunch. They were impressed at first, until Andrea coughed loudly and all the students moved away from Molly.
And the first time you try kombucha
You might think it's gross
Once she was alone, Molly sadly opened her bag to see Stinkie eating her sandwich. The ghost belched in her face, making her faint.
Well, I'm just like that kombucha
Keep on sipping and you'll see
In P.E. class, Molly stood on one side of the gym and dodged several of her classmates' dodgeballs, even doing a triple axle in the process.
That I'm great (She's really great!)
But just when the students were about to applaud her, Andrea gave her a dirty glare and the next thing she knew, she was being pelted with dodgeballs from everyone.
So won't you take (Oh won't you take?)
To add insult to injury, Stretch was sitting in the basketball hoop and he threw a dodgeball right into Molly's head, knocking her down.
A second chance on me?
(Won't you take a second chance?)
Take a second chance on me
I'm beggin' please
(Won't you take a second chance?)
Take a second chance on me
Every attempt to be friendly Molly made afterward was completely ignored. Andrea had made it her personal mission to make the girl's life as lonely as possible, all because she mispronounced her name. By the time word about Molly's mishap got around the whole school, everyone was pretending she didn't exist. Not even the teachers would look her in the eye.
Just like a stinky hunk of cheese
On the platter of party charcuterie
The shunning came to its apex when Molly tried to say hi to a boy in the halls, only to slam into his locker as he opened it, almost as if he couldn't see her. Molly then fell to the floor and Andrea stepped over her while glancing at her phone.
Won't you take a second chance on me?
The Trio phased through the floor beside Molly and snatched some money from her pocket while she was unconscious.
"Let's get some sodas, boys!" Stretch announced.
A bit later, Molly was in the bathroom, staring at her reflection in the mirror while hyperventilating.
"C'mon, get it together, McGee!" she slapped herself multiple times. "You got this!"
Then, to the girl's surprise and confusion, the mirror showed that her nose had become long and white. She quickly learned the nose actually belonged to Stretch as he, along with Stinkie and Fatso, entered the room through the mirror.
"Gotta hand it to ya, Moll," Stretch began. "You ruined this day way better than we ever could."
"Yeah, you're so good at messin' stuff up, you might just take the crown from Fatso as 'Master of Stupid Mistakes.'" Stinkie claimed.
"I have a crown?" Fatso squealed. "Is it shiny? Where is it?"
"It's in here!" Stretch pushed Fatso's head into the sink drain.
"No, no, no!" Molly insisted. "I can still turn it around.
Stretch and Stinkie surrounded her.
"Face it McGee, it's over! You're a social pariah and there ain't nothin' you can do to change it! You're just gonna have to make a nuisance of yourself in some other town."
"Preferably as far away from this one as possible." Stinkie added.
"Tell ya what," Stretch led Molly to the door. "Just to show what kind of guys we are, we'll help ya pack all your things. We can even call a movin' van for ya. Then you can start over someplace else. Heck, maybe you'll even find some new ghosts to pester."
Molly tugged Stretch's arm. "There's still the assembly."
"And what d'you think's gonna happen there? Some kind of miracle where suddenly everybody likes you? Yeah, right! What are the chances of that happening?"
"What are the chances they'll forget what ya did?" Stinkie snarked.
"What are the chances of finding some gum in the pipes?" Fatso asked, his head still in the drain.
"Why don't you find out?" Stretch kicked the youngest of the Trio, sending him into the pipes beneath the sink.
"Hey! I found some!" Fatso called from inside.
"Maybe you guys are right…" Molly sighed. "Today has been a disaster. Things can't get any worse…"
Satisfied, Stretch and Stinkie started to push Molly toward the exit, big smiles spread across their faces.
"…Therefore, they can only get better!" Molly decided.
"What?!" Stretch and Stinkie shrieked.
"I was wrong!"
"No, ya weren't!" Stinkie denied.
"It's not all about the first day!"
"It absolutely is about the first day!" Stretch snarled.
Molly grabbed Stretch's arms and yanked on them.
"It's about every day!"
"NO, IT'S NOT!"
Molly released his arms, snapping them into the side of his body.
"All I gotta do is keep being myself and eventually, someone will be my friend!"
Stretch was really starting to become annoyed now.
"You got inspirational…in a bathroom?"
"Hey, what's wrong with that?" Stinkie questioned. "I do it all the time!"
"It's my superpower." Molly told them. "I can do it anywhere. I did it at a funeral once."
Stretch panted with anger, starting to revert to his nightmare form.
"You…are…the most frustrating…GAAAHHHH!"
That's when Andrea came into the bathroom and got a glimpse of Stretch's horrifying face. As soon as she saw it, she screamed and fainted in Molly's arms. Stretch morphed back to his normal self.
"Whoopsie…reflex."
"Hey, not bad." Stinkie commented. "You gotta teach me that one."
Fatso popped out of one of the toilets and noticed Andrea's unconscious body. "Aww…did you guys go on a scare raid without me again?"
"Oh no…no, no, no, no, no, no, no!" Molly panicked. "Just when I thought things couldn't get worse! Wake up, Ann-drea!"
"Ahn-drea." Fatso corrected.
"Whatever! Just help me get her in that cart!"
Stinkie pushed over a nearby janitor's cart, allowing Molly to put Andrea inside.
"Ooh, good plan! Disposin' of the body. I like it!"
"What? No! I gotta get her to the nurse's office!"
"What's she gonna do? Put a band-aid on her?" Stretch joked and then laughed with his brothers.
Molly ignored their crude sense of humor and started wheeling Andrea into the hallway. But it didn't take her long to realize she had no idea where she was going.
"Wait…where is the nurse's office? If only I had a…"
The Trio reappeared in front of a picture of the school's layout.
"…a map!"
Molly screeched to a halt so she could get a good look at the map, but due to her previous speed, she and the cart slid past it and started plummeting down the stairs.
"Whooaaa!"
The Trio jumped into the cart beside Andrea and held out their hands as if they were on a rollercoaster. Fatso even put Andrea's hands up. Once the cart reached the bottom of the staircase, it flew through the doors of the pool room.
"Whoa, whoa, whoaaaa!" Molly yelped as the cart splashed across the pool and past a kid who was about to jump in. The Trio floated out of the cart and watched with glee as Molly zoomed down the halls past Miss Lightfoot (who was so startled by the scene, she just walked back into her classroom), down and up a few more sets of staircases, and toward the auditorium stage door. The ghosts then teleported themselves to the door and opened it before Molly could crash into it…only for her and Andrea to fall out of the cart and onto the stage floor.
Stretch took a breath. "Ahh…nothin' like the sweet scent of a fleshie's physical and emotional pain, eh fellas?"
"Almost as fragrant as a bouquet of stinkweeds." Stinkie sighed blissfully.
"We should give Molly some credit," Fatso stated. "She knows what gives us ghosts the warm fuzzies inside."
Molly stood up and dragged Andrea's body. "Okay, it's okay. I just have to get Ann-drea-"
"Ahn-drea." the Trio said in unison.
"Not. Now!" Molly scolded. "I have to get her to the nurse's office before anyone notices."
"Sure, sure. You do that." Stretch snickered, taking note of a rope in the corner of the room. "Meanwhile, we're just gonna pull that rope over there for no particular reason."
Stinkie and Fatso took the hint and yanked on the rope, which opened up the stage curtains. To Molly's horror, the entire student body was in the auditorium, gathered for the school assembly. Just like that, all eyes were directly on her and everyone had become witness to her crime. The students gasped. The class gerbil gasped. And Miss Lightfoot just turned and walked out of the auditorium as she was coming in.
"It's Molly McGee!"
"What's she doing with Ahn-drea?"
Molly gulped. "It's uh…not what it looks like?"
Stretch chuckled. "Bye-bye, Molly McGee!"
"Bye-bye, bone bag!" Stinkie chortled.
"Bye-bye, Birdie! I'm gonna miss you so!" Fatso sang. "Bye-bye, Birdie, why'd ya have to-oof!"
The fat phantom was crushed by a sandbag that Stretch and Stinkie dropped on him.
"Seriously, who does she think she is?" a boy in the audience asked Darryl.
"She's the worst of the worst!" a girl cried.
The Trio's joy ceased upon hearing these words. For these were the exact words spoken to them when they were banned from the Haughty Haunts club.
"The worst of the worst!" the club guard had said before flicking them away like bugs.
"…Hey, what's goin' on?" Stinkie wondered. "I got this funny feelin' in my gut."
"You mean indigestion?" Fatso guessed, rubbing his head.
"Well, yeah, that too." Stinkie let out a tiny burp. "But this is somethin' I've never felt before. Ya don't suppose it's…guilt, do ya?"
"Huh." Fatso grabbed his own belly. "Now that ya mention it, I'm feelin' it, too. At first I thought it was 'cause my tummy is empty, I haven't eaten in a full ten minutes, but it seems this is a kind of emptiness no amount of food can fill. Almost like…the emptiness is in my heart…"
"Heart? What heart?" Stretch scoffed. "We're ghosts! We don't got no hearts! Anyway, why should we feel bad? We won! Molly McGee is as good as packed! Once she's outta here, the curse will be broken and we won't ever have to see her again! That's good, right? We should be happy, right?"
Stinkie and Fatso exchanged sad expressions before looking back at Stretch. The latter looked over at Molly and suddenly, he was overcome with guilt, too.
"I…guh…gah…no!" he lectured himself. "Stop makin' me think I care, 'cause I don't! She deserves this! She's nothin' but a pain! And yet…guh…urgh…nngh…hah…"
Stinkie and Fatso worriedly approached Stretch.
"…Boys?" he said finally. "I hate to say it, but…we gotta do somethin'."
"Please!" Molly cried as everyone booed her. "Just listen to me! When you hear what really happened…you'll think I'm crazy…c'mon, Molly! Ya gotta think of something!"
But before Molly could come up with a backup plan, the Trio zipped into Andrea's body, causing Molly to drop her. The students gasped again and Darryl hid himself in his hoodie, trying to pretend he didn't know Molly. Then just like that, Andrea stood back up, having regained consciousness. But she was acting far from her usual self.
"Hey, skin sa-I mean, fellow students." she waved to the crowd. "It's me, Ahn-drea Davenport! Go ahead. You may applaud."
The students stared in awe at the popular girl's sudden recovery. They could have sworn they saw her feet floating above ground for a second.
"What? Are ya deaf or somethin'? I said, applaud!"
The kids clapped worriedly. "Yay…"
Molly raised an eyebrow. "Stretch?"
Suddenly, "Andrea"'s voice changed.
"Thank you! Thank you! You're all too kind. Just don't expect me to give ya any of that common courtesy in return. Manners are overrated." she belched into the microphone, much to the students' shock.
"Stinkie?" Molly guessed.
Andrea's body became somewhat plumper.
"But who cares about that? I say we get this assembly started with a group sing-a-long! Here goes! A one and a two! Hey, I just met you and this is crazy!"
Molly smiled and shook her head. "Fatso…"
"C'mon, you know all the words! But here's my number, so-ow!" "Andrea" slapped herself across the face. "Hey, knock it off, ya dunderhead! We ain't doin' this for fun! Aw c'mon, bro! It's been decades since we did a body takeover. Yeah, loosen up! Ugh! Why'd you two even come with me? I should've done this myself! Hey, why should you take all the credit for helpin' the kid? Yeah, why should you? For one thing, it was my idea! So both of ya shut up or I'll…I'll…uh…"
"Andrea" eyeballed the students, all of whom were giving her concerned looks.
"Heh, heh…Look, just let me do the talkin' from now on, got it?" "Andrea" whispered before turning back to the audience. "So, anyway, first let me just say, I'm over the whole 'Ann-drea Ahn-drea' thing. Believe me when I say 'life is too short.' Call me whatever ya want. Ahn-drea, Ann-drea, Ordreo, Audrea! Go nuts with it! Ya know, be creative." her voice changed again. "Ooh, I got one! How 'bout Ahn-diarrhea? Hee, hee!" and again. "Ha! That's a good one! Or maybe 'Ahn-diva' 'cause I'm so full of myself! Wait! I know, I know! Kevin Bacon! Why Kevin Bacon? I dunno, I just can't stop thinkin' about bacon."
Molly couldn't help but chuckle slightly.
"Would you SHUT UP ALREADY?!" "Andrea" covered her mouth after this outburst. "Heh, heh…sorry, I got this ringin' in my ears that's drivin' me up a wall." she scooted over to the podium onstage. "Now, let's bring things down a little, 'cause I'm about to get serious."
A spotlight shined on her.
"There's a girl out there that's havin' a real rough day and we, er, I can't help thinkin' it's our fault in some small way. Um…when I say 'our' I mean me and all of you, of course."
Molly grinned. She knew exactly what "Andrea" meant.
"She don't deserve to be treated like the worst of the worst." "Andrea" continued. "No one does! So please, on my behalf, give a big, Brighton Middle School cheer for…"
Molly pushed back some hair on her face, about to step forward.
"…LIBBY!"
Another spotlight shined on the long-haired student in green.
"She's okay now! I decree it!"
"YES!" Libby cheered as everyone applauded her. "Outcast no more!"
Molly frowned, a bit disappointed. Then Stinkie took over.
"But she ain't the only girl who deserves a standin' ovation, folks. Let's all show our appreciation to the one, the only…"
Molly beamed.
"…Flatulent Frida! Now there's a kid who's a real gas!"
"YAYYYY!" the students yelled.
Frida blushed in her seat. "Aww…shucks…"
Molly grumped in annoyance.
"And we've saved the best for last!" Andrea said while Fatso was controlling her. "The gal who's an inspiration to us all!"
Molly clapped her hands excitedly. It had to be her turn now!
"Students, let me hear you scream for our very own…Jennifer Lawrence! Woooo! Go Jennifer! We love you!"
"YEAH! Wait…what?" one student went, followed by confused whispers from the others.
Molly gave "Andrea" a look as if to say "Seriously?"
"All right, all right." Andrea groaned in Stretch's voice. "Also, Molly McGee isn't so bad either. So cut her some slack, ya animals."
The possessed girl flashed Molly one more smile and then the Trio exited her body. Once she was in control again, she didn't know what was going on, having no memory of anything before she fainted. She looked out into the crowd, which was cheering for her.
"We love you Ann-drea!"
"You rule, Ann-drea!"
"You're the best, Ann-drea!"
"ANN-DREA! ANN-DREA! ANN-DREA!"
Andrea was in shock. It almost sounded like the students were intentionally pronouncing her name wrong.
"Ann-drea?"
Not believing what she was hearing, she stuck a finger in her ear and pulled out a glob of ectoplasm. She didn't pay much attention to it though, as she was more concerned with the sudden disrespect her schoolmates were giving her.
"What's going on here?!" she demanded.
"ANN-DREA! ANN-DREA!"
After the assembly, Molly didn't have any more problems making friends. In fact, by the time the first day was over, she had pretty much befriended every kid in the whole school. She couldn't have been happier.
"See you tomorrow, Molly!" a student called to her as she was walking out the door.
"Have a good night!" another shouted.
"Bye!" she waved.
Once she was out of sight of anyone else, Molly opened up her backpack and pulled out the Trio.
"Well…looks like you three were wrong. I ended the day with a lot of friends!"
"You say that like it's a good thing." Stinkie grumbled.
"But…you were also right."
The Trio's eyes widened.
"Uh…we were?" Fatso asked.
"Yep! 'Cause this day would've been a huge disaster if it weren't for my very bestest best friends ever! Eh?"
"What?!" Stretch yelped. "Oh no! We are not friends!"
Molly smirked and poked Stretch's nose. "Then why'd you save my first day?"
"Uh...'cause if we didn't, you'd probably go to jail and drag us along with ya!"
"Or you woulda died of embarrassment and started followin' us around as a ghost." Stinkie claimed.
"Or maybe it's 'cause the little time we've spent with you has made us realize all we ever wanted was a friend and that we secretly like you and want you to stay forever!" Fatso blurted out, earning scowls from his brothers. "Uh…I mean…"
Molly gasped and hugged the three. "I knew it! You do care! All of you!"
"What?! No way!" Stretch shoved her off. "Why would ya listen to what he says? He don't know nothin'!"
"Deny it all you want, Stretch." Molly giggled. "We're friends, my dude. More than that, we're best friends! Besties!"
"No! We don't have besties!"
"Oh, we're besties! We're besties! La, la, la, la!" Molly hummed as she began walking home, the Trio following behind her.
"Knock it off! We don't need nobody!"
"I don't believe yooouu!"
"You're a real stinker, ya know that?"
"But you still love me!"
"Do not!"
"You do! You love me! You love me! That's why you helped me!"
"Listen McGee, if you think for one second anything has changed, let me tell ya, you're wrong! Mark my words, we're gonna get you outta that house if it kills us again!"
"Yeah!"
"Aw, you just keep telling yourselves that!"
Ghostly Trio and Molly McGee!
Okay, hopefully this week fares a little better pertaining to views and possibly reviews (hint, hint). Thanks for reading as always and remember: stay spooky!