So, it looks like we've got our first parallel between "Spooktacular" and "Molly McGee": both shows featured an episode about a girls' baseball team (or equivalent) being terrible at the game and having to resort to cheating by using ghosts. Granted, "Casper" didn't really suggest the idea of cheating, but it's pretty clear Kat's team is getting some supernatural assistance. Both episodes even open with a joke about the players trying to catch a ball only to run into each other (though to be fair, this joke is common in any media featuring baseball). This is what I was talking about, the shows' similarities going beyond just being about ghosts. There are going to be many more parallels down the line and I'll definitely be sure to point out each one.
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!
Chapter 4
Playing Hard Ball
It was a bright and sunny day in Brighton, the perfect day for a wholesome game of softball. Molly McGee had come out to the school to support her best friend, Libby, and the rest of her team as they tried in vain to overcome their ongoing losing streak.
"WOOOOO!" Molly cheered from the nearly-empty bleachers. "Let's go, Lemmings! You gotta believe!"
The pitcher for the Lemmings threw the ball and the player at bat hit it into the field.
"I got it! I got it!" two girls cried as they dove for the ball, only to end up running into each other and missing it.
Meanwhile, Andrea Davenport, also a player for the Lemmings, just stood back taking selfies and posting them on her many social media profiles.
Molly winced. "And be aware of your surroundings! You gotta believe and be aware of your surroundings!"
The girl shook her head sadly. No matter how much she tried to lift up her friends' spirits, it was clear they weren't going to get better.
The Ghostly Trio appeared beside Molly, holding a piece of paper containing their monthly scare report.
"And finally, we terrified one William Palmer." Stretch summed up. "There! Scare report done!"
"Wait…" Fatso interrupted. "I remember scarin' some fleshie named Billy Palmer, but nobody named William Palmer."
"Obviously 'cause they're the same person, noodlebrain!" Stretch poked Fatso's forehead.
"Yeah, this way we can meet our quota without actually puttin' in any extra work." Stinkie explained with a chuckle.
Stretch opened up a portal and tossed the paper inside, where it ended up smacking Professor Frankenstein in the face.
"What if the Ghost Council finds out?" Fatso reminded them.
"Well, they ain't gonna!" Stretch claimed. "Those guys couldn't find their way outta a maze even with a map! Well, except Ms. B, of course. But I bet she'll let us off easy, seein' as how we're her favorite ghosts."
"Aww, how cute!" Molly hugged Stretch. "Looks like she and I got something in common, then!"
Stretch pushed her off. "Hmph! So, what's goin' on here, anyway?"
The Trio took notice of the scoreboard, which showed that the Lemmings were losing big time.
"0-19?" Stinkie gagged. "These guys stink worse than the Cleveland Spiders."
"I didn't know arachnids competed in recreational sports." Fatso morphed into a literal spider, prompting Stretch to squash him.
"Ain't there some other team we can root for?" he requested.
"No, Stretch." Molly answered. "But all Libby and the Lemmings need to succeed is a little encouragement! And nobody encourages harder than me."
"Well, you're right about that." Stretch agreed.
"And once the Lemmings start winning," Molly forced Stretch to smile. "That'll enhappify our little town of Brighton!"
"Enhappify?" Stretch repeated.
"It's a word."
The four heard a smack from behind them, signifying the opposing team got another hit. Molly turned around to see the ball heading for Libby.
"Check it out you guys! The ball's going to Libby! You got it, girl!"
Unfortunately, Molly's encouragement only ended up distracting Libby and the ball beaned her on the head. The Trio laughed at this display.
"Oh yeah, you sure encouraged her there, Moll." Stinkie teased.
"Encouraged her to fail!" Fatso finished.
"Hahahahahahahaha!"
Molly shrugged. "Laugh all you want, guys. But I know that sooner or later, my uplifting spirit will lead the Lemmings to victory!"
A bit later, the game came to an end and to Molly's chagrin, the Lemmings hadn't gotten a single run.
"I don't wanna play anymore…" moped Kat.
"Why do I even try?" Sheela mumbled.
Libby picked up her bag, about to leave, until Molly approached her.
"Hey, Libby! Just wanted to say you did a good job um…standing in the field! You could say it was…outstanding uh…standing."
Libby shook her head solemnly. "It's okay, Molly. We know we're awful. Thanks for coming, though. It was nice to hear your cheers…over all the weeping…"
Molly watched her melancholy friend walk off the softball field and a frown formed on her normally optimistic face. Once Libby was gone, the Trio reappeared, all of whom were grinning smugly.
"So…what was that again about yer 'uplifting spirit leadin' the Lemmings to victory sooner or later'?" Stretch boasted.
"Maybe she should've put an emphasis on 'later.'" Stinkie joked.
Molly groaned in frustration. "Do you want me to say it? You guys were right, okay?"
"Well, whaddya know? She finally admits it!" Stretch snapped his fingers and a fake newspaper landed in Molly's hands. The headline read: "Molly McGee Proven Wrong By Ghostly Trio."
Stinkie phased through the paper and ripped it in half. "Course, this ain't news to us! We're always right!"
"Far right!" Fatso added, wearing a politician's outfit.
"And I'd say it's about time we 'left'!" Stretch suggested, turning the other way.
Molly didn't move, prompting the Trio to go back to her.
"You comin' or what?" Stretch asked. "We got a lotta plannin' to do for your pity party."
"I can't go now, Stretch." Molly insisted. "You heard what Libby said. The Lemmings don't believe in themselves. They don't believe they can be winners."
"'Course they don't. 'Cause they're losers." Stretch remarked, spelling out the word.
"They're zeroes." Stinkie turned into an oval.
"They're not the kinda guys who write letters." Fatso said while wearing a black tuxedo and sunglasses.
"And I'm not the kinda guy who puts up with your stupidity!" Stretch pulled the hat Fatso had on over his head.
"Everybody deserves a chance to succeed." Molly argued. "So, how about this? I join the Lemmings so I can teach them the power of positive thinking!"
She stepped onto the pitcher's mound with a determined look in her eyes.
"A lifetime diet of animated films has taught me that as long as I believe in myself, I can do anything!"
The girl imagined herself standing under a rainbow with unicorns jumping behind her. The Trio invaded her fantasy, broke the rainbow in half, and scared away the unicorns.
"Great plan, bone bag." Stretch sneered. "One question, though. Have you ever even played softball?"
Molly paused. "Me? Play softball? Is that what you're asking? Have I ever played it?"
"Yeah."
"…No." she wrapped her arms around the Trio. "Have I wanted to play it? …Also no. But! Am I going to play it? Heck to the YES!"
She picked up a softball, swung it around, and threw it straight into the air behind her, where it ended up hitting a Lemming on the head.
"Ow!"
"Oh! Sorry!" Molly called.
Stretch snickered. "This is gonna be real interestin'…and mighty entertainin'."
"Yeah, we're gonna be needin' some popcorn for this." Stinkie mentioned.
Fatso produced three buckets filled with the crunchy snack. "Butter, salted, or both?"
At first, Molly believed joining the school's softball team was going to involve a lot of intense training, or at the very least, an initiation. But the Lemmings had such little enthusiasm for their own sport, they didn't even care to teach Molly the bare basics and just let her in without hesitation. In the end, they figured having an extra team member wouldn't make them play any worse than they did already.
By the time the next game rolled around, Molly was ready to put her "enhappifying" skills to the test.
"Okay, Lemmings," she lectured to the others. "To win this game, all we need to do is believe in ourselves! 'We're winners,' on three!" she put her hand in. "One…two…"
But the Lemmings weren't in any mood for false hope and walked away.
"Yay…"
"Whatever…"
"I'm hungry…"
Molly wasn't bothered. "Okay, good enough!"
She looked to her right to see the Trio settled in the bleachers, surrounded by dozens of snacks.
"OMG, you guys actually came?" Molly squealed.
"Are you kiddin'? We wouldn't miss this even if we weren't cursed to follow ya everywhere." Stretch proclaimed.
"Aww! Thanks, guys! It means a lot knowing you're here to support me."
"Support you?" Stinkie guffawed. "We came to watch you make a fool of yourself with your useless attempt at makin' these guys feel like winners!"
"And to see the look on your face when you inevitably lose!" Fatso added.
"Speakin' of which." Stretch got out a video camera. "We're gonna be filmin' the whole thing so's we can remember this day as your crownin' moment of failure! It'll be a great addition to our 'Molly McGee's Most Mortifying Misfires' video library."
Stinkie and Fatso dumped a pile of video cassettes on top of Molly and laughed.
Before Molly could retort, an announcement came on, signifying the beginning of the game.
"For the Skylarks, batting first…Tammy Myers!"
"Well, looks like that's your cue." Stretch sat back down with his brothers. "Have fun, Moll. We know we will. Heh, heh, heh!"
Molly took her position on the pitcher's mound, right as the opposing team's first batter, a dark-skinned girl with tomboyish pigtails and menacing green eyes, came forward. One of her teammates held out her bat like it was a sword. Tammy effortlessly tossed it in the air and caught it with both hands.
"Let's see what you got, kid." she taunted.
Molly took a deep breath and adjusted her cap.
"Just…believe…"
She gripped the ball and then, with her mind completely cleared of all stress, she threw it…only for it to land behind her. This made the Skylarks, as well as the Ghostly Trio, laugh out loud. Molly frowned, her faith in herself and the team slowly slipping away.
"Ha, ha, ha!" Tammy giggled. "Is there a circus in town? 'Cause there's a clown on the mound!"
When the Trio heard this, their glee turned into rage.
"Hey! She can't say that!" Fatso snarled.
"Nobody makes fun of Molly McGee!" Stinkie announced.
"Except us!" Stretch finished.
Despite being overcome with performance anxiety, Molly knew she couldn't let the Lemmings down. She attempted another throw and this time, managed to send the ball in the right direction. Tammy grinned and prepared for what she thought was going to be an easy hit. But suddenly, the ball froze in midair, just dodging her swing. It then flew behind her and knocked into the catcher, Sheela.
"Strike one!" the ump said.
The Skylarks were in disbelief. So were the Lemmings, as they had never managed to get even one strike on their opponents before. Molly was in shock as well, so much so, she didn't notice the ball landing in her mitt, falling down, and then floating back into her hand.
Tammy resumed her stance. "Lucky pitch-"
Molly threw the ball again and it whizzed past Tammy without her even noticing.
"Strike two!"
The few people in the bleachers clapped and hollered with delight, causing the Lemmings to snap out of their funk. Seeing the joy return to their faces boosted Molly's confidence, to the point she figured even tossing the ball lightly would get another strike. And she was proven right when the ball still managed to fly over to Tammy, who proceeded to swing at it over and over again and miss every time. At one point, she thought she could hear the ball laughing at her frustration.
"Strike three! Four! Five! Six! Seven, eight, nine!" the ump counted. "You'rrrrre out! Three times!"
The folks in the bleachers stood up and cheered. The ball flew back into Molly's mitt and she held it up to the sky.
"Ha, ha!" she laughed triumphantly. "Let's hear it for the power of positive thinking!"
Unbeknownst to her, (though it should have been obvious), the Ghostly Trio was in possession of the ball the whole time, only making it seem like her skill was improving. The three snickered at her naivety, anticipating her reaction when they revealed the truth. But for the moment, they had to make sure the Lemmings kept up their streak of good luck.
1, 2, 3, 4! Whoo!
If you believe (Go!)
That's all we need to win
When it was Molly's turn to hit, Stretch took over her bat and sent the ball (possessed by Stinkie) flying.
If you believe (Go!)
We can do anything
The Skylarks in the field attempted to catch the ball, but Stinkie distracted them with his bad breath, allowing him to escape, and thus, giving Molly more time to run the bases.
Everybody, all together
Wanna hear you sing (Yeah!)
Eventually, the other team got the ball and chased Molly down. She slid herself to home, only to stop just an inch short. Luckily, Fatso used his rather expansive body to extend the plate to under her foot, making her safe.
Believe (C'mon!)
If you believe
With the Trio helping her, Molly was unstoppable. Not only were the Lemmings scoring run after run, but the Skylarks found themselves unable to get a single hit, let alone a run. By the time the last inning rolled around, the bleachers were completely filled with fans anticipating the Lemmings' victory.
1, 2, 3, 4! Whoo!
If you believe
"That's the game!" the announcer said. "The Lemmings win!"
The Lemmings surrounded Molly and lifted her into the air.
"Molly! Molly! Molly!" they chanted.
Molly beamed as she was carried across the field. With her teammates' moods improved, she couldn't have been happier.
Once everyone else had cleared out, Molly sat down with the Trio to tell them about her success.
"Sure, it started a little rough," she explained. "But I guess positive thinking can really supercharge you. 'Cause I crushed it!"
"Oh yeah," Stretch held back a laugh. "You, Molly, certainly crushed it."
"On your own and everything." Stinkie added.
"With no help from anyone!" Fatso chortled.
"Hahahahahaha!" the Trio roared.
Molly raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"Wait…What's so funny? Why are you laughing? Am I missing something or-?" She gasped when she finally realized. "It was you guys! You used your ghosty powers to make me good!"
Stretch clapped slowly, a snarky grin spread across his face. "Bravo, Detective Obvious."
"Took 'er long enough." Stinkie commented.
"I thought she'd never figure it out." Fatso claimed.
"But…but that's like…cheating!" Molly stammered. "You guys cheated!"
The Trio gained big, doe-like eyes.
"Aw, gee…did we do somethin' bad?"
"I feel so rotten…"
"Do we have to go to our room?"
"…HAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Molly was distraught. "But…why, you guys? Why'd you do it?"
Stretch sighed in a somewhat annoyed manner. "Well, if ya's must know, it's 'cause we saw those other fleshies pickin' on ya and…"
Molly gasped, this time euphorically, and hugged Stretch.
"And you felt bad for me and wanted to stick up for me because you love me?"
Stretch escaped her grasp. "Blech! As if! We just don't want nobody else hurtin' your feelings."
Stinkie and Fatso appeared on either side of Molly wearing T-shirts with text that read "I'm with Stupid."
"That's our job!" they stated.
Molly mustered a smile, trying to take their harsh jokes in stride.
"Oh…heh, heh…right…that makes sense…I guess…"
Stretch put his hands on Molly's cheeks and lifted her face.
"Point is, we cannot wait 'til next game where we can do it all over again!"
Molly pushed him off. "Oh no! No, no, no, no, no! Absolutely not, Stretch! We're not doing this again! I may have just cheated, but I am no cheater!"
The Trio grumped with disappointment…until suddenly, Stretch sported an evil smile, indicating he had an idea.
"Hey, you said it yourself, Molly. 'Everybody deserves a chance to succeed.'" He turned Molly's head toward Libby and the Lemmings, who were still ecstatic over their very first win. "And today, the Lemmings tasted victory. For the first time in their miserable fleshie lives, they believed in themselves."
Molly glared. "'Miserable' is kinda…"
Stinkie joined in, pointing Molly in the direction of the parking lot, where the Lemmings' parents had flipped a car over due to how elated they were.
"Yeah! And just look at their parents! They've never looked prouder of their own kids! Probably 'cause they never felt that way for 'em to begin with."
"Wow, okay, you guys don't need to be so-"
"Isn't this what ya wanted?" Stretch continued. "To enhappify all of Brighton? And isn't that what ya did just now?"
"Wouldn't wanna make 'em all doomy and gloomy again, would ya?" Fatso fake whimpered.
Molly rubbed her arm in thought.
"Well…"
"So…what's it gonna be, McGee?" Stretch interrogated snidely.
"I mean…I still think it's wrong…to cheat, that is…but…"
"C'mon…" Stinkie encouraged.
"Say it!" Fatso pressured.
"If it's for Libby…and the Lemmings…and Brighton…"
"Yeah, yeah, sure it is. So…?" Stretch anticipated.
"I guess…in this case…wrong feels…kinda right?"
The Trio were absolutely delighted.
"Aw, Moll! I knew we'd rub off on ya eventually!" Stretch cooed.
"It was only a matter of time before she stepped over to the dark side." Stinkie sniffled. "I'm so happy I could cry!"
"Group hug!" Fatso wrapped his arms around Molly and the other ghosts.
Despite her doubts, Molly couldn't help but feel a little flattered. After all, it was the first time the Trio had shown her genuine affection, even if there were ulterior motives behind it.
"Okay, okay! But only until the Lemmings believe in themselves! Not one second more!"
"Eh. We'll think about it." Stretch shrugged.
"We also stopped listening after you said wrong feels right." Fatso stated.
So, for the next few games, Molly used the Ghostly Trio's powers to snag even more victories for the Lemmings.
1, 2, 3, 4! Whoo!
If you believe (and cheat a little…)
That's all we need to win
If you believe (and cheat a little…)
We can do anything
While it was a bit shocking and confusing to the other players to see Molly perform such seemingly impossible feats (such as literally flying through the air to catch a ball and running around the bases without lifting her feet), they didn't question it as long as she kept winning for them.
Everybody, all together
Wanna hear you sing
Believe (and cheat…)
During the last game before the championship, Stretch allowed Molly to smack Fatso in ball form so hard that he ended up landing on the moon next to an astronaut planting a flag.
"Houston, you have a problem." he joked.
The astronaut, terrified by the ghost's sudden appearance, hightailed it out of there.
1, 2, 3, 4? Whoo?
If you believe…
At long last, the day of the championship game arrived. The Lemmings were once again competing against the Skylarks in a winner-take-all rematch. Molly paced back in forth in front of her teammates, trying to pump them up before the game started.
"Lemmings? We weren't supposed to make it to the tournament finals. And yet, here we are. Our town is proud of us. I'm proud of us. And now, we're ready to face off against our arch rivals, the Skylarks! And it's all because we believed in ourselves!"
She imagined herself with the rainbows and unicorns again…only to have it ruined by some confused sounds from the other Lemmings.
"Molly," Libby spoke up. "The only reason we've been winning in the first place is because of you. The rest of us? We're still terrible."
"Very terrible." a blonde Lemming concurred.
"Awful." her sister agreed.
Andrea barely glanced up from her phone. "I'm here just 'cause I like the uniforms."
Libby approached her bestie and put a hand on her shoulder.
"Look, we know we stink, but it doesn't matter because you're our team deodorant!"
"Huh?"
"You know what I mean. You mask the scent of our team's incredible stinky-ness."
Molly freaked out at the word choice. "'Stinkie-ness?' Who told you? Uh…I mean, pfft! Us? Stinky? That's a bit of a stretch…er, long shot! Is what I meant…to say…because we're so good we don't even need to stretch before we play! Ha, ha, ha…yeah, that joke was pretty dumb."
Libby stared at her blankly. "Anyway…I just want to tell you that even though none of us know the secret to your winning streak, we know you're not going to break it today!"
Molly's face fell as she was overcome with guilt.
"C'mon Lemmings!" Libby declared. "Let's get out there and watch Molly win this championship!"
"YEAH!" the Lemmings cheered, sans for Andrea, who was still glued to her phone, and then they all headed for the field.
Once she was alone, the Trio came out of hiding.
"Hey, she didn't say my name!" Fatso whined.
"She said 'dumb.'" Stinkie remarked. "That's close enough."
"You guys…I'm cheating for nothing…" Molly informed them glumly.
"What do ya mean, 'for nothing'?" Stretch scoffed.
"We got ya to the championship game, didn't we?" Stinkie reminded her.
"You're welcome, by the way." Fatso pinched Molly's cheek.
"Yeah…but the whole reason I did this was so the Lemmings would believe in themselves." Molly frowned. "Instead, they only believe in me…their team deodorant…That's not my favorite nickname."
Stinkie shuddered. "I don't blame ya."
Stretch pulled Molly close. "Look, Moll, we get it. Ya wanted to spread your pathetic ideals to the rest of those bone bags and your efforts were proven to be utterly fruitless."
Fatso started juggling fruit. "Which is a shame, 'cause they could really use the vitamins."
"And you could use a good whack in the melon 'cause you're drivin' me bananas!" Stretch swiped Fatso's watermelon and smashed it on his head before turning back to Molly. "But in the end, what does it really matter? The Lemmings are happy now, ain't they? Isn't that what ya wanted? To 'enhappify' them? And what would make them even happier than you winnin' this game for 'em? Besides, we worked our tails off for you these past few weeks, so the least ya could do is let us keep compromisin' your morals. Unless, of course, you want those skin sacks to go back to bein' sad sacks?"
Molly looked over at the Lemmings as they eagerly waited for her to join them. She sighed.
"Well…we have come this far, and if we stop now, then it'll really be for nothing."
The Trio whooped.
"You said it!"
"Atta girl!"
"Hooray for deceit and dishonesty!"
Molly continued to look forlorn. "Yeah…hooray…"
(And cheat a little…)
Several underhanded hits and runs later, the game was in its final inning with the Skylarks at bat.
"Well, this has been goin' pretty smooth." Stretch said to Molly, reading the scoreboard. "We're up 18 to zip! Now all we gotta do is nail this one last out and we're champions!"
"Yep! There ain't nothin' to stop us now!" Stinkie exclaimed.
Fatso pointed upward. "Not even that portal that's summonin' us to the Ghost World!"
"Huh?" Stretch and Stinkie went, looking up.
To their shock, Fatso was right. A portal had appeared right above the Trio and started to forcefully pull them in. Stretch tried to resist by grabbing onto Molly's glove while Stinkie and Fatso held onto his tail.
"The Ghost Council is summonin' us!" he informed her.
"What?! Now?! I can't do this without you!" Molly panicked.
"They've got terrible timin'. Look, just stall and we'll be back as soon as we caaaaaannnn!"
Stretch unwittingly released his grip on Molly's glove and he and his brothers were dragged to the Ghost World. Once there, they crashed face first onto the floor and faced the four council members and the Chairman, all of whom looked very displeased.
"Heyyy, Ms. Banshee!" Stretch waved. "Real sweet of ya to invite us over."
"Long time no see, sweet cheeks!" Stinkie greeted.
"Not long enough if you ask me." Ms. Banshee grumbled.
"Listen, as much as we'd looove to stick around and hear how much ya appreciate and respect us, we're kinda in the middle of somethin' important right now." Stretch turned to leave. "So, uh, if ya don't mind-"
Ms. Banshee snagged him by the tuft of his head.
"Nothing could possibly be more important than reviewing your monthly scare report, Stretch. So… YOU'RE NOT GOING ANYWHEEEEERRRREEEEE!
Ms. Banshee's gale-force scream blew Stretch into Stinkie and Fatso, knocking them over like bowling pins.
J. Edgar Boover retrieved the report.
"Now then, on page 3, it says the three of you scared a fleshie named Billy Palmer…"
"Ja," Professor Frankenstein nodded, glancing at his own copy. "But zen, on page 5, it says you 'terrified' a William Palmer."
"By any chance, are Billy and William the same person?" Ms. Stifflips interrogated.
"Uh…maybe?" Stretch answered.
"Mayhaps?" Stinkie chimed in.
Fatso reappeared in a robe, holding a light sword.
"May the force be with you?" he turned back to Stretch and Stinkie. "Also, do I need to say 'I told you so' or…?"
Stretch swiped the sword from Fatso and cut him in half.
"Okay, okay! So maybe we fudged the scare report an eensy-weensy bit and now we're one scare short of our quota…" Stretch explained, floating closer to Ms. Banshee. "But surely ya could break the rules just this once? For us? How 'bout it, Ms. B? Hmmm?"
Ms. Banshee remained firm. "The only thing I'm willing to break is your neck if you don't go out there and scare someone today! NOW GET GOING, YOU LOSEEEERRRRRS!"
Once again, the Trio was blown away, this time, into a portal leading back to the living world. They ended up in the exact spot where they had left Molly, splatting onto the ball she was holding.
Stretch dusted himself off. "Sorry about that, Moll. Got called into work. But we're back now, so let's get this baby wrapped-"
He stopped when he got a glimpse of Molly's face. Her mouth was curved into a huge frown and her eyes were twitching, almost as if she was about to cry.
"Sheesh, what's with her?" Stretch wondered.
"Yeah, she looks like she's seen a ghost." Fatso observed. "Or three."
"Obviously, she must've got a whiff of my beautifully rancid garlic-and-sauerkraut breath." Stinkie boasted. "I've been perfectin' it for months."
It was when the Trio looked at the scoreboard, however, that they understood the real reason Molly was so distressed. In the short time since they left, the Skylarks had managed to score 17 consecutive runs, leaving them only one behind the Lemmings.
"What?!" Stretch shrieked. "You gave up 17 runs?!" he turned his head toward the field. "And the bases are loaded?!"
"What the heehaw happened?!" Stinkie demanded.
"I don't know, man. I don't know." Molly replied despondently. "It's a blur…of bats…and balls…and humiliation…"
Tammy stepped up to home plate with her bat. "I knew you'd start losing sooner or later!"
The Trio snarled, their anger increasing their motivation to crush the pigtailed bully.
"Lucky for you, we're back." Stretch informed Molly, taking possession of the ball. "I'm thinkin' we give this little twerp a fastball! So fast she won't even see it comin'!"
Stinkie pushed his way in. "Yeah! Better yet, let's send it right up her nose! Then we'll find out what she thinks of the scent of garlic and sauerkraut!"
"Ooh! Lemme do it! Lemme do it!" Fatso crammed into the ball.
"You?" Stretch laughed. "Please! The only thing fast about your fastballs is how fast they drop to the ground!"
"Do not!" Fatso argued. "Tell 'em, Molly! I got this!"
"Nuh-uh!" Stinkie snapped. "I do! Right, Molly?"
"Don't listen to them! They've got brains made out of cowhide!" Stretch insisted.
"Stop it, you guys!" Molly said just before the Trio could break into a fight cloud on her hand. "I know exactly who needs to be the one to finish this game…"
"Good choice, skin bag." Stretch assumed. "Now let me at 'er!"
"No, Stretch." Molly gave a determined smile. "Me. I'm gonna do this myself!"
"Huh?!" the Trio was confused, but mostly horrified by this decision.
"What are ya, crazy? All we need is one more out and we're champions!" Stretch reminded her.
"I know, but-"
"Molly…think of the Lemmings." Stretch coaxed.
Molly glanced over at her teammates, all of whom looked more miserable than ever. Some of them were even crying.
"Think of Brighton!" Stinkie gestured to the bleachers, where the Lemmings' formerly cheery fans had gone completely silent from despair.
"Think of me, think of me fondly…" Fatso sang, prompting Stretch to zip his mouth shut with the ball's stitching.
"C'mon, ya want to enhappify everyone, don't ya?"
"I do want to enhappify Brighton…" Molly noted. "…but I did all this to help the Lemmings believe in themselves. Well, now, it's time I believe in the Lemmings. So…no more cheating!"
Stretch folded his arms grumpily. "Wow. Just when I thought you was startin' to come around. Eh. Whatever. It's your loss."
"Literally." Stinkie added. "'Cause you're gonna lose."
Fatso unzipped his mouth. "Either way you choose, you cannot win."
And with that, the Trio phased themselves out of the ball and disappeared.
"Ugh!" Tammy groaned. "Stop talking to yourself and pitch!"
Molly smiled. With the Trio benched permanently, she was back in control. And so, using nothing but her confidence and positive energy, she threw the ball towards Tammy…who hit it easily. Molly and the Trio watched with anticipation as the ball flew past them and smacked into one of the Lemmings standing in the field. The crowd members stood up and gasped, but the ball was still going.
"I got it!" one Lemming cried while chasing it down, only to bump into Andrea as she was taking yet another selfie.
The ball then bounced off that Lemming's foot and headed for Kat, who was too stunned to do anything, so it ricocheted off her cap. Another Lemming held out her mitt to catch it, but it slid down her arms and toward two more Lemmings stacked on top of each other. The one on the bottom tripped, smacking the ball toward the twins, who held their mitts out directly under it at the same time, smacking it again. But it didn't stop there. The ball continued to bounce back and forth between all of the Lemmings, but none of them managed to catch it. By the time it came to Sheela and she ducked her head to avoid it, Stretch was starting to lose his patience.
"Ugh! See? They can't do nothin' right! I'm goin' in!"
Molly held him back. "No, Stretch! The Lemmings have got this!"
"Got what? 'Cause I'll tell ya, it sure ain't the ball!"
"Wait, look!" Molly squeezed Stretch in excitement. "It's going to Libby!"
Sure enough, standing in the middle of the field with her mitt out was the socially awkward gal herself.
"You can do it, Libby!" Molly encouraged, shaking her arms and consequently making Stretch dizzy. "Believe in yourself!"
"Believe in yourself…believe in yourself…" Libby muttered.
"Oh boy…" Stinkie worried.
"I can't watch!" Fatso removed his eyeballs.
"Believe in yourself…believe in-"
SMACK!
The ball made direct impact with Libby's face, knocking her down.
"Ooh…" Molly, the Trio, and the crowd winced at how painful it looked.
Libby sat up groggily and moved her hair out of her face. When she did, she noticed something hanging out of her mouth and she pulled it out (along with one of her teeth). To everyone's shock, it was the ball! She had caught it! The Lemmings had won! Molly and the Trio cheered, along with the rest of the team and their fans, while Tammy and the Skylarks cried over their defeat.
If you believe
You can do anything
If you believe (Yeah!)
That's all we need to win
All of the Lemmings gathered around Libby and held her into the air. Molly soon joined them and relished in their happy faces. Libby looked so proud of herself and the rest of them did, too. But no one at that moment was prouder than Molly. Her positive thinking was finally paying off.
Everybody, all together
Wanna hear you sing
Believe…
Suddenly, the Lemmings lost their grip on Libby and she hit the ground. A cracking sound indicated that she had broken something.
"Ooh…" the Lemmings went again.
A while later, the news media showed up to do an interview with the new champions. Libby, now in a wheelchair and body cast, gleefully held up her team's trophy for the camera.
"This is such a glorious moment," she told the newscaster with a gap-toothed smile. "The Lemmings really gave it their all to win this thing."
Meanwhile, Molly laid back in the bleachers, content with the results her contribution created. The Trio were sprawled out next to her, invisible to everyone else.
"Well, boys, we did it." she informed them. "The good people of Brighton are happy because the Lemmings, even Libby, believe in themselves. And the best part is, it was an honest win."
"It really wasn't." Stretch corrected her.
"The only part anyone will remember was an honest win."
Just then, Tammy approached them.
"You may have won today, McGee," she sneered. "But tomorrow, you'll still be pathetic! Hee, hee, hee!"
The mean-spirited girl laughed cruelly as she walked away, earning glares from the Trio, which quickly turned into mischievous grins. They knew then exactly how they could meet their scare quota for the month and get the last laugh at the same time.
"Hey, uh, be right back." Stretch told Molly.
The three flew away in Tammy's direction.
"BOO!"
"EEEEEEEEEK!"
Molly's eyes widened upon hearing Tammy scream. The Trio came back, looking pretty proud of themselves. Fatso took out a pen and paper.
"So, is that Tammy with a 'Y' or an 'I'?" he asked.
Ghostly Trio and Molly McGee!
And that's all the chapters I have written up for now. I'll probably get back to updating this in 2024, but in the meantime, I'm going to go back to uploading more chapters of "On My Dragon's Wings." As I said previously, I'm in the process of writing up one of the potential next chapters, but whether or not it does come next is up to you guys. I'll be posting a poll sometime tomorrow with three options consisting of key words that represent my ideas. Make sure to vote on which one you want to see and the one with the most votes by the end of the week will be the next chapter posted. Unless, of course, nobody votes, in which case I may just leave the poll up until someone does. My plan is to write up all three ideas in advance so I'll be prepared no matter what, which means I'm going to need a little time to catch up before I post again. Once I'm done with that, I may just alternate between both stories every week. It depends on which one you guys want to see more of.
Hope everyone has a happy Halloween (and a happy holiday season, in case I don't upload anymore this year, but hopefully I will)!