Well, let me start off by saying I am so, so, so, SO glad I watched the finale before writing up any more of this. If I hadn't, I probably would not have understood the role a certain background character was supposed to play and just written him in as normal. For those who have seen the finale, you know who I'm talking about. For those who haven't, I'm not going to reveal anything because you should just watch the finale for yourselves, provided you've seen every other episode of course.
And oh boy, what a finale that was. I'll be honest; I cried. Like, ugly cried. And coming from me, that's saying a lot. For context, the only other time I've cried from a cartoon was the "Friendship is Magic" finale (and for those who are going to point out "What about Grojband?", I only cried at the prospect of the show ending, not the finale itself.) I don't even cry during the saddest Disney death scenes. Normally, to get me to cry at a piece of animation, you need to pull off something really, really heartwrenching, usually a song ("Toy Story 2" comes to mind, as well as a Garfield special of all things). This, though, despite having a depressing musical number in it, managed to find a new way to get me to turn on the waterworks. I'm not going to say what that way is, because then it would be a spoiler; all I'll say is that it has something to do with my relationship with "The Ghost and Molly McGee" as a whole. After all, I've literally been with this series since the beginning, before episode 1 even came out. And all because I was drawn to the concept of a 12-year-old girl having an odd friendship with a ghost. Throughout my time watching the show, the one thing that I expected to remain consistent was Molly and Scratch's relationship and for a while, it did. Then the finale happened and well...let's just say it took the relationship in a direction I wasn't expecting. And because I had grown so attached to this particular aspect of the show, it actually succeeded in making me feel.
Regardless of how the series ended, I think one thing is clear: I'm going to miss it terribly. I wish it could have gone on a little longer, but what can you do? Networks make terrible business decisions. The best thing we can do is keep its memory alive, which is what I hope to do with this crossover. And when the time eventually comes when I rewrite "The End," I hope it tugs at the heartstrings just as much as the real deal did for me.
Anyway, that being said, we're still fairly early into Season 1, so for now, we're going to be dealing with the episodes I don't find all that interesting. But hopefully our favorite trio of ghosts can liven things up! Enjoy!
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 5
Bandshell Shocked
"Okay, we're here!" Sharon announced as she and the rest of the McGees got out of the car.
The family stood proudly (or in Darryl's case, uninterestedly) and looked up at their port of call: Brighton Hills Retirement Center.
Stretch phased through the car window, decked out in all sorts of spooky apparel.
"Hey, wait a minute!" he said once he realized where he was. "This ain't the Grim Grinnin' Ghosts and Ghouls convention!"
Stinkie popped out wearing a bathing suit.
"This ain't Carl's Colossal Compost Heap!"
Fatso wedged out last, dressed as a cowboy and swinging a lasso.
"This ain't my first rodeo!"
Stretch snatched the lasso and tied it around Fatso's thick neck, choking him.
"Gack! Also, this ain't Tulio's Taco the Town Taco Shack!"
"You lied to us, McGee!" Stretch accused Molly. "And as much as I wanna be mad about that, I can't help but feel a little proud of ya."
Molly poked his nose playfully. "C'mon, Stretch. You and I both know that If I told you and the other ghosts we were volunteering, you'd complain the whole way here."
"Sure we would!" Stinkie claimed. "Ya know what they say: misery loves company!"
"And our company loves misery!" Fatso added.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Stretch interrupted. "We're volunteerin'? At a nursin' home? Willingly? On purpose? And no one's payin' ya?"
Molly chuckled. "Uh, yeah. That's what 'volunteering' means."
"Over my undead body!" Stretch refused. "We don't do nothin' for nobody, bone bag! Especially not for free! We ain't goin'!"
"Yeah, I don't care how much I love the way old people smell!" Stinkie argued. "You can't make us do anything!"
"Why do ya wanna help these guys anyway?" Fatso asked. "It ain't like they got much life left in 'em. Won't be long before they're just like us!"
"Hey, maybe we could speed up the process for 'em?" Stretch suggested with a frightening expression. "Folks their age are prone to heart attacks, after all…"
"Don't even think about it!" Sharon threatened, giving the Trio a death glare.
"Whoa…she's good." Fatso commented.
"C'mon fellas," Pete wrapped his arm around Sharon and Darryl and Molly got in between them. "Give it a chance. Volunteering bonds us McGees together."
"Well, we ain't no McGees!" Stretch scoffed.
"Good point." Sharon noted. "What is your last name?"
Fatso donned a pair of shades. "We're one-name icons, baby!"
"Uh…are you sure?" Darryl asked. "'Cause I thought your last name was…"
The 11-year-old pushed a button on a toy and it emitted a belch sound effect. He laughed hysterically.
Stretch just rolled his eyes. "Oh, nice one, kid. Real mature."
Darryl pressed some more buttons, making even more annoying sounds. Pete laughed, earning a glare from Sharon.
"You had to buy our son a toy called 'The Obnoxitron.'"
Stinkie got in between them. "Yeah, why pay for somethin' that only makes pretend rude noises when I can provide the real deal for free?"
The ghost belched in the McGee parents' faces, producing a stench cloud that made them cough.
"Ugh! Seriously, Stinkie? Lay off the sauerkraut!"
"Oh my gosh, I'm gonna be sick! My clothes are ruined!"
Stinkie grinned smugly. "No extra charge. Hee, hee, hee!"
Later, the McGees had begun their volunteer work. Sharon was leading the senior aerobics class.
"Right arm! Left leg! Jazz hands!"
"Can we pick up the pace, dear?" a senior requested while doing a handstand. "We don't exactly have all the time in the world."
"Told ya." Fatso said to Sharon as he flew by.
"Uh, okay. You heard her; double time!" Sharon encouraged. "Left, right! Left, right! C'mon, I wanna see you sweat!"
Stinkie floated around the elders and breathed in through his nose.
"Ahh…so do I."
Meanwhile, Pete was doing a city council survey around the nursing home, asking for and writing down what the seniors wanted changed in Brighton.
"That's a great suggestion." he told an old woman.
"You work for the city?" a man with a walker approached him. "Because I have a few ideas."
"Well, let me be your mouth!" Pete prepared his pencil. "I'll pass 'em right on to the city council."
"One: libraries." The man poked the ends of his walker in Pete's face. "Why should my taxes pay for books so other people can read for free? B: public parks…"
"Hoo boy…" Pete muttered as the rambling continued.
Stretch appeared next to his shoulder.
"Ghosts don't gotta worry about taxes. Want me to scare the soul out of this senile skin sack so he'll stop complainin', Petey?"
"That's not necessary, Stretch." Pete whispered. "Besides, I'd hate for him to go before his time. And I'm sure he's got many more years of living to look forward to."
Stretch glanced at the old man, who was still ranting. "Oh yeah. This guy sounds real happy to be alive. Hmph! Fleshies."
At the same time, Darryl was in the middle of a poker game with some of the residents, although playing for candy instead of actual money. Unbeknownst to them, however, the boy had a secret spy to guarantee his victory.
Fatso's eyes peeked at every senior's deals before returning to his body.
"Psst! Darryl! They got nothin'! Check that out!" he pointed across the table. "One of that guy's cards is a napkin!"
Darryl stood up from his chair and pushed his huge stack of candy into the middle of the table.
"Ladies and gentlemen? I'm all in…"
Fatso rubbed his hands together and drooled.
As for Molly, she wanted to get to know the residents more, because to her, it would make enhappifying them a lot easier. At the moment, she had just finished listening to a story told by an elder named Patty.
"Wow, Patty," she said. "I can't believe you've lived in Brighton your whole life! My family and I just moved to town!"
"Hm. Well, we all make mistakes." Patty joked. "Mine was called Bobby Daniels. And he rode a motorcycle." she chuckled, imagining the engine revs in her head.
"Um…" Molly winced, not sure how to respond. Thankfully, Fatso came over and diverted her attention.
"That guy with the napkin is totally cheatin'!"
"You mean he's also cheating?" Molly smirked.
"Hey, I was lookin' for sympathy, not judgement!"
Molly then noticed an old photograph on the wall of a younger, dark-skinned woman standing in front of a stage. Hanging above said stage was a banner that read: "Brighton Blues Fest."
"Patty? Is that you?" Molly questioned, pointing at the photo. "What is this place?"
Patty stood up and joined Molly at the wall. The Trio floated above them, listening in.
"The old Brighton Bandshell." Patty explained. "We used to have concerts in the park. Everyone would bring a picnic and dance to the music!" she swayed slightly and then frowned. "…Anyway, a tornado tore down the whole bandshell in '79."
"Oh my gosh, that's terrible!" Molly whimpered.
The Trio reappeared in mourning dresses.
"Yeah," Stretch sniffled. "What a tragedy."
"What a disaster." Stinkie added.
The Trio then reverted to normal.
"What a sap!" they guffawed.
Molly glared at the three. "Really? Can't you guys show at least a little sympathy?"
"Why? We don't know this little biddie!" Stretch claimed. "And we don't care to know either."
Molly grabbed the Trio just as they were about to take off, forcing them to stay and listen.
"So, why didn't the city rebuild it? The bandshell, I mean."
"They didn't think it was a priority." Patty sighed and walked away. "Brighton isn't what it used to be…"
Molly felt her heart splitting in two. She couldn't bear to see such an unhappy face. She knew she had to do something about this. But what?
It was then, the tween got a brilliant idea.
"Guys?" she grinned. "Are you thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?"
"That we should put that hag out of her misery?" Stretch offered.
"That we should make 'old people sweat' into a cologne?" Stinkie guessed.
"That we should order an extra-large pizza with pineapple?" Fatso hoped.
"Oh right." Molly stated blankly. "I forgot you guys and I never share the same thoughts. But can you guess what mine are right now?"
Stretch examined Molly's expression. "Hm…well, based on that nauseatin' smile you're givin' us…"
"And the fact that ya just heard a sob story that spoke volumes to ya…" Stinkie continued.
"And given how ya believe it's your job to make people, even ones ya just met, happy…" Fatso finished.
Molly nodded excitedly.
"You're gonna get that bandshell rebuilt, aren't ya?" Stretch answered.
"YES!" Molly squeezed the Trio. "You guys do get me!"
"Oh, we get ya all right." Stinkie grumped. "We get ya 24/7!"
Molly only laughed as she carried the ghosts away.
A while later, Pete was at a meeting with the city council, which included the mayor of Brighton himself, to read off all the suggestions of the nursing home residents. Although, most of them were just from the one man with the walker, who had shown up to make sure his demands were heard.
"And finally," Pete concluded. "The citizen proposes charging for…green lights. Not exactly sure how we'd even do that…"
Mayor Brunson stood up from his seat. "We'll take all that under advisement, McGee. Well, I have a hot date with a cool lady! See what I did? So, if there's no further business, this meeting is adjourn-"
Before the mayor could throw his gavel down, Molly kicked open the door.
"Mr. Mayor!" she declared. "I've got business so further, it'll melt your mind!"
The peppy girl entered the room with Darryl, both of them carrying something hidden under a cloth. Sharon came in behind them and sat beside her husband while the Ghostly Trio watched from above.
"Hello, Brighton City Council! I am Molly McGee, and this is my brother, Darryl!"
"Sup?" Darryl greeted.
Pete began to cry tears of joy. "My kids…participating in local politics…" he hugged Sharon. "I'm so proud!"
"Sheesh. Just when I thought ya couldn't get more pathetic." Stretch sneered.
"Shh!" Sharon scolded.
"Consider the future…" Molly went on. "It's there we'll spend the rest of our lives! But what will it hold?"
She removed the cloth, revealing a homemade model of an arena. Smiling stars covered the whole thing and at the top was a rainbow with the words "Mega Arena" printed across it.
"The Brighton Mega Arena! It's a 60,000 seat sports complex…"
Darryl pressed a button on his Obnoxitron, creating a crowd-cheering sound effect.
"A music venue…"
Darryl pressed another button, this time making a guitar riff sound.
"A world-class water park…"
Another button.
SPLASH!
"A dog run…"
AAAAAAHHHH!
Molly gave her brother a confused look.
"Whoops. Wrong button." Darryl tried again.
ARF! ARF!
"Hmph! Some toy!" Stinkie whined. "He's not even playin' the gross sounds! But I can fix that…"
"Oh no you don't!" Sharon held him back.
"And a donut shop!"
Molly held out a box of donuts and tossed a handful toward the council. Each member caught one in their mouths, except for the mayor, whose donut ended up in his right eye.
"So, what do ya think? Let's build this baby, right?"
Mayor Brunson took the donut out of his eye and dropped it on the floor.
"Miss McGee, your proposal is certainly bold, but sadly, a 60,000 seat 'mega arena' is too big for a small town like Brighton. Thank you and we do hope you'll come back someday with something a little more…realistic." he waved his hand dismissively.
Molly hung her head sadly and Fatso burst into tears.
"What are you snivelin' for?" Stretch demanded. "We all knew this was a stupid idea that was never gonna pan out."
"It's not that…" Fatso wailed, pointing at the mayor. "He wasted a perfectly good donut!"
Stretch whacked his brother on the head.
Molly was about to turn and leave, but suddenly, she snapped back, her smile having returned.
"Psych! That day is right now!"
She picked up the arena model and threw it on the ground, smashing it to pieces. Underneath the arena model was a much smaller model of a potential new bandshell.
"Behold, the new and improved Brighton Bandshell!"
Pete gasped. "A bait-and-switch!"
"I did not see that coming." Stretch said.
"Me neither!" Stinkie agreed. "And she made us watch her build both of those things!"
"I just learned about the original Brighton Bandshell and how much it meant to the community." Molly lectured.
Mayor Brunson laughed suddenly. "Whoa, whoa! Hold on! We're not gonna rebuild the bandshell."
Molly's face fell.
"W-W-What? But-"
"Times are tough right now. We simply don't have the money for a bandshell. I'm sorry."
Molly sighed, disappointment overcoming her. Upon learning her daughter's request was rejected, Sharon stormed over to one of the council members and snatched the donut out of her hand.
"No, Mom." Molly stuck the donut in the woman's mouth. "They can keep the donuts. Let them feast on the carcass of a young girl's dreams."
The councilwoman's eyes teared up and her donut broke in half and landed on the desk.
The Ghostly Trio watched the McGees make their exit and Fatso once again, started bawling.
"Knock it off!" Stretch scolded.
"Ya don't seriously care about some dumb ol' landmark that much, do ya?" Stinkie questioned.
"No…" Fatso sniffed. "I wanted those donuts!"
Frustrated, Stretch picked up a chair and hit Fatso over the head. The mayor and his council were somewhat disturbed by what looked like a chair flying upward and crashing to the ground.
After that, the Trio joined the McGees outside the office.
"It's okay, honey." Pete reassured Molly.
"We know you tried your hardest." Sharon added.
"And yet, ya still failed miserably!" Stretch concluded. "Wonder what that says about tryin' in general?"
"Oh well! We would tell ya 'live and learn'…" Stinkie began.
"But we don't like to do either!" Fatso giggled.
"What are you guys talking about?" Molly stood up, her determination returning. "That wasn't my hardest! And even if it was, I'm still not giving up on this!"
"Somehow, we knew you'd say that. And we were hopin' you would." Stretch claimed.
Molly beamed. "Aww, really?"
"Yeah! 'Cause now we can watch ya fail more than once!" Stinkie snickered.
Sharon gave the three a dirty look.
"Don't listen to them, sweetie. We believe in you."
"And we'll do anything we can to help." Pete chimed in.
"Totally!" Darryl exclaimed. "You can count on us!"
"Ooh, looks like optimism runs in the family." Fatso commented.
"Yeah! If by 'optimism,' you mean 'stupidity'!" Stretch joked.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" the Trio laughed.
"Molly, don't take this the wrong way, but sometimes we worry about your taste in friends." Pete said.
"Why do you keep those pale-faced goons around, anyway?" Sharon wondered.
"Aw, they're not as bad as you think." Molly insisted. "Besides, the way I see it, being mean is just how they show they care."
"Really?" Pete scratched his head.
Just then, the Trio snuck up behind Pete and pulled his underwear over his head.
"Gah!" he yelped. "Uh…thanks guys…love you too?"
Molly changed the subject. "Now let's get out there and make other people care!"
And so, the McGees set out to get the citizens of Brighton to give money for a new bandshell. Molly and Darryl dragged the former's model around and went door to door asking for donations.
Just give (give back)
Give what you can (give back)
It's time to prove you're not a jerk
Come help your fellow man
At first, they didn't have much luck and didn't receive a single penny. But they weren't discouraged in the slightest and just took it as a sign to try harder. Soon, they had stopped simply asking for the money, and started demanding it, refusing to get out of people's faces until they coughed up some dough.
Just give (give back)
Whatever you got (give back)
It doesn't need to be a lot
But we'd prefer if it's a lot
To their surprise, their tactics worked and before long, their donation jar was completely full. But they didn't stop there.
That's not enough!
Give more!
Still not enough!
Give more!
When you stop and think about it
What do you really need your money for?
"Uh…food?" a man who just donated responded.
"Oh, yeah. That's a good point." Molly handed him back a few dollars. "Here ya go!"
In cash
(Give back) Your 90-inch TV
(Give back) Your cryptocurrency
(Give back) Your giant SUV
Which, to be honest, you should probably consider selling anyway
Electric cars are affordable and reliable and we could each do a little bit more to decrease our carbon footpriiiint!
Everybody pitch in
Write down your ATM PIN (give back)
Take a look inside your heart
Then liquidate your assets
And give (give back)
Give us money (give back)
Just give (give back)
Give us money (give back)
Just give…
…
…us money!
By the end of the day, the McGees had a whole truckload of cash. Or at least, a carload, as their trunk was filled to the brim with the green stuff. And while it took a lot of hard work and sacrifice (mostly from the citizens, not the McGees themselves), Molly was satisfied with their earnings.
Suddenly, the Ghostly Trio flew in with an enormous bag with a dollar sign printed on it.
"Welp, there ya go, bone bag." Stretch clapped his hands after setting the bag down. "Can't say we don't do nothin' for ya."
Molly's eyes lit up. "Wow, you guys! You got all this money for us? I thought you didn't work for free."
"I may have persuaded them to rethink their old philosophy." Sharon admitted.
"You threatened to suck us up in a vacuum cleaner and hold us captive!" Stinkie argued.
Sharon shrugged. "You say 'tomato.'"
"No, we didn't." Fatso disagreed. "But now that you bring it up, I could go for some marinara."
Molly examined the bag. "How'd you guys even get all this money in such little time?"
"Well, ya know, we crunched some numbers." Stretch explained.
"We analyzed our accounts." Stinkie added.
"We robbed a bank!" Fatso confessed, earning snarls from his brothers.
"You did what?!" Molly cried.
"Uh, don't listen to Fatso here, Molly." Stretch laughed nervously. "He hit his head when we phased through the safe-I mean through the front door of our house! Sure, we do a lot of low-down rotten stuff, but ya don't seriously think we'd stoop that low, do ya?"
As if on cue, a police siren could be heard from a distance. Molly gave the Trio a disapproving look.
"Take it back. Now."
Stretch scoffed. "Oh, I see how it is. We go to all this trouble for somethin' only you care about and this is the thanks we get? Fine! See if we decide to help the next time you want us to steal…uh, how much did we steal anyway?"
Fatso opened the sack and was met with an explosion that dyed his face pink.
"Hm. It was a credit union."
The police sirens got louder and Molly pushed the bag and the Trio away.
"TAKE IT BACK! TAKE IT BACK!"
After that situation was resolved, Molly took all the legitimately-earned donations she and the rest of her family had collected and counted them up.
"Whoa, we raised a lot of money!" she noted to the Trio. "But…it's not enough. We can pay for the materials, but not the labor."
"Well, ain't this exactly what we expected?" Stretch breathed in. "Ahh…ya smell that boys? That's the sweet, satisfyin' stench of…defeat!"
Stinkie grew a set of smelly toes. "And 'de toes,' too!"
"Well, since we obviously can't rebuild the bandshell ourselves, looks like the only option left is to call it quits!" Stretch decided.
"Aww, too bad, so sad!" Fatso fake cried.
"Hey, I got an idea!" Stretch continued. "To cheer us up, why don't we head down to the park and make fun of some babies?"
"What?" Molly became disgusted. "Why would that make me feel better? That's awful!"
"I said it would cheer us up, not cheer you up."
"Hey, ya ever wonder why they make shoes for those little dummies?" Fatso asked.
"Yeah! What's the point?" Stinkie concurred. "They don't even know how to walk!"
Molly slammed her face onto the counter. "Well, you guys are right about one thing. We can't build the bandshell ourselves."
"Glad you're finally startin' to see reason, Moll." Stretch replied while Fatso put on a baby bonnet and Stinkie designed a picket sign that read 'Hey baby, ya stink!'.
Molly lifted her head up, a big smile across her face.
"No…I mean, we can't build it alone!"
The Trio reeled in disgust.
"Ugh! What is that face?!" Stretch gagged.
"I dunno, but I don't like it!" Stinkie retched. "It reeks of hope!"
"What if the whole town pitched in?" Molly theorized.
"Oh no!" Fatso grabbed Molly by the cheeks and shook her. "It's takin' over! Get out of Molly's head, ya enthusiastic monster!"
Molly slinked out of Fatso's grip. "We'll have a community work day!"
"Are you nuts?" Stretch questioned. "Nobody's gonna work for free!"
"You guys did." Molly pointed out smugly.
"Only 'cause we was forced into it!" Stinkie reminded her.
"You say that, but I know it's 'cause you really care."
"Nuh-uh!" Fatso refused.
"Okay, we'll address your issues with denial later. The point is, if you guys are willing to help for free, I know the rest of the town will, because they care too! They'll show up, you'll see! And then you will see my famous 'told ya' dance."
Molly started dancing and humming, making the Trio wince.
"Ugh…cringey…" Fatso commented.
Molly only grinned pridefully. "That was just a little preview for ya."
So, Molly created a huge stack of flyers and immediately began to post them all over town. She made sure to put them in places where everyone could see them, including on a dog and onto some people's faces. Once that was finished, Molly and the rest of the McGees regrouped in the park, having bought all of the materials needed to build a new bandshell. Molly sat down on a pile of pallets and kicked her feet excitedly. All that was left to do was wait for the volunteers.
"People are totally coming, don't worry." Molly reassured her impatient family. "Any second now."
She looked out at the streets which were totally empty. Her confidence was falling fast.
"…Okay, they're not coming…" she slumped down onto the grass with a solemn expression.
The Ghostly Trio poofed beside her, ready to once again kick her while she was down.
"Woooww, we're impressed, Moll!" Stretch noted with sarcasm. He gestured to the other McGees. "Ya got three willin' suckers to show up here!"
"That's three more than we thought ya'd get, by the way." Stinkie mentioned.
"Now, who was it that was gonna do the 'told ya' dance again?" Fatso teased. "Was it you…or was it…?"
The Trio broke out into an obnoxious dance that involved flying around Molly and shaking their rears.
"Da, da, da, da told ya! Da, da, da, da told ya!"
Molly didn't even acknowledge them, which the Trio took notice of right away.
"Hey, she ain't even watchin' us!" Fatso observed.
"Yeah, where's the fun in gloatin' if nobody gives us any annoyed looks?" Stinkie complained.
Stretch knocked on Molly's head. "Hello? Earth to Molly McGee! Are you listenin'? Wake up!"
Molly finally responded. "You guys can gloat all you want. I deserve it…"
The Trio were genuinely surprised by this reaction.
"C'mon, Moll, that's not how this works." Stretch explained. "See, we're supposed to brag about bein' right, and then you're supposed to get mad because you were wrong and ya can't handle us bein' right. Got it?"
"Not this time…" Molly answered dejectedly.
The Trio frowned, becoming overtaken by sadness as well. And as much as they told themselves it was because of their disappointment from Molly not feeding into their sick, twisted mind games, they secretly were starting to feel bad for her.
"Aw, tough break, Moll." Stretch finally said. "We ain't so good with the 'feelin'' stuff, so…we'll just give ya one of these." he patted her on the shoulder and Stinkie and Fatso did the same.
"Sorry, Molly…"
"Life stinks, don't it?"
Molly stood up, trying to remember the bright side of the situation.
"I guess it's just us." she looked toward her family, smiling somewhat. "Anyone know how to use a table saw? Heh, heh…"
The McGees were then startled by a repeated clattering noise that kept getting louder and louder.
"Darryl," Sharon groaned. "Not now with the Obnoxitron."
Darryl held out his hands, which had nothing in them. "It's not me!"
"Don't look at me, either!" Stinkie butted in. "You skin sacks would be losin' your lunches if I'd done it."
Molly and the others turned their heads and at last discovered what the sound was: a cane moving across the grass. Molly was overjoyed by what she saw next.
"Patty!"
Indeed, Patty and all of the other residents of Brighton Hills Retirement Center had arrived, their faces rife with determination and willingness to help out.
"Sorry we're late." Patty said, nudging Molly's arm. "Some of us don't travel as fast as we used to."
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's get to it!" Molly declared.
She then looked back at the Trio, who were utterly shocked by the turn of events. Fatso's jaw had dropped to the ground. Molly smirked.
"Oh, and, guys?" she poked all three of their noses. "Told ya!"
With that, the girl broke out into a cringeworthy dance complete with dabs and robotic movements.
"And this is the part where I go like…bam! Told ya, da, da, bam! Told ya! It's got another three minutes."
The elders exchanged glances, wondering who Molly was talking and dancing to, but decided not to worry about it for long. After all, they had building to do.
Soon, the McGees and the seniors had gotten to work on the new bandshell. And while Molly did wish more volunteers had shown up (as it would have definitely sped up the work process), she was just happy to know that at least some of the people of Brighton cared enough to support this cause.
Give, give what you can
Just a couple hours of your day
Can help make the world a better place
Lend a hand (grab a tool)
We don't mind a little drool
'Cause there's nothing better
Than building all together
As it turns out though, the retirees weren't the only ones eager to help. Later on, Libby and the Lemmings passed by the park, having just won another softball game. When Molly saw her best friend, she waved to her and called her over.
"Libby!"
The girls wasted no time jumping in to help, even taking over for some of the older folks who were too winded to continue.
Come donate your energies (give!)
Spackle all those crevices (give!)
The Ghostly Trio noticed an old man had fallen asleep on the job.
Take a break and catch some Z's
Oh wait no, that man's deceased!
The old man's soul started to leave his body, but the Trio quickly shoved it back in.
"Oh no ya don't!" Stretch said. "Nobody's dyin' on our watch!"
The man woke up. "Now let's get back to work."
The volunteers didn't stop at the Lemmings, though. There was also the Lemmings' umpire, the town anchorwoman, the principal and all the teachers of Brighton middle school. Molly was beyond elated; it seemed like everyone in town had come to do their part. She even spotted the Trio assisting some of the volunteers with their ghostly powers, which made her the happiest to see, considering how reluctant they were acting earlier.
Just give (give your day away)
Grab a nail gun and go nuts (give your day away)
Shout out to the guy who brought donuts (give your day away)
(Give! Give! Give! Give!)
Let's make a better place to live
All we need to do is give
Thanks to the entire town's contribution, the bandshell was completed by the end of the day. Everyone stood back and admired their finished creation, prideful smiles on all their faces. But Molly was the proudest of all. With her help, Brighton was looking more and more bright every day. She looked over at the Ghostly Trio, who were devouring the leftover donuts. Fatso shoveled a half dozen of them into his gullet.
"Ahh…I could get used to this whole volunteerin' thing."
Stretch realized Molly was staring at them and grinning big.
"What's your deal, bone bag?"
"Yeah, why ya creepily smilin' at us like that?" Stinkie asked.
"Oh, no reason." Molly giggled. "Just feeling extremely proud of three particular ghosts for proving they're not completely selfish and are willing to help the ones they love!"
"What are you talkin' about, McGee?" Stretch glared.
"C'mon guys, admit it. I saw you out there workin' hard."
"And you think we did that for you?"
"No way!" Stinkie denied. "Your mom threatened us with the vacuum again!"
"Actually, this time I didn't." Sharon informed Molly.
"Really?!" Molly's grin became bigger.
The Trio turned red from embarrassment.
"W-W-Well…you was definitely thinkin' about it!" Stretch insisted. "And obviously, since we didn't wanna take any chances, we figured…well, ya wouldn't have gotten it done at the rate you was goin', so…we were just tryin' to prove ya couldn't do anythin' without us, and…"
"Aww, c'mere, ya big softies!" Molly squeezed the three of them into a hug. "I always knew underneath all that ectoplasm were the hearts of three kind souls!"
The Trio began to protest.
"Yech! Fleshie germs!"
"Make it stop!"
"The affection! It burns!"
Molly rolled her eyes playfully. "Aw, you know you love it."
Eventually, she let the ghosts go and went over to Patty, who was still admiring the new bandshell.
"So, what do you think, Patty?"
"It's beautiful." Patty answered.
"Yeah, we tried to make it match the original as close as we could…"
"No, not this." Patty signaled toward the bandshell and then somewhere else. "This."
Molly looked to where Patty was gesturing: the citizens of Brighton talking, laughing, and enjoying each other's company. That's when Molly realized what Patty was talking about, what she really found beautiful, was the people coming together again after all those years.
"This is the Brighton I remember." Patty continued and embraced Molly. "Thank you, dear."
Molly smiled. At last, her positive influence was spreading.
Just then, the mayor came forward.
"Well, Miss McGee, I must admit, I'm impressed!" he told Molly. "You brought the whole town together and got the bandshell built! So, who's going to play it?"
"Oh!" Molly started to panic. "Ohhh no! I didn't think about that! Uh…"
Before Molly could answer the mayor, she was startled by a chorus of rude noises.
"Not you, Darryl!"
"Pfft, amateur." Stinkie scoffed. "This is how it's really done!"
"Wait! Stinkie, no-"
BLAAAAARRRRRT!
Everyone in the park gagged as they were overcome by a horrendous-smelling gas cloud. "EWWWWW!"
"Stinkie!" Molly yelled.
"You're welcome!" Stinkie chuckled.
Ghostly Trio and Molly McGee!
Don't forget to leave your reviews and in case you didn't see it, I posted a new poll for "On My Dragon's Wings," so make sure to cast your vote. Two of the scenarios up for vote have already been completed, but if by some chance the one that is incomplete gets chosen, I'll do my best to get it done by next Friday. If not though, I may just upload the next chapter for this instead.
See you next week!