Oh goodie! We've got our next parallel! Both shows have an episode about the main cast making a movie and...actually, that's pretty much the only thing the two episodes have in common. Though I did make sure to include plenty of references to said "Casper" episode while writing this up, even naming the chapter itself after the episode because I'm too lazy to come up with my own title, lol.
Okay, let's go!
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 8
Spooks, Lies and Videotape
Pete entered the McGee family room and sighed contently.
"You know what I love most about 'McGee Family Movie Night'?" he asked his wife as he sat beside her on the sofa. "Recreating the theater experience."
He moved his arm outward in an effort to emphasize the total darkness in the room, the same kind a movie theater would normally have. Suddenly, he heard his cell phone ring and he reached into his pocket to answer it.
"Uh, sir?" Molly appeared behind him with a flashlight. "I'm gonna have to ask you to turn that off."
Pete was so startled that he dropped his phone into the bowl of popcorn he had in his lap.
"See?" he reached his hand into the bowl to fish his phone out. "Movie magic."
Sharon also had her phone with her, but she was allowed to keep it on so Grandma Nin could watch the movie with them through a video call.
"And just like the movies…" Nin popped open a bag of shrimp-flavored crackers. "…I snuck in my own snacks!"
Molly took a seat in the rocking chair next to the couch.
"We're almost ready. Just waiting on Darryl and the Trio. They were supposed to pick the movie, but I guess they decided to take their sweet time doing that."
"Cool yer jets," Darryl came in and hopped over the couch, a videotape in his hand. "We're here."
"Bout time!" Molly complained. "We're trying to recreate the theater experience, Darryl! A real movie theater would have started the movie at precisely 7:00pm, not…" she checked the time. "…7:02pm!"
"Sorry, the Trio and I had a hard time agreeing on what to pick." Darryl explained, putting the tape in. "But we finally found what just might be the scariest movie ever…"
Stretch phased through the couch, startling Pete again.
"It's got everythin' we love! Lotsa jumpscares…"
Stinkie popped up next to him. "Lotsa gross-up closeups!"
Fatso appeared in between them with a huge bowl of pasta. "Lotsa spaghetti!"
"You're a real noodlebrain!" Stretch dumped the whole bowl on the youngest ghost's head. He then flew over to Molly. "But ya know what the best part about it is? It's got a ghost!"
"Yeah, and there ain't nothin' scarier than ghosts!" Stinkie added.
Fatso eyed the popcorn Pete was holding and levitated it into his mouth.
"Especially when they chew with their mouth open…" Sharon commented.
After he swallowed the popcorn, Fatso spat out Pete's cell phone into the now-empty bowl.
"I'm gonna have nightmares for weeks…" Molly theorized with a scared expression, which seconds later turned into an excited one. "I can't wait! Play that bad boy!"
Darryl took a seat next to his mom and pressed the 'Play' button on the remote. The movie immediately started up with a woman screaming and a ghost cackling.
"Ooh, I'm likin' this already!" Stretch noted. "But how could I not? There ain't no such thing as a bad horror movie in my mind."
But by the time they reached the five-minute mark, the whole family had already lost interest. When the movie had finished two hours later, nobody was even watching it anymore. Darryl and Stretch were hanging upside-down off the edge of the couch in a failed attempt to make the film more entertaining. Molly was staring at the screen of her phone while Fatso read "War and Peace" next to her. And Stinkie and the adults had all dozed off from complete boredom.
"Wow," Stretch said once the credits started rolling, waking up Pete, Sharon, and Stinkie. "Those producers must feel so accomplished…'cause they actually succeeded in makin' a bad horror movie!"
Stinkie scoffed. "And people said Casper stunk!"
"Right? That wasn't even scary!" Darryl whined, falling off the couch. "Too many talking heads and not enough severed heads!"
"Yeah, and what about those annoyin' ghost stereotypes?" Fatso pointed out.
"Oh, those were the worst!" Stretch agreed. "Tell me, Molly, have we ever said anythin' like this?"
He put on a scary face and spoke with exaggerated inflections.
"Ooh…get out of the house!"
"You say that to us all the time." Molly reminded him.
"And yet ya still can't follow direction, can ya?"
Molly poked him on the nose playfully. "You're funny."
"Well, regardless, that movie was terrible." Darryl stated. "We could probably make a better movie ourselves."
Molly beamed and jumped out of her chair.
"That's a great idea! Let's make a horror movie! I can direct it, Libby can write the script, and Darryl? You can film it on your phone!"
"I didn't get a phone with six cameras for nothing!" Darryl grinned, showing off his phone's accessory.
"And of course, every good horror movie needs a supernatural threat. Like, oh, I don't know, just off the top of my head…a ghost maybe? Or perhaps…three ghosts? Hint, hint…"
Fatso donned a Hamlet costume. "We'll do it! And it shall be the performance of an afterlifetime!"
Stinkie also poofed up his own costume.
"Ah, I still remember my first actin' gig…a one-man performance of my personal favorite production: 'Aromeo and Pewliet'! Spoiler alert: they all die from suffocation."
Stretch pulled down a curtain, blocking off his brothers.
"Hold yer headless horsemen, bone bag!" he told Molly. "What makes you think we'd even wanna be in your movie?"
"Uh, 'cause it'll be tons of fun?" Molly persuaded.
"Oh please. I've had more fun layin' in a coffin."
"C'mon, Stretch," Stinkie begged. "We're talkin' about our big chance for stardom here!"
"Yeah! Our claim to fame!" Fatso added.
"We don't need fame!" Stretch insisted. "We're plenty famous already! People love us!"
"Oh yeah? If people love us so much, how come our old cartoon never got properly syndicated?" Stinkie questioned.
"Hey, I thought I told ya to lay off the meta jokes." Stretch turned back to Molly. "Anywho, there ain't no way you're gonna convince me to be in yer flick. Not unless ya can get Marilyn to be my drop-dead gorgeous co-star."
"Marilyn?" Pete repeated.
"As in, Marilyn Monroe?" Sharon clarified.
"Who'd ya think I was talkin' about? My nephew's old kiddygarten teacher?"
Stinkie and Fatso shuddered at this.
"Oh well." Molly pretended to be disappointed. "And here I was trying to help you with your monthly scare report."
Stretch poked her in the nose. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Well, I know how exhausting it must be for you guys to scare so many fleshies in such a small timespan and I figured making a horror movie and sharing it on social media would be a much more efficient way to terrify the citizens of Brighton than just going all the way to their houses to do it. Not to mention, your increase in productivity would really impress the Ghost Council. Especially one particular member…"
Stretch paused. "Wait…you're sayin' Ms. B would be impressed…with me?"
"Ahh, Ms. B…" Stinkie sighed.
"The close second to Marilyn." Fatso stated.
Stretch was beginning to change his tune.
"Well…we is members of SAG, the Spook Actors Guild. And our scare report is due soon…All right, McGee. You got yerself a lead role!"
"Sweet!" Molly cheered. "Let's make some movie magic!"
Over the next week, Molly, Darryl, and Libby got everything ready for their big blockbuster. Saturday morning, they met up at the softball field to film the first few scenes.
Stretch was reading over the script Libby wrote.
"Whoa! Are we sure Libby ain't a ghost? 'Cause her script is spooky accurate!"
"Yeah, she'd make a great ghostwriter!" Fatso joked.
Stretch slammed the playbook over Fatso's nose in annoyance.
"Uh-huh. 'Ghostwriter.' Good one, Fatso." Molly came over with white sheets and promptly put them over the Trio. "Here, put these on."
"What the heck are these for?" Stretch demanded.
"Well, we all know real ghosts can't show up on camera, right?" Molly claimed. "So, if you wanna be in the movie, ya have to wear something that'll make you visible."
"Yeah, but white sheets? The most cliche depiction of ghosts ever? This is just embarrassin'!" Stretch complained. "I'd be less humiliated if ya just covered us in powder."
"Or coated us with paint." Stinkie suggested.
"Or pumped us up with neon gas 'til we glowed." Fatso mentioned.
"Yeah, but white sheets won't cause sneezing, can't melt off from heat, and don't attract lightning in a possible thunderstorm." Molly explained. "Plus, it's the easiest way to keep your existence from Libby."
Stretch sighed as he reluctantly covered himself with the sheet. "The things we do for stardom…and an easy scare report."
Molly approached Libby, who was in the middle of arranging fake tombstones.
"Great work, Libby!" Molly said, giving her best friend a fright. "You did an amazing job with the script and the set! Now, it's time to try on this!" she held up a turquoise-colored dress.
"But…that's for Angela." Libby pointed out.
"Exactly. And who better to bring Angela to life than the one who created her?"
"Uh…an actress with relevant experience?"
"Don't be so modest. You were born for the lead role! Anyway, we don't have anyone else available."
"Oh no, no, no!" Libby pleaded. "Molly, the very thought of people watching me…on screen…in HD…makes me…"
The turtleneck-clad girl then threw up behind one of the tombstones. Molly winced.
"Eh, you'll be fine."
Darryl brought over a wagon with a bucket of red paint.
"Hey sis, where do ya want the blood?" he stuck his hand in the bucket, getting his hand covered.
Molly backed away. "Uh…do we really need blood in a ghost movie?"
Darryl ignored the question and ran his hand against his sister's jacket, turning her sleeve red as well.
"Know what? I'll surprise ya."
Once Libby was finished hurling, the Trio came over wearing their sheets.
"Boo." Stretch said unenthusiastically.
"Uh…who's playing the ghosts?" Libby whispered to Molly.
"Oh! Right." Molly wrapped an arm around the Trio. "These are our…um…Canadian cousins, Jack, Jackson, and…Jacques!"
"Yeah, we're the ghosts…" Stretch grumped.
"What's up, eh?" Stinkie greeted monotonously.
"Oui, oui, mademoiselle." Fatso replied.
"They're visiting." Darryl told Libby.
Libby just stared blankly, finding it a little hard to believe Molly's family was that extended, but didn't question it any further.
"Okay, gather around crew!" Molly announced and cleared her throat. "We are here for one reason and one reason only."
She stood on top of her director's chair, which in reality, was just a normal lawn chair.
"To make the scariest ghost movie ever! Sure, we're just kids with a camera phone and cardboard props. But we've got something Hollywood doesn't. We've got…to be home for dinner! So, let's get shooting!"
And thus, the filming commenced.
The camera's rolling and the lights are lit
That's as close to in-focus as they're gonna get
They're a non-union crew
They don't know what they're doing
But they're gonna make movie magic
They perform their own stunts
"Whoooaa!" Libby tripped over her dress and tumbled behind a fake tombstone, where a skunk was hiding.
Unintended scene with a skunk
Stinkie: *clapping* His actin' stunk!
And emotions explored
With just two shots to go
When they realize till now
They've been on selfie-mode
Darryl switched the camera view on his phone sheepishly. "Heh, heh…oops…my bad."
Later on, an actual softball game started, but this didn't stop Molly and the gang from continuing the movie-making process.
If someone's fielding a grounder
They'll just shoot around her
There's no time to waste
"Action!" Molly ordered.
Take after take
Fatso tossed the copy of his script. "Line?"
They're gonna make movie magi-
BONK!
Libby was then beaned in the head with a softball.
"You'rrree out!" the Lemmings' coach shouted. "But seriously, we're trying to play a game here. Get out."
Evening soon fell and the kids and ghosts were exhausted after a long day of filming.
"Making movies is hard…" Molly groaned.
"I barely got to use my fake blood." Darryl complained.
Before Molly could remind her brother about how his fake blood got on everything, including her, she smacked into a door that just opened. Standing in the doorway was a girl with blue hair that Molly instantly recognized from school.
"Listen up, Fandreas!" Andrea Davenport announced to her social media followers through her phone. "Warm winds are blowing this spring. That's why I stay cool with…"
She gasped when she saw Molly with messy hair and red paint all over her clothes.
"Whoa! Someone call the police!" Andrea pointed her phone towards Molly. "There's a fashion crime in progress! Hee, hee, hee!"
Andrea's followers responded with laughing and grossed-out emojis. Molly was not amused.
"We're making a ghost movie, Ahn-drea…"
"Shut up! I love horror movies! Totally unrelated, but I just so happen to be a professional actress. See?"
Andrea handed Molly a tablet with a video displayed.
The Ghostly Trio exited their costumes to talk with Molly privately.
"Oh, she's gotta be kiddin'!" Stretch moped. "Molly, you see where this is goin' right?"
"Uh…not really, no."
"Obviously, she wants to star in our movie!" Stinkie informed her. "Why else would she bring it up in such a casual fashion and then show ya this…whatever this is…"
Fatso pressed the play button on the tablet and an advertisement featuring Andrea singing in front of her family's store began.
"For the best in clothing, beauty, and sports, spend your money at Davenport's!"
"Well, that's gonna be in my head all week." Fatso admitted.
"OMG, I just had a crazy thought!" Andrea interrupted.
"C'mon," Molly responded to the Trio as if Andrea hadn't said anything. "Andrea Davenport in our movie?"
Andrea gasped, pressing her face against Molly's. "Molly McGee, you read my mind!"
"So did I, apparently." Stretch mumbled sarcastically.
"Meet at the store warehouse tomorrow morning." Andrea instructed, taking back her tablet. "We shoot our commercials there, so we've got all the sets and equipment we need."
"Wait, what?" Molly went.
"This is gonna be the best movie ever!" Andrea continued, walking away. "Kay, love you, bye!"
"Hmph. Influencers." Stretch scoffed. "Always thinkin' they're better than everyone else just 'cause people they've never met in real life tell 'em so."
"Yeah, we wouldn't follow her even if we weren't dead!" Stinkie concurred. "Right, Fatso?"
"For the best in clothing, beauty, and sports, spend your money at Davenport's!" Fatso sang, earning a whack on the head from Stretch. "Darn catchy jingles…"
"Anyways, Moll," Stretch continued. "We don't need some stuck-up princess or her daddy's money to woo Ms. B. Uh, I mean, make our movie a big hit."
"Uh…yeah, you're right, Stretch…" Molly replied without even looking at him.
"Course I'm right. And I'm also right that we won't be goin' to that warehouse tomorrow…right?"
"Uh-huh…right…"
But the next morning, that's exactly where Molly, Darryl, and the Trio went.
"Okay, what gives?" Stretch asked Molly. "Am I losin' it or somethin'? 'Cause I coulda sworn yesterday you said we weren't comin' here and yet, here we are! Either my memory's gone fuzzy since becomin' a ghost, or you left your brain at home, 'cause obviously you're not thinkin'!"
"Ahh, yeah…" Fatso recalled. "I remember the last time I left my brain at home."
"Was it today by any chance?" Stinkie guessed.
Fatso opened his head to check and came up empty. "Uh…maybe…"
"You better not be seriously considerin' goin' through with this, Molly." Stretch threatened. "If there's any fleshie we find more obnoxious than you, it's Andrea."
Molly ignored the insult. "Guys, c'mon, give her a chance. I think she just wants to help make our movie better. She did say she's into horror, after all. Maybe we could find a part for her."
"Yeah, too bad our movie don't got a swamp monster." Stinkie giggled. "She's got a face perfect for that role!"
Stretch also laughed. "Yeah, if she was in the movie, ya wouldn't even need us ghosts, 'cause the audience would be scared by her plenty!"
"Ooh, I can picture the tagline now…" Fatso held out his hands. "'She's out to get you…to buy from her cruddy store'!"
"HAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Molly opened the door to the warehouse and upon seeing what was inside, the Trio immediately changed their tune.
"Whoooooaaaa!"
Inside was the most authentic movie set Molly, Darryl, or the ghosts had ever seen. There was a backdrop depicting a spooky graveyard scene, several crew members walking around with boxes of stage props, dozens of spotlights and cameras, and a table covered with all manner of snacks (the latter definitely got Fatso's attention).
"Now this is the star treatment we deserve!" Stretch noted.
Fatso floated over to the snack table. "I call this my floor-gasbord!"
He then stuffed the entire table and all its contents into his mouth.
Darryl took out his phone and snapped pictures of everything.
"Okay, everybody," Molly encouraged. "I know this is all very impressive, but don't be distracted by the razzle-dazzle, okay? Let's focus on our goal and…"
Molly came to a halt as soon as she laid eyes upon a director's chair with her name printed on it.
"Sweet baby corn!" she hugged it to her chest. "That is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen! The second is the Grand Canyon and the third is a baby deer learning to stand, in case you were wondering."
"We weren't." Stretch answered bluntly.
Molly then noticed the set, which contained several realistic-looking tombstones, one of which even had a statue of a decrepit angel with the initials H. Harriet.
"Hey," Stinkie chuckled. "Nice call-back."
"Whoa, are these real?" Molly kicked one of the graves, hurting her foot. "Ow! They don't even fall down."
Just then, Libby arrived holding the movie's original script.
"Libby, there you are! Can you believe it? Our vision is coming to life!"
"Oh…" Libby looked away nervously. "Yeah, about that. Andrea looked over my script and apparently she has a few notes…"
"Uh, okay…" Molly listened, along with the Trio.
Libby started to read. "'The lead character should be more relatable…'"
"Yeah, that makes sense."
"'…aspirational…'"
"Fine with me."
"'Beautiful but not know how beautiful she is…'"
"Is that even a thing?" Fatso whispered to his brothers.
Libby reached the bottom of the page. "Oh. And also, her name should be 'Andrea.'"
Molly cringed. "Oh…kay…"
"Yep!" Stretch threw his hands up. "I knew this would happen! Already she's makin' this all about her! What a surprise!"
"What a shocker." Stinkie added.
"What a man, what a man, what a man, what a mighty good man!" Fatso belted out.
Stretch and Stinkie discreetly turned their fists into hammers and hit him.
"Aw, who cares what the main character's name is?" Molly told Libby. "As long as the movie's great, that's all that counts, right? Besides, now you don't have to be on camera!"
Libby shrugged. "That's true."
"Atta girl." Molly gently shoved Libby along. "Now, why don't you go relax and help yourself to some refreshments? Or at least what's left of them. Thanks a lot 'Jacques.'"
Once Libby left, the Ghostly Trio phased out of their sheets once more.
"Molly, I'm warnin' ya right now," Stretch began. "If you don't do somethin' about Little Miss Scene-Stealer, she's gonna taint this entire production!"
"Yeah, no way are we gonna share a spotlight with her!" Stinkie refused. "Not even Ms. B's admiration is worth that!"
Molly smirked and raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Well, what about scaring the miniskirt off of Andrea? Is it worth that?"
"What do ya mean?" Stretch inquired.
"Well…she is the main character now. And the main character is the one who gets scared by the ghosts the most, right?"
The Trio grinned.
"Ooh, now we're talkin'!" Stinkie rubbed his hands together. "I've always wanted to cast my smell on that bratty twerp."
"I was gettin' bored of spookin' Libby anyway." Fatso claimed. "She scares too easy. I mean, the gal actually panicked after seein' her own shadow yesterday."
"So, does that mean you'll do it?" Molly's eyes widened.
"Well, maybe…" Stretch contemplated. "Would we get to go off-script?"
"Why not?" Molly agreed. "It's your guys' movie just as much as mine. Do whatever ya want, I say. Just as long as it's not lethal."
"Well then, what are we waitin' for, boys?" Stretch snickered. "That diva wants scary and we can deliver!"
"HAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Molly sighed contentedly. "Well, that worked out. Yep, I can tell everything's gonna be just fine from here on out."
Soon, it was time to start shooting. Darryl got behind the camera, Andrea and the Ghostly Trio took their places on set, and Molly took her seat on her 'throne,' as she called it.
"Ahh…like a glove…okay! Action!"
But Andrea was too busy live-streaming to hear her.
"About to shoot my very first feature. Thanks to all my followers for believing in me. This is for you, Fan-dreas!" she blew a kiss at her phone screen.
"Uh…Andrea?" Molly spoke up. "I said 'action.' Y'know?"
Andrea only gave her an unconcerned glance.
Eventually, the influencer got focused and the first scene began. Fake smoke filled the set and Andrea walked beside a tombstone that ironically read "R.I.P. Davenport."
"Maybe I shouldn't have taken this shortcut through the scaaary woods. I heard this place is haunted by not just one, but three horrible ghosts!"
"And…cue ghost number one!" Molly ordered.
Stretch floated up behind Andrea.
"Well, well, well! Look what we got here! A fleshie brave and stupid enough to step into our territory! Hope you're a fast runner, bone bag, 'cause there ain't no one who's ever been able to escape me!"
"Oh, I'm so not worried." Andrea held up a pair of shoes and looked directly at the camera. "'Cause I'm wearing Swedish memory foam running shoes! Available now at Davenport's department store!"
Stretch was disappointed by her lack of reaction. "Wait, what?"
Molly was about to intervene, when Stinkie popped out from behind a fake tombstone.
"Forget that! I only buy shoes that make yer feet stink! Like me!" he took a breath and blew a stench cloud in Andrea's face.
Andrea coughed. "Yikes. Good thing I brought along my pine-tree-garden-scented air freshener, which you can find in our spring cleaning aisle! Now only $9.99!"
She took out a bottle and sprayed it in Stinkie's face. He immediately began to choke.
"Can't…breathe…it's…too…Christmas-y!" he fainted.
"Oh my gosh!" Molly worried. "Quick, somebody! We need some sweaty socks over here!"
Darryl took off his own socks and held them over Stinkie's face in an effort to revive him.
Suddenly, Andrea heard an organ playing behind her. Turning around, she saw Fatso sitting at the instrument wearing a tuxedo and an asymmetrical mask.
"Get ready, Andrea…the Fatso of the Opera is here!"
"And I bet he'd totally enjoy this portable waffle-iron!" Andrea winked as she showed off the product. "Perfect for the on-the-go breakfast lover hard-pressed for time."
Fatso was intrigued. "Ooh…I'll take five!"
"Enough! Cut!" Molly shouted.
"Well, didn't take long for this ship to sink." Stretch remarked, flying away.
Fatso only stuffed a waffle in his mouth.
"Uh, listen Andrea…" Molly started. "First, let me just say you're doing great."
Andrea flipped her hair. "No duh."
"Uh-huh. Yeah. But um…what's up with all the product placements? Those aren't in the script."
"Well, how else are we supposed to pay for all this stuff?"
Molly looked back at her precious chair.
"Oh…good point…"
Before she could come up with a counterargument, Molly heard a loud scream from Darryl, who was trying in vain to work the camera, but it kept moving around on its own.
"Whooooaaa! How do you work this thing?!" he was launched to the other side of the warehouse.
"I got this." Andrea said right as Molly was about to step in. "GERARD!"
A man in a beanie and scarf rushed over.
"I'm sorry, who is this?" Molly asked.
"He does all our commercials." Andrea told her. "He can work the camera and he knows my good side…which is both of them."
Darryl stormed over to the girls.
"What?! You're replacing me?! She can't do that! Right? Molly, tell her she can't do that!"
"Uh…"
Molly wasn't sure what to do. She hated the direction the movie was going in, but she also wanted it to be a big success (and more importantly, wanted to keep her director's chair).
"Now Darryl, it's not the end of the world. You can still do the behind-the-scenes footage."
"Oh goodie. Can't wait to capture how this all falls apart!" Darryl stomped off.
Andrea could see the guilt wracked on Molly's face.
"Aww…I know it hurts to fire family, but like Daddy always says: 'It gets easier every time.'"
Molly backed away in disgust. "What?"
"What's important is that we do whatever it takes to realize my vision."
"…You meant, 'my vision,' correct?"
"Yeah, that's what I said. 'My vision.'" Andrea clapped her hands. "All right, Gerard, I'm ready for my closeup!"
Molly just stood still, completely stunned. She couldn't believe this was happening. Stretch had been right beforehand about Andrea tainting the whole production. She had to put a stop to this and soon.
The next day after school, the kids got together at the Davenport warehouse again to start filming the next scenes. But when they got there, they were shocked to find that the spooky graveyard backdrop had been replaced with a curtain painted with shiny gold stars.
"Hey, what the heck is this?!" Stretch demanded. "We're shootin' a horror movie here, not 'American Idol'!"
Fatso had a contestant number on his chest. "Aww…"
Molly approached Andrea a bit apprehensively.
"Uh…Andrea? We need to talk. I think-"
Andrea put a finger to Molly's lips. "One sec. Libbs?"
Libby entered, carrying a whole new script. She had bags under her eyes due to lack of sleep.
"Oh! Did you read my latest script? I addressed all your notes."
Libby handed Andrea the script so she could skim through.
"And I super appreciate you staying up all night, but we decided to go in a bold, new direction."
The bluenette tossed the script in the air and it landed in a nearby recycling bin.
"Two words…ghost. Romance! Or gho-mance for short."
The Ghostly Trio gagged.
"Disgustin'!"
"I'm gonna puke!"
"I think I turned over in my grave!"
"Ghost romance?" Libby repeated. "But that's not even scary!"
"Well it is if you're playin' a ghost." Stretch pointed out.
Andrea shrugged. "I mean, do ghosts have to be scary? Why can't they be cute and friendly?"
Molly facepalmed, as Andrea was completely missing the point, while Stinkie and Fatso gasped.
"Did she just say…the 'f word'?"
"She can't do that, this is a kids' story!"
Stretch's eyes lit up with fire.
"'Friendly'? 'FRIENDLY'?! Ghosts ain't supposed to be friendly! They're meant to be sick and twisted! Cruel and malicious!"
"And sometimes a little gassy!" Stinkie added. "Especially after eatin' ten bowls of baked beans."
The smelly ghost broke a tiny bit of wind in Libby's face, making her faint.
"Molly!" Stretch grabbed Molly by the face. "If the Ghost World learns we were involved in this garbage film, we'll be a laughin' stock! Not to mention, Ms. Banshee will lose all the respect she had for us!"
"You mean she had it to begin with?"
"Do somethin'!"
"Okay, okay. Uh, Andrea?" she spoke gently. "The whole point was to make a horror movie."
"And we are!" Andrea insisted. "The horror comes from the ghost spending an eternity having never found true love!"
Molly and the Trio glared as Andrea walked away.
"If ya ask me, that's not nearly as terrifyin' as spendin' an eternity in a relationship with a movie-manipulatin' witch like her!" Stinkie spat.
Stretch rolled up his sleeves. "That's it! Let's really see how fast she can run in those Swedish shoes!"
Molly held Stretch back. "Look, I know this isn't the movie we planned to make, but just think about how much better it is with all this fancy equipment."
"Ha!" Fatso chuckled to his brothers. "She wouldn't be sayin' that if it weren't for that dumb chair with her name on it."
Molly embraced the aforementioned chair. "Hey! You leave the chair out of this! Anyway, Andrea may think she's the one calling all of the shots, but at the end of the day, I'm still the director. And as long as I'm still the director, this movie will still technically be ours."
Just then, Andrea came back.
"Oh, Molly? I'd like you to meet family friend, visionary director, Greta Gerwig!"
A blonde woman in a green jacket waved to Molly.
"Hi. I'm Greta Gerwig."
"Uh…okay…why is she here?" Molly asked.
"To be our new director of course!" Andrea answered cheerfully.
"WHAT?!"
Andrea folded up Molly's director's chair.
"Yeah, I thought about it and while you have done a pretty decent job so far, we need someone who will help our movie get international distribution. That's where Greta Gerwig comes in! So, we won't be needing this anymore."
With that, Andrea tossed Molly's chair into the same recycling bin she threw Libby's script in.
"My chair…" Molly sobbed. "My beautiful chair…"
One of the stage crew members brought out another chair, this one with Greta's name, and she promptly took a seat.
"Ahh…like a glove…okay, people! Pictures up! Cameras are rolling! Ghosts are friendly! And…action!"
Andrea strolled across the new set and jovially waved to all of her imaginary fans, while another stagehand gave her a bouquet. Meanwhile, all Molly could do was watch with overwhelming sadness and disappointment. She couldn't help but feel this was all her fault somehow. Sure, Andrea was the one making all the changes, but she had done nothing to stop them. She took that moment to think about all the ones she had hurt: Darryl, Libby, the Trio, and even her beloved director's chair.
Speaking of the Trio, they appeared right beside her while the filming continued.
"So…ya still believe this is our movie?" Stretch snarked.
"No, Stretch…" Molly sighed. "It isn't…"
But then suddenly, she gained a mischievous smile, an idea forming in her head.
"In fact…I think it's time to show Andrea just how scary ghosts can be."
Fatso gasped excitedly. "You mean…"
Molly nodded. "Boys…let 'er have it."
The Trio threw off their sheets.
"Woohoo!"
"Well, it's about time!"
"Let's make a stink!"
The first thing the three did was possess the cables that controlled the lights. Immediately, they started to flicker on and off.
"GERARD!" Andrea yelled. "I told you we're not doing scary anymore!"
"HAHAHAHAHAHA!" the Trio's laughter echoed throughout the building.
No one makes my heart dance like you do
Andrea shivered and turned on her phone's flashlight feature. She pointed it toward a light fixture, which soon fell over on its own. She heard a speaker falling behind her and jumped.
Nothing less than a 'death do us part'
Then the disco ball hanging from the ceiling came crashing down into the floor, making Andrea drop her phone in terror and back up toward the curtain. That's when the Ghostly Trio burst through it, all of them making nightmarish faces.
Never have I ever felt such boo-whoo!
"Ladies and gentlemen, we wanna hear you scream!" Stretch commanded.
And scream Andrea did.
Boom-ba-da-boom-ba-da-boom!
There goes my heart
Stretch jumped inside of a camera.
"Roll film! Eheheheheh!" he spun the camera around so fast that it sent the cameraman flying.
Stinkie took over a clapboard.
"Time to show yous guys what a real director's cut is! Heeheeheehee!" he started chasing some crew members.
Fatso possessed Greta Gerwig's chair and trapped her inside.
"Please remain seated at all times. Not that ya got a choice! Muahahahaha!"
Greta screamed as she was forcefully pulled backward.
Whenever you're around
It's like I leave the ground
One look into your eyes, I'm paralyzed
The Trio didn't stop there. They started to take possession of as many objects in the room as they possibly could, scaring away anyone who was unfortunate enough to be near them. The whole time, Andrea just stood back and watched with genuine fear in her eyes. Little did she know, Darryl had climbed to the top of the backdrop with a bucket of his fake blood, which he proceeded to dump all over her.
So don't you go
I need you, don't you know
In response to her dress getting ruined, Andrea screamed once again. Having had enough, she made a bolt for the exit, along with most of the crew.
"Out of my way, Greta Gerwig!" Andrea shoved the director while she was still stuck in her chair. "My life is more important than yours!"
Boom-ba-da-boom-ba-da-boom-ba-da-boom
Boom-ba-da-boom-ba-da-boom!
There goes my heart!
Once the building was cleared out, the Trio took several bows as Molly clapped for them.
"Aw, thank you, thank you! Now get outta here."
"Stop, this is too much!"
"Hi, Ma!"
Later, it got dark, and Molly, Darryl, Libby, and the Trio started to head for home.
"I'm sorry, guys." Molly lamented. "I completely lost sight of what was important. I guess I got caught up in all the glitz and glam."
"It's okay, Molly." Libby replied with a sad smile. "It could've happened to any of us."
"But now we don't have anything to show at Movie Night…"
"Heh, heh, heh…"
Molly and Libby turned at the sound of Darryl's laughter. The kid was watching something on his phone.
"Oh, I think we do, actually."
He showed the screen to Molly, Libby, and the Trio and they were shocked to learn that Darryl had caught the entire fiasco on camera.
"Huh. I might have an idea." Libby stated.
As soon as the gang made it back to the McGee's place, they got to work on a new movie using the footage from Darryl's phone. When they were done, they gathered Pete, Sharon, and a virtual Grandma Nin into the living room to watch their finished masterpiece.
"Molly McGee Productions presents…" Molly narrated while holding up title cards. "'The Haunting of the Haunting of Brighton'!"
"GERARD! I told you we're not doing scary anymore!"
"Ladies and gentlemen, we wanna hear you scream!"
"EEEEEEEEEEK!"
The scene with Andrea getting covered in fake blood was shown and then the credits rolled. Everyone in the room applauded.
"Eh, not bad." Fatso commented. "Pretty sure I've seen the 'prom girl with blood' stuff before though. Not sure where. Overall, I'd give it nine screams outta ten."
"Wow, Molly," Libby noted. "Your cousins played those ghosts so well! It's like they were destined for the parts! I mean, you can't even see the wires!" she rewound the tape and squinted at the screen. "Wait a sec…there aren't any wires…so, how'd you guys-?"
Not wanting to be discovered, Stretch pushed Stinkie next to Libby and squeezed a tiny bit of gas out of him, making her faint once more.
"Phew…" Stretch went. "That was a close one. Molly, next time make friends with someone less observant, okay?"
At that moment, a portal to the Ghost World opened and Ms. Banshee stuck her head through.
"Ahh, Ms. B!" Stretch greeted with a flirty tone. "Nice of you to drop in! So, uh, did ya watch the copy of our movie we sent ya? What'd ya think of it, honestly? Pretty scary, huh? Scary enough to get a pass on this month's scare report even?"
Ms. Banshee glared at him harshly. "Oh, I saw your so-called movie, all right. And it was very scary. Or at least it would have been…if it hadn't copied from one of the greatest horror writers of all time!" she held up a book with the initials S.K. printed on the bottom.
"Ohh…that's where I've seen that before…" Fatso recalled.
"Here's a tip, fellas." Ms. B continued. "If you want to be scary, at least have the decency to be original! Now I expect a full scare report next week, and if you three don't have it done…I WILL NOT BE HAPPY!"
The volume of Ms Banshee's voice shook the entire room and blew the Trio up against the wall.
"Oh, and another thing: those white sheets make you look like bigger fools than you already are! Get rid of them, you posers!"
And with that, she left. The McGees twitched, still recovering from her gale-force scream.
Pete stuck a finger in his ear. "Uh…guys? I think my hearing's gone. Is anyone else having the same issue?"
"WHAT?!" the others cried, holding their hands to their ears.
Ghostly Trio and Molly McGee!
By the time this goes up, I will have the next chapter all ready to go for next week. However, it'll probably be up a day late since I'll be away for a bit and won't have computer access. Other than that though, so far, this new writing schedule is working out great! In the meantime, remember to review! "Kay, love you, bye!"