Happy Death Day TGAMM! I know I haven't been a fan as long as most people, but it really was love at first watch when I finally got to see it. It was the light I needed during the hard times, and to this day I still cry at the finale. I wish it could have gotten the third season it deserved, but at least it got to have a conclusion.
This chapter was actually completed a few days ago, but I decided to hold off until today to post it. It was the most wholesome and perfect chapter to post on the Death Day, I didn't even plan for them to align it just happened. I hope this chapter will enhappify your day!
The following morning, Todd didn't know what to expect when he came down for breakfast. Last night was… something, and while he and Molly talked it out, he wasn't sure how the rest of her family would see him. Molly accepted him even knowing his faults. That itself seemed like a miracle to the man.
Todd walked into the kitchen to find Sharon and Pete, the latter of whom was prepping the oven to cook a couple of frozen breakfast burritos (his favorite brand, what are the odds?). He guessed he had beaten the kids downstairs. "Uh… Good morning." He nervously tried to smile when he made himself known.
The McGee parents looked his way, Sharon stopped setting the table and gave Todd her attention. "Good morning Todd, how are you feeling?" She seemed… concerned? Todd brushed it off, he was just imagining things.
"Oh, I'm… I'm doing alright." Todd tried to act convincing, though not even he was buying it.
Pete finished setting the burritos and focused his attention on their guest as well. "Are you sure? We understand a lot happened with the balloon." He looked concerned too, Todd's mind had to be playing tricks on him.
Scratching his arm, Todd wasn't sure what to do. What was he supposed to say? "It's all good now. Molly came by and we apologized to each other. Your daughter is really nice, and I'm really sorry for… y'know…"
Sharon and Pete exchanged glances then looked back at Todd. "Molly can be a handful sometimes, but she always means well." Pete spoke before his wife.
"She told us you two made up last night, and that she and Darryl are showing you around town again today." Sharon said.
"Yeah, I really did have fun with them yesterday." Todd admitted, feeling just a little more at ease. "I swear I won't freak out anymore, so you don't have to worry about that."
The mother of the McGee's wasn't worried about that, she was worried about him. "Todd, we've seen our fair share of emotional baggage weighing down on someone. We might not know exactly what you've been through, but if you ever feel like you need to step back and calm down, we'll understand." Though Sharon actually did know more than she let on, she would have said the same either way. Todd needed to know he was safe with them.
Todd was taken aback. Other than Adia, he couldn't think of a single person who would see his flaws and offer support. "Really?" He sounded maybe too hopeful.
Pete smiled kindly. "Of course. Just tell us and we'll help, however you need." This man once shrank down to itch inside his cast. Pete would help him any way he could with zero judgement.
Footsteps could be heard coming from the staircase, and right after, Darryl came around the corner. "Hey Todd, you doing alright today?" The youngest of the family wasn't aware that his parents had already asked. Though Todd had gotten to know him as a rambunctious troublemaker, he could tell the boy was genuinely worried about him.
It was so… strange. A good strange. The McGee family, every one of them, had been worried for him. It felt nice, like he really mattered to them. Unknowingly he did, very much so. Todd felt his anxieties ease up, a lighthearted happiness returned to his face. "Yeah Darryl, I'm feeling good."
The four in the kitchen went on to talk about everyday stuff, any tension smoothed itself out and a sense of normalcy returned. By the time the burritos were done, the last McGee came tumbling in. Molly McGee had thrown her clothes on so quickly that her vest was on backwards and her bangs were still messy from sleeping. "Sorry! I overslept somehow!"
Sharon lovingly teased her daughter upon her arrival. "Is backwards clothing in style these days?" She gestured to the vest. Molly realized her blunder and flipped it back to how it was supposed to be.
"Morning Moll, you're just in time for burritos!" Todd took a plated burrito over to the seat next to his before reaching back for his own.
Sitting down and biting into her burrito, Molly gratefully looked at Todd and said "Mfank choo." Oops, too much burrito in her mouth. She swallowed and tried again. "Thank you." She laughed.
Todd purposely bit into his breakfast before replying. "Mrer felcomf!" He mangled his 'you're welcome', earning another laugh from his friend. Swallowing the larger than usual bite of burrito (and trying not to choke), Todd spoke with a clearer voice. "So are your friends joining us again today?"
"No, they had other things they needed to do. It's just you, me and Darryl today." Molly didn't mention that their friends were hanging back to let the McGee siblings have some time to themselves. She invited them over their group chat before she fell asleep, though they declined. It was suggested they could stop by after dinner for a board game or another movie, though charades were banned after the Thanksgiving incident.
Despite the previous night's events, Todd was looking forward to seeing what those kids would come up with. "Then you kids better make this a day to remember."
OXOXOXOX
Brighton Lake, which was actually more of a pond but 'Brighton Pond' didn't sound merchandisable enough, glimmered in the mid-morning light. Molly inhaled a deep breath of air and stretched out her arms and back. "Ah, Brighton Lake! As of four months ago, it and the river that flows through it have been declared 'adequately aqua' by the state water inspector."
Darryl leaned over to Todd for a warning. "I still wouldn't go swimming in there if I were you. The ducks around here have been avoiding it like poison." In perfect timing, a family of ducks waddled on by. They completely ignored the lake and instead hopped into a low drinking fountain, one duck pressing the button to fill the tiny dish with water. Another duck made bubbles from behind him.
Todd grimaced. "Oof. I feel bad for the fish in there."
"Luckily, we are not here to swim or fish," Molly assured her companion. "Darryl, if you would-"
The younger of the kids put down his backpack and pulled out a pretty nice looking toy sailboat. "Now I know what you're thinking: 'that's just a regular toy boat', but there's more than meets the eye." Darryl explained cryptically. He took the boat over to the edge of the water and nudged it in, using a stick instead of his hands. Darryl reached back into his bag and pulled out a controller. "With the push of a button…" he did as such.
The tiny sailboat shook and a pair of rotors opened up in the back, the sails extended to become a pirate flag, and wings like a plane extended from both sides. Between the three added components, the tiny ship zoomed across the water like a bullet. Molly held out her arms and forced the three of them to step back to avoid getting splashed.
"May I present: The Peace Disrupter!" Darryl proudly announced the ship's name. "An old science project from last semester. Because of Brighton's carbon-neutral initiative thing-" He eyed his sister, who proudly grinned. "I had to build something 'eco-friendly'." He pulled some air quotes. "The boat's made of the most durable wood I could get and there are solar panels hidden in the flag."
"It doesn't harm the environment, it only harms the tranquility of a quiet day." Molly stated.
Darryl passed the controller over to Todd, the devious glint in his eyes extending to his older friend. "Care to captain the ship?"
Dang, this would have been a great time to have a sea captain's hat. Todd needed to buy one if he ever saw one. Regardless, Todd eagerly took the 'helm' and started talking like a grizzled old sea captain. "Argh, it would be me pleasure!"
Molly and Darryl let the voice slide. Once Todd was steering, the entire lake had turned into a war on the water. The Peace Disrupter did as its name said and wreaked environmentally friendly havoc. Fish scattered out of its path, lily pads were upturned, and Todd figured out how to maneuver the boat into creating a tiny whirlpool.
"Avast Brighton Lake! There be a new sovereign of the saltwater!" Todd cheered.
"Actually, this is freshwater." Darryl corrected him.
The trio took turns driving, Molly being the only one to drive WITHOUT scaring the local wildlife. After Molly's second turn, she handed it back to Todd (who at that point got a headache from doing the sea captain voice), who spotted the same raccoon from yesterday at the edge of the water. "This is for the trashcan yesterday!" Todd stirred up a wave that splashed the raccoon. The kids grimaced, which the man noticed. "... That wasn't smart, was it?"
Drenched, the raccoon got made and leaped into the lake and charged for the boat. Darryl grabbed the controls and hit the 'turbo' button. The Peace Disrupter kicked up another huge wave and rocketed back over to the trio, draining its power and crashing into the dirt in front of them. Darryl grabbed the boat, and they booked it out of there before the raccoon could follow them. Once at a safe distance, Todd laughed "Oh, that was great! Way more fun than fishing!"
Darryl had to agree. "Absolutely! And no worm bait! I feel a little bad for the raccoon though."
"I had to lure that guy out of a trashcan yesterday!" Todd argued his case on why the vendetta was necessary.
"Sure, but according to the lady at the shelter, they're my spirit animal." Darryl defended the local troublemaking wildlife.
What her brother had said gave Molly an idea! "Darryl, you just gave me an idea!"
OXOXOXOX
Molly led the group over to Brighton's animal shelter. Thanks to various fundraising and adoption efforts, the number of animals it housed had dropped drastically, but the ones who hadn't been adopted still needed some extra love and care. An old lady working at the front desk saw Molly and her brother approach, along with a man she barely recognized but seemed familiar. "Molly McGee! What brings you here today?"
"Hi Miss Mey, have the sweet fur babies had their snacks yet?" Molly practically skipped over to the counter.
"Not yet, but you're right on time if you and your friends would like to do it." Miss Mey offered, certain that's what her favorite volunteer was here for.
The excitable teen grinned. "Yes! We would love to!" She turned to Todd, who went along with whatever she was planning. "And this is my new friend Todd! He's here to help feed the animals too!"
Todd blinked. "I am?" He saw the cutesy wide eyes and curved smile Molly was giving him, solidifying his choice of doing this. "I guess I am then!" Not a second later, and Miss Mey shoved her face into Todd's, staring into his eyes and judging him. "Um, a little forward aren't we?"
"Cat. You are a grumpy, lazy cat who loves eating."
The random statement confused Todd immensely. "Wha-I am clearly a human man! Also, wow, rude." It was accurate, but still.
Darryl strolled up and leaned back against the counter. "She just assigned you your spirit animal. Like I said about me and raccoons back at the lake." he clarified.
Molly leaned over and elaborated a bit more. "Miss Mey can look into your eyes and discover your spirit animal. She does it to everybody, like Libby's obviously a turtle, Ollie's a puppy, June's a fox, Andrea's a pony-"
"What about you, Molly?" Todd wondered.
Miss Mey answered for her. "Like you, she is a cat, but, she's a playful little kitten, cute, active, yet prefers puppies given the choice." The old lady ushered the three into the hallway behind her. "Now come along, you three are here to help the animals aren't you."
Todd and Darryl followed behind Molly, who already knew the way. She and the elder volunteer took them to the back where the adoptable animals were in their cages. There were only a few dogs, some cats and a rabbit. Miss Mey grabbed the treats and distributed them to the trio. "Molly, you'll feed the dogs since you love them the most."
"I don't wanna play favorites, but their kisses are a reward I strive for." Molly failed to remain impartial.
Another cup of treats was given to Todd. "Grouchy Cat can feed the cats."
"Again with the name-calling?!" Todd complained.
And lastly, Darryl was given a handful of hay. "You can feed the rabbit. That's the least amount of work."
"Just how I like it." Darryl accepted his assignment.
While Darryl went over to the singular bunny, Molly and Todd entered the group cages for the dogs and cats. Evidently, the dogs were familiar with Molly and rushed to receive pets and treats from her. "Ooh-hoohoo- their warm tongues tickle!" She was loving the kisses and nuzzles.
Over in the cat enclosure, Todd was faced with four young cats. They stared at him curiously, unsure of what to make of the new human. "Uh… hi…" How the heck was he supposed to talk with cats? "I've got some treats here." The kitties realized this man was here to feed them and approached, mewing and pawing to be fed. "Oh! Here you go! One for you, one for you-" Each cat got a fish-shaped treat, though he had five treats and only four-
"MREORW-"
A much deeper meow alerted Todd to the corner, where a fat, older cat sat secluded from the others. The big cat did not seem eager to approach, or to get up from his spot for any reason. But his eyes were glued to the treat the man held, hoping he'd maybe toss it in his direction.
Todd could tell it was staring at the treat, and held it out towards the cat. "I've got one for you too." The older cat stayed put, either too lazy to get up or too scared to get close to a stranger, maybe both. Todd realized this cat wasn't going to budge, and the other cats were watching to see if their older friend would come close, mewing out to him encouragingly. "Alright, I can tell you want this treat. If you want it, you have to come over to me." Walking himself just a few steps closer, Todd knelt down and held out his hand. "I've shortened the walk, but you gotta make the effort to come over."
The old cat eyed Todd, and once he was certain the man was no threat, he begrudgingly got up and walked over. "Not so bad once you try, right?" Todd gave the treat to the cat, and in return the cat purred and nuzzled Todd's leg while he ate. Petting the oversized cat, Todd came to a realization. "Sweet baby corn, I AM like a big, grumpy cat."
Amid the puppy cuddles and kisses, Molly's heart bloomed with even more joy to see her best friend making friends with the cats. Scratch always got attacked by animals as a ghost. She wasn't sure why that happened, but it did, and now that he's human, Todd can get close to animals without getting hurt-
"Hey! Watch those teeth of yours, mister!" Todd scolded the old cat whose effort to kiss his hand ended with him sniffing the scent of his treat and hungrily biting for more.
… OK, so he can still get hurt. But unintentionally!
OXOXOXOX
Between Molly, Darryl and Todd it was agreed that ice cream could count as lunch. The ice cream parlor was normally the place to go, then Todd mentioned the cream soda that he'd tried during his time in Japan and Molly had a better idea.
"Ruben's Root Beer Pub, I think I might have come here once or twice when it first opened." Todd tried to recall the dull, monotonous days of yesteryear. He remembered the taste of the root beer here, though he wasn't sure how often he'd patronized the place.
"Best root beer float in town." Darryl gave his assurance of quality.
The trio stepped inside and walked up to the counter where the parents of the Chen family were working. Ruben was serving another customer while Esther noticed who had come in, her eyes widening as she realized who was with the teens. She made sure to act natural. "Hi, kids! I see you've brought a new friend with you today."
Molly smiled and ordered for the group. "Good afternoon Mrs. Chen, this is Todd Mortenson-who we are showing around town." Her tone and words indicated to Esther that his memory was not back yet. "Can we get three of the classic floats?"
"Sure thing Molly. Dear, we need three of the classics!" Esther turned to her husband, who was currently filling another order at the barrel.
Once Ruben served his current customer, he gave his attention to the next group. "Coming right u-" He finally noticed Todd standing at the counter. "-uuuuup." His syllable dragged on.
"Huh, that was a long syllable." Todd saw nothing amiss.
While Darryl stayed behind to pay for their stuff while Molly and Todd got a table. Ruben kept his voice low as he asked. "So, does he…?"
Darryl shook his head. "No, no memories yet."
"Read the room, Ruben." Esther quietly admonished him, relieved that Todd hadn't realized how unnatural her husband had been. In Ruben's defense, he hadn't seen Scratch's human form outside the pictures his kids showed him, and he was caught off guard.
Once the youngest of the McGee siblings arrived at their table, he could hear Molly telling Todd about the pub. "-and sometimes they help out here, but Ollie's not allowed to brew anything. Not after he made a batch that was solid." Molly noticed her brother arriving and slid over for him to take a seat. "Hang on, lemme just scooch over for ya."
"Molly told me the couple at the counter are your friend's parents." Todd would have said something if he had known. Of course, first he wanted to apologize to them and Libby for messing up last night.
"Yep, and like I heard Molly say they do help out, but June is usually behind the scenes," Darryl clarified. "She might even be watching us over the security feed right now."
Todd raised half his unibrow. "Is there like a security room she hangs out in?" Woefully oblivious was he to the true extent of what the so-called 'Chaos Duo' were capable of.
"Nah, June can hack into every security feed in town. Sometimes she does it when she gets bored." Darryl answered nonchalantly.
"That can't be legal." Todd decided he probably shouldn't ask Darryl anything if he wasn't certain the result wouldn't unnerve him.
Esther came over and dropped off their root beer floats. The trio thanked her before digging (or sipping) in. Molly savored the first bite of the ice cream, her smile making a 'W' shape in delight. "The root beer and the vanilla taste so good together!"
Todd had to agree, his own taste buds dancing at the concoction. "Delicious on their own, but combined they create a symphony of carbonated sweetness!" Unseen to any of them, Esther quickly scribbled down what Todd had said. That description would be amazing for an ad!
Darryl positioned his straw to only touch the root beer, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Check it out, ice cream jacuzzi." He blew into his straw, creating bubbles in the soda that surrounded the ice cream.
His sister had seen this before and warned him, "Darryl, you know I love bubbles, but please don't make a mess."
Darryl did not heed her warning. He blew more bubbles and leaned in closer. One root beer bubble popped and splashed right into his eye. "GAH! My actions had consequences!" Darryl rubbed his eye with a napkin. Once he blinked his eyes back to normal, the whole table laughed. Though one didn't remember, this was the sort of goofing off together that they had missed.
Once the group were done with their 'lunch', they went back to wandering around town, looking for what to do next. Molly had a couple of ideas, and listed them out while they walked. "We could go back to the park and play a non-turnip-based sport, or we could sing karaoke, maybe stop in the bath product store and look at the bath bombs… ugh, there's so many choices!"
"Does the store carry any strawberry bath bombs?" Todd sounded interested.
Before the trio could cement their decision, a voice Molly knew well called out to her. "Molly!"
Situated in a pop-up booth alongside the storefronts was Andrea Davenport and her girlfriend Alina Webster. "'Sup McGee?" The redhead greeted her friend with a chill vibe.
"Andrea and Alina!" Molly gasped in delight, running up to their booth. "What kind of business have you two got going on here?"
Andrea gestured to a display filled with nail paints and polishes. "I'm working on a new addition to my online makeup brand; glitter nail polish!" Over the past year, the young influencer had combined her love of fashion with her coding skills to start her own online shop. Business was going well and her Fandrea's were loving it.
"My girl needed to run some focus testing and I suggested a pop-up stand," Alina explained, while refilling the display of existing products for sale. "We have make-up for sale, but the real draw is the free nail art."
"Free nail art?" Todd asked. He and Darryl walked up behind Molly, who in her excitement had sprinted over without them.
The young entrepreneur laughed awkwardly. "Yeah, I may have produced a few too many samples." Tapping the nail display, another section revealed itself and another twenty different colors. "I can't stock all of them, so that's why we're focus testing. To narrow it down to the top seven."
As a fellow business-teen, Darryl raised an eyebrow. "And you aren't charging for it, why?"
Alina shrugged. "We can't sell the betas. Instead of payment, we ask to post the makeover to her socials."
Molly turned to Todd with an eager smile, ready to ask if he wanted to do this. He beat her to it. "You don't have to ask, I'm in! These grubby little appendages have been too dull for too long." Todd wiggled his unpainted hand out to look at it. He may also have an ulterior motive, but that will be saved for after the art.
The enhappifier beamed and held three fingers up to Andrea. "We'll take three free nail paintings please."
"Um, three?" Alina pointed to the empty spot beside Molly and Todd, which until moments ago was where Darryl was.
Darryl had bounced once he realized Todd was on board. At least he had the decency to shout out his reasoning as he ran off into the distance. "I CAN'T HANDLE ANY MORE GLITTER!" No more glitter, not after coating it all over Geoff yesterday, then spending an hour trying to remove it.
… "Okay, two free nail paintings please." Molly adjusted her request.
"You got it, Molly and…" Andrea realized she had no idea who this other guy was. "I'm totes sorry, I don't think we've met. I'm Andrea Davenport."
"Todd Mortenson." The man introduced himself. "My friend Molly was showing me how Brighton's changed since I left about a year ago." Hearing Todd call her his friend, Molly felt the power of friendship enhappifying her soul, and making it harder for her not to hug him per her promise.
Andrea smiled. "You for sure have the best tour guide. Nobody loves this town more than my close friend Molly… except, like, maybe the mayor?" That got some nods from the two. Yeah, it was a pretty close contest there. "But back to the nail paint-first pick two of the colors here that really speak to you!"
Faced with the monumental decision of picking between the array of colors provided, our heroes contemplated their choices. "Hmm…" Molly stroked her chin, deep in thought. "That ruby-magenta is quite the eye-catcher, is there a plum that can compliment it?" There probably was, but a different color caught her eye. There was a golden yellow, the same shade as her wraith form, sparkling in the sunlight. "Ooh! This one is definitely 'my color'." Only she knew how literal she was being.
Todd was stuck. He'd chosen one color but couldn't make up his mind about the second. Alina noticed his indecision. "Having some trouble choosing, right? You're not the first." Most of their customers had a difficult time narrowing it down. Heck, that's why THEY were doing this!
"Eh, I found one color I like." Todd pointed at the chilled blue. "But I can't figure out what'll go with it."
Molly stared at the color Todd had selected, the exact shade of blue as his ghost form. "I think that blue really suits you." Molly told him honestly.
"Yeah, I love it. I just gotta find…" Todd saw what colors Molly had picked out, and noticed the golden yellow. The same color as the girl from his recurring dreams. "Can I see the gold for a sec?"
Not expecting his request, Molly stamped down the tiny hope before she could turn it into too big a deal. "Sure! Knock yourself out… I mean don't ACTUALLY knock yourself out. It's just a saying."
Studying the vibrant yellow polish, Todd instantly knew it was the perfect fit for his blue. "Moll, would you mind if I got this color too?" Molly had first dibs since she found it first. If she wanted hers to be unique, then he could pick a different yellow.
"Go right ahead!" Molly was obviously happy with his choice. Todd wondered if maybe she enjoyed having matching nail art with a friend, or if she really thought it was his color. Whatever the reason, Todd went with it.
Andrea marked the chosen colors in a tally before ushering Molly and Todd into the booth where there was a chair and mirror. "Who wants to go first?"
"Go ahead Moll, you got here first after all." Todd offered.
Molly took him up on that and sat herself in the chair, while Andrea brought up her case with every sort of decoration they could imagine. The magenta and golden yellow colors were used for the base while several flower and sunny decorations were applied on top. Once Molly's nails were finished, Alina came over with her phone and took a few photos of the nail model and the artist behind them. Andrea cleaned her hands and typed up a description for the new post, describing the work as a happy, summery day. "And… posted!"
Todd had been on his phone the whole time, and it surprised the girls when his phone got an alert at the same time Andrea posted the art. The man laughed and showed the webpage he was on, Andrea's social media. "Was checking your work, gotta say I might be one of your 'Fandrea's' now."
"Aww, welcome aboard!" The young influencer was always happy to have a new follower. "Now come on over, it's your turn."
Switching out with Molly, Todd sat himself down and prepared for his hand's makeover. Andrea used fewer sticker decorations and more stencils to draw for this one, which made the process last a bit longer. Alternating between oceanic imagery on the blue nails and starry designs on the gold nails. Once complete, Todd admired the work. "Oh, these have never looked better! It looks like I'm going to some fancy Hollywood rooftop party, the kind that has a pool that no one swims in."
"You ready to take some pics?" Alina asked, readying her phone.
Todd, ever dramatic, posed his hands like he was an actual model. Alina took the pics and Andrea wrote up the description, describing her work as a testament to one's many travels. Molly read the post and tilted her head. "How'd you know Todd travels a lot?"
"The Hawaiian shirt." Andrea simply answered.
Once Todd was sure his nails were dry, he grabbed his phone and held it out to the girls. "Would one of you mind taking one more picture? There's someone I have to show this to."
"Sure." Alina, already in charge of photos, accepted Todd's phone and readied his camera.
Holding his hands up beside his face like a diva, Todd gave a cocky grin. "Can you get my face in this too?" Alina followed his request and took the photo, then handed him back the phone to check it out. "Perfect! I just gotta send a quick text to Adia… aaaaaand done!"
Molly curiously peaked over his shoulder. "What'cha say to her?" In the message app, there was the picture they'd just taken and a caption from Todd. 'HA HA my nails look better than yours!'
Little dots appeared on the other side of the screen. Adia was responding to his blatant gloating. Molly barely saw what she posted back before Todd hurriedly moved the phone out of view. "Trust me, you wouldn't want to see what she sent."
"It looked like a picture of a hand with a finger pointing up?" Molly wasn't sure what was so bad about that… until Todd clarified.
"It was, but you shouldn't see WHICH finger she was using."
OXOXOXOX
You could tell which stores in Brighton have been around the longest. A music store that still stocked records was up there in age. "Huh, I didn't think this old place was still around." Todd hadn't been here since he was in his teens… specifically when he tried going emo for a few weeks. It was a phase.
"Yup, it's still in business. And we are going to see why!" Molly eagerly grabbed Todd's wrist and dragged him into the store.
A little bell chimed at their arrival, but they could barely hear it. The loud vocals of someone mangling a recent pop song blared on the store speakers. Todd had to plug his ears. "Is someone strangling a cat in here?!"
To his relief, the song was almost over and the music died down. Some polite clapping followed after, more obligatory than genuine. Todd found the source of the murder music to be a random woman with a microphone-no, wait-it was a karaoke machine!
"Not the best way to introduce this-" Molly cringed. "The music store has open karaoke from 3 to 5. It encourages people to come and sing their hearts out and purchase CDs while they're here."
Todd looked over at the shelf of CDs beside him and scoffed. "Physical media? In this day and age? What they really need to be selling is earplugs."
"They do in fact sell earplugs." Molly pointed at the checkout counter. Beside the cash register was a sign advertising earplugs at fifteen bucks… per ear.
Molly skipped over to the sign-up table and flipped through the songbook. "Let's see… put me in for track F417. For Molly." She told the lady inputting the songs into her laptop's queue. Molly passed the book over to Todd and pointed to the middle column of a page. "The book is arranged alphabetically by artist. Last name, then first name."
"Why do they do that? Why not put the first name first and the last name last? That's why we call them 'first' and 'last' names." Mortenson, Todd gave his thoughts. He found something from an older band from the nineties for his pick. "I'll do O995. For uh… for Todd."
With their songs picked and in the queue, all they had left to do was wait. Molly and Todd found seats to sit through a few songs before their turn, and with each passing song the comically overpriced earplugs became more and more appealing to Todd. It took fifteen minutes of torture until Molly was called up.
"Next we have Molly-" The woman on the laptop announced into her mic. The peppy teen ran up to the front and grabbed the karaoke microphone. "-singing the song 'Green Faced'."
Molly stopped and turned to the lady in charge. "Um, sorry, but that's not the song I picked. It should be 'Hero Girl'."
The karaoke attendant checked her laptop, and discovered the reason for the confusion. "I'm sorry, it looks like I entered F471 instead of F417. Unfortunately, the system won't let me change the song. If you don't want to sing this you can put your name and song in again for later."
Todd heard what happened and saw Molly's dilemma. He got up and went to her side. The enhappifier was at a standstill. This was not the song she intended, and she'd never even heard of this one. "What do I do?!" She asked her friend when he came up. "I was supposed to have this super-empowering song by my favorite pop sensation! I don't even know what this other song is!"
This was one of those rare instances where Todd knew exactly what to do. "Hey, if you don't want to wait for your turn again, you can do what I always do. Make up new words."
"Make up new words?" Molly tilted her head.
"If I don't know the words, I make up something else. Do you know how many songs I have made about bread that way? A baker's dozen of them." Todd was a complicated man, and last year had taught him to roll with the punches. He had the flare for performing and when in doubt he turned to his one true love… food.
It was crazy, but crazy usually worked for them. "Yeah, maybe I'll give it a try!" Molly decided. Todd ran back to his seat and Molly prepped herself in the seconds before the song would start.
Apparently the song was an edgy metal song. The kind where the words are all screamed. Molly didn't let it dissuade her, she got into it, headbanging at the loud instrumentals before it was time to sing. I'm her best death metal voice. Molly belted out her made-up lyrics. "HAPPY CUTE PUPPIES ARE HAPPY AND CUTE! RAINBOWS AND SUNSHINE SHINING TOO!" It was a bizarre combination of cute, happy lyrics and screaming metal. It was definitely interesting to hear.
The improv song was met by a round of thunderous applause from Todd, and polite applause from the other few people in attendance. Molly grinned and took a bow. "Ugh, scream-singing is hard on the throat." She rubbed her throat.
Molly went to sit down and Todd was called up. The friends high-fived as they passed, swapping places with one another, so Todd could sing. "Full disclosure everyone-I will also be making this song up as I go." He actually did know all the lyrics, but if Molly had to do improv singing, then he would join her in solidarity. The music started. Todd closed his eyes and became serious as he sang. "Let me sing you my ballad, about a plant too disgusting for a salad~ It's called Carob and… it's… the… WOOORRRRSSST!"
The music store was serenaded by Todd's broken karaoke rendition of a song that was now about why carob was the worst. Molly gave him his own standing ovation and no one bought earplugs. That was a win in his book.
OXOXOXOX
The sun was starting to dip down once Molly and Todd left the music store. The latter was talking as they walked. "-and I am sure that guy in the back was contemplating why carob even exists!" Even if he didn't have a carob intolerance, Todd wouldn't go anywhere near the stuff.
"It has some good uses, like as a chocolate substitute for dogs." Molly could find the bright side to anything, even carob.
The duo were going to start heading back for dinner, when Todd stopped and noticed what store they had walked in front of. "Hey, this old dollar store is still here-" He looked one inch to the right and saw the 'everything must go' sign. "... guess dollars don't pay the bills."
Molly sadly nodded. "Yeah, they had some quality scrapbook materials here." Even if she had learned of the store's financial troubles sooner, she couldn't have helped. Not unless they went against their good name and raised prices.
"I used to buy a liter of soda and a bag of chips before a long weekend, then I'd down them before dinner." Todd reminisced of times long ago. Back when life was simpler and mullets weren't a laughingstock.
As if they were on the same wavelength, Molly and Todd turned to each other and grinned, silently agreeing to give the store one last look. Inside, the shelves were half-empty (or half-full if you asked Molly) but there was still plenty to see. "I've got three singles on me, how about you?" Molly counted out her allowance in her pocket, specifically just the one-dollar bills.
Todd checked his own wallet. "Behold! I have FOUR singles!" He normally had a few low bills on him for vending machines. Why waste a five on a bag of pretzels and wind up with little coins? "But to make it fair, I'll stick to three. Now we need to find the most ludicrous stuff we can buy for three dollars!"
"I will set my timer for fifteen minutes." Molly took her phone out and set an alarm.
"Good idea. We don't want to come back to a cold dinner." Todd nodded.
"And no duplicates. If I find a bedazzled butterfly paperweight you can't get one too."
"Paperweights are so dumb! That is the perfect way to waste a dollar!"
"It was my idea, you can't steal it, Todd!"
"I make no promises, McGee, it's the law of first dibs in here!"
"I'm calling the dibs-we're wasting time!" Molly realized thirty seconds had gone by while they bantered. The two made strange panicked sounds and ran off to find pointless, cheap junk. Molly returned to the front after a second and grabbed a handbasket.
The cheap snacks aisle beckoned to Todd, but he resisted its siren song. "Nope, too predictable. I'm going for the bathroom supplies!" He located his destination and scoured the shelves for something unusual. "Come on, toilet plungers, loofahs… AHA! A rubber duck with its face printed on the side of its head! Thank you factory defects!"
"Oh, Todd~" The man heard his name and turned around, just in time to have a can of fake snakes open in his face. Molly held herself up on top of the neighboring shelf with a phony can. "I found the joke section!"
Molly won that round.
Feeling good about her first find, Molly set out for the party supplies. If she was lucky, maybe she could find a santa decoration or a set of Thanksgiving paper cups. The aisle was low on stock, people probably bought stuff to save until the holidays. But not all was sold, for there was a pack of uncanny St. Patrick's Day napkins left. "Ooh, these are… actually, that leprechaun kinda looks like dad!"
Todd skidded around the corner, grinning like a maniac, "Scented. Lawn gnome. Candles." He showed her the six-pack of similarly uncanny candles. "And they don't even have good smells! One of them smells like how beige looks!... Hey, the leprechaun on those napkins looks like your dad!"
Todd won round two.
The duo were neck and neck, racing to the toy aisle, where discounted oddities were sure to be had. Molly performed a somersault and grabbed a doll from the shelf. "A doll that comes with a baby and fake barf!" She showed her find.
"Impressive, but I raise you this-" Todd showed his own find. "Horse toy that comes with a brush, but the toy doesn't have any brushable hair!"
Oh, that was good. Molly needed to find something even dumber. Digging through a bin, Molly fished up a real challenger. "Aha! Business Man action figure!" It was a plastic toy of a man going to work, with a little briefcase and miniature taxes to file.
"Ugh, that poor figure's gotta feel like a monkey in a suit." Todd instinctively reached to her neck. Quickly, Todd searched the back of the shelves. He thought he saw a promising find and took it out. "What have we here? A big plush tooth! It's-it's not even soft!" He laughed in disbelief.
What could ever one up a hard tooth plush?! Molly and Todd caught sight of the answer simultaneously. On the top shelf was a genuine 'pet rock', the ULTIMATE useless toy! First dibs were as useless as the rock in this case. When it came to a stalemate, there was only one solution.
Molly pulled a pool noodle out of the summer bin and wielded it like a spear. "I can't let you have the pet rock, Todd. You'll have to fight me for it."
Like his friend, Todd got his own pool noodle, posing like a fencer. "En guarde!" Foamy pool noodles collided, clashing as the two maniacally laughed at their pretend battle. Molly and Todd turned the toy aisle into their arena, using building block boxes for cover and making fake sword noises.
An employee happened to walk by the aisle and saw the commotion. He could only let out a weary sigh. "Why does this always happen with the pool noodles?"
The pool noodle duel ravaged on. The participants had moved on from fake sword noises to making their own awesome battle music. "Bada-bada BA! Ba dadaba dababada da!" Molly may or may not have used some moon-level tune from a video game as her battle song. It got stuck in her head against her will way too often.
Foam pool toys smacked into a standstill, neither side willing to bow down. "Fool! You cannot best me!" Todd hammed it up. "For I can see every move you make before you ever make it!"
"Oh, but that cannot help you!" Molly hammed her own acting up. "For I can also see what moves you will make and counter you when you counter me! Isn't it strange?!"
While this was happening, a little girl scout walked behind them and grabbed the pet rock off the shelf. "Mommy! Mommy! I found a pet that won't die like Ms. Featherbeak!" The child scampered away as Molly and Todd realized their prize had been snatched out from behind.
The friends stared at one another in silence for a beat. Then they erupted into laughter. "Haha-that's totally on us." Molly admitted their fault once her laughter died down.
"Yup. But the epic pool noodle duel was worth it." Todd conceded. Holding up his 'weapon', Todd added it to the basket of their stuff Molly had set aside. "And that worth is a dollar. I'm buying mine. Don't have a pool but I'll figure something out."
"I know I said we couldn't get the same thing, but I think we can agree a pink foam noodle and an orange foam noodle are completely different objects." Molly added her weapon of choice to the basket too, just in time for her phone to go off and tell them their fifteen minutes were up.
Todd and Molly checked out their finds and left the store, still laughing about the previous shenanigan as they walked down the street. The older of the two had to hold his stomach, which was feeling sore from laughter. "That was great! Without a doubt, the best time I've ever had in a dollar store." How long has it been since he's let himself goof off like that in a public place? He felt like a young kid again. Todd thought the only way he'd ever play around like that was if he were invisible. And he didn't feel embarrassed about it at all. Todd's tone turned more genuine as he faced his young friend. "Thanks Molly, I had a lot of fun today. I'm… really glad to have a friend like you."
"Awww-" Molly's eyes sparkled with the joy of friendship. "I'm really glad that you're my friend too." She returned his sentiment. No matter what form he took, this man was her first forever friend. Even if they couldn't become as close as they once were, Molly was satisfied. Her mom was right about making new memories. It let them restart their friendship anew. Todd may not think of her or the rest of them as family, but he can still be 'McGee-adjacent'.
In her joy, Molly instinctively opened her arms up to give Todd a hug, before remembering what she promised and that she needed to respect his boundaries. Her action didn't go unnoticed. Todd came to a stop under a streetlight and raised an amused unibrow. "Were you going to hug me?"
Molly stopped too. "Sorry! I really like giving hugs to my friends, but I want to respect your boundaries cause not everyone likes to be hugged and-"
"Woah woah-" Todd chuckled. "You don't have to apologize." Truth be told, Todd couldn't even think of anyone besides Adia who'd given him a hug since… wow, that is a sad amount of time. If his new friend thought he was someone worth hugging, how could he deny that? Todd opened his arms out wide. "I think I'd like a hug."
Molly's promise hadn't included if Todd hugged her, but loophole be darned she'd break her promise anyway. She couldn't deprive him of a hug, ever. Todd may never remember his time as Scratch, but now he can always remember Molly McGee. She smiled and nearly jumped into Todd's hug. Her young, slim arms wrapped around his torso, and his thicker, aged arms carefully held her close. This hug felt so warm, so loving, so… familiar…
…
Todd had felt this before. It all flashed before his eyes like a slideshow on fast-forward.
'I CURSE YOU, MOLLY MCGEE!'
Molly burst into the attic, Scratch placed a curse on them, hugging Molly at the lemmings game, hugging Molly after saving the bandshell concert, hugging Molly with Lincoln watching, Molly thanking him for saving Christmas,
'Wherever you go, whatever you do'
Looking through a portal to see Molly holding a broom in terror, saying goodbye when they lost the house, hugging Molly when they regained the house, saving Molly from a garbage truck, bringing her up to see the comet, being sucked into the Flow of Failed Phantoms together,
'for the rest of your days, I'll be there, haunting you, tormenting you,'
Jamming out to their own theme song, stealing the soda back, comforting Molly after her Sunnyland scheme went array, hugging Molly after she freed him from the ghost trap, Molly leaning on his head while they talk about hand pies on Halloween, helping Molly learn Thai,
'turning your every waking moment into an unending nightmare!'
Making it snow for Christmas, sitting in a pothole on New Years, switching places with Molly to solve their problems, hugging Molly after they went inside his mind, Molly getting him to admit that he likes Smile Valley Farm, hugging at a strawberry soda fountain after they saved the day,
'Dream team, you and me?'
Cursing themselves into a TV curse, hugging Molly inside Libby's bunker, using Molly's arm to paint a mural together, watching Molly blow out the candles on her 14th birthday cake, consoling Molly as they try to figure out what's wrong with her boyfriend,
'For all eternity.'
Filling the room with funnel cake, recalling his life to her, Molly encouraging him to live, one final hug with Molly-
Todd loudly gasped, scaring the poor girl into jumping back. "Todd!? I didn't hug you too tight, did I?!" Molly asked, worried. The older of the two firmly gripped his hands onto his young friend's shoulders. Something was different. Molly could see it in the way he looked at her. "Wha-"
"MOLL! Sweet baby corn I-I REMEMBER!"
Molly starred in shocked awe… what did he just say…
"I was a blue blob-a-a-"
"Ghost-" Molly's voice was barely a whisper.
"YES! I was a ghost! And you moved in, the-the curse! Then it broke and-and I stayed because you're-you-you're my best friend Molly McGee!" Todd was shaking, lost emotions pushed themselves to the surface along with the memories of his dear best friend. "I-I-I had to go back to-I left-" His breath hitched. Their goodbye hit him all over again as he realized their fears had come true and that so much time had passed since that day. "Oh my cob... I'm Scratch McGee and I remember YOU!"
...
Was this real?
Did he… this wasn't a dream was it? Molly wasn't going to wake up back in bed any second, was she?
Molly's heart pounded, and her cheeks felt tears form. Hopeful and praying that this was really happening, Molly called his name. "Scratch?"
Scratch smiled, unable to keep himself from crying. "I'm back, Moll." His voice cracked on her name, and he swallowed back a cry. "I'm back!"
Hands flew up to Molly's mouth, but they didn't cover her gasp and cry of pure one-hundred and fifteen percent joy. "SCRATCH!" She threw herself back into the arms of her best friend, this hug much tighter and way more emotional than the one moments before. After so many times she'd cried in sadness over losing him, Molly could finally cry out of happiness that Scratch was truly back. "IT'S YOU! IT'S REALLY YOU!"
Hugging Molly as tight as he could, Scratch let his emotions do the talking. "Molly, I am so, SO sorry! I forgot you! I actually forgot you! I didn't want to, but I did! I don't know how I'll ever be able to forgiv-" He was cut off by the feeling of Molly shaking her head against his shoulder.
Molly wouldn't hear Scratch blame himself for the outcome. "You don't have anything to apologize for, Scratch! You took a risk, and I have been so proud of you for what you've become! And what matters now is that you did remember, and we're together." Every moment of pain was worth it, this was the rainbow after the storm, this was the healing after the pain, this was one of the most enhappifying moments of Molly's life. "I feel totally and completely enhappified."
Scratch laughed through the tears. "Aw man, I've been using your word all along! And here I thought I made some original life motto." He'd kept her in his heart even though he couldn't remember her. Those hard times when he pushed himself to do something new, to embrace the joy of life, that was his heart remembering the young girl who loved him enough to give him back his life. Molly… she was that golden girl in his dreams, leading him back to her for this. Leading him back to his family. "Dream team, you and me."
"For all eternity?" Molly asked, sniffing from her tears.
Scratch smiled and assured her. "For all eternity."