Hope you've all been enjoying this story so far, we've reached the halfway point! What silly situation will our leads stumble into next?

BTW, a moment Ollie refers to is the second bit of my Mollie fic 'I can count on you'.


They say save the best for last, which is why Molly saved her biggest and most over-the-top idea for the end of the day! Also, because not even she could make it work in the daytime. Tonight, Molly will recreate the night of one of her most precious forever memories, the Blazin' Snowball Comet!

Libby, Geoff and the Chen siblings once again went off to retrieve all they needed for this Molly scheme. Most of the pieces of this plan had to be adjusted to what they could recreate, compromises were aplenty. The night of the comet, a moment that special needed the most attention for recreation. Though time and location were necessarily altered, Molly figured out a way to redo the most important event of that night.

Dinner was wrapping up, and Todd was telling the family about another of his and Adia's adventures. "Now my phone was balancing on the ridge, Adia was holding my leg and trying to pull me back, and the mule was a lost cause." It was at this point Darryl wished he could stay and hear the rest, but a buzz on his watch alerted him that he was needed in the backyard, and he slipped away into the shadows.

As fascinating and bizarre as Todd's story was, Molly also had to pull her attention away when her phone buzzed. She snuck it under the table and peaked at the text, Libby sent the confirmation that she and their friends were all ready to start setting up.

"OK, what are you up to?" Molly heard Todd ask and straightened up.

"'Up to'? I'm not up to anything! I am all the way down!" Molly was not convincing anyone.

Todd smirked, amused by her attempts to act like she wasn't planning something. "I saw you giving your phone a very conspiring look. You, little missy, have got something up your sleeve."

"The only thing up my sleeve is my arm!" Molly opened up her sleeve. To her surprise, a couple of stickers fell out. "So THAT'S where my rainbow puppy stickers ended up." Setting those aside for later, Molly could still feel Todd staring at her all smug like he had her figured out-wait, the text said everyone was ready to set up. She didn't need to dance around the subject. The only dancing Molly would be doing was a victory dance when Todd remembered her. "Fine, I am planning something-"

"Haha! I was right!"

"It's one more activity to end the day on. My friends need a few more minutes until it's ready." Molly revealed.

The older man couldn't even imagine what the girl had in store. She seemed really excited so it was probably something big. "And what could you have come up with to top off the itinerary?"

Molly was pretty certain she could guess his answer, but she wanted to confirm something from Todd. "There was this amazing comet two years ago, the Blazin' Snowball. It was more than a little tricky to see it in town when it passed by. Me and my friends had to go out to a field to get a look. I'm guessing you weren't able to see it back then?"

"I think this is the first I've heard of a comet." Todd felt as if he had heard about such an event. Maybe in passing it had come up? Maybe he saw it when he was little. He's unsure how, but he has a definitive picture of it in his mind. He had to be mixing it up with something he'd seen on TV, cause he was picturing it so clearly and close, as if he was in the stratosphere.

Another text came in from Molly's phone, they were ready. "It was so beautiful it could make a grown man cry. That comet isn't coming back for another forty-eight years, however-" Molly led Todd and her parents over to the backyard door. "Through the power of friendship-and whatever June and Darryl did-we can have our own comet fly over the house!"

The rest of the Ghost Friends were out in the backyard, the chaos duo had their own control console hooked up to June's laptop while Libby and Ollie had brought a shockingly well-crafted hot air balloon out from the garage. "TADA!" Molly presented the set-up to her pudgy pal. "We got a three-person hot air balloon to get up higher for the best view possible! You, me and Libby are going up to see our homemade comet!"

Todd was absolutely floored. This actually sounded TOO crazy. "Woahwoahwoah-time out! You want me to go up in that balloon? Where'd you even get a hot air balloon on such short notice?"

Molly decided against telling him that she and Darryl built it themselves over three nights. They still got one and a quarter nights sleep. "Oh, you know… around."

Sharon and Pete had known their kids had been working on something late at night, but a hot air balloon?! "Wait a minute Molly-" Sharon tried to process all of this. "We never discussed a hot air balloon ride. I thought you were going to get a telescope out!"

Darryl stepped away from the console and confidently wrapped his arms around his parent's sides. "Chill mom. We've run the safety checks, got the correct zoning permits cleared and-" He lowered his voice to keep Todd from overhearing. "We got a huge padded tarp rigged to roll out so even if they fall it'll only bruise." Libby had made it very clear how much precaution was needed to keep them all alive.

Seeing the balloon up close, Todd was still unsure about this. He lived an adventurous life nowadays, sure, but this seemed a tad too amateur for comfort. "This doesn't seem like a good idea. I might be too big for this to carry. What if Ollie went instead, and I can watch from down here?" Ollie, standing on the side, looked terrified at the prospect of floating up that high. Homemade balloon or not, he was still afraid of heights.

"Come on, you live the life of a daring adventurer! This short flight will be a breeze… a bit literally." Molly couldn't go back now, not when they were so close. Scratch would thank her afterward once their comet jogs his memory. "And-in we go!" Molly grabbed Libby and forced themselves and Todd into the balloon before anyone else could protest. "Prepare for liftoff!"

Darryl and his partner in crime seemed to be the only ones besides Molly who had zero concerns about this plan. The young boy imitated a rocket launch countdown and began counting down. "Three… two… one… LAUNCH!" June pressed a button on the console which brought the balloon to life and filled it with hot air.

The launch wasn't as instant as they thought. It took another two minutes to get the balloon inflated. No one said or did anything, all standing around awkwardly. Once the balloon was full and able to lift itself off the ground, Molly started cheering again. "Rise you magnificent flotation device! RI-why aren't we rising?" The balloon stopped ascending at the height where the basket was around the level of the house's first floor ceiling.

June checked her instruments and found the problem. "It looks like we incorrectly guessed the estimated weight of the passengers." They couldn't weigh Todd, so they made an educated estimate. It turned out they were off by a couple pounds.

"Guess we gotta lift them the hard way." Darryl gathered a rope and tossed it over to Ollie and Pete. "Hold this steady."

"Darryl." His dad gave him a stern look.

"Sorry, hold this steady, please?"

Pete appreciated the addition of the 'please' but couldn't respond as the rope suddenly tightened and nearly swept him and his daughter's boyfriend off their feet. The guys could see their rope was part of a pulley system tethered between the side of the house and the top of the balloon basket. They weren't exactly sure how it worked, they were preoccupied by struggling to keep the rope steady.

"Oh, for Pete's sake." Sharon came over. "And I really mean for my husband Pete's sake-let me take the rope!" Pete and Ollie did as she said and let her grab on too. With Sharon's strength, they managed to start pulling, and slowly the balloon raised higher.

Between the rickety pulley and the wind picking up, the basket got more shaky. None of them had much space to move, Libby was already sandwiched in between Molly and Todd, who nervously avoided looking down as the balloon continued to rise. "I don't know about this…"

Libby, usually the one to voice concerns in these moments, was calm and certain as she spoke. "I can assure you that Ollie and I made plenty of safety precautions." It was the only way she would ever agree to ride in this thing.

"Still, couldn't we stop a little lower?" Todd was still unsure despite the tall girl's assurance.

"No can do Todd-" Molly brushed off his concern. "We need the best view of this comet, so we're going ABOVE THE CLOUDS!"

Libby dryly raised an eyebrow, needing to remind her bestie of the limitations of their ride. "The highest this thing can go is right above the roof of your house." The basket rattled and came to a stop. "Which we have just reached."

Down below, the chaos duo saw that the balloon had reached premium altitude. Darryl turned a microphone towards his face. "They have reached optimal position. CUE THE COMET!"

June pressed a few buttons, and soon a shining ball of light took off from one end of the sky and sailed across the cloudless night. To everyone on the ground, it was a miraculous spectacle of pure magic and mystery. The truth, however, was that it was someONE crossing the starry sky.

"I'M THE COMET!" Geoff majestically shimmered and sparkled. The ghost was decked out in glitter and reflective mirrors to amplify the radiance of his ectoplasm, all courtesy of the two troublemakers manning the control panel.

Even knowing it was Geoff, the sight was dazzling to those in the McGee backyard. Molly was the most excited, like a kid whose Christmas wish had been granted. Her smile took up most of her face and her eyes twinkled, but it was not the Geoff-comet that produced this reaction, it was the forever memory associated with the spectacle. "WOOHOO! Isn't it beautiful, Todd?!"

Todd was indeed staring at the fake comet in awe. "Wow, that is pretty cool!" Molly focused on him with bated breath, that rush of memories should start- "But do you think we can go back down now?"

One could almost hear the swelling background music putter out like a fart. "Wha-that's it?!" Molly stared at him. "You don't think it's amazing?! That it could make a grown man cry? Which you are, by the way."

"Kid, that thing's just a drone, right?" He incorrectly assumed. "It's really pretty, but it's not some big life-changing event. And we can see it fine from the ground."

"I mean sure, but why would you want to when we can touch the clouds from this high up!" Molly ignored that there were only a small handful of clouds way out of their reach at the moment. "Doesn't seeing this stir up some wonderful old memories in that beautiful brain of yours?!"

The wind picked up and rocked the basket, not helping ease Todd's worry. "Yeah, it does. I remember almost slipping off a cliff and being scared of falling, which I am feeling right now."

"What!?" Molly and the wind tilted the balloon again. Neither her nor Todd noticed that Libby was getting squished between them. "How can you be scared of a little balloon ride?! You left Brighton to become this courageous, world-trotting adventurer!"

Libby, stuck in the middle, was feeling like the inside of a sandwich. She tried to speak up but went unheard. "Um, you guys-"

"Yeah, but that doesn't make me some fearless fool who stupidly isn't afraid of reasonable fears! And that includes hot air balloons of questionable craftsmanship!" Todd defended his point of view.

"We've made sure the balloon is perfectly safe! So you can relax and let the nostalgia take over." Molly tried to calm her old friend, and coax him into remembering the good times.

Todd was not coaxed at all. "What nostalgia?! I don't have any memories of something as wonderful as a comet! Believe me, I would remember if I did! You don't know anything about me, cause you'd know that all I've got is a lifetime of memories of hiding myself away from the world and being too scared to live my life!"

In his emotional outburst, Todd accidentally leaned over too far and caused the balloon to tip. "WOAHWOAH-" The trio flailed as much as physically possible while the balloon veered over and bumped into the closest tree. A branch snagged the balloon and tore a hole when it tried to move away. The new hole deflated the balloon in an instant, giving the trio a second to blink before the basket dropped.

As soon as ground control saw their contraption hit the tree, the chaos duo pressed a button and released the padded tarp over the ground. If that didn't break their fall, then the dozen airbags that automatically inflated upon losing altitude sure did. The airbags piled underneath the basket, high enough that they were still around the height of the first story roof. More airbags inflated within the basket and squished the trio even more. It felt like falling into a vat of balloons. Libby looked smug. "Told you we made plenty of safety precautions."

Everyone was perfectly fine, though the excessive number of airbags made it hard to find where solid ground was. Nobody got physically hurt, but feelings were absolutely hurt. Molly didn't respond as she found her way out of the cushiony depths. She wasn't sure which was worse, that she failed to get memories remembered or that she failed so badly that she accidentally dug up old wounds for Todd and caused him to lash out. What he'd said struck a blow to her heart, one part in particular echoed in her head. 'You don't know anything about me-'

Sharon and Pete were at Molly's side the moment she was free of the airbags and padding. "Oof, all these cushions might be the biggest hazard here." Pete felt like he could have suffocated in that mess. "Are you alright Molly?"

"I…" Molly couldn't find any words. She was clearly on the verge of trying not to cry. Everyone could tell how upset she was by the debacle. Those not up in the balloon could only vaguely hear what happened between Molly and Todd, and it was far from the happy remembrance they aimed for.

Todd eventually found his way out of the excessive airbags, and his eyes landed upon Molly being consoled by her parents. The young girl was being told 'it's OK' and 'you tried your best', but the teen still looked devastated. If Todd had realized she would be THIS upset, he wouldn't have said anything and let the balloon ride play out… but nope, he had to open his big mouth and ruin all of Molly and her friends' hard work and unload his damage on her! And why? Because that old cowardice of his creeped back up after he thought he shoved it down. 'Way to go Mortenson, you messed everything up for nothing.'

"Todd?" His ear perked up at Sharon saying his name. Everyone was staring at him, they had to be judging him after all that. He'd built up this reputation as a fun, thrill-seeking adventurer, the image that he wanted them to see. Not the Todd Mortenson who spent fifty-something years wasting his life and screwing up any meaningful relationship he'd had with every person who he tried to come close to.

Now they all knew how much of a loser he really was.

"I'm… I think I'm going to turn in early tonight." Scratching his arm, Todd kept his eyes away from his hosts and headed back inside.

Molly felt her stomach sink. She didn't think this would upset him THIS much! She just wanted her best friend to remember her! She got so focused on her goal that she pushed too hard and didn't listen to Todd. He's probably mad at her… he may not want to hang around her again… oh cob, Molly may have ruined everything! All she wanted was Scratch back, and now she might have cost herself any friendship she'd been rebuilding with him! She… maybe she could fix this! She-she-she needed to fix this!

With Todd's absence, all eyes shifted to Molly. No one knew what to say. Suddenly, the girl took off and ran up to her room. None of them had even gotten a look at Molly's face before she left. There's no telling what kind of emotional state she's in.

Ollie locked eyes with Libby, they nodded and followed after their dear friend. The rest of the McGee family and June were left in the backyard, sorting out their own emotions.

Glimmering like a star, Geoff floated down and took in the somber mood and abundance of airbags. He didn't have to be a genius to realize something went wrong. "Did it fail?" He quietly asked the young Chen girl.

June solemnly nodded. Her ghostly buddy drooped to her level. June wasn't sure what would be appropriate so she settled on rubbing Geoff's back like her mom did for her when she was sad. Geoff embraced her comfort and gave her an appreciative smile.

OXOXOXOX

Libby and Ollie climbed up and opened the latch to Molly's room, not knowing what to expect from the girl. The mystery board was back out, and Molly was back to placing dozens of notes on it.

Molly turned to grab some stickers and saw her best friend and boyfriend had come in. Her smile was unsettling. "That was a… a little setback, huh?"

Oh no, it was the Molly McGee trademark coping mechanism. "Molly-" Ollie had to approach this gently. "Please don't do this."

"Do what?" Molly continued putting stickers on her plans.

Libby was tired of her best friend downplaying her feelings. "Pretending to be alright when you clearly aren't."

"No, no you see-nothing worked today-" Molly had a crazed gleam in her eye. She flipped the board to Ollie and Libby, it was even more frantic and disorganized than the first board. "But tomorrow I'm sure we can get those memories out! I've planned the biggest stuff!"

Molly had clearly reached her peak of madness, absolutely nothing on her board was doable. "Moll-" Ollie tried to speak up, though his girlfriend cut him off and went on to explain her plot.

"Here's the plan for tomorrow! First we're going to get stuck in a time loop and relive the same day until it's perfect! Then we're going to challenge the nature of the Ghost World and vanquish the original Chairman with joy! I'll launch myself across the sky with a trebuchet, we'll curse ourselves into different TV shows, and top it all off with a Death Day Party as we try to figure out how Todd-h-how Todd-He-He'll laugh, and then I'll laugh-we're all going to be so-so happy! He'll know-wh-who I am! Every-it'll be just like how it-how it used to b-be! We'll finally be toget-"

Molly couldn't do it. She couldn't fake this anymore. With a heart-wrenching sob Molly fell to her knees, burying her crying face in her hands as she let out a wail. She had barely touched the ground when she felt two pairs of arms scoop her up into a tight hug. Libby and Ollie teared up as they held their dear Molly close, as if to shield her from any more pain while she let loose the pain already inside her.

Libby had seen this too many times, she stopped keeping track at this point. Molly fights so hard to keep her positivity when life goes against her. This sweet girl, who was the first person Libby could call a true friend, would move heaven and earth to help everyone deal with their problems. But when it came to addressing her own, she pushed them aside. It was so unfair, Molly helped her through so much, but she was so stubborn that Libby had to get a shovel to dig into how deep she pushed her own issues down.

Ollie loved Molly, he loved her so much it killed him when she broke down. She had been there when he needed it most, and he would always be right by her side when it all got to be too much to handle by herself. This wasn't the first really bad breakdown he'd seen from her. After starting high school, she'd cracked and opened up to him about her fears and vulnerability, she kept so much inside for the sake of keeping everyone happy. Ollie had to let her know that she was safe with them, she could be open about her feelings with those close to her.

Her two friends waited for Molly to speak first. They wanted her to be the one to express her feelings. Nothing could have prepared them for what she would choke out.

"… I'm a horrible friend."

Libby and Ollie flinched in shock. The boy spoke up. "What are you talking about?" Genuine confusion melded with his concern for her well-being.

Molly pulled back enough for her friends to see her face. The utter devastation and pain she felt was as visible as her tear covered cheeks. "I wanted my best friend back so badly that I ignored what he wanted and kept pushing for what I wanted until I hurt him! That's not what a real friend would do! That's what a horrible, selfish person does!"

"What-no!" Libby shook her head. "Don't talk about yourself like that!"

"It's true!" Molly continued on, she attempted to put some distance between her and her friends, but they held her too tight to budge. "I hurt him because I was so focused on trying to get back what we had!" Her lip quivered, and she found herself pulled closer to the two against her will. "Why? Why can't I just let him go!? He's finally living his dream, he doesn't need me around anymore."

For as much pain as missing Scratch had brought, Molly has always been genuinely happy that he got the chance to live the life he'd always wanted. Likewise, she was happy with what she still had in her life, her family and friends, her forever home and enhappification projects. Molly appreciated it all from the bottom of her heart. So why did she still want Scratch back? She was already happy. Why did she need more? Why did she have to feel like this?

The loud sobbing quieted down to a sorrowful whimper. Molly hiccuped from the crying and felt her companions lean in closer. "I-I know I'm being selfish. But I can't stop wanting him to remember me… I'm terrible, aren't I? Todd deserves better than someone like me."

The duo holding Molly felt their hearts ache at what they were hearing. Libby patted her best friend on the back while she spoke. "Molly, you are not terrible. You are the best friend anyone could ask for. Even when you have selfish and contradictory emotions, it's alright to feel that way."

"B-but I-"

Molly's voice cut off when she felt Ollie nuzzle against her cheek. "Yeah, you did go a bit overboard in trying to jog his memory. You've always put your all into accomplishing your goals. Even if your judgment and listening got clouded, it was only because you love Scratch and miss him."

"I do! But that's no excuse-"

"For the love of-" Libby restrained herself from shaking Molly with concerned frustration. "Molly McGee, you are only human! Everyone can be selfish, everyone messes up, nobody is immune to that. You just have to make sure you don't let it define who you are."

While Molly let Libby's words sink in, Ollie brought up another important piece. "You've already done the most selfless thing you could do by letting Scratch go back to life. Would you change that decision knowing the outcome?"

"NO! I would never do that!" Molly answered with zero hesitation. "I'd let Scratch go every time BECAUSE I love him!"

She stopped. Tears paused as it sunk in. When it came down to it, she would always choose Scratch's needs over her own. Molly would put all of her friends and family's needs before her own. One selfish desire did not outweigh every selfless act she'd done. A terrible friend wouldn't think twice about doing something only for herself, and a terrible friend wouldn't have these two amazing friends stick by her side and lift her up.

The trio pulled apart, allowing Molly to wipe her eyes before looking between them. "Thank you guys, for putting up with me when I'm not super happy."

Libby and Ollie gently smiled at their precious friend, and the former spoke. "We're not 'putting up' with you, we're standing beside you… though in this case we are sitting beside you."

Molly weakly giggled at that, a tiny smile perking up. The self-loathing part of her breakdown had been dealt with, but there was still more to unpack. "I do want whatever makes Scratch happy, but it doesn't fix how much I miss him."

"Maybe we can help with that."

The teens turned to the latch door, where Pete was climbing into his daughter's room, followed by his wife and son. Sharon saw that their girl had calmed down and let out a relieved sigh. "Libby, Ollie, thank you so much for all you've done. But I think we should take a turn for this next part."

Both teens obliged, understanding that the family issue needed to be dealt with by family. Molly stood up with her friends before they parted ways for tonight. Libby gave Molly one more tight hug, squeezing her like a giant teddy bear. After that, Ollie took his girlfriend's hand and leaned in to plant a quick kiss on her lips. The two let themselves out and went to go roundup June and head home. It was just the McGee's now.

Sharon, Pete and Molly took a seat on the bed, while Darryl sat on the floor and leaned against the bed frame. "I know we've had our talks about it before-" Sharon held her eldest child's shoulder. "But this house hasn't felt the same without Scratch." It was like having a third child, one whom she now knew was older than her. But that weird ghost had opened himself up to their family, gradually becoming more and more accepting of joining them. He could be very responsible at times, and could be supportive when someone needed it. Even before Todd's arrival, Sharon would often find herself looking at the empty chair at the dinner table, especially when a fifth plate of food got made out of habit.

"Yeah-" Pete rubbed his neck. "Who would've guessed that a ghost would become such an integral piece of the McGee family." Yes, Pete was terrified of Scratch when they first met, and the ghost was intentionally trying to scare them. And despite the recurring credit card charges and snide remarks, Pete enjoyed Scratch's company. That grumpy ghoul grew into a better person over time, a true McGee willing to go the extra mile for the people he cared about. Even if Todd wasn't aware of it, his surrogate family would still go the extra mile for him.

Molly smiled bittersweetly. She had to remember that her family missed Scratch dearly as well, he had been so much more than Molly's best friend, he was a McGee. "That night, when he went back to his body… to his own house… this one felt so much emptier." Their family of five turned to four overnight, Molly and her parents had often shared how Scratch's leaving made them feel… hang on…

It hadn't occurred to Molly before, but had Darryl ever spoken about how he felt? Looking over, Molly realized her brother wasn't looking at his family, but at the dollhouse kept off to the side. It seemed his parents had noticed their son's silence on the matter as well. Pete was the one to ask. "... Darryl, do you want to say anything?"

"I-" Darryl paused, wondering if this really was the right time to spill his guts. He truly hadn't talked too deeply about how Scratch's leaving affected him, because if he was being honest… alongside the sadness there was also a little anger. "... I never said goodbye."

His family stared at him. "Darryl?" Molly wondered if she heard him right.

Darryl's breath hitched. "Molly, you were the only one who got to say goodbye to Scratch! No one else, just you! The last time I saw him was when I showed you two Adia's profile. Next I hear is that Scratch ran off after he remembered his past, and we spent the day looking for him. You figured out where he was and… and then he was gone! You came home by yourself and told us Scratch came back to life but wasn't coming back to us."

That night, when Scratch's soul and body reunited, Molly stepped aside to wait and see what he would do once he was whole. She'd practically held her breath, hoping he'd start calling her name and telling her he didn't forget. But that never happened. Todd fell to his knees and blinked in confusion, taking in his surroundings and holding his head and heart. 'What just happened?' he'd said to himself. Molly watched as he turned back into his house to process the sudden liveliness and reorient himself with his surroundings. She waited for two hours, crouching by a bush. Waiting for him to rush out and start running back to their home… until she got a text to come home and realized how long she'd been waiting. The reality sunk in that Scratch indeed forgot about his time as a wraith… about her… and she trudged home with a heart full of conflicting feelings.

"He didn't stop to tell us what could happen! You were his best friend, but we were all his family! Why couldn't he have let all of us say goodbye?! Scratch was gone from my life and the worst part was that I never knew I would lose him until I did!" Darryl finally turned around, revealing the hurt tears leaking from his eyes. "He was my bruncle and I never got to tell him that!"

With Darryl's feelings out in the open, the young boy got up and turned to his family for a hug. The four of them held each other, accepting how each other felt. They missed their Scratch and loved him. Molly wished she could have realized how Darryl was hurting sooner, and how her parents also felt when Scratch was gone without a goodbye. "I-I'm sorry-I didn't-"

"I know, sis. I'm not mad at you." Darryl assured his sister that he didn't blame her. He couldn't let her add any guilt to her stack of issues. "I just wish we'd had more time… why do you think I put all of my side deals aside while we deal with this? Because I want him to remember me, too."

Pete understood his sentiment. "We all want Todd to remember us. The chances of that happening…" How should he put it? In a way that wouldn't crush their hearts even further. "... after all you've tried, it's very slim."

"So…" Molly wanted to keep some hope alive, even though she had to face the reality that the odds of him remembering were dwindling. "What should we do?"

The family hug pulled apart, and Sharon gently held her kid's shoulder's. "Instead of trying to force the old memories out, how about you make new memories? Try doing stuff you couldn't do when he was a ghost. There has to be new experiences in Brighton he missed this last year."

Molly took her mother's advice to heart. She had a new itinerary to plan… but first, she needed to make things right with Todd.

OXOXOXOX

For what felt like the millionth time, Todd impatiently listened to the dial tone of his phone. "C'mon Ads, pick up already-"

"Scratch?!"

There she was, Adia positioned her phone to reveal herself in a tent. Todd was visibly relieved to see her answer. "Adia, oh thank cob you finally answered your phone!" He'd been ringing for almost ten minutes at that point.

"Sorry, the reception was super spotty over here. It wouldn't go through until one of the other campers shared their wi-fi with me." Adia hated to leave him hanging, though she hoped he knew by now that it would never be intentional on her end. "But enough about that, you need help, don't you?"

Todd rubbed his hand over his face, she knew him so well. "I do. I think I screwed everything up."

Adia felt her heart sink, worried about her best friend's wellbeing. "I thought you were having a great time. What happened?"

Might as well start from the beginning. "The kids, Molly and Darryl, and their friends showed me around, and we had a fun day! I painted a horse driving a car and won a softball game, we got soda, watched a movie, also it turns out Molly hates street magicians as much as you hate mimes."

The fifty-something woman scowled. "They are the scum of the Earth."

"We were all getting along great, and I thought I was being pretty cool. Then, after dinner, Molly set up a hot air balloon ride-which I am like seventy-eight percent certain those kids built themselves-and did some kind of drone thing to recreate this comet they saw a while back." Todd could tell they put a lot of effort into pulling that off, way more effort than someone like him deserved. "I started getting nervous, I don't know why, I've done plenty of crazy stuff this last year!"

"You've never been in a balloon before, right?" Adia double-checked.

Todd scratched his nose, hey he couldn't scratch his arm while he was holding a phone. "No, I haven't done anything flying-related that doesn't involve still being tethered to the ground somehow." He didn't have a fear of heights, but he was afraid of falling. He's a big guy, gravity and him did not mix. Todd was working on overcoming the fear of dying that prevented him from living all these years, though there were still times it would involuntarily creep back up. "And when I do the aforementioned crazy stuff I've got you with me. You've promised to keep me safe and that gives me the courage to try!"

"Awww-" Adia was moved, her bestie could be the biggest marshmallow when he was being sincere.

"Yeah, yeah, I know that's sweet-but I still went up in that balloon. It was shaky and the basket barely fit me, Molly and Molly's friend. I couldn't stop worrying we'd tip over and one of us would fall out, and if it wasn't me then it could have been one of the girls!" Looking back, having to ensure the safety of two teenage girls definitely added to his tension. "We only floated above the house, and it still was too high for comfort! I couldn't stop myself from being the scared Todd that I used to be, and I was getting frustrated and I-I don't-my mouth started running before my brain could catch up, and I said some things and-"

"Scratch! You're going to hyperventilate at this rate." Adia warned him.

Todd took a moment to control his breathing, getting it back under control before continuing. "I ruined everything, Adia. The balloon ride was a bust. I really upset Molly, and now all these guys will think of me is that I'm a coward and a loser. They won't want anything to do with me anymore." He was getting along with everyone so well, now he hurt his new friend, and soon they'd all distance themselves from him.

Adia couldn't bear to hear Todd put himself down like that. "You don't know that, Scratch. If you open up and explain yourself, they might understand." He had nothing but nice things to say about his hosts yesterday. Adia was sure such a nice family would understand if Todd was honest with them.

"Look Ads, I've worked hard on moving past a bunch of my fears. But you know when it comes to the deep, personal junk, I only trust you and my online therapist." Todd had traveled the world and reconnected with Adia. A happy ending, right? Wrong. There was still so much he needed to deal with. He could show his inner self to Adia, but it took time to rebuild the trust to let her back in. He had no choice but to be honest during online therapy sessions to combat a lifetime of depression. Todd wanted to spend the rest of his days with the positive outlook he'd inexplicably gained. To do that, he had to accept help when he needed it. Two people weren't a very strong support net, and let's be real, his therapist wasn't going to answer his call in the middle of a forest using a stranger's wi-fi.

His old friend sent a reassuring smile. "You really have grown more than you think. You've braved the world and found the joy to live, or to 'enhappify' as you say." Adia had no idea where he came up with such a word, but Todd insisted on using it. Not a catchphrase, it was more of an ideal. "So what if you still have issues? Everyone does. I do too! Working on yourself is nothing to be ashamed of, and you are already an amazing guy."

"Heh-" Todd cracked a smile. "When you tell me that I start to really believe it." If someone with as much brutal honesty as Adia had such positive things to say about a guy like him, she was either incredibly insane or correct… Todd was pretty sure it was the latter, though this is the same Adia who wanted to go diving in crocodile-infested waters.

"You better believe it, or I'm hitchhiking over and smacking some sense into you." Adia teasingly threatened. She would do it, she meant it. "Maybe now you can go talk to the McGee's about your side?"

The middle-aged man involuntarily flinched, eye contact was avoided. "They probably all went to bed already. I should wait until morning."

"OK, there's more you're not telling me." Adia figured. Why else would he procrastinate?

Todd hesitated, he trusted Adia, he had to be honest. "Why do you always have to be right? Yeah, there is a little more. You're about to hear some pretty deep junk, you sure you don't wanna drop the subject?"

"I've already got my shovel, we're going deep." To prove her point, Adia grabbed a tiny shovel from her bag.

No turning back now, Todd prepared himself to metaphorically spill his guts. "Don't say I didn't warn you. I'm not just upset with myself for how I acted, I've been upset with myself for some time now. Not the usual 'why did I wait so long to live my life' sort of crisis, I'm… I've got everything I ever wanted. I'm traveling the world with you. It's my greatest dream come true, and I couldn't be happier… and I'm mad at myself because I still want more. I can't help feeling this hole in my heart. I'm still not complete, I'm still missing something. I've got a craving stronger than any fried food."

"... Do you know what it is?"

"I do. I'm craving a family." Todd admitted it, there was no turning back now. "I never truly had a family growing up, just two people who lived in my house with me. I wish I had a real family, one who would welcome me home with open arms, who could accept me for who I am, who I could love and feel loved unconditionally. I'm sorry Adia, I've got you, but I can't stop wanting the family I never had."

Adia listened to what he was saying, and the dots connected in her head. "Scratch do you… do you want the McGee's to see you as family?"

Todd threw his hand up in the air. "I don't know!? Maybe? I only met them yesterday, and I can just sort of feel-something! I felt like I could open up to them-it sounds crazy, but I've had this oddly familiar feeling ever since I got here, and it's not because this used to be your house!" Todd let himself fall backwards onto the bed. Who the heck was he trying to kid? What kind of fantasy did he want to achieve? Some happy kids movie where the oddball is accepted and finds a family? That would never happen, because this was real life and he was only an idiot chasing an impossible dream. "It doesn't matter anyway, I've already messed everything up. They've seen how much of a loser I am, and I'll only be some weird guest who they'll forget about in a week.", and

Knock Knock.

Lifting his head up, Todd turned to the door. Did he hear a knock or was he going crazy?

Knock knock. "Um, Todd… it's Molly. I wanted to see if you were still up?"

Todd didn't miss that Molly's voice sounded hoarse. Did he make her cry?! What could she want with him? "Y-yeah, I'm awake." He might as well face the music. Todd approached the door, he was going to open it, then Molly started talking again.

"I'm really sorry, Todd." The man's eyes widened. Come again? "I have to apologize for… you know, all of that." On the other side of the door, Molly held her hand against the wood, head leaning forward but not touching. "I was so excited to share some of the amazing things you'd probably missed out on, that I wasn't thinking if it would be something you would want."

What was Molly apologizing for? He was the one who caused all this. "I really did have fun today. You kids know how to have a good time… as for tonight, I should be the one apologizing to you. I ruined your comet."

Molly was shocked. Why was Todd apologizing?! She was the one who caused all this. "What-you didn't ruin anything! Everything was all on me! You have nothing to be sorry about!"

"I'm sorry for being a coward." Todd absentmindedly said. A second later he realized what left his mouth and winced.

"I don't think you're a coward." Molly's voice and words cut through whatever panic was starting to bubble inside Todd. "A coward wouldn't go trying new things when they're afraid. You're brave because you try in spite of fear. You're really kind and fun to be around, and I like you for who you are." Molly knew his faults, his rough edges. They were family and the best of friends, though he didn't remember, she would for the both of them.

Todd was floored. Absolutely stunned that this girl he'd only just met thought so highly of him, especially after how he acted. "Wow-Uh, thanks Moll." He didn't know what to say.

Though they couldn't see each other, there was still a door between them, Molly and Todd just knew the other was smiling. "If you'd like, we can have another fun day tomorrow? I promise not to go overboard this time."

"Yeah, I'd love to." A new friendship that Todd thought was ruined rose from the ashes like a phoenix.

"Great! I'll see you tomorrow then!" Todd could hear her footsteps move away from the door. All his previous panic vanished, against the odds, he was accepted in spite of his faults.

Looking down, Todd realized his phone was still in his hand and Adia was still on the video chat. Adia seemed relieved and happy for her best friend. Once his attention was on her, she spoke. "Looks like you've got a third person you can show your real self to."