Ghostie Bois Inc

Chapter Ten: The Podium

(Well well well...Unexpected result of my writing, but not unwelcome. Shoutout to the Comment Cult from Chapter One!) 

   "Niki, you act upset to see me," The man in the doorway said, walking over to the three by the counter as though he owned the place. Judging by the way he greeted Niki, Tubbo figured, he might. 

   "I'm just never prepared for your little visits, Mayor," Niki said, and it sounded to Tommy like she was choosing her words carefully. The Mayor looked towards the white binder Niki still had open for the boys and eyed it carefully, almost like he was suspicious of it. Before either of them could say anything about it, the man turned to look at Tommy and Tubbo.

   "Who are you?" He asked and moved his index finger between the two of them. "You didn't suddenly have kids somehow, did you?" He asked Niki, who didn't seem to be any more comfortable than when he'd arrived. 

   "I'm Tommy, this is Tubbo," Tommy offered immediately. He took a somewhat protective stance, though he couldn't have explained it if anyone asked. The Mayor looked the two over for himself, nodding along in an obviously unimpressed manner. 

   "Alright, well, that's not my business," He said and shrugged, eyes falling once again on the binder. "What is possibly my business is, what do you have there Niki?" 

   Niki's eyes widened slightly, and she grabbed the edge of the binder. "Just, records, Schlatt," she said dismissively. "Orders to keep track of, and things like that."

   An uncomfortable silence draped itself over the room, lasting only a few moments long before Tubbo piped up. "She's helping us solve a murder," He said and shrugged. 

   Tommy gave him a look, obviously this Mayor guy had a vibe about him, and he didn't know if he could be trusted yet. Tommy certainly didn't want to trust a wrongen. 

   "A murder you say?" Schlatt asked and got an amused expression, throwing his head back to laugh at the idea. "Oh, that's a funny joke. I hope you kids have fun playing detective, but no one's ever been offed like that here." 

   Tubbo raised an eyebrow and looked to Tommy. That didn't seem likely to him. Even if they hadn't spoken to the ghosts of the potential victims, he still wouldn't have believed the Mayor. Every town has it's secrets, even more so, their secret villains. "Are you sure?" He asked. 

   Schlatt's laugh turned sharp and abrupt. "Yes I'm sure," he said and took a step towards the two. "I run this place, there's nothing that I don't know."

   Tommy noticed the way Niki's eyes flittered over to the other end of the shop. 

   "Noth--" Tubbo started, and was cut off. 

   "Nothing, kid. Look, don't you two have something better to do? Anything better to do?" He asked. It was clear from his tone of voice that he wasn't really asking them so much as telling them to leave. 

   Niki closed her binder and slid it in the space behind the counter. "Maybe you should ask someone else," She told the boys kindly. "I doubt I would be of any help in this situation, and I unfortunately have, an appointment. Besides," She said, and side eyed the Mayor from her counter. "Nothing bad ever happens here." 

   Tommy clapped his hands together after a moment of chilling silence, and suppressed a nervous laugh. "We-he-hell, I guess Tubs and I are just gonna...go," He said and started walking towards the exit, grabbing Tubbo's sleeve just a little to signal that he should follow. He grabbed the doorknob and swung open the door, both him and Tubbo looking back at Niki before they left.