Scooby Doo! Meet Ellie Machine

The Song of Mystery (Part 2)

"He was going to kiss you?!" Daphne exclaimed from the other end of the phone. "Well, I don't know if 'kiss' is the right word," I told her, sitting down to eat a salad I just made for dinner. After the Vincent van Ghoul movie, Shaggy and Scooby kind of shuffled out of the house to go home, and Shaggy and I hadn't said a word to each other. "Ummm, he grabs your chin? Says you have pretty eyes? Was getting closer to you?!" Daph exclaimed, her volume getting louder and louder.

I laughed. "Fine! I guess he was about to kiss me. I just don't know what is up with that boy," I said with a giggle. "Sure you do! You just won't admit it," she told me. "Oh? Then what do I know?" I asked her. "You know he likes you, and you seem to have it stuck in your head that you are undesirable and can only look from afar when you obviously deserve love and happiness!" she exclaimed. I froze. "Well jeez, Daph, way to call me out on that," I joked.

She sighed. "I'm sorry, Ellie. But if he likes you, and you clearly like him, then why aren't you making a move?" she asked me. "His five-foot two know-it-all girlfriend whom we all happen to be good friends with," I said blandly, and took a bite out of my food. She sighed. "And of course, instead of being happy, you be a morally good person," she guessed. "Yep," I told her, popping the 'p.'

"Fine. Well, I'll see you tomorrow, Ellie," she said. "See ya!" I exclaimed and hung up on her, before sighing and slumping in my chair. I looked down at my phone again and opened my text messages. Pressing on Shaggy's icon, I typed out the word 'hey' and pressed 'send.' I put it down, ate my food, and went to bed, purposefully leaving my phone on the table.

The next morning, I was ready and out at my driveway waiting for the gang to pick me up. The van rolled up the driveway like always, and I climbed in like always. "Hey, you guys," I greeted, like nothing happened with me and Shaggy. "Hey Ellie," said Fred from the steering wheel. It was silent, and kind of awkward in the back. Velma was sitting next to Shaggy, and Scooby was at his feet while I awkwardly sat across from them. I didn't meet Shaggy's eyes.

"Hey, what's that?" Daph asked, pointing to more yellow tape at the front of one of the neighborhoods. "Looks like the creepy flute player struck again last night," Fred observed as he pulled up. We all climbed out and I trailed behind all of them.

"How do you like your new pants?" Velma asked Shaggy a few feet in front of me. "Um, they're a little tight," Shaggy said. I snorted silently. 'A little tight' was an understatement. He couldn't even bend his knees in those things called 'pants.'

"That's the style," Velma said happily. "You look great!"

"I sort of feel like a sausage."

At that, I laughed, and Velma turned to glare at me. Shaggy smiled softly, and I quieted down and looked away, trying to hide the fact that I was blushing. We finally came to a stop at one of the roadblocks and watched as more cars left.

"More parents are leaving," Daphne observed. "At this rate, Crystal Cove will be a town of nothing but spookified kids," I added sadly, looking down the neighborhood street where garbage cans were on fire and stray cats wandered freely now that no one was going to chase them away.

"Hey, what's with the pets?" Scooby asked and laughed at his joke. I didn't get it.

"This is the location of the most recent attack by the creature that's been spookifying the children of Crystal Cove."

I turned and saw a large trolley with tourists driving by and coming to a stop. Velma's mom was the one narrating, and people began to take pictures. I glared in disgust at what this town has become; making money off the misfortune that falls on kids and their parents.

"Velma, sweetheart, how are you?" her mom called to her. "Sheriff, they're back!"

"Mom, please. We just wanted to see what was happening," Velma protested. "There's nothing to see. Not unless you're paying. Now, get to school, darling. All of you!" she ordered us, before pulling out a shirt and tossing it to Velma. "Be an angel and take one of these and wear it around school," she said and began to drive off. "Oh, and if anyone asks, they're $15!"