Griff Gets Penny Pranked!

Penny Prankz! [EPISODE 29]

"So that's a bomb?" Edgar asks. His eyes flick to the gift shop door one more time. Probably to make sure no customers are coming in yet.

Penny stares at the silver coin between her fingertips.

"Let's not call it a bomb..." She beams. "But it does explode."

"Yeah... like, a bomb."

Colette looks up from sketching it in her scrapbook. "How strong will it be?"

"Not that strong," Penny says. "Just like a soda bottle with mints." Edgar tugs at his scarf, staring at her.

"We'll take your word for that."

"I'm positive!"

Colette's drawing a small Griff shaking the tip jar. "You know — I totally see it happening. There's no way Griff can resist the jar being full for once." Penny wants to hop with joy.

"You guys know where I can put my camera?"

"Uhhh..." Colette looks up. "A shelf?"

"We can't let the customers see it," Edgar says. "They might think we're, like, creepy or something."

"Oh right!" Colette facepalms. "But Edgar, they see you every day! They already think this place is creepy."

He rolls his eyes. "Oh, I'm the creepy one! Because you're a total angel."

"You bet I am!"

"Rawr."

Penny looks at the shelf behind the counter. "How 'bout there?" Colette turns around.

"Oh, Griff's a big money-head but even he'll notice that! Wait," she gasps. She looks under the counter and pulls out a plastic basket.

A Spike basket.

"Let's go!" Penny says cheerfully. The basket has convenient holes where Spike's eyes and mouth are.

"Uh, yeah, let's go," Edgar says cheerlessly, pushing a thumbs down in front of the plastic Spike face. Colette pushes his hand away.

"Hey! It's perfect for Penny, right?!"

Penny looks closer.

"It sure is," she agrees. She looks back at Edgar and Colette. Time can't possibly go fast enough. "This is gonna be so cool."

--

The time is 3pm.

"What's up guys! Prankster Penny here!" Penny waves in front of her phone. "Welcome to the 29th episode of Penny Prankz, and today, we're gonna pull a funny one on Mr Griff."

Days ago, Penny had asked Colette and Edgar for short interviews to add in her video.

"Griff is certainly an interesting character," Colette had said, rubbing her chin. "I'm pretty sure he eats money for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. But I'm not saying he's rich. I'm just saying he would starve without our tip jar."

"Griff is our boss." Edgar looked at the camera. "Yeah. No. Scratch that. He's a bozo."

Penny hides by a bush near the gift shop. She zooms in on Griff walking to the door. He's humming a jolly tune.

"That's him, guys," she says in a low voice. "What you see next will blow your minds — and his!"

Penny's other camera sits in the Spike basket at the gift shop counter.

"He's here, he's here," Colette hurriedly whispers. Edgar hits record.

The door swings open.

"Hello, my loyal workers!" Griff strides into the room. "How are the sales?"

"Pretty good," Colette chirps, looking everywhere but at him.

"That's good to know—" Griff's eyes fall on the tip jar. "Whoa! Things sure are looking good today!"

"That's right," Edgar affirms. "Today's been very cash money, if you know what I mean."

"I do know what you mean!" Griff rubs his hands together, eyes sparkling. "Money, money, money! Keep 'em coming."

"That, we will do," Colette assures him. "Uhm. Well I'm gonna go use the restroom."

"I'm going with you," Edgar says.

Griff stares at him.

"I mean, not with her. I also need to use the toilet."

Griff rubs the back of his head. "Well, I suppose just this once I could let you both go. But only because I'm here. Don't take long!"

"Yes sir!" They both say. Griff watches them leave all too quickly. He sighs.

"What silly kids." He wiggles the tip jar. "But they got this all for meee!"

Trembling with excitement, Griff tries to open the jar. The lid won't budge.

He grips harder. "Ow, ow," he shakes his hand. He twists more. Did those kids glue it shut? There's no way. No one would be getting any money if they did.

Frustrated, he shakes the jar.

Clink clink clink.

"Yes yes..." he mumbles, satisfied by the sound. He puts his face up close to the jar, shaking gently.

So many coins. He stares at his own happy eyes, reflected in the plastic. He can feel the coins through the jar, feel them cold and spilling from his hands. All the work of his hands, all the hours waiting. It gleams golden as he tilts it in the light. How much could it all be worth?

1000?

2000?

3000?—

It bursts violently. Griff jolts back with a shriek. His hands are hot. He falls on his back. His hands are empty—

Coins. Plastic shards. Coins crashing everywhere. Coins twinkling and rolling and spinning on the floor. He looks around, heart racing. The jar is gone. So many coins. So many scattered coins. Under the stands and the shelves and all over the place. All the coins. They glitter. They clatter.

They—

Griff screams.