My Best Friend [Goosebumps fanfic]

Here We Go Again

Night of The Living Dummy Part 2: Ep9
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Bratt was lying down on his couch. Surrounded by pillows, he looked up to his ceiling. "I guess the best way I found to describe it is... imagine somebody breaks into your house, but they don't take anything. But you know they were there. Except it's not your house, it's your body. Even that doesn't really do it justice. It's like... It's just weird."

He shakes his head, "And it's not just metal. The other day, I was leaning on my arm, and I started getting that tingly feeling, like it was falling asleep, but I just... I freaked out. I thought, 'Oh, here we go again. Who's gonna possess me this time?'"

"Yeah, you know, okay, where do you want me to hand this?" Ben holds a taxidermy Fifi in his hands, "Oh, yeah. Sorry, Ben. Maybe just a little bit more to the left cause I... So, I want it to be level with the top of the antlers. A little bit more... More..."

"There?"

"Uh... Sorry."

"Good?" He looks at Bratt before turning back, "Yeah, sorry, to the right, to your right." Ben continues to guide it, "That's-- That's good, that's perfect." Ben, who's on the ladder, turns to Bratt. "Yes. Oh, man, I mean, now I'm second-guessing the other. Should it be on that side?"

Ben sighs, "Should I just put it on the ground?" Fifi stands mounted on a plack as Ben looks at Bratt, "I think we're good."

"Okay, yeah, you're right, it looks good." Bratt sits up on his couch as Ben goes down the ladder. "Aw, Fifi was my granma's poodle. And on her deathbed, I promised her I would care for Fifi as if she were my own. And I did, and... and I-- She cared for me too though. She really did." Ben puts his told away as he hears Bartt's story, "She got me through some hard times."

"I think we've all had it." Ben goes to put his coat on, "Yeah, I know, you're right. Oh, man." Bratt chuckles, standing up from his couch. "But I gotta say it-- it really helps to talk about, so, thanks. And it's funny, it took being possessed by a teenage kid that you and your friends killed to finally turn my luck around."

Ben groans before shrugging on his coat, "It was an accident."

"Accident. I know, you're right." Bratt overlapped, "I should be focusing on the positive anyway. Like I got a house, I have friends like you." He gestures to the house and Ben, chuckling and shrugging his shoulders. "I have a new book."

Ben looks at him, "Book?"

"Oh." Bratt chcukles, "Oops. yeah, it's-- It might sound a little familiar. It's a tale of intrigue and murder set in a small town. It's kind of like Stephen King's Carrie meets Stephen King's The Shining, but with like a touch of levity."

Ben goes up to him, "Wait, what is this?" He looks worried, "Oh, no, calm down, Ben. It's fiction. Ben, it's just fiction. By the way, this is a little awkward for me to say, but do you mind if I pay you next month? Just cause I'm, like, a little light on the bank account now. Teacher salary, you know."

Ben glances up at Fifi, "Don't worry about it." Bratt looks at him, "Oh, like, don't worry about it at all, or...?" Ben makes a face, "Ah. Next month. Next month, okay." Bratt hugs Ben, thanking him before Ben leaves. Bratt looks up at Fifi and smiles.
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Lucas sits on his bed. Hearing a knock on his door, he looks up and watches as Nora leans on the door. "Hey. Everyone's waiting downstairs. What's up?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, no, I... I was just, kind of, sitting here thinking like, what if I stay?" Nora looks at him, "Stay?"

"Well, what if-- what if you need me? Or like, what if something happens, you know, I should just probably be here just to, you know, play it safe, you know?" Nora walks into the room and sits beside her son, "Yeah, Lucas, it's okay." She rubs his back, "I'm okay. Things are okay now. Even good." She smiles at him, "I know how... all of this has been... so scary. And I bet it feels still so close, but as someone who had lived with so much fear for so long, I'm telling you it's safe for you to go have fun and live your life."

"I love you." Lucas smiles at his mom, "I love you more." Lucas leaves, telling his mother goodbye and thanking her before walking out of his room.

Outside, Isabella, Isaiah, and James are waiting for him. "Sorry"

"About time, bro." Lucas looks at them, "My mom made bagels." He tosses them to Isabella.

"Raod Trip!" Isaiah's eyes widen, "Damn."

"Sorry. I'm trying out the whole, like, unbridled enthusiasm thing." James smiles at her, "That's cool. Passionate." Isabella nods her head at Isaiah's comment. "I can't believe Margot's moving to Seattle."

"Thinking."

"Thinking."

"She's, like, thinking of moving." Lucas and Isaiah both frown as Lucas gets into the car. Bratt's car stops at the Harbor Shop parking lot. He walks past the teens, "Oh, what's up, Mr.Bratt?"

"Oh, ho-ho. Hey, what's up, guys? The gang? It's me, I promise." The group nods in amusement, "Well, where are you guys going?"

"Weekend in Seattle. Yeah."

"Nice! I love Seattle. You going to the Space Needle?" James looks at him excitedly, "Yeah, yes!" Bratt turned to James, "Oh, you are gonna lose your minds!"

"I was telling you about the Space Needle!" James looks at Isaiah, "You booked that, right?"

"Yeah, I booked it."

"Oh, I'm so je-- You know what? Maybe I'll just tag along." The teens turned to their teacher, a little shocked, "You know what, I'm not doing anything this weekend." Isaiah turns to the group, hearing them make excuses, "Actually, Margot got the last seat." Lucas turned to Isabella, confused, thinking Cam wasn't coming.

Bratt's phone buzzes, "Hold on one second, lemme get rid of this." He sees the number, "It's a New York number. I'm getting a call from New York City."

"Take it." Isaiah agrees with Isabella, "Take the call." Bratt looks at them, "Okay, change of plans, you guys go without me. I will... I gotta take this, okay? Have fun." Bratt walks into the Harbor shop.

"Yeah, we gotta go now."

"Get in the car."

The teens get in the car as fast as they can.

Lucas turned to Isabella, "Hey, where is Cam? I thought she was coming too?" Isabella looked at Isaiah, then at James, "Cams coming. She just had some things to do. She's gonna be our last stop, so don't worry."

The group takes off to Margot's house.
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An: I've been working on my other story, and let me just say...

It's cringy having to read over some old work. I don't know what I was thinking.