Junior’s Greatest Valentine

It was early morning in Endsville. For Junior, another troublesome day at school awaited. He entered his classroom, expecting another dull and boring hour of so-called education.

- “Class, this week we’ll have a little student exchange with a school somewhere else.” Ms. Butterbean said. “To put it simple: We’ll finally get rid of you for a whole week, and while we enjoy your absence we’ll also get a better student to take your place. Everyone will be happy!”
- “But Ms. Butterbean!” Billy shouted. “If there’s going to be a student empennage, who’s gonna leave us for the week?”
- “Oh, I almost forgot!” Ms. Butterbean said and pulled out a note of a bowl full of notes. “The student who will leave us in harmony for the week is… Mandy! Congratulations.”

Junior was shocked to hear this. Mandy was Billy’s only friend and he had never seen them apart before.

- “Good!” Mandy said. “I really need a vacation!”
- “Ok, Mandy!” Ms. Butterbean said. “The bus will be here to pick you up at noon, be on it! The student who will take your place will be on that bus too.”

Junior sighed at the thought. A new student would arrive, a student who’d probably pick on him just as much as everybody else does.

After lunch, Junior entered the classroom and saw a girl about his age standing next to Ms. Butterbean. She had a black ponytail below a red beanie. She wore a blue sweater, a pair of red shorts and a pair of sneakers.

- “Class, this is our new student!” Ms. Butterbean said. “New student, introduce yourself to the class!”
- “Hi, everyone!” she said shyly. “I’m Danielle, from Amity Park!”

As Danielle kept on talking, Junior noticed that Sperg was about to throw a chalkboard eraser at her. This déjà vu was too much for Junior since the exact same thing happened to him on his first day and everyone in the class laughed at him. He didn’t want that to happen again, so he sprouted out a tentacle and grabbed the eraser just inches from an impact on Danielle’s face.

- “How about you pick on someone your own size, Sperg?” Junior said angrily.
- “Nergal Junior!” Ms. Butterbean said. “Your parents have already told you not to use demonic powers in the classroom. I’ll see you in detention after school!”
- “Thank you!” Danielle whispered to Junior as she sat down in Mandy’s seat next to Junior. “Thank you very much!”
- “You’re welcome!” Junior replied.

At lunch the next day, Junior sat at his lonely table as usual. Then the unexpected happened, someone sat down next to him. It was Danielle, the new student.

- “Hi there!” Junior said nervously. “Danielle, was it?”
- “Yeah!” she replied. “But you can call me Dani!”
- “I’m Junior!”
- “So, Junior, how did you catch that eraser yesterday?”
- “Well...” Junior said with discomfort. “My father’s a demon, which makes my half-demon! Sprouting tentacles from my back is something I’ve been able to do since I’ve been born! Which, technically, is just about two years ago!”
- “Fun you should mention it, because...” Dani said, also with some discomfort.
- “Because what?”
- “Can you keep a secret, between friends?”
- “Friends? You really want to be my friend?”
- “Sure, you caught that eraser for me! If you hadn’t done that, I’d be nothing but a laughing matter by now! So, can you keep a secret?”
- “Sure!” Junior said happily. “I won’t tell anyone!”
- “You see, I’m about six months old...” Dani said. “I’m half-ghost! I can’t sprout tentacles, but I can do stuff like fly, turn invisible, intangible and stuff like that!”
- “That’s cool!”

Junior and Dani kept talking for quite a while until a really sad Billy entered the scene.

- “Can I sit with you guys?” he cried. “I have no one else to sit with today!”
- “Sure, cousin!” Junior said. “Take a seat.”
- “Thanks...” Billy said and then looked towards Dani. “You... you’re the reason I’m alone like this!”
- “I’m what?” Dani said confused.
- “Come on, Dani!” Junior said. “Let’s leave Billy to grief in peace!”

Junior and Dani left Billy to cry alone at the table.

- “Who was that and what’s his problem?” Dani asked Junior.
- “That was just my cousin Billy.” he replied. “He isn’t very smart. He has befriended a sinister little girl named Mandy. Mandy is Billy’s only friend, so he feels a little lonely now that she isn’t here!”
- “Where’s this Mandy now?”
- “In Amity Park, in your place! Therefore, Billy thinks you’re the reason Mandy left.”
- “Poor kid...” Dani said and saw another student crying in a corner. “And who’s that?”
- “That’s Irwin!” Junior said. “He’s in love with Mandy, who has left the school now just days before the school’s Valentine’s Dance.”
- “It sounds like this Mandy had a lot of friends.”
- “Not really. Mandy’s only friends are probably just Billy and Grim!”
- “Billy and who?”
- “Didn’t I tell you? Billy and Mandy has won the Grim Reaper in a bet, he’s forced to be their best friend for ever!”
- “Forced friendship with Death? That sounds weird!”
- “This is Endsville.” Junior said. “The home of weird!”
- “I’m betting on Amity Park being weirder!” Dani said.
- “Well, I’ll have to see that place for myself one day.”

When Junior got home that day, he was welcome by his father.
- “Hello there, son!” Nergal said to him. “You’re in a rather good mood today, I see! You’ve managed to get a date for the Valentine’s Dance?”
- “Well, yeah...” Junior said. “But I haven’t asked her yet! I’ve made friend with an exchange student from Amity Park!”
- “Amity Park, eh? Why does that sound so familiar?”
- “Well, Junior!” Sis said as she entered the room. “You really should ask her to the dance, before anyone else does!”
- “Yeah, I think I will!” Junior said. “I think I’ll do it right now!”
- “Be back before ten, son!” Nergal said as Junior ran off.

Junior got up to the surface and went to Mandy’s parents, who had agreed with the school to let Dani live with them during the week. He went to the door and pressed the doorbell. Claire opened the door and looked down on him.

- “Hello, Mandy’s mom!” Junior said. “Is Dani here?”
- “Just a minute!” Claire said and went in to get Dani.
- “Hi, Junior!” Dani said. “What’re you doing here at this time of night?”
- “I don’t really have any fancy card or anything...” Junior said. “But I was wondering if you’d like to come to the Valentine’s Dance with me.”
- “Well, sure!” she said. “When is it?”
- “Tomorrow night, I’ll pick you up at six, ok?”
- “Cool!”
- “I see you in school tomorrow, right?” Junior said.
- “Sure!” Dani said and closed the door. “See ya tomorrow!”

Junior went home, feeling really happy, happier than he had felt for a long time. He entered his room and sat down on his bed and sighed out in relief.

- “Nice place you’ve got!” a white haired girl said, sitting next to Junior.
- “Who are you?” Junior said shocked. “And what are you doing in my room?”
- “What are you talk... oh, sorry!” she said as a white circle appeared at her waist which transformer this white haired girl into Dani. “It’s me, hope I didn’t scare you!”
- “No, I’m fine… but what are you doing here?”
- “Just wanted to see where you lived… it’s really warm in here!”
- “Well, it is the center of the Earth…”
- “Yeah... it’s nice!”
- “Thanks... wanna meet my dad?”
- “Sure!” Dani said and they both walked out of the room.

They went up to Nergal and introduced Dani to him.

- “Dad!” Junior said. “This is Dani who I’ve been talking about.”
- “Hello, mr. Nergal!” Dani said to him.
- “So you’re the gal that I’ve heard so much about, eh?” Nergal said. “Welcome to the center of the Earth!”
- “By the way, dad!” Junior said. “Dani is going to go to the Valentine’s Dance with me!”
- “Splendid! Because I’ve volounteered to shaperone the dance, I can watch you dance while you’re there!”
- “What? Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”
- “I wanted to surprise you, son!”
- “Well, it’s getting late!” Dani said. “I’d better get some sleep before school tomorrow!”

The next school day passed on as the one before. Joyful for Junior and Dani, both excited for the dance later on tonight. The afternoon came and Junior got home to make himself ready for the dance. His pink jacket still had some punch stains from last time and it was a little small now, so he borrowed one that his dad had when he was young. It was black, and he also had a red shirt and a black tie... also owned by his father. His father drove him to Dani’s house in his drillcar. Junior walked up to the door, sprouted a big tentacle and knocked hard on the door. After a few second, Dani opened the door. She was wearing a beautiful white dress and long silk gloves.

- “Should we go?” Dani said.
- “Sure!” Junior said and opened the door for her on the drill car. “You look beautiful in that dress, Dani!”
- “Thanks, you look pretty neat yourself!”

They went to the dance and really had a great time. Billy and Irwin showed up with the same Indian women they went with two years before. Pud’n went along with Mindy, merely because if Mindy went with someone as dorky as Pud’n she would look way much better than if she would’ve went with someone equally as popular as her. Piff danced with Dora. Neither couples seemed to enjoy it much. The same could not be said about Dani and Junior, they were having the time of their lives! The dance kept on for hours. When it was over, they didn’t want to return home just yet!

- “Wanna see something amazing?” Dani asked.
- “Sure!” Junior said.

Dani turned into a ghost and flew with Junior up on the roof of the highest building in Endsville. They sat down on the edge of it and looked at the sunset.

- “If Endsville wasn’t such a dump, this would be an amazing moment!” Junior said and put his arm around Dani.
- “I think it’s nice!” Dani said. “It has some good things!”
- “Too bad you couldn’t stay here longer!”
- “I bet we’ll see eachother again someday!”

As the sun set, they looked at eachother happily. Neither had ever felt this happy before. Junior remembered Irwin explaining this rather odd feeling. There was no doubt about it, it was love he was feeling. Before either of them knew it, they were kissing. It was the first real kiss they’ve had, a very nice kiss it was. After the kiss, they looked at eachother with a long silence.

- “This has been the best days of my life!” Junior said, breaking the silence.
- “Mine too!” Dani said.

After some days, the day of sorrow arrived. Dani had to leave Endsville and go back to Amity Park. Junior and Dani stood at the bus stop, awaiting the bus that would tear them apart. After a while, Billy and Irwin arrived too.

- “You guys are here to see Dani off too?” Junior asked.
- “Not really...” Billy replied.
- “We’re here to wait for Mandy, yo!” Irwin said.

They were all now very silent for a long time. After a while, the bus arrived.

- “Goodbye, Dani!” Junior said and hugged his new friends with both arms and tentacles. “I’ll miss you!”
- “I’ll miss you too Junior!” Dani said and shed a tear. “Goodbye!”

Dani went into the bus and Mandy stepped out. The bus left and Junior was once again the same miserable old kid he used to be. Billy and Irwin ran up to Mandy and hugged her.

- “Mandy!” Billy shouted in happiness. “You’re back!”
- “I’ve missed you so much, baby!” Irwin said.

The same night, Junior sat in his room grieving over Dani’s departure.

- “Why do my friends always have to be temporary?” he said to himself. “Now I’ll never see her again!”
- “You will se eachother again, if you want to!” a voice in his room said.
Junior looked up and saw a blue ghost with red eyes dressed in a purple cloak.
- “Who are you?” Junior asked.
- “My name is Clockwork!” he said. “I’m a friend of Dani’s and I am here to tell you this, you and Dani will meet again!”
- “We will?”
- “Yes! Even though the circumstances won’t be the best, you will see eachother again. And you will get more friends than you could wish for!”
- “How do you know all this, mr. Clockwork?”
- “I’m the master of time, my boy! I know everything that has happen, that is happening and even what will happen!” Clockwork said and shifted between child, adult and old while he spoke.
- “When will we meet?” Junior asked.
- “That I cannot say! I’m not really supposed to tell people the future, but Dani thought you deserved to know! I must go now, the time stream won’t keep itself up, you know! Farewell, young demon!”

With these well selected words, Clockwork few out through the ceiling, leaving a happy Junior longing for the future.