The Ghost and the McGee Twins

Mama's Gotta Hustle

One day, we went to the store to pick up some cleaning supplies for our basement. My family even began to sing the McGee Cleaning Song.

Molly: Oh, it's the McGee's cleaning song

Darryl: Everybody sing along

Mom and Dad: The house is really dirty, so today we're intervening, by cleaning...

Me (Spoken): The basement.

My family glared at me. "What? I'm not singing this stupid song." I complained. "Woah, woah! You already ruined the rest of my house, now you wanna ruin my precious basement, too?" Scratch asked. "I've never even seen you in the basement." I said. "Scratch, if you love the basement so much, why don't you live down there?" Molly wondered. "Uh, ew, no! Moldy." Scratch replied. "I'm upset by the principle of the thing. How would you like it if I messed with your things?" "That's funny. Why don't you ask me that same question, Mr "I eat Amber's lunches for school"?" I asked, just as the car began to break down. Molly and I glared at Scratch once the car came to a stop. "I understand why you think I did that, but I didn't." Scratch explains. "The car or my food? Because you did eat my lunch!" I shouted.

We all got out of the car to push it towards the auto shop while dealing with city traffic. Of course, Scratch didn't help, not just because he's a ghost, but he didn't seem to care. "I really hope we can afford these repairs." Mom grunted while pushing the car. "Our finances are tight." "Don't worry, Mom. I have a no-risk business investment." Darryl explains. "Full disclosure, it requires access to cryptocurrency, frequent travel to Sweden, and, uh, a stomach for danger." "Not falling for that." Dad refused. "Again." "Since our whole family uses the van, we should all pitch in." Molly suggested. I will forgo my allowance. Amber and Darryl will too." "What?!" Darryl gasped. "You can't forgo for us!" "I didn't agree to that!" I complained. "You're going to regret that, Molls!" "No forgoing! Kids, keep your allowances." Dad said. "It's probably just a small teeny tiny problem that won't cost much money to fix."

Once we got to the shop, a mechanic looked at the car. "It's a huge problem. It's gonna cost a lot of money to fix." She explained. "I don't suppose you take an old Sub Shack punch card?" Dad asked. "It's got a free BLT." "Dad!" I shouted. "Eh-eh." She refused. "Uh, spit balling here, are you sure we even need a van?" Dad asked us as Scratch swiped his punch card. "We could all just stay at home, going absolutely nowhere with our lives. Forever! Doesn't that sound fun, kids? Help." With Dad sulking, we all looked at Mom. "With all the moving costs, utility bills, credit card debt, and now we have another mouth to feed." "I'm a growing ghoul." Scratch said, rolling the window up as he ate his sandwich. "It's been a tough year for the McGee family savings account." Mom continued. "May it rest in peace." Dad added. "Uh, are we gonna be okay?" Molly asked. "Don't worry, McGees always make it work." Mom replied. "And now that we're settled down in our forever home, it makes sense to have a second income. That's right. Mama's getting a job!" "Forever home is a stretch, Mom." I commented. All of a sudden, the car began to break down again and oil spilled everywhere. "That was also not me." Scratch points out.

Since we had no car at the moment, we had to take our stuff out and walk home. "Why do we live so far away?!" Scratch complained. "I don't know, Scratch." I groaned as we walked past a few cars with parking tickets. "You tell me!" "I should be a meter maid. Then I'd get paid to tell people they're bad parkers!" Mom gasped. "You know I'd love that." "Yeah, I mean, personally, I see you as a brain surgeon." Molly said. "Although, that's not really a "starting today" thing." "I'm telling you, Mom, reconsider nuisance lawsuits." Darryl explains. "I know a lawyer named Ramón who is not encumbered with so called "ethics."" "Have you thought about working in retail?" I asked. "Diner. Help wanted sign. Bang. Solved it." Scratch said, floating around a nearby diner. "Like always, Scratch is the hero. Go cook." Looks like Scratch is going to experience after-afterlife. We all paused and stared at him, but Mom was furious. "I worked in my parents' restaurant growing up, and that was enough kitchen work for a lifetime! NEVER SAY "GO COOK" AGAIN!" Mom shouted, causing Scratch to hide behind Molly in fear. "This morning, I caught her glaring at the stove." Molly whispered.

Sure enough, as soon as we got home, Mom growled at the stove. "Woah, you were not kidding." Scratch said. "Well, it's still cleaning day." Mom sighed. "Pete, you and the boys go ahead and start in on the basement." "Aww..." Darryl frowned. "What do you mean "boys"?" Scratch asked as Molly and I handed Scratch some cleaning supplies. "It's the McGee's cleaning song." Dad sang unenthusiastically. "Hope it doesn't take too long." Darryl joined in as he, Dad, and Scratch headed to the basement. "Don't worry. I'll take care of the van situation." Mom reassured them, shutting the door. "I have no idea how to take care of this van situation!" "Okay..." I began. "Where do you even find jobs anymore?" Mom wondered. "Well, we could look at..." Molly said. "Or the newspaper?" Mom interrupted. "Do they even make newspapers anymore?!" "Oh, Mom. Mom!" Molly exclaimed. "I don't know, okay? But they make apps. They make apps." Molly pulled up an app on her phone for odd jobs. "Huh. Gig Pig." She said. "It's for odd jobs." Molly explains. "Someone needs a job done, you do it, you get paid, Mama." "Quick cash, that's what we need! Good thinking."Mom gasped as a job offer popped up on Molly's phone. "Ooh, that was fast. Looks like I've got my first job." "Amber and I are gonna come with!" Molly exclaimed. "Once again, didn't agree to this." I repeated. "This is a family problem, Amber, and if Mom's doing her part, then we'll do ours, too!" Molly exclaims. "Okay, what's the gig, Mom?" I sighed. "Handing out free food." Mom replied, just as Scratch slammed the basement door. "Okay, fine. I'll come!" Scratch groaned.

Mom, Molly, Scratch, and I headed into town to help Mom with her first gig, handing out protein bars. "Free protein bars!" Mom exclaimed. "I scream, you scream, we all scream for protein!" While invisible to others, Scratch took one of the protein bars to sample and immediately spit it out. "Gah! You know, I eat food right out of the garbage." Scratch stated. "But this... this is garbage." "Protein bar? Protein bar?" Mom asked. "Oh, I see you already have one." "Yeah, that was Scratch's." I explained. "Please, tell me, did we make enough money yet?" Mom asked. "Uh, not yet, but we have a new job." Molly replied. "Thank heavens!" Mom sighed with relief. "I gotta cleanse my palate." Scratch said, digging into the trash for food.

For this next gig, Mom was tasked to take a pair of dogs on a walk. Only problem was, they wouldn't budge. "Come on, dogs!" Mom shouted, tugging at the leashes. "You walk, you poop, you pay us. I thought we had a deal?" "I wanna leave." I said, crossing my arms. Scratch took a dog treat from Molly's hand and ate it. Although he was still invisible to others, that didn't apply to the dogs. The dogs began growling at Scratch. "Wait, can dogs see me?" Scratch asked as the dogs started barking at him. "I don't like it. Make it stop!" The dogs followed Scratch as he flew away from them. Of course, the dogs dragged Mom along with them.

While Mom picked up another gig, Molly was playing with a baby buffalo while Scratch was being chased by a bigger buffalo. "Buffalo can also see me?!" Scratch exclaimed. "Okay, next task... Shovel buffalo patties." Mom read the gig from her phone. "What are buffalo..? Ugh!" Molly gagged. "Do we have enough money to pay for the van repairs yet?" I asked. "Not nearly enough." Mom sighed. "Mom, it's not enough... yet!" Molly exclaimed. "Let's get gigging, piggins!"

After a stressful montage, we were all in pain from multiple tasks around town. "Every... thing... hurts." Molly groaned. "At least you weren't viciously attacked by wild hounds!" Scratch complained. "And look at my little cutie bit. Now it looks like old gum." "How are we doing, Mom?" I asked. "We gotta be close to our goal by now." Mom checked her phone to reveal that the goal has been achieved. "We did it! We actually did it!" Mom exclaimed. "We did it?" Molly and I asked as we both squealed in excitement, which was very weird for me. "See? When we come together as a family, there's nothing we can't accomplish!" Molly continued. "Yeah, Mom and the McGees are unstoppable!" Mom cheered, just as Dad called. "Pete, honey. Great news! We just... What?" Mom listens to Dad as her smile turns into a frown. "Dad and Darryl broke the house again?" I wondered. "Figures." "We fix one problem, another one crops up." Mom sighed. "I'm sorry, Mom." Molly said. "Being a grown up must be hard. But I'm proud of you." "I'm proud of you, too, Mom." I commented. "Sure, there was hard work and silly costumes, and multiple types of poop, but you gave it your all to make us some money. And that's awesome." "My girls." Mom chuckled. "Always finding the silver lining. You know, I liked getting out there, too. Trying jobs I've never heard of. I should keep being a Gig-Pig! Our family clearly needs the cash. "Perfect timing! Let's see the job." Mom pulls out her phone with a new gig posted. ""Help me?"" I read. "Posted by Amber McGee?" Mom asked, glaring at me. "Amber!" "I never posted anything." I confessed, looking for my phone in my hoodie pocket, but it wasn't there. "Someone took my phone!" All of a sudden, we heard some dogs barking. We looked ahead to see Scratch with my phone as the dogs and the buffalo were still chasing him. "We should help him." Molly said. "Yeah." Mom agreed. "I'll get the dog treats." I sighed. "My poor phone."