The Ghost and the McGee Twins

Citizen McGee

Long story short, Molly entered this contest a few weeks ago to be Brighton's Mayor For A Day. No surprise at all, she won the position. My family and I watched as Molly was sworn in. "There were a lot of submissions, but only one showed the passion required for the job." The Mayor said. "Molly McGee, do you solemnly swear to uphold the office of Mayor and all of the responsibilities therein?" "By the sacred turnip, I swear I do." Molly agreed, saluting The Mayor as everyone in the audience cheered on Molly. I just clapped.

After the ceremony, the Mayor brought Molly, Darryl, and I (plus Scratch) to his office. "And here's the Mayor's Office, where the decisions get made and the papers get signed." The Mayor explained. Scratch didn't hesitate to make himself comfortable at the Mayor's desk. "Hey, this is real mahogany! Fancy!" Scratch exclaimed. "I'm gonna put my feet on it! And perhaps my butt." "How many pages can this baby handle?" Darryl asked, admiring a golden stapler. "30? 35?" "Oh, it's been known to handle up to 36 if you put your back into it." The Mayor replied, turning over to Molly, who was looking at some older pictures. "These are all the past Mayors Brunson. My mom, her dad, his mom, her dad. Their eyes, always following me... full of disappointment." "Wait, has Brunson been your last name this whole time?!" I gasped as he nodded. "I'm sorry, I don't always pay attention to things." "Wow. I can almost feel the crushing weight of responsibility in here!" Molly exclaimed. "Yes, being Mayor is a mighty big responsibility, which is why I'm glad it's your problem now!" Mayor Brunson smiled. "Woo-hoo-hoo!" "Um, I'm sorry. My problem?" Molly asked. "Are you going somewhere?" "Yeah. Away." Mayor Brunson replied, packing his bags. "You took the sacred Turnip Oath which, as all Brightonians know is legally binding, so you're in charge now, Mayor McGee!" "What?! Don't I need to be a grown up to be in charge?!" Molly panicked. "Nah, you'll be fine." Mayor Brunson reassured her. "You've got the passion for the job! That's all you need. I never wanted to be Mayor. One year, I didn't even run. People wrote me in anyway! But now I'm free to find my true calling in life. We out!" "You're leaving a 13 year old in charge of the city of Brighton?!" I asked as he grabbed his things and left. "I mean, it's better than Darryl, but still a red flag." "Mayor Brunson, wait!" Molly cried out. "Slow down, sis. Let's think about this opportunity for a second." Darryl reassured her. "Don't you want to, uh, enhappify Brighton?" "Yeah." Molly replied hesitantly. "And wouldn't that be easier if you were in charge of Brighton?" Darryl asked. "What are you saying?" I wondered. "So why not cut out the middle man and embrace your chance to make a real difference in this town?" Darryl suggested. "Ooh, I don't know how to run a whole town!" Molly panicked. "I can't just learn all that instantly! Unless... I put on the blazer... the ultimate symbol of knowing important grown up stuff. Scalable solutions! Bricks to clicks! A sustainable economy of public-private synergy! Do you know what that means?" "Not a clue." I nodded along with Darryl and Scratch. "Nobody does!" Molly laughed. "Guys! I'm in!" "Does she just carry that blazer everywhere?" Scratch asked. "Sure does." I replied. "Ever since the 1st grade."

Darryl, Scratch, and I followed Molly outside of the office. "What Brighton needs is something bold." Molly explained, waving to everyone who greeted her in the hallway. "Something fun, something..." "Enhappifying?" Darryl and I finished. "Exactly! What would make Brighton happy? Give me pitches, people!" Molly commanded. "Pancake Breakfast." Scratch suggested. "Giant slip 'n slide." Darryl pitched. "Community book club?" I wondered. "We'll do all three. At the same time!" Molly exclaimed. "Bold." Scratch said, stuffing his face with donuts. "Decisive." Darryl commented. "Okay?" I questioned. "One catch: I hate maple syrup in both texture and taste." Molly added, remembering her alter ego, Milly McGee, our imaginary Canadian cousin. "Do we need it?" "Polling numbers say yes." Scratch replied. "Not necessarily for reading unless you're having breakfast." I added. "What are we gonna slippy slide on?" Darryl asked. "Ugh! Fine!" Molly groaned. "Let's get enhappifying!"

We headed into town to promote Molly's campaign. We added a slide in the park, which was soon drenched in maple syrup. No one seemed to complain about this.

Back in the office, Molly sat at Mayor Brunson's desk, feeling relieved that Brighton was enhappified. "You know, I don't know what I was worried about." Molly sighed with relief. "Passion really was all I needed to be Mayor! Listen to the satisfying sound of enhappification." "Uh, sounds like screams of utter terror." I pointed out, hearing people screaming outside. Darryl turned on the TV to the local news. Turns out the maple syrup that Scratch brought attracted horseflies to Brighton. "Joanie Pataky, KWP! Turns out a child mayor was not a great idea. This maple syrup slide has attracted a swarm of hungry horseflies!" Joanie says live on air. "Up next, can one woman outrun a swarm of horseflies? No! The answer is no!" "Finally! Someone agrees with me!" I groaned. "Our poll numbers might take a hit over this." "Sweet baby corn, we've ruined the town!" Molly panicked. "Uh, just do what I do." Scratch suggested. "You create a fake portal and you pretend The Ghost Council is calling you, it works all the time." "Wait, you fake those?!" Molly asked. "Um, never with you." Scratch lied. "Okay, whatever. But what are we gonna do about the horseflies?" Molly turned to me and Darryl. "Why don't you ask Darryl." I replied. "The maple syrup was Scratch's idea!" Darryl confessed. "Wow. Wow! Just gonna turn on me like that, huh?" Scratch argued. "You know what, nevermind! I can figure this out." Molly said. "I'm wearing a blazer, so I must know what I'm doing, right?" Molly hides her face inside the blazer to think of a possible solution, which also involved her whispering to herself. "What'd the blazer say?" Scratch asked. "Nothing! It didn't say anything, okay?! It's just a very fashionable, timeless piece of clothing! And it can't give me any magical powers of grownup-iness!" Molly snapped, startled by the portraits of the previous mayors. "Oh, okay. Uh, there's only one thing to do." "Burn the town, blame the previous administration." Darryl replied. "Darryl, you're winning me back over." Scratch said. "I think he's onto something here. Let's hear him out." "You guys are the worst advisers." Molly stated. "I can't argue with you there, Moll." I admitted. "None of us have a clue what we're doing." "Exactly! We need to get the real Mayor back!" Molly exclaimed. "Scratch, you're coming with me. Amber, you're in charge. Darryl, stay with Amber and return those office supplies!" "What office supplies?" Darryl asked as the missing office supplies came out of Darryl's jacket. "Oh. Those office supplies." As soon as Molly and Scratch left, Darryl tried putting the office supplies back in his jacket, but stopped when I blew a whistle. "Not on my watch, bro." I said. "I'm in charge now."

Long story short, Molly and Scratch did find Mayor Brunson posing as a cotton candy vendor. Darryl and I watched from the window as he trapped the horseflies in the sugary treat. He even told Molly that she would make a great mayor in the future. With a little more experience, I couldn't agree more."