The Acachallas' Trip to the Mall (Venturiantale)

Part Only

"Billy, Hurry up and get in!", said Papa Acachalla as he started the car.

"But Papa!"

"No Butts! It's time to go to the mall. Gertrude wants to get some cooking things." Billy sighed, and buckled his seat belt. He sat in fear as the car rolled out of the driveway. He tried not to imagine popcorn or sharpies."Papa, what if Maddie is there?!"

"Then we'll go to another department. Don' worry Billy."

"Papa, when we get there can I have some waffles?", asked Sally, who was playing with her barbie. She shoved it in Billy's face.

"Hey!", Billy cried in defense, "Get that thing out of my face!" Papa sighed and drove on.

At the mall...

"So, Gertrude, what's on the list?", asked Papa as they strolled down the long hallway.

"Well, let's see...", she replied, "I was thinking we could stop at a clothing store to get a new dress for Sally. We need that lounge chair for you, the kitchen supplies for me, the gift we were getting for Officer Maloney, some new shirts for Billy, and then maybe we could stop at the toy store and let the kids choose something."

"You forgot Spencer's new headset."

"Oh yeah... I'll add it to the list." Billy looked around for Maddie while his parents conversed. The coast was clear. Billy did, however, see Principal Buttkicker, and he hid behind Gertrude. They came to the clothing department. While Gertrude and Sally went looking for a dress, Papa helped Billy pick out shirts. Billy picked a blue racing shirt, but there weren't any in his size, so he had to suffice with a white one. Eventually, the girls came out with a pink dress.

"It's so pretty! Thanks mama!", Sally cried. As they came to the kitchen department, they saw two familiar faces.

"Johnny!", Gertrude waved, "It's so nice to see you two!"

"Why hello, ma'am.", answered Johnny Toast as he shook her hand. Ghost, who had been bent over a shelf, looked up.

"Hey! The Acachallas! Spending some money are you?"

"Oh, you know. Just a few errands to run."

"Hey, Toastie!", exclaimed Sally,"Wanna see my new dress?" While Toast went to look, Billy jumped. Maddie was in the fashion department, picking out some new skinny jeans.

"Papa?", he whispered frightfully, but it was too late.

"BILLY!!!!!!", Maddie screamed as she ran toward him, "PLEASE WILL YOU SIGN MY SHIRT?!"

Billy ran.

And ran.

And ran.

And ran until he could run no more. He was in the bathroom, and he hid in one of the stalls. He peered through the crack in the door as Maddie strolled in, even though it was the boys' bathroom. Fortunately for her, there was no one else present. Suddenly, someone coughed, and it wasn't Billy or Maddie. Billy whirled around to see the Toilet Toucher standing right behind him.

"Hey," was all he said. Billy screamed louder than fireworks on the fourth of July.

"Billy? I found you!", Maddie opened the stall, but Billy ducked behind her and raced down the aisles of a clothes store. He dodged baseball caps, and threw a rack of sweaters in Maddie's path.

"Papa! Help!", Billy cried as he weaved through buckets of socks. He tripped over a pair of underpants, but he did not stop. The Toilet Toucher blocked his path once again. He could hear Sally laughing as he backed away on his hands and knees.

"Sir! It's the Toilet Toucher!"

"Oh no, Johnny! Let's stop him!" The two investigators rushed toward them, but Ghost ran into Principal Buttkicker, who, of course, kicked his butt. While Johnny held his rear end, the Toilet Toucher ran to the bathrooms. They heard a flush, and Ghost scowled.

"Dang it! He got away! Well, back to the case at hand. Come on, Toast." The P.I.E team turned back. Before Billy could scramble to his feet, Maddie sat on him.

"I have you now, Billy! Sign my shirt. Or else."

"Never!", Billy cried. Maddie, her face red with anger, hit him in the face with her notebook.

"Ow!", Billy held his bruised cheek, "Ok, fine. I'll sign your shirt!"

"Really?!", Maddie's squealed with delight. Billy sighed, and took the sharpie she handed him. On the back of her shirt he wrote Papa Acachalla. He smiled, but hid it before Maddie could see. Now, maybe, Maddie would leave him alone.

"I'm proud of you, son.", Papa said as his son stood up and sprinted to his side. Billy hugged his papa.

"I'm surprised, though. Did you really sign her shirt?!"

"Well...sort of.", Billy replied. And he told Papa what he'd written. Papa laughed.

"Now I wanna see her face when she finds out!", he exclaimed.

After getting Officer Maloney's new Bubble Gun 6000, Papa's chair, and Spencer's headset, they came to the toy store. Billy got a teddy bear and Sally got a barbie hair coloring set. On their way to the car, they were stopped by a security lady, who fined them for spilling the clothes everywhere, and disturbing the peace, but Papa paid the money...in Acachalla Dollars!

"Well, that was a pretty crazy shopping trip," said Gertrude as they drove home. Suddenly, The Ballad of Lights Zeron came on the radio. Papa turned the radio off, as he despised opera. Unfortunately for everyone, even three seconds of listening to the song would leave them humming it for the rest of the day.

Knife back knife back knife back LIGHTS ZEROOON, stuck in Billy's brain faster than glue. That was okay. He just hoped Maddie wouldn't notice her shirt.