A Different Point of View

Best Friend Forever

Bella approached the front desk in the lobby, playing nervously with the bottom of her jacket.

"Hi, um, Ah'm lookin' fer a friend that's stayin' here," she said to the man at the desk. He looked up from his magazine and glanced at Bella.

"What's his name?" He asked, his tone clearly showing that he was bored.

"Uh, Fiddleford McGucket," Bella said. The man checked some papers on the desk.

"No one of that name is here."

Bella frowned, worry etched in her face.

"A-are ya sure?" She asked.

"Someone with that name used to stay here, but he couldn't pay anymore so we had to kick him out," the man shrugged, returning to his magazine.

"Oh..." Bella squeaked. "Thanks, Ah guess..."

Bella quickly left the motel lobby and drove back to the shack (now renamed the Mystery Shack). Stan was finishing up a tour just as she arrived, yelling out the catchphrase "We put the fun in no refunds!"

"Stan!" Bella cried, jumping out of her car and running up to him. "Stan, Fiddleford's missin'!"

"Your friend?" Stan asked. He saw how panicked Bella was.

"Yes! He got kicked out'a the motel 'cause he couldn' pay," Bella explained. "A-Ah don' know where he is!"

"Ok, calm down," Stan said, resting a hand on Bella's back. "How about we go look for him around town?"

"O-ok," Bella nodded.

After Stan got all the tourists out of the shack (after convincing them to buy more-than-needed overpriced souvenirs), him and Bella drove out to town to look for Fiddleford.

"So what's he look like?" Stan asked.

"Uh,  Ah don't got any recent pictures'a him," Bella bit the inside of her cheek. "Last Ah saw him, he had a really long beard (which is strange, Ah remember he always said he never wanted facial hair) and a hat he stole from a scarecrow."

"Ok?" Stan said slowly. The two remained silent as they drove around town. Eventually Stan spoke up as they drove past the dump.

"Is that him?" He asked, stopping and pointing towards the dump. Bella looked towards where he was pointing and saw Fiddleford. He was climbing around and laughing crazily. Bella gasped and fumbled with her seat belt, quickly undoing it and jumping out of the car.

"Fidds!" She cried. The man looked up at her, grinned, and waved goofily (Bella still wasn't used to Fiddleford- who used to be more than a head taller than her- being so short). Bella slowed down as she approached Fiddleford. "Fidds, Ah've been lookin' everywhere fer-"

"Howdy there, stranger!" Fiddleford greeted. Bella felt her heart stop at the same time her feet did.

"F-Fiddleford?" She wasn't a stranger, they were best friends!

"Hey, how'd ya know my name?" Fiddleford asked. "Everyone just calls me Old Man McGucket."

"Fiddleford, it's me, Bella," the girl said, trying not to cry. "D-don't ya 'member me?"

"Hm... nope!" Fiddleford shrugged. "Then again, I don't remember much before a few weeks ago."

"The memory gun..." Bella murmured, placing her hands on opposite shoulders. "You don't remember..." 

Fiddleford looked up at her in confusion. Bella took a deep breath and hugged her friend tightly, tears spilling from her eyes.

"Fiddleford, please just know that I care about you," the whispered. Fiddleford nodded slowly and patted her back, confused, but not wanting to see her so upset.

Bella broke apart from him a minute later, taking off her glasses to dry her face as she walked back to the car where Stan sat, waiting for her. Fiddleford watched as she climbed into the car and it drove off.

"I like her," he said to himself, grinning. "She's nice."

-----

"So... what was all that about?" Stan asked, glancing over at Bella.

"He... he doesn' remember me," Bella sniffed.

"Oh," Stan frowned. "I'm... sorry."

"It's 'cause'a that stupid memory gun he made," Bella hiccuped, "Me an' Ford both told him ta destroy it, but Ah guess he didn't."

"That... that sucks," Stan said awkwardly. The rest of the ride back to the shack was silent, apart from the occasional sniff or sob from Bella. They soon arrived at the shack and sat for a minute.

"A-Ah should get goin'," Bella muttered, moving to step out of the car.

"Hey."

Bella paused, looking back at Stan. He frowned, nervously rubbing the back of his neck.

"Do you maybe wanna, I dunno, stay the night?" He offered, his face slowly turning red. "I mean, you seem pretty upset, and if you wanna stay and hang out..."

"T-thank you," Bella gave a teary grin. "A-Ah really don' feel like b-bein' alone."

Stan put a comforting arm around Bella's shoulders as he led her inside.