The Family: Ties That Bind (VOL. 2)

Chapter 1: Zack

Zack:

"For the last time, Dwight, We're NOT changing the name of our group to Mystery Incorporated!"

"Come on, it's perfect! Just think about it: two guys, two girls, one dog, all investigating the unknown." He stood beside me pestering, his arms loaded down with our luggage. 

"That doesn't make us the Scooby gang!" I shot back, popping the trunk open and unloading his arms. "Besides, The real Scooby-Doo's a Great Dane." I looked down at the fat golden retriever sprawled out on the sidewalk soaking up the hot summer sun. "And that lazy mutt is definitely not Scooby-Doo."

"Ehh, close enough." He knelt down and ran his fingers over the dog's lustrous gold coat. "Isn't that right Scoob? Who's a good boy? Who's a good boy?" The dog jumped up with his paws on Dwight's shoulders and proceeded to lick his owners face all over, his tail swinging happily around like a helicopter blade. "How's a Scooby snack sound?" The dog barked and perched up on its hind legs in the begging position, his pink Laffy Taffy tongue hung out of his mouth as he panted, awaiting his favorite treat.

"Would you two quit arguing about your nerd stuff and help me finish loading these boxes!" Penelope walked out of the house, strands of her bouncy butterscotch curls danced in the breeze as she approached us. Dodging the sleeping dog in the middle of the sidewalk, she handed me more boxes of our filming equipment to load into the trunk.  "I'd like to get there and check into the hotel before Christmas, please," she said, an air of sarcasm in her voice and an obviously fake grin on her face

"Would you please tell Dwight this is serious. We're not the Mystery Incorporated and their's no way in heaven he's naming that dog Scoobert Doo?"

She threw her head back in a peal of giggles. " I don't know, I think it's kinda fitting" She reached down and patted the dog's head, his big chocolate eyes begging her for a treat. "If we're the Scooby gang, then which one does that make me?"

"Hmm, pretty, rich, preppy, a miss goody two shoes, you're one-hundred percent Daphne." He answered confidently, standing tall and sticking his chin in the air. " I guess that makes me Fred, huh?" He winked and wagged his busy copper eyebrows

 "Yeah, suuure. Keep telling yourself that, Shaggy."

"Hey! How come I'm the only one doing any work around here?!" Deetz yelled as she exited the house, locking the door behind her. The skirt of her black lace babydoll dress twirled around her legs as she joined us at the car, her arms loaded down with EVP recorders, spirit boxes, and other ghost hunting junk. 

 "What do you need all that crap for?" Dwight asked, "We're not going ghost hunting."

"What! Then why are we even going to Texas in the first place, and Dwight, I swear to God if you say aliens, I'm gonna turn around and go home."

"Wait a second! You'll go for ghosts but not for aliens? You know, that's really racist of you."

" Hold up, Dwight," I interrupted their little tiff before it evolved into something greater. "One: I don't think that can be classified as racist and two: you're right, we're not going ghost hunting."

"Aw, Zack, please tell me you didn't drag my sleep deprived butt out of bed to drive eight hours to Texas all for some crop circles probably made by local farmers wanting to get their twenty minutes of fame. Please tell me we're not doing that again." Deetz whined.

"I swear to you it has nothing to do with aliens or ghosts for that matter. We've got a real mystery on our hands this time."

Dwight leaned against the side of the car with the girls huddled around him. "Hmm, a real mystery?" He stroked the auburn peach fuzz that he claimed to be stubble on his chin. "This intrigues me. You may continue."