Blast off to Mars

chapter 9

Meanwhile, in Cherry's backyard...

There was upbeat music playing as Cherry wore a black suit with black shoes, a red tie, and wore her hair in a ponytail as she was moving boxes around with one that looked like a rocket ship.

"Okay, all I need now is a partner..." Cherry hummed to herself.

"Will I do?" A familiar boy voice asked.

Cherry looked around for the source of the voice. And where she saw Casper. "Whoa!" she then jumped back.

Casper giggled. "Sorry, Cherry..."

"Casper, what're you doing here?" Cherry asked. "Shouldn't you be scaring people by accident while trying to make friends?"

"I wanted to visit you." Casper smiled.

"Well... Okay..." Cherry shrugged. "Atticus is probably with Mo anyway, Darla's gone to Space Camp."

"Cool, um, who's Darla?" Casper asked.

"Oh, you haven't met her," Cherry just remembered that. "Darla is Atticus's little sister, we met her in Hollywood."

"I didn't know Atticus had a little sister and what do you mean you met her in Hollywood?" Casper asked.

"Long story, but Darla was adopted," Cherry explained. "She was actually a child movie star and when her career was destroyed, she had nowhere else to live or had anybody to go to, so Atticus took her in to live with him and his family."

"Oh." Casper now understood.

"Yeah." Cherry nodded to that.

"So, anyway, will I do as a partner?" Casper asked.

"Probably..." Cherry shrugged. "This trick is kinda complicated for someone who walks through walls..."

"Oh, I guess that would make it complicated." Casper said.

"I guess you could watch for now." Cherry suggested.

Casper nodded and took a seat. "So, uh, how have you been since we met Wendy and defeated Desmond Spellman?"

"Oh, same old same old..." Cherry shrugged. "How's your uncles?"

"Same thing, only they do write to Wendy's aunts from time to time." Casper said.

"So, I guess it worked when we played matchmaker, huh?" Cherry chuckled.

"Yes, yes, it did." Casper smiled.

"Blast off!" Cherry chuckled as she checked out the rocket box to the friendly ghost.

Atticus and Mo were sitting on the Brown porch swing together and gently swinging as they held each other's hands.

"How do you think Patch and Darla are doing?" Mo asked.

"I'm sure Darla's getting well-adjusted now," Atticus said. "I'm really trying to make her into a nice little girl so she can make friends that she deserves."

"And you are doing a great job." Mo smiled at her boyfriend.

Atticus smiled back.

"I've starting calling my brother 'JJ'," Mo said. "You know... Like Jim Junior."

"That's cool." Atticus smiled.

"Yeah, I thought it'd be a nice little nickname for him." Mo smiled back.

"And I think it's a fitting nickname." Atticus smiled.

Mo smiled back. "Sometimes I wonder what my life would be like without you... Probably very dark and empty."