6teen Fan Fiction ❯ 7teen: Holiday Fears ❯ What a Scrooge! ( Chapter 3 )

CHAPTER THREE

 

Lots of boyfriends were shopping for their girlfriends and sweethearts, and Wyatt was going around eavesdropping on practically anyone buying anything he could find trying to take notes on what girls would really like so he'd get possible ideas for Serena's gift.

 

Some boys bought their girls new outfits. “Nah… she'd think that I don't like what she wears.”

 

Some got their girlfriends new teddy-bears with the “I Love you” picture on their tummies, but Wyatt knew Serena better than that. She was practically a college graduate now. “What would she want with a stuffed animal anyways?”

 

He even saw other guys writing songs for their girlfriends, but Wyatt had already dismissed that idea earlier. Nikki and Jen came by and saw him hiding behind the potted plants. “Still can't figure out what to do for Serena?” Jen asked.

 

Wyatt nodded. “You'd know a thing or two about this, Nikki.” he said. “Do you have any suggestions?”

 

“Oh please…!” Nikki grumbled. “It's not like I care that much about gifts anyways. Jonesy always gives me the right stuff. World text-books, gift certificates… he even gave me my own facial-piercing kit.”

 

Wyatt and Jen shuddered at the feeling, but none of this seemed to help Wyatt as much. “This isn't going as well as I thought. I need some more advice.” he said, and he walked off.

 

“Think he'll be alright?” Jen asked.

 

Nikki wasn't so sure. It was Wyatt after all, and he was usually the first to lose his nerves. “I'm going to see how Jonesy's making out at Comic-Cavern.”

 

Meanwhile…

 

Jonesy was hard at putting his plan into action. He doubled the prices on all my merchandise, and when those who could actually afford the things they wanted, he made more money from just half as many customers as he had dealt with in the morning… This was luck for him as that was pretty much all he had gotten.

 

Some of the customers complained about the high prices “Mykan would never raise his prices this high.”

 

“Yeah… well too bad, because Mykan's not here.” Jonesy said sternly. “I'm running this joint and what I price stays that way. GOT IT…?!”

 

The customer smiled nervously and paid more than Jonesy original price for a simple hockey-card, with tax, and then he ran out of the store before Jonesy could grasp him for more money.

 

Some of the girls already left the shop when all they wanted was a simple autograph from Jonesy for his many characters that he played in my comic series.

 

Commander Wilber Zero…: Fireball XL5

 

Commander Samuel Shore…: Stingray

 

Scott Tracy, Thunderbird-1…: Thunderbirds.

 

Col. White (Charles Gray)…Captain Black (Conrad Turner) and the voice of the Mysterons…: Captain Scarlet.

 

… And he charged the girls ridiculous prices for them, no less than fifteen dollars a piece. The girls left without their autographs and passed by Nikki who was coming up to the store.

 

“Wow, what a creep.” She heard one of them say.

 

“Total Jerk…”

 

Nikki wondered what their problems were as she walked into the store and saw Jonesy angrily grunting and groaning as he was trying to stuff all the cold-hard cash he had made into the cash register. “Come on…! Get in there!” finally he got it in.

 

“Whoa… easy there Mr. Money-Maker...” she said.

 

“Oh, Nikki… just the girl I wanted to see.” Jonesy said. “I could use someone to help me around here.”

 

Nikki winced. “Excuse me…?”

 

Jonesy explained that he needed to keep busy to make more money, and he could use some help to sweep the floors and dust the shelves. “You're joking aren't you?” Nikki asked.

 

Jonesy looked at her seriously. “I'll pay you pretty…” he smiled at her while fanning some money in front of her face. Nikki immediately jumped at it. She didn't like doing chores, “But hey… what could be worse than doing holiday inventory with The Clones.”

 

As Nikki worked along she began to notice strange things about the way Jonesy was acting, especially towards the money he was making, and the customers who came into the store.

 

“You touched it… you bought it!”

 

“This isn't enough…!”

 

“We don't trade cards here. Come back when you got the money!”

 

More of he customers walked out of the store with sour looks on their faces than those who had paid for anything. Nikki just stood there with her mouth hanging wide open, and it shocked her all the worse when a few kids who were collecting money for the poor came to make a donation.

 

Now usually, I always made generous offerings to kids like them, but Jonesy… turned them away. “What is it with you kids asking me for money?” he bellowed. “Why don't you just go get jobs earn your own cash, and quit bothering hard working guys like me?!”

 

The kids turned away and ran out of the store as if they had just walked into a lion's den. Then Jonesy gazed over at Nikki who was still starring at him as if he was some kind of demon. “What are you looking at?”

 

Nikki's features suddenly hardened, and she threw the money he gave her right back at him. “Hey… what was that for?!” he growled.

 

“What do you think? Scrooge!” his girlfriend spat at him and she stormed off.

 

“Man… what's her problem?” Jonesy wondered as he gathered up the cash she threw at him. Then suddenly as he scooped up the money he caught a glimpse of his reflection in the glass of the display counter… that cold nasty face starring back at him with the money in his hand.

 

A familiar voice began to bellow in his head

 

“You touched it… you bought it!”

 

“This isn't enough…!”

 

“We don't trade cards here. Come back when you got the money!”

 

“What is it with you kids asking me for money? Why don't you just go get jobs earn your own cash, and quit bothering hard working guys like me?!”

 

“Like me…”

 

“Me…”

 

Jonesy feel to his knees and smacked himself in the head. “Oh man! What have I been doing?”