Year 1983
The Children's POV
Susie grabbed Gabriel's arm and pulled him towards the pizzeria. "Come on, Gabe! Hurry up!"
"Why do we need to hurry?" Gabriel asked.
"Because we need to get inside before Fritz!" Susie said, determined to beat Fritz inside.
Gabriel stumbled behind Susie, trying to keep up as she pulled him toward the entrance. His face turned slightly pink as he struggled to match her pace. "But... Fritz is already inside!" he protested between breaths.
"Exactly!" Susie said, glancing back at Gabriel with a competitive gleam in her eye. "If we don't hurry, he'll get to all the cool stuff first!"
Just as they reached the door, they saw Fritz and Jeremy already darting past the game area, their laughter echoing through the brightly lit pizzeria. Fritz was ahead sprinting towards the main stage. "Come on, Jeremy! Bet you can't beat me to Foxy!"
"Hey! Wait up!" Jeremy shouted, his eyes sparkling with excitement as he pushed himself to run faster, his laughter mixing with Fritz's.
Susie groaned in frustration, watching Fritz pull ahead. "Ugh, he's always so fast!" she huffed.
Gabriel caught his breath, tugging his arm out of Susie's grip. "It's okay, Susie. We can still check out the animatronics, right?"
"Yeah, yeah," Susie grumbled, determined not to let Fritz have all the fun. "But we're still gonna get to Chica before he does!"
The two of them hurried inside, dodging past the families and other kids who were lining up to watch the animatronics and join the games.
"No running inside the-ugh." Maggie sighed. "Whatever."
The pizzeria was alive with excitement, the animatronics' song filling the air. Freddy waved from the stage, Bonnie strummed on his guitar, and Chica danced along, much to the delight of the crowd.
Susie and Gabriel gasped for breath as they stopped in front of the stage. She did it. She beat Fritz. Gabriel rested his arms on the stage, looking up at the animatronics with a small smile.
The group was silent for a moment. People applauded the animatronics for their show. Fritz looked back at prize counter. "I really want that glow in the dark yo-yo."
"I want the pencil," Gabriel murmured.
"A pencil? Really?" Fritz scoffed.
Jeremy shrugged. "They have good designs."
"Yeah. But I'd rather get a bracelet." Susie said.
"Boorring!"
The group turned around. A girl with long black hair worn up in pigtails was laying upside down from the table. "Why would you want a bracelet? You know it's just gonna break."
Susie frowned at the girl's comment. "Not if I take care of it! Besides, it's got little charms shaped like stars and hearts!"
The girl rolled her eyes and flipped over. "Whatever. I'd still go for something cooler, like the giant robot hand from the claw machine. But no way anyone can win that thing."
Fritz smirked. "It's rigged, that's why. I saw some kid put in a whole bunch of tokens and barely even moved the claw."
Freddy, who was walking around, stopped by and looked at the girl. "Please do not stand on the tables-"
"I'm not standing on the tables you dumb robot!" the girl shouted over Freddy's talking.
Jeremy raised a finger. "But you are laying on it."
"So what if I'm on the table? I'm not hurting anyone!" the girl barked.
Freddy's eyes blinked as he processed the girl's retort. "It is against the rules to sit, stand, or lay on the tables. It's for everyone's safety."
The girl sighed dramatically but slid off the table, crossing her arms. "Yeah, yeah, I got it. Happy now?"
Freddy nodded, his eyes blinking with a friendly glow. "Remember, fun is best when everyone follows the rules!"
Freddy wandered off to greet more guests. Susie frowned a little at the girl's attitude. "Well, you could've just said 'okay' instead of yelling at him."
The girl waved her off. "Please. It's not like he has feelings. He's a robot."
Fritz chimed in, grinning. "Yeah, but that's Freddy. He's the boss of the animatronics, right? You probably wouldn't wanna make him mad."
Cassidy scoffed at Fritz's comment, giving him a sideways glance. "Pff, I'm not scared of some giant bear stuffed with wires. What's he gonna do? Sing me to death?"
Fritz chuckled, but Gabriel shifted uncomfortably, eyeing Cassidy with a hint of disapproval. "He's just doing his job. You don't have to be mean about it," he said quietly.
Cassidy rolled her eyes and leaned against the table. "Whatever."
"There's a new game in the arcade. It's called Balloon Pop," said Fritz, "Do you want to come with us Cassidy?"
Cassidy gave a small nod as she joined the group. "Fine, but only because I want to see if it's as hard as everyone says."
The group arrived at the arcade, greeted by the sounds of electronic beeps and the flashing lights of the games. Kids were crowded around various machines, trying to win tickets or beat each other's scores. In the corner, they spotted the new "Balloon Pop" game. The screen showed colorful balloons bouncing around while a digital timer ticked down.
"There it is!" Susie pointed, rushing over with the others right behind her. "Who's going first?"
Cassidy stepped up with a confident smirk. "Let me show you how it's done." She popped a token into the slot and grabbed the controls, her eyes focused on the screen. The game started, and Cassidy quickly aimed the virtual darts, trying to time her throws perfectly.
"So what's your name?" Gabriel asked shyly. "My name is Gabriel."
"Cassidy," Cassidy simply said.
"I'm Susie!" Susie chirped.
"I'm Jeremy. And this is Fritz," Jeremy said.
"Nice to meet you. Now shut up and let me concentrate," Cassidy grumbled.
The group went quiet, watching as Cassidy focused intensely on the game. The balloons bounced unpredictably across the screen, but Cassidy's aim was sharp.
Fritz leaned in, grinning. "You better hurry, Cassidy. The timer's almost up."
Cassidy ignored him, biting her lip as she took one last shot. The dart hit a balloon right as the timer hit zero. A bunch of tickets spilled out of the machine, and Cassidy grabbed them, a triumphant look on her face. "Ha! Told you I'd beat it."
"That was awesome!" Jeremy said, impressed.
Gabriel nodded, his shyness fading a little. "You're really good."
Cassidy smirked, clearly pleased with herself. "Of course I am. Now, who's next?"
Susie stepped forward, her eyes lighting up. "Me! Me! Me! I want to try!"
She stuffed a token into the slot with all the confidence in the world.
Susie gripped the joystick with all the intensity of a kid who believed this was her one chance to become a legendary arcade queen. "Okay, okay, here we go!" she said, eyes practically sparkling.
The screen lit up again with a fresh wave of bouncing balloons, and a cheesy 8-bit version of a circus tune played through the machine's speakers. Gabriel covered his ears. "It's kind of loud..."
"It's supposed to be loud," Fritz said, nudging him with an elbow. "That's how you know it's fun!"
Cassidy watched with crossed arms, her smirk still intact. "She's gonna miss the first three darts, calling it now."
"Don't jinx her!" Jeremy said.
Susie made her first throw. Pop! A bright blue balloon burst on screen. She gasped. "Did you see that?! I told you I was good at this kind of stuff!"
"Beginner's luck," Cassidy muttered under her breath.
Second dart. Miss.
"Okay, okay, the balloons are slippery or something," Susie mumbled, narrowing her eyes.
Jeremy leaned in. "They're not real, Susie."
"Shhh! Let her focus," Gabriel whispered, completely invested now.
She made her third shot. Pop! Another balloon exploded. Tickets started trickling out again-not as many as Cassidy's pile, but enough to make Susie beam with pride. "Two balloons! Beat that, boys!"
Jeremy raised his hands. "Alright, my turn! Time for me to destroy this game like Fritz destroys pizza."
"Hey!" Fritz whined. "I chew! Sometimes."
Maggie's POV19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgATjbF5pAp
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A couple hours later...19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV0d2cIl3dd
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Maggie leaned against the wall near Pirate Cove, arms crossed, chewing the end of a red Twizzler. Cassidy and Fritz were chasing each other in manic circles around a booth, laughing so hard they almost knocked over a tray of leftover pizza slices. Chica gave them a lazy wave as they whirled by, completely unbothered.
It was good to see Cassidy like this. Actually smiling. Actually... being a kid.
When Maggie had first seen her stomping into the pizzeria with that oversized attitude and those pigtails of doom, she figured Cassidy would scare off every kid within five feet. But somehow, she'd found her people-Fritz, Jeremy, Susie, Gabriel. Total opposites, but somehow it worked. Like an arcade machine held together by duct tape and pure chaos.
Maggie smirked and shook her head. "Bossy gremlin," she muttered affectionately.
Susie zipped past next, waving a strip of prize tickets like a flag. "Look, Maggie! Look how many I got!"
"Whoa," Maggie grinned. "At this rate, you'll be able to afford, like... half of a plastic ring."
"I want the slinky!" Susie chirped, proudly holding up her loot like it was gold.
Maggie chuckled, then caught sight of Freddy strolling by in the corner of her eye. He was on his usual routine: waving to guests, giving polite reminders about "safety protocols," and saying weirdly formal things like "Please remember to keep arms and legs inside the party zone at all times!"
Meanwhile, Bonnie was looking down at a crying toddler, his ears twitching curiously. He gave a little wave before walking towards other guests.
Maggie raised an eyebrow as Freddy did a slow pirouette in the middle of the room, his fuzzy brown legs moving in what could only be described as robotic elegance. The sight made her grin. "Graceful as ever," she muttered to herself, her gaze flicking back to the kids.
At that exact moment, Cassidy shot past her again, this time clutching a glittery plastic bracelet like it was a treasure she'd discovered on a desert island. "Check it out, Maggie!" Cassidy said smugly, flicking her wrist.
"Nice," Maggie replied dryly, resisting the urge to smirk. "Did it come with a matching crown? Because at this rate, you might be the new princess of Freddy Fazbear's."
Cassidy shot her a half-glare, half-smile. "You think I need a crown to rule?" she asked, flipping her hair back dramatically.
"Girl, you're already ruling this place with that attitude." Maggie reached into her pocket and pulled out another Twizzler, savoring the sweetness.
"Yeah, well, I'm the only one with enough guts to demand a crown," Cassidy said, her voice thick with challenge. "It's a kingdom in here. And you-" She pointed a finger at Maggie, "You're just an advisor."
Maggie bit her lip to hide the grin. "And yet, I'm still the one with the candy," she retorted, dangling the Twizzler.
Cassidy paused, eyeing the treat. "Okay, fine. I'll be the queen... but only if you make sure Fritz doesn't try to steal all the tokens."
"Deal." Maggie held out her hand, and Cassidy shook it, her intense gaze softening into a mischievous grin.
Meanwhile, Jeremy and Gabriel were deep in discussion over something-probably the best way to avoid Fritz's relentless teasing. "So, uh, Susie," Gabriel started awkwardly, "You think the balloon game will be here next week?"
"Definitely," Susie piped up, bouncing on her heels. "If we're lucky, they might add a new game too! How about... how about a dance game next time?"
Fritz overheard and whipped around from the arcade machines. "I'm gonna beat you all, you know that, right? You might as well just hand over the tickets now."
"I'll take the challenge!" Susie yelled back, grinning. "But first, we need to win more prizes!"
As the kids scattered to their next chaotic adventures, Maggie watched them, feeling a bit nostalgic. This place, these kids... it almost felt like something out of a dream, or maybe just a weird, sweet slice of childhood.
She took another bite of her Twizzler, but her gaze remained on them. She didn't know how long this kind of peace would last-not with the strange things that always seemed to happen around Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. For now, though, it was good to see everyone laughing. Even Cassidy.
Cassidy's POV 19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI1dUDXV5cx
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Hours later...19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8SQZ4xQS4D
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The day came to an end. Cassidy's eyes narrowed as Susie threw her arms around her.
She blinked.
"Bye Cassidy!" Susie chirped, before releasing her and running to her mom.
Cassidy stood frozen for a second, still feeling the ghost of Susie's arms around her shoulders. Her brows knitted, and she dusted off her overalls like she could wipe away the weird feeling crawling up her spine. Except it wasn't a bad feeling. Just... confusing.
"Hmph," she muttered, crossing her arms and looking in the opposite direction as if she totally hadn't liked it. "Weird girl."
She glanced over her shoulder and watched Susie skipping off to her mom, waving back at the others with both hands. Susie's laugh echoed faintly as she reached the parking lot. Cassidy's lips twitched, the corner of her mouth trying very hard not to curl up.
Fritz was already gone, his mom dragging him off while he loudly protested that he was so close to beating the high score on Space Blaster 3000. Jeremy had left a few minutes before that, high-fiving everyone and promising they'd hang out again soon. Gabriel had given a quiet "bye" and shuffled off with his dad, clutching a Freddy Fazbear balloon.
Now, it was just Cassidy.
She stood in the middle of the nearly empty pizzeria, neon lights dimming as staff started to clean up. The sounds of mop buckets and distant closing announcements echoed through the halls. Bonnie, Fredy and Chica were heading back to the stage with slow mechanical waves.
Bonnie passed by and gave her a slow wave. His eyes blinked, mechanical and serene. Cassidy stared at him.
"Don't suppose you know why someone would hug a person and not be making fun of them, huh?" she asked.
Bonnie said nothing. Just blinked once and continued toward the stage like he had better things to do.
A car horn beeped outside. Cassidy looked toward the front doors. Her parents. Finally.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFnWwUjf2RE
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