“HEY PAL LET ME IN!” Gumshoe shouted from outside while fiercely knocking at the door of Wright & Co. law offices.

“Hey Nick! It sounds like Detective Gumshoe is knocking at the door.”

Nick was cleaning the toilet. “What would Gumshoe be doing here?” Nick grumbled. “Anyway...Maya go answer it! Can’t you see I’m kind of busy with toilet cleaning.” Maya rushed to answer the door.

“WHATEVER YOU DO DON’T LET HER IN PAL!”

Maya jumped, she closed and locked the door after Gumshoe dashed through the entrance. He took a sigh of relief. “Thanks,” he said breathing heavily. “I almost didn’t make it.”

Nick peaked his head out from the bathroom. “What’s going on?” “There is this girl....she won’t leave me alone! You have to hide me pal!” Pearl seemed to over hear ‘girl’ and ‘alone’ “Ooooh is she your special someone Mr. Scruffy Detective?” Detective Gumshoe shook his head. “NO WAY PAL! Far from it, besides she’s too young for me.”

Phoenix wondered what a little girl would be doing chasing after Gumshoe, and WHY anyone would go after Gumshoe in the first place.

“So why did you come here, of all places?”

“It was the closest place I could run to pal!”

Maya snickered. “Wait, so your running away from a harmless little girl?”

Detective Gumshoe made a face and mumbled “Harmless and little are an understatement.”
Suddenly there was a loud click that came from the door and a shriek came from outside Wright & Co. Law Offices.

“GUMMYBEAAAAAAAAAAR YOU DON’T THINK I’D GIVE UP THAT EASILY DO YOU!?!?”
Gumshoe grabbed Phoenix’s shoulders “YOU HAVE TO HIDE ME BEFORE--” The door swung open.

A girl about 5’’2 with dark brown hair tied in a ponytail strode through. “What are you doing here?” Maya asked. “Isn’t it obvious?” The girl waved to Gumshoe.

Gumshoe slapped his hand to his face. “Go home kid.” The girl made a face, “I went through so much trouble just to come see you, and you want me to go home?” Phoenix stared.

“Why are you stalking Gumshoe exactly?”

“Stalking is such a harsh word....I prefer fangirling.”

Maya cocked her head to the side. “Fangirling?“

“Yup.” the girl replied.

“Why would anyone ‘fangirl’ after Mr. Scruffy Detective?” Pearl asked.

“Hey! I’m a lovable character you know!” Gumshoe scoffed.

“That you are Gummybear.” The girl hugged him from behind.

“Where are your parents?” Phoenix asked, while taking off neon yellow gloves that he was wearing from cleaning the toilet.

“Work.” She replied.

“And your sister?” Gumshoe wondered.

“Grocery store.”

“Miss lady, do you always talk in one word answers?” Pearl tugged on the girl’s sleeve.

“Not really.” She grinned.

“Okay kid, shouldn’t you be getting home, before your sister comes back from shopping?” Gumshoe crossed his arms, feeling frustrated.

“I’ll only go if you walk me home.” The girl giggled and grabbed onto Gumshoe’s arm, expecting him to escort her. “You wouldn’t want me to get hit by a car or something, right?”

Gumshoe sighed. Maya started laughing, Phoenix shook his head and muttered something about ‘kids these days’.
Gumshoe walked toward the door, the girl clutched his arm tightly.

“Let’s get you home.” The detective sighed again.

“Somehow, I knew you’d see it my way.” She grinned as they left Wright & Co. Law offices.

Phoenix rubbed his temples as if he didn’t believe what he just witnessed. "This has to be a joke."

“Hey Nick you missed a spot!” Maya smiled as she pointed to inside the toilet bowl. “Better get back to work”

Nick sighed, put his neon yellow gloves back on and started scrubbing away at the toilet, AGAIN.

Gumshoe lightly rapped on the front door of a large, white and gray townhouse. The fourteen-year-old girl crossed her fingers, hoping no one would be home. The door of the townhouse slowly opened. A tall, very beautiful and slender lady was standing in the doorway. The fourteen-year-old released Gumshoe’s arm, and shifted her baby blue eyes away from the lady standing in the doorway.

“I thought told you to stay in the house! Why didn’t you listen!?” The slender young lady flipped her long, dark brown hair back and crossed her arms.
“Damnit, Abby! You never listen to anyone! Why do you have to be so difficult?”

“You never let me do anything!” Abby screamed. Gumshoe backed away. He wanted to say something, but he thought it was best to not get involved between the two bitter rivals.

The gorgeous woman ignored her complaint. “Thank you for bringing her back again, Detective.”

Gumshoe nodded. He knew that this ‘stalking’ issue had happened quite a few times, each time he was the one to escort her back home. He often wondered why she never listened to anyone in her household, let alone himself. Why wouldn’t she leave him alone? Maybe she wasn’t sane? Maybe she was just lonely? Or something else? “I have to get going now. I need to get back to the Criminal Affairs Department before they dock my pay.” With that, Gumshoe started to walk away.

“Sometimes I wish my parents never decided to adopt you!” Abby scoffed and headed inside the house.

“Well, sometimes I wish I wasn’t your adopted sister!” Abby’s sister shut the door behind her.

Abby screeched at the top of her lungs,“SOMETIMES I WISH I COULD KILL MYSELF, SO I DON’T HAVE TO PUT UP WITH THIS HELL OR YOU!” She scurried up the stairs into her room and closed the door with a loud SLAM.

Abby’s sister mumbled to herself, “You don’t really mean that, do you?” She sat down on the first step of the stair case worried about her sister; a few tears started rolling down her cheeks at the thought of her committing suicide.