#this was the funniest thing I've written in awhile thank u Sunny

[the-lil-exorcist]

Time for a Re-ban

PARTIES:@the-lil-exorcist and @uncannysam TIME: Recent WHERE:  Wendy's SUMMARY:  Lil finally gets unbanned from Wendy's! Unfortunately for Lil and Sam, Steve never got rid of that poltergeist :/ WARNINGS: Unsanitary tw

Sam was craving a Frosty. Not vanilla or that new creamsicle thing that was out, but the OG…chocolate. And considering she hadn’t had dinner yet, she figured she would treat herself to some spicy nuggies and fries as well. But first, she had to lock up and take Scout upstairs. This, unfortunately, would not be a Scout thread, as dogs aren’t allowed in fast food establishments.

Once she had said goodbye to the best boy, Sam made her way back downstairs and out to her Bronco. Climbing in, she started up the truck and put on Simple Plan as she left the parking lot and headed towards Wendy’s, “Chocolate Frosty and chicken nuggies here I come!” She could already see it being the best part of her day.

Sam had lucked into a spot near the front door. Shutting off the engine, she climbed out and started making her way to the front door, but as she did, she could see some commotion just within the doorway, “I swear if someone ruins my chance at spicy nuggies, I’m gonna riot...” The comment was under her breath more or less, but after a rough day of one rude customer after another, she was being serious.

—

Lil was having a fantastic day. Her decade ban from Wendy’s was going to be done and she was grinning ear to ear at the idea that she could just walk in and get a frosty no problem. She even told Jonas excitedly, marking it down on a calendar that for the first time in her adult life she wasn’t banned from Wendy’s. 

It didn’t occur to her that the Wendy’s location that she had picked had been the one that the owner was still weary of her. “Steve - Steve I’m not banned anymore - You can’t just throw me out.” Lil said, trying to reason with the franchise owner. “Oh god I have the letter and everything.” 

The manager didn’t look amused and Lil was getting more and more angry. “Dude really? Look at the letter my ban is lifted. Just let me have the frosty.” Lil couldn’t hear the ghost sitting behind the counter laughing, knowing that Lil was about to get banned again as the lights flickered a little.

_

Squeezing her eyes together, as much as she didn’t want to end up in the middle of an argument, Sam reluctantly opened the door. If she wanted her nuggies meal and Frosty, she was gonna have to make it past this commotion. Just keep your head down. You can make it. Just a few hundred feet, and you’re in the clear.

Sam had her eyes on the prize. The counter where the cashier was looking on at the argument going on, in amusement, along with the rest of the kitchen staff. Apparently, Sam had chosen a slow time to come in. But that didn’t matter. She wanted her food dammit, and food is what she was going to get.

As took a deep breath and let out a heavy, low sigh, she cautiously moved forward keeping her head low. No sense in looking the beast right in the eye, when it would just draw attention to herself. No, the key was to be sly. As sly as…

_

Lil’s eyes went up to the flickering lights squinting at them and then back at Steve. “So you going to serve me?” His eyes flickered up as well and back at Lil staring at the letter in her hand she could see he was wavering. 

“Fine, Kid but if you do something weird again - I’m never letting you back in no matter what corporate says god it? ,” He said in a gruff voice signaling her to get closer so she could order. After all, she wasn’t seventeen anymore and even back then she had been a good kid - just messed up the frosty machine somehow.

For a moment Lil looked stunned that it had worked - something finally looking up as she heelied up to the front with a smile on her face. Something genuine and actually excited and not her normal half smile. For a moment she looked her age again, the dark circles disappearing. 

“Alright alright alright,” She said, her hand going to the counter as she started ordering the frosty. Once Lil turned slightly to see the woman behind her she continued, “Hey I’m having a great day - what do you want? Pass it on and everything.” 

The ghost whispered trying to get Lil’s attention, wanting the exorcist to notice him - and Lil heard nothing causing a little electric spark to go through the lights above. She wasn’t going to ignore him again. 

_

“Uh, yeah, sure, if you’re offering.” Sam had made it successfully, but had still been noticed. At least it hadn’t been in a ‘please help me convince this man to let me into the store’ kind of thing. That’s what had worried her, but instead of zigging, the situation zagged, and now, she was about to get dinner for free, “8 piece spicy nugget, medium fry, and large chocolate Frosty?” She hoped that wouldn’t be too much, and if it was, she was fine paying for her own food and would still find a way to pay it forward.

It wasn’t until she was standing at the counter, that she noticed the lights flickering above. And while it had caught her attention, she hadn’t thought anything about it. The building was old, right? Probably the first and only Wendy’s built in Wicked’s Rest.

Letting her eyes drift back down, Sam looked to Lil attempting to make small talk, “So great day for Wendy’s huh? You come here often?” Yes, she had heard the conversation, but her nerves had easily gotten the better of her, causing her to sound like an idiot, “Shit…sorry, I…yeah.” Sam looked down at the floor trying to stifle an unexpected laugh from her ignorance.

—

Lil nodded and added it to the order feeling delighted in herself that she was finally getting a win. She was pretty sure everyone needed a win lately as she paid for it. Leaning against the counter waiting for the frosty and the other’s food. 

At the question Lil chuckled, “No actually I’m not here often but hey! That can change now. See when I was a teen I got banned and bans only last for like ten years so I’m back now.” She said with a little grin. “Sorry - my name’s Lil - Lil Ballard and you caught me on a good day. Not everyday I can come in and get my own frosty. So are you new in town or have you been here awhile?”  

The ghost shook the frosty machine slightly wanting the exorcist's attention. It wasn’t fair that he was still here and that she hadn’t noticed him yet yelling out loud at the audacity. He wanted someone to talk to and this medium was going to recognize him or he would do something about it.

_

Sam raised her head and listened intently at the story of how the woman standing in front of her was banned. Even though she didn’t know her and hadn’t seen her around, Sam had felt bad for her. She couldn’t imagine living a decade without Frostys. That must have been so hard, “Whoa! An entire decade without the chocolatey goodness of a Frosty? I don’t know how you did it. And that’s not me being sarcastic, by the way. If I’m having a shit day, Frostys always seem to make it better. I’m glad you know this freedom again. And hey, thanks for dinner.” She smiled warmly. “Name’s Sam, Sam Walker. I moved here with my parents when I was about nine. What about you? I don’t think I’ve seen you around before.”

The shaking of the Frosty machine had caught Sam’s attention. Shifting her eyes from Lil, she couldn’t help but stare; her heart rate picking up slightly at the fear of this easily becoming a McDonald’s situation. “Speaking of, I really hope the machine isn’t about to die. I think we both came here with one thing on our mind, and I’m not ready to walk out of here empty handed.” She motioned towards the vibrating machine with her head.

—

“Oh my brother usually will come in and get me one, but it’s not the same you know?” Lil said knowing that Jonas never minded, but it didn’t feel the same. “They really do, don't they? They aren't too sweet and I really just like them a lot. - Oh really? Yeah I’m originally from here too, but I left for like ten years. Unrelated to the frosty thing to be clear.” Lil chuckled. “Nice to meet you Sam and no problem at all.” 

Lil’s eyes focused on the frosty machine a light frown on her face. “It better not - I would like to have a frosty.” Something felt off, a weird sort of feeling in the pit of Lil as she felt the room getting colder. She hadn’t noticed it before - too excited about the frosty - but she could feel it now as the machine rattled more in it’s place. 

“Oh not again,” Lil muttered under her breath as she leaned on the counter looking over to see a ghost grinning at her. “No - don’t you dare.- Not again you little brat.” Her hand going to her pocket to get salt to quickly dissipate the ghost for now she didn’t pay attention to how the machine sounded a weird keening noise as it started to vibrate at a higher frequency. 

___

“Yeah, I get that. And unless you’re waiting outside or in the car, it’s usually melted somewhat by the time it makes it back to you. Not to say that melted Frostys aren’t good as well, but you know…not the same.” Sam laughed. “That was nice of your brother. I’m sure he’ll be happy to know you can get your own Frostys now though.”

Sam had noticed the frown start to come over Lil’s face. If both girls had a feeling, this couldn’t be good right, “Did it just get colder in here?” She looked around as if to spot the culprit of the coldness, but saw nothing out of the ordinary.

Turning her attention back to Lil, Sam narrowed her eyes, “Lil…” Trying to understand what the woman was seeing, she looked towards the Frosty machine immediately noticing the noise. “Is everything okay…” It didn’t take long for the barely noticeable shake to turn into something more intricate and a little on the scary side. “I don’t think we should be this close…” And with that, Sam slowly started to back away, along with one of the employees who was just about to approach the machine.

—

“Exactly frosty’s are always good but having one in hand is just the best,” Lil said as the place got more and more hostile. 

She had been so sure she’d gotten the poltergeist last time. She could have sworn she did, but perhaps she hadn’t? Maybe it was a new ghost and this Wendy’s just hosted a lot of ghost vibes. Maybe spirits loved frosty’s just as much as the living did. 

In anycase, she could understand - but it didn’t change the fact she got a sinking feeling this was about to be her fault again. Lil’s hand reached for the salt, but before she could pour it out on the ghost, the machine started worryingly vibrating more and her eyes moved to it. Hearing Sam’s warning she moved backwards ducking at the counter just in time as the frosty machine exploded. 

Chocolate Frosty went everywhere as Lil tried to shield herself pulling the nearest cashier down with her so they didn’t get hit badly. 

Again. Lil had a frosty machine explode at her again. She really needed to teach Wendy’s to ghost proof their places as she said “Sam - you okay? Is everyone okay?” She asked as she felt the ghost’s presence behind her. 

Lil couldn’t hear it but she could feel him snickering. “Oh Pal I’m going to ruin your afterlife -”

_

It was as if everything was happening in slow motion. The machine became increasingly worse as the lights flickered again above where they were standing. How this was possible, Sam wasn’t sure? Mechanical error? Faulty wiring? Creature that went bump in the night? She couldn’t put that past her with all she had come to see within the last few months, and here she was again. Finding herself caught up in a freakish situation with nowhere to go, but down.

Ducking as the loudness in the restaurant increased, she finally pulled her head down with her hands out of safety as she heard the machine combust, sending a massive amount of creamy cold chocolate and creamsicle all over the front of the restaurant and its current occupants. It was cold when it splashed down on her and gave her a chill to match that of the cold air circulating within the restaurant.

When all was said and done, Sam slowly raised up to see if Lil and the workers were okay, including a very angry manager who came storming up from the back. Expected, but not what caught Sam’s attention. Instead, it was Lil who had said something about the afterlife, “I’m fine, but…what do you mean afterlife, Lil?” She moved in closer, with the sense that this was probably a conversation that didn’t need to be heard by all the Wendy’s employees who were flocking up front to see what had happened.

—-

Lil should have just pretended she didn’t know what happened. Last time Steve had gotten mad because she had ranted about ghosts and how a poltergeist had caused the frosty machine to explode- but even now she couldn’t keep her mouth shut.

“It’s a ghost. There’s a poltergeist here - I know you probably can’t see it but that’s what’s happening. I’m about to get banned again so uh - probably don’t follow me. I’m sorry you aren’t getting a frosty today.” 

Without any more thoroughfare Lil jumped the counter sliding through the chocolate frozen treat that she was hoping to you know - have again. 

“Ghost. It’s a god damn ghost in the machine - Steve I was right, ” She huffed angry as she went to pour salt around the machine realizing that the ghost had jumped into the object. “Oh no you stay back for a moment - don't you dare try to kick me out yet. This is god damn personal.” Gritting her teeth she put her hand into the machine hitting the machine inside. “Come out you son of a bitch.” 

Lil realized that Sam wouldn’t understand what she was doing, that she probably looked crazy but the ghost did appear over the machine smirking at her as she glared up. She would have looked intimidating if she wasn’t covered in chocolate. “It’s the same god damn ghost - Steve I swear to god.” 

_

Sam paused, and in a quick jolt at the word ghost, her mind spiraled. The eclipse. Zach. Zach was a ghost that was really there. It wasn’t a dream or just in her head. That day had really and truly existed, and it was just something to add to an already confusing town that Sam was slowly adjusting to more and more each day, “A…ghost? Is there anything I can…”

Before she could finish that thought, she watched as Lil jumped over the counter. There was clearly a goal in mind, and she could tell the woman was pissed. With each passing word, she realized that this was the thing that had gotten Lil banned a decade ago, and Sam definitely didn’t want to be a part of that. She needed her Frostys, even if she was currently covered from head-to-toe in one.

Just as cautiously as she had come in, Sam had started to slowly back out. At least one of them had to be able to still get sugary, chocolaty treats for them both, right? And besides, this crap was cold and was starting to congeal to her hair, skin, and clothes, and it wasn’t very enjoyable either. “Uh, I’m just gonna…” Without much of a word, Sam skedaddled out the door, not wanting the wrath of Steve or the ghost to come down on her. She had enough stuff to process and figure out, like how she was going to drive home without messing up the seats of her Bronco. But she would find Lil again, because she absolutely wanted to know how this story ended.