'Adventures in Flipline NextGen - Ep 1 - Bookstore of No More'

Welcome to Adventures in NextGen, where I tell stories of stuff that will happen in the future of the Flipline universe. I’m starting off with random stories, but there may be an actual plot mixed in with it as well.

Episode one starts off in the beautiful town of Frostfield. Mayor for 2 years, Puffleton Mallow Junior is readying for a speech he’s giving to the town…

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JUNIOR [On the phone, in his office]: Yes. Yes okay. Yes, I AM doing a good job. No. Of course. Why? Oh sure. Okay. Please shut up. I mean… uh… Just… quiet down. Stop talking. Yes. I’m sorry Dad, but you’re making me late for my speech to make to the town. Yes, I AM prepared for it! Get off my back!

[He hangs up]

JUNIOR: That man does not shut up. [Looks at the clock] IT’S 3:31 ALREADY?! I was just saying he’s making me late so he’d stop talking! I gotta get ready!

[He straightens up his shirt, puts on his tie, and hurriedly exits town hall onto his podium]

JUNIOR: Citizens of Frostfield! You know me. I’m your Mayor Puffleton Mallow… Junior… [under his breath] I had to be the Junior to that man. [Back up to the crowd] So anyway! I would like to say that I…

[The crowd laughs]

JUNIOR: What? What’s so funny? [He looks around, soon noticing his tie is inside-out and his shirt is on backwards, and then sighs] Great. Dad made me late and rush. [To the crowd] Please excuse me for a second!

[He enters back into his office]

JUNIOR: These people keep gradually hating me, and what happened out there is NOT helping. I’m sure being mayor would be a lot easier without constant cellphone calls every hour! FROM THE SAME PERSON! Okay Junior. Let all your anger out now so it doesn’t come out in the speech.

[He screams so loud, it’s heard from the outside of the building. He then exits the building and goes back to his podium]

JUNIOR: Great! Where were we? Oh yeah. Nowhere. Now let me start what I need to say. Citizens of Frostfield. I’m sure you’re all familiar with the Biscotti Bookstore. Yes? We are? Good. Okay. So, it has been in town for a LONG time. HOWEVER! What year is it? Oh yeah, 2042. I mean, technology has gone CRAZY! I’m surprised that CDs are still a thing. But! we have tablets. We have smartphones! We have the internet! As you can see from this chart right behind me, the number of books bought in this town has substantially decreased since 2017! In other news, small businesses need more popularity. So what’s my solution? Replace Biscotti with a nice restaurant!

PERSON IN CROWD: One of Papa Louie and Granddaughter’s Eaterias?

JUNIOR [Angrily]: NO! Isn’t the Cupcakeria enough?! [Calms downs] I’m sorry. Some anger just flowed out of me… inexplicably… No, it’s not another Louie restaurant. We have discussed this in meetings, and finally settled on a certain limited company. Are any of you familiar with Mortadello Meat Pies?

[The whole crowd gasps at the same time]

JUNIOR [To himself]: That was a well synchronized gasp. [To the crowd] I know this isn’t what most of you want, but just hear me out!

CROWD: BOO!!!

JUNIOR: You didn’t even hear my reasoning! Just listen. All the books are digital now, and smaller businesses need more popularity. It’s a win-win. What else could you want? Don’t answer that. I don’t wanna hear it. We’ve already made a decision, and it’s been battled and debated by our citizens already, and my side has won. So, the destruction will begin next week, and construction will start two weeks after that. Also, shout-out to Miss Willow and her children for planning protests and debates about this, and being the only people attending. All three of you will have your names engraved on the Wall of Fame in town hall. Okay, I believe that is it… So you may all return to what you were doing before!

[The crowd thins out, but Willow, Jackie, and Mark stay]

JUNIOR [Calmly angry, to Willow, Jackie, and Mark]: How may I help you three today?

WILLOW: We won’t let this happen! This bookstore is one of the most iconic places in Frostfield! It’s what kept your father in school!

JUNIOR: Ah yes. My father. Of course. [To himself under his breath] Please let something happen so I don’t have to deal with these for the 300th time. [Back to the three] And what would you like me to do about it?

WILLOW: Keep the store!

JUNIOR: Look, we’ve battled this before, and you’ve never won. Your names will be in the Wall of Fame, what’s better than that?

WILLOW: By keeping the store!

[Junior turns away, puts his head in his hands, and screams into them. He then slowly faces back to the three]

JUNIOR: Fine. I’ve got a proposition for you. Destruction of the store doesn’t start until next week. If you can get at least 75% of the town’s population to agree to keep it or raise enough money to call it off, it stays. If not, deal with it, we’re taking it down.

WILLOW: Deal!

JUNIOR: Great. Now can you please leave so I can attend to more pressing matters?

[Everyone leaves. Willow, Jackie, and Mark return to their house]

MARK: I can’t believe he’s taking down Biscotti! Now where can I annoy Jackie?!

JACKIE: Literally anywhere you’re with me

MARK: Hey it’s not my fault you’re so easy to insult, you creepy weirdo

JACKIE: At least I actually go outside and talk with people

MARK: The sun is a deadly laser! Plus, I do talk to people! I’m close to getting a girlfriend. Do you have a boyfriend? I didn’t think so

WILLOW: Both of you stop fighting! Fighting isn’t going to solve the bookstore crisis. Now we need to sit down and think of ways to get people to want to keep it here. Now Papa Louie called me over tomorrow since James is on vacation. I trust that you two will be able to work together to think of something. Right?

JACKIE AND MARK [Reluctantly]: Right…

WILLOW: Good. Let’s get a good night’s sleep. Tomorrow, I expect at least 10 people to sign our petition. Okay?

JACKIE AND MARK: Okay!

WILLOW: Great! Goodnight!

[They all go to sleep. But in the middle of the night, Mark wakes up and sneaks downstairs to make posters for the bookstore without Jackie. But then Jackie wakes up]

JACKIE [Tired and confused]: Mark? What are you doing up?

MARK: Nothing you need to know about

JACKIE: Why do you have poster board and markers? Mom told us to work together

MARK: If you MUST know… I’m going to protest to save the bookstore myself, without you. My campaign will be SO much better than yours!

JACKIE: Oh yeah?!

MARK: Yeah! And I’m gonna get more people to sign my petition than you!

JACKIE: Challenge accepted! I’m gonna make a bake sale to raise money for it. I’ll sell more goods than you’ll have people sign the petition

MARK: It’s ON!

[Day comes around. Willow leaves for work, and Jackie and Mark leave and split up. Jackie is setting up a bake sale. Mark is arranging a protest. Someone walks up to Jackie’s bake sale]

JACKIE: Hi! Can I interest you in some cupcakes or brownies or cake? All proceeds go to the Biscotti Bookstore

PERSON: Biscotti Bookstore, eh? [The person smells the food] These Cupcakeria brand?

JACKIE: Yep. My mom is the chef there. But I made these myself with her recipes

PERSON: Well, I could never turn down anything from an Eateria. How much?

JACKIE: As much as you feel like donating to Biscotti

PERSON: Alright [They put in 10 dollars]

JACKIE [To herself]: 10 dollars! This is great! We’ll save Biscotti in no time!

[Meanwhile, over at Mark’s gathering. Mark tries talking to people walking by, but they just ignore him]

MARK [To himself]: Man, organizing a riot is harder than I thought.

[Brittany, Mark’s friend walks up]

BRITTANY: What’s goin’ on here?

MARK: Trying to save the local bookstore, but nobody’s paying attention

BRITTANY: Well that’s because you’re not enthusiastic enough. You need energy! You need catchy slogans!

MARK: [Sigh] Fine. You’re helping though

BRITTANY: I was going to anyway. Now come on. You can’t just stand around town and shout. Get on top of a roof or something and shout through a megaphone! Get your head in the game, Mark!

MARK: This is a lot of work just for one bookstore.

BRITTANY: Do you want it back?

MARK [Slowly and silently]: Yes

BRITTANY: Well… come on!

[The two work together and start chanting to save the library]

MARK [To the town]: Come ON, everyone! Do we REALLY want to replace Biscotti! It has books! It has games! It has movies, music, and things for every fandom! And what’s it getting replaced by?! ANOTHER restaurant! We have enough! Save Biscotti! [Quieter] And… um… some catchy rhyme

BRITTANY: Good! …well, I mean good enough for now. Hey look! People!

MARK [To the people]: Hey you! Do you want to save the Biscotti Bookstore?!

PERSON: Yeah sure.

MARK: GREAT! Just sign that petition right there!

[The person does, and then leaves.]

MARK: That’s it? That’s all they have to do? Man, this is EASY! I can just yell at people and they’ll do what I say! I could be a professional protester!

[Hours pass. Jackie gets enough money, and Mark gets enough signatures. They go back home, and Willow is waiting]

WILLOW: So? How’d it go?!

JACKIE: I made 1000 dollars for the bookstore

MARK: And I got signatures from 80% of the population! Which really wasn’t that hard to calculate. This is a small town. Population: 100. But, yeah, I got 80%!

WILLOW: Great! Did you work together?

JACKIE AND MARK: Nope!

MARK: I did a better job than her!

JACKIE: Nuh-UH! I made SO much more money!

MARK: I didn’t RASIE any money!

JACKIE: Exactly!

WILLOW: Hold on, splitting apart was actually a good idea. Your hatred for each other split you apart, actually separately raising MORE awareness for it than if you were together. Oh! And I just remembered that I got signatures and money from everyone who visited the Cupcakeria today. So now we’ve got MORE than enough to show to Mallow.

MARK: YES! We will SO win this! Finally.

JACKIE: Well let’s go!

[The three go over to Mayor Mallow and show him the petition and money. Before Junior even looks at it, he bursts]

JUNIOR: ALRIGHT! FINE! I’LL CALL OFF THE STUPID REPLACEMENT OF BISCOTTI! I can’t take it anymore! You three have been so persistent, it’s driving me CRAZY! And the excessive chanting and protesting outside all day and night is awful! I can hardly sleep! And feel like if I get stressed one more time, I will just completely and utterly LOSE IT! FINE! YOU WIN! BISCOTTI STAYS! JUST STOP BOTHERING ME!

[He runs into his office]

JACKIE: Well… that happened

MARK: Man, I had to be enthusiastic and witty for NOTHING?! This is why I hate people. I’m going back home

WILLOW: At least we took a stand and got people to care

MARK: Can we keep the money then?

WILLOW: No. We’re donating it to Biscotti anyway.

JACKIE: Good idea!

MARK [Disappointed]: Yeah. Real good idea.

[Meanwhile, in Junior’s office]

JUNIOR [On the phone]: Sorry Gustav. I couldn’t get it for you. Whoa, no need to use that kind of language here! Listen. I’m sorry. But—… hold on, I’m getting another call [He transfers his call] Hello? This is Mayor Puffleton Mallow Junior. Who might this be? No, I haven’t heard of you. Why do you ask? Oh? Oh??? Ooohhh… Hmm… interesting. Good idea sir. I’ll put it into consideration. What did you say your name was? Mm-hmm. Alright. Okay. Is “Madish” spelled with one or two Ds?