“I love Saturdays!” Bobby cried out as he ran down the hall, hands dragging on either wall. Saturday was Bobby’s favorite day. He had already been up all morning watching cartoons and was starting to feel a little hungry, so he sprinted towards the kitchen as fast as he could and whipped the fridge door open as fast as his arm would pull. “Let’s see, whadda we got…” Bobby paused. The fridge was barren. At least it was to Bobby, only stocked with the likes of vegetables and leftover meatloaf. He slammed the door in a fit and immediately collapsed on the ground, immobilized with hunger. A flowery pink piece of paper caught his eye as it fluttered to the ground. He picked it up from the pile of other fridge-things strewn across the floor and read it aloud:
“Hey sweetie, had to go into work to cover for Dianna. I need you to go to the store for me and get some groceries, I left a list on the counter. And make sure to get everything before 5 for dinner. Love you with all my heart, Mom.” Bobby crumpled up the paper and shoved it in his mouth as soon as he finished reading in an act of defiance. Dragging his legs across the ground, he reached for the phone, swiping at the cord until the phone tumbled onto floor next to him. He gnawed at the soggy paper as he punched in that phone number, the one he called all the time. Riiing, Riiing.
“Yeah, whatcha want?” a squeaky voice replies. Bobby tries to speak but almost chokes, and he quickly swallows the paper.
“Hey, I gotta go to the store for Momma, wanna come with me?” Bobby asks.
“Nah, I was gonna go practice for the game next Friday.”
“Come on Jerry, you’ve been practicing all week and I hate going out by myself. I get all scared and feel like everyone is lookin’ at me,” Bobby replied.
“Alright, Alright. I’ll be there in a few.” Jerry knew that Bobby was serious.
“Ms. Johnson is teaching us all of the 50 states in History class,” Jerry said as the two strolled down the sidewalk in the airy summer breeze. “I’m pretty good at ‘em but I always forget about Vermont and Rhode Island.”
“That’s crazy Jerry, I don’t know if I could remember 50 of anything. You all learn a lot a new stuff in 6th grade,” replied Bob, who then tried to jump and touch the leaves on the trees above him.
“Yeah, it’s pretty tough but I got all A’s so far,” Jerry boasted. “What have you been up to Bobby?” Bobby stared at an orange butterfly and replied a few seconds later.
“Momma’s been helping me look for a Job, but I don’t think I can get one ‘cause of my head,” Bobby said as he pointed and twisted his finger into the side of his skull. “I just don’t wanna lift boxes some place, I wanna do something important.”
“Don’t worry, Bobby. You’re 35 and you’ve had other jobs, even with your head you’ll find somethin’” Jerry said. The two approached the store, and Bobby started to lag behind. “Come on, Bobby. It’ll be fine,” and they walked forward together.
The two entered the store as Jerry pushed the cart and Bobby waddled timidly behind. Jerry looked behind him and saw the terrified look on Bobby’s face, close to breaking down. “Hey,” Jerry said to Bobby, “don’t step in the lava.”
“What!” Bobby shrieked and began to dart his eyes nervously around, first at the ground and then at all the other shoppers staring at him.
“No no no, not actual lava. It’s just a game, you can only step on the white tiles,” Jerry spoke under his breath, attempting to calm Bobby down.
“Oh,” Bobby said, instantly rejuvenated with cheerfulness. Bobby then skipped past Jerry, jumping over all of the green and blue tiles along the way. Jerry awkwardly smiled at the shoppers as he attempted to catch up. He rounded the corner and didn’t see Bobby, led only by his childish giggles. He finally tracked him down to the frozen foods aisle, and could see him at the far end trying to squeeze into the freezer.
“What are you doing in there?” Jerry asked through the transparent door, Bobby stuck on the other side with half of his body engulfed in frozen pizzas.
“I’m hiding… from the pirates…” Bobby wheezed out, clearly out of breath. “They are trying to steal my map to the treasure.”
“Bobby, there are no pirates. It’s just a grocery store, now get out of the…”
“Jerry!” Bobby wailed, about to burst into tears.
“Alright, alright. You can hide from the pirates, just don’t hurt or freeze yourself,” Jerry conceded, afraid of how Bobby and the other shoppers would react if he didn’t.
Bobby and Jerry began to peruse the aisles for the things on the list. Bobby practiced his swordwork with pool noodles, and managed to get Jerry to reluctantly spar him. Bobby jerked his head to the side as they passed the cleaning aisle, grabbing Jerry’s hand and dragging him through the “armory of the ninjas” until they found the Honjo Masamune, a great Japanese sword treasured by the samurai. Jerry was pretty sure it was just a wooden broom, but before he could think about it the two were already sprinting away from the evil ninjas chasing them. The two caught their breath in the pajama swamps, and Jerry began to see the towering trees looming over them, feel the water in the air sticking to his face. They waded through the water and thick mud underneath as slowly as they could, weary of the crocodiles watching their every move. Bobby saw the Supersonic Socks lying on the nose of a sleeping croc and picked them off with the patience and precision of a surgeon, leaving the croc undisturbed. The two left the swamp and were awestruck by the towering mountain of giant kickballs in front of them. Bobby took Jerry and put him on his shoulders so Jerry could get the Bounciest Ball in the land, and Jerry whooped in joy. As much as Jerry would deny it, he was actually having fun running around with Bobby and taking a break from all his practice and homework. Jerry jumped onto the cart and rode it with both feet off the ground, and Bobby followed him as they went to get the rest of the things on the list.
“There it is. The fountain of youth.” Bobby spoke in awe as the two peered over the treasure map, arriving at the final destination.
“Fountain of youth? What’s it for?”
“I saw it on the History channel, they said that it would make you young forever. Even Ponce de Lion couldn’t find it, but we did it, Jerry.” Bobby rolled up the map and carefully walked to the silver fountain, almost blinding him with the reflection of the blistering desert sun. He kneeled in front of it with his head hanging low, almost like he was in prayer. He lifted his head up and drank from the fountain. Joy spread across his face as he showed of the biggest smile he could, teeth shining through. “Jerry, it's your turn, come on. I can’t believe we actually made it,” Bobby exclaimed, jumping to his feet.
“Alright, guess I can,” replied Jerry, as he made his way to the fountain. But before he could get there a god-like voice rang throughout the skies.
“Attention shoppers, we will be closing in 5 minutes. Closing in 5 minutes,” the loudspeakers blared down upon the two. Bobby and Jerry scoured the painted brick wall for a clock, and Jerry lockrodeed into a stare with one plastered above them, it’s face reading 4:55.
“Bobby, we have to go. You need to be home by 5, you’re gonna be late,” Jerry said. “Come on, let’s go,” Jerry goaded Bobby towards the front of the supermarket.
“B bu buh…” Bobby stuttered as Jerry weakly tugged at his arm.
“We can come back some other time and finish the quest then,” Jerry replied, and Bobby meekly gave in as Jack dragged him and the cart towards the front of the store.
Bobby sat in front of the television on a Saturday morning watching cartoons, and then he started to get hungry. He walked to the kitchen and stared at the barren fridge when the phone rang. Riiing Riiing.
“HellowhoisitI’mbusy,” Bobby answered hastily with words barely distinguishable.
“You gonna come to the game on Friday?” answered the familiar, squeaky voice.
“I don’t know, might stay home…” Bobby trailed off.
“Oh, I’ve been meaning to tell you.  Coach said that the school needs some janitors, and I recommended you ‘cause I know you’ve been lookin’ for a job, figured you could help out at the games and practice after work cause we need a new batboy anyways...” Jerry said. Bobby smiled his wide and toothy smile and started to punch the air in excitement. “Bobby, you still there?”
“Yeah yeah yeah,” Bobby huffed, “sounds okay, I’ll ask Momma to take me up there sometime.”
“Alright. And Bobby?” Jerry asked.
“Yeah?”
“See you at the game?”
“Yeah, see you there,” replied Bobby, and he hung up happy as possibly could be. At least until his stomach rumbled, and then he opened the fridge to find something to eat.