#odyssey owl tgtb&b rewrite

[odyssey-owl]

TGTB&B Rewrite Scene 12

(Note: This is a rewrite of the AIO episode "The Good, The Bad, And Butch." The original episode dialogue was written by Marshal Younger. Any added/removed/altered dialogue and actions were written by me!)

The boys sat cross legged on top of Sam's bed, a chess board in between them. It was their third game that afternoon. Sam won the first within minutes, but they called off the second game because it had turned into a stalemate. It seemed that Sam would win the third game, too.

"Check."

"Where?"

"My bishop."

"Oh." Butch stared at the board, calculating his next move. "You know, there was something I wanted to tell you, something funny." He blocked with a pawn. "I can't remember what it was."

"If it's a dirty joke, I don't want to hear it." Sam slid his knight two spaces up, and one to the right. It hit the same space as the pawn, so Sam removed it from the board. "Check. Again."

"Look, I'm sorry." Butch shifted his king a space backwards. "We usually don't do that at our meetings."

Sam looked up from the board. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"Why are you in the Bones of Rath?"

Butch folded his arms, and leaned back. "What do you mean?"

"Whenever you're with them, you just get into trouble. Why do you want to do that?"

He shrugged. "I dunno."

"How can you even stand being with them?" Sam shuddered. He moved the knight again. "I couldn't wait to get out of that meeting yesterday. With you guys telling those jokes..."

Butch cut him off. "I quit."

"W-What?"

"I quit the Bones."

"Really?"

"Yeah, yesterday," Butch stuttered, "After the meeting, uh, I quit."

Sam nearly leapt over the chessboard. "Butch, that's great!"

"Yeah," He laughed nervously, "I don't need those guys."

"I didn't even know you were thinking about quitting."

"Oh, sure, f-for a while now. A couple weeks, even months. Months."

"This really changes things."

"Yeah." Butch looked back down to the chess board. In their excitement, neither of the boys had noticed that Butch was now in checkmate.

Sam didn't even seem to care about the game at that point. He slid off the bed and walked past Butch, to the bookshelf on the opposite side of the room. "Hey, listen, I found something I wanted you to see."

Butch wished that Sam would turn around, holding the tickets. If Sam brought up the banquet in conversation, Butch wouldn't even need to ask.

No such luck. Sam ducked down to the shelf below the tickets, searching for something.

It was now or never. Butch stood up and moved behind Sam. "Look, I gotta go, but I wanted to ask you about the banquet?" He took a breath and talked quickly. "Do you have any extra ti-"

A Bible was shoved into his hands. "Here," Sam's eyes hovered on the Bible for a moment. "Look at this."

"It's... a Bible."

"Do you remember it? It's mine, but I let you borrow it for a while 'cause you lost yours." Sam reached over and flipped open the front cover of the Bible. On the paper was scrawled a short prayer in Butch's handwriting. "Read it."

"Dear Jesus," Butch started. "Thanks for the trees and the sun and the water and dogs. And for my best friend Sam. Thank you for moving him next door to me." Butch looked up as he finished reading the prayer. "Amen."

Sam met his eyes. "After I found it in there, I read it over and over. Memorized it. You were the best friend I'd ever had."

There was a long pause between them.

Sam finally broke eye contact and cleared his throat. "Anyway, I thought you might like to see that." He walked towards his bed to put the chess pieces away. "Now, what did you say about the banquet?"

Butch was shaking. When he didn't answer, Sam turned around. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing," Butch was deathly pale. "I-I just..."

"You look like you're going to be sick." Sam dropped the chess pieces and rushed over. He held Butch by the shoulders.

Butch froze. "I'm okay." He let Sam take the Bible and guide him to a chair, in which he sat down, then pulled away. "Sam?"

"Yeah?"

"I was wondering..."

"Wondering what?"

Butch took a deep breath. "Could I go with you to the banquet tonight?" He tried to play it off, although his voice wavered. "I mean... You still got an extra ticket, right?"

Sam hesitated, thinking. He made his way back over to the shelf. Placing the Bible on top and reaching for the pair of tickets, something dawned on him. "Why?"

"I just... I want to go." Butch's eyes stayed glued to the floor. "I've never been to one."

Sam shrugged. "It's not really that exciting."

"That's okay."

"It's two hours long."

"That's fine, I wanna go, okay?"

"Okay," Sam handed Butch one ticket. "You can come."

"Fine, I'll see you tonight. I'll meet you here." Butch squeaked the chair back. "I gotta get out of here." His hand reached for the doorknob.

"Okay, well..." The door closed. He didn't even look back. "Butch?"

He was gone.

[odyssey-owl]

TGTB&B Rewrite Scene 16

(Note: This is a rewrite of the AIO episode "The Good, The Bad, And Butch." The original episode dialogue was written by Marshal Younger. Any added/removed/altered dialogue and actions were written by me!)

Sam Johnson drifted through the school hallway, eyes puffy and red, his vision cloudy. He couldn't stop thinking about the banquet.

A tall shock of black hair and a maroon hoodie passed by him.

Butch.

Sam took a deep breath and tapped him on the shoulder.

"I didn't see you after the banquet the other night."

Butch turned, eyes wide.

His voice stuttered. "I-I got a ride home."

"Uh-huh." Sam took a step forward. "Didn't see you in church Sunday either."

"Oh, yeah. That." Butch fidgeted with his hoodie drawstrings. "You know... I overslept."

"I figured out what happened."

"What are you talking about?"

"You know what I'm talking about." He paused. "You guys set off the sprinkler system, didn't you?"

Butch stared at the ground.

"You set me up! You pretended you were my friend! You tricked me!" Sam spun on his heels and began to walk away. "I hope you enjoyed your prank."

"Oh, it's so easy for you." Butch shot back. "You've got your Peter Pan parents, and your wonderful report cards, and your cheerleader friends." His voice caught. "Some of us don't have it that easy."

"Yeah, I know." Sam glared. "But why do you have to make things so hard? Being in the Bones of Rath doesn't help anything."

"You don't understand. Those guys are my friends." He picked at his nails. "I don't have many of those."

"How about me?" Sam pointed to himself. "I wanted to be your friend."

"Not anymore."

"All I know is that I'd still be your friend, if you'd quit being Butch, and start being Brian again."

"Brian's gone."

Sam backed off. "That's too bad. Let me know if he comes back. I miss him." He turned away. "Goodbye, Butch."

[odyssey-owl]

TGTB&B Rewrite Scene 15

(Note: This scene was not featured in the original AIO episode "The Good, The Bad, And Butch." It is a bonus scene written entirely by me!)

The slanted asphalt roof was a place of comfort for Butch. It was, simply put, an escape from everything else going on around him. Whenever Butch felt overwhelmed, or scared, he ran to his bathroom, locked the door behind him, and crawled out the open window.

From the roof, it was easier to drown out his parents constant fighting. Butch escaped there during the quieter nights, too. When his parents didn't forgive, and when they slept in separate rooms. When his mom told his dad she didn't love him anymore.

Perhaps Butch remembered that night clearest of all. His father stormed out to the car, packed bags in hand, and left for California. Butch, who, at that point, still called himself Brian, hugged his knees to his chest and watched him drive away. The headlights trailed down their street, and turned a corner. After that night, Brian never saw him again.

It wasn't long before the step-father moved in. He didn't talk to Brian, and barely even acknowledged he was there. Not even a month passed before his mother realized her new relationship wasn't working either. From the roof, Brian watched another man leave his house.

One dreary night, Brian laid flat on the roof, his hair clinging to his forehead as raindrops fell. He flipped his sweatshirt hood up and tied the drawstrings tight. Brian picked up a loose shingle from beside him, and threw it as far as he could. The shingle soared through the air and hit the thick trunk of a tree in his front yard. The noise woke his mother, who grabbed an umbrella and ran to the open bathroom window. She then climbed onto the roof and joined Brian. They sat in silence for a while, the umbrella attempting to shield them from the pouring rain.

That night, she told Brian why her relationships never seemed to work out. It wasn't specifically Brian's dad, or his step-dad, that was the problem.

"I can't just... pretend," She had said. For months, years, she acted like she loved the men in her home. Made believe. She told Brian this was a difficult thing for her to admit.

From then on, Kathy Evans decided to raise Brian as a single mother. She worked double shifts to make ends meet. Most nights, she was passed out sleeping, and sometimes, she wasn't in the house at all. Brian was left alone, and he wound up on the roof.

While he was up there, he often relaxed by looking at the stars. Everything else seemed to drift away. And he dreamed. Sometimes, Brian spent the night up there.

On this particular May evening, Butch once again found himself up on the roof. He stared down through a window in the neighboring home, Sam's home, and saw the silhouettes of a family. A mother, a father, a son, and a daughter. Holding hands over their nightly prayers.

Butch longed for that feeling more than anything. A sense of togetherness. Of peace. Of care.

He thought he saw that feeling replicated in a gang setting, where all these boys spent their lives with each other, and knew each other. He was wrong. The Bones gave him nothing, they only took away.

Butch changed himself for them. He even changed his own name for them. In return, they took away his innocence, his sense of morality, and his only friend. Butch lost his faith in people, and he lost his faith in God.

And this night, he was just like them. Butch betrayed Sam and abandoned him. Left him alone like his own family had done.

He buried his head in his hands and cried.

[odyssey-owl]

TGTB&B Rewrite Scene 11

(Note: This is a rewrite of the AIO episode "The Good, The Bad, And Butch." The original episode dialogue was written by Marshal Younger. Any added/removed/altered dialogue and actions were written by me!)

The Odyssey Middle School was filled with excited chatter as students filed down hallways to their last period. The day of the banquet had arrived.

Click!

Sam Johnson opened his locker. He stood on tiptoes and reached for his books on the top shelf. He then felt a tap on his shoulder, and turned around.

"I was surprised you missed the skating party last night." Lucy Cunningham-Schultz balanced her books on one hip and tucked a lock of brown hair behind her ear. "I thought you were coming."

"Oh. Yeah." Sam closed his locker and reset the lock. "I had to go somewhere else." He weaved around the other kids, leaving Lucy to catch up behind him.

"Well, where'd you go?"

"I..." Sam hesitated. "I was with Butch."

They turned a corner.

"You missed the skating party to do something with Butch?" Lucy frowned. "What did you do?"

"We just got together." Sam avoided her glare. "Us... and some other guys."

"Other guys? You mean the Bones of Rath?"

"Yes, it was just a meeting."

"You went to one of their meetings?" Her voice cracked.

"Yes, Lucy, and it's not what you think."

"But why are you going anywhere near those guys in the first place?"

"They're not as bad as everyone thinks." Sam held open a classroom door, and they walked in. "Butch is a pretty nice guy, once you get to know him."

Lucy placed her books on a desk and sat, her skirt flattened underneath, and one leg crossed over the other. "That's not the point. They did get you to go to one of their meetings."

"Don't worry, it was my last one." Sam shuddered. "I'm not going back."

"Good," Lucy seemed relieved, "But are you still going to be friends with Brian?"

Butch, Sam thought, but didn't correct her, and nodded instead. "Yes. As a matter of fact, he's coming to church with me this Sunday."

"Really?" Lucy pondered for a moment. "Are you sure they're not up to something?"

"Butch is my friend again, that's all." Sam couldn't understand her insistence. "Why is this such a big deal to you, anyway?"

Lucy knew exactly why it was a big deal. She couldn't say what she was really feeling, of course, and settled for a different response.

"I don't trust them," she replied, only partially about the Bones. "You shouldn't either."

And with that, the class began.

[odyssey-owl]

TGTB&B Rewrite Scene 13

(Note: This scene was not featured in the original AIO episode "The Good, The Bad, And Butch." It is a bonus scene written entirely by me!)

Butch returned to Sam's house later that evening. He adjusted a black bow tie, which he had paired with a matching collared shirt and slacks, and his black combat boots. He stepped onto the front stoop and rang the doorbell.

Sam thudded down the stairs wearing a second-hand navy blue suit jacket, a few sizes too big. The jacket was stuffed with bulking shoulder pads, which contrasted against Sam's slim gray tie.

He called to his mother across the house, telling her that they were ready to go, and opened the door.

"Hi."

"Hi." Butch smiled.

Mrs. Johnson ran around the house to gather her things, giving Sam the opportunity to speak.

"Nice boots."

"Thanks," Butch took a step back, allowing Sam to join him outside. "I got 'em last week at the department store."

"They're really cool!"

"Yeah," Butch frowned, "Although I'll be working months to pay them off." He pointed. "You're wearing the pants too. From that day."

Sam nodded. He remembered the day well. It was hard to believe only a week had passed since the start of their new friendship. Sam sunk down to the edge of the stoop and thought of Lucy's advice. Butch couldn't possibly be lying to him, right? How could he? Sam couldn't bear to let that thought into his mind.

"Hey," Butch crouched and sat beside him, "You okay?"

Sam shrugged. "I don't know." He backpedaled. "Maybe this isn't such a good idea. I mean, what will everyone think when they see the two of us?"

Butch paused for a few seconds, then reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out his Cedric Wilson trading card.

Sam looked up at him. "You still have that?"

"I've sorta been... carrying it around with me." Butch stared fondly at the little card. "It's my good luck charm."

Sam laughed. "Well, it worked."

"What do you mean?"

"The Bones. You quit, remember?"

"Sure. I didn't need the card for that, though." Butch smiled. "I had you."

He placed the card back into his shirt pocket. "That's what the people will see, Sam. They'll see that we're friends."

The front door opened.

Nancy Johnson pulled her hair back using an elastic, locked the front door, and turned to face the boys.

"Ready?"

"All right." Sam looked to Butch. "Let's go."

[odyssey-owl]

TGTB&B Rewrite Scene 14

(Note: This is a rewrite of the AIO episode "The Good, The Bad, And Butch." The original episode dialogue was written by Marshal Younger. Any added/removed/altered dialogue and actions were written by me!)

"And the awards for excellence in social studies go to the following people," the announcer's booming voice echoed over the speakers, "If you would come up and get your award after I call your name."

As the names of honored students began to be read, Butch excused himself from his seat. He walked out of the auditorium, through the lobby, and into the restroom. His left hand held a cigarette lighter, in order to set off the sprinkler system, and in his right hand was the Cedric Wilson trading card from Sam. Butch looked from the lighter, to the card, and back again. He then stared at his reflection in the bathroom mirror.

There wasn't any time left to consider his options, or to change his mind. If he sided with the Bones, he'd have to do it now.

Butch's thoughts then drifted to Sam. Betraying Sam's trust meant losing the only true friend he ever had.

Butch broke down. He slid onto the floor, overcome with emotion and guilt. Losing Sam would be his own fault, and it seemed that he had run out of chances. His vision went blurry, and it felt like he could barely breathe.

In an attempt to calm himself, Butch flicked open the lighter and watched the tiny dancing flame. He then held it closer to the paper card. The edges just started to singe when he tore it away. Triggering a sensor was one thing, but starting a real fire, even a small one, was something he couldn't bring himself to do.

Instead, he grabbed the Cedric Wilson card with both hands and tore it in two. He rotated the card and tore it again, creating four pieces. Butch continued dividing the card until he couldn't anymore, then he stopped. His heartbeat was drawing back to normal. Butch stood up and threw the ripped pieces in the waste basket, resigned. Having made his decision, he wiped his face with his shirt sleeve and looked up towards the ceiling.

As the minutes went by, Sam began to worry. He kept glancing at the doors, wondering when Butch would return. The amount of time he was gone was unreasonable, especially for what was supposed to be a short bathroom trip.

It appeared Sam's mother thought the same thing. "Where did Brian go?"

"He went to the bathroom." Sam pulled at his tie in impatience.

His mother frowned. "He's been gone an awfully long time."

Sam turned his head to the auditorium doors again, the knot in his tie almost unraveled. "I know."

"I noticed he looked kind of nervous. Maybe he's sick."

"Yeah," Sam reasoned with himself, "Maybe I'd better go look for him."

His mother nodded in agreement, and Sam stood out of his seat.

Soon after, Sam opened the door of the boys bathroom nearby, and, catching his reflection in the mirror, fixed his tie. Butch wasn't there. Sam washed his hands in the sink, and dried them with a paper towel. As he turned to throw the used paper towel away, he noticed something else in the waste bin. It was Butch's Cedric Wilson baseball card, singed on the corners and ripped into little pieces.

Sam felt as if he'd been stabbed. He needed to find Butch, now. At just that moment, a noise came from above.

Thump!

It sounded like it was coming from inside the ceiling.

Sam didn't even need to question what caused the noise. He knew.

An emergency sprinkler opened above his head, and water began to pour down.

[odyssey-owl]

TGTB&B Rewrite Scene 9

(Note: This is a rewrite of the AIO episode "The Good, The Bad, And Butch." The original episode dialogue was written by Marshal Younger. Any added/removed/altered dialogue and actions were written by me!)

Sam followed Butch along a dirt trail, passing through the Odyssey Cemetery and leading to the Bones of Rath hideout. After several failed attempts at convincing himself this was actually a good idea, Sam had given up and decided to go along with it. After all, how bad could it possibly be?

As the boys approached the hideout, a small shack, they began to hear voices: Rusty, who mentioned something about a traveling salesman, and Rodney, who then joined Rusty in laughter.

Butch opened the door.

Rodney immediately noticed Butch, and the blond head of hair peeking out from behind his shoulder. He clapped his hands together and spoke in his usual sarcastic tone. "Butch, Sam, what a pleasant surprise."

Sam waved and greeted the boys, then looked around the hideout. The walls were made up of wood planks, haphazardly reassembled after being last used as a treehouse. One particular spot near the floor seemed patched up, as if a person had once fallen through it. There was also a sizable circular hole in one wall, which Sam assumed would've had a thick tree branch sticking through it, if the shack were still up in the air. The hole now served as a window.

Next to the 'window' hung a calendar littered with loopy scribbled writing. The colors varied too, from black, blue, and red pens, to pencil, to permanent markers, and one entry even done in crayon.

In the far right corner, a small end table was surrounded by four folding chairs. A planner and a stapled packet of lined paper were placed in the center of the table, accompanied by a lone chewed-up pencil. Directly underneath the table lay a few cylindrical metal cans. A labeled sticker on one read "Candy Apple Red Spray Paint."

"You got here just in time." Rodney's voice brought Sam back from his observations. "We were... uh... telling jokes. You got any?"

"Jokes?"

"Sure, tell a joke. Just one."

"Well, I only know one."

Rusty joined in. "Is it funny?"

"Yeah."

"Well, go ahead," Rodney spoke again.

"All right." Sam thought for a moment. "What did the mother bullet say to the daddy bullet?"

Rodney crossed his arms. "What?"

"We're gonna have a be-be." After a lack of reaction, Sam laughed nervously.

"Are you done?"

"Well..." Sam faltered. "Yeah."

"That's it? That's your joke?"

Sam nodded nervously and looked to Butch for an explanation, although it seemed he didn't know what was happening either.

"I don't think you get the idea. When we're talking about jokes, we don't mean little-kid, cutsie jokes," Rodney walked towards Rusty and held him by the shoulders, "We're talking about something that would make Rusty, here, blush."

Right on cue, Rusty's face grew pink.

Sam's eyes widened in shock, and he nearly whispered. "You want me to tell a dirty joke?"

Rodney nodded and removed his hands from around Rusty's shoulders.

Sam put both hands up in a pose of innocence. "But I don't know any!"

"Come on," Rodney scoffed, "Everybody knows some dirty jokes!"

"No, really, I don't!" He lowered his hands. "Besides, it's wrong to tell dirty jokes."

Rodney rolled his eyes.

"Rodney," Butch finally spoke up. He gestured to the corner of the shack with the table and folding chairs, "Could I talk to you over here for a minute?"

"Uh, sure," Rodney turned to the table, suggesting one last thing to Sam over his shoulder. "I'll let you think about it, Sam." He winked. "I'm sure you won't disappoint."

Rodney and Butch walked to the end table, while Rusty and Sam had a conversation of their own.

"You really don't know any?"

"No!"

"Well, maybe you can make one up. Let me help you." Rusty smiled. "Try to think of the three most disgusting things you've ever heard of."

"What?"

"Okay, I've got mine." Rusty held up three fingers, ready to list them. "You got yours?"

Sam shook his head. "No."

Rusty shrugged, as if it were no big deal. "All right, I'll let you use mine. Number one..."

Sam cut him off. "I don't want to hear this."

While Rusty 'helped' Sam, Butch addressed Rodney.

"What are you doing? We never start our meetings with dirty jokes!"

"Well, I thought we'd start today. New tradition." Rodney looked almost proud of himself. "Why? Is it too much for you? Would you like to leave the room, too?"

Butch said nothing, so Rodney continued. "You know, you're starting to get on my nerves."

"Why?"

"Because you don't have the ticket yet, do you?"

Butch stared across the hideout at a very wide-eyed Sam, helpless as Rusty listed off the qualities of a dirty joke.

"I'm still..." he shuffled his feet. "You know, trying to get him to trust me."

Rodney took a step, backing Butch towards the wall. "I don't care what you have to do. But the banquet's tomorrow night. And if you don't get the ticket, you can't let us in. And if we don't get in, we can't pull this prank. And if we don't pull this prank," he took another step, "you can find yourself another gang to join." Rodney looked over his shoulder and eyed Sam. "Maybe Sam's Sunday school class." He chuckled and turned back to Butch. "You got it?"

Butch's face fell. "Yeah. I'll get the ticket. Tomorrow."

"Good." Rodney, having gotten his way, clapped his hands together and spun to the other boys. "Okay, I've got a good joke, listen up."

Butch couldn't focus on the joke. He couldn't give his attention to anything Rodney said, for that matter. He couldn't stop thinking of Sam. The banquet was tomorrow night. If Butch stuck with the Bones, he'd have to get that ticket. One way or another, this decision would change him. He was running out of time.

[odyssey-owl]

TGTB&B Rewrite Scene 7

(Note: This is a rewrite of the AIO episode "The Good, The Bad, And Butch." The original episode dialogue was written by Marshal Younger. Any added/removed/altered dialogue and actions were written by me!)

"Okay, so, Wednesday we're beating up Todd, right?" Rodney gestured to a monthly calendar nailed to a wall. Scribbled plans littered the squares and notes overflowed into the margins. Just because the Bones were a tough gang, didn't mean their scheduling had to be.

"I thought you said Thursday." Rusty leaned against the doorframe and looked up from a handheld copy of the planner.

Butch, seated on the wooden clubhouse floor, sorted through several loose leaf papers on his lap. "No, Thursday we're egging the nursing home."

Rusty pointed at the planner. "I put Todd down for Thursday. I can't make it on Wednesday."

Rodney folded his arms. "Well, why not?"

"I gotta go to the dentist."

"What time?"

"5:30." Rusty made a note with a pencil and tucked it behind his ear. "So, if we beat up Todd," he glanced between Butch and the planner, "Wednesday, we have to make it a half an hour later."

"Nah," Rodney whined, "Todd's dad gets home early on Wednesday."

"So, what about Friday?"

"The night of the banquet?"

"We could do it before." Rusty shrugged. "Banquet doesn't start until 7."

Rodney confirmed this using the wall calendar, then replied. "Nah, if we get caught, it'd spoil the whole thing." He paused, thinking. "Speaking of the banquet, Butch, where are the tickets?"

Butch hesitated.

"What, did'ya lose them?"

"No."

"Then where are they?"

"I..." Butch shuffled the papers together and stood up. "I didn't get them yet."

"Why not?"

"I just... I haven't had a chance."

"You've been with Sam every day this week. What do you mean you 'haven't had a chance'?"

"Actually, I was thinking," Butch stalled, "Maybe we should get the tickets from someone else." He thought of the trading card, still in his back pants pocket. "I don't want to take them from Sam."

"Why not?"

"He's not... fun to pick on. He's not a geek like we thought he was." Butch realized he'd been talking too much. "I'd just rather pick on someone else."

Something dawned on Rodney. "Are you becoming friends with him?"

Yes.

"No."

Rodney saw right through the cover-up. "You are!" Rodney made eye contact with Rusty across the room, and the two burst out laughing.

"Get outta here, Rodney."

Rodney leaned toward Butch and put an arm around him. "Little Butchy has a new playmate."

'Butchy' flushed crimson red and shoved him away. "Cut it out."

"Wait a minute, wait a minute," Rusty stood next to Rodney, across from Butch, and joined in. "I have a test to see whether Sam's been rubbing off on you. Answer this question: How much time have you spent in his treehouse doing any of the following," Rusty counted as he spoke, "Finger painting, making baby snowcones, or pretending to be any type of crime fighting team?"

Rusty snorted and high-fived Rodney, and the two boys cackled and fell to the ground.

"Look, you don't know what you're talking about, okay? Sam's okay!"

"Yeah?" Rodney mocked. He and Rusty sat up. "Well, if he's such a cool guy, why don't you bring him here? Maybe he'd be a good Bone."

Butch scoffed. "He doesn't wanna be a Bone."

"Why wouldn't he?" Rodney stood. "I mean, if he's such an interesting, fun-loving kid, why wouldn't he want to expand his horizons and join us? At least for a meeting."

"I'm not gonna do that."

"Why not?" Rodney paused, waiting for an answer, and receiving none, continued. "Because you're going soft. Are you a Bone, or not?"

"Yeah." Butch seemed to be convincing himself, more than anyone else.

Rodney took a step forward. "Okay, if you're a true Bone, you'll bring him here for the next meeting."

A moment passed where Butch reasoned with himself, then he replied. "I will."

[odyssey-owl]

TGTB&B Rewrite Scene 8

(Note: This is a rewrite of the AIO episode "The Good, The Bad, And Butch." The original episode dialogue was written by Marshal Younger. Any added/removed/altered dialogue and actions were written by me!)

"Could you hand me that paddle, please? We're drifting too much."

It was the first time since the Bones meeting that Butch had a chance to talk alone with Sam. After taking turns rowing for a while, they had neared the center of the lake. It now appeared they would need to work again.

Sam reached behind him for the extra paddle and handed it across to Butch.

"Thanks."

"So... your dad just lets you borrow this raft?"

Sam nodded. "He trusts me. I've been out here a lot before."

"I've never been on this side of the..." Butch stared at the shore behind Sam.

"What?" Sam turned around.

"Look over there," he pointed, "There's a policeman on the bank. Looks like he's waiting for us."

"Butch."

"Give me the paddle. We'll go over to the cove where he can't get to us. If he sees us, we'll have to outrun him. Do you have your tennis shoes on?"

"Butch." Sam's tone became insistent.

"Come on, paddle! Paddle!"

"Butch!"

"What?"

"We didn't do anything wrong!"

Butch paused. "No, I guess we didn't." He loosened his grip on the paddle. "He's probably just patrolling the area or something."

"Probably. I think he's a park ranger."

"Oh."

The boys stilled for a short while, listening to the birds singing, and the water splashing around them.

Eventually, Sam spoke up. "Butch?"

Butch glanced up from his sweatshirt. The drawstrings had been tied into knots, another nervous habit. "Yeah?"

"I wanted to ask you something." Sam paused for a few moments. "Remember when we used to go to church together?"

"Yeah." Butch looked back down and pulled at the knots, untangling them.

"I thought maybe you'd like to come with me this Sunday."

"I'd love to see the people's faces when I walk into church." He chuckled. "No way, Sam."

"How come?"

"I'm not into that stuff anymore." Butch had all the ties out except for one, which he picked at as he talked.

Sam reached over and undid the knot. "You used to like it."

"I'm older now." Butch stared distantly at the water around them. "Church is a little kid thing."

"It is not! There's lots of older kids there."

"But the guys at school who go to church..." Butch's eyes moved back to Sam. "Well, most of them are wimps."

"Church people are not wimps!"

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah!" Sam gestured to himself. "Do you think I'm a wimp?"

Butch slid closer. "You think you're not?"

"No." Sam pushed Butch away. "And I don't think the kids at church are, either."

Butch raised an eyebrow. He grabbed one side of the raft and pushed down, so it would be thrown off balance.

Sam flew out of his seat and clutched a handle attached to the edge of the float. "Cut it out!"

Butch didn't listen. He shook the raft until Sam slipped from the handle, crashed into Butch, and sent the two boys tumbling over themselves into the lake.

Splash!

Butch surfaced first, and Sam popped up soon after.

Butch shook the water out of his hair. He winked at Sam, who rolled his eyes and began swimming back to the raft.

"Prove it to me."

"How?"

"Come to a Bones meeting with me."

Sam took a breath. "A Bones meeting?"

"Tomorrow after school. We meet in that empty house next to the cemetery."

He hesitated. "I don't think so."

"What'd I tell you?"

"I am not a wimp!"

"Okay, I'll make you a deal," By then, he had passed Sam and started climbing into the raft, "If you come with me to Bones meeting tomorrow, then I'll go to church with you on Sunday."

"Really?"

"Really." Butch pitched himself over the top, smiled, and reached a hand down to Sam. "Deal?"

Sam grabbed Butch's outstretched hand as he was pulled into the raft. "Deal."

[odyssey-owl]

TGTB&B Rewrite Scene 6

(Note: This is a rewrite of the AIO episode "The Good, The Bad, And Butch." The original episode dialogue was written by Marshal Younger. Any added/removed/altered dialogue and actions were written by me!)

Lucy Cunningham-Schultz was curious. She supposed she'd have to be, eventually, in order to become a professional reporter. Right now, however, around noon on a Sunday, she paced across Odyssey Community Church, puzzling. There had been some rumors going around, but she wanted proof. Confirmation from the source. And it seemed she'd get it. At that moment, Lucy watched a shaggy blond-haired boy walk into the room.

"Hey! Sam!"

Sam turned over his shoulder and waved. "Hi, Lucy!"

Lucy half-jogged over to Sam and started her interrogation. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

She continued. "The other day I saw you at Finneman's with Brian Evans."

"Butch," Sam pointed out to her.

"Whatever." Lucy pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. She couldn't see why a name change would matter in a case like this. "What's going on? I mean, what were you doing with him?"

"Playing video games."

"I know, but... with Brian?"

Sam thought to correct her again, but decided against it. "So?"

"Well, he's... you know..." She made a motion with her hand.

"What?"

"He's with the Bones of Rath!"

Sam scoffed. "I know that."

"He's always getting into trouble. And he gets other people into trouble too."

Sam became defensive, and put a hand to his chest as a way of gesturing to himself. "I'm not causing any trouble, if that's what you mean."

"That's not what I mean. It's just that, we can't figure out why you're hanging around with him."

"'We'?"

"Us. The kids from church."

Sam noticed a small group of other kids, about his age, sitting at a table not too far away. He recognized some of them. He wondered if they were listening now.

"It's okay," Sam reassured as he glanced back to Lucy, "Tell everyone there's nothing to worry about."

"All right," she took a breath, "But he's tricky. Don't let him talk you into anything."

Sam laughed. "I won't."

[odyssey-owl]

TGTB&B Rewrite Scene 1

Finally starting to post these! Please let me know what you think!

(Note: This is a rewrite of the AIO episode "The Good, The Bad, And Butch." The original episode dialogue was written by Marshal Younger. Any added/removed/altered dialogue and actions were written by me!)

Sam Johnson didn't think he needed new school clothes. His mother was taking him back to school shopping in May, of all months, to get the school clothes when they were the least expensive. He was about to graduate the eighth grade, after all, and he owned plenty of clothes that fit him. Not like he's grown all that much since last year.

Even though all these things were true, Mrs. Johnson did not come to the same conclusion. She had said it was better to buy these things now before paying full price for them later.

Sam dragged his feet on the tile floor of the department store and followed his mother as she circled the same aisle for what was probably the sixth time. Mrs. Johnson suddenly turned around to face Sam and held out a pair of navy blue uniform pants. Sam thought they looked exactly the same as all the other uniform pants in the store.

"You like these pants, Sam?" she said. Her earlier initiative to go shopping had faded into a dreary exhaustion not too different from Sam's.

"Yes."

Mrs. Johnson checked the tag. "Fifty percent off. I'll never beat that price. You sure you like them?"

Sam repeated his previous answer. "Yes."

"Are you just saying that so we can leave?"

Sam sighed. "Yes."

His mother crossed her arms. "So you don't like them?"

Sam shrugged. "Well, I can't tell anymore. Everything looks the same now."

"Well, I think they're nice. Let's go to the counter." Mrs. Johnson folded the pants neatly over her arm and started to make her way over to the checkout area of the store before an old friend caught her eye. "Oh, isn't that Kathy Evans?"

Sam's head shot up. "Where?"

Mrs. Johnson pointed to the section next to the cash registers. "By the shoes," She looked again. "I think it is, and that's Brian with her."

Sam had noticed Brian long before his mother had. Brian was bent over tying the laces on a pair of shiny new combat boots which were way out of the price ranges of both their families. Brian looked up and caught eye contact with Sam, who had long stopped listening to what his mother was saying.

Mrs. Johnson put a hand on Sam's shoulder as she continued talking. "I haven't seen Kathy in a long time. Let's go talk to her."

Sam froze. Talking to Kathy Evans meant talking to Brian. No way. Sam tried to redirect his mother back towards the cash registers, and away from Brian.

Mrs. Johnson didn't listen and kept walking towards the shoe section. "You probably talk to Brian all the time at school, don't you?"

"He's... not really my friend anymore."

Mrs. Johnson frowned. "What do you mean?"

"We haven't talked since the third grade."

"Why?"

"Well, he's in the Bones of Rath. He's always getting into trouble."

The Bones of Rath was a gang of teenage thugs led by a skinny red haired boy named Rodney Rathbone. Rodney had been kept back a couple of grades, which made him older then the other students in school. He was a bully and a thief, which was why Sam was so surprised when he found out Brian had joined him.

Mrs. Johnson seemed just as shocked as Sam. Her eyes widened. "Really? That's hard to believe. He used to be a nice kid."

Sam shrugged. "Not anymore."

"Maybe you should talk to him then. You could be a good influence."

"He won't want to talk to me."

"Yes, he will, you were his best friend."

"Yeah, once."

"Well, he's right here. He can't avoid you. Just try to strike up a conversation, okay?"

Sam sighed again. "Alright."

Nancy Johnson tapped Kathy Evans on the shoulder. Kathy turned around with recognition in her eyes and broke out into a huge smile.

"Kathy!"

"Nancy!"

The two women hugged. "It's been a long time!"

"Sure has!" Kathy waved at Sam and gave him a wink. "Hi Sam!"

"Hi, Mrs. Evans," Sam returned with a slight smile.

"I haven't seen you in years!"

"Yeah."

"The last time I saw Brian, he was in the back yard climbing our tree," Nancy said as she looked at the other boy. "Hello, Brian."

"Hi." Brian waved at Nancy, finished tying his other boot, and slumped down on a small cushioned bench nearby.

"We're looking for school clothes." Kathy glanced between Brian and Sam.

"So are we," Nancy replied. "Can't pass up these sales!"

"No kidding, except I can't seem to find-" Kathy's voice trailed off as she spotted the uniform pants folded over Nancy's arm. "Where did you get those navy blue pants?"

"Oh, they're over here in the boys department." She motioned with her hand. "Come on, I'll show you."

The women wove around the department store aisles while the boys trailed behind them. Their voices faded away as they talked about their children and how fast the time passes by. Sam wasn't paying attention to any of that, of course, he was too busy thinking of what he could possibly say to Brian. Anything to start a conversation. Eventually he decided upon:

"So... are you getting clothes?"

"Yeah." Brian seemed as if he would rather be anywhere else but with Sam.

"Me too," Sam continued, "Pants."

A pause.

"Great prices, huh?"

Brian rolled his eyes when he thought Sam wasn't watching. "I don't know. I don't buy clothes."

Sam, who definitely saw the eye roll, kept the conversation moving. "Oh, yeah. Guess not. Neither do I. My mom does it." He peered across the store to a front window. "Pretty cold today, huh?"

"You don't have to talk to me." Brian pushed Sam towards a shelf nearby. His voice was cold. "Why don't you go look at some mittens, or something?"

Sam shrugged Brian away and crossed his arms. He looked down. Two lonely mittens hung on a rack, bearing tags which read:

Summer Sale! 80% Off! Buy Now!

He scoffed, but picked up a pair anyway.

Facing the opposite direction, Brian scoured an art display and landed on a row of shiny metal cans. He grinned, thinking of the possibilities.

"Bet you've never spray painted anything before.

Sam stared at Brian, wide-eyed. "Is that what you do with the Bones? Graffiti?"

"Nah, we don't really think of it as graffiti." Brian grabbed a can and shook it. "More like... freestyle art."

He glanced over to see Kathy Evans turn the aisle corner, pair of uniform pants in hand. Brian held the can behind him, out of sight from Kathy, who cleared her throat.

"Brian, we're going to Nancy's for a little bit." She reached inside her purse and retrieved a credit card. "We thought it'd be nice to catch up on things, and you can too."

Brian looked between the two women. "You're just gonna... talk?"

"Well, you don't have to sit and listen to us, you can go up to Sam's room and play."

Crash!

The can had slipped and clattered to floor. Brian flushed pink from embarrassment, picked up the can, and guiltily replaced it on a shelf. His voice shook as he talked. "You know, I think I'd rather go home, and try on my new clothes."

Kathy was not convinced. "You can try them on after we go to Sam's house." She waved a temporary goodbye to Nancy, then motioned for Brian to follow her to a checkout stand. "Come on, let's go."

[odyssey-owl]

TGTB&B Rewrite Scene 10

(Note: This scene was not featured in the original AIO episode "The Good, The Bad, And Butch." It is a bonus scene written entirely by me!)

The Connelsville Roller Skating Rink was decorated with multicolored lights, which seemed to glow off the patterned geometric carpet. Surrounding the rink were outdated arcade games on one side, and a food stand on the other. A disco ball hung in the center, coated in dust. Most times, the place was dull, almost empty, but tonight it was filled with adolescent church kids, hyper on sugary sodas and candy.

Lucy Cunningham-Schultz sat down at a booth. She had opted out of the junk food, and instead unpacked a sandwich and water bottle from a small denim backpack she brought with her. Lucy tended to stray from decisions which reminded her of the past, and in this case, it was carbonated drinks. In other situations, she'd avoid blue sweaters, or nursing homes, or Persian cats. Tonight, the grungy skating rink was easily comparable to a certain castle-shaped amusement center. Lucy shivered. Avoiding soda was quite a reasonable decision, considering the alternatives. Plus, it was healthier too.

Lucy took a bite of her sandwich and looked around the arena. She counted her friends as she spotted them: Curt, Oscar, Jack, Isaac, Robyn, Jessie, and both of the Barclay siblings. But something was off. It was eerily calm. Nobody fought, or yelled, or broke anything. The kids skated around, filling the air with contented chatter. That's when Lucy noticed something. All of the trouble-makers were gone. She couldn't see Rodney Rathbone, or Rusty Malone. Come to think of it, the Bones were nowhere to be seen.

And Butch.

Lucy then thought of Sam. Where was he?

Just then, a spiky blond-haired elementary girl skipped to the food stand. Lucy watched as the girl paid for a slice of pizza, and an orange soda.

"Kelly!" The girl didn't hear. Lucy called again. "Kelly Johnson!" This time, the girl turned her direction, waved, and bounded over to the booth.

"Kelly, I wanted to ask you something."

"Sure!" Kelly smiled. "What's up?"

"Can I be serious with you for a second?"

Her smile faded. "Why?"

"Well, I was wondering about Sam."

"My brother?" Kelly laid her pizza plate down on the table and slid into the booth seat. "What about him?"

"The other day, I saw him at Finneman's with Brian Evans," Lucy explained, "And yesterday, I called over the house. He wasn't there, but your mom told me that him and Brian went up to Trickle Lake."

"So?"

"So, don't you think he's been acting..." Lucy put down the sandwich and folded her hands in front of her as she thought of which word to use. "Different, lately?"

There was a pause, and Kelly tilted her head. "What do you mean, different?"

"Well, I just..." Lucy sighed. "I don't know what to think. I'm just worried about him, that's all."

"Oh."

Really, to Lucy, Sam's recent behavior was another reminder of her past. She, too, had trusted somebody, even though she had been advised against it. And what good had that done for her? She was manipulated. Coaxed into doing things that she didn't really want to do. It had brought every kind of hurt into her life.

Neither of the girls had spoken in a while, although Kelly watched Lucy as she thought. She reached across the table and patted Lucy's hand, concerned.

"Lucy, are you all right? You look..." Kelly drew back her hand. "Troubled."

"It's okay, Kelly," Lucy shrugged, "I'm okay."

"Are you sure?"

Lucy nodded. "Yes, I'm sure."

Kelly took a bite of her pizza, and Lucy took a bite of her sandwich, and the girls resumed a usual conversation, about classes, and boys, and a healthy amount of gossip.

But for Lucy, her thoughts replayed in the back of her mind, over and over. She had to warn Sam before it was too late.

[odyssey-owl]

TGTB&B Rewrite Scene 4

(Note: This is a rewrite of the AIO episode "The Good, The Bad, And Butch." The original episode dialogue was written by Marshal Younger. Any added/removed/altered dialogue and actions were written by me!)

Ding-dong!

"I got it!" Sam yelled as he ran downstairs and opened the door.

"Brian!" Sam stuttered. "I mean, Butch!" He corrected himself. "What are you doing here?"

"I was a real jerk the other day, Sam. I was wondering if we could be friends again."

Sam froze.

"Why would you want to do that?"

"Well, I think I missed you. I mean," Butch fumbled for his words, "I think I missed all the good times we used to have together."

Sam nodded. Butch looked sincere enough at the moment. Sam waited another moment, thinking something over. He then took a step outside, towards Butch, and closed the door behind him.

Sam led Butch a short distance over the front yard, opened the garage door, and stepped inside. "I got a new bike," Sam mentioned, gesturing to the sleek red ten-speed, which rested on its kickstand in the corner of the garage.

"I bet it goes fast," Butch replied, eyeing the bike.

"It does. I even got a speedometer for my birthday. Got it up to almost fourty five miles an hour once going downhill."

"Really? Can a person breathe going that fast?"

"What?" Sam replied, confused. Clearly, he did not share the same sense of humor as Butch.

"Never mind." Butch shook his head. He thought back to the Bones plan, and to the pair of tickets. "Anything else you want me to see?"

Sam looked behind Butch, at a tall stack of cardboard boxes. "Come over here." Butch followed Sam as he made his way over to the stack, and pointed to the very top. "Do you think you could reach that box?"

Butch, being quite a bit taller than Sam, reached for the box and pulled it down.

"Thanks," Sam smiled and looked at Butch, before quickly redirecting his attention back to the box. "You should recognize this stuff."

The "stuff," as Sam had put it, was a sizeable collection of sports trading cards. Some were organized in binders, some were placed in plastic bags or rubber banded together, and a few extras were strewn about the box.

Butch lifted the first binder out of the box, sat down cross legged on the garage floor, and flipped through the cards.

Sam also sank down to a seated position, slightly behind Butch, and watched the pages of cards over his shoulder. He stopped Butch to point at an original Cedric Wilson baseball card.

"Remember when my dad took us to see him play against the Cubs?"

Butch smiled and glanced over his shoulder at Sam. "Sure, that was a great day. Cedric hit one out, right? A 500-foot-shot-out. It was incredible." Butch looked back at the binder. He seemed genuinely moved by emotion, and began recalling various statistics, talking with his hands. "He hit 336 that year. Fourty-two home runs, a hundred and twenty seven RBIS."

Sam was astonished. "How do you remember all that?"

"He was my favorite player." Butch seemed lost in his memories. He shook his head. "I don't even know if he's still playing ball. Is he?"

"No, he retired two years ago."

"I probably couldn't even name five players in the majors now." Butch looked down at the trading card, which was now removed from the binder slot and laid in his hand. "Do you think I could keep this card?"

"Sure," Sam replied. "It's yours."

"Thanks." Butch pocketed the trading card, hopped up from his seated position, and looked around. At this moment, the Bones and the pair of tickets couldn't be further from his mind. "What else you got in here?"

"Well..." Sam grinned and walked behind the tall stack of boxes. He came back holding a scratched-up, blue skateboard with gray wheels. Etched on the underside of the skateboard was a drawing of a skull, and a name. Brian.

Butch gasped in surprise. "No way! My skateboard! How did you get this?"

"You left it over here one day. It just got lost underneath some stuff, and you forgot all about it." Sam placed the skateboard in Butch's hands, already outstretched for it.

Butch hugged the skateboard to his chest, then placed it under one arm.

"Do you still have yours?"

"I think it's here somewhere," Sam replied, restacking cardboard boxes as he searched around the garage.

Butch walked closer and leaned down slightly. He now stood directly behind Sam. "Betcha I can still out-race you."

Sam turned around to face Butch, having found the old skateboard just at that moment. He looked up at Butch and smiled. "No chance."

[odyssey-owl]

TGTB&B Rewrite Scene 3

(Note: This is a rewrite of the AIO episode "The Good, The Bad, And Butch." The original episode dialogue was written by Marshal Younger. Any added/removed/altered dialogue and actions were written by me!)

Butch Evans was late to another Bones meeting. The meetings were a hassle, really, and a waste of his time. Of course, Butch couldn't ever say that out loud.

Butch neared the hideout, an abandoned shack in the back woods around Odyssey, the structure previously known as the Wonderworld Treehouse. After the construction was found to be faulty, leading to an eventual collapse, it was taken to the ground and reassembled. Many years later, the shack would find itself used as a small playhouse in a town called Kidsboro. However, at the present, it served as the Bones of Rath clubhouse. Throughout its existence, the clubhouse had been moved a few times, due to unwanted children discovering its location. Butch approached the current site of the hideout, which was placed slightly behind a cemetery, and about halfway between a local ice cream shop, called Whit's End, and Trickle Lake.

"Let's find out who it was, and just pound him," Butch heard Rusty Gordon say from inside the hideout.

A weaselly voice replied. Rodney. "We gotta do more than pound him."

"You mean, you want to do something in addition to pounding him."

"Exactly!"

"Just as long as pounding is included."

Butch opened the squeaky clubhouse door. He tried to sound nonchalant. "Hey guys, what are you talking about?"

"Someone hung a goofy-looking picture of the principle from the flag pole this morning," Rodney explained.

"And it wasn't us," Rusty added.

"They're on our territory. We're the Bones of Rath. We pull the pranks! We cause the trouble!"

Butch leaned in. "So what are we gonna do about it?"

Rodney scoffed. "I'll tell you what we're gonna do. We're gonna do something even better."

"Like what?"

"Something that will get everybody talking about the Bones of Rath again."

Rusty became suddenly interested in where this conversation was heading. "What?"

Rodney thought for a moment. Then his eyes lit up with an idea. "You know the awards banquet next week?"

Butch nodded and thought back to the matching tickets on Sam's dresser drawers.

Rodney nodded. "Wouldn't it be hilarious, if suddenly, in the middle of the program, the sprinkler system went off?" He raised his eyebrows. "All those people in their monkey suits and cinderella dresses, soaked from head to toe?"

Rusty chuckled and joined in. "We can get all the teachers and all the smart kids. It's a nail one, get one free prank."

Rodney winked at him. "You got it!"

"So, what's the plan?"

Rodney gestured with his hands as he talked. "All right, we get inside, we get into the bathrooms and climb up into the ceiling."

"The ceiling?"

"Yeah, I've been up there a couple of times. We used to open up ceiling tiles and pour stuff on people walking by." Rodney smiled at the memory. "Anyway, when we get up there, we flick our lighters a couple of times near the sprinkler sensor above the lunchroom."

Butch couldn't believe it. "That's it? That's all it takes?"

Rodney shrugged, still smiling. "That's it! We've got some of those sensors in stock at the Electric Palace. They're easy to set off."

They'd be easy to get too, Butch thought, considering the hardware store is owned by Bart Rathbone, Rodney's father.

Rusty's eyebrows furrowed as he realized Rodney had forgotten the most important part of the plan. "How are we going to get inside?"

"Inside where?"

"The school. You have to have a ticket to get in the banquet."

"Oh." Rodney stopped for a moment. "I didn't think of that."

"I could pound somebody and just take them."

Rodney shook his head. "Nah, if the kid squeals it could blow the whole thing."

Butch spoke up. "I know somebody with tickets."

Rodney and Rusty both turned to look at him. "Who?"

"Sam Johnson."

A pause.

"Well, can you get them?"

"Sure," Butch reasoned. "He's an easy target."

"Now, you can't just take them," Rodney advised.

"Yeah, you have to be..." Rusty searched his mind for the right word. "Sneaky."

Butch smirked. "I can be sneaky."

[odyssey-owl]

TGTB&B Rewrite Scene 2

(Note: This is a rewrite of the AIO episode "The Good, The Bad, And Butch." The original episode dialogue was written by Marshal Younger. Any added/removed/altered dialogue and actions were written by me!)

Sam Johnson's bedroom was just as Brian had remembered it. Posters of famous movies and comic book characters were plastered over the pale blue walls. A short bookshelf and dresser drawers stood across the room from a nightstand and a twin sized bed in the corner. The ceiling was speckled with glowing stars, although the number of stars had decreased since Brian had last seen them. No doubt some of them lost their stick throughout the time and fell off. And, of course, the room was still clean. Not a speck of dust or clutter in sight.

"Let me guess," Brian started. "You hang up your clothes when you get home from school, don't you?"

Brian turned to Sam, who appeared slightly embarrassed, in the middle of folding his new uniform pants over a hanger. Brian grinned, knowing exactly how right he was. Sam slid open the door to his closet and put the hanger inside.

"Do you floss?"

"Sometimes."

"Recycle?"

"Yes."

"How many library cards do you have?"

Sam scrunched up his nose. "What?"

Brian shook his head. "Never mind." He perched on the edge of Sam's bed and picked up a Bible nearby. "The Bible on the nightstand," Brian mocked as he flipped through the pages. "Verses underlined and everything."

Sam had enough of the bullying. He got it from Rodney and Rusty, and he couldn't take it from a friend he actually cared for. "Look, Brian-"

"My name is Butch."

Sam was taken aback. "Butch? Since when?"

"Since I said so."

Butch eyed Sam's collection of trophies, which were placed in a row on top of the dresser. He hopped up from his seated position on the bed and walked over to them. The "Sam Johnson Hall of Fame," he called it. Butch counted the trophies, then he read the inscription.

"For Excellence In Academic Heptathalon Competitions." He glanced back over at Sam. "Y'know, you're not the only one who has trophies on their dresser. I've got one at home, too."

"Really? For doing what?"

"Nothing. I stole it." Butch snorted, and then he looked back to the display of achievements on Sam's dresser.

Next to the trophies laid two identical tickets to the Academic Awards Banquet, an event held at the end of each school year. It served both as a way to award the gifted students, and to motivate others to improve their studies. Sure enough, each year before the tickets were sent out, there was always a sudden rise in grades. Everyone wanted to go to the banquet, and to be recognized for something more.

Butch picked up the tickets and traced the embossed lettering with his finger. "Never been to one of those," Butch said, almost to himself. He then realized Sam was watching, shook his head, and continued. "Probably doesn't surprise you, does it?"

Sam shrugged. "You're pretty smart."

"Yeah, but I don't run right home after school and practice my multiplication tables." Butch looked to the other side of the room. He suddenly seemed like he didn't want to be near Sam at all.

"I'm going downstairs," Butch said. "I think I'd rather be bored somewhere else." Sam looked after Butch as he left the room, and shut the door behind him.

[odyssey-owl]

TGTB&B Rewrite Scene 5

(Note: This scene was not featured in the original AIO episode "The Good, The Bad, And Butch." It is a bonus scene written entirely by me!)

Finneman's Market was more of a shopping mall than a general store. It sold everything from groceries, to hardware, to comic books. It was also equipped with a beauty salon, library, record store, and an arcade, the latter of which found two unlikely friends spending their Saturday afternoon together.

It had been a few days since Sam and Butch had last talked to each other, in Sam's garage. So far, today, they played the basketball hoops, claw machines, various joystick games, and even visited a photo booth. They now stood opposite each other, with an air hockey table placed in between them. The score was 6-5, with Sam leading.

The puck rocketed back and forth across the table, spending barely a second on a side before being immediately shot back to the other.

"Could I ask you something?" Sam slid the hockey puck across the table surface.

"Sure."

"Well," Sam started, "You weren't at school the past couple days. I asked Rodney and Rusty if you were sick, and they replied that no, you had somewhere more important to be." Leaving out the part where they shoved Sam into a row of lockers, he continued. "I figured I'd ask you myself when you got back. And now, you are."

"Yeah..." Butch trailed off. "I was in Chicago."

"Chicago?" Sam crinkled his eyebrows. "Why?" He went for the winning goal.

Butch blocked. "Stayed at my cousin's. I just... had to get away from the house for a few days."

"What do you mean- get away? From who?" He stopped. "Your family?"

"My family isn't like yours." Butch sent the puck bouncing along the side walls.

"I know that."

Sam's hand slipped, landing the puck in his goal, and giving a point to Butch.

"Why did you ask? About my family, I mean."

Sam hesitated long enough for Butch to score again.

The scoreboard overhead blared twice and read 6-7, in favor of Butch. Seemingly unfazed by their previous conversation, he proudly smirked across the table.

"All right, all right, you win." Sam raised his hands in mock surrender. He then placed the mallets and puck back on the center of the table, and powered off the air.

Butch, being the winner, was permitted to choose the next game. He led Sam over to the pinball machine and stuck in a quarter. The screen blinked to life and the game began.

Sam had forgotten exactly how good Butch was at pinball. He watched as the score went higher and higher, and as Butch's face scrunched up in concentration. The levels gradually increased in number and intensity, and several minutes later the screen lit up with a new high score.

Ding ding ding!

"Ha!" Butch laughed and slapped a hand on top of the machine. "Beat that."

Sam pulled another quarter from his side pocket, inserted it into the machine, and locked eye contact with Butch. "You're on."

What the boys couldn't see, though, through the maze of arcade games and shelves, was a curious, young, glasses-wearing brunette, who turned her back away from the boys and frowned. Lucy Cunningham-Schultz was on the case.