Rob steps out of his apartment door with Shaggy by his side. He walks down the stairs onto the sidewalk.

-KLUNK-KLUNK-CLATTER-CLINK-CRACK-

“Aww, dang it.” Someone mistakenly drops his bag of groceries. The sound catches Rob’s attention; he turns to look, only to find a teenager in a weird outfit. The boy sports leather breastplate armor, with shoulder pads over a polo style T-shirt and knee braces over his jeans. He wore a pair of stylish sneakers on his feet and hung a sheathed sword on his back.

The boy crouched down

The boy bent over and started gathering the scattered groceries, carefully placing them back into the bag. As he reached for the crate of eggs, he opened it to check inside, only to find that every single egg was broken. “Curses!” The boy retorted.

“Hey, let me help you replace those,” Rob's voice called, catching the boy's attention.

“Really? Thanks, that would be so helpful.” The teenager said.

Shaggy approached the boy and his groceries. “Hey, back away from my groceries, dog!” He retorted.

"Relax, kid, Shaggy’s not a threat to your groceries; isn’t that right girl?” Rob said, playfully patting Shaggy on the head.

“Okay.” The teenager picked up the crate of broken eggs and flung it into a nearby trash can. With his grocery bag clenched in his hand, they all began walking toward the nearest grocery store.

“What character are you cosplaying as?” Rob asked.

“What’s cosplaying?” The teenage boy returned.

Rob’s eyes scanned the boy’s outfit with a confused expression. “Uh, never mind... What’s your name, kid?” he asked.

“Carlton,” the teenager replied.

“Nice name. Where are you from?”

“Uhhhh, Earth.”

Rob raised an eyebrow. “Like, where on Earth?”

Carlton thought for a moment. “I don’t know,” he said innocently.

Rob’s eyes narrowed, his expression becoming even more confused. “Um, sure.”

They reached the part of the street where children regularly play soccer.

“Hey Mr.” One of the children greeted Rob, causing the others to follow suit.

Rob waved a reply with a smile while shaggy barked playfully at them

Soon they reached the grocery store. “Now you wait outside, shaggy.” Rob commanded, and Shaggy obeyed. They walked into the restaurant, and Rob bought Carlton the crate of eggs, then they walked out of the store.

“Thanks for the help, Mr.” Carlton thanked, waving goodbye to Rob.

Rob returned the gesture, then began his journey back to his apartment building and the café with Shaggy. When they arrived, Rob took his usual seat at the counter, and Shaggy lay next to him.

“Hey, Jasper.”

As usual, Jasper was standing at the counter, waiting for nonexistent customers.

“Yo,” Jasper responded.

“I’ll have a coffee, please.”

“Sure.” Jasper nodded and began preparing the coffee. “So, what’s the plan for today? Caught that grave digger yet?”

"No, I haven’t caught him yet. I still don’t know what the strange writings are, and I have no idea what his motives are. But I feel like I’m really close. Today, I’m following my cousin Victor to BU; I think I might find something there.”

“You made up with your uncle?” Jasper asked.

“Hardly. Everyone else has moved on from the past, but the man is still shutting me out.” He took a deep breath. “He doesn’t get it. He doesn’t understand how hard it was to walk away, how much I needed to... but he doesn’t care.”

“You shut him out first, though.”

“Yeah… I did. I know that. But it wasn’t because I wanted to; it was because I had to. I couldn’t keep pretending everything was okay. I tried to make things right; I tried to apologize but he won’t even let me.”

“It’s really hard to accept an apology that comes seven years after the offense.”

Rob stared at his coffee, swirling it absentmindedly. “I know. But I thought... I thought maybe, just maybe, we could start again. But now? I don’t know anymore. Everyone’s forgiven me—Nora, Victor, Aunt Antonia, even Mama Tinuke—but not him. I don’t even think he wants to forgive me. I’m just... I’m just done trying. I honestly don’t care anymore.”

Jasper placed Rob’s coffee in front of him. “Sure, kid.”

Rob took a sip before speaking. “As usual, you make the best coffee ever, Jasper.”

“You flatter me; I wouldn’t call it the best coffee,” Jasper said.

“Well, it’s the best I’ve ever tasted,” Rob replied.

“Is that so?” Jasper chuckled.

Soon after, Rob’s phone buzzed. Victor had sent a chat.

—I’m at the address, I think. I can’t find the café.—

Remembering Café Two is hard to find, Rob replied.

—Hold on, let me come get you.—

Rob got up, and Shaggy, sensing his movement, got up too, eager to follow. But Rob stopped her gently, holding her back. “You stay here with Jasper, girl.” He bent down and ruffled her fur, his fingers running through the soft strands as he scratched behind the ears.

Shaggy tilted her head, and her ears perked up in a way that only a dog could manage. She let out her tongue, looking up at Rob with trusting eyes.

Rob turned his attention to Jasper. “I’m not sure if they allow dogs in BU... Will you watch her for me?” he asked.

“How long will you be gone?”

“I’ll probably be back by evening,” Rob replied.

Jasper sighed in slight exasperation. “Sure, why not?”

"Thanks, Jasper; you’re the best.” Rob thanked. “Bye bye, girl,” he added, watching her as she lay down at Jasper’s feet.

Rob walked out of the café, through the alley and onto the sidewalk. As soon as he stepped into view, he spotted Victor standing by the curb, casually leaning against his car.

“Hey Victor.”

“Oh, hey, Rob,” he said, shaking Rob’s hand firmly but awkwardly. “So, uh, you ready to go?”

“Yeah, I’m ready. Hold on a sec,” Rob answered. He walked back to the café window and waved a final goodbye to Jasper and Shaggy, then turned to Victor. “Alright, let’s go.”

They made their way to Victor’s sleek, high-performance sports car.

“They let you ride this instead of a cop car?” Rob asked, admiring the car’s polished interior.

“Yeah,” Victor replied with a smirk. “I’ve got a reimbursed mileage arrangement. The BPD pays for fuel and maintenance.”

Rob raised an eyebrow. “Nice.”

Victor started the engine, and the car purred to life, sounding like a predator ready to pounce. They sped off, leaving the quiet streets of Birchwood behind them. The hum of the engine filled the air, drawing the attention of townsfolk as they passed.

Victor broke the silence after a moment. “So, how’ve you been?” he asked, glancing over at Rob.

“Oh, I’ve been alright. Busy, but alright,” Rob replied, unsure of where to steer the conversation.

Victor nodded but didn’t press further. The air between them grew thick with tension, the years of distance still lingering. Rob turned his gaze out the window, his eyes tracing the scenery, trying to find something to focus on.

An uncomfortable silence settled between them until Victor suddenly spoke up again, pointing to the dashboard. “Hey, do you want to listen to some tunes?”

Rob gave a half-smile, eager to break the silence. “Sure.”

“Great, you’re going to love this.” Victor unlocked his phone and connected it to the car’s Bluetooth system, selecting a pop-punk/surf rock song. As the upbeat rhythm started playing, the first line blared through the speakers: “What’s good shooby boo, I’m coming after you, we’re gonna solve that mystery…”

Rob grinned, recognizing the song immediately. “Ayyyyyy, the opening theme song for the Shooby Boo cartoon. We loved this as kids. Sang by Easy Scheme, right?”

Victor’s face brightened, the awkward atmosphere slowly dissolving. “Yeah, coming back after school to watch the gang and their dog Shooby solve mysteries was the best experience as a kid. Plus, Easy Scheme is such a good band.”

“Yeah,” Rob laughed, “and we were huge fans of them. I’m surprised you still remember this.”

Victor shrugged; a nostalgic smile creeped on his lips. “I could say the same for you.”

Rob chuckled. “I remember you had the best Shooby Boo impression.”

“Shooby Shooby Boo!” Victor Jests in a funny, deep and raspy voice.

Rob couldn’t help but burst out laughing. “Man, the funny thing is I still remember all the lyrics.”

“For real? Me too; let's sing along.” Victor turned up the volume and sang along with the next line: “Don’t give up, you may find another clue, Shooby treats will be waiting here for you.”

Rob joined in without hesitation, singing the words perfectly. “What’s good shooby boo, I’m coming after you, we’re gonna solve that mystery, see you shooby boo, we’re waiting here for you, what’s good shooby booooo…” They sang together, louder and more carefree than they had in years, the joy of childhood memories flooding back. The awkwardness had long gone, replaced by the ease of shared laughter and music.

“The characters relationship with their dog Shooby; it kind of reminds me of you and Shaggy.” Victor commented.

Rob laughed. “Oh yeah?”

The song ended, and another one began. “A billion photos of you, will never satisfy, now you’re holding my hand, and I’m falling in love…”

Rob smiled. “Oh, I remember this one. One of their best songs.”

Victor chuckled and joined in, their voices harmonizing effortlessly. They sang and laughed like teenagers again, breaking the ice that had built up over the years, their friendship slowly returning to what it once was.

As they drove through Birchwood, they reached the part of town near the sea. The scenic view of the beaches and the vast sea came into view. The ferries were carrying tourists across the waters, and families played on the sand while others relaxed under the sun. The sound of cargo ships honking in the distance filled the air.

“Wow, been a while since I’ve seen this part of town,” Rob remarked.

Victor nodded, his gaze distant. “I remember when your dad used to bring us, with Nora, to this beach. We’d play pirates and hunt for seashells.”

Rob chuckled. “Yeah, and we’d always get covered in sand, and Uncle Uche would scold us for it.”

Victor’s laugh was nostalgic. “I really do miss those days.”

Rob’s smile faltered for a moment as the weight of the past settled on him. “I miss them too, Victor.”

Victor shot Rob a sympathetic look before focusing back on the road. The music played on, and they both sang along again, the miles passing by as their once-great friendship began to heal. The tension, the awkwardness—all of it was slowly fading away as they drove toward Birchwood University.