~Ruby's P.O.V~

                                                                               (Ten years later)

I woke up to the sound of my blaring alarm clock, I smacked the snooze button and got out of bed groaning. I walked over to my vanity and brushed my hair straight, I sighed and gave up i could never get my stupid hair straight! And all the guys at school like brunettes or blonds, not a weird sixteen year old red-head like me:

Maybe I could try asking Beth if i could dye my hair blond again? Nah, why waste my breath she'll never let me go through with it. I got dressed and went down stairs, where my sister was looking at a newspaper, I grabbed a bowl of cheerio's and sat with her. 

"Did the newspaper do your article?" I asked her.

"Yeah" she said.

Beth worked as a journalist for the Daily Dodger, our local paper. She did articles on local businesses and events.

"You know, Ruby, the paper's looking for a new office assistant?"

I looked at her. "Oh!" I said "Anybody ask about it yet?"

"I was hoping you would ask" she said "you know as a summer job or you could do it after school too?"

"Oh... well, it sounds cool don't get me wrong! But I was hoping to wait till next summer to get a job" I said. 

"But I can't keep paying for you forever, Ruby" said Beth, putting the newspaper down. "I mean don't you think it would be better to earn your keep around here?"

"I earn my keep!" I protested "I do my own laundry and do the dishes and cook and pick up after myself!"

"Whatever, but when I was your age I had a job and was doing all that as well" she said.

"I'm going to be late" I sneered and grabbed my bag and slammed the door.

I headed for the bus and finally got to school. I put my stuff in my locker and headed to first period English. When I got there Mr. Calvin, our teacher, was giving new seating assignments. I crossed my fingers that I would be seated beside Justin Jefferson, he's the cutest boy in our class!    

"Jessica your beside baron, Sarah your beside William and Ruby..."

My heart stopped beating for a second.

"...your beside Gordon." 

I silently groaned, not Gordon, he was the biggest pervert in our school! He was always trying to pick up girls with cheesy and stupid pick up lines. Stuff like "if i could rearrange the alphabet I'd put U and I together!"

I looked over at Gordon, who was giving me kissy lips. I swallowed the puke in my throat.

"Uh Mr. Clavin, sir, could I be seated somewhere else please?"  I asked.

"You must take what you get, miss Jackson, that's a part of growing up" he said.

I took a seat beside *shudder* Gordon.

Gordon smiled at me. "You must be Cinderella because I see your t-shirt disappearing  at midnight" he laugh-snorted.

I rolled my eyes skyward "And you must live under a bridge because your a troll!" 

We were given a writing test which I'm usually very good at but that wart Gordon kept pestering me! By the time we were done I only wrote two sentences!

The rest of the day went no better, I tripped in the cafeteria and spilled my lunch on the floor and I missed the afternoon bus so I had to walk home... in the rain!

When I got home I was sopping wet, Beth was still at work for another two hours so I went upstairs to change into something dry.

I went to my closet to get a dry outfit, as I looked through the clothes I noticed a toy chest with my name on it. 

"I remember this" I said to no one in particular.

I pulled it out and looked at it, wondering if any of my old toys were worth anything today. Maybe if I earned some money it would get Beth off my back at the very least.

I pulled the heavy lid open and  saw a man curled up and sleeping in it.

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!" I screamed.

His eyes popped open. "AHHHHHHHHH!" he screamed back.

He jumped out of the toy box and stretched, cracking his neck.

I grabbed a baseball bat out of the toy box. It was made of plastic, mind you, but it was the only thing I had in my room that could be used as a weapon.

"Get out!" I yelled. 

"Oh, you wanna play baseball?" he said grabbing the plastic ball "batter up!"

He threw the ball and it bounced off the wall behind me and rolled at my feet.

"Ah c'mon, you didn't even swing" he said.

"Who are you!" I demanded "you better get out of here, my sister is going to be back any minute and she'll call the cops!"

"Your sister can't see me, remember?" he said looking around my room "wow, you really changed things around a lot in here." 

"What do you mean she can't see you?" I asked still holding the bat.

"Only you can see me" he said looking at my walls "ewww! why do you have posters of boy's on your walls!" he pointed to one of my boy band posters.

I dropped the bat. "Am i going crazy?" I said to him "Why am I the only one who can see you?"

"Because I came from your big fat imagination right there" he pointed to a spot on the right side of my head.

"M-my imagination?" 

"Well, that's usually were imaginary friends come from" he said "Duh!"

I took a closer look at him there was something about his eyes...

"Johnny?" I asked "Johnny B. Badd?"

He smiled "Hey Red."

AN: Ladies and Gentleman Johnny B. Badd has left the toy box! please comment!