Lisa and Peep boarded bus 23. Bus driver Otto snored and drooled while slumped over the wheel. He muttered to himself, "You darn kids will kill me one day..."

Peep asked Lisa, "Do you feel an icy breeze?"

Liza answered, "Oh don't pay any attention to that. We're pretty sure this bus is haunted by the ghosts of past bus drivers."

Peep looked at his yellow arm as goose bumps popped up and started quacking. Astounded he uttered, "Amazing."

Lisa looked at Peep adoringly. "You really aren't from around here, are you?"

Peep forgetting the Swedish accent said, "You have no idea."

Peep caught his reflection in the bus's rearview mirror. Although Peep's face was now a Simpson's yellow he retained his half pink, half black hair and his tattoos. Then looked down to see if Charlie the centipede still graced his new yellow arm. He did. As he stared at the tattoo it crawled around his arm three times until it settled back in place. The world of cartoons seemed very different to Long Island suburbia. He felt unsettled but he sorta liked it.

Lisa sat backwards in a bus seat. With her elbows propped up she held her face in her hands. She looked dreamy eyed and asked, "So Peep. Do they really let children get tattoos in Sweden?"

"Yah..." Peep thought up a lie and he thought it up quick. (For some odd reason other cartoons began influencing his thinking.) "Yah... in da Sweden we are treated like adults. No rules."

"Fascinating..." Lisa was more than smitten. "Will you take me there?"

Peep was lost. "Where?"

"To Sweden silly? I'm much too sophisticated for Springfield." Lisa primped her pointy, yellow locks.

"Oh... yah but you'd need your parents' permission." Peep sat in the row in front of Lisa.

Lisa slid into his seat and rested her head on his shoulder. "We could run away together. Wouldn't it be romantic?"

Peep answered, "I guess... but I'm only nine years old."

Lisa's mood changed. She became annoyed and erratic. "A kid can dream can't she?"

Peep didn't want to upset her so he tried his best to calm her down. "But maybe when we're teenagers? We could write letters..."

Lisa hugged Peep. She'd always wanted a penpal. "Yes... we'll have a long distance relationship."

Peep thought, "This girl has no idea how long distance they really are!"

Lisa got lost in her imagination. A bubble appeared above her head and Peep could see the entire scene played out before them. "When I turn 18 you'll come for me. We'll return to Sweden and get married. After the ceremony we'll ride away on your bicycle with a 'just married' sign on the back. My veil will float backwards in the breeze while all of Sweden cheers us on.... Later on we'll have 1.5 children."

Peep shivered when he saw a boy child resembling him and a half a girl child split down the middle. Cartoons were so graphic. Much too disturbing for children.

Lisa continued her daydream. "You'll become mayor of Sweden and I'll become a famous mystery writer. When my book tour takes longer then expected you'll grow resentful..."

Okay where is this going Lisa?

"You don't get reelected as mayor and you grow bored of caring for Lil Peep and Lili." Little Lisa whom they call 'Lili' is now 5 and still a half a girl. "At this point you're now covered in tattoos and you develop a drinking problem. I'm forced to cut my book tour short in Austria. NOW IT'S I WHO RESENT YOU!"

Um... Lisa are you still there?

All of a sudden Otto woke up. Startled he asked, "What time is it?"

Peep looked down at his wrist and a Mickey Mouse watch appeared. "It's 10:45."

The busdriver turned the key. "I'm late! Gotta pick up the kindergarteners!"

Lisa yelled, "It's Saturday!"

"Saturday?" Otto became angry and turned off the bus, "Then what the heck are you kids doing on my bus?"

Lisa glared at the busdriver. "It's Busdriver Appreciation Day. We're here to clean the bus."

Otto was dumbfounded. "In that case, carry on. But do so quietly." He slumped back over the wheel and passed out."

Peep headed for the door. "It's been fun Lisa but I gotta go."

As Peep placed his hand on the lever to open the bus door Otto woke with a jerk. Grabbing the lever he said, "No one touches this but ME! Understand weird little dude?"

Peep stammered, "I'm s-s-s-sorry."

Lisa yelled at the busdriver. "Otto stop being such a bully! Go back to sleep!" Then she turned her attention to Peep. "Please don't go. I haven't found you a present yet."

Peep glanced over the bus. The seats were tattered and several of them had exposed springs. The windows we clouded with dirty fingerprints and smeared with jelly. Every surface was sticky. He glanced under the seats and saw a tiny gray mouse stuck in some spilled blue gatorade.

When Lisa noticed what Peep was staring at she pulled a pack of wet naps from her pink fanny pack. Together she and Peep freed the little fellow. Once the wee little mouse was wiped clean he scampered away through a hole in the floorboard.

"Oh man..." Lisa was dejected. "He woulda been the perfect present for you."

"Don't worry about it." Peep spoke sincerely. "Being with you has been a present enough."

"You mean it?" Lisa asked with hearts dancing in her eyes once again.

Peep answered, "Sure... why not?"

Lisa quickly felt in between the seats. She pulled out a petrified apple core, a dirty gym sock, a barbie doll with a missing leg, four Lego pieces and a large shiny marble. The clear red marble had swirls of white throughout. Lisa held it out to Peep. "Here this is your present. I hope you never forget me Peep."

Peep held the marble between his fingers. He marveled at it. He could see his own yellow reflection in it. Then he saw Locket's reflection. She was still a cartoon but had returned to her normal blue size. She whispered in Peep's ear. "We gotta gooooo!"

Lisa gasped when she saw Locket. "Who's that? Wait—isn't she your host mother?"

Locket became angry, "Who you calling a mother little girl?"

-End of Chapter 22-

Author's note: Writing about the Simpsons us so fun! Where should we go next? Scooby-Doo?
Thanks for your votes and comments all you beautiful guys and dolls! Hugs! ❤️❤️❤️🤟🏼🤩