A SECOND CHANCE

Suddenly, my beautiful high got heavy and ugly as I crashed back to earth. "What?!" I demanded, picking myself off the ground.

"Pipe down!" Clyde again reprimanded.

"What do you mean he has to leave the country?! You just said..."

"I said we were gonna have a little chat about 'reality'. And you know Boyo and the mutt's gotta go. They're now considered threats to the United States. The name of the game has been changed from 'Dead or Alive' to 'Shoot to Kill'. Abroad, they'd have a better chance of avoidin' the fuzz."

"But how will they survive?"

"Leave that to me. I have a small fortune in a Swiss bank account. Enough dough to last me a couple of lifetimes. Now that the boys ain't gonna need it, I'm sure they won't mind sharin' it with two souls down on their luck."

"But can't they stay here?" I asked. "I mean, I can hide them at my place. I can..."

"Yeah. Right," he countered. "Doin' the 'Anna Frank' thing in your basement or attic, never goin' outside, afraid of capture...and makin' you an 'accessory'. Ya might as well throw 'em in prison. At least on the lam, they'd be free."

"Okay then...take me with you," I demanded. "I'll do whatever you say. I'll be his moll. I'll..."

"And you're willin' to drop your whole life to go on the lam with us? Give up everythin'? Your family? Your friends? Let me tell you somethin', Dink. It ain't the life for you. Not for your pals, either. I lived it for years. I missed my own father's funeral 'cuz the fuzz had it staked out.

"Look kid, your pals ain't gotta choice right now, but you do. So let's make this easier on all of us. I know you love those mugs, but if you tag along, you'll make a rotten situation worse."

"How dare you," I growled as tears burned my eyes. "How dare you tell me that he loves me, then throw this crap in my face!"

"It's reality, Dink," he answered sternly. "Gets thrown in everybody's face. I learned that the day I stopped growin'."

I wanted to tell the little shrimp off, but I couldn't. Reality was looking me in my face, so naturally it was going to turn and fart in it again. "But I...I love him," I whimpered. "It's so unfair."

"Life usually is," Clyde returned. "We live in a world where, if you burn the American flag, you're a 'courageous patriot displayin' your freedom of speech'. But if you think that maryjane should be legalized for 'medical use', you're a 'long-haired hippie commie faggot who supports terrorism and eat children'. A pedophile has more rights than you do. Go figure."

"But what...what if he meets...someone..."

"He won't. Boyo's hooked on you like a fat kid on Big Macs."

Upon hearing that, I smiled through my tears. "Shaggy...likes Big Macs."

Clyde pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to me. "Now c'mon, Noah. Save the flood for your boyfriend. We don't have much time and I'm sure you wanna, well, you know..."

I blew my nose. "Thanks. So how are you guys going to leave?"

Looking into the sky, Clyde pointed to a large object floating above us, a small blimp with a boat-shaped gondola. Both were rather hard to see. They were black. If not for the stylized white skull and cross-bones mounted on the nose of the airship, it would be almost invisible.

"That's the gondola to Peter Potamus' magic hot air balloon," I said. "The one that was stolen by Dora the Explorer. But she replaced the balloon with a dirigible. "

"She goes by the handle of 'La Pirata Dora' now," Clyde said. "And we gotta make like Superman before sunrise." And with that, Clyde turned toward the graves of his fallen comrades. "See you mugs in the Big House." He then walked onto the road and beckoned me to follow.

"How does Dora figure in all this?" I asked, joining him. We walked over to the Mystery Machine and placed Penelope in the back, then we continued down the road.

"The kid owes me a favor. Me and the boys were partyin' in Arizona when the INS caught Dora, thinkin' she was illegal. They were gonna deport her to Mexico by loadin' her into a catapult and shootin' her over the wall. We saved her before they could pull the firing switch. We also, sorta, let two hundred 'illegals' back into the country…"

"Well, somebody gotta do the jobs that nobody wants. But where are you going?"

"Jamaica first, then on to Amsterdam."

"Jamaica and Amsterdam? What's in Jamaica and Amsterdam?"

Clyde smiled. "You know what's in Jamaica and Amsterdam."

I thought for a second. "Oh, yeah. THAT'S what's in Jamaica and Amsterdam."

We went off the road and started walking up the hill. Ahead, I could hear Shaggy's voice. As we climbed, I thought about what I was going to do once I reached the top. It was so horrible. I finally know how he feels about me...and I'm ready to share my life with him...and we have to say goodbye to each other.

We reached the top of the hill, leading to a small clearing. Dora had landed her airship and was talking to Suzie. She was dressed in a black uniform with a long cape and the stylized skull and cross-bones, like the one on the bow of her dirigible, on her chest. There was a large scar on her face that ran from the bridge of her nose and across her left cheek, while an eyepatch covered her right eye.

She saw Clyde and me and ran over to us. "Hey! 'Gringo Bandito'!" she shouted, embracing the little man.

"Hey, 'Poko Frito Bandito'," Clyde returned, hugging the child. The two jabbered in Spanish for a minute until I interrupted.

"Excuse me, Dora. Can you tell me where Shaggy…" Then, I saw him as he stepped out from behind the gondola. He was talking to Penny, who then noticed me.

"...like when he said 'water boarding', I thought we were, like going..." Noting Penny's distraction, Shaggy turned and saw me. "...surfing..."

For I don't know how long, we both stood there, silently, pondering what to do next. I wanted to say a million things, but the words were stuck in my throat. Then, we both ran into each other's arms and embraced, locking our lips together as we held on like our lives depended on it.

Yeah, he was a goofy looking hippie who eats dog food, has the balls of Dr. Smith and the IQ of a good golf score, but I love him. I love him and I don't want to let him go. Finally, we came up for air as we broke our kiss, still holding on to each other.

"Oh Shaggy," I said. "I thought I'd never see you again."

"Like I thought I never see you again, Velma," he returned, his voice horse with emotion.

Then, we heard whimpering down at our feet. I looked down and saw Scooby, looking up at me with those baby seal eyes. I knelt down beside him and gave the big lug and hug. "I love you too, Scooby," I told him.

"I wobe you too, Welma," he answered, leaning against me.

"You know, that's the second time you save my life, boy. Thank you for giving me a second chance."

"Both of us a second chance," Shaggy added.

I returned to Shaggy, sadly looking him in the eyes as I tried to think of something to say so we can get it over with. "You smell happy."

"Yeah," he returned. "I...borrowed one from your belt. I hope you don't mind."

"No. Not at all."

"I have a little left if, like you want to..."

"No, you keep it. I have more at home."

He gave a nervous giggle. "Like we'll both be needing it later on."

"Yeah. Later on...after you...Shaggy...Clyde told me..."

"I know. He told me the same thing."

"He also told me about how you feel about..."

"For a little guy, he likes has a big mouth. The little bat chick told be about how you..."

"Penny has a big mouth, too. Oh Shaggy. I don't want you to leave."

He gently placed his hands on my shoulders and looked me straight into my eyes. "I don't want to leave either, Velma. But I..."

"And I..."

There wasn't anything else to say. Nothing we could say. All we could do was crash into each other, wrapping our arms around ourselves, hot tears stinging my eyes. "Jinkies," I murmured. "How did it come to..."

"Sheeesh," Shaggy hushed. "Don't think about it. Just think about us."

"Soon...there won't be an us..."

Shaggy broke the embrace, gently taking both my hands and pressing them before me as his reddish eyes gazed into mine. "Velma, I will come back. We will be together. There will be an..."

"Hey Gringo!" Dora yelled. "Time to leave! Say adios to your lady and let's vamoose."

"...us."

We looked into each other's eyes, then our mouths collided. When we stopped kissing, we linked pinkies together, our eyes locked onto each other. We both had our 'brave face' masks on, trying to accept the marshmallow in the cowpie that was placed before us.

"Take care of yourself, Shag," I said.

"You too, Vel," he replied.

"I love you."

"I love you."

"Uh, Amante," came a small voice below us. Shaggy and I looked down and saw Dora, her large, brown eye gazing sadly up at us. "We have to go. We need to be in the air before sunrise so we won't get shot down by the F-15s and...and..." The child then turned away from us, adding in a voice marred with sobbing, "...let's just go."

Shaggy and I broke pinkies as he turned and walked over to the gondola. As he climbed aboard, he glanced back to me and said, "Goodbye, Velma."

"Goodbye, Shaggy," I replied. Our masks were still on, but they were slipping. My lower lip was quivering. Shaggy wasn't doing much better. Then, I felt something brush beside my leg. I looked down and saw Scooby, still stareing at me with those baby seal eyes. I smiled through my tears as I rubbed his head. "You take care of yourself too, Scoob."

"Wu too, Welma," he replied as he joined Shaggy on the gondola. They continued to look at me from over the side. Clyde had his back towards us. The little tough man didn't want us to know he was crying.

"Okay, gringos," Dora sniffed, climbing aboard the craft and entering the pilot house, "It's hip-hip-hip and away we go."

Then, the airship took off and drifted towards the sky. Up, up and away. I continued to watch as it ascended unto the heavens, my brave face still intact. It got smaller and smaller and smaller until it disappeared from sight.

And that's when I crashed, dropping to my hands and knees as I broke down. It wasn't the drug like before. It was the pain...the pure agony...of losing him. Tears splashed my glasses as my brave face fell completely off.

Suzie knelt beside me and helped me off the ground. "I'll do anything I can to help them, Velma," she said as I removed my glasses to wipe them off. "I owe it to them...I owe it to you."

"Don't worry, Dink. Things will work out in the end," Penny assured. "I mean, they're the Good Guys and...and the Good Guys always win."

I knew they meant well, but their words of comfort were for naught. The man that I love, and the dog who saved me twice, has just disappear from my life and all I could do was stand by helplessly.

I replaced my glasses and resumed looking unto the heavens as the clouds in the eastern sky began to glow red. The Lamb and the Dragon stood by me and, with tears in their eyes, shared my lose.