Chapter 9 -- Spoiled Peaches and Cream

Lukas tells Peaches that even though she's his only friend, he wishes he had more. He imagines she must feel the same way too so he introduces her to his sister Noel.

"Noel, this is Peaches, she's my bestest friend in the whole wide world. Would you like to meet her?"

Noel just gurgles in response before crawling off to find Denver. 

Depressed that even his little sister doesn't want to be friends he asks his father who just rolls his eyes and orders him to do his homework.

He imagines Peaches whispering all the correct answers to him and quickly scribbles them in so he can hang out with her more.

Meanwhile, S is out ghost-busting.

Her second call of the night is from a Simbot.

She almost can't finish her job because she is in disbelief that a Simbot would be affected by ghosts. They're an oddity of their own! Luckily, she manages to call down and banish this last ghost into oblivion.

The next morning rolls around and Lukas runs off to school. Tim is not excited about his job. Not. At. All.

The doorbell rings, bringing the first toddler by, so Tim puts on his happy face and goes to answer it.

"This mother doesn't look too happy about leaving her kid here... maybe she shouldn't. This job is such a joke," Tim thinks. He is planning on quitting his job as soon as he reaches the top of his career so he can go out on a high note.

After school Lukas is invited over to Gert Goolsby's house. It's not much of a house, with weeds growing inside among the mold. To use the bathroom you'd have to dig through rubble. There's not even a bed. She tells him that she's never invited anyone over before because of how embarrassed she is.

After playing some tag outside, Lukas says his goodbyes and promises to hang out again.

At home Lukas tells Peaches all about his new friend Gert.

Peaches has other plans for Lukas though.

As she contemplates her dire surroundings, Lukas worries that there's been some kind of radioactive explosion which has caused him to go fully insane.

She approaches him after a moment and he sheepishly looks away, not sure if this is his imagination playing tricks on him or not. The kids at school already make fun of him enough.

"Err, are you real?" he asks cautiously.

"Why of course I am Lukas-pookas! Now I can truly be your only and bestest friend! I can have real conversations with you, we can play tag, I can get you food or clean for you..." she rambles on.

"Cool! Only you won't be my only friend, cause I made a new one today! Her name's Gert and she--"

"Oh, the swamp girl?" Peaches asks, "Do you really think she's your friend? I'm the only friend you'll ever have and you know that Lukas. How could you think otherwise?"

Lukas gasps as he realizes she's right. He would be alone forever. Alone with an imaginary friend that is.