Andy was watching TV downstairs. His mom was taking a shower, and Molly was
asleep on the sofa next to him. Suddenly, he heard a scream, pounding, and
"ANDY! HELP ME!"
He raced upstairs. Ms. Davis was pounding on the bathroom door. "Andy! Help!"
"What's wrong?"
"I can't get out! This cheap knob is sticking again!" Andy rattled the knob.
"I can't get it!"
"Do something!"
"I am!" Andy backed up and threw his full bodyweight against the door. It opened, and his mother stepped out, dripping wet and hair in a towel.
"As soon as I get dressed, we're going to the hardware store to buy a new knob."
***
In Molly's room:
Jessie surveyed the room from her perch atop Molly's bed. Bo was across the room. There she is! Jessie mentally congratulated herself on her finds. She took a flying leap off the bed and started to sprint before she even hit the ground.
"Bo, can I ask you a question?" Jessie asked as she reached her destination.
"Yes, what is it?" Jessie suddenly turned red. "What's the matter?"
"It's kind of embarrassing." She mumbled, tugging on her braid. Quickly, she glanced around to make sure no one was looking, then whispered her question in Bo's ear.
"Is that all?" She smiled. "That's not so bad."
"It is for me." Jessie didn't look Bo in the eyes.
"Sure, I'll help you."
"Promise you won't tell anyone?"
"All right. No one is going to make fun of you." Jessie gave her a look. "Ok, Woody might tease you a little, and," She added. "Potato-Head probably would tease you. A lot." They walked out of Molly's room.
***
Bo led Jessie to the bathroom. "Um, is it too late to back out of this?" Jessie asked.
"Yes. Haven't you ever done this before?" Jessie shook her head. "Really?" Jessie shrugged.
"I've never needed to."
"Well, this was your idea." She pushed open the door. "Well…" Jessie stepped timidly inside. Bo followed and shut the door. "It's up there." She pointed to the sink and climbed up on the toilet. Swiftly, she pulled herself up on the counter and stood near the basin. Jessie just watched.
"Bo, I can't do this!" She hissed
"Why not?"
"It's embarrassing!"
"Look, if you don't like it, you can wash it off. Now come on." Jessie muttered a few dark words and climbed up.
"So what you want to do first?" Bo asked. Jessie just shrugged. "Maybe we should start small." She picked up some lipstick.
"What color is that?"
Bo opened it and rolled out the wax part. Then rolling it back, she said, "Not yours."
***
Half an hour later, Jessie looked her done up face in the mirror. "This feels funny."
"That wasn't so bad, was it?" Bo walked over to the door. She leaned over and tried the knob. "Jessie, could you help me? You're stronger than I am." Jessie shrugged and tried it.
"I think it's stuck."
"What do you mean, it's stuck?"
"What do you think I mean? Stuck as in it's sticking!"
"We're locked in!" Bo jumped off the counter onto the toilet and then the floor. "What do we do?"
"What can we do?" Jessie followed and pounded on the door. "Hello? Hello? Could someone help us! Buzz? Woody?"
"I don't think they can hear us." Bo sat down. "So…I guess we have to wait." Jessie sat across from her.
"How long?"
"I don't know."
"Well, at least we won't run out of air!" Jessie said cheerily.
"Of course we won't!" Bo sighed.
"But what about the spiders?"
Bo looked up quickly. "Spiders? What spiders?"
"Andy's mom found a spider when she was cleaning the other day. Andy had me down in the living room when we heard her scream. Who knows? There might be more!"
Bo climbed up on the toilet. "I think I'll stay up here."
"Aw, are you Little Bo Peep or Little Miss Muffet?" Jessie scoffed. "There's nothing wrong with spiders!"
"I don't like insects."
"Arachnids."
"Them either."
***
Three hours passed. "I'm thinking of someone that begins with 'B'." Jessie said.
"Buzz. You did that one. Twice." Bo replied. "All I'm thinking of is how to get out."
"I wonder if the boys have noticed we're gone."
"Why wouldn't they?"
***
In Andy's room:
"Have you seen Jessie?" Buzz asked.
"Nope." Woody shrugged. "Want some Pez?"
"Sure." Buzz held out his hand and Woody tossed him the candy dispenser.
***
"I'm sure they're real worried."
"They're probably looking for us."
Silence. Jessie broke it by giggling.
"What?"
"I was thinking about a joke Buzz told me."
"What is it?"
"A lawyer's wife dies. At the cemetery, people are appalled to see that the tombstone reads, 'Here lies Phyllis, wife of Murray, L.L.D., Wills, Divorce, Malpractice.' Suddenly, Murray bursts into tears. His brother says, 'You should cry, pulling a stunt like this!' Through his tears, Murray croaks, 'You don't understand! They left out the phone number!'" Jessie laughed. Bo just smiled.
"Cute."
"Well, I thought that was a riot."
"Woody told Buzz that one. He also told me."
"Oh."
Bo thought for a moment. "I have one you probably haven't heard. A mother told her daughter that in order to become a pretty woman, she must eat all her vegetables. The girl thought about this, and asked her mother, 'Why didn't you eat your vegetables when you were young?'"
Jessie laughed. "No, that's new to me." The two laughed together. Suddenly, Jessie stood. "I thought I heard footsteps."
"Careful! It might be Andy or his family! You don't want to get caught!" Bo warned as she hopped down off the toilet.
Jessie ran towards the door and tapped. There was a whisper from outside. She tapped again.
"There! I heard it again!"
"You're hearing things!"
"Buzz? Woody?"
"See! I told you!" Buzz said through the door. "Jessie?"
"Uh-huh! Bo's in here too!"
"Get us out of here!" Bo called.
"What are you doing?"
"We're trapped! The door's jammed!"
"What do you want us to do?" Woody asked.
"Open the door, Dummy!" Jessie snapped.
***
Outside, Buzz looked around. "How'd you get in there in the first place?"
"It was already open."
"Buzz, bend over so I can climb on your back." Woody instructed.
"Me? Why don't you?"
"Because I'm taller!" Buzz grumbled, but he got down on his hands and knees. Woody climbed on top and stood on his tiptoes. "I still can't reach!" He jumped off. "I have a better idea. Buzz, let me stand on your shoulders!"
"Oh no! I'll stand on your shoulders!"
"No way! You'll break my back…"
"I'll break both your backs if you don't shut up and get us out!" Jessie threatened. Woody rolled his eyes and let Buzz stand on his shoulders.
"Can you get it?"
"Stop moving around!" Buzz reached and groped to no avail. "No. Sorry." He got down. "Now what, Genius?"
"Hmm." Woody scratched his head. "Wait a minute! Why am I coming up with all the ideas? You think of something!"
"Fine! I will!" Buzz backed up. Then without any warning, he charged towards the door…
On the inside, the girls heard a loud thump, then a, "Dummy, did you really think that would work?"
Buzz got up off the floor. He scanned the area. "That's it!" He ran over the end of the hall and, struggling under it's weight, grabbed a broom. He set it up against the door and climbed it. He reached over and…"I got the knob!"
"That's great! Now twist it!" Woody sighed.
"Hold your horses, Cowboy! I'm getting there!" He rattled it. "It's still jammed! Jessie?"
"What?"
"I have an idea. Grab onto the knob and we'll open it together!"
"It's worth a shot." A few seconds passed. "All right."
"On the count of three! One!
"Two!"
"Three!" They chimed together. Slowly, the door creaked open.
"We're free!" Bo rushed out into Woody's arms. "We're free! We're free!" Jessie walked out, grinning.
"Yee-ha!" She smiled. "It's great to be out of there!" Then, she turned with a sly grin. "Oh Buzzy!" She sang.
"Y-Yes?" Jessie's smile vanished and she smacked him upside the head. "Ow!"
"What in the Green Earth took you so long?" She snapped.
"We were trapped in there three and a half hours! Didn't you even notice we were gone?"
"Um, well…yeah, we did but we figured you were off doing your own thing." Woody muttered lamely.
Bo rolled her eyes. "C'mon Jessie. Let's go."
"I'm thirsty. How 'bout we split a Sprite?"
"Sounds good to me." The two friends walked down the stairs.
Woody and Buzz just stood there. Finally, Woody said, "Well, it's nice to see them getting along so well."
"I don't know. If those two put their heads together, they could come up with some pretty clever mischief."
"I think you're giving them a little too much credit."
"Was she wearing makeup?" Buzz asked.
"Bo always wears makeup."
"I'm talking about Jessie."
"Beats the heck out of me." Woody shrugged. "I don't notice those things except on my girl."
***
The Next Day:
Woody was making checks on his list for the upcoming staff meeting when a rope wrapped around his waist.
"Argh!" He yelped as he was yanked backwards. "What's the big idea? What do you think you're doing…Bo?" Bo stood there holding the end of the jump rope. Jessie was next to her.
"You're right! It is more fun this way!"
"I told you!" The two walked away, chatting.
"Well, it's nice to see them getting along so well." Buzz mocked as he walked up behind him.
"Shut up and untie me." Woody sighed. Buzz laughed and complied.
He raced upstairs. Ms. Davis was pounding on the bathroom door. "Andy! Help!"
"What's wrong?"
"I can't get out! This cheap knob is sticking again!" Andy rattled the knob.
"I can't get it!"
"Do something!"
"I am!" Andy backed up and threw his full bodyweight against the door. It opened, and his mother stepped out, dripping wet and hair in a towel.
"As soon as I get dressed, we're going to the hardware store to buy a new knob."
***
In Molly's room:
Jessie surveyed the room from her perch atop Molly's bed. Bo was across the room. There she is! Jessie mentally congratulated herself on her finds. She took a flying leap off the bed and started to sprint before she even hit the ground.
"Bo, can I ask you a question?" Jessie asked as she reached her destination.
"Yes, what is it?" Jessie suddenly turned red. "What's the matter?"
"It's kind of embarrassing." She mumbled, tugging on her braid. Quickly, she glanced around to make sure no one was looking, then whispered her question in Bo's ear.
"Is that all?" She smiled. "That's not so bad."
"It is for me." Jessie didn't look Bo in the eyes.
"Sure, I'll help you."
"Promise you won't tell anyone?"
"All right. No one is going to make fun of you." Jessie gave her a look. "Ok, Woody might tease you a little, and," She added. "Potato-Head probably would tease you. A lot." They walked out of Molly's room.
***
Bo led Jessie to the bathroom. "Um, is it too late to back out of this?" Jessie asked.
"Yes. Haven't you ever done this before?" Jessie shook her head. "Really?" Jessie shrugged.
"I've never needed to."
"Well, this was your idea." She pushed open the door. "Well…" Jessie stepped timidly inside. Bo followed and shut the door. "It's up there." She pointed to the sink and climbed up on the toilet. Swiftly, she pulled herself up on the counter and stood near the basin. Jessie just watched.
"Bo, I can't do this!" She hissed
"Why not?"
"It's embarrassing!"
"Look, if you don't like it, you can wash it off. Now come on." Jessie muttered a few dark words and climbed up.
"So what you want to do first?" Bo asked. Jessie just shrugged. "Maybe we should start small." She picked up some lipstick.
"What color is that?"
Bo opened it and rolled out the wax part. Then rolling it back, she said, "Not yours."
***
Half an hour later, Jessie looked her done up face in the mirror. "This feels funny."
"That wasn't so bad, was it?" Bo walked over to the door. She leaned over and tried the knob. "Jessie, could you help me? You're stronger than I am." Jessie shrugged and tried it.
"I think it's stuck."
"What do you mean, it's stuck?"
"What do you think I mean? Stuck as in it's sticking!"
"We're locked in!" Bo jumped off the counter onto the toilet and then the floor. "What do we do?"
"What can we do?" Jessie followed and pounded on the door. "Hello? Hello? Could someone help us! Buzz? Woody?"
"I don't think they can hear us." Bo sat down. "So…I guess we have to wait." Jessie sat across from her.
"How long?"
"I don't know."
"Well, at least we won't run out of air!" Jessie said cheerily.
"Of course we won't!" Bo sighed.
"But what about the spiders?"
Bo looked up quickly. "Spiders? What spiders?"
"Andy's mom found a spider when she was cleaning the other day. Andy had me down in the living room when we heard her scream. Who knows? There might be more!"
Bo climbed up on the toilet. "I think I'll stay up here."
"Aw, are you Little Bo Peep or Little Miss Muffet?" Jessie scoffed. "There's nothing wrong with spiders!"
"I don't like insects."
"Arachnids."
"Them either."
***
Three hours passed. "I'm thinking of someone that begins with 'B'." Jessie said.
"Buzz. You did that one. Twice." Bo replied. "All I'm thinking of is how to get out."
"I wonder if the boys have noticed we're gone."
"Why wouldn't they?"
***
In Andy's room:
"Have you seen Jessie?" Buzz asked.
"Nope." Woody shrugged. "Want some Pez?"
"Sure." Buzz held out his hand and Woody tossed him the candy dispenser.
***
"I'm sure they're real worried."
"They're probably looking for us."
Silence. Jessie broke it by giggling.
"What?"
"I was thinking about a joke Buzz told me."
"What is it?"
"A lawyer's wife dies. At the cemetery, people are appalled to see that the tombstone reads, 'Here lies Phyllis, wife of Murray, L.L.D., Wills, Divorce, Malpractice.' Suddenly, Murray bursts into tears. His brother says, 'You should cry, pulling a stunt like this!' Through his tears, Murray croaks, 'You don't understand! They left out the phone number!'" Jessie laughed. Bo just smiled.
"Cute."
"Well, I thought that was a riot."
"Woody told Buzz that one. He also told me."
"Oh."
Bo thought for a moment. "I have one you probably haven't heard. A mother told her daughter that in order to become a pretty woman, she must eat all her vegetables. The girl thought about this, and asked her mother, 'Why didn't you eat your vegetables when you were young?'"
Jessie laughed. "No, that's new to me." The two laughed together. Suddenly, Jessie stood. "I thought I heard footsteps."
"Careful! It might be Andy or his family! You don't want to get caught!" Bo warned as she hopped down off the toilet.
Jessie ran towards the door and tapped. There was a whisper from outside. She tapped again.
"There! I heard it again!"
"You're hearing things!"
"Buzz? Woody?"
"See! I told you!" Buzz said through the door. "Jessie?"
"Uh-huh! Bo's in here too!"
"Get us out of here!" Bo called.
"What are you doing?"
"We're trapped! The door's jammed!"
"What do you want us to do?" Woody asked.
"Open the door, Dummy!" Jessie snapped.
***
Outside, Buzz looked around. "How'd you get in there in the first place?"
"It was already open."
"Buzz, bend over so I can climb on your back." Woody instructed.
"Me? Why don't you?"
"Because I'm taller!" Buzz grumbled, but he got down on his hands and knees. Woody climbed on top and stood on his tiptoes. "I still can't reach!" He jumped off. "I have a better idea. Buzz, let me stand on your shoulders!"
"Oh no! I'll stand on your shoulders!"
"No way! You'll break my back…"
"I'll break both your backs if you don't shut up and get us out!" Jessie threatened. Woody rolled his eyes and let Buzz stand on his shoulders.
"Can you get it?"
"Stop moving around!" Buzz reached and groped to no avail. "No. Sorry." He got down. "Now what, Genius?"
"Hmm." Woody scratched his head. "Wait a minute! Why am I coming up with all the ideas? You think of something!"
"Fine! I will!" Buzz backed up. Then without any warning, he charged towards the door…
On the inside, the girls heard a loud thump, then a, "Dummy, did you really think that would work?"
Buzz got up off the floor. He scanned the area. "That's it!" He ran over the end of the hall and, struggling under it's weight, grabbed a broom. He set it up against the door and climbed it. He reached over and…"I got the knob!"
"That's great! Now twist it!" Woody sighed.
"Hold your horses, Cowboy! I'm getting there!" He rattled it. "It's still jammed! Jessie?"
"What?"
"I have an idea. Grab onto the knob and we'll open it together!"
"It's worth a shot." A few seconds passed. "All right."
"On the count of three! One!
"Two!"
"Three!" They chimed together. Slowly, the door creaked open.
"We're free!" Bo rushed out into Woody's arms. "We're free! We're free!" Jessie walked out, grinning.
"Yee-ha!" She smiled. "It's great to be out of there!" Then, she turned with a sly grin. "Oh Buzzy!" She sang.
"Y-Yes?" Jessie's smile vanished and she smacked him upside the head. "Ow!"
"What in the Green Earth took you so long?" She snapped.
"We were trapped in there three and a half hours! Didn't you even notice we were gone?"
"Um, well…yeah, we did but we figured you were off doing your own thing." Woody muttered lamely.
Bo rolled her eyes. "C'mon Jessie. Let's go."
"I'm thirsty. How 'bout we split a Sprite?"
"Sounds good to me." The two friends walked down the stairs.
Woody and Buzz just stood there. Finally, Woody said, "Well, it's nice to see them getting along so well."
"I don't know. If those two put their heads together, they could come up with some pretty clever mischief."
"I think you're giving them a little too much credit."
"Was she wearing makeup?" Buzz asked.
"Bo always wears makeup."
"I'm talking about Jessie."
"Beats the heck out of me." Woody shrugged. "I don't notice those things except on my girl."
***
The Next Day:
Woody was making checks on his list for the upcoming staff meeting when a rope wrapped around his waist.
"Argh!" He yelped as he was yanked backwards. "What's the big idea? What do you think you're doing…Bo?" Bo stood there holding the end of the jump rope. Jessie was next to her.
"You're right! It is more fun this way!"
"I told you!" The two walked away, chatting.
"Well, it's nice to see them getting along so well." Buzz mocked as he walked up behind him.
"Shut up and untie me." Woody sighed. Buzz laughed and complied.