Happy Anniversary

Freddy wiped some imaginary sweat off of his forehead and looked around the party room. The preparations for the restaurant’s three-year anniversary celebration were coming along nicely. He and the other three performers were hard at work putting up decorations and re-arranging the room. The bear smiled and clapped his hands, grabbing the attention of the other animatronics.

“Alright fellas, we’re almost done,” he said. Chica let out a whoop of victory. Freddy continued. “If we can finish up before midnight we should all be able to take a pizza break.” This brought cheers from the other two animatronics as well, and together the entire group picked up the pace, eager to get their cheesy reward.

Bonnie and Chica were on one side of the room setting up a banner. The rabbit held a creaking chair steady while the chicken, one eye closed in concentration, wrote on the banner in large, bubbly letters.

“Thanks for the assist, Bonster,” Chica said. “You’re always such a great help.”

Bonnie chuckled, but before he could respond Foxy piped up from across the room. “I wouldn’t say always, lassie. Remember the time he tried to help out in the kitchen?”

“Yeah, I think the cameras are still broken,” groused Chica.

Bonnie’s ears folded down onto his head. “I said I was sorry. I didn’t know that would happen if I used the ovens like that.”

“Ya didn’t know not to put aluminum in the microwave, either,” Chica teased good-naturedly,” But it all turned out fine, didn’t it?” She nudged him with her foot. “Don’t worry about it.”

This drew a smile out of Bonnie. “Yeah, I guess so.”

“The lass is right,” Foxy said. “Even Freddy makes mistakes sometimes.” He paused to dip his hook into a paint bucket, the makings of a group painting on the wall in front of him. “Why, if I recall correctly he’s the reason we have rule 4.”

Freddy grumbled as he pushed a table to one of the room’s corners. “Shucks, how was I supposed to that poor boy needed to go that badly?”

“I remember that!” Chica said laughing. “Didn’t the poor janitor clock out early?”

“Yarr, that he did,” the fox said. “The point of the tale is, we all make mistakes Bonnie, so don’t get too worked up about it.” The pirate then stepped back to admire the artwork he had painted onto the wall with his hook. “Well, except me of course. This drawing be the best I’ve ever feasted me eyes upon.”

Bonnie, feeling better, decided to speak up with some teasing of his own. “You sure about that Foxy? What about that little crayon drawing you’ve had pinned up in your Cove for the past couple of years?”

Foxy, indignant, turned to him. “Don’t be disrespecting my booty like that!” He glared at Chica when she sniggered. “That drawing be the first I ever received from my little crew.”

“And it’s a very nice drawing,” conceded Bonnie. Foxy returned to admiring his painting satisfied.

“Voila!” Chica said beaming. She hopped off the chair and gave Bonnie a high five. “One celebratory banner, complete. Aww yeah!”

Freddy smiled at the sight of the yellow animatronic pumping her fist. “You did a great job, Chica.”

Foxy, finished giving his masterpiece the appreciation it deserved, was humming a shanty to himself as he compared two party hats in his hands. Glancing back and forth at them, he decided on the purple one and tossed the other over his shoulder. Placing it delicately on the head of Golden Freddy, who had been sitting in the corner the whole time, he nodded his head and gave a thumbs up. “Yer lookin’ good, matey.”

Golden Freddy said nothing.

Freddy climbed onto the stage and coughed. When three sets of eyes turned to look at him he began to speak. “I think we’re all done now, guys. It’s almost midnight, so let’s work extra hard to get that silly endoskeleton holed up in the security office into his costume so we can have our own little pizza party.”

Everyone cheered, and agreements floated through the air. A creak echoed down the halls as the guard arrived to start their shift.