While I try to stop hyperventilating after those Rumbelle promos… have some FrankenWolf. Because they are adoreable.
"You're sure you don't want to go home and change really fast? We have time," Viktor's father tried to coax. It was just the two of them this morning, since Viktor's brother had a check up with the doctor and wouldn't be at school until later—despite the fact that Viktor had given him a perfectly good check up the night before with his stet'scope and decided he was just fine.
He fingered the round, shiny button on his coat and shook his head firmly. "No. I like this costume best," he insisted. Two weeks ago the whole family went to pick out costumes for him and for his brother for Halloween. The store was filled with every costume he could imagine, and some he didn't even know what they were.
His brother spent a solid hour looking through many different costumes before deciding on Captain America. For Viktor, the whole thing hadn't taken much time at all. After gazing only a little bit down a forgotten corner, he had immediately latched onto the odd black button up coat-jacket thing and the gloves he found nearby.
"What about Iron Man? Look at these costumes," his father almost immediately said, holding up a red and black costume. "Or look, Spiderman and Batman, or there's a ninja. What about pirates?"
Viktor frowned, clutching tightly to the items he had picked out. "I like this one best."
"What is it? It's not even a real costume," his father answered, pulling several other things and holding them up, but Viktor refused to even look at them. Squeezing past him, Viktor hurried down the aisle, snagging a men's hat and adding it to his collection.
His father was frowning at the things, confused. "What are you supposed to be?"
"A sort like… scientist thing. Someone that does 'speriments," he answered awkwardly. He wasn't sure exactly what it was supposed to be, but he wanted this. This costume. Nobody else would have it. Not like at lunch when there were at least six other boys in kindergarten who all had the same lunchbox. Or the three girls who had the same one.
At they pulled into the drop off circle, Viktor straightened a little and peeked out to see groups of kids walking into the school, all dressed in Halloween costumes. This week was 'spirit week,' and while he still wasn't sure exactly that that meant, he knew it meant they got to do fun things all week. One day they all wore crazy hats, and yesterday they got to wear pajamas to school. Today, Friday, was Halloween costumes.
"What the…" his father stopped himself just before he said the bad word, the one that meant he had to put money in the swear jar.
Viktor looked to see what caught his father's attention, and he smiled big when he finally realized what it was. Or anyway, who it was. Ruby Lucas was trotting happily up the sidewalk, her granny clutching her hand tightly, like that ever managed to slow her down. The girl was wearing a fuzzy, furry piece over her head that was gray and had two ears, with flaps that came down really low and let her tuck her fingers into little pockets. She was sporting a bright red puffy skirt with a gray tail on the back and gray leggings. Her shirt was black with a red wolf and had "Happy HOWL-oween" in glittery letters on the front.
"Weird kid," his father muttered before pulling up the curb and stopping the car so the teacher on duty could open the door.
"She's my friend, and I like her," Viktor answered confidently as he unlatched his booster seat and climbed out of the car. His boots made a satisfying thud on the asphalt, and he reached back just in time to snag his green Frankenstein stuffed guy that his mother had added to his collection at the costume place. His liked its zig-zagged stitch on the forehead and the shiny fabric of the bolts on its neck. It was his best toy since his science 'speriment set that he got for Christmas.
"Ruby wait!" he yelled, not caring at any of the kids who stared at him as he ran to meet up with her at the door to the school.
She turned and rubbed her nose, which was now a black dot with little whiskers drawn on either side. Ruby rubbed at her nose, streaking it, but it made him smile.
All around them, the hallway was more and more busy as everyone started to make their way to the gym where they waited until their teachers were ready. They always started school in here, and right now everyone was busy showing off costumes, even the biggest kids.
"Alright, ya little monsters. Be good, and I'll be here this afternoon for your party," Ruby's granny finally called to them, giving them a gentle push into the gym and slipping out with the other parents.
Ruby didn't seem to mind the fast goodbye. She never cried when her granny dropped her off, not even on the first day when half of the kids in their class were crying. "C'mon," she bounced eagerly and took his hand, hauling him toward the far wall where their grade lined up.
He was so busy staring at the way Ruby's skirt puffed out with every step that he didn't even notice they were walking past the much bigger third graders. His brother was in that grade, but most of these older kids didn't ever talk to them.
"Hey, look, Kindergarten babies!" one of the boys shouted, kicking out his leg.
Viktor jumped back, catching himself, but Ruby wasn't so lucky.
She tumbled down, all while the older boys laughed.
None of the teachers were nearby, and he knew better than to tattle. That only made it worse. He tugged Ruby to her feet and glared when another boy kicked half-heartedly at him. "Leave her alone!"
"Shut up," another boy retorted. "We can do what we want. Go line up with the other babies over there. What is that supposed to be anyway, it's not even a costume!" he laughed with the others.
"It is too a costume!" Ruby shrieked, lunging at the boys.
Viktor barely caught her in time, pulling her back before her little sharp nails could dig into them, her teeth snapping angrily.
"Go to the babies, crazy wolf," they taunted.
Ruby was ready to try another round, but he pulled her along, finally making it past a group of second graders who roundly ignored them. It was at the end of the row of tables that he realized she was walking funny. "They just say that because they're dumb," he said quietly.
"Our costumes are better than theirs anyway," Ruby agreed. She grimaced as they sat down in empty seats.
"I can fix it." He unzipped his backpack and tugged out his new stuffed toy, setting it on the table as he dug deeper, pulling out a bright red bandaid.
She touched the toy, eyes wide in awe. "I like him."
"Thanks," Viktor said with a little bit of a smile. He pulled the stretchy fabric up her leg, finally spotting the little red mark on her knee where she had skinned it. Carefully peeling off the covering, he pressed the bandaid in place and rolled down her leggings again. "There!"
She glanced down at her knee and gave him a smile now, rubbing away the almost-tears that had started when she fell. It smudged her whiskers even more, but he liked it that way. He liked her. "Here, look!" she said, unzipping her own backpack and tugging out a small black wolf that looked kind of like the one on her shirt. She danced it up beside his toy. "They can be friends."
He nodded, face warming a little. "Monster friends."
She gave her own bob of agreement, "Monster friends."