A/N/ Warning: This fic is pretty much PWP, and takes place after #45, no huge spoilers, but it may be a little confusing at parts if you haven't read #45. Slightly Cassie/Marco-ish fic that makes absolutely no sense...but...um...it's angsty..and, uh, HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
Trick or Treat
"Trick or Treat!"
The old lady peered at the boy from under her glasses. "Well now, aren't you a little old to be Trick or Treating?"
He let out a sigh, which was muffled under his "Scream" mask. "Yes, I am lady. Now are you gonna give me some candy or not?"
To the boy's surprise the lady laughed and poured some candy into his bag. She poured some more into the bags of the five other young teens at her door.
"Hey, she gave us snickers!" Marco exclaimed as they walked away from the porch. "Awesome!"
Rachel made a face. "We've been Trick or Treating for two freakin hours and not a single Chocolate Chip flavored Quaker Oat's Chewy Granola Bars yet. What is wrong with this town?!"
"On the bright side, it's been two hours of Rachel in leather." Marco said, grinning. Rachel swung her nearly empty bag of Halloween loot (she was very picky about candy) dangerously near Marco's head, as Tobias made a faint attempt at laughter. Marco did laugh.
"Com'on Tobias, don't tell me you're not enjoying Xena-Rachel's costume."
Tobias blushed. The bag swung again and this time hit Marco directly in the back of his head.
"Oww.." he whined. "God, Rachel, do you have rocks in there or something?"
Rachel just smiled. "Maaybe."
Marco also smiled, despite the fact that none of them could see his smile. He was hiding behind a mask. One of those Scream masks that dozens of people always end up wearing. You couldn't have picked him out of a crowd- well unless you were a Yeerk. And that was where the mask came in.
It had seemed like so long since Marco had walked through the streets of his home, passed by kids from school. Jake, Cassie, Rachel, Tobias and Ax had all come along, although currently Ax's mouth was stuffed with candy bars/candy bar wrappers, and Jake and Cassie were lagging behind.
Jake was dressed as a soldier. Marco's idea of course.
Cassie ran ahead, Jake following her, to join the others. "Ax, paper goes in hand. Food goes in mouth. Paper does not go in mouth."
Ax struggled to respond, but it mouth was still full. Tobias grinned. "Don't bother Cass, he's hopeless." The rest began talking animatedly, but Marco fell silent.
Eventually, the others went off to their own separate homes. Marco was left to wander around until he decided to morph and fly back to the valley. But Jake, Rachel, Cassie, they were going back to their own homes. Their own homes, with warm beds. They'd go to school tomorrow. They'd see their friends.
It was so screwed up, this whole day, this whole holiday. His whole life. His whole life was so screwed up, and things were not looking up.
He felt a hand on his arm. "Marco?"
It was Cassie. She went home on a different bus than Jake and Rachel. Great. Cassie here to be understanding. Cassie here to analyze him.
"What?" he asked. The words came out cruel. Marco was glad.
"Nothing..just.. cool costume."
"Yeah, well, I'm planning on taking that originality prize."
Cassie laughed. "Whatever. I'm just happy you could come with us."
It was hard to find jokes with Cassie there, to find the right witty words to say. So Marco stayed silent.
"Does it.. is it weird?" Cassie finally ventured.
"Why?" he asked. Without waiting for an answer he continued. "Yes Cassie. It is weird. It is weird, walking in my own neighborhood. My own neighborhood! That's not just sad, that's disgusting. It's wrong." Cassie looked down, but Marco took no notice. The words just kept pouring out of his mouth.
"And this holiday... Pretend to be something you aren't. Hide behind a mask. I have to hide behind a mask in order to be in the place I grew up in." He laughed coldly. "Some metaphor there, huh?"
Cassie's brown eyes were looking at him solemnly and he felt hot tears in his eyes. He was suddenly very glad he was wearing a mask.
"You're right," Cassie said finally. "You're right. It's disgusting that you have to live this way, and it's completely wrong. You shouldn't have to deal. But Marco...you've got to. You've got to deal for the human race. I sound like a hypocrite, don't I? I'm..always trying to deal with myself, deal with what I have to do. And it's really really hard."
Marco tried to rub his eyes, wipe away the tears. Why was it that the war came out so bluntly and truthfully when he talked about it with Cassie? With the other Animorphs they never went into it, and often with Jake it was just pure awkward to really talk about. They preferred sticking to their normal non-emotion bearing topics. Video games. Basketball.
Cassie tried to go deeper. Maybe that's why I've always acted so distant towards her Marco thought as they walked in silence.
They stopped at Cassie's bus stop. Marco waited there with her, and when the bus came he got on. Cassie paid for his fare before he could protest and dig out the little money he might have had. Not a lot of pockets on him.
He got off the stop where Cassie got off. With Cassie. He could hardly process how weird this was, how surreal.
He walked with her until she had reached the farm. It was very dark. Marco prepared to morph osprey.
"I'll give you your Halloween candy tomorrow, if you want." Cassie said. "I mean, no way you're carrying it back in morph."
"Promise not to take any of it?"
"Well..." Cassie trailed off, then grinned. "Yeah, okay, okay."
"I'm taking your word for it." Marco warned. He handed the bag to Cassie.
Cassie's expression suddenly changed. "Marco...Please..just try to keep going." She winced. "I sound like a broken record. But you've got to try and deal."
"What do you think I've been doing?"
"Okay, keep trying to deal."
"Why don't you try 'dealing' in my shoes, Cassie?" Marco's voice was calm, but it quickly rose to a shout. "Why don't you try and see how easy it is?!"
Cassie took a step forward and lifted the Scream mask Marco was wearing, her hand touching his cheek. It revealed the tears streaming down his face, and slowly her soft hand began to brush them away. Marco just stood there.
A tear began to trail down her own face. Marco gasped.
"What am I..." Cassie stopped. Suddenly she was running away, towards her house.
Marco shook himself.
"What the hell?" he whispered. Quickly he began to morph.
He shouldn't have let her remove his mask.
~fin~