He was all over her, like a dog. The young Marina was pinned beneath him with a smirk on her face as The Pumpkin King pinned her, a look of such anger was on his face that would terrify even the most bravest of mortals, his anger though was pointless, Sally had seen enough of their act to last her for the rest of eternity as she abandoned her basket of goodies she had been bringing to him as well as the spare key Jack had given her for if she ever wanted to visit.
"Now Sally, sometimes I'll be in the observatory and wont be able to hear the bell, so I want you to take this key and use it whenever you wish, If there is ever a time you need a haven from anything just come here, whether I am out scaring or indoors with Zero." Jack had said, looking down at her with a soft smile, one that she returned somewhat shyly as she examined the key, it had a skeletons head for a handle with a bat shape for the actual lock itself, she smiled and pulled a thread of yarn from her pocket, she looped it through the eye of the skeleton handle and held the necklace of sorts up, she looked to Jack with her ebony eyes and asked shyly. "Could you perhaps put this on for me?" She asked, looking at the ground timidly, afraid to meet his eyes, or rather eye-sockets. With a hearty laugh he did exactly that, letting the key fall to her neck, he took a moment to admire the brilliant, pumpkin-orange colour and to feel the rich yarn that framed her somewhat rounded face. He smiled at her as she turned, he placed her hands on his shoulder and felt him leaning somewhat closer, "Sally..." He let their foreheads meet, gulping slightly at their closeness before Zero barked, startling the king and the blue ragdoll in his arms, the king stepped back and Sally felt she could breathe again as Jack quickly finished his sentence. "Your always welcome here, my friend." He said, smiling politely.
Sally sighed and carried on walking, so what if Jack had chosen to take up a new partner, alright, so Sall was only his best friend but it still hurt, knowing that he hadnt told her about his feelings for another and that was what hurt the most, she thought he trusted her, with a sigh as she pushed all thoughts of Jack out of her mind her black shoes clicking along the cobblestones as she walked by the fountain, looking at the green water inside, it was a godsend to some, healing them of all problems, but to others it was a deadly poison and could kill within half a hour if the witches couldn't get to you in time. The rag doll sighed and headed through town, deciding to spend the last few souls of her allowance there, she looked through the wares of the shop, lingering especially over the cloths and threads, she picked up a few rolls of fabric and smiled at them, for the moment putting Jack and Marina out of her mind, her head shot up as she heard footsteps from outside, she slunk into the shadows and waited to see who it was, she let out a quick sigh of relief as she saw it was just mayor with is tall hat, she slipped out of the shadows and smiled at the mayor, speaking to him quietly. "Hello, mayor." She smiled, dipping her head slightly as she looked down at the shorter man, he looked up at her and replied cheerily, "Morning Sally!" He took of his hat, he was in the presence of a lady after all. He continued to converse with her, "Have you seen Jack anywhere?" He asked, somewhat nervously, making Sally aware that however she responded would determine which side of the two faced politician she would see, she mentally said to herself, 'I wish I hadn't.' Before shaking her head. "I think he went to his house last night, he looked a bit strange so I think we should leave him alone for a bit, is there anything I can help you with?"
The mayor's head did a full three hundred and sixty degree turn, his sad face in place for a few beats of Sally's undead heart before it whirred back onto its happy side at her offer to help. "Well, we do a need a new seamstress for the costumes this year..." He begun before smiling at her. "I have the perfect place you can work! I'll give you three hundred souls for each day you work as well as whatever the customer pays for the costume, you won't even need to buy the materials! What do you say Sally?" He asked excitedly, looking up at her hopefully with his one good eye, the blue doll couldn't help but smile and nod at the offer, it would keep her mind off Jack for a time as well as give her a job, one for three hundred souls a day at that! "I'll do it, when do I begin?" She asked, almost as excited as he was, he quickly handed her a list. "Here is the list of customers and their measurements as well as what they want to be the Halloween! But hurry please, there is only 120 days, 16 hours, 26 minutes and 57 seconds until Halloween." He said, replacing his hat before heading deeper into the shop, Sally looked at the list of customers she was given, at the top was a little key of the colours that the names were written in.
'Red means top priority, Orange means important whilst Green means that it is just a citizens request.'
Sally smiled yet shook her head at the mayors bizarre way of labelling things with colours before running through the list of names mentally.
'Corpse kid, 57cm tall, 35cm waist, 12cm arm girth. Wants to be a demon
Helga, 45cm tall, 21cm waist, 10cm arm girth. Wants a new witch costume
Shock, 65cm tall, 28cm waist, 11cm arm girth. Wants to be a cat.
Jack Skellington, 118cm tall, 30cm waist, 16 arm girth. Wants a black and orange suit, bat tie preferred.'
Sally stopped reading at the last name, her earlier sadness and anger at Jack once again claimed her as she stuffed the list into her pocket, she took the materials she thought she would need and paid for them with the last of her souls, she looked around outside and saw the mayor pitching up a large tent, it had a banner over it that read; 'Seamstress' Tent' and Sally couldn't help but smile, she walked over to it slowly, admiring all the pretty rags of cloth it was made of, reminding her much of the dress she used to where before her father, Dr. Finkelstein made himself a wife, giving Sally the freedom she so desperately craved, she looked down at the dress she now wore, made out of the deepest midnight blue she could find, it cut off just above her ankles, giving her the ability to walk freely without the risk of falling over, on the bodice was a white spider, an embroidery of white silk, the same type used by the creatures to make their webs, there was a collected amount of silvery web at the meeting of her hips before it dispersed downwards, trickling like raindrops on a windowpane, down the dress. She pouted for a moment, her lopsided mouth looking even more disfigured, she turned away from the tent and went back to the lab, pulling out the key from her small bag, she was greeted warmly by Jewel, her mother of sorts. She headed up to her room, flinching as her name was called from the lab quite suddenly, she shook her head with a smile, old habits die hard, she thought as she entered the lab, smiling at her father. "Hello father." She smiled as she saw his latest creation, still laying on the table without life. "How is it going?" She asked, curious to see what the other rag doll would be like.
The crippled man popped open his skull, scratching at his pink brain before flipping its metallic lid back down, he said to her with a smile. "Nearly ready to be awakened I think, he's a fine young fellow. Speaking of which, how did things go with Jack?" He asked with a smile, looking up at his daughter, the smile faded as he saw the hurt on her face at the mention of Jack. He gestured for her to follow him and a whirring filled the air as he moved his wheelchair down the ramp slightly, heading to her room, he parked in a corner, the one by the window before he looked at Sally, the young rag doll quickly sat on the bed before explaining. "I saw him with Marina, he was all over her. That's when I left." She sniffles slightly as the images of the older girl locking her pink lips with the bony ones that belonged to their king, she shuddered to think at what they could be doing now.
Jack was outraged, he forced the vampire girl to be still beneath him, letting up a feral hiss and from somewhere deep in his skeletal chest came a vicious growl, he pushed off from her and stepped back, his brow bones were furrowed as he spoke quickly. "Get out Marina." Was all he said his voice low, ringing with every ounce of anger his body held, He watched her get up and leave, he heard the soft squeaks of a bat outside his room and new instantly that she had changed form, lucky for her it was sunset, she'd be okay to get home without becoming a pile of ash, the skeleton wiped the stained of her lipstick from his jaw before turning and looking out the window for what seemed like an eternity, he watched the celestial event that happened nearly every day but still was a beautiful site to the skeleton, he turned and headed towards the door, letting out a soft cry as he saw the basket abandoned on the floor alongside with the key, he picked up the latter and his eyes widened, looking at the door, It hasn't been shut earlier when Marina had kissed him! He gasped and quickly tucked the key around his neck, he headed down the stairs, leaving the basket there as his mind worked on overdrive. 'Why would that upset Sally?' He gasped in realisation as he grabbed his suit blazer, Sally had seen him with Marina! He had to explain his actions, or rather Marina's actions and beg for her forgiveness, she was his best friend! He had no right to have made her witness that and knew that it would be a miracle for him to be able to get anywhere near her.
The skeleton headed to the door, he tapped his leg to summon His ghostly dog Zero from his basket, he smiled at the dogs glowing nose before heading out of the door, Zero flew ahead if his master, barking all the while as they headed together to 's house and lab. He rang the bell and Jewel answered, giving Jack a dark look. "Yes, pumpkin king?" She addressed him, not inviting him inside. Jack mentally recoiled from her coldness. "I'd like to see Sally please." He stammered, looking at the wife of Finkelstein. She let out a sigh and let him in, as he went up the ramp she grabbed his shoulder, being a few inches taller than Sally she neared the king's height. "You can wait down here." She said, pulling him into the living room that was on the other side of the lab, as they passed Sally's room Jack couldn't help but strain his ears, hoping to catch even the slightest sound of her, sensing none he continued to be dragged by Jewel to the living room, he was sat in one of the sofas and left alone for a while, before long her heard the clack of heels and the whirring of a wheelchair, he stood and faced the door, The doctor and Jewel entered, closing the door behind them, Jewel motioned for him to sit down as the doctor drew up to his place by the fire, Jewel took the seat beside him. Jack shuffled in his seat awkwardly as he awaited the conversation to begin.
"Jack, what have you done you stupid boy?" The doctor began, his protective side coming out yet again, he glared at Jack through his ebony goggles and continued with his rant. "Sally has been in her room all day crying! What did you do to her? I demand you tell me! Now!" He shouted, luckily the walls were soundproof so Sally wouldn't be able to here his cries of anger. The skeleton was calm and still, despite how the cripple ranted at him, he spoke calmly. "It was all a misunderstanding, I was in my kitchen when the doorbell rang, I opened it to find Marina, it was sunrise and I knew that If I refused her entry she would no doubt be burned to ashes, being a vampire and all." He started to explain, the doctor and Jewel looked somewhat skeptical at his story, he refrained from exploding with an outburst that had been forming in his mind for some time now and instead continued his story. "So I let her in, she thanked me and asked if there was anywhere she could sleep so I offered her my room, I showed her upstairs and left her be, an hour before sunset she awoke, coming to me in the observatory, she had smiled and thanked me, then she kissed me, I was polite, pushing her away before she forced herself back upon me. Here is where I pinned her down, I was angry at her antics." He paused, visibly shaking with his rage at the memories. "She kissed me once more and in my rage I hissed and growled at her, that's when I kicked her out and saw Sally's basket and the key to my house, then I came here." He sat still as he watched their faces, the doctor popped open his cranium and scratched at his half of the brain, it was apparent he was mulling over his words. Jewel stood up and looked to Jack. "But why does it matter to you if Sally saw you with another girl? It's not like the you and her are courting." She murmured before looking to Jack for his new explanation.
The king paused, why would it matter if Sally had seen him with Marina? He didn't have romantic feelings for the doll, or did he? His brow furrowed in his thought before the doctor interrupted his reverie. "Jewel my dear, can you bring Sally and Tidus here please?" He asked his wife with a smile, the taller woman nodded and headed out to get the two of them, Jack looked at the doctor. "Who is Tidus? If you don't mind me asking." He asked, the doctor looked up at his king. He closed his cranium and replied quickly. "My new creation, a male rag doll, Sally's new friend, she chose his name and is teaching him to sew right now." As he finished the door reopened and the pretty redhead rag doll enter, she kept her gaze off Jack and instead returned it to Tidus, a taller male with paler hair, almost blondish in colour, he had his arm wrapped around Sally's shoulder and smiled to her as she tucked her needle and thread back into her pocket.
Jack let his eyes roam over the rag doll boy for a moment longer before looking at Sally, something burned within him as he saw one of the stitchings he had done for Sally was replaced with a new one, more messy but none the less it became her well, Jewel and the doctor left the rag dolls and the skeleton alone. Jack looked at Tidus with a smile. "Hello, Tidus is it? I'm Jack Ske-" he was cut off rather sharply by Sally, she let herself glare at Jack for the first time ever and the pumpkin king felt yet another new feeling, one of shame. He had upset and disappointed her, stunned he could only listen to her interruptions. "He knows who you are, Why are you here?" She asked, feeling Tidus grip her tighter, he was still unable to talk because of his lack of vocabulary and instead used his body language to rely comforting thoughts to Sally. Jack looked a the male with a subtle frown. "Perhaps alone?" He said, gesturing to the hallway.
Sally sighed and looked to Tidus with a smile. "Stay here please, I'll be back shortly." She hugged him before leading Jack out of the lounge and instead to her room, she stood by the windo and turned to him. "We're alone, so tell me, why are you here?" She asked, holding a hand p to stop his advance. He quickly explained. "I know you saw me and Marina, I wanted to tell you It wasn't what you think." Sally turned around and instead of bottling her emotions she let them out all in one gush. "Then what was it Jack? Because it definitely looked like what I thought it was, so enlighten me! All powerful pumpkin king, because for once I don't know what to think anymore." She whimpered the last sentence, collapsing onto her knees in the middle of the floor, her body shook with the sobs she had been holding back. Jack was, for once, lost for words, without a thought he knelt beside her, wrapping his long arms around her. Leaning his head on hers as he drew her face to his chest. "Oh Sally, my sweet, sweet Sally." He whispered softly, rocking her, he felt his shirt get wet from her tears but for once he didn't care, his first priority was to comfort his friend, to him it was strange, he never was the one to initiate these kind of things, especially not with a female.
AN I edited it to add a part that made Sally clearly just a friend! Sorry if I confused someone. I love reviews like cookies! Gimme! Please...? :3