Prompt #3: A pumpkin and a princess.
-3-
Elizabeth hated Halloween.
Even as a child she was never fond of the holiday. She hated having to figure out a costume every year only to have her mother deny her wishes and choose the costume herself. Like the year Elizabeth had planned to be vampire with the blood dripping down her mouth and all, her mother had scoffed saying that 'there was no way she would allow her seven year old daughter to be something so grotesque.'
That year she ended up dressing up like a pumpkin… a freaking pumpkin costume that her mother spent three days slaving over and laid on so much guilt that Elizabeth had to wear the stupid thing. The thing had been so hot and itchy that – at the age of seven – Elizabeth declared that she would never dress up for Halloween ever again.
Her mother hadn't allowed that, of course. Caroline Webber loved making costumes for her children and Halloween was the best time to put her sewing skills to use. Which is why Elizabeth had to dress up in costumes she hated year after year until she was finally able to convince her mother that she was too old to dress up.
For a couple of years, she had been able to avoid the holiday, until her sophomore year of high school when she was invited to the Halloween dance by the most popular guy in school. If she had allowed herself to think about it, Elizabeth would have never agreed to go. Nicholas Cassidine never talked to her before that, but it hadn't mattered to her at the time.
The cutest guy in school asked her to the dance and she was not going to pass that up. She was even going to wear a costume. And when Nicholas informed her that he was going as a prince, she immediately went to the store and found the best princess costume she could afford. She had spent two months allowance on the thing.
She even allowed her mother to do her hair for the night.
When two hours passed after the time she thought he was supposed to pick her up, Elizabeth quickly told herself that she must have got the plans wrong. She convinced herself that they were supposed to meet at the dance and she had just forgotten.
So, thinking that she was standing her date up, Elizabeth rushed to the school dance, a little nervous but looking – what she felt was – her best. She really had to admit that the white dress looked beautiful on her.
She made it about three steps into the dance before she stopped dead in her tracks, her heart falling to the floor. Her prince charming wasn't waiting for her. He was too busy slow dancing and feeling up his ex-girlfriend on the dance floor.
Elizabeth had almost made it out of the dance but was caught by her best friend who was asking her way too many questions while Elizabeth tried her damn hardest not to cry.
Emily Quartermaine would not give up however. She wanted to know where she was, why she didn't show up with Nic, and what the hell the creep was doing dancing with that bimbo Courtney?!
Elizabeth had no answers, of course, and when Emily finally realized that her friend was on the brink of tears, she quickly helped her make her escape. The two of them spent the rest of the night at Kelly's Diner, drinking double chocolate milkshakes and trying their best to laugh at how Nic and Courtney made such an ugly and stupid couple.
Nicholas had called her the following day to apologize profusely for standing her up, thinking she didn't go to the dance at all. He admitted that he and Courtney had decided to get back together and in his happiness he completely forgot to call her. But she would forgive him, right?
Scrunching her nose, Elizabeth brought herself from her thoughts of her past back to the present. After pitiful costumes and one Halloween party disaster, Elizabeth had never thought she would be standing in front of her closet on Halloween night, wondering what she could do for a costume.
Stomping her foot, Elizabeth let out a loud grunt. Why, oh why did she allow Jason to talk her into this? She hated Halloween, she didn't like Carly, and she had absolutely nothing to wear.
So what if he was the man of her dreams and absolutely irresistible. That didn't mean she had to give into him every time he wanted something – even though she always did. This time should have been the one time she denied him.
But no. The blasted man had to go and be all wonderful and make her feel special and now she was only an hour away from being picked up and she still had nothing to wear!
She almost called Jason to ask him what he was dressing up as so she could correspond correctly, but thought better of it. He was only taking her as a friend and she did not want to make things awkward by dressing up as his counterpart. Like the damn prince and princess costume.
Laughing, Elizabeth sorted through her closet again. Just the thought of big, strong Jason Morgan dressed as a prince was hilarious. In fact, Jason dressed up as anything but himself was hilarious. He just didn't seem like the dress-up-for-Halloween type.
Walking away from her closet, Elizabeth began to sort through her drawers. She opened her scrubs drawer and sighed. Maybe she could go as a dead nurse. She had some red food coloring she could poor over her blue scrubs. She had enough of that color anyway, wouldn't be any harm in ruining a pair.
She pulled a pair out, laying them on her bed. She was on her way to the kitchen to get the food coloring when her closet caught her attention again. Something shiny was winking at her from the far corner of the closet, just begging her to look at it.
She knew what it was. She had purposely bypassed the shirt every time she searched through her closet earlier. It was a slutty top that Emily had made her buy months ago stating that Elizabeth needed to spice up her wardrobe.
"Besides," Emily had winked, "you never know when you're going to need to seduce some hot guy. And this," she shoved the top in Elizabeth's face, "is just the top to do it in."
Elizabeth nibbled on her lower lip as she stared that the top like it was going to jump out and bite her. She didn't move for several moments before – scrubs forgotten – she made her way to the closet and yanked the top off of the hanger.
Giving the top an arch look, Elizabeth wondered how that small piece of fabric could even be called a top. She'd be lucky if the thing kept anything to the imagination. She'd probably show so much skin that…. "Enough!" she shouted at herself.
What was the point of dressing up for Halloween if she didn't let herself go a little? It was only one night and what would it hurt if she wore it. She already spent the money on the thing and since she was most likely never going to wear the thing any other time, she might as well get use out of it for that night.
Decision made, Elizabeth worked quickly to assemble the rest of her costume, least she change her mind and go as the boring nurse.
That was her role everyday, anyway. It was time to spice herself up for a bit.
She worked quickly, pulling on the mini skirt she had also bought on a whim when shopping with Emily another time. The top came on next and when Elizabeth looked at herself in the mirror, her expression was one of horror and a bit of surprise.
She really did look good.
The top was a black shiny material, tying behind her neck with thin straps, stopping just below her belly button, showing some skin. It didn't suck to her body like she thought it would, but flowed against her milky skin, having a low dip that showed off a bit of cleavage.
The skirt ended mid thigh and when Elizabeth was so very close to changing her mind, she dashed away from the mirror and made a beeline for her shoes. She new exactly what pair she was going to ware. They were what she deemed – quite necessary for the night – her hooker boots.
Dressed, Elizabeth quickly pulled her hair up, letting some of it float around her neck. Even though the outfit begged for some trashy makeup, Elizabeth only applied a light layer, drawing the line at going that far.
Hearing the knock at her door, Elizabeth glanced at her clock and smiled. Always on time, she thought, making her way to the door.
She was so busy laughing at how punctual Jason always was that she forgot to be nervous at revealing her… revealing outfit.
But when she opened the door and saw Jason's cocky smile turn into an opened mouth expression of shocked, Elizabeth remember rather too well what it was to be nervous.
She fidgeted on her feet as he stared at her. When she couldn't take it anymore she threw up her hands, turning right around and making her way to her bedroom, tears gathering in her eyes. What the hell had she been thinking? Did she really think that Jason would make some remark about how good, how hot she looked? Yeah right, she practically snorted.
She had started out with the plan to make him drool with desire and all she did was make him drool with shock.
Stupid, stupid, stupid
She was about to walk into her room when she felt Jason's hand wrap around her upper arm.
"Where are you going?" he asked, his voice raspy.
Elizabeth closed her eyes, willing her tears away. She cleared her throat several times before speaking, still not turning around. "I was going to change."
"Why?"
She couldn't see his face but she could hear the confusion in his voice.
Clenching her hands into fists, Elizabeth jerked her arm away from him as she turned around. "I was stupid to dress up like this," she motioned to her outfit with a sweep of her hand. "And by the look you gave me when I first opened the door, I think its pretty safe to say I was correct."
She made to turn around again when he stopped her. "No…" he cleared his throat, looking anywhere but at her. "I was just… shocked. I've never seen…you…" he stopped sweeping his eyes the length of her as he shifted several times.
Her eyes narrowed at his uncomfortable look. If it made him so damn uncomfortable to see her like this why wouldn't he just let her change? So what if he thought it might hurt her feelings. This hurt worse.
"Jason, just let me change. I can put on my scrubs and be a nurse," she finished with mock enthusiasm, a fake smile plastered on her face.
"Elizabeth," he sighed as he walked away from her. When he faced her again, the couch between them, he gripped the back of it, hard. "You look good, really good." He cleared his throat again.
She begged herself not to smile. This was more like it!
"What are you supposed to be?"
"A hooker."
He coughed, clearing his throat and swallowing several times. His eyes were huge as he finally composed himself. "Well… I… damn you look good."
Elizabeth smiled a womanly smile. Oh yeah, she was really enjoying this.
"You shouldn't change," he nodded, his forehead scrunching as he straightened but continued to fidget. "You're already ready and," he smiled, "think of the look on Carly's face when you show up. Plus, you'll probably get more attention than she does and she'll hate that."
Elizabeth watched as his smile fell and an angry scowl replaced it. "Guys will probably be hitting on you all night… you know what, you should change."
"What? Why?"
He didn't answer her as he marched towards her and began steering her towards her bedroom. "I don't care if we're late; I'm not taking you out like that."
Now she was offended. "Well excuse me for almost embarrassing you," she said as she gave him a dirty look.
"You don't embarrass me; I just don't want every creep in that room hitting on you."
Elizabeth stopped right in front of her door. Was he jealous? No, he couldn't be. But still...
"You know what, I'm already dressed and it would take way too long to get another costume." She patted him on the arm as she continued, "Thanks for your concern but I won't have to worry about some creep bothering me. Besides, you'll be there to," she placed the back of her hand against her forehead, tilting her head back and sighing as she spoke, "save me."
He glared at her. His mouth opened but she just gave him a pointed 'I'm-not-changing-my-mind-look.'
With a loud sigh that stirred the hair that fell against her neck, Jason grabbed her hand and began to pull her towards the front door. "Fine."
They had just made it to the outside of her door when she stopped, frowning as she looked at him. "You're not wearing a costume,"
He didn't look at her as he pulled them onto the elevator. "We can't be late."
She slapped him against his chest, stomping. "Why didn't you tell me you weren't going to wear a costume?"
He raised an eyebrow.
"Right," she muttered. "I should have figured."
