Chapter 4
Holly skipped home smiling the whole way. She passed her mother and father who both shared a very concerned look. Then passed the mayor who looked confused to put it lightly. She went strait to her room and put on her Pajamas then hopped into bed. As she was falling asleep she recounted what had happened not 15 minutes ago. "Really." Holly told the excided Trick-Or-Treater. "What do you have in mind?"
"Well I was thinking we could go for a walk in the cemetery and get to know one another better." Barrel had told her.
"Great! What time?" she asked him.
He thought for a moment then finally said "How's about nine?" she nodded her head and he smiled. "Terrible! Then meet me at nine 'o clock tomorrow night in the pumpkin patch."
"Alright!" she agreed then watched him run off into the opposite direction. Holly smiled at the memory of the first time someone had asked her out. Her! The screw up! She was so excited! And not just because it was her first date, but also because she actually liked Barrel…at least she didn't hate him. She fell asleep and woke with a smile the next morning. She walked down stairs with a smile on, causing her mother to ask why she was so happy.
"Well I'm happy because Barrel asked me out on a date tonight at nine!" Holly told her happily then saw her father spit out his hot mud.
"Barrel did what?" he demanded.
Holly and Sally both looked at each other. "Barrel asked me out on a date." Holly repeated.
"You are not going on a date with him!" Jack said standing, making himself tower over his daughter.
"Why not?" she asked confused.
"Because it's Barrel!" He said exasperated.
"I know, that's why I want to go on the date, because it's Barrel." Holly told him half laughing.
"I will not allow it!" Jack said crossing him arms.
"Why!" Holly demanded.
"Because he's one of the Trick-Or-Treater's. That rotten bunch has gotten into more trouble than I'd care to count." he told her sitting down and gulping down his mud drink.
"Well he's changed. He's not the same as he was a couple of years ago. People change, dad. Why can't he?" she asked him looking pleadingly into his eye sockets.
"Because…because…because I say so that's why!" Jack mumbled out. Sally and Holly shared a look that said 'oh brother' then Sally walked up to her husband.
"Jack, maybe you're being to hard on him. I mean those three haven't caused any trouble since you defeated Oogie."
Jack said nothing, but kept a thoughtful look on his face as Holly interjected. "Please dad. He really isn't all that bad, really."
Her father was silent for a few more minuets before he sighed and nodded his head saying "Alright, but you have to be home by ten."
Holly was about to object when her mother cut in "Jack,"
"Alright ten o one." her father said.
"Jack," Sally argued.
"Fine, fine ten o two."
"JACK!" her mother said shutting his jaw so he couldn't speak. Sally turned to her daughter and smiled "Be home no later than eleven thirty, alright?"
Holly hugged her mother "Thank you mom and yes, I will be no later than eleven thirty." she ran out of the kitchen and up to her room. "I'm going out!"
"Where are you going?" her father called once he was free form Sally's hold.
"I have to go and get ready!" Holly called running back down the stairs.
"But that's eleven hours away!" her father protested.
Sally smiled and went to the dying room to clean it, but Jack heard her say "A girl can never be to ready."
..::-::..
Holly closed the door to her house and walked to the pumpkin patch to meet Barrel. She found him sitting on the fence moving his feet back and fourth. She smiled at that then walked up to him. "Hello Barrel." she said sweetly.
He nearly fell off the fence, but still smiled at her when he saw her and said "Hi Holly!" they shared a few awkward moments before he offered her his hand and she took it with a smile. They traveled to the cemetery in silence until he finally asked her "Why is your name 'Holly'?" She looked at him for a moment or two causing him to say "Not that, that's a bad name, it just seems a little. . . bright for a Halloween name."
She nodded and said "It's my father's favorite Christmas plant…besides mistletoe. He was going to name me that, but my mother would not allow it." she giggled at the thought of Jack trying to convince Sally to name their daughter Mistletoe.
"I didn't know that." Barrel said to her with a smile.
"May I ask you something?" Holly asked Barrel and he nodded. "Why did you serve Oogie if he was so bad?"
Barrel was quiet for a long time before he sighed and finally said "I never wanted to." Holly was about to ask why, but he wasn't finished. "When Oogie first came to town, he was something new that Lock and Shock and I could play with, but he did most of the playing. We offered to help him with whatever he had in mind and when we learned that it was to take over the town we really didn't care, so we thought 'what the heck'. After Jack defeated him I didn't want to work for him any more because he was bad news, but he threatened us if we didn't work for him so we did. And not to mention Lock and Shock would have teased me for ever and, at that time, they meant the world to me. I looked up to them." he put his head down for a little bit then lifted it back up and continued "But now that I'm older I care more for the people and for the town." after a while he added "Jack showed me that."
"Wow," she said "I didn't think you liked my father."
"Well for a long time I didn't, but I guess I just grew up and learned that he was the good guy." Barrel said chuckling a little bit. They walked and talked for a long time before Holly looked at her watch and found out it was eleven twenty.
"Wow, it's that late? Time flies when you're having fun huh?"
Holly asked Barrel and all he could say was "You had fun?"
"Yes…didn't you?" She said half laughing to herself.
"Well of course I did! I was with you-" he didn't stop himself in time to save his self from embarrassment.
"Thanks." Holly said laughing and soon he did to. They started heading for her house when all of a sudden something grabbed her and pulled her away from Barrel. "AAAAA! Barrel!" she called out in surprise. Barrel looked over her way and saw that she was being held prisoner by something that was shrouded in the dark. "Release me!" Holly demanded, but the stranger's only reply was to pull her arm behind her back painfully. She cried out in pain.
"You will do as I say or the 'Princess' get's it." said the stranger.
"Okay fine just don't hurt her." Barrel said reaching behind him. The man holding Holly didn't seem to notice. "But first," Barrel pulled out a little gun "Have some pellets! I hear they're good for you." he pelted the man then gabbed Holly and ran. "Run!" he called and she had no objections. Once they were back inside the safety of the town did they started to walk again. "That was weird. Are you okay?" Barrel asked her placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Yeah I'm fine." she said not really wanting to talk at the moment so he walked her home. When they reached the front door she turned around and smiled at him. "Barrel thank you for saving me and other than that strange guy, I had a terrible time."
"Well you're really terrible to be with and you're welcome." he said back blushing a bit and placing his hand behind his head. Holly looked up into his eyes and kissed him on the cheek.
"Bad night." She said then walked inside her house.
"Bad night." he said back. Once the door clicked Holly heard the sounds of cheering outside and rushed to the window only to see Barrel jumping up and down waving his hands and saying "She kissed me! She kissed me! Wahoo!" Holly laughed and watched him until he was out of site. She raced up stairs and fell asleep thinking about her Night in Rusted Armor.
..::-::..
Lock and Shock raced to the club house fully ready to come up with a way to embarrass Barrel in front of his new girl friend, when something ran into them. "Watch it!" Shock snapped at the stranger.
"Sorry!" the stranger snapped back and a deep male voice.
"Oogie?" Shock asked a little terrified.
"How did you know my name?" Oogie asked rubbing his head.
Lock and Shock looked at each other. "We've served you ever since you came to his town. But how did you come back? We thought Jack bug roasted you." Lock asked.
"Do I look bug roasted and you never served me. I don't even know who you are!" he snapped ready to leave when Shock blocked his path.
"You're. . .shorter then I remember."
"Yeah and trimmer." Lock added using his hands as a visual. Shock punched him in the gut telling him to shut up. He doubled over in pain.
"Whatever! I have things I need to do! Get out of my way!" he said loudly pushing past Shock.
"WAIT!" Shock called to him before he disappeared.
He stopped, irritated. "What!"
"Who are you?" She asked finally looking into his face. His head was the same as Oogie Boogie's had been, made out of burlap with the sack end falling down, but his entire right side was flesh stitched to the burlap sack part of his body. He wore burlap pants and a black shirt. There wasn't much to him at all, but his eye socket looked so much like Oogie's it made Shock tremble.
"I'm Oogie Boogie the second."
