Quite the opposite of Benjamin's flat mood and minor activity, Clara felt hyper. 'Perhaps I AM bipolar,' she thought as she skipped down the stairs. She decided she would help Sally with the household chores today; during the dark times when Jack was a sufferer of insomnia the house had fallen into a state of slight disrepair. Dressed in a grey t-shirt and black shorts, she returned down the stairs to find stationery waiting for her. Jack and Sally were having a quiet conversation, fingers intertwined subtly over the table. Jack had gotten dressed as well during his momentary absence, and it seemed that he had to leave for work. Sally, on the other hand, worked from home and found no reason to leave the house. Clara grinned to herself as she sat down to write her letter; Jack and Sally's happiness was simply infectious. If it was edible, it would taste delicious.

Lucy,

I miss you too. Halloween Town has been alright so far. I've been scared a few times already- I suppose you wouldn't like it here as much as I do. But that may be because of my fatal morbidity. Jack and Sally appreciated the greeting (She quickly mentioned this to her uncle and Sally as she wrote), and they return the affections. You're right, I'm glad you gave me a choice. I don't want to come back home until the wedding is over- if HE is decided to be innocent then I want to have a say on where he goes. He has a lot of making up to do, the wretch he is. I can't believe it- only four days since I've come here and already we face bombshells. Anyway, I have to go, as I promised myself I would do something actually constructive. I love you very much, too.

Clara.

Sealing the letter mildly, she gave the letter to Jack to post. Straight away, she set to work. The kitchen and dining area was clean already, so she helped Sally dust in the parlour room.
"Are you sure you're alright Clara? You seem a little blank." Sally asked absently as they worked.
"I'm sure that I'm alright. Perhaps I should ask that question of you, Sally. You seem almost ill with concern." Clara replied cheerfully, grinning teasingly. To demonstrate this, she twirled around in a pirouette- something she had been taught years ago. There was a sudden knock at the door.
"I'll get it." Clara cried as she danced over to the door. Well, she didn't really dance, but the hyperactivity that had settled into her brain gave her legs an extra graceful spring. That gave way to disappointment as she opened the front door to find who else but Shock, the trainee witch.

It was half an hour later and Shock was still there. Sally was concerned about what they were talking about, she tried not to listen out of respect, but some of the things she heard were truly concerning.
"So what happened to me after he did that?" she heard Clara ask. 'Who did what?' Sally thought.
"You went rigid. Practically fainted, actually. Ben was really concerned once he took another look at you. He was talking about it for the rest of the night, really." Shock replied in a matter-of-fact tone. Consequently, she heard Clara gasp in shock and indignation. Sally decided enough was enough.
"Girls, is everything alright?" she asked, pretending she had only heard the gasp. Shock shrugged. "I came over to make sure Clara was alright. She looked terrible when she left our place."
"I remembered my dad, Shock. I'd explain, but that's kind of personal. No offence, but I don't know you very well and I don't really open up to that many people." Clara informed Shock, who muttered something along the lines of 'none taken'. After this, Shock said something very cryptic.
"He was raving about you for hours last night, Clara. He was mostly drunk, but you were very positively championed above the rest of the girls in this town." she said mischievously. Clara gaped.
"Well you have to make sure that next time he holds his tongue and to not even forge what ties he has with me. I won't be here forever, and I personally avoid things which scare me. People who remind me of my own father are not to be referred to in my book." she replied offhandedly. Shock laughed dryly at this, shrugging. She stood up, finishing her glass of water purposely.
"What can you expect? As far as I know, his head and heart were both from a time where love was immediate and marriage was normal for kids younger than us, even." Shock voiced her suspicions with a tone of politeness and finality. Clara turned rigid, fear and embarrassment on her visage.
"You say he won't be at the Town Meeting?" she asked, hope lacing her voice. Sally was thoroughly confused. Shock shook her head, and they exchanged goodbyes. Clara promised that they would talk in an entirely private environment after the Town Meeting. After the trainee witch left, Clara retired to her room.

It was barely the afternoon and already Clara wanted sleep. Anything to make her forget what Shock had just told her. She hadn't said it out of malice, she had made that entirely clear, but when it came to the boy that had given her such a fright, she didn't want to know. The wedding was in a week's time, she wouldn't have to stay that much longer. Was it that hard to avoid a boy that loved you? Tonight would be easy. Shock had told her that he had drunk his sorrows and unease, and had a resulting hangover. But what about the next day? The rest of her stay here? What if she couldn't resist the feelings that responded most objectionably to her common sense? Was she falling in love?

Jack returned home once again to find Sally in a state of unease. This time it was on a much minor scale, as she was calmly patching up some of the linings on the vampire capes (Sally was the town seamstress, due to her phenomenal skill she had with needle and thread). Still, Jack knew something was amiss. He kissed his fiancée on the cheek as he sat down, putting her work aside and cuddling her, lifting her into his lap casually. They were still quite young as 'people', after all.
"Where's Clara?" he asked as Sally nestled into his ribcage. Sally looked up, concern flitting over her features. She explained the strange conversation she had partially overheard from Clara and Shock.
"She's been up in her room since. I decided to let her be, but still, her actions concern me. It's like how she described it herself, like she's bipolar. You saw how happy she was this morning."
"Maybe I should send a letter to her step mother. She would know if my brother acted the same way at all... unless..." Jack trailed off, realisation flooding suddenly into his demeanour. He chuckled quietly, kissing his fiancée again. Sally gazed up at him expectantly. He leaned back into the couch.
"Perhaps she is more like me than anyone thought." he explained to Sally. She was still unsure.
"Before I found Christmas, and inevitably before I found you," he started, rubbing noses with Sally as they recollected that Christmas Eve two years ago, "my mentality was in a questionable state. I started not too long after I met you, actually. I would be euphoric at the strangest things, and disappointed at my success. It was then that I started sleeping less, but I was so occupied with Halloween that I never noticed that I could sleep soundly when I thought of seeing you on my occasional visits to Doctor Finklestein. That's what made me realise I loved you, Sally. That without you, I would turn senile in my prime. Believe me, that is something that no one wants." he continued, watching as the aura around Sally became more understanding as he finished.
"So, to put it in short, that means that Clara is-"
"Falling in love. Well, if my suspicions turn out to be real. If they're false, then simply she is going through an adolescent phase. They happen to everyone, and we just have to be patient with her."
"Practice can never hurt." Sally breathed almost silently as she buried her face into his ribcage again.
"What?" Jack asked. He was unsure of what she meant. He had a small idea, but he thought that Sally- well, he thought that there was a possibility that Doctor Finklestein had left out that part.
"Oh, nothing." Sally mumbled quickly. He felt her face burn through his jacket and through his shirt. Jack laughed quietly. Of course. Sally was like fire to his ice. They would cross that bridge when they got there. He decided to abandon the awkward silence by taking a look at the clock.

Clara entered the Town Hall that night, trailing behind Sally, who had decided to go to the meeting after all. They were both dressed in slightly dressier clothes; Sally wearing a simple grey dress which went to her feet. Clara wore an outfit somewhat akin to what she had worn coming here; a white shirt with a black satin vest, a pair of blue jeans (an: as they now will be referred to as jeans) and her lace up boots. They sat in the front row, away from most of the other townspeople, and watched intently as several of the townspeople put issues forward. Finally Jack announced his progress report jovially, telling everyone that they had been very successful so far. Clara did not admit it, but she found the whole affair quite boring, and sat the whole time pretending to pay attention. After that long time, the meeting ended, and Clara remembered the private meeting she decided to have with Shock earlier that day. She gave her uncle and Sally goodbyes, promising not to return to late, and set out to find the rendezvous point that they had agreed on.

So there. Another chapter done. Hope you're still all enjoying teh storie... Yay for bad spelling cuteness! I got inspired by my new music on my mp3, so if you're bored why don't you check out Robert Pattinson or Eric Hutchinson? Still bored? Get into oldies! From Rubber Band Man by The Spinners, to Tiger Feet by Mud, your parents music can have some real good ones! Love from HPS..