The Isadora Diaries:
Costumes:
Monday, April 9th
"Okay, can you please start over? I'm confused." Bea rubbed her face with her hands and fell backward onto the massive pile of pillows she had lain out on the floor.
"It's an easy concept, Bea," I said flatly.
"No! It's not actually!" She sat upright again. "Did you even know what you sounded like when you came barging in the way you did? 'Help, Bea, blah blah blah blah!' That's all it was! Blah! My brain can't comprehend that!"
I had to cut Bea some slack. Right when I realized there was a chance I could end Haley's control over me, I threw my books in my front yard and ran (I know, I can't believe it either) all the way to Bea's house, only stopping long enough for Mr. Snicket to let me in and then running straight into Bea's room. As soon as I stepped foot in Bea's room, I blurted out everything that happened. The costumes the blackmailing, and why I was being so mean to Klaus, and what Haley would do if I told anyone.
I really should've known better than to do that to her. Of course she wouldn't understand me! No one would! I did kind of speed through it like a crazed maniac…but I mean come on! Being suddenly refilled with hope is exciting! I can't control my excitement!
I slapped my hands over my face. "I'm sorry, Bea!" Then I moved onto the pillows and sat in front of her. "Okay, but you seriously have to listen. I'm going to try to go slower, but I don't know if I can because I'm so excited, and your help is seriously necessary so I need you to pay as much attention as you can, got it?" I said all of it in one breath, so I obviously hadn't calmed down enough for anyone to understand me.
Surprisingly although I was very thankful for this as well, Bea nodded. "Continue."
I was expecting her to convince me to calm down first, and maybe she'd use the steps her father uses to calm down his patients. To have her just to go with my current speed was really refreshing.
Even though she was going with it, I tried to slow down for her sake so that she wouldn't have to decipher everything that came out of my mouth. She seemed to understand what I was saying all right because after I finished talking about performing in front of the kids and getting attacked she fell backwards laughing. "I'm sorry, Izzy, but you know it's funny!"
"Haha, yes, now listen." I started right up again and told her about when Haley cornered my by the picnic table and told me about the video she had taken, and what she wanted me to do.
"Okay, stop right there," Bea held up her hands. "Haley Hines blackmailed you? Is she still doing it? Shoot, if I was there I would've taken that expensive phone and shoved it in her earhole and—"
What she said was kind of inhumanly possible and gross, so I really don't want to type it.
Anywho…
"Thanks, Bea. That's kind of gross…but I do appreciate it. Now listen."
I continued to tell her about how I accidentally set the stuffed monkey on fire—which she started laughing about, too. I swear, she thought it was the funniest thing in the world! She was laughing so hard that she ended doing that thing where you're the laugh goes silent and your just clapping like a retarded seal.
"O-okay, Bea" I said, hoping she would stop laughing soon. "Okay, Bea, can I-can I continue?"
She held up a finger, telling me to hold on as she continued laughing like a crazy meerkat.
I threw one of the pillows at her.
"Okay, okay! All right!" she laughed a little bit more. "Okay, I promise, I'm done! Continue."
I waited a moment to make sure she wouldn't continue laughing, but she didn't. I started my story back up again and told Bea about how I was mean to Klaus, how my mom made me apologize to Haley over the phone, and what Haley said she'd do if I told anyone.
"Which brings me to the most important point in the story," I said. "Are you listening, Bea."
She nodded. "My ears have been yours this entire time."
"You cannot mention anything I just told you to anyone. Not your dad, not Duncan not even Skittles. No one. If Haley finds out I told, she'll post the videos of brothers where everyone can see it. And she'll definitely post mine, too. Do you understand Bea? No one."
Bea mimicked zipping her lips and throwing away the key. "Your secret's safe with me. So is that everything?"
"Not quite," I said. I told her about how Klaus kept trying to get me to talk to him, but I kept pushing him away. I also told her about how much it was killing me, and I couldn't continue like that anymore.
"Good, because you can't do that to him anymore!" she yelled. "That sounds so mean! Can I cry? I want to cry!"
"No, no, no, no! Don't cry! Be happy! Because we're going to fix things! You and me!" I said with excitement, trying to get her happy again.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that I have more than just two options here."
Bea shook her head. "Like…?"
"I need you to help me steal Haley's phone and delete the videos."
Bea shrugged. "That should be easy enough."
I nodded. "And that's why I came to you."
"And because I'm your most favorite person in the entire world."
"Yeah, that, too."
"So," Bea said as she stood up. She grabbed her notebook from her nightstand and sat back down in front of me, "do you have an actual plan or do you...like, what have you thought of?"
I shrugged. "I just thought of stealing the phone. The details are for you to come up with."
Bea punched her fists in the air. "Yes!"
I knew she'd help me.
That afternoon, Mother took us shopping for the clothes we were going to wear to the dance. I was kind of hoping she'd change her mind and give me the choice of going, but I was wrong (of course). On the bright side, it would be probably be a lot easier to get a hold of Haley's phone during one of the dances. It would be even easier to get a hold of it while she was dancing with Klaus, because all of her attention would be on him. But for now, Bea and I had to figure out Haley's passcode. We knew it was four numbers from watching her put it in before but other than, we had no idea what it could be. The entire time I was at her house (which was only an hour and half because my mom picked me up to go shopping), we tried to come up with a way to get her to maybe say it somehow.
Our plan is a work in-progress.
Anywho…
My brothers and I told my mom in the car about how we were supposed to dress up as our favorite character for the dance. She didn't take it very lightly.
"What?! Is it supposed to be some sort of Halloween party?" Mother complained. "Halloween was six months ago!"
"Technically, it's been five months," Duncan said. "It's not the end of the month yet."
"No one cares, Duncan," Quigley groaned.
Mother ignored them. "I hope I don't have to dress up!"
"No way, Mom," Quigley reassured her. "You're just a chaperone. No one's going to care what you're wearing; everyone's going to be too busy trying to be as far away from you as humanly possible."
"That's flattering," she muttered.
"Anytime, Mom."
The entire car ride to the store, Mother was complaining about how she was looking forward to buying us new and pretty clothes and dressing up. "It was going to be so fun!"
I think she sniffled, too.
"Don't worry about it, Mom." I could tell Duncan was trying not to sound annoyed with her complaints. "You can just throw another dinner party whenever you want and buy us new clothes then."
Mother groaned. "But I can't just throw one whenever I want!"
"Yes you can," my brothers and I said simultaneously in dull tones.
"You've done it before," I said.
Mother slammed her foot on the brakes and the car lurched forward, the brakes screeching. The seatbelt felt like it dug into my stomach as I was thrown forward. "Mom!" we all yelled.
"I have! Haven't I?" Mother laughed happily.
"Thanks, now I'm going to throw up." I wrapped my arms around my now sick-feeling stomach.
"Please don't do that again," Duncan said quietly looking kind of scared.
Of course she didn't feel bad about almost killing us. "Oh, please. You're exaggerating."
Yeah. Okay.
Our mom didn't really want to have anything to do with shopping if it involved us looking for costumes so she dropped us off at a costume store and left.
Quigley and Duncan were like little girls in Barbie's closet when we walked inside. I swear, they ran around grabbing costumes off the rack so fast I couldn't even see them.
I still had no idea who I wanted to dress up as. Unlike my brothers, I wanted an actual idea before I started looking. I sat in a chair by the dressing room as they tried on a massive number of clothes.
Superman, Spiderman, Jack Sparrow, Dumbledore (I know, they're weirdos), and one of the Transformers were only a few of the things they tried on.
I started thinking that I could maybe wear just a t-shirt with a character on it. Or maybe I could cut a t-shirt into part of a costume. I could make a Camp Half-Blood t-shirt. I have absolutely no idea how to make one, but I could find out and do it!
"So, Isadora," said King Kong as he took a seat next to me. I ripped off his fake head to reveal one of my idiot brothers. "What, Duncan?"
"Have you found yourself a boyfriend for Friday yet?" he teased.
I rolled my eyes. "Yeah," said Quigley in Sherlock clothes. "Or is Mom setting you up on another blind date?"
"Oh, shut up, you two! I'm not going with anyone."
Duncan crossed his furry arms. "I think we should find you a date."
Please, no.
"Yes!" Quigley agreed. "I, Sherlock, shall find you a beau!"
"Okay, I'm no expert," I said, "but I'm pretty sure that Sherlock doesn't talk like that."
"I'm an expert on how King Kong talks!" Duncan said enthusiastically. He put on his gorilla head and literally began monkeying around as he made a bunch of weird gorilla noises. Quigley tried to use his pipe as a sword and a battle between the two was formed.
As they goofed off in the store, I began considering actually taking someone to the dance. Who could I possibly take? The only guy I wanted to go with was going with someone else. I took out my phone and began scrolling through my contact list, hoping for some ideas. Maybe I just take a cousin?
I stopped my phone on the only other guy I could possibly ask without feeling embarrassed or like he'd blow me off.
Mark.
The two of us had become good friends since our blind date, and we texted occasionally. I kept him posted on all things Klaus (just like he wanted, believe it or not), and he kept me posted on all things Annalise (it's kind of easy to believe I wanted that).
Oh, just in case you're wondering, they're still not together.
I know. I'm mad, too.
Sometimes I wish you weren't just a laptop and you actually had human feelings. That way I could talk to you about things and you would understand me.
Actually, now that I think about it, that would be kind of creepy.
You can just stay a laptop.
Anywho…
I didn't buy anything at the costume store, I was too busy thinking about the stupid dance, Mark, and still wondering how Bea and I would figure out Haley's passcode. Without it I was (am) kind of doomed. Then I came up with CRAZY IDEA (well it seemed crazy at the time, but now it just seems normal) that I could get Mark to help us! He could help Bea and me figure out a plan to find out Haley's passcode. I already knew he was a pretty smart guy he could definitely come up with something helpful!
I got kind of excited about that and texted Bea immediately, asking her what she thought about my idea.
DO IT NOW.
That was what her text read. So I texted Mark and told him I needed his help. While I waited for him to respond, I looked around the store, hoping that I might see something I liked. I didn't see an actual costume, but I did a blank orange t-shirt. What that was doing at a flashy costume store I have no idea. But it was one of the things I needed if I was going to make a Camp Half-Blood t-shirt, so I bought it. After I thought about the idea, I was actually kind of excited about it.
I'm such a geek.
Quigley and Duncan were ready to go as well by the time our mom picked us up. Quigley decided that he wanted to Sherlock, and Duncan decided that he wanted to be Jack Sparrow. I think Duncan made a pretty good choice, because he started doing a legitimate Jack Sparrow impression while he had the costume on. It was so good, I almost couldn't believe he was actually Duncan.
Needless to say, I was impressed.
Mother was more lenient than I thought she'd be with the costumes which was surprising but cool, too.
She asked me where mine was, and I held up my shirt and told her I was making mine.
"You're making yours? Isadora don't you think that will take too much time?"
I shrugged. "Not really. I just need to print some letters on here—"
"And, really, Isadora, a t-shirt? What are you going to wear with that? Blue jeans? The dance is named Spring Formal. You have to dress formally." Mother said matter-of-factly. "Honestly, it's in the name."
"Wha-what?" I was suddenly so confused. "Duncan's going dressed as a sloppy pirate, and you didn't say anything about that!"
"Correction," Duncan said "it's not just any sloppy pirate. It's Jack Sparrow. So I can get away with it."
I groaned. "Whatever. I couldn't find something I liked anyway, so I can please just make my costume?"
"Fine," Mother said. "But if your costume isn't ready by Thursday night, I'm picking your costume."
I agreed. "It's a deal."
I told myself that I would totally have that costume ready by Thursday. It was super easy anyway. Besides, if I let my mother pick what I'm going to wear, then I would be wearing some girly dress that looks like a flower threw up on it and she would simply tell me to say that I was some princess or rich girl from some movie.
It wasn't a totally bad idea.
But I refuse to wear a dress to that dance.
Dresses and I don't get along very well.
"Ow! Mom!" Duncan cried, interrupting my thoughts. "Quigley gave me a paper cut!"
"Did not! I'm over here on the other side of Isadora!"
"Did, too! You gave this book, and you didn't than I never would've gotten a paper cut!"
"You're logic is ridiculous!"
"You're ridiculous!"
"Your face is ridiculous!"
"Your entire existence is ridiculous!"
"Boys! You're both ridiculous!"
How did I get stuck with such a loud family? I couldn't think about anything the entire way home because they were all too busy yelling at each other to let me think, and maybe let the headache they gave me to go away.
Sigh.
My family annoys me sometimes.
My headache was so bad that I asked to be dropped off at Bea's house, but Mother sad it was too late for that.
It's never too late to get away from headache-causing people.
I made a mad dash for my room once we pulled into the driveway. I needed silence.
Of course I didn't get it.
I had just turned my laptop on when my brothers barged into my room arguing as loud as ever. They wanted me to settle some new dispute they had created for them. I sighed. If this was going to continue, then nothing was going to get done by Friday.
"Guys, is this really necessary?" I asked. "I have things to do."
"What things?" Duncan asked as he belly-flopped onto my bed.
I groaned. "Things that don't involve you."
"Why don't they involve us?" Quigley asked plopping himself next to Duncan.
"Yeah," Duncan agreed. "We're triplets. Everything we do involves each other."
I rolled my eyes. "We're not conjoined at the hip, Duncan. We don't need to do everything with each other."
"That hurts, Izzy," Quigley said with fake sadness.
"Yeah," Duncan agreed, trying to cry, "We thought you loved us!"
"Well, you thought wrong?"
Quigley laughed. "Oh, thanks, Isadora! You're so kind!"
"You know it," I said dully, scrolling through links on Google for one that would tell me how to make my own Camp Half-Blood t-shirt.
Naturally, my brothers didn't leave. They did a good job at making me laugh. As I was still feeling negative about the whole Klaus/Haley thing it was refreshing to have them make me feel a little better without them actually knowing. I did wish that I could continue trying to think of a plan but I suppose four days is more than enough time.
Isn't it?
3,006
I don't really like this chapter. I feel like it just dragged one. I like the next one a lot better. :)
"Here's to such an old invention
Dear, we touched the fourth dimension
Cheers to such an old invention
Here's an honorable mention..."
~ Fourth Dimension by Lights
One of favorite songs on her Siberia album. IT'S SO GOOD.
;)
