Spooky Times the Charm Part 1
"Alright, in light of everyone's confusion with my Trick-or costume last year, I've decided to go as something a tad more recognizable this Halloween," With that Cricket jumped out into the kitchen with his arms spread wide. "America Rat!"
Bill couldn't help ,but smile as he watched his son show off his costume. Thank goodness he bought that costume off season otherwise it'd probably cost an arm and a leg for that cheap padded jumpsuit and plastic shield.
"I shall also be going with an animal theme." Tilly announced as she poked her head into the living room before striking a pose in the matching brown sweatshirt and leggings that made up her squirrel costume. Bill wanted to cry his daughter looked so adorable, she even glued little felt ears to the hoodie.
"Alright, let me get a picture." Bill said, raising his camera as he beckoned his kids to stand next to each other.
"Nice decorations this year Bill." Gloria complimented as she strolled in, adjusting her cat ears and sharpie-ing on the last whisker.
"Huh?" Bill raised his brow as he looked around, just now noticing the multiple plastic candles and paper bats decorating the living room. "I didn't put these up."
"That's weird,then who di-" Cricket was cut off as someone kicked the bathroom door open. Chip stood there with his foot still raised. "It's here!"
Everyone raised a brow as Chip came strutting out in a very detailed vampire costume, fake fangs, overly long cape and all, looking strangely enthused (at least for Chip.)
"Well someone went all out." Gloria said as she leaned against the living room's archway.
"Uh duh, it's Halloween .The best night of the year." Chip replied as he looked into his little pocket mirror and drew on some last minute eyeliner. "What am I gonna do, wear the same costume I wore last year like some lazy hack?"
Gloria blushed at that, self consciously adjusting her last year cat ears again.
"You really like Halloween huh?" Bill said as Gramma walked in, sporting a witch's hat almost tall enough to reach the ceiling.
"Uh, I like alot of things Bill." Chip retorted. "Halloween's on an entirely different level. It's literally the best holiday!"
"Better than Christmas?" Tilly asked.
"Uh yeah ." Chip replied like it was obvious, causing a round of horrified gasps to go around. "Halloween's got three things Christmas doesn't 1. I look great in costume." Chip explained as he smugly tossed his cape to the side, accidentally smacking Cricket in the face with it.
"2. It's the one night out of the year it's socially acceptable to be mean to children." As he said this Cricket had unfortunately stumbled too far to the left and subsequently got spooked by the falling motion detecting skeleton man Chip had no doubt set up earlier as a booby trap. They really needed to get rid of that decoration one of these days.
"And 3. It's the only time out of the year I allow myself to eat as much sugary, tooth rotting candy as I please." Chip said as he swiped their candy bowl from Nancy who had just walked in-sporting a classic Jason hockey mask and 'fake' chain saw as her costume-and tossed a piece of chocolate into his mouth. " Ugh , I always forget how good chocolate tastes."
"That last part's just sad." Gloria joked as she took the candy bowl from him and grabbed her own piece of candy.
"Oh and it's also because of the Big City costume contest they have every year down by the pier." Chip continued, fishing his phone out from under his cravat. "Which not to brag , but I've literally one every year since I was fifteen." The blonde bragged as he showed off the multiple Halloween selfies of himself in various costumes over the years.
"Except you know last year, when I was living in my car and those sentient pumpkin monsters attacked." Tilly's eyes widened guiltily as Chip trailed off with a shrug. "But, who cares. I've totally got it in the bag this year, just had to get a little more creative."
"Wait a second, are those my drapes?" Bill asked, gesturing to Chip's cape, only to get talked over by Cricket. "So just curious , there's not a prize for winning this costume contest is there?"
"Hm? Oh yeah, you get a free 15 dollar gift card to Wholesome Foods." Cricket couldn't have deflated faster if he were a popped balloon. Chip smirked as he turned to the side slightly. "Oh and also this totally inconsequential giant candy goblet-"
" Candy you say ." Cricket had already hopped up and latched himself around Chip's arm.
"Yeah," Chip fake sighed, closing his eyes dramatically. "Enough to feed like eight people. It's usually way too massive for me to finish on my own, if only I had a surrogate family to share it with this year-"
Cricket was already honking the Kludge horn from outside, yelling at everyone to hurry up and get going already.
Nancy shrugged as she smiled at Bill. "A party by the pier sounds pretty fun, and me and you could probably take Tilly and Cricket trick or treating before the contest."
"Oh yeah it doesn't actually start til 8pm." Chip added.
"Well I guess it's settled then." Bill shrugged as he grabbed his keys. "To the pier everyone."
"Hey Remy, change of plans, you and Vasquez need to meet us at the Big City pier tonight." Cricket said into Bill's phone as they rode down the Jack O lantern lit streets.
"Oh okay." Remy replied. "Me and Vasquez are actually out trick or treating now so we'll catch up with you there later."
"Alright, sounds good." Cricket laughed. "What'd you guys decide to go as this year?"
"Robin Hood and Little John." Remy replied. "I'll let you guess who's who, anyway see you tonight for some epic candy trading!"
"Heh, you bet." Cricket handed Bill his phone back once Remy hung up. "Remy's not gonna know what hit him this year when he sees my score." Cricket laughed, maniacally rubbing his hands together. "This is gonna be a great Halloween!"
"Hopefully better than last year." Gloria sighed with cautious optimism as she leaned her face against her closed fist. "Maybe this year now that we're away from your house I might actually not get mauled by a group of supernatural creatures."
"Yeah," Chip sighed happily, completely oblivious. "And hopefully for me I'll have finally gotten one over on that evil clown this year."
"Yeah," Cricket snorted. "Hopefull-Wait evil gorilla?!"
"Hm? Oh yeah, that." Chip groaned as he fished out his phone again. "Three years ago this stupid guy in a gorilla costume decided to start messing with me on Halloween."
Chip leaned over Gloria and Tilly to show Cricket his phone screen. "Every time he waits till they're about to take my winning photo at the contest then bam out of nowhere he just runs onto the stage and pushes me off!"
Cricket's eyes widened at the multiple blurry images of Chip taking a tumble off stage over the years.
"Fun fact, before you guys he was actually my number one most hated enemy." Chip laughed awkwardly, whilst the rest of the Kludge fell into utter crickets. "
And totally is again now just to be clear." Chip laughed again tugging at his collar. "But, uh yeah , he's not getting me this year!" The blonde declared triumphantly with his hands on his hip. "Cause this year, I've hired a bodyguard, right Alice?"
Gramma raised her brow as she sat up front cleaning her sword. "Long as you remember to keep up your end of the bargain."
"Of course, of course." Chip aquised, waving her off. "Those knitting needles should arrive any day now."
"Well sounds like we got this Halloween in the bag." Bill laughed. "Oh Nancy, turn up the radio, I love this song."
Nancy groaned, half heartedly turning the volume knob up as the monster mash began to play.
"Woah." Cricket said along with Tilly as they all got out of the Kludge. "Dang."
Dang was right, everywhere they looked there were bright neon lights and plastic skeletons and ghosts hanging all over the place and-wait was that a fog machine!?
"Oh I missed this." Chip sighed as he breathed in the atmosphere. "Okay, I'm gonna go sign up before the line gets too long." Chip said as he gestured over his shoulder to the contest sign up table.
Everyone nodded as Chip took off.
"And we'll just take a quick look at the snack table." Gloria and Gramma said, a little mischievous smirk present on their faces as they snuck off.
"Well alright, let's get a move on family." Cricket declared with his finger pointed in the air as he fished out his trick or treating bag. "Just in case Chip doesn't win we should have a candy back up pla-"
"Cricket?"
"Huh-Ah Gabriella!" Cricket almost tripped as he looked to his left to see his girlfriend standing there in an absolutely sick skeleton costume. "Woah, you look awesome!" Cricket's eyes lit up. "What're you doing here?"
"Hm, oh me and my brother come here every year to help out with the contest." Gabriella shrugged. "There's free food, plus we get to laugh and point at some of the ridiculous costumes." Gabriella gestured over her shoulder to-well to Chip who was busy impatiently tapping his foot against the ground as he waited in line. Cricket averted his gaze out of embarrassment.
"Uh wow cool, um." Cricket coughed gesturing to his family. "We were about to get some trick or treating in before the costume contest, did you maybe wanna come?"
"Oh ..that sounds really cool honestly ,but uh." Gabriella rubbed her arm awkwardly. "Yeah, me and my bro got something we gotta set up-" Gabriella paused, as if suddenly struck by an idea. "But, you know we could actually use some help, would you maybe-..." She trailed off.
Cricket raised his brow. "Maybe what?...Oh wait, you want me to help?"
"I mean yeah, if you don't want to that's cool, I just-"
"Mom, dad please!" Cricket begged, already falling to his knees.
Mom and Dad shared a knowing side eye. "Well if you insist." Dad sighed dramatically.
"C'mon Tilly guess it's just the three of us tonight." Mom said as she took Tilly's hand and started leading her and Dad towards the nearby neighborhood.
Tilly shrugged on their way out. "More candy for me then."
Cricket sighed in relief before excitedly turning back to Gabriella. "So what we gotta do? Hang up some more skeletons or-"
"Oh nah it's actually ," Gabriella's face took on a strangely mischievous look as she slung her arm over Cricket's shoulder. "Something a bit more complicated."
"Oh yeah?" Cricket snorted as Gabriella took his hand and started leading him to a lone corner by the bobbing for apples booth. "What is it?"
Gabriella took a second to look back and forth, as if they were about to commit a crime, wait they weren't, right?
Gabriella finally sighed looking back to Cricket. "Okay so I kinda lied earlier so your parents wouldn't get mad. Me and brother have one more reason we come to this contest."
"Really? What is it?"
"Okay so see that guy over there?" Gabriella pointed back to the contest sign up line and..wait,why did it look like she was pointing at Chip?
"Uh yeah." Cricket laughed, deciding to just go with it. "What about him-"
"Well every year that jerk always wins so," Gabriella was already giggling. "So every year me and my bro play a sick prank on him."
"Oh?" Cricket squeaked, he was really not liking where this was going. But, surely this didn't mean that Gabriella and her brother were-
"Oh hey Carlos, Cricket this is my brother." Gabriella said, pointing to the teenager coming to greet them….
In. a. gorilla costume.
Oh no .
A/N
So don't worry there will be a better explanation given for Gabriella and her brother's pranking next chapter.
And yeah I got the headcanon of Chip being obsessed with Halloween from that one line in Chipwrecked where he says "No, I like it spooky!" Because yes, I am that banannas