CHAPTER THREE: OPERATION "RETRIEVING RANDALL"

I stood back and admired my work. I had sewed half the costume. It fit her okay. I t was form fitting without looking too human. It encased the curvier parts of her body, making her look more like a lizard standing on its hind legs. She had produced ten pointer rings from her shoebox, all silver, steel and more than three inches long. She removed her shirt and pants for the costume, and she looked underfed without them on. Her body was, if possible, even paler than her face and hands, and she was wearing smaller, more revealing pieces of clothing underneath.
"I dunno, Zave. What about your face?" I asked. She looked in the mirror over my bathroom sink and frowned. Then her expression brightened. "I knew I brought that makeup for a reason." She said under her breath. She ran to her box again and came back carrying something purple, something white, something black and a few other odd things I didn't have a name for. "Face make-up. For Halloween. I was going to be a lizard anyway, only my costume is red and looks like something at the salvation army." she explained. I smiled, although I had no idea what the salvation army was. I thought I could get to like this human. She opened a tube-like thing and squirted something purple out the end. She rubbed into her face and rubbed it some more. Pretty soon, she looked like a purple human. Next, she opened the black and spread it just under her eyes, making them look bigger than they already were. "Your facial features will still give you away." I pointed out. She had yet another idea for this too, it turned out.
Ten minutes later, we had a disguise. Zavier now looked like a purple lizard with yellow eyes and a short snout. She'd used contact lenses to change her eyes and a mask to hide her flat humanistic face. It was lined with sharp teeth and molded convincingly to her face to look real. As a s The tail of the costume was long and black and was raised in the back just enough so it would move when she did, making for a convincing monster. The claw rings on her fingers made it look as if she had claws, if she balled her hands into fists. She was undistinguishable from any other reptile in the apartment.
"What do you think? I pass?" she asked. I examined the costume from every angle and nodded, satisfied. She smiled.
A knock on the door. "Randall! Who are you talking to in there?" called the landlady's voice. I smiled at Zavier and walked over to the door. I opened it wide enough for her to see Zavier and she asked "Who's that?"
"Oh, just a friend. Is it okay if she stays with me for a short while?" I asked, giving her puppy eyes. She cross examined Zavier, then raised an eye at the hair. Oh no! Zavier had forgotten to hide her hair! I would have to think of an excuse. "What of this?" she asked. Zavier pulled her hair away from the monster, who looked like a giant pterodactyl. "Uh...she was just trying on a wig, y'know, playing around." I lied. Macy raised an eye at me and smiled. "Well, it looks okay. So long as she's quiet. Just for your information, though, boggs, this never happened." she hissed. She walked out and closed the door. Zavier slumped visibly and smiled shakily at me. "That was pretty close. Now I'm gonna have to figure a way to hide my hair." she complained. I rolled my eyes at her and smiled.
"No you won't. Only around Macy. She doesn't know reptiles in this world can and do have hair." I said mischiveously. "I could tie it back and tuck it into the costume." she suggested. I shook my head. "No. It would make a bulge, your hair's too thick. We need to..." I hesitated. I eyed the scissors on the floor and smiled. She looked at them then back at me.
"NO. I am not cutting my hair. It took me two years just to grow it out this long!" she whined. I rolled my eyes, then went into the storage room to grab a black scrunchie thing that my sister used to wear. I didn't mind. I had her necklace to remind me of her.
"Here, use this." I said tossing it to her. She pulled her hair back off her shoulders and tied it back. Then I got yet another idea.
"Wait here, I'l be right back." I told her. I sneaked into the closet and pulled my winter jacket on. "Where are you going?" she asked skeptically. I grinned.
"Out. You wait here. I'll tap on the window when I want in." I told her. She nodded. I went to the window and opened it. It slid up easily and I snuck out, graspng the side of the building with my fingers and toes. I loved being built somewhat like a gecko. It would've made me the world's greatest burgalar, if I wanted to. But I didn't need it.
Shimmying down the side of the building, I avoided open windows and wandering eyes, lest I get caught wandering out in the cold of night after curfew. Breath steaming out in front of me, I ran as fast as I could down to the roadside store. I knew they had hair care products there, because I used to go and buy stuff for my sister all the time when I was younger, happier and when she was still alive.
Walking in, I walked as calmly as I could down the isle, looking for a special formula that cut down on bushyness of hair. Monster hair care products were more advanced than that of humans.. With this, she won't need to do anything with her hair I thought to myself.
I bought it, ran out the door, and straight into a thunderstorm. "Oh, #$!" I screamed into the gail. I wasn't mad just because I had frozen to the bone immedeatly. I was mad becasue when it stormed this bad, Macy sometimes checked everyone's apartment to make sure people were okay and no windows were left open or broken.
Then I got another idea. I turned and walked back into the store. "Hey, buddy, d'you think I could use your phone a minute? It's an emergency." I asked the clerk behind the desk.
"Hey, don't you work at that scream factory?" he asked suspiciously. I nodded and smileed for him. "Yup. Randall Boggs, second best scarer." I bragged. Maybe if I did a little boasting, I could get what I wanted. "Hey, that's pretty good! Okay, here ya go, but don't be on too long." he handed me the black phone and I dialed my cell phone number. I only hoped Zavier would know how to use a cell. Two rings, three rings, then Hello? "Hey, Zave, It's me Randall." I said breathlessly. Hey, anything wrong? I noticed there's a storm outside. Need anything? she asked. "Heh, yeah, a portable heater would suffice. Listen, think you could drive a car?" I asked. There was a pause. Ye-ess...Why?" she asked slowly. I smiled to myself. "Because. Your gonna come pick me up. Listen, there's a small silver key laying on my dreser in my room. You there?" I asked. Another pause. Then, Jeez, Ran, your room's worse than mine. I laughed. "Good. You have the silver key?" I asked. Yeah. Do you even have a car? she asked. "No, not really. My sister did, though. It should be in the parking lot, a small, streamlined black one. Lisence plate says 696 IM.". I said. She paused again. I see it. Does it run on automatic?" she asked. "Yeah. If you start the engine and a blinking light comes on that says brake warning, just ignore it, that car has more problems than my junky little computer." I answered. She laughed. Okay, Randall. I'm in the car, engine's running, now tell me how to get there. she said. "Okay, just pull out of the lot, take a right, and keep going straight until you see a streetlight." I instructed. While, she drove, we chatted a little. So, why, again am I in the monster world? she asked. "I was thinking of making you a scarer. Kind of a test run, to see if humans could help collect screams, since they have so many freaky movies out." I explained. She laughed. Okay, which way do I go from the light? she asked. "Take a left and the store should be the first thing you see. I'm outside." 'Kay, later. She hung up. I hung up the phone, thanked the man behind the counter and walked back out into the freezing rain. Soon, the headlights of a small car washed over the store parking lot, bathing everything in light. I ran to the passenger's side door, gratefull she hadn't had a problem getting here. "Hey, long time no see." she joked. I closed my door. "C'mon, we better get back, there's a reason I never drive this thing, y'know." I told her. She gave me a funny look. "Don't tell me, I don't even wanna know." she said sarcastically." "Just drive." I commanded.

When we were safely back in my apartment, Zavier handed me my cell and I thanked her. I was really quite surprised she knew how to use it.
"How did you know how to answer it?" I asked. She smiled. "Friends in better living conditions than me. I have a friend, Chassidy, who always let me play games on her cell phone. Monsters and humans aren't as different as they seem to be." she explained unneccesarily.
"Ah, I see. Here, I got ya somethin." I said. I tossed her the formula and she caught it deftly in her right hand. "Cuts down on thickness? Might work." she said thoughtfully. "Just read the directions on the back." I instructed her. She came back out of the bathroom about ten minutes later with her hair all wet, but it was pulled back and not so thick anymore.
I let her sleep on the couch, then I crashed in my room.

CHAPTER FOUR: ZAVIER GETS OUT (a secret)

The alarm rang, bringing me out of the murky waters of my nightmare. It was the same nightmare that I had every time I was a little stressed about something. The one where I was bodily thrown into the himalayas, where everything was white and my body was so numb it hurt to think. Looking around, I saw that my bedroom was indeed a mess as Zavier had said it was. I didn't have many clothes, as I only wore them when I had to, so there wasn't any clothing on the floor. Instead, there were wires, leftovers from my scream-extractor from ten years ago, a full-length mirror, a few different disassembled radios, and other junk I didn't know what to do with. My desk was so cluttered, because I didn't use my beat up computer anymore. It was a version 95 and had almost as many problems as my sister's old Chevo. (Sort of like Chevy in the human world.)
I moaned and rolled out of bed. Today was saturday, so I didn't have to go to work. It also meant that Zavier didn't have to go and meet her old friend, 'kitty' though I doubted he would any longer be her type.
I got to my four feet and walked into the kitchen to pour some cereal. Looking into the living room, I saw that Zavier was still asleep, in the street clothes she'd had on when I'd met her. She was sprawled out on the couch, covered by a thick black comforter, one arm beneath her and the other with her knuckles scraping the floor. I chuckled to myself and continued to the kitchen.
I opened the cupboards and dug out a bowl and some cereal, called Slimy Rings. They were sort of like fruit loops in the human world, only, as the name implied, they were slimy and tasted to me like bannanas way past the expiration date, which I liked. (Laugh if you want, but monsters have very different taste buds.)
I was eating while reading my book when a very sleepy looking Zavier shuffled into the kitchen. I took one look at her and laughed. Her hair was a mess of what looked like black straw and her skin was whiter than milk this early in the morning. Her clothes were all twisted around her body, making her appear to be in a straightjacket of some sort. She yawned and looked around the bare little kitchen groggily.
"You up already?" she asked in a throaty voice filled with sleep. I rolled my eyes and smiled smugly, swallowing my mouthfull of cereal. Zavier eyed it with what looked like an attempt at disgust or horror, I couldn't tell. I pointed to the box and she picked it up and read the back. Her face broke into a grin and she dropped the box and started laughing. I tried quieting her, but she couldn't stop.
"Monsters...are--so-weird! Slimy-...Rings!" she gasped between laughing. Her face was turning pink from laughing so much. She was clutching her throat when she finally quieted down. I was still holding my spoon halfway to my mouth, staring dumbstruck at the dilusional human female.
Here she was, hair looking like someone's ratty old dog, clothes all twisted, eyes stille yellow, and fangs, and she thought Monsters were wierd? I laughed in spite of myself.
"You hungry?" I asked. She giggled again and shook her head. I shrugged and finished my breakfast. After I was done cleaning up, I suggested we go out and get some fresh air. She smiled.
"Okay, sure. Could I bring my CD player?" she asked. I shrugged and said "Who's it gonna hurt?" she giggled again, and I had time to think. Wonder why the lights don't flare?

In the car on the highway to the next town heading towards the mall, I asked "Hey, Zave? Why don't you take out those contact lenses." I suggested. She looked at me funny with her gold-yelow eyes and frowned. "Contact lenses? I took those out lastnight. This is my true eye color." she said oddly. I raised an eye. "Yellow? I didn't know humans could have anything but brown, blue, green, gray, or hazel." I speculated. Zavier looked at the floor, a crease in between her eyebrows. "Well...If you promise not to tell anyone, I'll tell you." she said quietly. I smirked and crossed all four arms. "Try me." I invited. She looked up at me, her yellow eyes almost glowing. "My father's a reptile." she said quietly. I smirked again and rolled my eyes. "Yeah, right. The chromosones would never match up." I countered. She glared at me and then, she did something that astounded me.
She stuck out her tongue. It wasn't pink or red or white, even. It was long, past her chin, and slender, thin and forked deeply. It was a deep, shiny black, like her hair. Raising her upper lip, she exposed her fangs fully for the first time. The fangs were slender, sharp like needles and dripping in saliva. "Okay. I'm convinced." I said, eyes wide. She looked down at her CD player again, a blue sphere with a few buttons on the bottom that and a trademark that said 'Sony'. I drove on, listening to the radio in my sister's olde car. I'd decided that since it could drive at least a few miles at a time before it broke down, I'd use it for today.