"AAAHHH!" Bon Bon screamed as she jumped back, pulling her hand away from the coin. She looked up to see who the other hand belonged to.
Bon Bon stared at another woman, who had picked up the coin and was now staring back at her. Bon Bon couldn't make out her expression, since her eyes were hidden by a pair of round sunglasses.
The woman wore a scarlet, long-sleeved dress and a matching wide-brimmed hat with a black bow tied around its crown. Over her shoulder she carried a scarlet purse. Her hair was long and black, her hands were covered with black gloves, and her lips were decorated with equally black lipstick. Bon Bon didn't notice it immediately, but this woman's skin was also unusually pale.
"H-Hello," Bon Bon said, still put off from the scare. "Is...Is that your coin?"
"Um...Yes," the woman replied, awkwardly. "Yes it is. Is something wrong?"
"Wr-Wrong?" Bon Bon repeated, taking a step back. "Oh, n-n-no! Of course not! I just..." She took a few quick breaths, then continued, "You just...startled me, is all."
"Really?" the woman asked, her head pulling back. "Oh, I am terribly sorry, miss! You see, I dropped my coin," she raised the coin and pointed to it, "And I was just trying to get it back! I did not mean to frighten you!" She frowned, a hint of guilt in her voice.
"Oh, it's quite alright," Bon Bon replied, having calmed down some. "If it was just an accident..."
"No, no, it is not alright!" the woman insisted. "Here, take the coin! It's all yours now!" She tried to hand it to Bon Bon, but she resisted.
"Thank you madam," Bon Bon replied, "But I don't want it. It is not mine."
"No really, I insist!" the woman said. "Take it, I have plenty more!"
Bon Bon stared at the coin for a few seconds, shrugged, then took it. She then said, "Um...Thank you, Miss...Miss..."
"Henrietta," the woman replied as she put one hand behind her back and the other over her heart. "My name is Henrietta Globen." She said with a grin.
"Oh," Bon Bon replied. "Well, thank you Henrietta. My name is Bon Bon."
"Bon Bon!" Henrietta repeated, an odd sense of glee in her voice. "That is a very nice name!"
"Why, thank you!" Bon Bon replied. "Now, if you'll excuse me," She started to step around Henrietta, still keeping her eyes on her, "I have to go meet my friend at the-" She paused as something strange caught her eye.
"What?" Henrietta asked, feeling her face, "Is there something on my face?"
"No," Bon Bon answered, slowly lifting her hand. "But there is something on your hat." She rubbed her fingers on the brim of Henrietta's hat. There was something brown and sticky on it. She lowered her hand so she could examine the stuff. "It looks like..."
"Chocolate!" Henrietta finished. Bon Bon looked up to see that Henrietta had wiped some of the stuff off her hat as well, and was now sniffing it. "It's chocolate!"
"Chocolate!?" Bon Bon furrowed her brows. "But how!? How did it end up on your hat!? Where did it come fro-" She stopped as a thought entered her head. A thought she desperately hoped wasn't true. "Oh no," she whispered as she turned away from Henrietta and pulled out her mirror. She opened it, and yelled at what she saw.
"My hair!" she exclaimed.
"Your hair!?" Henrietta repeated.
"Yes! My hair!" Bon Bon replied. "My hair is made of chocolate, and now it's all messed up! Again! Ugh!" She didn't have the frosting with her, so she had to mold her hair as best as she could with her hand alone.
"My hat must have pressed against your hair when we both bent down to pick up the coin," Henrietta suggested, still examining the chocolate on her hand. "I'm terribly sorry!"
"It's fine!" Bon Bon said through gritted teeth. "I can fix it! Just give me a minute!" She was so preoccupied with her hair, that she failed to notice that Henrietta's reflection wasn't showing up in her mirror.
While Bon Bon fixed up her hair, Henrietta continued to stare at the chocolate on her hand. She took another whiff of it, then licked her lips. She wasted no time in licking the delicious topping off of her hand. She moaned in delight as the rich flavor danced around in her mouth. She continued picking the stuff from off her hat until there was none left. "Delicious!" she whispered. She then took a good, long look at Bon Bon from behind, examining her candy-coated body from top to bottom. "I wonder what the rest tastes like!" she whispered as her fangs slid down from her upper jaw. She licked them as she reached out a hand and took a few steps towards Bon Bon. Before she could grab her, however, Bon Bon suddenly began to turn around. Startled, Henrietta quickly stepped back and pushed her fangs back up, making sure they weren't visible. She twiddled her thumbs and faked an innocent grin as Bon Bon turned around and spoke.
"Well Henrietta, it was nice meeting you, but I really must be going now! Have a nice day!" She waved and started to walk away, but Henrietta stopped her.
"Wait!" she said, her hand raised. "Where are you going?"
"To the Carnival," Bon Bon answered. "Why?"
"Well, before I bumped into you," Henrietta began, "I-I was actually on my way to the Carnival myself!" She looked down at her thumbs, still twiddling them, "May I come with you?"
"Oh," Bon Bon paused. She wasn't sure how to reply. "Well...Actually Henrietta, I was going to spend the day with my friend, Rumor." She explained.
Henrietta tilted her head, "Your...Your friend?"
"Yes," Bon Bon replied, slightly annoyed. "My friend and I are going to spend the day together. As in, just the two of us. And nobody else. Okay?"
Henrietta stopped twiddling her thumbs. She let out a sigh as a sad-looking frown appeared on her face. She then replied, "Oh...Well, alright then. If that's what you want to do, then I won't stop you." She turned around. "Go on ahead! Go have fun with your friend!"
"Thank you, Henrietta," Bon Bon replied. She turned around and began making her way towards the Carnival, when all of a sudden, Henrietta spoke up again.
"You know," she began, "I once had a friend, as well. She was my very best friend, and we had known each other since we were children. We had so much in common, we were almost like sisters!" Her voice sounded very cheery for a minute, but as she continued, it started to sound sad again. "Sadly, during high school, she had to move away. I never heard from her again." She sighed. "I tried making new friends, but I just don't know how!"
Bon Bon paused to think. It was obvious Henrietta was just guilt-tripping her. And today was supposed to be between just her and Rumor. On the other hand, there wasn't necessarily anything wrong with letting someone else join in. And who knows? Maybe she and Rumor could make a new friend! After a minute or two, the Baroness made up her mind and said, "Oh, alright. You can come with me."
Henrietta turned around, "Wait, really!?"
"Yes, yes," Bon Bon replied, slightly annoyed. "Just please try not to cause any trouble."
"Oh, thank you!" Henrietta beamed as she suddenly ran towards a startled Bon Bon. Without warning, she threw her arms around the candied monarch, squeezing her just a tad too much. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"
"Yes, you're...You're very welcome!" Bon Bon choked on her words. "Now please...No more hugging!"
Henrietta didn't listen. Instead, she took a deep whiff of Bon Bon's hair. A sly grin formed on her face as she licked her lips in anticipation.
"Henrietta, please! You're choking me!" Bon Bon cried.
"Oh!" Henrietta exclaimed as she finally let go and pulled away from Bon Bon. "Oh, I'm so terribly sorry, Bon Bon!" she begged. "Really, I am! Sometimes, I...I get a little too excited, and I don't realize when I'm-"
"It's fine, Henrietta!" Bon Bon interrupted, brushing herself off. "Just please, don't do that again!"
"I promise!" Henrietta said. She then clapped her hands together, "Well, what are we waiting for!? Onward, to the Carnival!" She started running forward, but suddenly tripped. She fell down on her face, but didn't react to any pain. Her hat fell off and landed in front of her.
"Are you okay?" Bon Bon asked, looking down.
"Yes, I am fine," Henrietta said as she began to get up. She started to reach for her hat, but as she did, a gust of wind blew it several feet away. She tried to grab it, but suddenly felt a sharp jolt of pain stab her on the head. She cried out as she tried in vain to cover her head. "Ow! My head! The Sun! The Sun, it burns! Make it stop! O-o-o-o-ow!"
Bon Bon gasped and looked around, eventually remembering her parasol. She quickly moved it so that it covered her and Henrietta's heads. Within seconds, Henrietta stopped screaming.
"Th...Thank you," she said, standing up.
"You're welcome," Bon Bon replied. She then began to walk forward, and Henrietta followed, making sure to stay under the parasol. "But why does the Sun hurt you so much?" she asked. "Is your skin really that sensitive?"
"Sensitive?" Henrietta asked. "My skin? Um...Y-Yes! Yes, my skin and eyes are very sensitive! That is why I have to keep them out of the Sun! I am what is known as an albino!"
"Well, I suppose that would explain the pale skin," said Bon Bon. "No offense."
"None taken," said Henrietta.
They walked for several feet, eventually reaching the hat. Henrietta grabbed it and put it back on her head. "Thank you, Bon Bon," she said. "You know, you are a very sweet person!"
"Sweet?" Bon Bon repeated. She rolled her eyes. Never heard that one before, she thought as the two of them continued walking. She focused her eyes on the Carnival up ahead. Almost there, she thought. She was so focused on the Carnival, that she didn't notice Henrietta examining her body once more.
"Yes," the vampire whispered, licking her lips. "Very sweet, indeed!"