[Shock's POV:]

Two months later:

I rolled to my side. I rolled back again. I opened my eyes to see Angela smiling at me.

"Good morning, Sleeping Beauty." She teased. Screaming, I jumped out of my bean bag and landed on the messy floor. My heart pounding and my blood rushing. "What the fuck, man!" I panted, resting my right hand on my chest where my heart was located at.

"Don't worry. I barely walked in right now." Angela got up from the beanbag. Barrel burst through the door. "What happened?" He gasped. Angela looked at Barrel. He looked back at her.

"Awkward." I said, breaking the silence.

"Hey, Shock. Aren't you gonna introduce me to your friend?" Barrel whispered.

"One of my friends is here?" I asked outloud. Angela elbowed me in the rib and I started laughing. "Hi, I'm Angela. My friends call me Angel." She greeted.

"Which she is totally not." I laughed. She elbowed me in the rib again.

"Ow! You're going to bruise my insides!" I whinned. Barrel ran his fingers through his soft green hair. He reached his hand out to shake her hand. "I'm Barrel." He said. Angela wore a white lacey blouse with black jeans. Inside her pocket, was a chain. It was small, though. It hung out for everyone to see. Her black and white converse matched perfectly. A grey bookbag hung near her theighs. Barrel wore his regular, everyday outfit. "What'cha doing here? Isn't it Saturday?" I asked.

"Yeah, I know. But Mr. Long wanted us to practice for this Monday. The rest of the cast are waiting outside." Angela informed. I looked through my calender. It was Saturday the 22nd. Monday is Christmas Eve. After that, we start the new holiday we call Christmas Vacation. "When does he want us there?" I asked. Angela looked at the time.

"In about...five minutes." She answered, still smiling.

"What! Why didn't you wake me earlier?" I gasped.

"Because I love you!" Angela exclaimed, hugging me. I ran into my closet and changed into my new dress Sally got me. We climbed down the three steps and ran to the cage. Instead of taking the cage, I grabbed her arm and climbed down the pole. Barrel followed. Instead of landing safely, he fell on his face. "Wait!" He pleaded, wiping the dirt off his jacket and grabbing my arm.

"Hehe, I mean, maybe I can...well, I don't know...join you guys in the play?" He asked.

"I don't know." I said. Angela elbowed my rib, again, but instead of whinning, I fell on the hard dirty ground. "WOULD YOU STOP THAT!" I begged.

"Sure, we'd love to have you on our cast." Angela said, ignoring me. I rolled my eyes and hopped on my broom. Penny and Katy were laughing about how paper could be rock in paper, rock, scissors. Katy said she would run. "It's healthier." She explained.

"Wait. We can take the tub." Barrel suggested. He quickly fetched the tub and helped Angela in.

"Uh, no thanks. This tub creeps me out. I'll just say a spell and meet you there." She insisted.

"Suit yourself." Barrel shrugged. He set the tub to maxium speed. Katy was way in front of all of us. She could really run. Katy, captain of the track team. She jumped above, slid under, and climbed over all the obsticles in her way with ease. Penny scratched her head with her wand, searching through her spell book. "Uh...burnus interuptus?" She guessed. I flew under her so she could land right on my broom. We were in the school's aditorium in no time. We flew through the doors and landed right on stage. I turned to see her hair on fire. "Hold still! Hold still I say!" Mr. Long ordered, patting her head down. The fire was gone but Mr. Long had his hand stuck in her hair. It created a knot.

"Ow! Hair! Hair!" She warned. He ripped his hand out of her hair.

"What happened?" I asked, helping her fix her hair.

"Hehe, wrong spell." Penny shrugged.

"For the love of Jack, Penny!" I smirked.

"Did you hear? Drake isn't gonna be here today. You're gonna have to practice with his understudy." She informed. I grabbed a brush and tried to comb out her knot.

"Sounds cool, I guess." I replied. The brush got stuck in her hair.

"No it's not! You're gonna have to kiss his understudy."

I accidently ripped the brush out of her hair. Angela was talking to Twilight. Barrel walked up to me.

"Guess what!" He ordered playfully.

"What?" I asked, not turning back and still brushing Penny's hair. We were behind stage.

"I'm Jack. The understudy." Barrel exclaimed. My eyes widened. My vision blurred. My heart rate slowed down. The whole world seemed to be spinning. My head was dizzy. I felt sick to my stomach. I just stood there until,

SLAM! I fell onto the hard, cold floor in unconsionous.

"Wake up! Wake up." A voice said. I opened my eyes to see Barrel.

"What did you say?" I asked, hoping it was just a dream.

"I'm Drake's understudy! Aren't you happy?" Barrel exclaimed.

"I think I'm gonna be sick." I groaned. Angela whispered what would happen to Jack and Sally at the end in Barrel's ear. Penny helped me up. "Okay, relax! Maybe, Mr. Long won't get to the end today." Barrel insisted.

"Okay, people! Let's pick up where we left off." Mr. Long yelled. He sat in the third row in the empty seats along with the cast that weren't in the scene.

"The show must go on!" I demanded, trying not to gag. We walked onto stage.

"Okay Scene 1. ACTION!" Mr. Long yelled.

Scene 1-

Everyone: Boys and Girls of every age, wouldn't you want to see something strange? Come with us and you will see, it's our town of Halloween!

I stood back stage. Waiting for my cue. We had a small cast so all of us had two or more parts.

"Go, Shock! That's your cue." Penny pushed me on stage. The whole room was dark. A spotlight shined stage. I didn't think twice.

Angela: Everybody scream, everybody scream. In our town of Halloween.

Shock:I am the clown with the tear-away face, here in a flash and gone without a trace

Whisper1: I am the who when you call 'who's there?'

Whisper2: [Fan blows through Shock's hair] I am the wind blowing through your hair. [light moves to Shadow]

Shadow: I am the shadow on the moon at night, filling your dreams to the brim with fright.

I walked back stage. Barrel was being stuffed inside a scarecrow.

"Ow! Ow! Okay, this isn't working. I think I'm alittle too big." He whinned. I helped him out.

"If he could fit in that small tub, he could fit. In. Here!" I shoved him in further. Barrel finally fit inside the costume.

"That's your cue! Good luck." I said, shoving him on stage. After they sang there lines, Barrel grabbed a torch and ate it up. It was fake. You could totally tell. "Hm, not real enough." I sighed.

"I'm on it, Shock. Burnus Interuptus!" Penny exclaimed.

"Penny, no!" I pleaded. It was too late. Real burning fire lit his costume. He jumped into the fake well and cooled off in the water.

Katy and Lloyd: In this town, we call home, everyone hail to the pumkin song. [Barrel rises from the well dramatically]] After the cheering and talking Shadow said,

Twilight: [No longer singing] What a night!

"CUT!" Mr. Long yelled.

"What, now?" Twilight smirked.

"I wasn't really feeling your excitement, Twilight. Try to be alittle more dramatic" He explained with some hand gestures.

"You want dramatic? Oh, I'll give you dramatic." I heard him whisper to himself.

Later:

"Okay, Sally's Song! Cue Sally." Mr. Long yelled. I walked onto stage. The backround looked exactly like the real thing.

"Well, I'm waiting...Sally." He crossed his arm. I coughed nervously in reply. I turned to my right. My friends were backstage waiting.

Shock: I sense there's something in the wind, that feels like tragedy's at hand. Although I'd like to stand by him, can't shake this feeling that I have. The worst is just around the bend and does he notice my feelings for him and will he see how much he means to me, I think it's not to be. What will become of my dear friend? Where will his actions lead us then? Although I'd like to join the crowd in their enthusiastic cloud. Try as I may it doesn't last, [Shock sits down and leans against a headstone] And will we ever end up together? No, I think not, it's never to become for I am not the one...

I took a deep sigh. It was a regular sad sigh. Not too deep. Not too obvious.

"Shock, that was terribl-" Mr. Long began. I felt really scared.

"Terribly amusing! It's like you're going through the same thing Sally is." He finished.

"Well, actually..." I started.

"Don't care. Scene is over. Off my stage, sweetie." He yawned.

"I'll throw you off stage, bitch." I growled softly, walking away. I walked back stage. Everyone had a dressing room. Some people had it in a private room. Others had it in public but backstage. I had mine in public. I looked at myself in the mirror. I looked down at my feet. "Great work, Shock." A voice said. I turned around to Sally.

"Sally! You came!" I exclaimed, giving her a hug. Jack came in through the back door. He wore a coat. Apparently, Jay came for a visit and let out some snow. Halloween Town was full of snow. Angela was chasing Lloyd. "Give it back, Jerk!" She snapped.

"No, I wanna wear it for the play!" He laughed, putting on Angela's cape. Jack looked up and all around. He tripped over Lloyd and Angela. She grabbed her cape back and ran. Lloyd transformed into a monster and hissed at Jack, baring his sharp fangs. Jack revealed a horrifying face and let out a deafning roar. Lloyd gasped and backed away. "Now, go apoligize. Then, finish the play correctly. I want no funny buisness, young man. And apologize again!" Jack snapped.

"Uhhh, Ye-yes sir." Lloyd studdered. He spun around and ran away. Jack got up and wiped himself off. "Over here, Jack!" Sally exclaimed. He walked to us. Sally wore her regular dress.

"Did you hear her sing?" She asked Jack.

"No, I barely got here." He replied.

"Okay! Five minutes over. Let's take it to...Poor Jack." Mr. Long yelled. I grabbed Jack's and Sally's hand. I led them to the side of the stage. We weren't on stage but we were on the side. "C'mon. Barrel is gonna sing." I explained. Barrel wore his Jack costume. It was a teared up and burned. He was dressed like Sandy Claws. And Jack. Weird. The backround was a cementary. He layed in an angel's arms. "ACTION!" Mr. Long shouted.

Poor Jack, By: Jack S.

What have I done? What have I done? How could I be so blind? All this loss, where was I? Spoiled all, spoiled all. Everything's gone all wrong What have I done? What have I done? Find a deep cave to hide in, in a million years they'll find me. Only dust and a plaque that reads 'Here Lies Poor Old Jack' But I never intended all this madness, never, and nobody really understood, well, how could they? That all I ever wanted was to bring them something great. Why does nothing ever turn out like it should? Well, what the heck, I went and did my best. And by God, I really tasted something swell. And for a moment, why, I even touched the sky [Barrel jumps up as high as he can]and at least I left some stories they can tell, I did. And for the first time since I don't remember when I felt just like my old bony self again. And I, Jack, the Pumpkin King. That's right, I am the pumpkin King![Barrel rips off his Sandy Claws costume and reveals his Jack costume] Hah! Hah! Hah! And I just can't wait until next Halloween 'cause I've got some new ideas that will really make them scream and, by God, I'm really gonna give it all my might! Uh-oh, I hope there's still time to set things right….

Barrel ran into a tume. Which really was an entrance to the backstage. Jack placed his arm over Sally and kissed her on her head. "Okay! We still need the special effects person to help us fake Oogie's death. Let's move on to the last song." Mr. Long shouted. Sally and Jack exchanged looks. "Shock, you do know what happens next, right?" Sally asked. I thought about it.

"Penny told me. I just can't remember." I said. Sally whispered something to me but I couldn't hear. Angela hammered the new backround on tight. I looked at the backround. Moonlight Hill? It popped into my mind. Just before I could freak out someone covered my eyes. I tugged away and turned to see Drake. "Drake! You're here." I exclaimed.

"Yeah, sorry I took so long. I had some trouble." He replied.

"Ready? Action!" Mr. Long yelled. I sat on the hill.

Final Song. By: Jack&Sally S.

[Shock takes a seat on the hill. Drake enters] Drake: My dearest friend, If you don't mind, I'd like to join you by your side, Where we can gaze into the stars.

Shock: And sit together, [Stands up and joins Drake. They walk closer together. Slowly]

Both: And sit together, Now and forever, For it is plain' As anyone could see, Were simply ment to be...[They end the song with a kiss]

"Perfect, Shock. Brilliant, Drake. Cute couple." Mr. Long exclaimed. "Okay, people. Good rehersal! Practice for Monday."

I walked off stage. Barrel gave me a hug from the back. Angela joined in. So did Katy. Penny, too. Even Shadow and Lloyd! I was squished between the group. "Okay! Fine. Group hug!" I exclaimed. They hugged me tighter. "Um, guys? Choking. Not breathing!" I coughed out. They all released and celebrated their comended pre-performance with joyous, infectous laughter and chatter. The girls surrounded me. "Hey, Shock. Can we spend the night at your house?" Penny asked.

"Sure." I answered. Someone ran in. He slammed the door behind him. He flipped off his hoodie. It was blue. His pants were khakki. It was very familiar. "Jay!" I exclaimed. It was him alright. His hair white as snow and eyes blue as the blue Christmas lights you hang on trees. I have him a hug. "Hello, Shock. Did I get here in time?" He asked.

"You made it just in time!" I cheered.

"Yes!"

"To see me leave."

He looked at his watch and sighed. "Hey, I'll make it up to you. Walk 'ya home?" Jay insisted.

"Actually..." I started. I looked back. My friends were gone. They took my broom! I looked back at Jay. "Sure."