Chapter 4: Pranks and Perfumes
"Dad! I'm going out now!"
Jack Skellington jumped onto the staircase rails and successfully stayed on his feet as he slid down, spiral-wise, to the bottom. His feet no sooner touched the carpeted floor when a blur of white faced him, barking.
"Ah-ah, Zero, you can't come!" He waved the ghost-puppy away, grinning as it whined at him. "Aw, well, I promise next time, alright? Good boy." Chuckling, he petted his pet and opened the door, turning only to yell out, "See ya, Father!"
Upstairs, the current Pumpkin King groaned, rubbing his undead temples. "Where did that boy get his loudness...?"
Jack literally jumped down the front stairs, climbing the gate instead of pushing it open. He found his father's boring lifestyle outside the Halloween season unfitting for him. How exactly could the ruler go about walking and talking to the residents quietly instead of screaming like a maniac and pouncing off the walls? He had no idea, but he was determined to be a better king in that sense.
"Jack! Over here! Finklestein's window is finally open!" Oogie's voice floated to him from somewhere behind the wall separating the evil scientist's tower from the town. They had taken it upon themselves to surprise the doctor with pranks and scares they felt he deserved.
Today, Harlequin accompanied them. "Hey, Skell."
"Good to see you, Clown-boy," Jack returned, smirking. "You better be up for this."
"Psh, I need revenge on the old quack for giving me triple detention."
"Shh! Shut up, this is the perfect moment to move!" Oogie didn't need to say more; in a few stealthy strides, the boys managed to slip underneath the hole they had worked so had to create underneath Finklestein's barrier.
"We're in." Jack pressed himself against the tree, examining the open window. He saw nobody and nodded. "Now!"
Quickly, they darted to the house, stopping at said window. They knew it was the only blind spot from everywhere inside the residence.
"We brought vanilla and lavender extract," Oogie muttered, nose wrinkling as he handed his friend the 'bomb' made out of dead mice. Jack snickered in response.
"This stuff'll smell horrible in his house. How long d'you think it'll last?"
"At least a week."
"Excellent! May I?" The prince crouched down, his head leveled with the windowsill. Oogie just shook his head in amusement.
Without further ado, the perfumed rodent-ball was thrown into the window, making a loud thud on the other side. The trio began giggling, waiting for the angry response they were sure awaited them. Jack and Oogie recalled the old man yelling, "Ah! Those two monsters! When I get my hands on them, I'll have extra body parts for my experiments!" once or twice before mixed in with the most interesting profanities. Harlequin only remembered being spanked.
But the noise from inside that assured them their bomb had exploded was not of a many growl or a deep yelp of surprise. No, the sound was a female shriek, not even one to confuse Finklestein's by (and his voice could go very high.)
"What the hell?" Oogie demanded, suddenly interested in looking in the open window. He made to stand up, but Jack had beaten him to it.
"I don't see anyone," he whispered, scanning the room. He turned to look at Oogie, but then he felt a hot, sharp pain on the side of his skull. Flabbergasted, he was suddenly faced with a pretty girl's annoyed facial expression.
"What do you think you're doing here?" Sally hissed, holding a wet, wooden spoon threateningly. Her white shirt was dripping with a substance Jack could clearly see as the flower extracts.
"Ah, my beautiful maiden! Er, how your face shines in this morning even while you look like you're about to murder me..." he managed lamely, holding the spot where he was slapped. Sally didn't look the least bit bothered by this. In fact, she smiled triumphantly.
"It felt so nice to hit you like that."
"Ah. I see. Oh, sweetheart, I can see past that white shirt of yours. A black bra? Ooh, those kinds of things turn me o—"
Slap! This time, the spoon broke.
Covering her damp shirt with the apron she was wearing, the rag-doll muttered, "Sicko."
"Why, hello there, gorgeous," Oogie greeted, pushing a hurting Jack away. He leaned against the wall and smiled up at the girl. "I apologize for my friend's rude behavior. He can be such a handful at times."
"Aren't you part of this, too?"
"Uh—hahahah, about that, I was—"
"You know that Harlequin just left right now, don't you?"
The two boys looked around in surprise. Yup, he definitely fled. Wimp.
"So it's just us." Oogie nodded thoughtfully. "How 'bout a date with the Boogie Man, Rag-Doll?"
Sally sighed. "No, I'm sorry, Oogie. Thank you, though."
"Hey! Why are you so nice turning him down? You always tell me off!" Jack glared defiantly at the person in question, arms folded across his thin chest.
"He doesn't ask me to a date every five minutes. And he doesn't make inappropriate moments regarding...you get it."
"Well, I wouldn't say anything if you just agreed to be my lover!"
"Lover? Isn't that a bit too much?"
"I figured that if I changed the title, it might interest you more!"
"Jack, I don't want to be your girlfriend, lover, fiancée, wife, steady, or whatever you want me to be to you. Am I clear?" She examined the wooden stick in her hand that used to be a spoon. "You're paying for this."
"Okay, okay, I get it. Hard to get. You'll be my Juliet, then." Jack nodded as though he had just made a bargain with the rag-doll.
"Oh, forget it. You're hopeless."
"Sally!" came another voice from the top of the tower, shattering their pitiful conversation. "I smell something foul! What are you putting in my soup?"
"Nothing! Uh, an animal—" (she glared angrily at Jack) "—knocked over the flower extracts and broke it! I'm cleaning it up now!"
"I better not smell it again!"
"You won't, Dad, promise!" Nervously, Sally knelt down to retrieve the dead mouse, holding it by its cut tail. She then proceeded to throw it at the skeleton teenager watching her. It bounced off his skull, leaving a smudge on the white surface. "Go away, you two."
"Sally? Finklestein's your dad?" Jack suppressed a shudder while Oogie pretended to vomit. The old man had a wife to—
"Yes, he is."
"Do you have a mother?" They had no idea the elderly scientist could love. Unless, of course, he brainwashed the woman. Yes, that was much more rational.
"I'm not sure. You know, it's rude to ask personal questions." Sally frowned at them. "Well, I'm going to take a bath. If you get me in trouble, I swear you'll regret it."
But Jack wasn't paying the least bit attention. "Can I shower with you?"
On the walk home, Jack had to endure several people questioning him about the red hand mark on his left cheek. Oogie simply laughed the whole way.
A/N: I dunno, I'm dumb. Review? ;]