Chapter 7: Oh No...
Sally stirred in her sleep.
How odd. She could've sworn something brushed against her cheek just now. The dream last night...what was it about? She recalled feeling so...secure inside, as though a warm blanket was thrown around her and kept all the heat from leaving. It was a feeling she particularly enjoyed, one that she would most gladly accept if she had a chance to. But, she couldn't remember what the heck that dream was about. Surely something that made her feel safe was worth remembering! Why, though?
Curiously, she attempted falling back into sleep, hoping she could pull out at least a little bit of that weird sensation. Try as she might, her brain refused to allow its owner as to so much as close her eyes. Giving up, she decided to rise and do the morning chores.
"Mmm," she mumbled, turning around and finally opening her eyelids. She didn't know what she was expecting to see; blank walls, an empty room, and definitely the other side of her bed. But no, that wasn't what awaited her.
It took all of three seconds for Sally's mind to register that there was a shirtless skeleton beside her, arms around her waist...wait, her waist? She could see the blue skin beneath the spindly fingers, reminding her that the large pajama top had indeed bunched up to her breast and was showing off her bra...
"AH!" she shrieked, pushing herself away, resulting in her head banging against the stone wall. As she groaned and rubbed her cranium, Jack Skellington woke up, yawning. Upon seeing the dazed girl to his left, he gave a low chuckle.
"'Morning, beautiful. Sleep well?"
"Ugh...ow, ow..."
"Hurt yourself, sweetie-pie? Well, why don't you let your Bone Man give you a kiss?"
"Feeling extremely self-confident, aren't we, Skellington?"
"Hmph! Dearest, if we are to become lovers, we should definitely be on first-name basis!"
"Lovers? Who said anything about that?" By now, their daily banters were beginning to amuse Sally greatly instead of annoying her as it had before. She had no idea when that changed, but sometimes, even Jack went too far.
"You did, my love. Last night." He grinned, tracing her lips with a finger. "Mmm...now where's that kiss...?"
"Wait, wait. What do you mean I did?" She sounded offended, pinching his hand. He withdrew, but did not seem to acknowledge the pain.
"Before I slept, you said you'd date me if I only paid attention to you and nobody else. I agree, so now we can be together!"
"I—what—do yo—?"
Suddenly, her wrists were pinned beside her as she fell to the bed, and the Pumpkin Prince was smiling evilly merely a few inches from her face. Despite his thin and weightless appearance, he actually was very strong; Sally's attempts to push him off were useless.
"What? Don't you remember? You basically gave me permission to court you! There is no way in hell I'd miss this good of an opportunity for you to be mine!"
"I said no such thing!" snapped Sally, accidentally kneeing him in the groin as she moved to sit up. He winced slightly, but otherwise kept his famous grin in place.
"You did."
"Did not!"
"Did so!"
"Did NOT!"
"Would I really lie about this?"
The rag-doll opened her mouth to say, "Of course!" and somehow insult the boy for being so demented, but something in the back of her mind prevented her. It was like a nagging feeling, telling her off.
'He wouldn't lie. You just let your feelings get the best of you.'
No, I didn't!
'You did. Your mind knows you better than you!'
No! There is no way I would let anything slip to Jack!
'So you admit you have feelings to worry not slipping about!'
No! I-I—damn it!
'You like him. Maybe even love...okay, maybe not, but you do have an attraction for him!'
Shut up!
'Agree already.'
But he's a moron!
'So? Don't let that hardness Finkelstein made you with outwit what you really want. Why use your mind when your heart knows what's good for you?'
Because my heart is stupid! My mind happens to know more! And why am I arguing with myself? It isn't healthy!
"Sally?" At the sound of Jack's voice softly calling her name, she looked at him. As clichéd as it sounded, Sally seemed to be staring at him in a whole new light.
Oh...no...
True...this doesn't explain why I think he's different.
"You okay?"
Even after seeing him with all those girls...I can't help but smile when he's happy. It's as if he has this...warmth and kindness radiating from his pale, friendly face. I guess I just want some of that care-free feeling, too.
"Sally?"
Who doesn't? Maybe...just maybe if I let him, he could make me forget all these expectations and hardships. Does anybody know how it feels to have the pressure of needing to maintain the highest grade and I.Q. score in the whole academy? Heck, the whole Halloween world! Finkelstein once told me he'd always wanted a genius for a child, and that Igor, being the first "born," was more of a trial-and-error experiment that turned out somewhat successful. I don't think so, but he told me I must be the top and only accept second best when tested on the exit exam to allow the Pumpkin Prince to get the highest percent. (It was, for him, a necessity to rule the kingdom.)
So, of course, the stress is great for me. How exactly am I supposed to be the smartest? What happens if I don't get to be number one? Will I get locked up once more?
"Hey, are you awake there?"
"Yes." He always makes me feel different, using just those few moments when we're together. I try to push that away, but...sometimes he causes me to forget who I really am. Or at least, who I have to be.
"So...?"
He makes me smile...laugh...and everything seems all too irrelevant with him around because he forces you to focus on the fun at hand. In a way, I'm grateful.
What happened to us?
Why am I realizing this just now?
"J-Jack?"
"Yeah?"
I love you. I know that now. This feeling is way too strong.
Oh. My. God.
I'm in love with Jack Skellington.
"Nothing...just—what exactly did I say last night?"
A/N: Woah! Where did that come from? Realizing your love for him, eh, Sally?
I realize I have several grammatical and spelling errors, so I apologize for those...