"What do mean it's not here?" She half yells to the monster behind the desk. Hedgehog could swear Susie told them to go to the library for the movie. "Did Susie not call for it?"

"No, she did," Margot said, turning to her computer. The monster gives it a once over to check for the acquisition Susie had left for them again. "But those particular movies couldn't be found here."

Hedgehog props herself up on the front desk with both elbows. "Please, Margot. Tell me you're messing around."

The monster looks back at the girl with a deadpan expression. "You know how seriously I take this job Hedgehog." She said. Hedgehog should have known better. Although the monsters were typically playful and caring, they all held the utmost professionalism when it came to the work they did.

"So, what are we supposed to do?" She was disappointed. For the last few days, it's just been loss after loss. She only wanted one win; one single win couldn't be too much to ask for surely.

"Well, scenes we didn't have it in stock here, we had to call it in ourselves." She turns away from the computer to face the kids. "You'll have to pick it up at vampire video."

"Vampire video?" Hedgehog said, not so subtly questioning the existence of this place. "Where do we even find that?"

"Here, I'll show you." Margot pulls at a slip of paper and writes the directions to the video store down on it. "Just follow this and you'll be there in no time."

"Ok...thanks, Margot." Hedgehog takes the makeshift map, and the group exits the library. She was too irritated now. Not only did they have to go get the movie from a completely separate location, but it was almost like someone was trying to get under Oscar's skin, especially by sending them to such a creepy-sounding location.

"I can't wait to get there." Oscar rushes ahead of them. He was excited about having a movie night with his friends that he hadn't considered anything beyond where they were going and why.

"Oscar. are you sure you want to come with us?" Hedgehog asked with concern. From what she could make out from the map, the trek to the store alone might be a little too much for the poor boy to handle. "Me and Oliver can take care of this."

"Don't worry hedgehog I'll be fine." He puffs out his chest in confidence, only a little nervous about entering the river leading to the rental store. "Besides I won't be scared. you and Oliver will be there with me."

"Seriously, Oscar," Oliver said putting a hand on his shoulder. "We won't think less of you if you want to stay here."

"Guys come on. I can handle it." He was a little tired of being treated like a baby. Even Pepper seemed to be treating him like his little brother from time to time. He was indeed scared of most things on this island and maybe he was a little naive and sure he wasn't physically the strongest, but it didn't mean he couldn't look out for himself. "Come on hedgehog, can we go or what?"

Hedgehog hums. "Are you sure Oscar?" She said just to reconfirm his decision.

"Hedgehog, I'm sure." He said, visibly frustrated. "It's not like we're babies anymore."

"...Yeah, I know Oscar." She was only trying to look out for him, he was basically her little brother even if he was a little older. She did her best to protect him from a lot of the bad life had to offer.

"So... can we go now, ooor...?" Oliver rises both of his shoulders as he awaits an answer. He was eager to know what kind of film Susie had in store for them.

"Oh yeah. I wonder what movie she picked out anyway." Hedgehog spoke confidently, though she would mask the concern. She knows Susie, knew the head witch never really had the best intentions for anyone, especially Oscar. "I hope it's nothing bad. Susie's gonna have a lot to answer for otherwise." She grumbles. The threat was empty for the most part, given how strong Susie actually is. That didn't mean Hedgehog wouldn't try to get back at her in another way.

"Don't worry. Knowing her it's probably something lame." Oliver sounded sure. Susie didn't have good taste in movies but watching something she liked was probably better than not watching anything at all. "Just so long as she didn't make it herself, I'm good."

"Yeah, I hear that, Oliver." She agreed with him "I don't know how she can be so full of herself all the time. I can't take it, I swear."

"You know Susie," Oscar says shrugging. "Just because she's a camp counselor and can do a little magic, she thinks she runs the entire world." He nods placing his hands on his hips as he continues his rant on the camp's tyrant. "But you know what. She can't run us, not forever, and not when we still have some fight left in us." He preached, pacing back and forth addressing his two friends as a general would an army, preparing to charge into their final battle. "So, what do you say? Do lay down and let Susie walk all over us all our lives? Or do we finally take a stand? Who's with me."

"Yeah, Oscar we're with you." Hedgehog walks up to him, chuckling at the rather heroic speech while Oliver was throwing whistles and applause the excited boy's way.

"Then that settles it. Let's go get us a movie." He gives one last rousing shout before turning around and unfortunately crashing into nonother than his pink-haired tormentor once again. And this time he was with two friends of his own. Jason, a cat who was the least confrontational and therefore the kindest one in the group, and Aubrey, a wolf with a bad attitude.

"Jeez Oscar, I thought I told you ta watch where ya stepped loser." He hisses at the frightened boy. "What is seriously wrong with you."

"Leave him alone Michael," Hedgehog says defending Oscar who had shuffled behind her. "Maybe try picking on someone your own size."

"Aww, so now mommy's gonna protect her retarded son?" He switches targets and begins to antagonize Hedgehog, seemingly granting her wish.

"Seriously Michael why don't you take your pack of wild animals and go mark some territory somewhere else." She retorts. He clearly doesn't like her little snarky comment. She had dug under his skin as so many others had tended to and he wasn't going to take it laying down.

"I heard about your little crush on Max." Hedgehog starts to get flustered when Micheal mentions Max and how she used to feel. "But could you blame him for not wanting you? Besides him being a homo and all."

"Hey, don't you guys have anything better to do?" Oliver steps up. He'd much rather try to defuse the situation and get his friends out of there as quick as possible than step into a fight with the other group.

"Hey, hedgehog. I heard there's gonna be a movie tonight." The wolf boy says walking over to her and getting a little too close for comfort. "Maybe you wanna watch it with me." He asked though it sounds more like a demand.

"Ew, no thanks, Aubrey." She always hated how touchy-feely the wolf tried to get with her so she'd keep her distance whenever she could. She always thinks how it would be if she were ever caught alone with him.

"Come on, that's cap. I know you want to. I see how you look at me all the time." He pulls her close by her waist and try's reaching up her skirt.

"Ah Aubrey, get away from me." She says struggling to get away from the boy.

"Aubrey seriously-" Jason begins to intervene but stops when Micheal holds a handout and Jason would slink back behind their leader.

Oliver seeing this starts to feel the heat buildup within him. "Hey, she said get away from her!" He shouts. His face was submerged in a boiling heat at how the wolf was treating Hedgehog. "I swear to god Aubrey." He says through clenched teeth and balled fist.

"Oh, what? You like her too? Don't worry you can have her when I'm done." The wolf held on to her much more tightly. She couldn't do much in the way of moving and any attempt to wriggle out of Aubrey's grasp proved useless. "You can have sloppy seconds or fourths. Really depends on how the boys are feeling." He laughs and Michael snickers. Jason was the only one who still stayed silent amid his friend's debauchery.

Oliver seeing how caught up they were in their jovial misconduct, takes the opportunity to pull back a fist and bring it back around, cracking Aubrey in the nose and sending him falling back into his friends. Once Hedgehog was free, she quickly turns to the wolf who was being propped up by his friends and shoved her knee into his crouch.

The wolf boy lets out a high-pitched yelp as he falls to the ground. He lay on the dirt holding the traumatized area while breathlessly screaming. He was done for now.

Micheal looks up at them and scrambles to his feet. "Hey!" He shouts but the other group had already taken off before he could fully recover. "Shit." He hisses to himself.

"Oh... it is so clip for that bitch Oliver," Aubrey spoke, rising from the ground slowly and still holding at the spot Hedgehog had driven her knee into.

"Don't worry. We'll get back at them... tonight even." He scowls, turning to the purple-haired boy in their group. "Jason, go get over here." He gestured to the boy, and he does as he's told. "I got something real important I need you to do."

Jason sighs inwardly. He never liked making trouble around camp. But he hated making Micheal mad even more. "Yeah, sure got it, Micheal."

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

The three of them ran without much thought of where they were going. It didn't matter where they were going then, as long as it was away from Micheal and his hounds. Hedgehog takes a look over her shoulder. When she sees no one was trailing her group down the long forest path she stops. "Hold up guys." She used what little breath she hadn't executed during their escape to stop her friends. "I think we're good."

The boys sigh in relief before doubling over. They were tired. Anymore running and Hedgehog was sure one of them would pass out. "Are you ok Hedgehog?" Oliver asked, leaning up against a tree to catch his breath.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks, Oliver." He blushes when he receives her approval. A noticeable all too familiar red tinge spread across his cheeks. "Oliver, are you alright?" She already knew what the deal was. She just thought it'd be fun to tease him a little.

"Yeah, you look a little sick." Oscar steps close to the other boy. He squints his eyes to examine his friend before quickly jumping behind Hedgehog. "No offense Oliver, but I can't afford to get sick right now."

"Wha- I'm not- I mean, I'm fine. I'm good. I'm not sick Oscar." He sputtered nervously, looking in any direction Hedgehog wasn't in. "Ha-hey, so... where does it say we have to go."

"Oh yeah." She pulls out the slip of paper that was given to them by Margot. "Alright so first... if I'm reading this right." She muttered, looking in between the map and the trees. "We can take a boat down this river here." She points to the river, not too far from where they stood, that would lead them to the video store. "Then down a... waterfall."

"Waterfall!?" Oscar screams. He wasn't expecting the journey to be so dangerous.

"Oscar if you want, you can wait for us back at your cabin until we're done?" Oliver said, still facing away from Hedgehog and still blushing a deeper shade than any apple or red-colored object She'd seen.

"No... not after everything I've said. It would be hypocritical." He looks along the river bad. "Hey look. Here's a boat we could use. He said, being the first to hop into the conveniently placed boat. "How lucky are we?"

"Yeah..." Oliver was the next to climb into the boat. "That was pretty convenient. But I'm not complaining." He takes a seat next to Oscar. He was too nervous to sit shoulder-to-shoulder with Hedgehog. He was ashamed to admit it but he wasn't quite ready for her yet. "Uh, coming H-Hedgehog." Though he wishes he would stop acting like a head-over-heels teenage girl.

"Are you sure Oscar?" She held a handout to the elephant. She wanted to make sure before they set off officially.

"Hedgehog." He doesn't bother to argue with her. He only had to stare to get his point across.

"Alright, if you say so." She gets in behind Oscar and Oliver and pushes them onto the river. "Don't worry guys. It's gonna be a piece of cake."

"Okay, so what's after the waterfall?" Oliver had decided to get up and switch his seat mid-row to sit in the front. That way Oscar would be separating him and Hedgehog. He wouldn't be close to her and wouldn't make any unnecessary eye contact that would light him up like a Christmas tree. A win-win he thinks.

"Well, it says after the waterfall, we go through the rapids and pass the point of no return after that." When she finishes, she tosses the paper into the water already memorizing the information.

Despite the trip down the waterfall being a little rough with Oliver being the only one to fall out of the boat, into the river and the rapids almost ripping their poor boat apart. They make it past the point of no return with relative ease. And they only got a little bit soaked. Well, say for Oliver of course.

"See... piece of cake right...?" Hedgehog spoke through spaced-out breaths. She puts an arm around Oscar and starts slowly walking to the brightly lit video store at the back of the large cave the river had taken them to.

"Yeah, sure." He and Oliver Were a little more than fed up with Susie's games by then. They only wanted this one thing, and she just couldn't help but make that hard for them.

"C-can w-we just g-get in there. I'm really c-cold, d-dude." Oliver was shivering as he tries to speak through chattering teeth. He throws his arm around himself in a bid to warm himself up. Even if the attempt seemed useless.

They enter the store which lived up to its name with rows upon rows of bat-themed content. It made Hedgehog think about what kind of movie Susie ordered for them.

"Woah." Oliver gasps upon entering the store. There were isles upon isles of shelves, staked with tons of old VHS tapes and DVDs. A lot of the movies were vampire related and the employees seem to be just as so. There was defiantly a dress code they had to follow. A bunch, if not all of them, were also deathly pale. He could even see fangs sticking out just past the lips also. They defiantly took this job seriously. "Hard to believe a place like this exists here." He runs up to one of the shelves in his excitement.

"Yeah." Hedgehog let out a small laugh. "It's not too different from the ones back home. Though I have yet to see one that was mostly vampire themed."

"What do think guys? Beauty and the Bat or Billy Batison?" Oliver said inspecting the nearest shelf of movies.

"Maybe later." Hedgehog tries holding back her laughter. Her laughing gets his blushing to start up again. "I'll go see if our movie's ready."

"I'll go too." Oscar grabs ahold of Hedgehog's arm and sticks close beside her.

"Y-yeah no problem." He weakly waves at them and mentally kicks himself afterward for being too weird around her. "I'm just gonna be here." He returns to looking over the movies that were more or less the same things over and over again. Usually, a movie he had heard of but with a bat spin on it. Some of the employees catch his eye again, this time catching one hissing at another and he spots a third with what he assumes was supposed to be fake blood running down the corner of his mouth. "Man, these guys really take their job seriously." He says spotting another, floating just inches off of the ground from one part of the store to another. "Uhm-... they really take it seriously." Oliver chuckles nervously and dives back into browsing the movies to take his mind off of whatever it was he had just seen. The boy's eyes only come back up when he notices one of the employees who looked oddly familiar. "Max? Is that you?"

"Huh, oh hey Oliver." Max greeted, scanning a DVD and storing it on one of the many shelves. His voice sounded off, flat, or just plain unenthused. "What are you doing here man?" He said, picking up another DVD and scanning it before putting it on the shelf as well.

"Uhh...well Susie's giving us a movie night. Where just here to pick it up." He almost lost his train of thought. The last thing he was expecting was to find Max, or any kid to be working a job on this island. "I think the more important question is, what are you doing here?"

"Uh... it's just a part-time job. Nothing serious." He rubs the back of his neck. Oliver can't quite gauge how the bat was feeling. "You know. I just wanted a little extra money. And since I have a table, I need to pay for... well..." Max trails off, then goes quiet.

"Yeah... no that's cool." Oliver tries to feel in the dead air. Max didn't sound so happy. He sort off sounds dead inside if anything. Oliver thinks now was a good time to get some stuff off his chest. If he couldn't tell Max, who could he tell? "Hey man, can I tell you something?" He was nervous to bring this up, especially there and then, but he felt the more he held onto it the more it would eat away at him.

"Yeah, go ahead man." Max waits for him to continue, still scanning movies and stacking them on their respective shelves.

"Right so uh..." He looks over his shoulder before continuing. "I think I'm into Hedgehog."

"...Wait... are you serious?" Max asked, finally cracking a smile at the awkward boy.

"Yeah, she makes me feel so weird. Like I'm rolling around in marshmallows or something. Every time I'm around her I can't function man." He pulls his hat over his eyes to hide his growing blush. "I wanna tell her, but what if she doesn't like me back?"

Max knew what he felt in that moment right down to the marshmallows and he knew Hedgehog needed someone after their falling out days earlier. "I say just go for it." Max encourages his friend to pursue his potential love interests. "You said Susie's putting on a movie night tonight, right? Use that as an opportunity to get close to her."

"Right... yeah, you're right. Thanks, Max." He says before turning to start making his way toward Oscar and Hedgehog. "I'll see you there, uhh..." Oliver turns back one more time. "You look good in that uniform by the way."

"Yeah... thanks?" Max chuckles as the other boy scurries off. This was perfect not only is there another opportunity to get closer to Oscar, but if all goes well Hedgehog would have something to keep occupying her time. Hopefully Spending time with Oliver would also get her mind off of him. "Perfect." He whispers, rubbing at his tired eyes. Now all there was left to do was finish his shift.

-/-/-/-/-/-/

He's standing in front of her door, Palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy, he's nervous and it seems he keeps on forgetting what to say. "Just knock and ask Oliver. Knock and ask." He repeated to himself in an attempt to build up some courage to knock on her cabin door. "Come on man, you can do this. It's easy. Just knock and ask. What's the worst that could happen?" He brings a fist up, hovering it before the cabin door. What was the worst that could happen?

She could say no to him, tell him that he wasn't her type, and push past him with a shoulder bump maybe. She could reject him and feel so disgusted that she wouldn't even be able to make it to the movie. She might also still not be ready to date anyone. Max was still weighing on her mind, so she could defiantly use the time. Oliver begins to feel sweat trickle down his eyebrow.

All of those things could happen, sure but what was something good that could happen. She'd say yes. They'd get to hang out some more and start dating. When their time was up on the Island, they'd continue on like that, go to the same college maybe. He'd go for music, while she was good at everything, so it was her choice.

They'd graduate, get an apartment and open up a magic-music shop. Get married, have a couple of kids, and-... "Wait... wait Oliver roll it back. You're getting ahead of yourself." He knocks the fist he was going to use on the door against his head. Then brings it back to the door. "You have to knock first." His hand lingers over the door for a bit longer before he finally convinces himself to knock, one, two, three times and he waits.

"Oh hey, Oliver." She opens the door and he appeared to be at a loss for words.

"Uh-hey hedgehog-uh d-do you..." he feels the heat bubble up in his cheeks and it feels like it was starting to spread across his face. Oliver was beginning to sweat, and he felt like he was about to lose the light lunch he had eaten earlier.

Hedgehog leans up against the doorway with a raised brow. "Yeah...what is it?" She looked concerned for him and that was maybe because he looked like he was about to kick over and die. " Is it about the movie? Did you want to sit with me and Oscar?"

"Kinda." He rubs his neck. "Uhh...hedgehog do you want to sit next to me tonight?" He blurted, pulling his hat over his head to hide the overwhelming shade of red his face had begun to convert into.

"Uh..." Hedgehog looks away from him, chuckling with a sideways smirk. "Yeah, sure. I'd love to." His heart skips when she answers. She actually said yes to him. Why though? He shakes the disbelief away. He wouldn't worry about it. This could be his best chance to get closer to her. Once he did that, by the end of the night he'd have a clear answer.

"Cool, cool. That's cool." He repeats the only words that come to mind and smiles uncontrollably.

"Yeah, that is cool." She leans toward him. Oliver thought he was done with the blushing, but the way Hedgehog looks at him. He might as well be melting. "You wanna go now?" She asked, retreating back to the doorframe. "Or should we go pick up Oscar and Max?"

"You can decide. I don't really mind either way." He didn't care. Between her saying yes and the solar flare erupting beneath his face, Oliver was too overwhelmed to focus on an answer. His mind was in shambles, and it falls more and more into pieces with every glance he takes at her. He really was in love with this girl, wasn't he?

She turns back to the inside of her cabin but stops. "You know what..." Hedgehog rotates back around to him. "They can meet us there." She said, stepping outside and taking Oliver's arm in hers. "You're such a gentleman mister Oliver."

"Y-yeah. I-I try." He sputters like a dumbstruck idiot. His blushing was a constant violent upstream current that only grows more and more intense with each step along the path to the cemetery. Hedgehog never let up either. She'd lean into his arm, get as close as possible to his face as she could. When he feels her breath on his cheek and along his neck, he nearly losses his mind. "Oh, Jesus."

-/-/-/-/-/-/

Breathe in, count to four, breathe out, count to four. There he was, in front of Oscar's door contemplating how he should approach. "Alright Max, just play it cool." He had plenty of girlfriends and one secure boyfriend. He knows how this kind of thing worked, why should it be any different with Oscar? It wasn't any different, it didn't have to be different.

No Oscar wasn't just some girl he would date for a few weeks and then dump because they didn't click, and he wasn't someone he wanted to hide away for the fear of ridicule either. He clicked with him, he felt something for him, he loved him, and he wanted to be with him. Max didn't care who knew. Breathe in, count to four, breathe out, count to four. He thinks maybe this wasn't a good idea. The elephant was probably waiting for Hedgehog to take him anyway.

He had considered just meeting him there until he saw Oliver and Hedgehog walking along. Arms interlocked and her head resting on his shoulder. She was definitely feeling the love, wasn't she? They even look kind of sweet to Max. He figured there wouldn't be a better opportunity, so he turns back around and knocks.

The cabin door opens up instantly. Instead of Oscar meeting him like he was expecting, there was nothing, at least there appeared to be. Until he gazes down. Pajamas had been the one to greet him at the door. Max had forgotten about Oscar's walking, talking pj's in all honesty. The pair was the second person on this island Oscar had spent all of, if not most of his time with. Max couldn't believe it. How could a pair of pajamas make him jealous?

"So... you're this Max I've been hearing about." The sentient pair of pajamas said, moving aside and ushering Max into the cabin.

"What? I mean, yeah. You know me, right?" He spoke. In his confusion about the pair of pajamas assumed ignorance of his existence, Max had nearly failed to notice the two seats that had been set up right in the center of the cabin.

"Oh no, I know. And I know, you know that I'm beginning to learn a lot about you." They struggle a bit to climb onto the chair but manage to do so and face Max who hesitantly takes a seat across from Pajamas. He wonders what pajamas could have meant by that before the memory of spending the night comes to mind. Oscar wore those pajamas every night.

"Oh...yeah?" He was worried. Pajamas had no doubt noticed his affection towards Oscar and he had most likely witnessed his actions the other night as well. "Like what, exactly?"

Jamas makes themselves more comfortable in their seat before he continues to speak. "I know you like Oscar. Like really like Oscar." Max was starting to feel like meeting Oscar at the graveyard wasn't such a bad idea after all. At least then he wouldn't be getting interrogated by talking pajamas. "Max, you have to understand. Oscar's... innocent. Not the brightest bulb in a pack of fluorescent lights. Someone could easily take advantage of it." Jamas starts at Max. The gaze was filled with the kind of skepticism and hatred only seen by Hedgehog before. Only this was almost enough to make Max sweat. "I would hate to see anyone take advantage of said innocence."

"Yeah, but I wouldn't do that to him, I lo-..." He pauses mid confession. "I wouldn't do that." He stumbles over his words. He couldn't admit his feelings. No matter how hard he tries. He was too scared of what might happen if Oscar actually knew.

"I know. Truthfully, I'm glad it's you. I just wanted to make things clear on where I and you stand." They continue to stare Max down. The small black eyes on the living top fill him with a certain unease. "So, tell me. Are we clear?"

"Y-yeah... we're clear." Max stutters. Did that thing just put Him in his place? Until this very moment, he never thought he could be so afraid of a pair of pajamas until then.

"Good, you kids have fun. Have him back by ten." Pajamas said, giving Max their approval to take Oscar out. "Remember if he comes back and tells me something I don't like, I won't be so nice the next time we meet."

"Hey, Max." Max felt his body tense up but once he hears the voice of his saving grace and personal guardian angel entire the room, he feels the tension melt away.

"Hey, Oscar." He jumps out of his seat and goes in for a hug. He doesn't know what compelled him to hug Oscar, it was his first thought after his chat with the pajamas. Luckily for him though Oscar didn't seem to mind at all. In fact, he had returned the hug, making Max feel all the better about how tonight was going.

"Wow, someone's feeling a little compassionate tonight," Oscar said as he continues to hold Max and even adds a little back rub into the mix. "Rough day today?"

"I guess you could say that." He would have stood like that all night. If it weren't for pajamas being in the room with them, and watching closely, Max would have. "Uhh hey. We should probably get going. Don't want to miss the movie.

"Right. I almost forgot." He said, breaking their embrace, leaving Max by the seats. He hooks a finger into the collar of his sweater and pulls at it. He was feeling hotter than usual. "Should we wait for Hedgehog?"

"She's actually gonna meet us there. I saw her walking with Oliver." Max said. He could recall what Oliver had told him and with how fast Hedgehog had taken to the other boy, it looked like things were going to work out for them. If only he could say the same.

"Wow, hedgehog and Oliver. I don't think I've ever seen them together. Maybe once or twice." Oscar said, throwing on his usual blue sweater. Oliver and Hedgehog. Oscar could see it, he supposed. "Ok then. Shall we?"

"We shall." He puts his arm around Oscar. He didn't seem to be bothered by the sudden act which Max took as a sign that he had read the signals given correctly. Although he wasn't one hundred percent sure. It could have just been Oscar being Oscar. The elephant never saw a problem with being too friendly.

"Ok, goobye, have a nice time. I love you Oscau." Pajamas said, waving to them from the door. Their tone had switched from being a heavily serious, no-nonsense style, to something more child-like. It freaks Max out just a bit. "Remembu what I said Max or theue'll be consequences."

-/-/-/-/-/-/

Max feels much better now. Being far away from the overprotective pair of pajamas and walking beside Oscar was what he needed. After pulling that long shift at his part-time job and seeing as he'd be working just as hard for the foreseeable future, he could use the break. The night had only just begun but Max wouldn't hesitate to call it a success.

By the time they arrive at their cemetery, the place had been filled from end to end with kids and monsters alike. Some were sitting on the grass, some were laying down on towels and blankets they had put down and others, the more disrespectful ones, were using gravestones as seats.

The cemetery was packed but it doesn't take long for Oscar to find Hedgehog amongst the hoard of screaming kids. He waves at her, and she waves the both of them over. She and Oliver had found a good spot and saved some space for them too.

"Max, there they are." Oscar points over to the couple. They were setting on one of Oliver's blankets he had brought from his cabin.

"You go ahead." Max gently pushes Oscar forward. "I'll get us popcorn." He decided that he'd get their snacks. It felt like the right thing to do on a date. Well semi-date he guesses. Really, he'd take what he could get, and it looked like Oliver had the same idea.

The young musician whispers something to Hedgehog before getting up from his spot. "Hey, Max." He said, walking up to the bat.

"Sup man." Max greeted with a smile. "So, Oliver, how's it going?" He asked, looking over Oliver's shoulder and over to where Hedgehog and Oscar sat. "With... you know."

"It's great. I think she's actually into me." He spouts excitedly. He wasn't even trying to hide his emotions from the rest of the camp. Just blushing and gushing all night every time Hedgehog even looked his way.

"I told you, man. This is gonna work out." Oliver's newfound love for the hedgehog and how fast she had seemed to fall for him, give Max hope that he and Oscar's relationship could blossom into something more than just friendship.

"Thanks, man. if it wasn't for you, I probably wouldn't have even tried." Max was genuinely happy for them. Though deep down, he felt like a hypocrite for telling someone else to admit their feelings to someone they liked when he couldn't do that himself. "Hey, can you believe Susie actually set all this up?" Oliver said as he rushed over to a line that had quickly formed in front of the popcorn stand. It looks like the aliens were handling the distribution of snacks. "I mean popcorn, cotton candy?"

"Yeah," Max followed close behind Oliver. The line wasn't long, but it was long enough for him to get irritated. "It's kinda weird right?" They both knew Susie wouldn't just do this because she was feeling generous. There was almost always a motive for the witch.

"You think she's up to something?" Oliver asked before approaching the stand.

"Don't know. Maybe." He walks up to the alien handing out popcorn to the kids before them. She had to be up to something, didn't matter if it was something big or some petty nonsense. Max was going to find out. "So... how much?"

One of the aliens stares up at the two boys. "It's on the house. Susie insisted." They say readying another bucket of popcorn for them. "Small, medium, or large?"

"Oh...uh... large I guess." Susie made the snacks for their movie night free. Max was surprised and even more suspicious of her intentions.

"Make that two," Oliver says and they wait for the aliens to finish preparing their late-night movie snacks. Oliver talks mostly about Hedgehog as they wait. He talks about her smalls, the little things she did that he found cute, and how amazing she was. the one-sided conversation was almost enough to drive Max to the brink of insanity. He was happy for Oliver, but he seriously needed a break from the talking.

"Alright, two large popcorns." The alien handed them the large buckets and Max silently thinks the teddy bear-like alien for interrupting. It's about time.

They walk back to their spot and take up their seats next to their respective dates, well Oliver more than Max really. Oliver and Hedgehog were having the time of their lives then. Talking, gushing, laughing, and playing with one another. There had been a lot of touching as well. Max wonders how they could have gotten so close so quickly? This thing between them must have been brewing for a while now. Could it have been like this even when Hedgehog had a crush on him? Max wasn't sure.

Try as he might Oliver just couldn't keep his hands to himself. He always found a new opportunity to tickle her just when she thought she was safe. Maybe the poor musician couldn't help himself. Max sure wished he had an excuse to touch Oscar that much.

His luck with the elephant wasn't as apparent. Their conversations were usually filled with awkward silence or him talking to Hedgehog or to Max about Hedgehog. Even so, Max was more or less happy to be with Oscar anyhow.

The entire graveyard was filled with the sounds of chatter and laughter, complaints, loud chewing of popcorn, and kids teasing and picking on other kids. When Max first arrived on the Island, it wasn't so bad. Attending a summer camp run by real-life witches and hosting an array of magical creatures was something he almost couldn't comprehend. Though the more he looks the more he realized that life on the island was not too different from life at home. Adults were mean to kids; kids were mean to each other, and love had everyone acting stupid.

He crosses his arms behind his head and focuses his eyes on the night sky. It felt like it was taking an eternity for the movie to start. What had Susie been doing? A lot of kids were getting impatient and so was Hey, though he wouldn't show it. Max was always the chill one, always the one to keep his cool and laugh off awkward situations. The best thing he could do was lay back, try to tune out the sound of bratty kids, and bring his eyes up to the bright night sky.

It goes on like this for a few minutes more before Alice takes to the stage.

"Quiet, children, quiet." The witch throws out her hands, quickly silencing the jeering crowds. "Tonight's feature presentation will begin shortly. Susie would just like you all to know that this movie night is all dedicated to Oscar." The brown elephant points out the unwary boy. A spotlight fell onto him from nearly out of the blue, engulfing him and giving away his position in the cemetery for all to see. "The brevets little boy in the whole camp." The group was confused Oscar especially. Though that doesn't stop anyone from applauding the boy, even if they didn't know why they were doing it. Mainly out of courtesy, Max assumes. "Now without further ado the first half of tonight's double feather." She exits the stage as the movie begins to play.

Max shot up from the ground, cocking his head to the side. "Wait, double feather?" He begins to question but Oscar shushes him before he could make his query known.

At first, nothing appeared to be out of the ordinary. It had begun in the suburbs seemingly peaceful. Oscar had insisted on holding the popcorn. Max did go out of his way to get it for them, it was the least he could do. It wasn't too long however before what they thought was going to be a nice time out, quickly turns south. The first scare of the film came without warning, catching Oscar way off guard causing him to throw their bucket of popcorn into the air. Max scowled. So, this was her plan he thinks to himself. He got up to get another bucket of popcorn. He'd hold on to this one just to avoid any further disaster. Along the way back he could hear a few kids snicker and muttering about Oscar. Max shoots them a certain look and the laughter stops.

Now it was obvious that they were watching a horror movie when the title card is shown. It had just come out recently and was one he wanted to see. Max would have had a great time with it if Oscar wasn't having such a bad one.

He, Hedgehog, and Oliver all urged Oscar to leave. They even offer to take him back to his cabin and spend the rest of the night with him, but he insisted they stay not. He made it clear that he doesn't want to ruin the night for his friends, even if he was horrified beyond belief.

It had been an ordeal for Oscar. Between the helpless yelps, fearful screaming, and him watching through slightly open fingers trying his best to shield his eyes from the terror that unfolded on screen, the boy was at his wits end with fear. But managed to stick it out with the help of his friends.

During one particularly nasty scene, Oscar had jumped into Max's arms with his hands still over his eyes. Max did the only thing he could think of. He puts an arm around the other boy's shoulder, bringing him into a reassuring embrace. He might even call it loving.

He was never the best at helping people out in that way. Max was always a hands-on kind of kid and comforting someone mostly was way out of his dept. Though if Oscar needed him, he'd be there.

Susie watches the elephant from the sidelines the whole time. She reveled in the boy's misery. Oscar's pain always gave her great joy, but that joy could only last for so long before coming to an end. In this case, it had ended once the movie itself had come to an end, and on a more or less positive note to her dismay.

"Alright, alright!" Susie shouts making her way to the stage, less gracefully than Alice. "Settle down, you dumb babies." She throws up her hands, silencing the uproar of the excited and applauding children. "Alright let's hear it for Oscar, who somehow managed to not die in all this." She points to Oscar who was still huddled close to Max. The boy was nearly as pale as the moonlight.

"Not cool Susie! You did this on purpose." Hedgehog jumps up before Max could and accuses the head witch. "That wasn't cool."

"Yeah, Susie that's messed up." Oliver joins in the defense of Oscar.

"Oh, come on relax. He could have left anytime, but he stayed." She said, turning everyone's attention to Oscar and Max as she levitates over to them. "Course it didn't stop him from running to Daddy by the looks of it. But still commendable."

"Are you okay Oscar?" Hedgehog crouches down beside him. She realizes that she hasn't been a great friend to him tonight.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine. W-wasn't even that scary." He laughs, still clutching his arms around Max for dear life.

"See Hodgepodge. And just cause I had so much fun, the next movie isn't even gonna be scary." She said, flying back to the stage and signaling for Alice to start the next movie. "Trust me it's a classic. I should know, I have good taste."

Max sneers at the witch. "Actually, we might just take off?" He said, standing up and making sure Oscar was okay to do the same.

"Oh, come now. You'll like it, it's a musical and it's from the seventies. Don't you like that kinda stuff?" Max and his group were hesitant. They know exactly what Susie found in good taste. They still considered leaving but Oliver's love of music piques his curiosity, forcing the group to take up their original spots on the ground again for his sake.

"Alright you babies, the second half of your double feature." She teleports off stage as the movie begins.

They settle back down as Oscar begins to look at the screen again, much closer to Max and eyes squint just in case Susie was trying to get him to drop his guard. Max although was happy. Not because Oscar was terrified out of his mind, but because of how much he had come to rely on him in the elephant's time of need instead of Hedgehog.

Maybe it had something to do with Oliver being with her and Oscar didn't want to interrupt whatever they had going on.

The film begins and the graveyard once again goes from loud cheering to entire silence. When Max looks over to Oliver and Hedgehog, he sees that the boy had made a move. He had put an arm around Hedgehog, but she hadn't appeared to notice. Instead, her attention was focused solely on Oscar and how he was acting with Max.

The boy would usually always go to her when something was wrong, whether he was feeling down, sad, nervous, or even happy, so what changed? Had it already happened? Were Oscar and Max a thing now?

"Hey, hedgehog you alright?" Oliver had asked when he sees just how long she had been watching Oscar and Max more than the movie.

"Huh, uh yeah...yeah I'm good." Truthfully, she was worried. She was worried about Oscar but not about losing him. Hedgehog was more worried about him getting his heart broken. If he was into Max. She needed to protect her brother's heart by any means necessary and maybe that called for a chat with the boy who had been so fond of him.

Hedgehog brings her eyes off of the two and realizes that Oliver's arm was around her shoulder. She smiles and leans into him. She'd be okay with Max dating Oscar, but it was still up to her friend if he wanted that or not.

It looked like Susie kept her word this time, the movie was more happy-go-lucky than horror. Even Oscar was pleased by the overall goofy nature of the film and Oliver started singing along with the song's especially when the two protagonists reached the mansion after their car broke down moments earlier. One song in particular really seemed to connect with every kid alien and monster in the graveyard. They caught on quickly to the catchy tune and followed the dance that came along with it to a tee, throwing their hands on their hips, bursting out into pelvic thrusts, and bringing their waist around. The sight was insane to Max.

As the movie begins to come to a close, Max spots a familiar pink-headed nuisance, walking up to him and his group from the corner of his eye.

"Hay, Max," Michael said, leaning over the gravestones behind Max and Oscar.

"What do you want Michael?" He turns to the pinked-haired boy who loved to antagonize him nowadays. If it was a fight he was looking for, Max wouldn't indulge. He was already in more trouble with Susie than he wanted to be.

"Just wanne'd to bring ya a drink." He says shaking the soda in his hand. The koala holds it over Max's head before spilling the contents of the cup on his head. "Whoops, butterfingers I guess." He laughs before running to the exit of the cemetery.

"Oh!" Max springs up. "Hey! Micheal, get back here!" Max yelled, taking off after him. why couldn't Michael just leave them alone? Max had no idea what he ever did to make the koala so angry. But since he wanted to be a pain in the sides, Max was going to make him leave them alone.

"Oh yeah, let's get him," Oliver says now following behind Max.

"Wait Max, Oliver don- uhh..." Hedgehog gets up from the ground. "Come on Oscar." She pulls Oscar up, spilling his popcorn in the process and they give chase after the boys.

Alice witnesses the altercation unfold as she watches the children run out of the cemetery. She looks over to Susie, who had been too enthralled in the film to care, so she decides to go after the kids. The witch feared what might occur if she didn't intervene now.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Michael ran through the camp, Max on his tail the whole time. He was fast but no one was faster than Max, but he wasn't trying to be faster than Max. The bat sticking to him was just what he had in mind, to begin with.

The only thing on Max's mind was teaching their assailant a lesson about constantly harassing them. He almost catches up to Michael a few times, but he had quickly and constantly been evading him with sharp turns. Max had wondered where he was even going until they finally come to a stop at the softball field, of course.

"Alright, Michael. Nowhere left to run." Max says through bated breath. He was out of stamina, but he was still ready to fight anyway. "Just come and take your beating dude."

Michael steps back, a smirk crossing his lips. "I don't think I'm the one taking a beating tonight homo." He snaps his fingers, and his lackeys appear armed with the softball bats that were usually taken away from them at the end of every training session.

"Don't worry Max, I'm here," Oliver says running up behind him panting, doubling over, and resting his hands on his knees. "Let's, uh-oh..." Oliver huffs when he sees the wolf. "Hey, Aubrey. How's the nose? And the, uhh..." He jokes about the other boys' injuries, though he thinks he and Max might have bitten off a little more than they could chew.

"You know exactly how it is." Aubrey points the bat at Oliver. He was defiantly still angry from the punch and knee he'd received earlier that day. "Hey, but now I get to return the favor." He starts walking towards the two. "When I'm done packing you up, I'm taking Hedgehog back to my place." The comment made Oliver angry. If he wasn't ready to fight before, he sure was now. He'd probably get some bruises and a couple of broken bones, but he wasn't going to sit back and let Aubrey talk about Hedgehog like that.

"Alright then. Let's go." Max and Oliver get ready themselves but before any fighting could start, the sound of magic brings them to a stop. The three boys in front of them had been frozen in place when Alice had arrived with Oscar and Hedgehog not far behind her.

"Max, Oliver are you guys, okay?" Oscar said rushing to Max's side and hugging his arm.

"They didn't hurt you right?" Hedgehog said, walking to Oliver. He was relieved he didn't have to actually get in a fight though he was still proud to defend Hedgehog even though she might call it stupid for doing so. "You had me, worried dummy."

"Ah, you know me and Max. We had it in the bag." He waved away her concern with a shrug. He was nervous but he wouldn't let it show in front of her.

"Don't do that again, please. I would hate it if something happened to you." When she wraps him up in a hug, he feels like he was on the verge of passing out.

"Hmm curious, how did you boys manage to get your hands on this equipment?" She questions them. They stood frozen before her, unable to move due to the spell she had cast. "If Susie found out... I shudder to think what she might do to you."

"Oh, that's cap! We didn't do anything!" Aubrey argues. "If anything, it was all Jason!"

"Yeah, definitely Jason." Michael went along with Aubrey in throwing their friend under the bus.

"What!" He shouts, shocked that his so-called "friends" would turn on him so quickly. "No, they made me do it, it's all them."

"Shuuu, shush, silence." Alice put a finger over her lips. "I think that's enough excitement for one night, don't you think?" She unfreezes them. "Everyone back to your cabins. We'll discuss your punishments later Micheal and co." She said, sending the three boys on their way. "Max, Oliver, Hedgehog, Oscar. That means you too."

"Yeah, you got it Alice... and thanks." Max expresses his gratitude to the witch for being there to save them from a rough beat down.

"It was no biggie. Only doing my job." She gestures for the remaining group to head back to their cabins while she stays behind to watch over the softball field.

"Hey, Max?" Oscar speaks, looking away from him but still holding onto his arm.

"Yeah, Oscar?" He whispers back to the worrying boy.

"Can you spend the night with me again? I'm still kinda scared." Oscar squeezes his arm a little tighter, hugging as close to Max as possible.

"Yeah... no problem, Oscar."