Author's Note: Usually I like to come out with a Christmas themed Descendants story. This year, I thought I'd mix it up a little bit and try my hand at a Halloween story. I plan to keep this one short, probably no more than 5 to 7 chapters unless I get into a groove. Other than that,
Please enjoy...
Chapter 01
Fall on the Auradon Prep campus was a sight to behold. The trees were just hitting their peak color change, so going back and forth from classes was like walking through a postcard, or one of those pictures that a family might hang in their home to try and give the house a rustic feel, without having to go all out in decoration. But going all out in decoration seemed to be what was done best - at least with the exteriors of the many buildings. Doorways seemed to have acquired sentries at their doorways made from jack-o-lanterns - or totally un-carved pumpkins - plastic gargoyles, or bales of hay with the small, cute looking scarecrows staked to them. Along the manicured grounds, instead of seeing only pools of deep green grass, there were also islands of fallen leaves, just waiting to be raked up and turned into mountains that were just begging to be jumped into.
Right now students walking by were gazing with amused confusion at the pretty blonde girl who was jumping and frolicking in one of the larger mountains of leaves. She could be heard laughing and giggling as she moved through the pile like a swimmer trying to move through water.
"Having fun, CJ?" the chipper toned voice asked as she watched the young pirate play.
CJ Hook froze mid-jump, the loss of momentum causing her her fall backward into the pile of leaves with a small squeak. Gathering herself, she at up and looked at the person who'd come upon her.
"Fairy Godmother, uh... hello," she said through a loud exhalation of breath. She awkwardly worked her way out of the pile until she was back on solid ground, and stood, pulling some stray strands of hair out of her face. "Somebody ratted me out didn't they?" she asked sheepishly. Despite her relatively well-mannered behavior since coming to Auradon Prep after the barrier had gone down, she always remembered that there were people who remembered about the events of her first time in Auradon, where she was basically an escapee from the Isle. While she hadn't caused to too much trouble - at least nothing really big - in her own opinion anyway, when she was caught, instead off getting to stay like Freddie had, she'd gotten sent back to the Isle.
And once she was back on the Isle, she realized, to herself if not to anyone else, that she kind of missed being in Auradon. People were nicer, albeit maybe a little too nice for her sometimes. The food was definitely better, especially the deserts she thought as she realized she'd developed a small sweet tooth when she was here the first time. Ad most of all, the scenery was way better. No dank, muted colors. No broken down buildings. No constant overcast sky. Everything here was bright, and put together, and sunny. And when Fall kicked in, and the colors changed, well, she'd heard about the leaves changing, and that kids played in them. She always took that at face value, and figured it couldn't be as much fun as she'd heard. But then she saw a massive pile and thought, what the hell.
"No," Fairy Godmother told CJ smiling while shaking her head. "I actually saw you from my office window and thought I'd come and check on you. First time playing in the leaves?"
"Yeah... uh, yes ma'am," CJ stuttered. "We... we never really had fall on the Isle, what with the... the uh..."
"The barrier." Fairy godmother finished for her. CJ nodded. "Yes, well, like I asked, are you enjoying yourself?"
CJ gave a small nod, but the massive smile that she couldn't keep from appearing on her face spoke volumes more and brought an appreciative smile from the headmistress. "Well, I'm glad you're enjoying yourself. But while I have you here, I noticed you put in for a weekend pass?"
CJ's eyes widened for a second, before she calmed herself down. "Yes... I got invited to a Halloween party back on the Isle. I figured what with Halloween being a on Friday, I could go and then spend the rest of the weekend with my sister," she explained. Then her eyes widened again, this time much longer and more noticeably. "You rejected it, didn't you?" she asked fearfully. I guess I could always sneak off campus, she thought to herself.
"No, sweetie, in fact, not only did I approve it, but I was hoping you'd do me a little favor?" Fairy Godmother responded.
"A favor?"
"I'd like you to take Jane with you," she revealed. CJ looked at her, both surprised and confused. "You've seen her, she's moping around, not doing anything but going to class and then back to her dorm room."
"She is going through some stuff," CJ countered.
"And I would understand that, if she was making an effort to get through it, but she's not. So, I figure, getting away for the weekend might help her; the change in scenery at least might make her realize that she needs to get back in the world."
CJ thought about it for a second, and while she knew that Fairy Godmother was right, she also knew that Jane should be the one handling this on her own. But then again, she really wanted to go to this Halloween party. "Not that I don't want to help Jane, but..."
"I'll approve the weekend pass, and tell the cafeteria cooks to make you a specific desert for you to take back to your room every night for a week," Fairy Godmother cut off CJ. She didn't think bribery would be necessary, but she was obviously prepared for it. And based what Jane had told her about the youngest Hook sibling, the fastest way to CJ's compliance was through her stomach... specifically with sweets.
"I wasn't going to negotiate, I was just going to say that I'm not responsible if Jane doesn't come out of her little funk. However, I gleefully accept your offered incentive," CJ said with a mixture of snark and sugary sweetness. "Do I need to tell them at lunch every day, or should I prepare a menu for them?"
Jane was laying on her bed, scrolling through photos on her tablet. Every part of her told her to stop. To delete them. To stop torturing herself. But she just couldn't find the drive to make herself do all those things. As she swiped to another picture, she heard the door to her dorm room open, followed by the heavy, thudding footsteps of big black boots across the floor.
"Honey, I'm home," came the haughty drawl of CJ's voice as she threw her backpack on her bed and then practically did a running jump onto Jane's bed. Jane felt herself bounce from CJ's landing, her tablet being knocked from her hands.
"What have I told you about jumping on my bed like that?" Jane asked her roommate, annoyed at having to remind CJ of this - again.
"Never do it while you have food," CJ answered, giggling as she began positioning herself in a sitting position.
"Never... period," Jane corrected her as she leaned over to grab her tablet. When the school year started, Jane was looking forward to getting a new roommate. Her old one had decided that she wanted a single room, leaving Jane with the same option. But then her mother had asked her to consider letting her be paired with one of the new VK's that was coming over. Since Mal, Jay, and Evie had all graduated, along with Audrey, Chad, Lonnie, and the rest of her main friends, she figured why not. After all, she reasoned that anyone brought over might know Carlos as well and that might make things less awkward. And besides, she wanted to get to know more of the Isle kids.
But she received a massive surprise when a couple of hours after moving herself into her room, CJ Hook of all people walked in. Jane was shocked, and little bit confused to the say the least. She didn't realize that CJ had even applied to come here, and she was even more in the dark about her mother pairing her with the youngest Hook child. But then she and CJ got to talking about how it happened.
"I wasn't really going to apply," CJ said from her bed at the end of the day, after Jane helped her get all her stuff situated. "I didn't think I had a shot, what with my past bad acts, you know?"
"So what made you apply?" Jane asked from her own bed.
"I didn't actually. Turns out Big Sis sent it in. She said she remembered how I looked when told her she should apply. Said I looked like I wanted to be the one who was applying. So, after she helped Smee's kiddies fill out theirs, she filled one out for me."
"Sounds nice of her," Jane said through a mouthful of brownie from the tray sitting next to her that her mother had sent for her and CJ.
CJ shrugged. "Probably just wanted me out of her hair for a while. I tend to hang out with her when Dad gets in his moods about me avoiding chores on the ship. She thinks I cramp her style. Do me a favor, Little Miss Bibbidi Bobbidi, toss me another brownie will ya?"
Jane rolled her eyes at the nickname CJ continued to use despite Jane asking her not to while wrapping a pair of brownies in a napkin and tossing them to her.
"So, your mother pick the roommates?" CJ asked after taking bite.
"Not usually, but she probably figured I'd be a good influence on you."
CJ laughed loudly. "I doubt that. I mean don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I'm going to go out of my way to be good and proper, but I might have more of an effect on you. I mean you look all sweet and innocent, but I can tell, you got a bad girl in there just dying to get out," CJ said as she shoved another mouthful of chocolatey goodness into her mouth. Jane almost giggled through her next bite as well when she thought of how her mother would react to seeing not just herself, but CJ talking with their mouths full and talking about CJ being good and herself being bad. She also realized that even though she still harbored some... harsh sentiments over what CJ pulled last year during the Jewlbilee, it was nice that the two of them were getting along... for the moment.
"Oh come on, it's not like I'm jumping all over the bed, I just had some news to share." Jane looked at CJ expectantly. "Your mama approved my weekend pass," CJ told her, raising her arms in victory.
"Have fun at your sisters," Jane told her.
"Oh, we are," CJ told her with a positively wicked grin.
"What do mean 'we'?"
"Well, not gonna lie to you, but me and your Mom think a few days away from here might be good for you."
"You talked to my Mom about me?" Jane asked, almost sounding insulted.
"No," CJ answered. "She talked to me about you," she then clarified way tpo excitedly. "But she's not wrong. She - and I - are tired of you moping around here. It's been a month, you need to get back out there and start having a life. If not to at least get some color back into those cheeks. You, Fairy Goddaughter, are looking paler than Snow White, after Evie's mommy nearly killed her."
Jane shook her head and let herself fall backward until she was once again laying down.
"Don't shake your head at me. Besides, what are you planning on doing tonight, and during the weekend? I'll tell you: the same thing you've been doing all month," CJ said as she leaned over and grabbed Jane's tablet out of her hand. She then laid down next to Jane and began scrolling though the same thing Jane was. "Staying here, sulking in bed, in those unwashed, nasty smelling sweats, looking at pictures of you and your ex squeeze toy," she told Jane, even as the teenage fairy's hand tried to reclaim her tablet.
"Give me that back," Jane cried as she reached over, only for CJ to twist her body away from Jane and keep the tablet away from her. Jane jumped on her and, after a small struggle, was able to get back her device. "And I am not sulking," she countered as she laid back down, staring at the ceiling. She felt CJ lay back down next to her.
"You and Carlos broke up. It hurts, I get it... believe me I get it," CJ said, the normal bravado from her voice gone, and a softer, more sympathetic tone actually coming through. "But Janey, you're dwelling and not dealing with it."
"I thought we'd be together forever," Jane said, her tone letting CJ know that Jane was probably gonna be crying any second, for the thousandth time in the last month.
"We're teenagers, we don't really know what forever is," CJ told her. Despite its bluntness, Jane almost nodded in agreement.
"Mal and Ben seem like they -"
"Don't compare yourself to Benny and Malsy, that bar's way too high. And besides, they're like one in a billion when it comes to true love," CJ cut off Jane.
This is certainly a side of CJ I've never seen, Jane thought to herself. "Where'd all this wisdom come from?"
"Harriet. Big Sis has been through a few breakups. Talked me through a few of my own. And if she were here right now, she'd say, 'Janey, sometimes people just grow apart. Maybe they'll stay friends, maybe they won't, but that doesn't mean you stop having a life. So stop sulking, put on some real clothes and go and have fun,'" CJ let out, doing her best to impersonate Harriet's British accent.
"I don't have a costume for the party," Jane said after a moment of reflection.
"Say huh?"
"The only costume I have is the couple's costume I was gonna wear with Carlos. I don't want to put that on," Jane explained.
"That is not a problem," CJ told her. Jane turned to look at her. "I can help you whip one up." Jane looked at her skeptically. "I'm heading to my sister's for the whole weekend, I'm sure she's got something you can wear."
"Harriet? Your older sister?"
"And shorter sister," CJ laughed. "She's the same pint size you are," she finished, getting a sideways kick from Jane at the reminder that CJ was actually a little taller than her. "Come on, you need this. We'll party all night, then have a girl's weekend the rest of the time."
Jane wasn't sure she wanted to go. But she knew that she didn't want to stay at school. Everything reminded her about her breakup. So, for once, she decided to stop being nice and think about herself for once. "Fine, I'll go."
CJ let out victory squeal and then sat up. She grabbed Jane's hand and dragged her out of her bed and pushed her toward her closet. "Come, let's start grabbing some clothes. If we make sure we're already packed, you can drive us out of here right after classes let out, and we can get to the Isle with enough time for Harriet to put you in something to make all those Isle boys' jaws drop."
"I'm driving?" Jane asked in mock surprise.
"You know I don't have a license. I was gonna ask Harry if he could get Audrey to take me, but since you're going with me..."
"Fine," Jane said as she started stuffing enough clothes for the weekend into a bag.
It took Jane and CJ a little over an hour to drive to the Isle from Auradon Prep once they left campus on Friday. Once there, CJ directed Jane toward Harriet's ship, The King Adam's Reckoning, which was actually docked not far from her father's ship, The Jolly Roger, on the far side of the Island with an unobstructed view across the Strait of Ursula all the way to Cinderellasburg. Once on the ship, CJ explained Jane's situation to her sister, and without a moment's hesitation, the Hook sisters ushered Jane toward Harriet's quarters to begin seeing what they could pull off.
"Jane, hurry it up, the party starts in a couple of hours, and CJ and I still need to get ready," Harriet called from her bed, where she was seated against the headboard, waiting.
"I'm coming," Jane shouted back from inside the small closet. "There isn't exactly a lot of room to move in here."
Harriet gave a small glare in the direction of her closet before looking toward CJ who was sitting at the desk chair. "Does she always take this long to get ready?"
"Only with her hair," CJ answered.
Harriet let out a sigh at that revelation. This was the fourth outfit Jane had tried on. The first three - all old costumes of Harriet - had all been no's on Jane's part. Finally, they'd sent Jane back into the closet with a homemade Mother Goethel costume Harriet had worn the previous year. They figured with Jane's jet black hair, she could pull off the outfit. "Alright, I'm coming out," Jane let them know.
When the sisters saw the teenage fairy walk out, they were shocked and confused. Instead of walking out in a maroon dress, Jane came out wearing a black dress. Harriet recognized it as a dress she wore for a date with one of the Gaston twins. It was a black tutu mini dress that came down to just above mid-thigh, with a pronounced petticoat skirt that she was glad had some slight tulle under it otherwise Jane might be showing off a little more than she dared. Travelling up, the dress had some red decorative cinching that really showed off Jane's slim waist and led up into an off the shoulder V-neck that showed off a slight amount of cleavage. While Harriet wasn't above showing off her charms, she wasn't privileged to know what Jane was comfortable with.
"Well hello nurse," CJ celebrated with a slight giggle. "Or better yet hello... is that a witch's dress?" CJ turned to ask Harriet.
"More like a 'hello boys' dress. It's actually my version of a little black dress."
"I hope you don't mind, but I saw this and thought it look really cute," Jane said sheepishly, playing with her hair nervously. She was aware that she was being lent Harriet's old costumes, but this wasn't a costume, and it wasn't what she was given to try on.
"Cute? Try hot as all hell. Looks like Little Miss Bibbidi Bobbidi wants to break a few hearts tonight," CJ interjected. "Although, knowing you like I do, I have to ask: are you comfortable? I mean, this is a little tighter, shorter, and lower cut than you usually wear," she continued, this time sounding a little empathetic.
"I know, but... it's Halloween. I'm allowed to go outside my comfort zone," Jane said with growing confidence in her appearance.
"Yes, you are," Harriet said, finally getting off the bed. She began to circle Jane, checking out how she looked from all angles. "And I think you pull off this dress pretty good. Cal's right," Harriet began to add, also revealing to Jane her sometimes nickname for her little sister. "You are gonna break some hearts," Harriet chuckled.
"But now, the hard part... we have to accessorize," CJ pointed out. Suddenly, she perked like a lightbulb was going off in her head. "You could lend her your captain's hat, complete the sexy pirate look."
"I am not letting her walk off my ship looking like a cheap stereotype," Harriet deadpanned.
"I got this," Jane interrupted them. She then turned to the full length mirror hanging next to the closet and snapped her fingers. Suddenly, in a flash of light blue smoke, a black witch's hat appeared on her head.
"I like it," CJ said.
"If she could do that, why didn't she just magic herself up a costume?" Harriet inquired.
"Because goody two shoes doesn't like to use her powers 'for no good reason'," CJ answered.
"Powers are not meant to be abused, but only to help. Like in this case, coming up with the perfect accessory to a really nice dress," Jane said as she gave a slight twirl in the mirror. She then turned to look at Harriet. "Got any knee high boots?"
Harriet just grinned wickedly. CJ's right, there is a bad girl in there that needs to get out for a while.
