Chapter 20: Careless Whisper (Dance With The Devil Epilogue) Part 1
(Hello everyone. How are you today? Well I know you can't answer me but that's alright because at long last, the first half of the season finale is here! Of course, there are a few things to get off my chest.
First of all, as I'm sure you all know, the creator of Dragon Ball, Akira Toriyama, sadly passed away recently. Right now I'm kicking myself for not thinking of dedicating the last chapter of Jigoku Files to him before I uploaded it. So after some thought, I decided that I would dedicate the next three chapters of my respective stories to him, starting with this one. While Dragon Ball might have not been my favorite anime in the world, there's no denying the impact that it had on not just the industry but on pop culture as a whole. A lot of the anime series we have today, including the Big 3, would have never come to pass if it weren't for this man's work. For this reason, Mr. Toriyama, you have my thanks.
Second, just to be clear, this is far from the end of the series. This is simply the end of the season, after which I will take a short break to fine tune the next season. I know most of you already knew this but I just wanted to be extra clear.
Finally, as this is a horror series which I'm hoping to get back on track, I will be warning you right now of upsetting and disturbing content ahead. I cannot be more specific than this but do be careful.
We'll I wasted enough of your time, let's just get started shall we?)
The girl known simply as Lisa Marie Simpson was staring out through her window. She stared out onto the vast expanse of Springfield that lay before her, illuminated only by whatever artificial light was on at the moment. Lisa sighed as she recalled a time when one could see the stars clearly in the night sky, before the smog of Burn's power plant took over and choked them out like a parasitic vine wrapped around a tree. The night air blew over her, chilling her bare shoulders and yet, she embraced the chill. It reminded her that much of the natural world still reigned in Springfield, despite Burn's best efforts to destroy it.
These thoughts were interrupted by a knock on her open door. She turned to see her brother Bart standing in her doorway, sporting a black tux. "Earth to Lisa, come in, Lisa."
"Shut up, Bart." Lisa giggled playfully as she made her way toward her brother. 'I see you actually went out and bought a tux. Guess you're taking this prom thing seriously, huh?"
"Yeah," Bart said as he looked over himself. "Me and the boys bought these duds just yesterday. Got 'em real cheap too."
It was at that moment that Lisa's eyes fell on her brother's tie. "Is...Is that a freaking Dragon Ball tie?"
"Huh?" Bart picked up the green tie with seven orange orbs on it, each with a different number of stars. "So what if it is? Dragon Ball is anime royalty you know!"
"Heh! You're such a dork!" Lisa walked up to her brother and fixed the tie. "But you do look great. I mean that."
"Thanks," Bart said, trying to hide the smile on his face. "You too."
Lisa looked down on the dress she was wearing. It was a deep shade of red with four triangular strips making up the hem. It reminded her of the dress she wore as a child although unlike that dress, this one had straps but no back. Lisa felt weirdly vulnerable in the dress, not only because of how much it was designed to expose but because it left no room for her to hide any of her weapons.
And tonight she didn't want to be without them.
"Thank you Bart, that's very kind of you to say." Lisa said as she held a hand to her face. She was quite unused to being called anything pertaining to words like "pretty" or "beautiful" so even the obligatory yet sincere compliments from her brother was enough to start a blush.
"You sure you don't wanna put any make up on, though?" He asked. "Mom's been asking."
"I know and I know she's just trying to help but I really don't need it." Lisa replied. "Besides, in this town you can't get any cosmetics that don't come from Burns Industries and-"
"I know. I know. Animal testing allegations." Bart interrupted in a annoyed voice more fitting to his usual interactions with his sister. It didn't last long however as he quickly replaced it with a warm smile. "You still look really great, Lis. Honestly, I'm just happy you're doing something normal, even if it's as lame as prom."
"Fuck you!" Lisa giggled playfully as she shoved Bart.
"Fuck you times two!" Bart shoved her back.
"Fuck you times infinity!"
"Fuck you times infinity plus one!"
"That's not a thing!"
The two quickly ran out of breath playfully pushing each other and held a ceasefire to reclaim it. Once they had finished panting, they locked eyes again and shared a warm hug.
"Bart! Lisa! Come on down!" Marge's voice called from downstairs. "I want to get your pictures before Nelson arrives!"
"Coming!" Bart shouted back before stepping out of the room. "Coming, Lis?"
"I'll be down in just a second," Lisa said. "I just want to shake away any last-minute pre-prom jitters."
"If you say so. Just don't take too long or Mom will have a cow."
"Dually noted." Lisa nodded as Bart closed the door and descended down the stairs. Once she was sure he was out of earshot. She let out an exhausted sigh as her worst half began to speak.
"Finally," The Beast snarled. "If you two lovebirds hadn't cut it out with the wholesome Brady Bunch routine, I would have vomited."
"You just always have something to say, don't you?" Lisa went back to her nightstand and pulled out a piece of paper. "You weren't so talkative when I found this in my locker."
"That's because it was one of the few times when our thoughts were perfectly in-sync," The Beast explained. "That thought being you're fucked."
"Yeah," Lisa fretfully agreed as she lifted the top half of the paper, once again bearing witness to the simple yet chilling message it conveyed: I KNOW
"No argument there," Lisa said as she pulled down the rest of the paper and reread the rest of the message, a message that she damn well nearly missed upon discovering the horrid note:
"I know what you are, Lisa Simpson and I have evidence to boot. Meet me at Springfield Park at 8:00 sharp or the proof gets leaked online. See you soon, my little Animal Avenger."
Lisa's blood ran cold once more as she read the note again. Part of her still couldn't believe that someone else knew her secret. It didn't feel real. It felt like some sort of disturbing mind spot or even a dream. But this was no dream and she had enough experience with these feelings to know denying it didn't make it any less real. "I just don't understand," She whimpered. "I was so careful. I spent years honing the skills I needed to remain undetected."
"Oh yeah That fiasco at the Rattlesnake Roundup was really lowkey!"
"Shut up!" Lisa cried. "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" Lisa gripped her head and fought the urge to scream. She couldn't calm herself down but she was able to bring herself to a somewhat normal temperament as she tore the note up.
"So what are you gonna do?" The Beast asked. "That deadline is only two measly hours away."
"I don't know," Lisa said. "The last thing I want to do is follow the whims of some asshole blackmailing me, especially on the night of the prom. But if I don't go, my cover will be blown."
"How do we even know this bastard has any evidence?" The Beast asked. "They might just be blowing smoke up your ass, Lisa."
"Maybe but it's not a risk I can afford taking," Lisa sighed as she closed her bedroom window. "I'll head to the prom and make as convenient an exit as I can to the park. I'll try to nip this in the bud as soon as possible."
"What about weapons?"
"I'll have to find something at school. Hallsweeper Millie ought to have something." Lisa said.
"Lisa! Come down here already!" Marge called. "Nelson's gonna be here any minute!"
"Coming, Mom!" Lisa shouted as she headed for the door. She waddled a bit as she was still unused to the high-heels on her feet. "Damn heels!"
...
"Bart! Straighten out your back a little! Lisa! Would it kill you to widen that smile?" Marge asked.
"Mom!" Lisa shouted through her strained teeth, her grin forced and uncomfortable. "Just take the damn picture!"
"Yeah Mom," Bart agreed. "If I straighten up anymore, I'll have to be on my tip-toes!"
"Alright, alright!" Marge mumbled as she held her phone in front of herself and took her children's photos. For some reason no one in the family could understand, Marge insisted on setting her phone's camera to the brightest flash possible so once the picture was taken, not only were Bart and Lisa blinded but so too were Homer and Maggie sitting on the couch behind Marge.
"Oh God!" Homer cried. "It's as if the sun just mooned me!"
"Ouch!" Maggie whined. "Mom, does that have to be so bright?"
"Well excuse me for being proud of two of my babies going to prom!" Marge huffed as she turned to see the picture now saved to her phone. To her pleasant surprise, the camera managed to preserve the very last second before the light from the flash blinded Bart and Lisa, thus capturing them at their absolute best. "Perfect!"
Bart and Lisa sighed in relief as they realized that picture day was finally over. Marge walked up to her children and wiped a bit of debris from Lisa's cheek. "I do wish you would at least put on a little lipstick."
"Mom!" Lisa retorted. "I don't need any makeup!"
Marge took in her daughter's face, the scowling yet lovely eyes locking with hers. She smiled as she ran her fingers through Lisa's hair. "I know. I just wanted the chance to tell you so." She pecked Lisa on the forehead. "Have a good time, sweetie and remember, don't do anything I wouldn't do."
Lisa blushed a little as she didn't expect her Mom to agree with her not needing makeup. Her mood lightened, she nodded and wrapped her mother in a great big hug. "Thank you, Mom. I will."
Marge returned the hug before moving over to Bart. She gently grabbed his tie and fixed it up once more. "Now Bart, make sure you respect your date! Don't chew with your mouth open. Don't do any drugs. And most of all,-"
"Aww come on, Mom!" Bart whined right as Marge gave him a peck on the forehead as well.
"Don't forget to have a good time," She said.
Bart was taken aback like his sister and as with his sister, quickly recovered. "Thanks, Mom."
"Well, don't keep us in suspense!" Homer said as she got up from the couch with Maggie in tow. "How'd the picture come out?"
"Take a look for yourself," Marge said as she showed the family the picture on her phone. Even Bart and Lisa couldn't ignore how good a picture it was, despite the pain in the ass it was to take it.
"Wow, Mom!" Bart said. "I can't believe it but you did the impossible. You actually made Lisa look good."
"Fuck you!" Lisa playfully slapped Bart on the shoulder.
"Fuck you!" Bart responded in kind.
"Kids, stop dropping F-bombs!" Marge scolded before looking over the picture again with a smile. "But you're right. It's a lovely picture." She sighed longingly. "I just wished I could take pictures of both of the kid's dates."
"Don't worry, Mom." Lisa said. "I'm sure the Lovejoys would be more than happy to send you a picture of Bart and Jessica."
"I hope so," Marge replied sadly. "I really hope so."
Bart found himself getting lost in thought at the mention of his date's name. "It's so surreal. A few weeks ago, it would felt like something out of a fantasy to be taking Jessica to the prom. But now that it's actually happening, I don't know-"
The sound of a car horn outside ripped Bart away from his romantic turmoil. The entire family gathered at the window to see a beat-up rusty limousine parked outside. If one squinted their eyes and turned their heads in the right angle, one could make out one "Sarcastic Raphael" at the wheel. Before long, a door on the other side of the limo opened and out walked none other than Nelson Muntz.
"Speaking of dates, there's yours, Lis."
"Yeah..." Lisa was too busy staring at Nelson to respond properly. He wasn't exactly outright handsome in his cheap black tux of course but he did look mature, his hair sleeked back with gel. In his left hand, he held a small plastic box. Within this box was a blood-red rose corsage.
"Shit!" Bart suddenly shouted. "I almost forgot about Jessica's corsage!" He ran back to his room as Nelson rang the doorbell. It was Maggie who let him in.
"Hey squirt!" Nelson greeted warmly. "Your sister ready yet?"
"Take a look for yourself," She gestured to Lisa who, without thinking, walked over from the living room to meet Nelson. His eyes widened as they fell upon her.
"H-Hi Nelson," Lisa greeted awkwardly.
"Hi Lisa." Nelson responded rapidly. "I mean, um...just wow. You..." His cheeks tinted red. "You look beautiful."
Lisa's face flared up like a campfire. "T-That's very nice of you to say, Nelson."
"I-I really mean it Lisa, you look great." Nelson said. "Oh! I almost forgot!" He presented the corsage to her. "This is for you!"
Lisa took a moment to fully appreciate the corsage. Fake as it was, it was still quite lovely.
"It's beautiful, Nelson." She said as he took the corsage out of the box and placed it on Lisa's right wrist. It fit perfectly.
"Ok you two, smile for the camera!" Marge said as she held her phone in front of her once again.
"Oh man!" Nelson grumbled as he and Lisa got into position. "Do we really have to do this?" He asked Lisa through gritted teeth.
"It's tradition." Lisa responded in the same manner. "Also, you'll want to brace yourself for the flash."
"The what?" Nelson got his answer as Marge took the photograph, blinding both her daughter and her date with a horrid burst of light. They both wandered with arms outstretched, turned, bumped into each other and wandered out the door in a daze.
"Wait for me!" Bart shouted as he held his own corsage and rushed out the door after them, slamming it shut in the process.
Homer, Marge and Maggie all watched through the window as the three teens hopped into the limo and Raphael sped off into the night.
"Well, that was sappy!" Maggie yawned and outstretched her arms. "I think I'll be hitting the hay!"
"You do that, sweetie." Marge cooed without taking her eyes off the road. "I'll be there to tuck you in in a minute."
"Good-night, honey." Homer said in a similar manner. "Sweet dreams."
"Same to you guys. Good night!" Maggie yawned again as she made her way back to her room. Once they heard the door to her room close. Homer and Marge exchanged an unpleasant glance.
"I'll make us some tea." Marge said.
"That sounds good." Homer replied.
Marge headed for the kitchen and Homer sat on the couch to wait for it. The TV was off for once and while the remote was right there on the armrest, he did not reach for it. He simply stared at his darkened, shrunken reflection on the screen. From the kitchen, Marge could be heard making the tea.
Both Homer and Marge had the exact same thought in mind. They had it since this morning when they knew Bart and Lisa would be gone. And because they had had all day to stew in their thoughts, they were able to realize without a single exchange of words that their partners felt the same way.
Within the next few hours, they would finally bring it out into the open.
Jessica raked the brush through her raven hair as she looked at the mirror. After all her choices, all the dresses she had bought, she had decided to throw on the simple yet lovely blue dress with scales covering the right breast and sapphire on the neckline. She wasn't very enthusiastic about it but she figured if she wasn't as popular as she used to be, then it didn't matter as much what she looked like. She figured that's what lame people must think to get themselves through the day anyway. She set the brush down and grabbed her lipstick, #36 Black Cherry, courtesy of Burns Industries. She smeared it over her lips as they were fixed to plant a kiss on someone. Once she was done, she smacked them a few times and closed the lipstick back up.
All the way on the other side of her room was a clock with Jesus providing the arms. Jessica turned to see the longer arm approach 6. It was almost time.
"Ok, Jessica." She said to herself in the mirror. "You're going to prom and you're no longer popular but it's alright. I don't know why it would be alright but Bart said it would be alright so..." She trailed off with a sigh as she got up and left the room. The limo that would take her to prom would be here any second and she wanted to be ready.
She wanted to get the coming headache out of the way.
Almost as soon as she descended down the stairs did she hear her father's voice call her from the living room. "Jessica, A moment please." The young girl sighed again as she obeyed her father and entered the living room.
Sitting on the two chairs before the fireplace were Timothy and Helen Lovejoy. Even after all these years, Timothy was still the reverend of the First Church of Springfield and was still sought out time after time for his opinion on moral dilemmas. The ravages of times seemed to have spared him for the most part, only granting him grey hair and a few wrinkles whereas his wife on the other hand didn't look a day under 50. She still held the title for the town gossip and was just as ornery as ever. Nope, not much had really changed with the Lovejoys even after all this time, including their abhorrence for one Bartholomew Jojo Simpson.
"Now Jessica," Timothy began without taking his eyes away from "Trains Monthly" "Is there anyway we can still convince you not to go to prom with that Simpson hellspawn?"
"Daddy! We've been over this!" Jessica argued. "Bart's a good guy and he's the only one that even bothered asking me to prom! I can't miss this chance!"
"Well sure you can," Helen interrupted. "Prom isn't everything and besides, what good would it do to enjoy one night of sin and debauchery if it cost you your summer?"
Jessica winced, her glare angry and her teeth clenched. "So I guess you're still gonna send me away if I decide to go with Bart, huh?"
"Now Jessica," Timothy cooed. "We only want what's best for you. Think of what people would say if they knew my daughter was...was...mucking around with a hellion like Bart Simpson."
"Just think of what it would do to Church attendance." Helen added.
"So that's it." Jessica thought. "It all boils down to the stupid Church! It's always been this way, ever since I was a little girl!" Jessica forced these thoughts back inside herself. They would do her no good, not here and not now. It was set in stone as was everything her parents said. Either she gave up on her last teenage dream for her final summer of freedom or she threw that summer away for this one final night.
She was already at the cusp of her answer when the doorbell rang. Jessica turned to get it but was stopped by her father with a single raising of his hand. She watched nervously and hatefully as he got up from his chair with a grunt and plodded toward the door. Jessica turned to her mother who had something of a small sneer on her face.
Lovejoy opened the door, annoyed but unsurprised to see Bart Simpson standing on his front porch, three dead petunias crushed in his hand. The boy, understandably was caught off guard and gulped as he locked eyes with the town Reverend. "G-Good evening, Reverend Lovejoy." Bart croaked. "Lovely night, isn't it?"
"I suppose for some people," Timothy droned.
Bart nervously tugged at his collar. "Right um...Oh! These are for your daughter!" He held up the petunias to Lovejoy.
The Reverend took one look at the petunias and then back at Bart. "Did you rip these away from Ned Flanders' garden?"
Bart gulped again. "Maybe."
Suddenly, Jessica stomped past her father and toward Bart. "Enough with the interrogation, Daddy!" She slapped the dead flowers out of Bart's hand and replaced them with her own. I'm going to the prom with Bart and that's final!"
"Jessica,"
"It's final!" Jessica said more sternly. Tension filled the air between daughter and father and all poor Bart wanted to do was return to the relative safety of the limo. After what felt like hours, Timothy sighed.
"Very well. Just know that we gave you the choice." He said gruffly.
"Hold on," Helen called from inside as she approached with her phone's camera on. "You can't leave without getting your photo taken, can you?"
"Oh Mom!" Jessica complained as she pulled Bart in closer. Both teens flashed the widest smiles they could fake as Helen took their picture ten times over.
"There, there and there!" She shouted. "Now you kids have fun and remember, Jesus is always watching!"
"Yeah, yeah!" Jessica squeezed Bart's hand. "Come on, Bart. Let's go!"
"ComING!" Bart yelped as he was pulled toward the limo. Once he and his date were out of earshot, he planted his feet and forced Jessica to stop. "Hey, are you ok? What was all that stuff about you making your choice?"
Jessica glared at Bart, only to turn away, her hand pulling itself out of his grasp so she could rub her arm. "It...It's nothing, alright."
"It sure as hell doesn't sound like nothing." Bart contested.
"It's nothing! Just drop it okay!" Jessica shouted.
"Geez! Sorry!" Bart responded as Jessica's eyes gravitated to the giant cube shape sticking out from his left pocket.
"What is that?" She asked with faux interest, hoping for more than anything to change the subject.
"Huh?" Bart noticed the bulge in his pocket as well. "Oh shit! I almost forgot!" Bart reached into his pocket and pulled out the cube. There was a corsage inside, modeled after lavender flowers. "I got this for you."
"Bart," Jessica trailed off. "I don't know what to say."
"Just try it on," Bart removed the corsage from its casing and gently grabbed Jessica's left arm. Carefully, he slipped the corsage over her wrist and capped the whole thing with a kiss on her knuckles. "How do you like it?"
Jessica took a moment to examine the corsage up close, her lips curving into a smile and her eyes beginning to water. "It's beautiful."
"Not as beautiful as you," Bart responded.
Before the conversation could go anywhere, however, the two lovebirds were shaken up by Raphael honking his limo's horn.
"Hey Romeo and Juliet, save the smooching for the prom, will ya?" He said as he directed his thumb toward the back of the limo. "Hurry up already!"
"Coming," Bart took Jessica's hand and led her to the end of the limo. He opened the door for her and bowed. "Ladies first!"
"Ok," Jessica shoved Bart into the limo without mercy before hopping in herself. The inside of the limo was musty with a single spring jutting out at the end of the seats. Jessica was certain she saw something crawling within the carpet flooring. She mentally thanked God that she had landed on the fallen Bart instead.
"Get off me, will ya?" Bart groaned. "You're crushing my liver."
"That's funny," Jessica readjusted herself so that she was face to face with the downed Bart, their lips mere inches from each other. She stifled a giggle as he saw his face turn red. "Last time I checked, it was the goal of guys going to prom to get their dates on top of them." She whispered in a hushed, playful voice.
Once more, the moment between Bart and Jessica was ruined, this time by a loud ahem sound. Jessica looked up to see her old flame Nelson Muntz sitting before her and to his right...
Jessica froze as she locked eyes with Lisa. She mentally found herself back in the bathroom on that day, at the complete and utter mercy of a monster hiding within the body of a fellow student. She remembered the predatory look in Lisa's eyes, the venom in her words and the strength of her grip. She broke into a cold sweat as she climbed off of Bart who sat up at once. "Hey, Are you ok?" He asked.
"I-I'm fine!" Jessica squeaked as her eyes darted to the end of the seats with the spring jutting out. "Let's sit over here."
She quickly made her way to the seat and curled up next to the spring. Bart looked at her in stunned and confused silence for a few moments before saying "O-Okay" and joining her. Now that all four of his patrons were seated, Raphael was free to start the limo and drive off.
The Lovejoys watched as the long black vehicle whisked their only child off to what was sure to be a night of debauchery and sin.
"Oh! My skin's crawling just thinking about what that hooligan is planning for our daughter!" Helen whined.
"Now Helen," Timothy droned. "Jessica's a big girl. She can take care of herself." He looked down at the phone his wife still held in her hand. "Aren't you going to send those pictures to Mrs. Simpson now?"
"Huh?" Helen looked down at the phone. "Oh, you know what?" She trashed them all at once. "I just accidently deleted them all."
"Hmm." Was Timothy's one and only response.
The rest of the limo ride was an awkward one to be sure. A heavy silence hung over the four teenagers as they sat in silence. Being the kind of man that he was, Raphael rather enjoyed this silence and drank in every second as he neared the school. He very much doubted his other customers for the night would be this quiet.
Every so often, a glance would be shared, a throat would be cleared or an arm would be scratched. Nelson and Jessica shared quite a few glances but they hardly lasted longer than a second. This was usually followed by the two siblings repeating the same process and desperately trying to fight the awkwardness eating away at them. Every so often, Jessica would stare at Lisa, studying closely for any sign of the monster that had traumatized her earlier this week. It didn't take long for Lisa to notice she was being watched and to return the glance, after which, Jessica would quickly look away. Every time without fail, Lisa would hear the mocking laughter of the Beast afterwards.
"Well well well, it looks like you got little Miss High and Mighty properly tamed."
Lisa didn't even bother responding mentally. Her mind, when not trying it's hardest to focus on the here and now, (her now), was consumed by thoughts of the note she had gotten and of Clementine. Those thoughts got pushed away immediately.
Then, seemingly out of nowhere, the sound of KC and the Sunshine Band's Shake Your Booty made itself known, distant but still loud. All four teens directed their attention to the not-so-tinted windows to see the rapidly approaching gymnasium located at the back of their school.
They had arrived at Prom.
"Here we are," Raphael said with faux glee. "Now get out so I can make my other rounds."
"Right," Nelson climbed out first, kicking the door open with a grunt. He turned around and held a hand out for Lisa. "M'lady!"
Lisa giggled. "No one's ever called me M'lady before," She screwed her face up. "At least no one that didn't act like I owed them sex afterwards" She took Nelson's hand and left the limo.
Bart giggled and turned to his own date. "Now you M-"
Jessica grabbed his lips between her fingers. "Call me that even once tonight and I'm kicking you in the balls."
Unable to speak through his pinched-together lips, Bart nodded in compliance. Jessica let go of his mouth and took his hand. As soon as she was out of the limo, Raphael stomped down on the gas pedal and practically flew out of the lot, nearly ripping off one of Jessica's heels in the process. The four teens were left coughing in the resulting dust cloud as Nelson attempted to wave it off with his free hand. Once that whole ordeal was over, they turned to bore witness to the gymnasium
"WELCOME PUMAS!" read the white banner hanging over the entrance in giant red letters. The banner bore a giant bouquet of roses on either side. Petals were regularly falling from the bouquets and falling on the sidewalk right before the entrance. Inside, the two couples could see several students already hitting the dance floor to the tune of Shake Your Booty with quite a few of them following the commands of the song. Lisa felt herself blush as it dawned on her that she was going to have to make a fool of herself in the same manner at some point tonight. Nelson and Bart, on the other hand, were already moving their shoulders to the rhythm of the dying song. Once it concluded, it was replaced by I Gotta Feeling.
"Whoo!" Bart hooted. "Come on! What are we waiting for? The Rapture? Let's get our yellow asses to the dance floor!"
"Did your brother by chance sneak some of your father's alcohol before the limo arrived?" The Beast asked.
"I wish," Lisa whispered sadly.
Jessica shot Lisa a glance, certain that she heard the star student mutter something under her breath. Not wanting to know what it was, Jessica ran up to Bart and wrapped her arms around his. "Let's go in, Bart!"
"That's the plan, baby!" Bart shouted as he and Jessica rushed in. Nelson walked up to Lisa and once again offered his hand. "You ready?"
Lisa hesitated for a moment before smiling and accepting his hand. "As I'll ever be."
Nelson nodded as he led his date into the gymnasium. The music seemed to double in volume as soon as she entered the building. The lights overhead flashed in harsh tones of red, blue, green and yellow. At the far left of the gym was the snack table, chips, dips and drinks lining the entire thing. To no one's surprise, Uter was by himself at the end, enjoying his fourth full plate of the night.
Lisa's gaze shifted to the right where she saw the mirrors. There must have been ten of them at the most but the edges between them were so thin that they practically vanished, leaving the impression that the entire right side wall was just one big mirror. She locked eyes with her reflection and, without realizing, walked away from Nelson as he was talking to Bart. Jessica noticed the empty look in Lisa's eyes as she walked toward the mirrors and reached into her dress, gripping the cross pendant she hid inside. The music faded around Lisa's ears as she approached her reflection. The dancing students darkened into shapeless shadows as she became lost in her own eyes. Eye with something awful hiding behind them. Something violent and aggressive and primal. An untamable monster...
"Well look who decided to show up!"
Lisa nearly jumped out of her skin. She turned around to find Allison Taylor standing behind her, clad in a orange dress with a single string tied around the neck to hold it up. Her hair was held back in a ponytail. "A-Allison?"
"Glad to see you made it." Allison hugged Lisa.
"Allison." Lisa returned the hug.
"Are you dancing with Lisa now?" Another familiar voice asked from behind Allison. Lisa looked up and gasped as she saw none other than Ralph Wiggum approaching them, clad in a nice suit the same shade of blue as his father's police uniform. His black hair was all combed to the side and his mustache had been trimmed neatly. "Hi Lisa! Are you dating my date now?"
"Your what?"
Lisa gasped as Allison giggled and turned to Ralph. "Don't be silly Ralphie. You're still my date! I was just saying hi to Lisa."
"My Mommy also says hi by hugging." Ralph suddenly wrapped his arms around Lisa.
Once again, Lisa returned the favor but only with a couple of awkward pats on the back. "I-It's nice to see you too, Ralph." She turned to Allison and whispered. "Ralph!?"
Allison shrugged. "When he came up to me holding that wilted sunflower and asking me out, I just couldn't say no." She grabbed Ralph by his shoulders and propped him up. "Besides, he cleans up nicely, don't you think?"
"Yeah," Lisa said as she looked Ralph up and down. As much as she didn't want to admit it, Ralph looked rather handsome tonight. "He really does." She shook her head. "I-I bet Clementine was really surprised too, huh?" Lisa immediately regretted speaking Clementine's name, especially when Allison's smile faded.
"Actually, I haven't seen Clementine in all night." Allison confessed. "I was just about to ask you if you seen her."
Lisa shook her head sadly. "No I haven't."
"Shit," Allison moaned. "I guess she didn't come after all."
"What do you mean?" Lisa asked.
"Well after you turned her down for prom she said she probably wasn't going to go. Something about working on some other projects."
"Projects?" Lisa asked.
"I dunno. I think she was just trying to mask her pain." Allison made a sound as if she intended to say more but quickly stopped herself, her face twisting with worry as if she had recalled some horrific memory.
"I...I see," Guilt ate away at Lisa like maggots on a carcass as she recalled the look on Clementine's face when she had rejected her. Within her mind, The Beast burned with another, less pleasant emotion concerning the missing girl.
Allison noticed that Lisa was distraught at once and grabbed her shoulders. "Shit! I'm sorry Lisa! I'm not trying to make you feel bad or anything. Clementine told me she understood and you know what? I trust her and so should you."
"I guess..."
"Don't dwell on it!" Allison shook her friend slightly. "You'll have plenty of time to make it up to her later. For now, let's just enjoy tonight! Speaking of which," Allison gave out a sultry chuckle. "Who did you end up taking after all?"
"Well..."
"Hey Lis!" Nelson called out as he approached the girls with two cups of punch in his hands. "I thought I'd start the night off right with by getting us some drinks! I think they even put fruit inside." As he said this, he peeked into one of the cups and watched the cherries and melon slices bounce around the red swooshing liquid. Once he was in front of the two girls, he handed one of the drinks to Lisa who took it with a sheepish chuckle.
"T-Thanks, Nelson," She shyly motioned to her friend and her date. "You remember Allison and Ralph, right?"
"Oh yeah." Nelson held out his hand to Allison. "Don't you look stunning tonight, Taylor."
"Oh Nelson," the blushing Allison turned away and giggled. "You're such a charmer."
Nelson smiled and went up to Ralph's ear. "Nice job on bagging a babe, lame-brain."
"I bagged a gold fishy at the Rattlesnake Roundup!" Ralph happily chirped before suddenly becoming crestfallen. "He didn't make it home."
As Nelson patted his former bullying victim's back, Allison whispered into Lisa's ear. "So, Nelson Muntz huh?"
"I really don't know what to say," Lisa admitted. "It just sort of happened."
"Hey, I get it! I get it!" Allison said. "Sometimes an old flame is just too irresistible, huh?"
Lisa felt her face go aflame and she looked down at her shoes in embarrassment. "I-It's not like that."
"Tsk. Pathetic."
"Oh Lisa," Allison said as she picked Lisa's head up by the chin. "I'm only teasing a little. You really need to lighten up."
Lisa sighed. "You're right, Allison. I just feel so tense tonight, you know, with Clementine and everything."
"Lisa, trust me. If Clementine even thought for a moment you weren't having fun tonight because of her, she'd be heartbroken. Just try to relax and enjoy tonight. After all, it won't last forever."
"Right," Lisa took a sip of her punch right as the music was changing to Hotel Room Service
"Whoo-Hoo!" Allison shouted. "I love this song!"
"Really?" Lisa asked with concern.
"No but we gotta start dancing sometime!" Allison grabbed Ralph's hand and urged him to follow her. "Let's hit the dance floor!"
"Yeah!" Nelson shouted as he turned to his date. "You coming, Lisa?"
"Um, actually, I think I need to use the restroom." Lisa replied. "You go ahead."
"Are you sure?" Nelson said with a little bit of disappointment in his voice which only served to twist the knife in Lisa's heart.
Lisa nodded. "We'll dance together later. I promise!"
Nelson seemed to brighten up at that. "Sweet! See you soon!" He followed Allison and Ralph to the dance floor.
"See ya!" Lisa waved good bye with a weak smile. Then she emptied the cup of fruit punch into her mouth, left through the door next to the mirrors that led to the rest of the school and once she was certain no one was watching her, she started slamming her head against the wall. "Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" She cursed herself with each impact. "I can't believe I just said that!"
"Heh. Poor poor Nelson." The Beast snickered. "There's nothing worse for a guy than getting blue-balled at a first date!"
Lisa growled. "No one's getting blue-balled! It's just a dance!"
"A dance you won't be able to give him unless you make quick work of your little headache!" The Beast reminded her. "Something I imagine will be quite difficult without your mask or weapons."
"You're right about the weapons," Lisa whispered. "But the mask wouldn't make any difference. Whoever this person is, they already know that I'm the Animal Avenger! That's how come they're able to hold this leverage over me."
"Whoever this person is?" The Beast scoffed. "Come on, Lisa! We both damn well know who it is! You just don't want to admit it to yourself!"
"Shut up!" Lisa barked. "We don't know anything yet! So shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" Lisa groaned out loud as she fell against the wall and curled up into a ball, fighting her damned hardest to banish any and all thought into the Beast's theory away.
She couldn't stand it when they agreed on something.
About 45 minutes had passed since Jessica had made it to the prom. She couldn't help but notice that the songs started to get slower and less cheerful as time marched on. She reassured herself that it was just them making way for the slow dancing songs that would play later tonight when the prom was near its end but nonetheless, it still slightly unnerved her. She wondered if Lisa being here had anything to do with that.
She did her best to push these thoughts and those of her parents and their promise to the side as she tried to enjoy the evening with Bart. It helped that he was quite an entertaining if stupid mess, constantly making jokes that ended with him making his armpit fart. Of course, Jessica didn't actually find them all that funny but anything that would keep her mind off her troubles would help.
Feel Good. Inc started playing as Bart and Jessica took a break from dancing and sat on the sidelines to rest. They were panting and sweaty with Bart wiping the sweat from his brow. "Phew! I gotta say Jessica, you sure know how to boogey!"
"Boogey!?" Jessica snickered. "How old are you?"
"Hey! My Grandpa taught me that word!" Bart guffawed as soon as he finished that sentence. prompting Jessica to laugh even harder. So caught up in the throes of laughter were those too that they hardly noticed the two seats next to them being taken. Once that fact clicked, Jessica turned to whoever was sitting next to her, still giggling like a madwoman. "Hey! Wh-
Her laughter abruptly stopped as she saw none other than Janey and Alex in the seats next to her. The two former lackeys to the Goddess of High School were quick to notice their old ringleader and reacted with equal surprise. "Jessica!? Is that you?" Janey asked.
"J-Janey? Alex? What are you guys doing here?"
"Umm...It's prom?" Alex answered with a "Are-you-fucking-stupid-or-something?" tone of voice.
Jessica felt a horrible blush creep upon her face. "Oh! R-Right! Of course. Heh!" She turned away while laughing nervously. "Of course you are! Heh heh!"
"Well, well well, if it isn't the hottest couple in school?" Milhouse called out as he approached the group. Trailing behind him was the dorky little string bean only known by those that actually bothered to remember his face as Ethan. "Well, next to me and Janey of course!"
"Fuck you, man!" Bart laughed as he got up and fist-pumped Milhouse. For the first time ever witness by mortal eyes, the gesture did not send the bespectacled boy falling to the floor on his ass. Bart grabbed his friend's hand, pulled him close and patted his back. "Glad to see you here, man!"
"You too, Bart!" Milhouse returned the gesture before pulling away from Bart. "Did Lisa and Nelson come with you guys?"
"Yeah," Bart nodded. "Nelson's hitting the John and I guess Lisa's googling some dance moves that won't come off as try-hard."
"Oh come on, Bart! Cut Lisa some slack. She did come out here."
"I know," Bart chuckled. "And honestly, I'm kind of proud of her, finally coming out of her shell like that." He suddenly blushed. "Don't you tell her I said that!"
Milhouse laughed. "Hey, me and Ethan here were about to get our dates some punch. Wanna come?"
"Sure. It'll give them some time for some girl talk." He placed a hand on Jessica's shoulder. "I'll be right back, babe!"
"Wait! Bart!" Jessica held out a hand as her date and her excuse to not talk to her former lackeys left with the other men to forage for punch. She winced as she realized she was now trapped with the girls that had abandoned her when her crown of popularity fell.
But was that right?
She looked back at her former friends. Alex was looking down at her feet, kicking them up and down but Janey was still watching her. Her gaze betrayed a sense of unease and concern rather than judgement which somehow made Jessica feel even worse. "You alright, Jessica?"
"Wha! Oh! I-I'm fine! Just fine!" Jessica turned away again, unable to face the dark-skinned girl. "J-Just fine!" A veil of awkward silence fell over the three girls which to Jessica, made every second feel like an hour. She kept checking the far end of the table for the boys to return only to grimace as she saw Bart chatting with the other boys. "Dammit Simpson!" She thought angrily. "How could you throw me under the bus like this!?"
Against her better judgement, she looked back to her former clique only to lock eyes with Janey again and turned away in shame. Janey's mouth fumbled as she thought what to say before finally breaking the glacier with "I-I like your dress."
"Huh?" It took Jessica a moment to process what was said to her and she felt more awkward once she realized that she had just been complimented. "Oh!" She drummed her fingers on her knees. "T-Thank you." She briefly looked back to study the purple and green dressed on Janey and Alex's bodies. They were nothing fancy and Alex still wore that stupid hat of hers but that didn't do anything to hurt their appearance. She figured a compliment wouldn't be lying. "Y-Your dresses look good too."
"Heh! Thanks." Janey chuckled nervously. Only then did she look away.
"D-Did you guys get them from the mall?" Jessica asked, mentally kicking herself for continuing the conversation when she had a chance to end it.
"Actually, I made them." Alex spoke up. "Decided to take up on those sewing lesson my Grandma's been giving me."
"R-Really?" Jessica gulped. "Well, they look real nice!"
"Thanks,"
Another unbearable period of silence followed. All three girls drummed their finger on their knees at some point. All unsure as how to continue this conversation they wanted no part of, all desperately waiting for their boyfriends to return with that damned punch already. All the while, Jessica continued to feel guilt eat away at her. It was like a dark infestation within her chest, making her sick with worry. She thought she could hear the tick of the clock on the wall when it should have been drowned out by the blaring music. Then with slow-burning horror, she realized it was the thumping of her own heart, nervous and desperate to get away from the situation. She felt her mouth go dry and her lips tremble as that day at the cafeteria replayed in her mind over and over again.
It was around this time that Janey and Alex, already uncomfortable to begin with, noticed Jessica's inner turmoil with the former pressing her palms against the seat so as to get up. "Well, I think we oughta...
"I'm sorry!" Jessica blurted out so loud and fast she left herself gasping for air. "I-I'm...I'm sorry."
Janey and Alex exchanged a nervous glance before returning their attention to Jessica. "Jessica...Are you feeling alright?"
"N-No." Jessica sniffled. "I'm not. And I haven't been ever since the stupid roundup." Jessica felt her eyes start to water and wiped them dry. "I've been blind. I haven't been seeing the forest for the trees."
"What are you talking about?" Alex asked.
"I...I'm trying to say that I've been stupid. Acting like this whole high school thing was gonna last forever and that I would always stay on top!" She wiped her eyes again to less avail as the tears flowed freely. "That's why I lost Nelson. That's why I lost you." She sniffled as she turned to her former lackeys. "Can you ever forgive me?"
"Jessica..." Alex reached into her purse and pulled out a hanky which she gave to Janey who in turn gave it to Jessica who blew into it at once, Janey rubbing her back as she did so. "Jessica, what are you talking about? You never lost us."
"Huh?"
"Look, maybe we got a little carried away at lunch that day and we're sorry for that." Alex rubbed the back of her head. "We just wanted to assert our independence before high school ended, you know?"
"You're right about one thing," Janey spoke. "Life doesn't end after high school," She took Jessica's hand. "But that doesn't mean we can't enjoy it while it last or have to stop being friends afterwards." She smiled as she stared into Jessica's eyes.
The former Goddess of High School started losing the fight with her tears, her fears of Lisa or thoughts of her summer miles behind her for the moment. "You guys!"
The three girls gathered in a group hug, with Jessica bawling and Janey and Alex getting teary-eyes as well. From the punch bowl, Bart, Milhouse and even Ethan watched proudly.
"I always love this scene in movies," Ethan sniffed as he wiped his eyes dry as well.
Lisa was getting nervous. It was 45 minutes to 8 which meant she didn't have long before she had to confront whoever was blackmailing her at the park. She had been debating with herself and the Beast again and again whether or not to try and share at least one dance with Nelson. The fact that she had stupidly promised him a dance before the night was over didn't help matters. Even now, as she watched him waiting by the snack table, emptying an entire tray of cheese and crackers by himself, she felt her heart ache with guilt.
"I have to try," She told herself. "Just one dance!"
"And what happens if he decides to get frisky," The Beast inquired. "What if you lose track of time?"
"Can't you say something positive for once?" Lisa begged.
"...Something positive." The Beast cackled.
"Fucking shithead," Lisa groaned as she leaned back again the mirrored wall. "It's hopeless. I have to stay vigilant and leave soon, even if that means standing up Nelson." She sighed sadly. "I'm so sorry, Nelson."
"Hey," The voice of an older woman cooed. "Why the long face?"
Lisa showed no sign of surprise in suddenly being addressed for while she didn't recognize the voice at first, she figured it must be one of the teachers chaperoning tonight. "Oh, it's a typical whiney teenage drama. You don't wanna be bored with the details." She chuckled as she turned to the woman. "Say," Lisa squinted her eyes at the vaguely familiar teacher. "Don't I know you from somewhere?"
"I don't know," The teacher, an older woman with a French accent and short blonde hair, said. "It has been a long time since you were in the third grade."
"Huh?" As Lisa stared at the woman more, she began to recognize more and more of her features, her eyes and mouth widening with realization as it finally hit her. "N-No way! M-Ms. Smith?"
The woman chuckled as she showed off a golden wedding ring. "It's Mrs. Smith now."
"How...I...Wha...What are you doing here?" Lisa asked. "D-Don't tell me they're letting elementary school students into this thing. Someone might have spiked the punch!"
"Oh Lisa!" Smith laughed. "I got promoted! Starting next year, I'll be teaching here at the high school! Who knows? I might just get you as a student again."
"I'd...I'd like that." Lisa said dreamily.
Smith smiled warmly as she cupped Lisa's face gently. "You've grown so much since I last saw you, Lisa," She said. "Such a pretty young woman."
To her shock, Lisa felt herself blush at the compliment from the old teacher and looked down at her feet with an embarrassed smile. "I-I'm really not. I just dolled myself a little for prom is all."
"All phooey!" Smith dismissed. "You needn't be so modest, especially when you have the brains to back up that beauty." She released her former student's face. "I've seen your records. You're one of the top students of this school. I'm so proud to have one of my former students accomplish so much."
Lisa was still embarrassed but met Smith's gaze head on. "Well, I did have a pretty good teacher."
Smith chuckled. "Why don't you join us at the teacher's table?" We can chat for a little bit."
"Oh! I'd love to but I should really-"
"Smith!" A random male voice called out to the girls. They turned around to see Mr. Shearer, Lisa's math teacher, waltzing over to them in a drunken fashion. He was a scruffy old man and in his hands was a cup of punch. "Come on! You're missing the best part of Frank's story!"
"Mr. Shearer!" Lisa gasped. "I think someone spiked the punch!"
"Wha?" Shearer pointed the cup at Lisa. "No way! This is pure 100% American...uh..." He looked at the cup's contents. "Apple juice?"
"Really?" Lisa raised an eyebrow while Smith burst into laughter.
"Mr. Shearer, you are a riot!" She grabbed him by the shoulder. "Let's get you back to the table." Then she turned to Lisa and grabbed her wrist. "Come on, Lisa."
"Wait, Mrs. Smith!" but Lisa already found herself being dragged toward a table at the far corner of the gym. Gathered around it were three adults, all teachers in the high school. Lisa recognized Ms. Kavner, a stout woman with long black hair, Ms. Cartwright, an older woman with long blonde hair and glasses, and finally Mr. Azaria, a lean man in a loose-fitting suit that was ranting on and on at the center of the table while the two women were listening with disinterest.
"So then I says to Matty, I says, you call that a rutabaga!? I wouldn't feed this crap to my cats!"
"I...I don't think cats are supposed to eat rutabagas." Cartwright said as Kavner just sighed.
It was around this time that Azaria noticed three guest approaching the table. "Well, well, if it isn't the drunk and the new kid! What took you so long? You're missing the best part of my story!"
"I'm not drunk!" Shearer protested. "I just poured a little bit of the fruit punch into my flask! I swear!" He hiccupped.
"Oh great," Kavner muttered under her breath. "Not even 8 and already those damned kids spiked the punch."
"I'm sorry, Mr. Azaria," Mrs. Smith said. "I was just saying hi to an old student of mine, I'm sure you all know-"
"Lisa Simpson," Kavner brightened up at once. "One of the top students of this shithole. Of course, we know her." She walked up to Lisa along with Cartwright and put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm glad you were able to make it, sweetie."
"You look so, lovely." Cartwright added. "Red suits you quite well."
"Thanks," Lisa uttered, her embarrassment returning. She just wasn't used to this kind of attention.
"So tell us," Kavner asked. "Who's the lucky boy?"
"Or girl?" Cartwright added.
"Well...umm...actually, it's Nelson Muntz." Lisa replied sheepishly.
Kavner and Cartwright gasped with the latter shaking her head with a dry laugh afterward. "Heh. I figured there was a reason that lughead actually turned in a good report for once!"
"A good report?" Lisa asked. "You mean Nelson did well on his paper for Animal Farm?"
"Got an A-" Cartwright said. "The highest he's ever gotten in my class."
"We really ought thank you Lisa," Kavner said. "You just inspire something in the other students to try their best."
"Yeah," Shearer held up his cup. "We're sure gonna miss you when you go to Yale."
"T-Thanks, Mr. Shearer," Lisa said as she recalled receiving a scholarship to Yale after leading Springfield High to victory during last year's spelling bee championship. She still had to ride out her remaining year in high school after this summer but once that was dealt with, she would be able to finally attend the collage of her dreams. The collage she had always wanted to attend since she was a little girl...
...before the day she had killed Vinny Wormwringer.
The audible clearing of a throat pulled Lisa back to reality and directed her attention to one annoyed Mr. Azaria. "If you guys don't mind, I'd like to finish my story!" He cleared his throat again. "Now, where was I?"
"That will be enough, Mr. Azaria." A gruff voice spoke out from behind.
"Hey! What's the big idea..." Azaria turned around, ready to talk back to whoever was daring to continue interrupting his story until he found himself staring into a pair of very familiar and very annoyed eyes. "P-Principal Castellaneta!?"
Sure enough, the principal of Springfield High was standing before the table, a gruff balding man with a serious look in his eyes. He was a man that everyone either respected or feared with many doing both. Only a select few, such as Lisa's brother, ever even tried to stand against him. "I highly doubt your abilities to properly chaperone this party from this table so kindly get back to work."
"Right, sir!" Azaria ran off as did the rest of the teachers. Mrs. Smith stopped to tap Lisa on the shoulder and whisper. "We'll talk later," into her ear before running off. Lisa watched as the teachers scattered before turning back to the Principal. Suffice to say, Lisa was in the respect category when it came to Principal Castellaneta and even rarer, she was one of a few select people to whom that respect was returned.
"I see you decided to come to prom after all, Simpson." Castellaneta said.
"Yes. I-I came with Nelson Muntz." Lisa answered.
"I see," He raised an eyebrow. "Just to be clear, you are certain this isn't meant to be some sort of prank at your expense?"
"With all due respect, Principal Castellaneta, I'm certain I would be able to smell such a trap coming from a mile away."
The principal responded with thunderous laughter, an occurrence quite rare for the old man. "I suppose you would." He wiped a tear from his eye. "I'm sorry if I inferred something unpleasant."
"It's quite alright," Lisa said. Principal Castellaneta was always the odd one out of all the principals Lisa knew in her life. (They're were two, give or take) for actually not being tone-deaf when it came to the students. He could sniff out when the possibility of a prank on a less popular student hung in the air and seemed to be aware of every possible way his words could be taken. Never did Lisa have to fear being dragged on to a stage and humiliated by her peers due to a poor misunderstanding of children. Principal Castellaneta would go down in her books as one of the best principals and one of the best school staff of her academic life. "I...I'm really happy here. I really am."
"I'm very glad to hear it." Castellaneta said as his eyes shifted toward the students gathering on the dance floor. The loud and thumping bops that had been filling the gymnasium all night were being replaced by the first slow song of the evening and everyone was pairing up with their dates. "Well, I should let you get back to Mr. Muntz then." He walked past her, his arms behind his hands. "But let me just say," He turned his head, a small but genuine smile on his face. "We're all very proud to have guided such a brilliant student as yourself."
Of all the compliments she had received tonight, all focused on her dolled-up looks and her mere presence in a typical teenage setting, Lisa felt the most uplifted by this one. "T-Thank you, Principal Castellaneta." She sniffled.
Castellaneta nodded and disappeared into the crowd.
"Wow." The Beast muttered. "I knew you were a teacher's pet but this is ridiculous."
"I've always gotten along with the staff here." Lisa said as she looked around. "And why not? These people have been the ones to guide me through the mental journey of education, providing me with the challenges my mind needed to become what it is today. For me to become what I am today!"
"I wonder, would he be saying the same thing if he knew you were the Animal Avenger?"
Lisa's smile faded at once. She didn't even want to think about that.
"You know you can't ignore it any longer," The Beast continued. "If words gets out about your dirty little secret, you won't get to be Lisa Simpson or the Animal Avenger any longer. You'll just be a captive animal in a cage if not worse. We need to go now!"
Lisa looked at her watch and realized that it was exactly 30 minutes to 8. She was almost out of time. "Shit!" She muttered as she looked around for the exit. Once she spotted it, she powerwalked as fast as she could, her feet aching in her heels. "I better get these off if I'm gonna make it in time." She thought.
Suddenly, Nelson stepped in front of Lisa, nearly causing her to fall backward. He realized this at once and reached out to grab her hand, helping her stay on her feet. "Lisa?" He asked. "You alright? You look like you've seen a ghost."
"I'm fine, Nelson." Lisa said. "But you really scared me like that!"
"I'm sorry." Nelson rubbed the back of his head. "It's just the slow songs are starting and I thought that now...maybe you'd like to dance?"
Lisa felt a lump form in her throat. She could hear the Beast's mocking snickering from inside her and her lips trembled as she thought of what she would say to her date. "Nelson I...I...I gotta leave..."
"What?"
"There's something important that I absolutely have to take care of! I can't be more descriptive than that but trust me, it's very important."
Nelson stood silently, his eyes wide with confusion and hurt and then they narrowed in anger as he threw her arm away and turned around, crossing his own.
"Nelson?" Lisa asked. "What's wrong?"
"Oh, will you just drop the facade!?" Nelson shouted. "From the very second that we stepped foot in this dump, all you've done is ignore and avoid me! It's clear that you only took me to prom because you pity me!"
"Nelson!" Lisa gasped. "That's simply not true!"
"Of course it is!" Nelson barked. "And why shouldn't it? After all, that's all I am to women, aren't I? Just some stupid armpiece to make them look good when they're out in public. But when it comes to my personal needs, oh, suddenly I'm the inconsiderate one!"
Lisa felt as if she were going to cry. "Nelson,"
He turned around. "Well I-"
Lisa suddenly lunged at him, wrapped her arms around him and smacked her lips into his. She moved one hand over the back of his head to keep him in place as she kissed him but this was unnecessary for Nelson was so shocked by the sudden contact that he had become paralyzed. Neither of them knew that Jessica Lovejoy was watching from the sidelines with a third cup of punch in her hands which became crushed the moment Lisa kissed Nelson.
"Hey babe!" Bart said as he came back with a fourth cup of punch. "I got you some more punch. But I'd be careful if I were you. You put anymore away and you might get pee diarrhea."
"Let's go!" Jessica grabbed Bart by the shirt without taking her eyes off the kissing couple.
"Huh?" was all Bart had time to say before his date yanked him after her hard enough for the punch to fly out of his hands and fall onto the floor. "Aye Caramba!"
This event went completely unnoticed by Lisa and Nelson as they continued the kiss, Nelson just finally starting to sink into it. Lisa allowed contact for a few more seconds before pulling herself away, moving her hand from the back of Nelson's head to his cheek and staring right into his onyx pupils. "I'm so sorry, Nelson. I know I'm being the inconsiderate one and I can't tell you why but, I have to go now! But I promise I'll be back before the prom is over," She brought her face closer to his. "And I promise that I'll dance with you, even if it's the last dance of the night!"
"Lisa...Do...Do you really mean that?" Nelson asked.
"I do. No matter what," Lisa sounded more certain than she had all night as she said this. And to her own surprise, she felt that way as well. "Just let me be selfish this one last time tonight."
Nelson wasn't sure how to respond. He didn't want Lisa to leave but at the same time, he felt the genuine truth in every word she said. She fully intended to keep her promise. And so with a heavy sigh, Nelson responded with, "Alright, but you better dance with me to whatever song is playing when you get back! I don't care if it's Cha Cha Slide, Gangam Style, or even the Chicken Dance! We're doing it!"
Lisa giggled as she envisioned herself and Nelson performing the chicken dance. "Deal!" She pecked Nelson on the cheek and ran past him towards the front door. "I'll be right back!" She cried as she slammed through the doors.
Nelson watched as the doors closed back into place, cutting off his view of Lisa as the dress-clad teen vanished into the darkness of night for reasons he couldn't be bothered to contemplate. Mostly because he would be busy drowning his sorrows in the spiked punch.
"Women." He sighed. "Man!"
All of the teens in Springfield were either at the prom or some alternative. All the children were sleeping and all the adults were either joining them or contending with whatever business they had on hand. And thus, there was no one around to see the teenage starfish-haired girl as she sprinted down the sidewalks toward Springfield Park. As soon as she had snuck out of the school grounds, Lisa removed her high-heels and placed them in her purse. She figured if push came to shove, she could use them as a weapon against the blackmailer. It wasn't the smartest plan but considering she' couldn't get near Millie's closet due to the Hallsweeper sleeping in front of it with a beer bottle in her hand. and that's she'd have to somehow sneak back into her own house to get her weapons and mask without her parents or little sister knowing, it was the best she had.
As if the mask would even help matters.
"I can't believe I'm saying this but maybe you should take your time." The Beast suggested. "I can feel your heartbeat from in here!"
"I...I can't slow down!" Lisa retorted through her ragged breath. "Not now!" She reached into her purse and grabbed her phone. "I only have ten minutes!"
"And the park is only a mere block away! For fuck's sake, give yourself a rest before your heart explodes!"
Lisa growled, knowing full-well the Beast was only concerned for her own ensured existence rather than Lisa's wellbeing. Regardless, she knew her darker half had a point. She had been running nonstop ever since she took off her heels. With no footwear to replace them, her bare feet had to take the brunt of the sidewalks and roads they traversed. Lisa was certain there was a cut on the soles of at least one of them, no doubt made by the broken glass of beer bottles tossed by the post-Barney Gumble generation of drunkards. Her skin was coated with sweat which worked with the brisk night air to chill her to the core which made the process of running all the more painful. Her throat felt ragged and Lisa couldn't help but imagine her vertebrae bleeding, bright-red blood bubbling through the cracks in the bone. Lisa refused to stop. She couldn't afford to. But she did slow her sprinting to a brisk walk, taking some of the burden off her body. She panted like a dog as she turned the corner toward the entrance to the park.
"Wise choice, partner," The Beast said. "You'll need all the energy you have to kill our little headache!"
"W...Who said anything about killing?" Lisa challenged through her panting. "Whoever it is that's discovered my secret could have gone straight to the police with the evidence if they really wanted to."
"If they actually have any..."
"Whoever it is wants something from me and I wanna find out what it is and why they're doing this."
Within her mind, Lisa could hear the Beast scoff. "Oh please! As if you don't already know."
"Shut up!" Lisa barked. "It's not Clementine. It can't be!"
"Will you wake up!?" The Beast roared back. "You're Lisa Fucking Simpson, remember? You're among the top ten students at that shitty excuse of a school! You're bound for Yale for fuck's sake! You really expect me to believe that you can't see the obvious when it's dangling right in front of your face like a mouse in a cat's jaw!"
"It just...can't be.."
"Face the facts, Lisa! The last time you saw Clementine was when you dumped her for Nelson! Then we got that friendly little message! Does that strike you as mere coincidence because it doesn't for me!"
"Shut up!"
"Or how about the fact that our little guest wanted to meet you in the park and Clementine wasn't at the gym!"
"Allison said she was working on a project!"
"Stop shutting your eyes to the truth! It's Clementine who's blackmailing you and that's all there is to it!" The Beast growled. "I knew there was something off about that girl from the first moment you met! There's something rotten about her! Why else would just the mere thought of her bring back memories of Isaac!?
"Stop!" Lisa demanded as her mind once again sprinted back to the past without her consent. She remembered...
...she remembered her and Isaac reaching the woods just as the rain clouds overshadowed Springfield. It was quite far. The air was cold and the wind was picking up. It wouldn't be long before it started pouring which was all the more reason for Lisa to find her precious cat. She jumped away from Isaac's back and ran off into the woods.
"I saw him just up ahead!" Isaac called out. "I'll meet you there!"
Lisa hardly heard him over the sound of her own voice as she called out for her lost companion. "Snowball II? Snowball II? Here, kitty kitty! Here, kitty kitty!" Lisa called again and again through her hands, swinging her head back and fourth as she ran through the woods. She was so focused on the trees and any shadow that could be her cat that she failed to notice the small incline before her until she stepped over it. She tumbled with a shout down the incline, her skin and dress getting torn at by dead branches and rocks. "Issssaaaaaccccc!" She called as she fell toward the tree below. She rolled toward it and hit it with her back, croaking in pain in the process. "Oowww!" She whined as she rubbed her head and looked up at the tree.
It was a giant oak, far bigger than any other tree in the forest. It's crown alone was wide enough to overshadow several feet of the surrounding area in speckled darkness. The rustling the branches produced as the wind blew through them was almost deafening and Lisa covered her ears as she picked herself up. "Wow!...What a beautiful tree. I wonder if Isaac has seen it." She shook her head. "What am I thinking? I have to find Snowball II before..." Lisa trailed off as she noticed a familiar set of ears resting right at the top of the trunk. She stared at them for a moment, trying to make sure it wasn't just a trick of the light or her own overrunning imagination. When it was clear that wasn't the case, she smiled and cheered loudly, jumping up and down. "I did it!" She cried. "I found Snowball II!" She ran up to the tree. "Bad, bad Snowball! What's the big idea running off like that!? We're gonna have quite the talk when we get home, young lady!"
Snowball failed to so much as look up at Lisa.
"Oh I can't stay mad at you, you little rascal!" Lisa reassured her cat. "Look, we can just forget this whole thing ever happened and I'll even give you a saucer of faux cat milk. I know how much you love that stuff! So what do you say?"
Still no response. Lisa began to grow worried.
"What's wrong, Snowball? Are you hurt? Sick? Please, answer me!"
As Lisa begged her pet for a response, the wind around her continued to pick up. It was like a ghost roaring through the wilderness with all of its unchecked rage. She whimpered as she covered her face, her hair and dress blowing in the harsh wind. The branches overhead also continued to sway to and fro on the wind's whims. Along with whatever rested among them. This included Snowball's body as it finally moved, blown off of its perch on the top of the trunk and falling in front of Lisa. The young girl heard the snap of a rope and moved her hand from her face, only to intake the single most horrible sight in her life.
Snowball II was before her, the rope around her neck reaching all the way into the canopy above. The poor creature had been disemboweled, its stomach cavity completely hollowed out. One eye had been gouged out and the other was well on its way. It looked as if someone had tried scooping it out with a spoon.
"S..Snowball..." Lisa felt the block of ice in her grow exponentially. The smell of wet decay hit her nostrils and she wanted to throw up. Her eyes watered as the full reality of what she was seeing set in. She opened her mouth, closed it again and finally broke down into a sobbing mess as she ran to her cat's corpse and cradled it in her arms. "No! No! Snowball! Wh-Who did this to you!? Who did this-
More rustling from up above. More ropes creaking amongst the foliage as the winds forced their loads away from the branches. Lisa was only able to make out a few shapes falling out of the tree before something hit the back of her head hard and fast and knocked her out cold.
...
When she came too...
"NO!" Lisa screamed at the top of her lungs, digging her fingers into her head. "I won't remember! I won't remember!"
"That just proves my point!" The Beast snarled. "Why can't you stop associating Isaac with Clementine! Think Lisa! It's because she's like him! Because she's fucked!"
"That's enough," Lisa whispered as she reached the entrance of the park. Over and over she whispered it to herself again and again as she walked down the sidewalk through the park until she passed the pond. Her fingers moved from her hair to her head, covering her face and muffling her voice to the outside world. "She's nothing like him. Clementine is nothing like Isaac. She's not...She can't be..."
"So you did make it."
Lisa stopped as soon as she heard that voice in front of her. In that moment, all doubt and all hope died. She couldn't hide from the truth any longer. Hell, she was never hiding from it from the beginning. It had been right in front of her, a giant predator hungry for her happiness. It had been standing in front of her this entire time, waiting for her to open her eyes and face it head on.
She let go of her face and faced the truth. She was standing underneath a lone street light, clad in a white dress and shoes, giving her an ethereal appearance. Like Lisa, she wore no makeup nor did she need it. Her face was as radiant as a goddess to Lisa and the admiration in her eyes told Lisa the feeling was mutual. Only question was, what were the girls goddesses of exactly?
"Clementine," Lisa whispered.
"Lisa," Clementine responded warmly. "Before anything else, I just want to say," She took a bow. "It's an honor to stand before the Animal Avenger herself tonight."
(And thus, we're reach the last stop until the end. The second part will about wrap everyone's storylines for this arc, including Homer and Marge's. And if I do things right, it'll be a chapter you'll never forget. Until next time, I'm BloodySimpsonChibi and if you like the story, please consider leaving a fav and a review. See you all later!)