Like Father,Like Daughter - Hugs.And.Kisses (best novel books to read TXT) 📗

"Hey!"

Lock put a hand over the spot the witch socked. "Ow! What?"

"Jeez, quite spacing out on us, will ya'?"

"Sorry." He muttered.

"Are you still thinking about last night?" Aubrey asked. Lock nodded with a sigh. "Don't bother. I don't think any of us could figure out why dad freaked."

Shock tapped her fingers on the tabletop, much like Lock had been earlier. "Well, maybe there was a reason that part of the graveyard was like that."

Lock looked over at her. "Shock, this is Halloween Town. What could've been bad enough to make Jack that mad?"

"Mayhaps a giant spider?" Aubrey asked under her breath.

Lock tugged her hair lightly. "Shut up."

Barrel shook his head. "I don't think that even Jack was THAT mad. Yeah he was pretty pissed, but since Lock's the one who killed it, and actually saved everyone, he went a little lighter on us."

"But not much." Aubrey reminded them. "I was there too, remember?"

"How can we not?" Shock asked. "Lock threw the axe just before it tried to eat you and Sally."

Aubrey glared at her. "Yeah. Thanks for reminding me."

Shock grinned. "No pro-" The bell cut her off and she growled at it. "Oh shut up."

Barrel sighed and tossed the bare stick that his sucker had been on in the trash. "Let's go; I've already been late twice today."

.o0o.

"You know, I think this is the first time I've actually WANTED detention." Lock muttered as we walked out the door.

"No kidding." Shock and Barrel responded.

I shook my head. "I swear, it's still really creepy when you do that."

"Do what?" All three asked, grinning.

"That!"

Lock smiled and kissed my cheek. "Ah, you'll get used to it. In about three hundred years." I rolled my eyes shoved him off of me.

"I don't think I'm patient enough to wait that long." I stopped at the gate of Skellington Manor. "I'm going to go over to Dr. Finklestein's and check on Sandy, okay?"

They nodded and continued up the walk as I turned and headed toward the lab. I opened the door, wincing as it squeaked loudly. "Hey gramps, you here?" Stupid question, he was almost always in his lab.

I didn't get a response. "Gramps?"

A familiar figure walked to the top of the stairs. "Aubrey?"

My eyes widened and I flew up the stairs (not literally; the stairway's too small for my wings. And they were still shrunk anyway) and hugged them tightly. "Sandy! Oh my god, you're awake! Are you alright?"

She nodded, seemingly unfazed by my sudden bombardment of hugging-ness. (a/n: I know… not an actual word… go away)"Yeah, I'm okay, but I really shouldn't be standing according to that lady…"

I let go of her and stepped back. "Oh, you mean Jewel? Then you should probably lie back down, you don't need her to get mad at you." I pulled her back into the room she had been in (mom's old room, coincidentally) and sat down on her bed with her.

There was a somewhat awkward silence between us for a minute. "So…" Sandy started. "What happened?"

"Huh?" Not my most intelligent answer ever.

"Well, I'm guessing that you're dead now, right?"

I blinked. "Oh, yeah." I lifted up my shirt and showed her the hole.

She peered through it and whistled. "Lovely. You get shot or something?"

"Staked on a tree branch."

"Ouch."

"Can't be much worse than swallowing glass." I realized what I'd said and murmured an apology.

Sandy waved it off. "Nah, I deserved that. I shouldn't have left you there by yourself."

"Damn straight you shouldn't of. My new roomie was n-u-t-s nuts with a capital 'N'. She talked to plastic trees."

Sandy laughed. "No!"

"Yes! The girl was a certified loon!" I said, making the 'crazy' sign with my finger. Then I got serious. "How long have you been here Sandy? I mean, I know since you died, but where've you been? I looked everywhere for you! And how'd you end up in the graveyard?"

Sandy blinked. "What d'you mean?"

I stared at her. "Sandy… it's been over a year since you died."

"It has?" I blinked. How could she not know that? "I don't know… I don't remember anything before waking up in here…"

Stunned, I asked, "Are you serious? Nothing at all?"

She shrugged. "Mmm… nope. Nada."

I frowned. This couldn't be good.

Sandy smiled at me. "But who cares, right? I'm here now, aren't I?"

The corners of my mouth turned up into a smile. "Yeah."

She hugged me for a minute, then let go and sat back, a sly grin creeping onto her face. "So… how's it going with Lock?"

My face was probably bright red right now. "SANDY!"


Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Broken Bonds

School the next week was weird. Not that it's ever normal, mind you. I mean, we learn how to set things on fire. That's not anywhere near average vicinity of 'normal school curriculum'.

But school wasn't even the worst part. The worst part was Sandy. Don't get me wrong, I've only known the girl for like two days really, but I'll be damned if I'm gonna let her get away with pulling a trick-or-treater away from the group!

The person I'm speaking of is Aubrey. Ever since Sandy had been up and about, our table had been reduced from four back to three. She wasn't even spending time with Lock. They used to be attached at the hip, but now, it was like nothing had even happened between them.

This, of course, meant that our favorite devil was even grumpier than the rest of us.

Now, everyone's probably asking, why do I care? I can hear you saying, 'Shock never really liked Aubrey anyway.' And if even one of you makes some crude comment about getting Lock, I'll turn you into a slug.

Do you know how boring it can get being the only girl in a group that consists of two other guys? I don't look it, but sometimes I need to talk about girl stuff!

In other words: our tight knit group was falling apart at the seams.

Gym that next Tuesday was more than a little weird. Vida was, as usual, being a pain in the ass as I walked in to change back into my uniform, but for once, her snide little comments weren't being directed at me.

Instead, they were being directed at Aubrey.

"What's wrong, princess? Are you too high and mighty for your lowlife friends?" Vida asked, flanked by three of her lackeys; Yuri Blunt, Patty Reilly, and Octavia Kinas.

Aubrey didn't say anything, but I saw her grip on her locker door tighten. I frowned. Aubrey may not have been the greatest friend in the world this past week, but she was still my friend! "C'mon, say something!" Vida grabbed a feather on Aubrey's wing and pulled it off, hard enough to make Aubrey let out a cry of pain.

My fists clenched. That was the last straw.

"Lay off Vida!" I growled, stepping between her and Aubrey.

Vida narrowed her eyes at me. "Or what? You can't do anything to me or you'll be expelled, you bitchy little witch."

I raised a hand. "You know, I wasn't going to do anything to you, but you just crossed the line." I began to review painful spells in my mind when Vida suddenly found herself sprawled across the floor. I blinked and Sandy was suddenly standing there.

She cracked her knuckles. "Your voice is REALLY annoying."

Vida held her cheek in shock (a/n: haha… puns galore!). "You… you punched me!"

"Yeah, and I'll do a lot worse if you insult my friends again."

The cat-vampire scrambled up and ran out of the locker room. Sandy sighed and turned toward us. "You okay Aubrey?"

She nodded, touching her wing lightly. "Yeah. It'll grow back."

Sandy turned toward me next. "Sorry. That was supposed to be your hit wasn't it?"

I shrugged. "Whatever. Saves me the trouble of explaining why I got expelled to Jack." I turned to walk out, grabbing my bag.

"Shock, wait up!" I stopped, a little surprised. Lately, all I'd heard from Aubrey the past few days after class had been 'Go on, I'll catch up.' Needless to say, she never did.

She ran up next to me, guilt clear in her eyes. "Um, Shock… I'm sorry for being such a bitch lately."

Well, that was a little blunter than I expected. I blinked a few times, trying to wipe the surprise off my face. "Whatever." I muttered. Suddenly, I stopped and put her in a headlock. "Just don't do it again!"

"Wha-? Hey!" She pushed me off, falling back on her butt. Blowing a stray strand of hair out of her face, she gave me an obviously fake glare. "Meanie."

"Ooh, I'm hurt." I said sarcastically. I looked back to see Sandy standing in the locker room doorway. "Are you coming or not?"

Aubrey pulled herself up. "You don't mind?"

"She just decked Vida. Anyone who does that is good in my book." Sandy caught up with us as I finished.

"God, is she always such a bitch?" She asked.

Aubrey and I looked at each other. "Yeah, pretty much." We said at once.

Sandy looked at us. "That's creepy."

Both of us started laughing.

A month later… (a/n: it's now sometime in March, just so you all know)

I couldn't help smiling a little as Aubrey dragged Lock off to, ahem, quote unquote, 'talk'. I looked over at the other side of the table at Sandy and Shock, who were brooding over a copy of an 'Advanced Magic' spell book. Things had almost gotten back to normal since Sandy had started hanging out with us. Sure, Shock and Aubrey hung out with her a little more than they did us, but they're GIRLS. I don't try to understand them.

But I couldn't help worrying a little. Lock, who had confided this to me after making me swear to keep it the utmost of secrets, seriously, he even made me spit-shake on it, didn't trust Sandy.

.o0o.

"Barrel?" I looked up from doing my homework to see Lock standing in my door. I waved for him to come in; I had a sucker in my mouth. "Can I tell you something?"

I sat up and pushed my homework over to my pillow (yes, I was doing it on my bed.). Pulling the sucker out of my mouth, I joked, "Do you really have to ask?"

Lock didn't laugh. Hell, he didn't even crack a smile. Instead he shut