Valhalla High (A Magnus Chase Fanfic)

Spooky House or Spooky Kiss?

October 31

"I am not going as a bumblebee," I said.

I could practically hear my father pouting on the phone. "Why not? I bought the costume for you and it will be perfect."

      "Because I don't want to be a bumblebee," I said. "Besides, I don't think anyone is going to be dressed up. We're high schoolers, dad."

     "Fine," he sighed. "I can return it if you'd like and take you shopping for clothes sometime."

    Shopping for clothes with my father? Now that would be something. "I'll see you this weekend," I said.

    "Love you son," he said.

    My dad has started saying that recently, but he said it was understandable if I wasn't comfortable saying it back yet. The call ended and I quickly finished my breakfast of a bagel with cream cheese. "You ready?" My mom asked.

I nodded. "You're not dressed up," she noted.

My mother was dressed in a Tinkerbell costume, which was fitting since she was so kind and cheerful. "I don't think anyone is going to be dressed up," I said.

She shrugged. "Once you have a uniform, you relish any opportunity to wear something else."

She drive me to school and we said goodbye. "Remember, Alex can come over for dinner if you want," she said.

I smiled and waved goodbye. I was early to school like usual and I noticed a lot of the teachers were dressed up. I decided to go to the gym where no one was, so I texted my cousin. She told me of how her boyfriend was running late to school because of some mishap with his seal costume.

      By the time the bell rang, I realized I was pretty much the only person not dressed up. I looked conspicuous in a sea of superheroes, royalty, and fandom costumes with my usual grey jeans and t-shirt. "Magnus, did you forget to dress up?" Halfborn asked me.

    He was wearing a Viking costume and carrying a foam axe. "Uh no," I said, thinking quickly. "I did dress up."

    "As who?" Mallory, who has dressed as Merida asked.

     "Kurt Cobain," I said, "hence the grunge aesthetic."

    Mallory rolled her eyes. "You're dressed like him everyday."

    "What can I say?" I said. "I was blessed with Cobain-esque genes."

    Alex, sidled up. He was dressed as a devil today. "Easiest outfit ever," he said. "You just wear red and throw on some horns."

    "True that," TJ said.

    He was dressed as the Black Panther today. "What do you guys think?" he asked. "I made the costume myself."

    "How long did you work on it?" Halfborn asked.

    "Since school started," TJ said. "I didn't have a pattern, so I had to make my own."

     I shook my head in disbelief. "I can barely mend a hole in my t-shirt."

    "Well, you should learn," Alex advised. "You'll probably need to know when you're a nurse."

    I shrugged. "Probably, but for now I will remain an inept Magnus."

    Alex snorted. "You're not inept. You just don't give yourself enough credit."

I raised an eyebrow. "Is that supposed to be a compliment or an insult?"

Halfborn's eyes glittered. "Nah, it's just flirting."

Alex glared at him. I looked at my shoes. Thor blew his whistle. "Come on, we're doing warmups now. Remember, the fitness tests are next week!"

***

"You were right," I told my mother.

We were in the kitchen now preparing dinner. Alex was supposed to come over in half an hour. My mother was still wearing her Tinkerbell costume and she smiled as she briefly looked up from the tomato she was slicing. "Everyone was dressed up," I admitted, "so I decided to say I was dressed as Kurt Cobain."

My mother laughed and resumed cutting up the tomato. "You do look sorta like him with that haircut."

I was chopping up half an onion. We were making pasta with marinara sauce. I hoped Alex would like it; I wasn't sure what her opinion on pasta was.

When we were done slicing and dicing vegetables, we threw them in the saucepan. The vegetables sizzled in the hot oil and began cooking. While the sauce was cooking, I filled another pot with water, added a pinch of salt, and set it on the stovetop to wait for it to boil.

We finished dinner by the time Alex rang the doorbell. I ran to it hastily. "Hey," I said, trying to act suave.

"Still dressed as Kurt Cobain?" she asked.

I nodded and she laughed. "You sure are funny."

We are dinner around my mother's wooden table. Alex and my mother got along well and were soon trading jokes. At one of them, I ended up spitting out my piece of pasta back onto the plate. "You have sauce on your face," Alex said, leaning over to dab it off with her napkin.

I blushed. "Thank you."

After dinner, my mother drove us to Valhalla High. "I'll be parked in the library parking lot," she said.

We nodded and set off. "I can pay the tickets," I offered.

Alex smiled. "You sure?"

I nodded and we didn't make a fuss out of it. The haunted house was scarier then I thought. For one, there was someone in a gas mask with a chainsaw (why is it always chainsaws?). I'd like to say I was pretty chill about the rest, but I did yelp a bit. At least I wasn't the only one.

When we were done, it was dark outside. The air was cooler now and I realized Alex and I were holding hands. "I had fun," Alex said. "Especially seeing Magni dressed up as a clown."

"Don't remind me," I said in a tone of mock horror.

"You ready to go back home?" Alex asked.

I bit my lip. "If you are."

Alex blinked. In the dim light, I could see her eyes gleaming. Then, she leaned over a pecked me on the cheek, giving me more goosebumps than even the chainsaw-wielding man. "Thank you, Magnus."

I stood there stunned like an idiot. What was I supposed to do: kiss her back, say thanks? I racked my mind for possibilities and my eyes settled on the nape of her neck. "Your tattoo is cool," I said.

She laughed and I figured I must not have failed completely.