Hauntingly Lovely

Chapter 2

Alice's P.O.V.

I got out of bed at the sound of my alarm ringing, getting ready to go to my daily lessons and learn how to be a "proper princess" and hoped that they would be over quickly today. Not that I had much to do before sundown, I just hated these lessons. The main reason being I'm not supposed to be a princess, I'm supposed to be a guy, hanging out with other guys, playing sports, roughhousing, wearing cool rock band tee shirts, doing stupid teen guy stuff, but instead I'm wearing dresses because they're the only clothes I have and brushing my long hair that my parents won't let me cut no matter what excuse I use. I'm glad I have my old baseball cap to shove it all into when Charlie and I hangout. I get ready for the day, taking a quick glance at the mirror as I do so, I'm not impressed by my green eyes with bags under them and my long blonde hair, that girl in the mirror isn't me. Before I start my lessons I make sure that I've hidden my Halloween costume somewhere nobody will find it, along with a pair of scissors that Charlie didn't know I stole as we left the store yesterday. I knew this would end in a lecture and a grounding tommarow but I didn't care. I was going to be myself tonight.
I was glad when my lessons ended and I was set free to do whatever I wanted. I went to my room and locked the door, grabbing the scissors I had hidden earlier. I soon went to work cutting away all my long hair until I had a messy short haircut, albeit a somewhat uneven one. I didn't care that much though I was happy knowing that I looked significantly less girly and unrecognizable as the princess from a castle who was destined to marry a prince named Charlie. Not that I have anything against Charlie, but neither of us want the arranged marriage to happen. I then take off my dress, put on my mummy outfit, and wait for the sun to set.
As the sun starts to dip over the horizon I start to see movement in the bushes near the back of the fence that surrounds the castle I live in. I already know who it is.
"Really, Alice? You couldn't have at least trimmed the secret path so I could get through it?" I hear Charlie call, he's in his vampire costume.
"If I trimmed it then it wouldn't be much of a secret now would it?" I retort back.
"As always you are smarter than I am." He replies.
I giggle at that as I climb down the castle wall from out my window, as I had plenty of times before, since we weren't ever allowed to go trick or treating. As I hop down the last foot or so he asks about my hair which he can see through the costume and "teen rebellion" is what I basically told him. We start walking down the path we had gone down yesterday and veer off into the woods a little ways from his house. When we get to the house from yesterday it's already sundown and the house that had looked abandoned just a day ago now had lights and decorations and music emanating from it. As we step inside the gate we see the cat again, he's sitting on the porch by the door and watches us as we approach. When we get to the door it opens before we even get a chance to Knock and we step inside. The place is definitely abandoned. It's old and rundown and there are a few things here and there amongst the Halloween decorations and graffiti that would imply that people haven't actually lived here in a very long time. The party is pretty awesome though, there's decorations and lights and drinks and snacks and Halloween themed music plays along with some rock bands here and there and of course there's people, teens and adults. One lady sitting on the staircase has a bowl of candy that she's probably giving out to kids who Knock on the door. I look at Charlie and he's already heading to get some drinks with another guy in an old timey looking suit with a masquerade mask on. As I turn around I see a girl in a red riding hood outfit weaving through the crowd. I try not to stare too long into her milk chocolate brown eyes.
"Hey handsome stranger, what's your name?" She asks. I take a moment to think of a response.
"Max," I lie, "what's yours?"
"River" she replies.
"What a unique name." I respond, it really is unique, her name, this conversation, this night, everything here, unique is the best word I can think of to describe it.
"Come on pretty boy, let's dance!" She says with a smile as she starts pulling me toward the dance floor with her as thriller comes on.
This is the best moment of my life, and I hope it never ends.