Two Dearest Friends

Confessions

The week goes by fast, and that's because of how much time she spends of her afternoon reading. She slips the covers back on the books in case Finklestein stops by her room and checks on her, which he does multiple times and even asks her about the material. She manages to slip by attempting to sound as sophisticated as possible and he, thankfully, leaves her alone. When Friday comes, she spends a lot of time thinking how her evening with Jack will transpire. She has questions about Romeo and Juliet, but the shy part of her makes her wonder if he'll even find them worth answering.

She plays with her fingers as she waits for Finklestein's meal to cook. She slipped some Deadly Nightshade in it beforehand, so the moment he takes a bite, she'll be out of here. Her gaze finds its way out of a nearby window and notices dusk is approaching. The time is later than she'd like. She assembles the meal on a plate, careful to make sure none of the nightshade is showing within. Once that is done, she comes outside and places his plate in front of him at the table.

Finklestein notices she isn't having any. "You aren't hungry, my dear?"

"Not tonight."

"Ah. So tell me, then..." He picks a piece off from his plate. "How have the books been? Do you like them? They're from Skellington, so I expect you do."

"Oh, yes. They're interesting." She replies, eager for him to take a bite already.

"What is the quantum theory, Sally?"

He looks up from the piece before it even reaches his mouth, looking at her expectantly. She twiddles with her thumbs as she thinks of an answer. She hasn't the slightest clue. But it's bound to deal with science and...stuff...right?

"I-It's a theory. A scientific one." She clarifies nervously. "Doctor, why don't you take a bite of dinner and tell me how it tastes? I spent a long time on it."

"Don't avoid the question." He points his fork at her accusingly. "Your eyes have been glued to those pages for days now, girl! You can't tell me you don't know what it is?"

She bites her lip. "Well, it takes me awhile to...piece it all together. There's so many com-components to it. It's such a complicated theory-"

Her rambling doesn't matter in the end, because in the midst of her explanation, the Doctor takes a bite. It's only a matter of seconds until his head slams on the table and he passes out.  She remembers practically emptying out the bottle into his food. She grabs a blanket and drapes it over his figure, leaving him and the Tower as quietly as she can.

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She finds Jack sitting on the hill already, resting his skull in his hands and gazing in the direction of Halloween Town. It looks as if he's absorbed in his thoughts, but as she comes through the gates, his face changes the moment he sees her. She has no chance of sneaking up on him as she planned, as he positions himself to the entrance, so she approaches the Spiral Hill with an embarrassed smile. But he thinks nothing of her lateness, as his eye sockets go half-lidded the closer she gets to him.

"There you are," He greets warmly.

She brushes her hair behind her back. "Hi, Jack..."

She makes no hesitation to climb the hill and join his side, sitting close and facing the same direction. It's new for her to be looking towards the gate. She admires the buildings of the town, particularly the irregular patterns of them. It leaves a lot to look at. She gapes at the interesting figures and the night sky starting to fill with stars. The skeleton watches her from the side.

"I left early," He mentions. "You're almost always here before me, so I thought I would've caught you here."

"I'm sorry about that..." She apologizes quietly. "The Doctor was being difficult before I left."