A Shadow's Kiss ~ A Pitch Black/Rise of the Guardians Fanfiction

Chapter 15 ~ Enchanted Evening

The venue for Prom was only a short walk from my house, so I opted to walk home and not stink up anyone's car. My mom was still awake when I got home from Prom, meeting me at the door with surprise on her face. "You're home early! And my god, are you okay sweetie? What happened? Your dress is soaked and you smell awful!" She ushered me inside rapidly. "Jason happened. Don't worry, I took care of it though." I answered her questions as I stepped inside and strode over to the stairs. I desperately needed to get out of my foul-smelling dress. With that in mind, I headed to my bathroom to change and get ready to jump into the shower to wash the sour milk from my hair and skin. "Here, take that off and I will get it washed for you! What do you mean you took care of it? What did Jason do?" My mom followed me upstairs to my bathroom door, still speaking. I quickly peeled off my dress and shoes, cracking the door to hand them to her, and then pinned up my hair with a clip to keep it from touching anything else. As I wrapped up in my robe, I explained to my mom what had occurred at Prom, listening to her sounds of dismay.

Fuming from Jason's actions, but proud of me for standing up for myself, my mother left me to do what I needed to. Bidding me goodnight, she walked away to put my dress in our washroom for the night, then retired to her bedroom for the evening, her footsteps growing farther away by the moment. With the hallway clear, I went back into my bedroom to collect a clean set of pajamas for after my shower. As I entered the dark room and reached for the light switch, a soft, familiar voice startled me. "Have fun tonight? With that young man?" I clutched my chest, trying to calm my racing heart as my eyes adjusted and I noticed Pitch leaning against the far wall of my room. His tone held a bitter note to it and his long arms were crossed over his chest. Is Pitch...jealous? I wondered, surprised by the change in his demeanor since the last time I had seen him. Wait...what young man? Jason? How did he even know about him?

I closed my door as quietly as possible, turning on my heel to stare at my friend with a puzzled expression. "What are you talking about?" I asked, before a thought dawned on me. "Did you follow me to Prom?" I continued. Pitch sneered, his eyes darting away from me. "I was worried about you...my mistake..." He muttered. I wasn't angry that he had followed me to the dance, after all, I had invited him to come along. But I was confused as to why he seemed so tense. "It's okay, Pitch. I don't mind. Are you alright?" I slowly approached him, pulling my robe tighter around me to ensure I retained some modesty. Pitch answered my question with one of his own, "What is that revolting odor?" He inquired, nose scrunching in disdain as he sniffed the air. I rolled my eyes, "Me. Prom didn't end well." I replied. The Nightmare King raised an eyebrow at that. "Did Prince Charming turn out to be a toad? He didn't sweep you off your feet?" His remarks actually kind of hurt, if I was being honest, but they confirmed my suspicions. "You saw me dancing with Jason." It was not an inquiry this time.

Again, the Boogeyman refused to answer me. "Well, if you had stuck around long enough, you would have seen me tell him to take a hike. He wanted me to go out with him again, and I refused. I don't care about him anymore. He asked for one last dance, which I agreed to. But that was all that happened. He tried to convince me to take him back one more time, and when I said 'no' a second time, his friends dumped spoiled milk all over me. Hence, why I stink." I figured it was best to tell Pitch the whole story. I wasn't quite sure why he cared so much that I danced with Jason, but I suspected that was the reason I was receiving the cold shoulder.

Pitch Black finally met my eyes, his metallic orbs flashing in fury. "He did what?" His voice was nearly a growl. "How dare that wretched child! Are you hurt?" Pitch came closer to me, his fingers brushing over my face to look for any other damage. I shook my head, grasping his hand in my own. "No, I am okay. I am sorry if I worried you, and if my actions confused you. But don't think I just let Jason off the hook. I got him back for his shenanigans, and so did the other girls." I offered a small smile. "I was just getting ready to shower and get rid of this dreadful stench." I added, backing away from my friend. Pitch tilted his head, appearing to be calmer now that he had heard my tale. "So you did not have the evening you hoped you would? Because that young man ruined it?" He questioned.