{Trick or Treat, Freak, Part III & The Pollywog, Part I}

Alice arrived home at midnight, meeting her curfew to the minute. When she got back, she didn't expect to be ambushed by Mews.

"MEEE-OUCH!" Mews hissed, scratching Alice's leg and hopping from one leg to the other.

"Mewsie, what's wrong?" Alice cooed, bending over to pick up the cat and cradle her close, ignoring Mews's agitation. "Do you want some catnip?"

Mews bopped her paw on Alice's nose, pushing against her chest and trying to escape. When Dustin entered the living room, Mews went berserk, flopping around until Alice had no choice but to let go.

The second her paws touched the ground, Mews darted into the kitchen.

"What's wrong with her?" Alice asked, eyeing the cat's ramrod-straight tail sticking up in the air.

"She's upset because she doesn't like my new pet," Dustin explained. "I want you to meet him next."

Alice gasped.

"New pet?" she asked, grinning. "Did Mom finally cave and let us get a dog?"

"Not exactly," Dustin said sheepishly. "Come on into my room and I'll show you."

Alice frowned, but followed him to his room. He looked left and right in the hall before closing the door behind them.

"Can't be too careful," Dustin said, leading Alice to the turtle tank in his room. "If Mom finds this thing, no way she'll let me keep it—"

"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeek!"

Alice involuntarily squealed in disgust when she saw it: the slimy, gross demon sitting in Yertle the Turtle's tank.

Dustin shushed her.

"Alice, keep it down! Mom is asleep—"

"What the hell is that thing!" Alice asked, voice in a falsetto.

"It's my new pet!"

Alice shuddered.

"Dustin, that thing is disgusting!" she hissed.

Alice didn't admit that the reason she was grossed out by the creature was because of her irrational fear of frogs and toads. She knew they couldn't really cause warts, but she never liked how their beady eyes followed her everywhere...

"It's just a lizard!" Dustin protested, taking him out of the tank. "Here, why don't you hold him—"

"Absolutely not!" Alice huffed. She shuffled backward so fast she stumbled over Dustin's backpack. "Keep him far from me!"

"Alice, please! Let me keep him, and don't tell Mom!"

Alice glowered at Dustin, but her expression softened when she saw how desperate he was to keep the creature.

"Look at him," Dustin said, holding up the lizard. "He just wants a home. He wants a place where he fits in, with people who love him no matter what!"

Alice could relate to that sentiment. She sighed, crossing her arms. 

"Even if I tell you to get rid of that thing," Alice asked, "you're going to keep it, aren't you?"

Dustin wryly grinned.

"You know me so well."

"Keep him," Alice said bitterly, "but keep him far from me."

"You got it, Al!"

Dustin plopped the lizard back into the tank. 

"What should I name it?" he asked, smiling at the lizard fondly. 

Alice wrinkled her nose.

"Evil Green Toad Demon," she said.

Dustin shook his head.

"No, but I like the sound of something badass."

He glanced over at Alice, who was unwrapping a fun size Three Musketeers.

"D'Artagnan!" he said. "Dart for short."

Alice's candy bar hovered in the air halfway to her mouth.

"Who the hell is D'Artagnan?" she asked before biting into the nougat.

"A character in The Three Musketeers," Dustin explained. "You inspired me."

"Glad to be of service," she said sarcastically. "Now, if you excuse me, I've got a date with this candy."

🦎🦎🦎

The next day at school, Nancy cornered Alice by her locker. 

"Al," Nancy said, fidgeting with her binder, "how long were you at Tina's party last night?"

"Hey, Nance," Alice said coolly. She continued to unload her backpack, avoiding Nancy's gaze. "How are you?"

The two girls hadn't spoken since Nancy told Alice she'd help her re-dye her hair brown. Alice knew she was being petty, but she needed Nancy to be a supportive friend (and she needed her to open her eyes and realize when Alice was struggling—which she had been since January).

"Not great!" Nancy said. She leaned closer and added, "I think Steve and I got in a fight last night when I was drunk. He didn't come pick me up this morning."

Alice closed her locker door and leaned against it.

"Well," Alice said, "he did say you two had an argument."

"About what?" Nancy asked, eyes wide.

Alice shrugged. 

"That's all he told me," she said. "While we were watching movies—"

"Movies?"

"At Quincy's house," Alice explained. "His Halloween tradition."

Nancy nodded, brow creased.

"Right," she said. "What did Steve say then?"

"Something about a disagreement about whether to leave or stay at the party," Alice said. 

Even as she said it, it seemed a bit suspicious. Steve loved to party, and Nancy was usually less enthused about such activities.

"And you believed that?" Nancy asked with a sigh. "Alice, come on."

"What?!"

"That's not the kind of fight that leaves me without a ride to school," Nancy said.

She blew out a breath and against her locker, next to Alice.

"Sorry I don't know more," Alice said, tucking a blonde hair behind her ear. "My powers don't make me smart."

She held her hand out toward Nancy and wiggled her fingers in the air jokingly. However, the action made Nancy flinch.

Alice noticed this and began fidgeting with the strap of her backpack.

Nancy blushed.

"Sorry," she said. "Don't know why I'm so jumpy. I didn't mean—it's—never mind."

Nancy checked her watch.

"I should probably go find Steve," she said. "Maybe he's mad at me for drinking so much. Do you know where he is?"

Anger wormed its way into Alice's heart. The painful seize was back, stronger than ever.

"Why would I know?" Alice snapped. "He's your boyfriend."

As soon as Alice saw the look on Nancy's face, she regretted her sharp tone. 

Alice's off-hand comment struck a nerve with Nancy. She balked, before narrowing her eyes and saying, "Yeah, but you two seem to be spending a lot of time together lately, watching movies together and such."

Alice tried to resist the urge to snap back, but her sour mood clung to her like a polyester suit.

"That's what friends do," Alice said, eyes narrowed. 

Nancy's face flushed. She opened her mouth to say something else, but noticed something in Alice shift.

Alice's eyes shone defiantly—that was normal, Alice was always stubborn. But her face looked bright red and clammy. Her lower lip shook slightly, and Nancy swore Alice's hand was steaming. 

Nancy felt foolish for her jealousy.

"Alice," Nancy asked quietly, "are you feeling all right?" 

It was Alice's turn to balk—she was surprised the confrontation had taken such a turn.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said. She cleared her throat. "Sorry I was short with you. Good luck finding Steve."

Alice headed toward class.

"Al, wait," Nancy said. "Are you sure—"

Alice stopped and turned back toward Nancy, arms crossed.

"Why does everyone keep asking if I'm okay?" Alice said, running a hand through her freshly dyed hair.

With that, Alice stormed off, leaving Nancy with no choice but to find Steve and try and make things right. 

{Edited July 11, 2020; Republished December 18, 2024}

A/N [from 2019] Vote, Comment, and lemme know what you think! Why is Alice pushing everyone away? Are her powers corrupting her?  Or is she just a grump? Find out more next time!!