The swing rocked steadily on its squeaky chains, echoing against the plain wooden fence that surrounded the immense lawn. It was an old wooden set with no plastic slide, just a few monkey bars and a loft with a wheel to turn. She and the swing set were just beyond the circle of light the floodlights from the house made, just beyond into the shadow of night where dark thoughts came easy.
She sniffed back the last remaining tears.
The music from the party barely reached her, just a distant groan like a memory nagging at the back of her mind, or a word on the tip of her tongue. With a sigh of frustration she pushed the swing back and the whole set rocked as she went for another go. Her blue dress flew behind her as she swung and the motion revealed the glass slipper on her left foot. Her other foot was bare, save for the white stalking wrapped tightly around her legs, mostly for warmth on this last day of a cold October. A small smile quickly broke her face as she remembered where the other shoe had ended up. The rest of her costume, a blonde wig, lay a few feet away where she had thrown it in rage after storming out into the night.
She sighed, sadly this time. She should have listened to her mother; Halloween was a horrible holiday. Not to mention every time she put on a dress Armageddon was released and crashed her night with tears and arguments. In the folds of her dress she picked up the little three-tiered crown that had bedazzled her wig not so long ago. He had given it to her last year after junior prom in a romantic demonstration full of promises stolen from a Hallmark card. She should have known he was too good to be true. Prince Charmings don’t exist for girls like her. She clenched the crown tight within her cold hands, intent on breaking the traitorous piece of plastic when the sound of feet on dying grass reached her ears. She looked up and was quite taken back by the person standing before her, or rather the large pumpkin with legs before her. She had to smile at his costume and how he had painted his face green, donning a little stem hat to complete it.
“Hey,” she whispered, her throat a little hoarse from the long moments spent covering her dress with saline tears.
“Hey,” he smiled back, and tried to sit down in the swing beside her. It took a few moments of chuckles and shifting till he managed it. A couple minutes of silence passed between them, their squeaking swings making a melody in the cool night air.
“Is he gone?” she asked.
“Yeah, he left right after you nailed him with your shoe.” They laughed at the memory of her counterpart Prince Charming flying over the couch as the shoe hit him square in his royal jewels. She hadn't meant for that to happen, but right now she couldn't really bring herself to regret that it did.
“Did he leave, with her?”
“Yeah,” he answered more quietly.
“Oh.” A few moments of silence passed between them again as she fumbled with the glistening crown once more.
“Are you all right?”
“Yes, I’ll be fine. I would’ve chosen a French maid over a fake princess anyways. It’s no big deal. I got over the others, I’ll get over him.”
“Oh, don’t think like that. Here.” After much struggle he freed himself from the swing and picked up her wig. He took a moment to pick out the brown grass and fluff the edges before he plopped it down over her brown hair haphazardly. “There, almost as good as new.”
“Thanks, but I’m not going back to that party.”
“You don’t have to, it’s almost over anyways. But it’s not like anyone would make fun of you. Everyone was talking about how what you did was awesome.”
“Why did he do it? Why do they always let me down? I mean, I used to think I had good taste in guys, but apparently my radar is a little off. Maybe there just is no Prince Charming for me.”
“Well, maybe you just keep looking too hard. Not every Prince Charming wears a fancy suit and owns a white mustang.”
“Are you telling me that the real ones dress up in ridiculous orange costumes and ride around in Pontiacs?” He blushed a little at her jest and she had to laugh at the picture he made.
“Well, maybe. But I know you’re not going to find anything out here all by yourself. Come on, let’s go get something to eat.”
“All right,” she agreed, and started to get up from the swing.
“Wait!”
“What?”
“You’re forgetting something.” From his costume he pulled out her former weapon of choice, and bent down before her feet. Gently he placed the glass slipper on her foot and the two friends paused to smile at each other. The music and chill of the night was forgotten in her mind. This night could not be erased though, but as the flood lights caught the kindness in his eyes, she believed -just for a moment- that maybe some tragedies had happy endings after all.
“Thanks, for everything.” She smiled coyly as they stood, and chanced to loop her arm through his.
“So, where do you want to go?”
“How about Denny’s? I hear they have some fabulous pumpkin pie.”
