Chapter Text
Anne didn't know why they applied to work at a Halloween store. They didn't like being scared and hadn't dressed up since they were thirteen. But, here they were, fresh out of high school in their first semester of college working at Heebie Jeebies, the local Halloween store. Not like they needed the money since they were on a full ride scholarship, but scholarships didn't pay for merchandise from favorite shows or Black Pink concert tickets. Mr. and Mrs. Boonchuy loved their baby Bean, but they weren't giving them money for any of that.
"Wait, wasn't that skull over there?" Anne's words shook from their lips as their breath hitched.
Anne raised a brow looking over the skulls they had just sat down. They shook their head and kept putting the skulls on the shelf. When they reached for the last skull they swore it moved to the opposite side of the shelf. Anne started freak out on the inside because either their eyes were playing tricks on them, or the decorations were moving on their own, they hoped it was the latter.
"What the Frog —" They placed a hand over their rapidly beating heart.
The skull started sliding towards them, almost running after them. Anne's eyes widened; they were frozen in shock until it came face to face with them. Anne screamed falling back placing their hand on the black cloth of the shelf knocking over every skull that they just put up.
On the floor trying to catch their breath Anne was met with laughter that came from the skull. Anne looked towards the laugher that revealed their coworker Sasha, the taller of the two, still wearing the skull head used to prank Anne to the floor.
"You should have seen your face!" She was laughing through the skull which still was creepy.
Anne's face was all flush red as they stood up not even acknowledging her. The coworker would have been cute, if she wasn't so annoying. Sasha had been teasing Anne since they got there two weeks ago. Anne picked up the cloth, shaking it out before putting it back on the shelf. They sighed while picking up the skulls from the floor and slamming them down on the cloth in frustration.
"Be careful, they're already dead." Sasha laughed and walked over to her slightly shorter, but taller than Anne, coworker Marcy.
"Are you going to keep the skull on all day?" Marcy said with a smirk.
"Oh, I forgot I had it on." She grabbed the skull with both hands, taking it off like a helmet revealing his flowing blonde hair.
Anne got a glimpse of the sight and cursed themselves for thinking the girl looked pretty. They turned back to the skulls ignoring the thought.
Marcy shook xir head. "Sash, you'll never get their number if you keep scaring the shit out of them." Marcy said before putting a bookmark inside xirs graphic novel.
"Who works at a Halloween store named Heebie Jeebies, if they don't want to be scared, Mars?"
"I don't know, have you ever tried asking them?" Marcy put xir finger to xir chin "Have you ever had a conversation with Anne?"
Sasha scoffed. "Well duh"
Marcy raised a brow . "Besides teasing them, Sashy."
"Hey, that's how I flirt." Sasha crossed her arms leaning on the counter.
"How is that working for you?"
"Well your super sweet approach ain't working either."
"I'm waiting for the right moment –" Marcy said with sly smile "... for the cherry on top."
“Sounds like a bet.” Sasha said with a devious grin.
“As the smart one here —”
“Hey, I’m smart.” Sasha crossed her arms over his chest offended.
“Okay, smarter one.”
“Hey?!”
“I’ve read enough cheesy romance novels to know that bets don’t turn out well.”
“Well how about a scare dare then?” Sasha placed a hand on his hip, egging Marcy on.
Sasha was very competitive and couldn't pass up the opportunity to beat Marcy at something. Truth was Mars was better at almost everything than him, in school, video games, and even with the customers. This was the one time she felt he could beat Marcy in something. And scoring a date with someone as pretty as Anne was a win in itself.
“Still a bad idea, but I'm listening.”
Marcy knew xir were amazing, but sometimes xe doubted if others thought the same of xem, this was Marcy’s chance to prove xe was worthy of someone’s affection. That someone being as sweet, kind, and attentive as Anne made it a win worth betting for.
“If I get Anne to date me first you have to close on Halloween night.”
“That doesn’t sound so bad —”
She smirked “ …with Maggie.”
“Ugh,” Marcy threw xir head back “She’s the worst.”
“Yup, while me and — “ Sasha thought for a moment. “What's their last name?”
“Why does it matter?”
“Just tell me.”
“Boonchuy.”
“Me and Boonchuy are in WeHo (West Hollywood) dancing with our fellow queers in fabulous costumes.” She spun around. “ Oh, and I bet I’ll get a kiss.”
“Sashy has so much faith that Anne will date her.”
“You have just as much faith, Wu.”
“That’s because I believe in the friends to lovers trope.” Xir leaned against the counter with a confident smirk.
Sasha held her stomach and laughed heartily. “Everyone knows enemies to lovers is the better trope.”
“Those people are toxic and Anne isn’t one of those people.”
“Those people like thrill and Boonchuy is one of those people.”
“How do you know when you’ve never talked to them?”
“I can just tell, Mars.” She leaned against the back counter. “So are we on?”
“Usually I wouldn’t play your silly game, but —”
Marcy looked over to Anne, sighing after putting all the skulls up once again. Xe watched them wipe the sweat off their brow and Marcy couldn’t help the smile from watching them.
Marcy wasn’t automatically physically attracted to anyone, but Anne was sincere. They gave xe an apple during orientation when Marcy mentioned forgetting to eat breakfast. They listened to Marcy talk about xir favorite cosplays that were done in the past. Anne even knew some of the shows, and they offered to check out the ones they didn’t. Anne’s laugh— well it spoke a language only Marcy’s stomach knew… that always replied with butterflies.
“But what, Wu? Spit it out!”
“Anne isn’t a prize, they’re a person. A person I want.”
“Is that right?” Sasha smirked.
“Yes, and at the end of Halloween me and Anne will be in Weho kissing.”
Sasha laughed with her arms over his chest. “We’ll see about that.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“I’m the bold type, so I have no problem with asking someone out.”
A smile played on Marcy’s lips. “I have other ways of getting people to date me.”
“Hey, sorry to interrupt — ” Anne walked up to the two smirking at each other. “Whatever this is, but is there anything else y’all need me to do?”
“We’re not your boss Boonchuy, figure it out yourself.” Sasha rolled her eyes.
“Oh, you know my last name?’ Anne said, shocked.
“I told him.” Marcy smirked while opening their graphic novel.
“Oh, that makes more sense.” They nodded
“Hey, I could've listened during orientation.” He sucked his teeth.
Marcy and Anne both laughed “Sure.” Marcy teased. “Seriously, Anne, you don’t have to report to us.” Xe smiled sweetly.
“I know.” Anne leaned against the counter. “It’s just y'all worked here for the last two years and I’m new.”
Sasha started pretending they were playing the world's smallest violin. Marcy smacked her hands away. “It’s ridiculous they make us go to orientation every year.”
“It’s to get to know the new employees.” Marcy turned a page.
“Well, that would make sense if we had new employees. Anne’s been the only new employee in two years. Before them we were all hearing the same information about each other.”
“Awe, I brought joy to your life.” Anne teased.
“I wouldn’t say that.” Sasha leaned more against the counter getting caught in Anne’s warm smile.
“Is the lion caught by a mouse?” Marcy teased low enough that Anne wouldn't hear, but loud enough that Sash would.
“Whatever, I’m going on my break.” Sasha grabbed his purse flustered before turning back to Anne. “There is something you can do for me first, Boonchuy.”
“What?” Anne got bored easily, so really any work or genuine conversation to make the day go faster, they were more than okay with.
“Can you turn on the popcorn machine over there?” Sasha pointed in the direction past the entrance door.
“Okay.” Anne said with a skip and a smile.
They plugged in the only plug that was out of the socket. Circus music started to play and Anne titled their head in confusion at the popcorn machine that was still dark.
“Hey Sasha, I don’t think the Popcorn Machine works.”
“The popcorn machine never works.” Marcy said, confused while looking up from xir book.
“What was that Marcy? I can’t hear you over the circus music.” Anne shouted while still kneeled on the floor.
“Circus - Sash, you didn't?” Marcy turned to face the blonde who had a smirk.
Anne titled their head trying to make out what the two were saying. They jumped back when the ten foot clown started to move its long claw nail fingers with his horrible laugh and glowing eyes reaching over Anne.
Sasha laughed before leaning into Marcy's ear. “Last one for the road.” Sasha walked out
Marcy shook xir head while walking over to help Anne up.
“What’s his deal?” Anne shook their head, still staring in the direction that Sasha left. "How are you even friends with her?”
Marcy thought for a minute wondering if xe should take this opportunity to ruin Sasha’s chances with Anne, well even more, but xe didn’t want to win Anne’s heart – hand? Maybe it was too soon to be thinking of love, but that was Marcy. Xe didn’t feel anything for you, or so deeply that it drowned xem at times.
“Marcy.”
“Huh?”
“You spaced out there.”
“Oh, sorry.”
They both walked back to the counter in the middle of the store.
“It’s okay, I space out too.” They rocked on their heels. “ADHD, am I right.” They chewed their lip nervously. “Don’t tell Sash. I don’t need him to have another reason to tease me.”
“I would never betray your trust, Anne.
Marcy put on a pained smile. The fact that xe had just placed a bet on them like an object instead of a person with feeling — wasn’t too trustworthy Marcy thought. But, it wasn’t a bet xe told xirself. Oh no, it was a scare dare, for fun and since Anne would never date either of them there was no harm no foul. Plus Marcy knew xe would never do anything purposely to hurt Anne. Marcy sighed and gave a slightly more relax smile.
“Secret safe with me, Anne”
“Thanks Marcy.”
“Sasha’s an asshole, but not that kind. She wouldn’t tease you for serious stuff. Stuff people shouldn’t even make fun of people for. People really shouldn't tease people for anything”
“Oh okay.” Anne smiled a little.
Marcy blushed a little hoping Anne didn’t mind that tangent. “I’m autistic and Sasha never teased me for that.”
“Cool, I mean, if you think it’s cool.” Anne rubbed the back of their neck.
“Yeah, I think it’s cool.” Xe smiled. “Sasha isn’t so bad, She’s just awkward at times, especially if he really likes you.”
“He likes me?” Anne smiled lightly.
This made Marcy's heart ache. Did xe already lose Anne before trying to get them?
Anne cleared their throat. “Of course, you mean he likes me as a human being, not like Sash likes me like anything else.” Anne laughed. “She's not even nice to me.”
Marcy just stood frozen, not turning the page in xir book, not nodding, not blinking. Marcy didn’t know where to go from here. It was easy to have comebacks for Sasha; xe knew him for two years and their friendship was a pattern Marcy understood. Anne was new, a puzzle xe hadn't figured out all the pieces yet.
Anne just smiled. “Well, enough about Sasha, probably not cool to talk about him when she’s not here, even if he’s an asshole.” Anne hopped on the counter next to Marcy which woke xe from xir daze.
“What about you?”
“What about me?” Xe's voice cracked a little.
“Why do you work at a Halloween store?”
“I told you at orientation.” Marcy laughed nervously.
“Yeah, you told me the orientation answer, but what's the real answer?”
Marcy smiled thinking could Anne know how many masks xe wears, even in this short time. “Well, I like ghosts, witches, all the supernatural stuff, but the real stuff.” Marcy looked to see if Anne’s eyes had any signs of judgment, but they didn’t. “So, this is the closest I get to it every year.”
“That’s cool.” They said sincerely.
“Really?”
“Yeah, you should tell me some ghost stories one day.”
“I thought you’re scared of — ” Marcy stopped, not sure if they would take offense.
“I am, if you surprise me, but if I know I’m going to be scared then I like it, you know?”
“Yeah, that makes sense.”
“So, you’re going to invite me over to hear some of your ghost stories?”
“Like a date?”
“Hey, what are you dorks doing?”
“Back so soon, Sasha?” Anne rolled their eyes hopping off the counter heading to the stockroom to get more boxes.
“I’ve changed my mind.” Marcy turned to Sash once Anne was all the way in the stockroom.
“You don’t want to date Boonchuy anymore?” He crossed her arms over his chest. “Dang ten minutes and you are already breaking up.”
“I’m definitely dating them.”
“So what have you changed your mind about?”
“The date.” Xe started chewing on xir bottom lip. “Going to a big festival to win a kiss at the end of the night is a Sashanne thing.”
Sasha raised a brow “Sashanne?”
“Yeah, you know Sash/Anne, your ship name? Anyway, keep up.”
“I like that my name is first —”
“As I was saying, but a Marcanne thing is going to an abandoned house where I’ll give Anne my own personal ghost tour. I’ll tell them all the history and finish the night at the dorm, cuddling in a blanket with some hot cocoa.”
“Boo, you dork.”
“Anne is going to love it.”
“You’re so sure they’ll date you.”
Marcy looked up to see Anne carrying a box of fake knives. Anne looked over the box and smiled at Marcy who smiled back. “Amphibia- lutely.”
“What does that mean?”
“Amphibia, a sub part of CNC: Creatures and Caverns, so Amphibia/Absolutely = Amphibia- lutely.”
Sasha's eyebrows furrowed “Why?”
“Anne and I liked Amphibians.”
“How do you know–”
Marcy pointed to Anne’s Frog beanie, frog charm hanging from their phone and the frog phone case itself.”
“Oh, I knew that.”
Mary snickered. “Get ready to work on Halloween with Wendy — Opps, I mean Maggie.” xe smirked mischievously.
Sasha rolled his eyes. “She’s the worst, but she is funny, you must admit.” He smirked.
Marcy simply shook xir head turning back to xir book. “I guess you’ll enjoy your Halloween night working with her.” Xe teased.
Sasha was getting flustered by Marcy's confidence of winning. She leaned against the counter watching Anne hang up the fake knives and had no idea how to win them over. Sasha was really kicking himself for teasing them for the last two weeks