The Costume Party

" I think this Halloween dance is a bad idea," Scott sighed.

" Anything that equals a social life is a bad idea to you, Scott," Evan laughed.

" C'mon, Scott," Kurt called from the doorway, " It's the one day I can be me if I wanted to. No image inducer and no prejudice. Just a bunch of teenagers in costumes for all everyone is concerned."

Scott turned away to think of something to say, but found himself taking a double-take on the fuzzball. True, he wasn't using the image inducer, but this wasn't exactly his normal appearance either.

" Kurt, you're...black! And, those ears? Where'd you find those ears?"

" I know!" Evan declared, " He's a raincloud!"

" Nein!" Kurt laughed, " I'm a cat!" He swooshed his tail and let out a cute little mew. " What are you going to be?"

Evan tossed on his cape, " Dracula!"

Kurt smiled at his lack of enthusiasm for an unorignal idea. He then turned to Scott and screamed, " Ach! Mein Gott! Oh? Oh, Scott, it's you. Nice costume. Let me guess. You're a...serious person."

" I'm not in my costume, Kurt."

" It's called a joke, Scott." Evan sighed, " When someone tells one, you're supposed to laugh."

Later

" Danke for talking him into this, Jean," Kurt smiled when they arrived at the dance. " What a lucky break for us."

" Well, a rabbit's foot is lucky, and I got both," Jean joked, holding up her pink bunny foot. She was a big pink bunny. The one ear on her head flopped over slightly. How cute. They looked around after a relieving laugh and found some of their teammates. Scott ended up coming as an undercover agent...a Dick Tracy style spy. Kurt wanted to tell him that yellow was NOT his color, but decided he had tortured him enough that day. Kitty had come as a princess. Jean had helped her make the crown for it. It was pretty pink and magenta. Sitting alone in the corner, miserable, was Rogue, who was a...does she need a costume?

An hour had passed. Everyone was well into dancing. The X-team decided to assemble at the refreshment table and converse for a bit.

" Having fun, Scott?" Jean asked as she tried to fix that one ear.

" Alright, I admit it. It's not as bad as I thought. I'm surprised the trouble-makers aren't here."

" Speak of the devil," Evan sighed. Kurt glanced at him, " I'm a cat!" Evan gave him an unamused stare and pointed to four mysterious costumed people entering the auditorium.

" The Beatles?" Kurt asked. Evan grabbed his fuzzy head and turned it in the right direction, " No, behind The Beatles, Kurt."

The quad of costumed creeps approached them. Neither side said anything at first. Kitty glanced at the punk rocker, who was obviously Lance, " Colorful costume."

He turned to her and gave a smile, " Thanks, Princess."

Evan came face to face with a Secret Service agent, " What are you guys doing here?" The Secret Service agent, returned the rude gesture, " Last I heard, this party was public!"

" Cool it, Pietro," Lance interrupted.

" What are you up to, Lance?" Scott confronted, expecting, as usual, the worst. The punk rocker straightened his spiked color and held up his hands, " Cool it, Slim. We're just here to have fun. Just like you. Not up to anything. We agreed," he turned to his buddies,

" Isn't that right?" They all gave a nod.

Kurt looked up at the Blob and began poking at the bottons he had put on himself. He was wearing a large painted box. " What are you supposed to be?"

" I'm a big screen television," he replied casually.

" Cool! You get cable?"

" No, sorry. I run by satellite. But I got HBO."

" You can say that again," Kurt chuckled under his breath. Kitty, meanwhile, gave a hard stare to the squatting figure beside her. He wore a unipiece green spandex suit, a long royal red robe and a little crown on his head.

" Toad," she began, as though having no patience, " Like, what on earth are you supposed to be?"

" I'm the Frog Prince," he winked. He stood up and puckered his lips, " Kiss me, fair princess and break my curse."

She pushed him away, " Sorry, Toad. Like, I so do not think there is enough spiked punch in the world."

He pouted and returned to his squat. His attention soon left Kitty and turned to Evan and Pietro, who were again, rivaling over petty things.

" C'mon, Evan. Admit it. My costume is better."

" In your dreams, Pietro. Mine is the better one."

" It's not original."

Jean stepped between them, hoping to stop a fight before spikes flew. " Why don't you two let the judges decide. Enter the costume contest."

" Hey," Lance chimed in, " That's an interesting idea. Why don't we all enter. You up to the competition, Slim?"

Both teams gathered to discuss the matter in full.They agreed. Besides, there was a nice prize to be won other than the mere satisfaction. The costume party victor always recieved a tropy filled to the brim with Halloween candy and a $50 check. Lance peeked over at Kitty and smiled, " Let's make it more interesting. A kiss for the winner. If one of the girls wins, she gets her choice of who gets to kiss her. If one of us guys wins...Kitty has to give the kiss."

" Like, icksome!" Kitty twisted her face. Nevertheless, Scott shook to it. Yuck.

The Contest

" Happy Halloween!" From Announcer 1, " What a contest we have this year. And such interesting costumes."

" Absolutely!" Announcer 2 chimed in, " This ought to be interesting."

Announcer 1 continued, " The judging has begun! Several contestants are being voted out. There goes a couple of witches, and there goes Dracula."

" That bites," Announcer 2 joked.

" Bye, Loser," Pietro whispered as Evan left the line. But, his victory was short lived. For, from Announcer 1 came the call, " Judges have voted out the fireman, the cop and both secret agents!"

" Careful," Announcer 2 stepped in, " We might get arrested for that."

Scott and Pietro let out a groan and sat down. The Announcers began again, " The pilot, the goblin, and the princess has been voted out!"

" The damsell looks distressed," Announcer 2 joked, " I wonder if she'll have a Prince Charming waiting for her at home."

" The cat is out of the bag!" Announcer 1 declared, " He has been voted out."

" He's gonna throw a hissy fit!" Announcer 2 laughed. He didn't throw a fit, but Kurt did let out a hiss before he sat down. He was taking this costume way too literally. Two X-Men left...three enemies left.

" The goth and the television have been voted out!" Announcer 1 called.

" Let's invite them both up!" Announcer 2 began, " We can all watch the big football game on that big screen TV."

" The clown and the punk rocker are voted out!"

" Looks like they went to the same hairdresser."

This was it. The only two standing were Jean, the pink bunny, and Toad, the Frog Prince. They turned to each other.

--Piece of cake!-- Jean thought. Announcer 1 was in great voice tonight, " There are only TWO contestants standing!"

" It's not cute verses obnoxious! What will the judges say?"

Announcer 1 and 2 got quiet to watch the judging. And...the decision was made!

" We have a winner!" Announcer 1 declared proudly, " And it's a faery tale come true! This years winner of the costume contest is...the Frog Prince!"

" What!" Jean questioned, surprised she had been outvoted...by Toad!

" Looks like the bunny is gonna croak!" Announcer 2 wise-cracked. Toad stood up normally and took the prizes in hand. He turned to the " goody-goods." He had a kiss coming to him, as said in their initial agreement. He smiled, wanting to wallow in this victory. He grabbed Kitty by the arm and dragged her back on the stage.

" Frog Prince was only released from his curse by the kiss of a princess."

" Like, eww!" She turned to Scott, " We're, like, talking about Toad here! Do I have to?"

" I'm sorry, Kitty. We made a deal. And X-Men are true to their word." Scott sighed. Toad smiled and turned to Kitty, puckering his lips again. Kitty twisted her face.

--It's times like this,--- She thought, ---I hate being an X-Man.---

Smooch

Laughter.

Slap!

" Ouch!" Toad cried, backing away and rubbing his head. Kitty hissed back at him, " That was, like, so totally disgusting, Toad! I better not, like, get any warts on my lips, you plague!"

More laughter. Up in the announcers' booth, the sound systems were off and the two announcers laughed amongst themselves.

" You know, we should do this more often." Announcer 1 said calmly,

" They interact so well when they are being peaceable. Don't you think so, Mystique?"

Mystique turned and nodded, " I agree, Charles. So far, this was one grand victory for my side."

END