Boris was invited to a Halloween party at Ace Banning's house. Judy accompanied him proudly as the Bride of Frankenstein. She put on a tall black wig with a white streak, garbed herself in a long black sheet and long black gloves, powdered her face deathly white, and blackened her eyes and mouth. Boris went as himself.
Boris handed out candy to the trick-or-treaters, and inadvertently frightened more than a few children. He won bobbing for apples and ate a little too much candy. It was the best night of his life until Chip McPherson showed up with his sidekick Biff Jarvis.
"Hey, that's a great costume there, Frankie," said Chip sarcastically. "Oh... it's not a costume! Your face really is that ugly!"
Boris ignored him, but Chip continued.
"Do you scare yourself every time you look in the mirror?" He cackled and jabbed Biff in the ribs. Biff laughed along.
Boris frowned. "Leave... me... alone... Chip. I don't... want... to fight you."
"You don't wanna fight me, eh? You hear that, Biff? Monster boy here don't wanna fight me! Oh, that's right... it's because you're all sweet and gentle, right? Well, you wanna know what I think? I think you're chicken! How about that? A monster who's a scaredy-cat!"
"Go away, Chip!" said Judy. "Must you always be so childish?"
"Well, looky here, if it ain't Mrs. Frankenstein herself!"
"What is your problem?"
"You wanna know what my problem is? I'll tell ya what my problem is. My problem is that big, ugly, green monster that you seem to like so much!"
Judy glared at Chip with barely suppressed rage. "The only monster around here is you, Chip McPherson." She brushed past him.
"Judy, doll!" said Chip, following after her. "I love you, baby!"
Judy rolled her eyes. "You and I were finished a long time ago, Chip."
Chip stared at Judy as though blinded. "So that's it? You're choosing that freak show over me?"
She turned and faced him. "Boris is more of a gentleman than you'll ever be, Chip."
"I can't let you do it, Judy."
"What are you talking about?"
"I can't let you give yourself to that... that thing!" He grabbed her arm.
"Let go of me!"
At this point, Boris grabbed Chip's arm, wrenched it off Judy's arm, stared Chip in the eyes, uttered in the most frightful voice, "Don't... touch... her!", and shoved Chip McPherson violently onto the floor, knocking over a table in the process. Everyone stopped talking and turned to stare.
Chip sat up, shook his head, and touched his bleeding lip. "Did you see that? He tried to kill me!"
Boris felt everyone gazing upon him in horror. With a terrible cry, he turned and ran out the door. "Boris!" called Judy, and ran after him.
****
She followed him into the dark woods and finally caught up with him by the edge of the little stream. He sat on a log and hung his head. She sat beside him, in the light of the full moon, still in full Bride of Frankenstein costume.
"Oh, Boris, are you all right?" She put her black-gloved arm about his shoulders.
"They... hate... me," he said despairingly.
"Oh, Boris, they don't hate you. We'll explain everything. They'll understand that you were just trying to protect me."
"Why... do you... love me... Judy?"
"What do you mean, why do I love you? I love you because you're the sweetest, kindest, most wonderful boy in the whole wide world! Isn't that what I always tell you?"
"But... I'm... ugly."
"Oh, Boris... you are not ugly."
"Look at... me! I'm... green!"
"I love your green skin, Boris. You know why? Because it's your skin. It's the soul that makes someone truly beautiful. Why, someone could be the handsomest guy on earth, but if he had an ugly heart, that would make him an ugly person. But you, Boris... you have the most beautiful heart of anyone I've ever known. And that makes you a beautiful person."
"Even though... I have... an ugly... face?"
"I don't think your face is ugly, Boris. Why, you're quite handsome, in a spooky sort of way. And you're big and strong. A lot of the girls think you're cute, you know."
"They... do?"
"Of course, silly. Didn't you see them staring at you at the Homecoming Dance?"
"No... I was just... looking... at you."
"Oh, you're sweet."
"You look... lovely... tonight... Judy."
She smiled. "Thank you."
"Now... you are more... my type."
Judy laughed, and they kissed in the moonlight as a bat fluttered overhead.
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