Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

I never thought that I would ever regret walking into a kitchen in my life. 

But this is my afterlife, so here we are.

“Hey, so I heard Sam and Jay actually booked a guest?” I say excitedly until she turns around and sees me. 

Oy, it’s her…

Stephanie. 

Or “Attic Girl” we sometimes call her.

She’s some teenager who was driving with this schmuck to Prom but he just happened to park near the mansion when some freakin’ chainsaw guy from some insane asylum killed them. Though, she never really brings her Prom date up, but judging by the story, he still sounds like a Jerk. Just some guy who cares about nothing more than just hooking up with some hot chick in front of him. 

What a coincidence both of our names started with “T”. 

“Hi, Trevor” Stephanie chuckles. “I was wondering where you were”

I was not. 

As monotone as I possible could muster out, I respond “Hi, Stephanie. How are you?” 

“Hi. Did you miss me?” 

Take a guess.

“Just the normal amount that an adult should miss a teenager” I say matter-of-factly while glancing over at the ghosts. I already saw Isaac, Flower, and Hetty’s equally disgusted faces when I walked in, but looking over again now I spot Pete. And I seem to glance between him and Stephanie while I talk, as if I’m trying to prove how I Have Morals. 

Surprising, I know. 

Stephanie is also playing with my tie and somehow I feel slightly paralyzed. I freeze up and can only walk backwards and hope that’s a hint enough for her to stop looking at me like that. 

“You know, I’m-I’m…technically, I’m 53.” And technically I couldn’t care less. 

“Yeah, but you’re not” I say towards the 17-year old in a Prom dress infront of me. Almost able to shove her away. But barely able to lift my arms.

“Well, we were born the same year.” 1968. How convenient. But you know, it’s not like I’ve turned around towards Sam and said anything like that. It’s tired. It’s gross. It means nothing. If anything, it’s worse the more you think about it. So you don’t.

I’m able to squirm her hand off of me and move towards Pete. “This is not gonna happen. Not gonna happen. Just…” I put my hand up, like some loser in an after school special. 

I feel a soft and familiar pat on my shoulder. Pat Pat. It’s comforting. 

Yet I can’t seem to turn around to actually acknowledge him.

The Attic Girl scoffs and flicks her eyes up. “Whatever”. Real mature. 

Though I understand I’m one to talk. But, still.

She continues, “So, this new Living…is it just the one guy?” 

Hetty answers plainly “Oh, no. He’s married to Samantha”. She really spaces out the Sa-man-tha like a little hop or skip in the middle of her name. It’s…neat.

Flower adds, too, “Get this: We can talk to her and she talks back”

Stephanie is amused. “Sure she can, Flower.”

I get caught off-guard when Pete pops up behind me even though he was already standing there. “No, really, she does” The soft-spoken scout troop leader says.

And speak of the living…

“Ah, I couldn’t find it”

“And here she is. Samantha you must meet Stephanie.” I think “must” is an overstatement.

“Oh, another one,” Sam laughs, “Why not? Uh, hi, I’m Sam.”

“Hey.”

Yikes. Even from that one word I can tell this is gonna be a disaster, and not in the fun way. 

Isaac explains to Sam, “Stephanie’s a ghost that lives in the attic and sleeps most of the year”.

“I-I really like your dress”

“I died on my way to prom. Really sucked. Chainsaw murder.” The Attic Girl states while showing off her gorey back to Sam’s horror. 

Sam covers her face in shock. “God, that’s awful.” “Yeah” Stephanie agrees.

“You know I actually had kind of a bad prom, too” Sam adds. Stephanie silently chews her gum. Arms crossed. “Although now that I say it out loud, yours was definitely worse” Sam cowers. I feel kind of bad for her, but… honestly it was a dumb thing to say. She gets like that sometimes. Kinda a dumb blonde I suppose.

“You think?” Stephanie whispers. 

“Oh, well, I’m gonna just, uh, help Jay with some stuff, but it is nice to meet you,” Sam lies. “And I’m sure I’ll see you later on” Unfortunately true. “Bye”

“Bye” Stephanie repeats in a bit of a mocking tone. Ugh. 

Sam leaves. Stephanie stays and turns towards us ready to gossip like the typical mean girl she is. 

“That was awkward. What is with that chick?”

Without really thinking, like a shmo, I respond, “Well, she’s a little awkward” I look away, lost in thought. “But in the cutest way. Like the way she wrinkles her nose when she’s uncomfortable…” for good or bad, “it’s adorable”. I gaze up in awe and blink slightly more than I usually do. 

But I don’t care. 

The attic girl next to me tries to grab my attention, “Wait, are you into her or something.” 

“Oh, yeah. Trevor’s in love with Sam.”

Well, that got my attention.

Flower knocks me out of my fantasy and grounds me back to reality. 

“In love” sounds so weird. And formal. I mean, sure, I still think Sam is cute, but honestly who doesn’t? Just cause I think and like her quirks that doesn’t mean I have some full-blown crush on her. Like, come on. Who’s the lovesick teenager here?

But I’m not in any position to find the words and explain that to the others. 

So, Hetty helps out, “Truth be told, we all love Sam. And you will, too. You guys are the same.” They really couldn’t be more polar opposites, but Hetty has grown to become a mother-figure to Sam, so of course she’d be optimistic.

Naive, but optimistic.

“Except she can do things, is alive, and Trevor has a crush on her. But other than that, she’s just like you!”

Real subtle, Hetty.

Also, again, I do not have a crush. 

At least, not since I dated Bela. 

Nope, no other girls here for me. Ghost or Living.

Though while I purse my lips and statically turn my head towards the ghosts in disbelief, I do quickly catch Pete looking downwards when Hetty mentioned my assumed long-lasting “crush” on Sam.

Like, come on. Pete knows I’ve grown past that. Like look at me, shooting down any move from Stephanie. Though she makes it easier being a gross horndog ready to flirt with the closest new guy near her. 

I’m not like that though anymore. Right?

I think Pete knows. 

I hope he knows. 

Wait, why do I care if he knows? It’s not like we talk about this stuff. 

Eh, I’m sure this awkward conversation will just be forgotten later. 

(Spoilers: It is not) 

Chapter Text

We head upstairs to merge with the group in Thor’s room. Apparently Alberta has a new power - talking with the Alexa speaker-thing. We were all psyched like children in a candy store, just dashing around to find our favorite cherry-flavored candy. 

So, naturally, I suggest the song “Cherry Pie” to be played. Full volume. 

Pete also recognizes the song and jams along with his dorky dad dance moves. Haha, so lame. 

“Hey. How is there music playing?” Sam asks while killing the mood. 

“Alberta can speak to the voice in the sphere thingy” Thor responds. 

“Well that’s not possible.” 

“Oh, really?” Alberta asks rhetorically. “Alexa, stop,” as the speaker listens.

Sam slightly nervously shifts her weight with unease and frowns. “Oh, boy. Uh… the ghosts can now interact with the Alexa.” 

“That is not a great development,” Jay shook his head in agreement then whispered “Hey, is the creepy chainsaw girl still here?” 

Sam hit Jay’s hand on behalf of all of our increased annoyance by their presence. Well, at least mine. 

“Seriously?,” Stephanie uncrossed her legs to stand up. “That’s you described me?” 

Sam seems to not be carefully watching her words today, which is really unlike her. Awkwardly she clarifies, “Hmm? No. No, no,” Sam’s a terrible liar. “ ‘Creepy’ is, like, a word Jay chose.” Sam says with a cute, dumb blonde look on her face glancing up at Jay.

Stephanie exhales a breath and unveils her spiteness to us. “I have an idea, everyone,” which is never a good start. Especially from her. And especially since she’s only facing us, not the livings.

“Since I never got to go to my own prom,” I don’t like where this is headed. “What if tonight we had a ghost prom. Right here in Thor’s room?” 

And there it is. Not just a normal prom. She had to clarify it’s a *ghost* prom. 

I let out a breath trapped in my throat and hesitantly look to the other side away from her… which happens to be where Pete is standing. Somehow that catches me more off-guard as I re-adjust my body. My feet become more tensely crossed as I twist one of my hands holding onto the other after I accidently tried to look up at Pete for guidance. 

Which just feels…weird. 

I mean, he had to realize how uncomfortable The Attic Girl made me today, and that she clearly didn’t hit it off with Sam. This whole *ghost* Prom revenge thing could be seen a mile away. 

So why am I kinda scared now? While facing…away?  

I’ve never been nervous around prom time. I always had a list of chicks who would argue and fight to go Prom with me.

But now, with the two terrible options in front of me: a hopeless teenager and a married living… I have to find my other options. 

And now we’re back to Pete.

After taking a split second glance in his direction, without fully acknowledging my decision, I already know my plan somehow. 

I let go of my hand and move the right one more along the couch’s arm, while using my left one to gesture towards my Prom plan. Also I can sense there might be something caught in my eye as I blink just milliseconds faster than I usually would.

But hey, I have to remind myself. Dude, it’s literally just Ghost Prom. This doesn’t mean anything. This isn’t real.

The nerves start to settle…

I mutter, “love, how, first of all I got go with—“ but get caught off by the more enthusiastic gasping and cheering around me. Almost like taunts spitting me in the face.

“Yeah?” Stephanie says trying to gauge our excitement. Well, the others’ excitement.  

“Oh, my God. That’s so fun!” Sam cheers while making the mistake to say anything at all. The attic girl’s face resets as she gives Sam the side eye and half turns around. 

“Stephanie wants us to throw a ghost prom.” Sam says, too cheerfully. Aw, man, she does not know what’s coming I fear… 

“Oh, ghost Prom, ‘cause that doesn’t sound like the title to a horror movie.” Jay adds, really hammering his great first impression towards Stephanie. Sam’s pouty face agrees. 

Like some internal light switch, Stephanie goes from relatively genuine, to fake nice like all of the popular ‘mean girls’ did when I was in high school. Often to make fun of others, whether nerds or losers, for not having dates for Prom.

Stephanie generously adds, “And I have the perfect theme, too: No Livings Allowed.” 

What else would I expect from a stubborn teenager? She knew exactly what she was doing…

Add that onto the pile of other reasons I would NOT be going as Her prom date. Girls from the past might have fought over or persuaded me that they were the best options to go with for show, but I know better now. And I will not be tricked to being her ‘trophy’ in any way. No one deserves that. 

Trust me, I’ve had to learn that the hard way…

“No Livings Allowed?” Sam’s disgruntled face repeats. 

Pete adds on, “It’s not exactly Enchantment Under the Sea.” which sounds like a pretty whack theme, too. What do you dress as? A hot mermaid? A sexy salmon? Make it make sense. 

“No, no, no,” Stephanie is trying to keep the BS train going. She turns fully around to Sam so she knows this is all about her, without trying to come across with her true spiteful intentions. 

She puts on the fake nice voice and gaslights Sam by saying, “You know, it’s just because we know how busy you are, and we don’t… we don’t want to get in your way.” 

Hetty also decides to pick up the hammer and hit the nail in the coffin. “You were saying you were too busy to help us earlier.” 

“I-I know, but…”

The attic girl cuts her off along with any shred of hope she has left, “So, you know, in a way, I’m really…I’m doing you a huge favor. I’m getting everyone off your back for the night.” I take that personally as my head drops down a tad. 

I try to look back up again. “And with Alberta’s new power, she can control the music and the lights, so…”

Ah, Stephanie lying out of her ass—as if she knows what an Alexa can do. She hasn’t even used an IPad before. 

And here she lets her true colors show a bit more clearly through the cracks. She chuckles, “you’re really, you’re not needed,” with a controlled, planned short breath in, she continues, “At all.” 

First of all, Screw off.

Secondly, NO ONE. I repeat no one tells Sam she isn’t needed. She’s the one who actually helps and listens to us even when we act like jerks or children half the time. Her unbelievable patience is unlimited, and Stephanie now decided to pick up the scissors and try to cut Sam loose. 

And well, I don’t think any of us want to see that. For Sam, but also for ourselves. 

Sam protests and sadly plays right into Stephanie’s little game she’s created, “Okay, well, I mean, I could, I could pop by just for, like, a brief appearance.” She starts to say with a hint of that voice you get before you want to cry. 

But since the oblivious optimist doesn’t fall far from the tree, Hetty steps in again while also attempting to reassure her, “Samantha, do not worry about us. Do your cleaning and we will be fine.” 

I guess we’ll be fine. 

I mean, it’s not like Stephanie usually stays longer than a day or two. And it sounds like we can get this Prom over with by tonight. 

So yeah, it’ll be fine. 

We’ll be fine. 

I’ll be fine… 

“Yeah,” I say unconvincingly, “you’re all good,” as others more earnestly reassure her more around me. 

“All right, well…You guys have fun, too,” Sam got an ounce of her joy back for that split second toward us… but then made the mistake to acknowledge the attic girl in front of her again, blocking her total view of us. 

“Bye!” Stephanie says in an even more mocking tone than before. With an obnoxiously loud chew of her gum. Ugh 

And… Sam‘s gone for the day. Great.

Now what? 

Chapter Text

“Again, again!” Isaac squealed infront of me.

It had only been an hour, and yet somehow we all allowed him to ask Alberta about Hamilton’s death almost a dozen times. 

If I weren’t already dead, I’d ask someone to kill me. 

Alberta’s patience is still being tested as she asks Alexa about Hamilton’s death…again.

“Ugh, seriously, Isaac, you already heard the answer!” 

“Just one more time!” 

Alberta sighs, “Alexa, how did Alexander Hamilton die?” And at this point, the magic of the new power is pretty much dead. 

I can sense everyone around me with their annoyance towards the old revolutionary war captain in the middle of the room.

Or at least I notice Pete looking over in my direction. 

Oh yeah—Pete! Maybe I could finally talk to him about— 

My thought gets cut off by the wannabe Prom queen, “Excuse me? Hi. We have, like, a whole prom to plan.” Yes…we know. “I mean, does anyone even have a date yet?” She adds out of left-field. 

A date? Hmm, well let me look at my options 

…

None. 

Ok ok, let me actually look… 

Well I suppose Pete could be like a back-up option. In terms of colleges, he’d be like a safety. I mean, it’s Pete, we’re…close. I think. 

I mean, we were closer. 

Even though I see him looking in Alberta’s direction. 

“Uh…” is all he manages to say as his crush dots her eyes away from his direction. I feel kinda bad for the guy but also like a lift in my chest. Like some sort of weight was just taken off of me. Weird.

Thor copies the same unsuccessful gesture with an awkward “Uh…” and a chuckle followed by even more obvious avoidance by Flower. 

It’s not like I forgot persay about Pete’s little crush on Alberta. I mean, we were all there when he brought his, uh, cholera girlfriend up from the basement pit most of us don’t even dare to enter. 

And honestly he wouldn’t have had to do the whole ‘fake girlfriend to make my crush think I’m not lying’ shtick if he just told Alberta himself. 

But whatever, it’s not like I ever knew. Sass was the one who told everyone. Not me. I wouldn’t have just like Outed him or whatever like that. 

But…whatever. Doesn’t really matter now. He likes Alberta. She is a pretty great friend.

Oh wait, what was the topic again?

Oh yeah, dates. 

Oy.

So Hmm. I suppose I could consider Pete on the table. Not like the thought of him was completely out of my mind today anyway.

But yknow…. In a platonic way.

I mean, of course we’d only go as friends. Cause Pete isn’t—and I’m definetly…probably not—

I shake my head from spiraling any further. Then I just shake my whole body out to reset my thought process.

Okay, let’s really think about it. Hetty is wrapped up with Isaac, Flower is in her own world, and well, If Pete likes Alberta, I’m not breaking the bro-code. She would be the best conventional girl option, though. 

So then, who’s my first option? 

Well taking another quick look around the room… Isaac and Hetty seem to be not-so subtlety whispering about Nigel. 

“Were you planning on asking anyone special, Isaac? Like a certain British officer you murdered, perhaps?” That was a way to word it, my god—

Isaac, pecking his head around back and forth like the closeted bird he is, rightfully shushes Hetty with a “No. you are still the only one that knows about that,” well, at least he’s actually acknowledged his years-long crush we can all see from a mile away. And he’s got someone he’s open to about it as he whisper-screams in the middle of the crowded room… 

“And, no, I am not ready.” I feel ya, man. He takes a quick breath and sighs, “Oh, God, who would’ve thought that a prom of all things would create such a stressful social situation.” 

Well, that’s it then. For Isaac and for Isaac only…I will try to ease this situation to make it less stressful. For him. Obviously. I have literally nothing to gain from this.

It’s not like Pete didn’t feel like the center of the room to me. Now. Just, uh, have to get his attention…Um…

I whisper towards him. He immediately turns his head towards me. He gives me that kind of sad puppy-dog kind of face. Mix of sadness and curiosity. It kinda makes my heart drop into my stomach like I just swallowed a stress ball. 

It’s tough to tell whether I can only speak as loud as a whisper because of the tension in my back and my clenched jaw that I can barely get open an inch, or perhaps because Isaac is diagonal from us and going through his own, uh, prom issues if you know what I mean. 

Anyway, I’m able to get Pete’s attention and point to him, with a finger gun for some reason. Somewhere between just mouthing the words and a whisper, I ask him the question: “Pete...you wanna go with me?” While very subtley nodding my head and pointing at him and back in my general direction. I mean, why would he say no? 

However, this is all interrupted and talked over by Hetty and her attempt to make everything, ugh, friendly. 

“I have an idea,” she whisper-screamed, too. Then announced to the room, “What if we all just went together?” she says as I lose Pete’s attention and he gazes at her instead. “As friendly companions!” she finished while not-so-nicely turning towards me and almost blocking Pete entirely from my view. 

I suppose it doesn’t matter now because Pete and Thor are hooked onto the idea. 

“Oh, I love that,” Pete says relieved. Thor agrees, “Yep. yes.” And laughs along just repeating after each other about “A group thing,” which is soon met with Flower’s “Yay!”

What. Is. Wrong. With. These. People?? 

This is Prom, for God sake!!

Not ‘oh, let’s just put everyone in the friendzone so no one’s feelings get hurt. Boo hoo hoo’. 

Friendzone is for losers and closet-cases. 

No offense to Isaac, though. Only Isaac.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” I start while gesturing towards Pete. Slicing his dumb agreement in half. Or, attempting to, at least. 

“We’re gonna go to prom as friends? That’s lame,” I glance over at the girls before my natural attention is back in Pete’s direction.

“What are we?” Bo seriously, Pete.

What are we?

Am I not good enough to even keep your attention for the like two l seconds I tried to invite you to Prom? Am I the lame one??

No. I’m never the lame one. I’m the life of the party. Anyone would be LUCKY to be asked out as my plus 1. Yes, even Pete. Who is a guy. MY guy—friend. This is a very normal, platonic, bro gestures I’m doing…For Isaac!

Ugh—whatever. Pets’s a loser. Alberta’s a loser. Flower’s a loser. Isaac, certainly is a loser. At least I ACTUALLY tried to ask someone out! For him?? So maybe he’d be able to ask his long overdue crush out, too! Not that Pete—stop putting words in my mouth, dumb brain! 

The least they could’ve done is NOT talk over me. But that’s too much, isn’t it. You know what… they’re just losers.

Is that all we are? Just “a bunch of losers?” I genuinely ask, though it comes across like I’m lashing out at them because I don’t have a date. And yeah, I am kinda pissed I don’t have a date. But you know what?? Pete can suck it. Sam can suck it. Stephanie can— 

“I’ll go with you, Trevor.” She reappears and notifies me with a tap on the shoulder. A similar tap you’d get from a bully before they would sock you in the face. Or the feels. Or my, uh…

“You know what, actually, we don’t want anyone to feel left out,” I cower as she touches my—

Startled and feeling wildly violated in that moment, I manage to continue, “I think that we should, uh, go as friends,” I lie. Because it’s easier than sticking to the truth…Whatever that happens to be. Uh, for Isaac? 

I let out an unwelcomed and off-putting sigh of relief. 

“It’s nice. Let’s do that.” While keeping her at a distance, and unfortunately being just a few more painful steps away from him. 

Isaac jumps in, “Agreed.” Yeah...Yeah I figured he would. Since Hetty started that whole offer just for him. Ugh. I want to hate them but I can’t. I can only just stand there in disappointment like a mouse in a hollow and empty shell of myself, wistfully staring and unable to take my eyes off of my rejected date right behind the border of two irrelevant ghosts. 

“Now… again! Last time I swear.”

I can’t help but stare in defeat at him. And I could be tripping…but it looks like he’s even more stressed as he lets out a rather big sigh of relief.