Shapeshifters

[001]

The blood-pumping music pulsated throughout the room, different coloured lights flashing every now and then. Sweaty bodies brushed against each other in the most intimate places, dancing like they weren't surrounded by strangers that they'd barely smiled at, while others kept it PG - literally only moving their hands and jumping a bit here and there.

People were all decked out in their Halloween costumes - some more elaborate than others. He'd seen a devil walk by earlier, body slathered in red paint with horns stuck to his forehead, and even a tail trailing behind him from where it was attached to the waistband of his trousers. He'd also seen a guy in normal clothing - just a blazer, a button up and dress pants. He saw the same guy again a half hour or so later, his face covered in paint and making him seem a little ghoulish.

Alex Gaskarth grinned at his friend's dance moves while he was decked out in his purple wig and costume. Alex, on the other hand, had opted to go as the Joker. His hair was spray painted with green hairspray, his make up done up so that he looked... Well, really fucking creepy, while donning a green shirt, purple tie and black blazer. He looked pretty freaking good, in his own opinion.

Armed with a beer, he was having... an okay time. He loved Halloween, oh absolutely, but the fact that he'd just seen his ex making out with a guy dressed up as a pirate - a pretty freaking hot pirate, at that, in a totally non-gay way - he just felt his mood deflate. He'd be lying if he said that he was completely over her. They were together for nine years, there was no way he could get over her that easily. Granted, their relationship was completely half-assed and they weren't together together for half the time, but he still considered it a relationship.

Even though he was usually the one who would be hooking up with a random girl at the bar, or certain lead singers of certain pop punk bands. Female lead singers.

He knew about the fucking fan fiction that the fans had started to write about him and Vic Fuentes.

And he was probably scarred for life, but hey, if that was what made the fans' creative juices flow, then he was all for more smutty gay fan fiction. Just that he would never ever read one again. Ever.

"You look like you're having the time of your life." An accented voice drawled out sarcastically from beside him, making him snap out of his reverie.

Alex turned to his left, raising a brow when he was met with the sight of a young woman with a zombie/dead/bloody look going on while in, what looked to be like, a yellow Disney Princess dress. He was fairly certain that they didn't make dresses like those for people her height. She was rather skinny, but she was also tall - she was in Converse and she stood barely five inches shorter than himself.

"I am." He countered half-heartedly, taking a sip from his glass bottle. "What are you?"

She looked down at her outfit, pursed her lips and then shrugged her shoulders as she glanced back up at him. "I don't know. A zombiefied princess? A bloody princess?"

"Which princess is that?" He asked, gesturing to her dress. He couldn't remember the princess' name for the life of him.

"Um..." She trailed off, blinking her red-contact lensed eyes. At least, he hoped they were contact lenses. Because if they weren't, she was probably some kind of demon that would kill him. He didn't really fancy dying just yet.

"Aurora, I think." She shrugged. "Wait, what's the name of the princess with the Beast?"

Alex pursed his lips. "I think it's Belle."

She snapped her fingers, nodding. "That's her name!" She grinned. "I'm a bloodied, and probably undead, Belle."

"It's a pleasure to meet you." He smiled, before dropping his voice and making his voice as scratchy as possible. "They call me... The Joker."

"You do that scarily well."

"Thank you." He responded, the falsetto still in effect.

"Stop it."

"But why?"

"It's creepy."

"It is I, the Joker."

"Stop." She laughed, shaking her head and pushing at his shoulder as he slowly advanced towards her.

"Do you want to play a game?" He asked, giving her a literal half-smile and probably looking creepier than the Joker himself.

"Oh my God." She laughed. "Get away from me, mate."

"Oh yeah, that reminds me." Alex straightened out, his voice back to normal. "Where are you from?"

"South Africa." She grinned.

"If you're from Africa then why are you white?"

She looked at him for a moment before finally laughing, hearing him join in not long after. "I think I'd quite like to keep you."

"Phew." Alex blew out a mock-breath of relief. "Thought I blew my chances of being friends with you right there."

"You're quite an asshole, aren't you?"

"It's a gift and a curse." He shrugged his shoulders, casually. "I'm Alex."

"Evie." She smiled.

"Would you care to join me for a dance?" Alex asked, offering her a hand, putting on his best impression of Joker.

"If you stop using that voice then I'd be glad to." She raised a brow.

"Too fuckin' bad, 'cause you're dancing with me." Alex laughed maniacally.

Evie let out a small squeal of surprise as he grabbed her hand, pulling her onto the dance floor where people were grinding onto each other to a Skrillex remix of The Sadness Will Never End.

"I can't dance." Evie admitted over the loud music, sending him a sheepish smile.

Alex shrugged uncaringly. "I can't dance, either."

"So why are we on the dance floor?"

"So we can both suck at dancing together. Duh."