She descended the stairs gracefully while her dad and Carol were watching a cooking show on TV Another thing he never used to do Carol covered her mouth and gasped when she saw her All she could say was Wow Maddie’s dad got choked up I can’t believe that’s my little girl he gushed Maddie had to admit she felt fantastic She rushed up to Carol and gave her a hug Thanks so much for your help Oh honey Carol said You really are a beauty You know what would make me look even more like Belle Maddie said If I could put on some lipstick maybe a little blush She smiled at her dad pleading with her eyes No way he shot back You’re only eleven You’re too young for makeup To Maddie her fifteenth birthday seemed like a hundred years away Sometimes she looked in the mirror and imagined what her face would look like made up if it would make her feel prettier or more grown up Once she downloaded an app that added makeup to her selfies She tried to use it to show her dad how natural she would look with makeup how it wasn’t such a big deal But he refused to even look at the pictures Not until you’re fifteen he insisted Carol knew it was a sore point so she tried to change the subject I wouldn’t be surprised if you win an award at the school party she said Maybe you and Holden will even get Best Duo Well that depends on how hard Holden actually worked on his costume Maddie had no idea what to expect from him He had been so secretive about what he’d been making none of them had even caught a glimpse of it In all likelihood he wasn’t even making a costume at all He probably just picked up a rubber zombie mask at Spooky City and wrote Hello My Name Is Beast on a nametag That would be so like him to do a half-hearted job after she had put so much effort into looking like Belle I just hope he remembered to do it at all Maddie said How could I forget said an eerie voice behind her
Maddie jolted from shock Holden don’t sneak up on AAAH Maddie jolted even more when she turned around and got a look at Holden’s costume She couldn’t remember the last time she had let out a legitimate scream of terror like that but Holden’s costume certainly warranted it He was far beastlier than anyone expected He had fiery red eyes and razor-sharp fangs that dripped fake blood Half his head was covered with fur The other half was a bloody exposed skull All up and down his body were gashes and scars as if he had just come from a vicious fight with another creature even more fearsome than he was It was all so realistic that Maddie had to catch her breath before she could yell at him Holden you almost gave me a heart attack in that outfit Cool Holden said So you like it You don’t look like the Beast Maddie huffed You look terrifying But that’s the point He’s a beast Beasts are scary Except to Belle of course You’re supposed to think this is hot stuff He struck a pose as if he were a model Maddie sighed I thought you wanted to dress up with me to be nice I should’ve known better Holden take that costume off Carol agreed Well so much for beauty only being skin deep Holden shrugged Hey tell me again why Belle fell in love with the Beast Maddie rolled her eyes Because he was a gentleman unlike you A decent person Right Holden said Like most kidnappers He wasn’t a kidnapper He held her in his castle against her will And you believe her love for him was legit I guess you’ve never heard of Stockholm Syndrome That’s where prisoners fall in love with their kidnappers It’s totally messed up but that’s probably the only reason why Belle fell for the Beast I mean what other choice did she have She wasn’t allowed to see any other men It was true love Maddie insisted Right and he loved her for her heart not because she was the prettiest woman in
the kingdom I guess the curse taught him nothing He still fell for someone based on her looks Maddie’s dad stepped in between them Guys that’s enough Please don’t argue about another fairy tale Maddie was furious He did this on purpose Dad He had no intention of making a costume He just wanted to make a point I don’t want to argue Holden said putting his mask back on I just want to go to the party Not like that Carol said grabbing him by the shoulder If Maddie’s not allowed to go outside wearing makeup then you’re not allowed to go out she took another disgusted look at his costume with half your skull exposed Maddie raised her hand to her face to cover up the fact that she was smiling She loved to see Holden get in trouble What am I supposed to wear then I don’t have another costume Wear the suit you wore to our wedding Dad said You looked very nice in that You can say you’re a lawyer Holden groaned Lame Don’t feel bad Holden Maddie said No matter what you wear you’ll still be a beast on the inside Maddie’s dad shot her an angry look If I hear one more comment like that neither of you is going to the party Maddie kept her mouth shut but she couldn’t help smirking at Holden as he went upstairs to get changed It served him right for trying to ruin her Halloween and one of her favorite fairy tales Stockholm Syndrome It made sense he would know so much about that because the only way he’d ever get anyone to marry him is to kidnap them Her rotten stepbrother didn’t have a single romantic bone in his body She didn’t care what he said She believed in true love that Belle and the Beast were made for each other and that they could look beyond their outward appearances and see that they were meant to be
together Just like she and Holden were meant to be as far apart as possible
