All By Mah-Selllf

***All By Mah-Selllf*** is a Halloween special bonus chapter in *Aru Shah and the Song of Death,* written by Roshani Chokshi. The story follows Aru Shah, Mini Kapoor-Mercado-Lopez, Brynne Rao, and Aiden Acharya as they attend an Otherworld middle school dance.

## Plot

### Getting Ready for the Dance

The story starts with Aru thinking about the things she would choose to do over a Halloween middle school dance. Aru rememebers how her mother had made her dress up as a witch for Halloween last year after getting blue paint all over the patrons of the Museum of Ancient Indian Art and Culture in what was known as the "Blue Monkey Scandal" during the museum's fundraising gala. Aru is confident that her costume this year will be spectacular, as she, Mini and Brynne had planned on dressing up as the Sanderson sisters from *Hocus Pocus*.

Aru tries to convice her mother to not make her go to the dance once more, listing all the things that could go wrong and saying that dances were dangerous. In response, Krithika says that Aru herself is dangerous. Krithika also makes a comment about Aru's Sanderson sister costume, saying, "Well, as long as you’re not alone wearing that." Aru gets offended by this, and the doorbell to the museum rings.

Aru opens the door and lets Aiden in, whom she is travelling to the dance with. Aiden asks why Aru is dressed up as "ginger Dracula", and Aru explains once more that she is dressed up as Winnie from *Hocus Pocus*, and that she and her sisters are coordinating their costumes. Aru then asks Aiden why he isn't dressed up, to which Aiden says that he is dressed up as "incognito Peter Parker". Aiden snaps a picture of Aru's costume with Shadowfax, and the two head off to the dance together.

### At the Dance

Aru and Aiden wait for Mini and Brynne at the entrance to the Night Market, where the dance is being held. Aru admires the decorations, which were done by the Six Seasons. Unlike other middle school dances, the floor was made of ice, surrounded by a dome of thick vines, which was being illuminated by a moon disco ball. Mini and Brynne arrive dressed up as a unicorn and a saltshaker respectively, which annoys Aru and renders her solo Sanderson sister costume ridiculous. Mini explains that she was allergic to her wig and Brynne says that she thought Aru was joking about dressing up as a Sanderson sister, which is why she didn't. Brynne assures Aru that she would punch anyone who laughed at Aru's costume, and the two of them head off towards the food spread, while Aiden and Mini go to take pictures of the dance for the Council of Guardians' newsletter.

Brynne examines the treats at the food spread, which consists of chocolate fountains, dosas, pomegranates, and pumpkins made of spun sugar. Brynne pushes Aru to dance with Aiden, saying that Aru is a good dancer and Aiden needs to be rescued from Brynne crushing his toes. Aru walks towards the middle of the dance floor, trying to find Aiden in the crowd of people. Just as she is about to give up, Aiden appears behind her, and asks Aru if she wants to dance the waltz. Aru says she doesn't know how, and Aiden offers to teach her. Just as they are about to start dancing, the music changes, and they step away from each other. Aiden offers to teach Aru another time, and Aru says that she would like that. Aru sends a mind message to her sisters, asking if they wanted to zip across the ice floor together. Mini says that that sounds dangerous and Brynne says that it sounds like fun, which makes Aru laugh. The story ends with Aru telling her sisters, "See you guys soon."

## Characters

* Aru Shah
* Mini Kapoor-Mercado-Lopez
* Brynne Rao
* Aiden Acharya
* Krithika Shah
* Boo