Red Herring ✔️

13. Missing Mommy

Mazie whizzed through her designated class work in her life skills class. This month they were mostly learning online work - basic Microsoft understanding, online banking, stocks and bonds, and interest rates galore. For this class, Mazie and Amelie sat at the back of the class with their friend Serena whom they jokingly class S from "Gossip Girl." They claimed their state at the back of the room so that, when they finished their assigned work, they could browse the internet and do whatever they desired.

With half the class left, Mazie used her spare time to research all of the Halloween festivities Hollywood, Oregon put on.

"When's your date again with Ross the Hockey Player?" Serena inquired, eyes glued to her screen. She was always the last to finish her work but that's only because she was the most meticulous. People assumed that S wasn't smart because she worked slow but actually, she was ranked in the top ten of their graduating class.

Amelia beamed with happiness and a hint of nervousness. However, she masked it well. "Saturday!"

"Where's he taking you?" Mazie asked.

Amelia dreamily laid her cheek in her hand. "It's a surprise but he told me to dress nice."

"Nice? That's too elusive. What does that mean?" Serena joked.

This didn't deter Amelia whatsoever. "I don't know and I don't care. I'll make it work." With one little manicured finger, Amelia scrolled through pictures on Pinterest of date night outfits. Mazie couldn't stand the cliches and dramatics but she would withstand it for her best friend.

Her search led her to a webpage run by a member of the community with a linked Halloween Facebook page which someone regularly updated especially as Halloween grew nearer and nearer. Most of the events were planned for kids and families although some adults threw midnight bashes more suited for those over the age of twenty one.

Mazie hoped to take the kids to the pumpkin patch over the weekend and maybe take a hayride, but the community page didn't offer anything like that. She returned to the main google search to continue perusing her options.

"What about you, Maze? All sorts of new things in your life," Serena teased.

Mazie tore her eyes away from the screen to glance at Serena. "Like?" She would play stupid til the death of her.

Both girls snickered at their private joke. "New car....new guy," Serena filled in for her.

Unfazed and unbothered, Mazie studied the Google site. Her eyes couldn't focus on any of the words while she prepared to lie through her teeth to her friends. "Well, I crashed my old one."

Serena raised a dark blonde eyebrow, sensing that Mazie was evading her inquiries. "As cool as your new Range is, I'm more curious about your new guy."

Amelia piped up. "Me too!"

With her pointer finger, Mazie clicked on a new webpage for a local farm that was open during harvest time for all fall activities, the big money maker. "There is no new guy?" Her voice quaked. Ugh. Gag.

"Oh yeah?" Amelia teased, not believing her at all.

At the same time, Serena asked, "What about Christian Slater then?"

Why was his name so dreamy and perfect? Why did his full name have to sound so good? And why did everyone, including herself, have to refer to him by his full name? Just another annoying thing about him that got under her skin.

"He's my neighbor." And sleuthing partner but they didn't need to know about that. Again with the lying - by omission - ugh. She was going to bury herself in lies.