Terms and Agreements (on hold indefinitely)

This is Halloween, This is Halloween!

                                                                                         31 

I chucked a roll of toilet paper at Flynn's head. Of course, I missed, by so much it didn't even look like i was aiming at him, but I still felt better to have at least tried. This was the dumbest thing i'd ever done in my life. And I couldn't believe that Wes and Jenna had gone along with it. I mean, Chase did, too, but I hadn't known him for most of my life so I wasn't really disappointed in him.

"Come on, throw it higher!" Jenna hissed at me, jumping and tossing more paper into the small tree we were standing under.

"I want to go home," I grumbled, beginning to wrap the tree's trunk. "I don't wanna go to jail." I still need to find the Arkenstone and take back the Lonely Mountain.

Her loose red curls bounced as she practically danced around the tree, adorning it with more and more toilet paper. "Oh come on, Ali. We're not going to jail."

We might, I retorted silently. After all, we were technically trespassing, weren't we? And was rolling someone's yard considered vandalism?

"I'm sick and tired of these stupid tasks," I muttered, ripping the tissue free from the cardboard angrily, "I can't freakin' believe we have to perform 'classic Halloween pranks'! Like what — how do they even come up with this nonsense?!"

"Just loosen your corset and have a drink," Jenna said, shaking her head at me.

"You know very well that i'd never wear a corset, nor would I want to drink, either."

She rolled her eyes, grinning. "I was trying to reference The Hunger Games, silly. You know, like how you're always talking about Harry Potter and stuff?"

"Oh." Well then, it was kind of genius, actually. Not that i'd say that out loud, but still.

Wes and Chase came walking over to us girls, leaving footprints in the frost-covered grass, followed closely by Flynn.

"Well, that about does it, then," he was saying as they approached, all three of them grinning and laughing quietly. I wasn't in the mood for jolly. I was sure we'd just committed some kind of crime, and I was not amused. I wasn't even sure whose house this was.

"Great. Y'all have fun. I'm going home before any of you come up with another clever idea to get us arrested," I said sharply, heading back to my car.

"Or worse, expelled," I heard Flynn mumble, almost under his breath. I glanced at him with surprise, and he grinned more widely. Ugh. Idiot. Though I was a bit impressed. Not that I'd ever say that, of course. But still.

~

I woke up the next day, which was Halloween, wishing I was still young enough to trick or treat without it being weird. I mean, a teenager on the cusp of graduation showing up, begging for candy and surrounded by toddlers she doesn't know is a little weird. And not exactly the good kind of weird, either.

Being a Monday, and considering that my dumbass school didn't deem Halloween important enough to take a day off for, I dragged myself out of bed to shower and get ready. We were allowed to wear costumes to school, so I donned the Chewbacca costume once again. Sure, it wasn't exactly practical, but with the mask on no one would know who I was, which would be kind of fun. Well, my friends would know who i was, but still.

Jenna and Wes were in their costumes again, and so was Chase, but I didn't see Flynn until lunch, and when he made his usual appearance, walking across the cafeteria before sitting down beside me, I saw that he wasn't Han Solo anymore.

"What happened to your costume?" I asked before he could stuff his mouth full of food.

He shrugged. "I sort of forgot to wear it. But maybe I'll wear it tomorrow and confuse everyone."

"Yeah, that sounds like something you'd do," I said, just in time for him to stuff so much food in his mouth he couldn't reply.

Lunch passed in a whirl of active tastebuds and small talk — the second of which I didn't really partake in — and then Jenna was off to her next class, Wes and Chase had gotten lost in a conversation of their own, and Flynn, of course, tagged along behind me.

"So, I was thinking," he began as he fell into stride beside me in the hallway.

I feigned shock. "You've been thinking? The apocalypse must be upon us!"

He only rolled his eyes, grinning. "No seriously, I've been thinking...that maybe," and that's when I knew something was up, because his grin faded and he started turning pink, "maybe we should redo our date...'cause, you know...I never really got to take you anywhere, and...well, I mean, it wouldn't have to be like a date-date, but more like a gathering of two friends or whatever — you know what—"

I finally interrupted the poor guy. "Yeah, I get what you're saying. And sure. As long as you're buying. I'll do a lot of things for free food. Including," I poked his arm, "going on a not date-date with you."

"Okay. Cool," He still sounded — and looked — all jittery. "Um...if it's not too soon, there's $1 bowling tomorrow, from like 4 to 10. And they have pizza."

"I could go for a slice or three, and I like bowling," I replied, giving him an awkward thumbs up.

"Cool. So it's a 'not date-date', then." A nervous smile parted him lips.

"Yes."

~~~

Oh my goooddddd why did it take me almost a friggin' year to write a crappy chapter??

😑