Catchfly: Seeing Stars

Chapter 29: Somebody's Watching Me

October 31 – 7:43 PM

Halloween was always my favorite holiday as a kid. Grandpa took me and Avery trick or treating every year because both of our parents worked on Halloween. We would plan our costumes accordingly: once, the three of us went as the grandpa, the boy scout and Dug the dog from Up. Once we went as the three musketeers, once as Winnie the Pooh, Tigger and Piglet. His last Halloween he was in the hospital. Avery and I dressed up as cats and brought cat ears for him so we could be the Aristocats. Dress up together one last time.

I look at myself in the mirror and realize it's been six years, to the day.

Avery adds blush to my cheeks. She's nearly finished with my make-up. When I told my friends I no longer fitted into my Black Swan costume from last year– yay, puberty– Austin came up with a costume idea for all five of us. It's honestly surprising that we've never dressed up together before.

Avery hands me the white denim jacket. My dad had one of these still lying around. He wore it in the nineties, which proves how accurate our costume is.

"So... Reeve's coming?" I give Avery a cheeky look in the mirror.

She tries to hide her smile. "Uh-huh."

Avery's helped organized the Halloween dance at school since freshman year. Since it's her last year on the committee, she went all out– or so she says. Avery kills every party, so I know we won't be disappointed.

"It's so sweet that he's skipping his own Halloween party to see you." I say. She mentioned it quickly when she got to my house, but the boys were here and I could tell she was trying to hide her excitement.

"I know. I didn't even have to ask him to do that." She grins as she runs a straightener through my hair.

"Aw. You so like him." I tease her.

"Shut up." She pushes my head a little.

"No, come on, I still think the only man who's worthy of you is Donald Glover, and all..."

Avery nods her head in agreement.

"But Reeve is a great catch. And he's a good dresser. That's rare for guys our age."

"I know, right?" The excitement spats from Avery's eyes. "I mean, our boys do pretty well for themselves, but–"

"Aw," Austin appears in the doorway of my bedroom. His hand strokes his chest. "I didn't know you guys compliment us behind our back, that's adorable."

Avery gives him an aw-shucks smile. "That's because if we do it to your face, your ego inflates to about three times its already humongous size."

Austin's shoulders sag in defeat. "I'm already wishing I'd stayed behind the door." He mutters. His eyes go to my desk, scattered with make-up and hair products. "Are you almost done? Your parents want to take group pictures of us."

"Of course they do." I snort. Yet another addition to mom's scrapbook collection. Honestly, in a decade or two, I'll probably be thankful for my mother's incessant need to document everything. She never lets me forget anything that's happened to me.

"Almost, I just need to put some highlights in Paisley's hair." Avery holds up the ice blonde clip-in extensions we got at the Dollar Store yesterday. "But I thought we were gonna take pictures at the party. You know, with the décor and everything."

"Yeah, and you trust Elias to make it to the party smudge-free with these white clothes?" Austin gestures at his own outfit. He's wearing white baggy jeans with a white corduroy jacket. Tiny sunglasses rest on top of his head.