You Stayed With Us

Trick or Trouble

Scarlett joined in, patting the decoration. "Hi, zombie! Do you want candy? You can share with Cooper and Dory and Nemo."

And then—snap. One of the tombstones cracked in half.

My eyes widened. "Oh no. Oh no no no. Put it back, put it back!"

The boys panicked, trying to shove the broken decoration back into the ground like that would magically fix it.

"YOU TWO!" a man's voice bellowed from the porch. The homeowner stormed out, glaring at the scene.

I didn't even think. I grabbed both taco and hot dog by their buns and bolted down the street. "Abort mission! Abort!"

Jennie groaned from behind, facepalming so hard I heard it. "Lisa..."

By the time we reached the next house, the twins were still breathless.

"It was Nathan's fault!" Noah cried.

"No, it was Noah's fault!" Nathan shot back.

"Both of you—" Jennie cut in sharply, "are going to apologize if we pass by that house again."

"Nooo, Mommy!" they whined in perfect harmony.

Ella smirked, baring her fake vampire teeth. "Honestly, if you two get arrested for tombstone murder, I'm not bailing you out."

"ELLA!" Jennie snapped, glaring at her eldest. "Stop teasing your brothers."

Ella threw her hands up. "What? I'm just saying!"

I bit my lip to hide my laugh and got death-stared by Jennie. Again.

The next house wasn't much better. Scarlett marched right up to the lady with the candy bowl, bucket stretched high.

"Trick or treat!" she squeaked.

The woman dropped a few chocolates in.

Scarlett frowned. "More, please. I have Cooper at home, and my fishes Dory and Nemo. They need chocolate too."

The lady chuckled nervously. "Oh sweetheart, dogs and fish can't eat chocolate."

"Yes, they can," Scarlett said stubbornly. "Cooper likes everything. And Dory eats all my crumbs."

Jennie sighed. "Scarlett, honey, one bucket is enough."

"No! Cooper is hungry!" Scarlett stomped her tiny shark fin.

Meanwhile, Ella was trying to get Jennie to take another picture of her cape flowing dramatically in the wind. "Mom, hurry! This lighting is literally cinematic."

Jennie pinched the bridge of her nose. "Ella, this is not a fashion shoot."

"It could be," Ella muttered, twirling anyway.

Rosé fluttered past, wings nearly knocking into Kai. "I think your daughter gets it from you, Jennie."

Jisoo, the cockroach, scuttled over to scare some kids—until a toddler dressed as a giant shoe kicked her in the shin.

"AHH! I'VE BEEN SQUASHED!" she screamed, flailing on the ground.

Taehyung tripped over his Teletubbie belly trying to help her up, and Kai just stood there, crossing himself like he was about to do an exorcism.

Jennie groaned. "I can't believe this is my life."

Nathan tugged on my banana peel. "Dada, I'm scared the bug will get me."

Noah snorted. "The bug already got squashed. Don't be a baby."

"I'm not a baby, YOU'RE a baby!" Nathan shoved him.