One Year of You and I

October 31st

Thursday, October 31st, 2013

Holly

  “I can’t believe you actually convinced me to do this,” I said, letting out a laugh.

  Every year on Halloween, Zeke Phillips -one of Barthrow’s wealthiest students- threw one hell of a costume party. Everyone was invited, that is, with one rule: you had to wear a costume to get in. Most girls saw it as an occasion to dress trampy, yet Olive and I decided to have fun with this opportunity. Taking advantage of our twin-being, we had gone out and each purchased a pair of cheap overalls. With, she pulled hers over a red t-shirt, mine over a green one. We had found the perfect hats at the nearby dollar store. To top it all off, we found miniature cardboard mustaches, which we glued to a stick to carry by our sides. 

  Here we were: Olive Hardison as Mario and Holly Hardison as Luigi. 

 Olive and I had never been one to love parties so much; getting drunk and making fools of ourselves simply wasn’t our interest. Zeke’s party was a whole different story. To sum it up, it always promised to be a good time. Olive and I went every year, just like the whole Barthrow population above ninth grade did.

  Our mother, who had been driving us, pulled up in front of the large house. It looked like something from a movie scene; students out on the front lawn that was dotted with red, orange, and yellow leaves, sporting diverse costumes from Ms. Pac-Man to Edward Cullen. The Top 40 blared from the giant stone house, the sound of voices singing along accompanying. The house held so much life. 

  “Have fun!” She said. “I’ll be back at around midnight.” Giving us her necessary maternal glare, she added, “Be smart, girls.” 

  We nodded our heads and exited the car, making our way to the front of the house. As we walked across the lawn, a few people waved. I couldn’t help but think that they were only directed towards my sister.

  Standing at the door was Zeke himself. There was no argument that he was always the best dressed. Each year, his costume became more ridiculous, and more original. This year, he had gone as Kim Kardashian: not only with his black wig and makeup, yet with a red minidress and cushioned bottom as the cherry on top. He was tall and lanky and overall goofy looking, with the red dress too high on his hairy legs, causing me to burst into a fit of laughter just by seeing him.

  He placed his hands on his voluptuous hips. “Hmm, I wonder who the Hardison twins are dressed as?”

  Olive shot him an easy wink. “It’s-a-me, Mario!” 

  He waved his arms in the direction of the entrance, where the party was already at its climax: the music loud with everyone dancing along. Walking in, we passed the living room, where students sat in a circle playing a ridiculous game of Truth or Dare. Niko Simore stood in the center, dancing terribly with his behind doing most of the moves. The hallway was filled with dancing students, which led us to the kitchen, where candy and beverages sat, surrounded by more people. The house was hot with the large crowd, sound coming from every direction. Music. Laughing. Talking. Cheering. Without realizing it, you’d find yourself joining along.

  “I’m diagnosing myself with a sweet tooth,” Olive told me, yelling over the sound of the music. “The only cure is candy corn and Reese’s Pieces. To the kitchen!” 

  She grabbed my wrist and led me down the hall, where we had to squeeze through a costumed-clan. It was rather surreal seeing everybody. Most of the people here were from Barthrow, though I did recognize some Orchid peers as well. Nevertheless, seeing the familiar faces for the first time since last June -the faces of the friends that I had lost, the pupils I had learned with, the children who had become teens and were those I grew up with- I was caught in a trance. I had been coming to love my new school, but nothing would ever compare to the adoration that came from the original. Barthrow was my home.