Soulmates. (Harry Styles) -completed-

♥-chapter thirteen-♥

'What kind of dressed up?'

'Any kind of fancy dress. Witch, ghoul, voodoo-doll-hanging-over-the-corpse-of-a-dead-granny-from-the-cellar - that kind of stuff.'

'Sounds fun.'

                                                                ***

To my embarrassment, it was Dean the one to help me with my Hallowe'en costume. He was really into the idea of it, using materials in his art and getting carried away. But it's a good fatheer-daughter bonding time. With Debbie decorating the house, Dean was helping with mine, making Debbie one, and also pitched himself one together.

'You're not thinking of coming with me?' I asked in horror as he placed the masks in the kicthen on Hallowe'en morning. 

'Of course.' His tone was deadpan but I caught the laughter in his eyes. 'Just what a teenager wants: her parents tagging along to her friend's party after her first evening out after being grounded.'

'Tell me he's lying!' I appealed to Debbie.

'Of course he is. But we need costumes for when the Trick-or-Treaters come round for sweets,' said Debbie.

'You're gonna hand out sweets dressed like that?'

'Yep.' Dean tapped his skull mask affectionately.

'I'm glad I won't be home.'

                                                                ***

My friends met up outside the shopping market at seven, forming a gaggle of witches, ghosts, and zombies. The atomosphere was perfect: dark, moonless, and there was even mist to add to the ghoolish theme. Zoey had dressed in a fantastic vampire outfit. Lisa chose the warlock look, pointed hat and long cap, face painted with silver stars. David came as zomblie - ha, to no surprise. I fel a bit self-concious in my figure-hugging skeleton suit. 

David tapped on the top of my plaster skull. 'Knock, knock, who's there?'

'It's me - Kenzie.'

'It's me, Kenzie who?'

'Shut up, David.'

He laughed. 'You look great. Where did you get the suit from?'

I took off the mask. 'Dean made it.'

'Awesome.'

'Can we get moving, Lisa?' I asked.

'Yeah, let's.'

Lisa handed me round pumpkin-shaped lanterns on the end of poles and we processed through the streets, enjoying the show. Little children paraded past with their parents, dressed in a bizarre selection of costumes. 

As we neared Lisa's house, a werewolf emerged from the mist to join our group, complete with full-faced mask sprouting hair from ears, and a pair of shaggy paws. On any other night, this would have be cause for an alarm; on Hallowe'en, no-one batted an eyelid.

The werewolf slipped through the crowd and sidled up to me. Bending down, he growled in my ear.

'Harry?' I yelped.

'Ssh. I don't want people to know I'm here. And don't, you know, think to me, in case someone's listening in.'

I started to giggle, absurdly glad he had sneaked out to see me. 'Ah, Wolfman, you are a master of disguise, fooling the bad guys with your cunning.'

'I blend in, don't I? I knew you'd be out after dark, so here I am.'

I really didn't need a reminder of the real horror haunting us on this night of pretend horrors, but I could feel happier now he was beside me.