I'll Be Holding on to You

halloween

Because I'm insane I agreed to go to Mara's ex's Halloween party. I was tired of Halloween always sucking, and if it turned out to be that bad, we could just leave. It was only five minutes from us so they were leaving their car at my house and we were taking mine there.

I was freaking out because all I was wearing was basically a shirt, jacket, and panties with fishnet tights. I worried it was dumb and presumptuous when someone like Evie could kill this outfit and "everyone's going to laugh at me," I moaned to her as she fixed my makeup. 

We were upstairs at Hadley's lit-up mirror. Erika wouldn't let me see her until she was ready so I was returning the favor.

Evie put down the tiny brush she was holding. "Dorienne," she said, the voice of reason. "Stop. No one is going to be laughing at you." She picked it up again, gesturing for me to close my eyes. "Especially not with me doing your face. You look incredible. Best costume hands down." She blew on my eyebrow and then leaned back and I opened my eyes. "There," she said, satisfied. "Perfect, bb."

She turned my chair so I could see in the mirror. "Damn," I said, impressed. I could barely see me in there. "You're amazing."

"You're amazing," she said, giving me a sudden hug. "I'm glad you're going."

"Sure, can't wait to get rid of me," I said, smiling, which looked weird and ultra cool. "Damn, I look awesome." I made more faces. Now I was less nervous and more excited. You couldn't look like this and not want to show it off. It would hopefully last more than two minutes.

She made me turn around and pose for pictures, with and without the jacket on, and then released me.

"Okay, now you get out so I can do Freak's makeup. Downstairs you go." She handed me the jacket but it was warm inside so I just carried it. "Go receive your adoration. And if you're planning to steal Gage from Freak, now's the time," she added mock-confidentially.

I shoved her but not hard and picked up the bat. It was a comforting weight in my hand. "I might start carrying a bat around on general principle," I mused aloud.

"Okay fren," she said in her sure, whatever voice, giving me a little push out the door. Erika was waiting in my room for her turn.

"Thank you Evie!" I called back as I started down the stairs. I felt a little self conscious if only because I knew the guys would make a big deal of it when they saw me.

Aaand they totally did.

There was whistling and catcalling and looks of admiration I realized I hadn't seen since we last danced. I blushed furiously and loved it. Being happy made me want to cry and I cut them off with a gesture. "If you guys make me cry and ruin my makeup Evie will kill you."

"I will," she promised from the top of the stairs before disappearing.

"Mara's gonna flip," Cam said, taking the bat and giving it an experimental swing. "So's Gage for that matter," he added under his breath with a wink. 

"I like the bat idea," Moey admitted. He was doing something on his phone. 

"Me, too," I said, taking it back from Cam and hefting it. 

"Can we put spikes on it?" Mo added. 

"That is not a bad idea," I mused.

"Also, you forgot to put your pants on," Freddy teased, but not in a gross way. "Not that anyone's complaining." He winked and I shook my head.

We waited for them to finish. It was still twenty minutes until Gage and Mara were due when Evie called "Okay, get ready!"

We were, or thought we were, or I thought I was. Then Erika appeared, dressed somehow as a steampunkish Mad Hatter, had the Mad Hatter been the sexiest female alive. The dress was Evie-found, the top a black and purple corset, the skirt artfully tattered in various colors, the hat green and purple velvet with a red ribbon and the classic 10/6 sign perched jauntily on her head. Evie had done her makeup with matching colors, so she looked like an exotic goddess of some sort. My sort.