October 31st, 1984
Nick was already up and eating breakfast when George awoke. She was halfway through her cereal when she heard his footsteps in the hall. She looked up when she heard them stop, almost choking on her food when she saw him in the doorway.
"What are you wearing?" Nick spluttered through her cereal.
"It's my halloween costume!" George said innocently, sounding very proud of himself, "The guys said everyone dresses up."
"You look like a disease."
"What?" George's shoulders drooped, "No! I'm the green ghost from Ghostbusters. You know, the slimer."
"You're wearing a bedsheet with green paint on." Nick said flatly.
"Yeah," George pouted, "Cause I'm the ghost. And they're the ghostbusters."
Nick spooned more cereal into her mouth
"You'd better not have stained your only bedsheet," she said whilst chewing.
George sighed and looked at his feet. Nick sighed too, smiling sadly at his downcast expression.
"But you have done a good job of it," she said. George's head darted up. He grinned at her.
"Come on," she said, leaving her empty bowl by the sink, "Let's go. Get your green ghost butt in the car."
George beamed and ran to the door, eager to get to school and see his friends' costumes.
"And you'd better not stain my seats!" Nick called after him but he hadn't heard. She was going to be scrubbing green paint off her car seats that evening...
*
George jumped out the car as soon as Nick pulled up. He was excited to see his friends' costumes. He'd just missed out on halloween last year, he couldn't wait to see everyone in their costumes. Halloween had always been his favourite holiday. He just couldn't see why people stopped dressing up. He'd dress up everyday if he could!
"Bye Nick!" He called back over his shoulder as he raced to the bike rack, where they'd arranged to meet the day before. Nick had probably shouted bye back but he hadn't heard her in his haste to meet his friends.
The others were already there when he arrived, and were already arguing.
"Woah, woah, woah," Mike was saying, holding out a hand to stop Lucas from walking away, "Why are you Venkman?"
"Because I'm Venkman," Lucas answered, uninterested.
"No," Mike interjected forcefully, "I'm Venkman."
"Hey George," Will said, ignoring Mike and Lucas' argument.
"Hey," he said. Dustin waved and George waved back, "What's going on?" George asked, Dustin shrugged.
"Why can't there be two Venkmans?" Will asked, trying to be the peacemaker.
"Because there's only one Venkman in real life," Mike argued. George frowned. There were no Venkman's in real life. It's a movie.
"We planned this months ago," Mike continued, "And I was supposed to be the only Venkman. Lucas changed everything and messed it up! I'm Venkman, Dustin's Stantz, Will's Egon, you're Winston," Mike said, pointing a finger into Lucas' chest, "And George had to be the ghost because there were no more Ghostbusters left."
George's shoulders slumped. He could have been a ghostbuster. They could have had two Venkmans, or two Stantzs, or two Egons, or two Winstons.
"I specifically didn't agree to Winston," Lucas said before Mike had even finished his sentence.
"Yes!" Mike said, sounding increasingly frustrated, "You did!"
"I don't think he did," Will said timidly, trying to ease the tension. George smiled.
"No one wants to be Winston," Lucas complained.
"What's wrong with Winston?" Mike asked, frustratingly.
"What's wrong with Winston?" Lucas repeated as if the answer was obvious, "He sucks! He joined the team really late. If anyone should be Winston, it should be George!"
"Hey!" George said. He actually wouldn't mind being Winston, but it was the principal he disagreed with.
"Guys," Dustin said flatly, trying to get them to stop arguing. It didn't work, "Guys!" he shouted this time and everyone stopped talking. Dustin was staring past them, "Why is no one else wearing costumes?"
George looked around. Sure enough, no one else was wearing a costume. They all looked at each other, knowing how much they were going to be teased and mentally making a pact to stay together so they'd feel less awkward.
George slowly removed the sheet that made up the basis of his hastily made costume and tucked it into his school bag. He was wearing other clothes on underneath so now he looked normal. He was actually thankful now that he'd been excluded as a ghostbuster.
*
They went inside, trying to ignore the comments and laughs that were aimed their way. George pulled the sheet out of his bag and stuffed it away in his locker. He'd have to remember to go and get it before he went home or he'd be sleeping on a bed with now sheet on.
Dustin and Lucas shoved what parts of their costumes would fit inside their lockers, slamming them shut in relief. They turned their backs on their lockers and went strangely still, staring at something.
"What are you looking at?" George asked.
"Shhhhh." Lucas hushed, ignoring him and carrying on staring.
Max skated past, looking effortlessly cool on her skateboard. Dustin and Lucas watched, mouths slightly open, as she went past. George frowned a little. He didn't understand that. She was cool, yeah, but he didn't feel the need to stare at her.
"What?" George asked again but no one answered him. Dustin and Lucas turned to face each other.
"We doing this?" Dustin asked, his voice lowered.
"Right now?" Lucas asked apprehensive, "We look like morons."
Dustin shrugged.
"Maybe she likes ghostbusters."
"Of course she likes ghostbusters, everyone likes ghostbusters," Lucas said before shaking his head and getting to the point he'd meant to make, "But my point is we're dressed up and she's not."
"Did you bring regular clothes?" Dustin asked. George was still confused as to what was happening. Had they planned something without him? Had he been excluded again?
"No." Lucas answered.
"Me neither," Dustin grimaced, "So...it's now or never.
"Now or never what?" George asked, still hoping to be let in on the plan.
"Let's go," Lucas nodded, psyching himself up.
"Go where?" George asked, "What's going on?" But no one answered him. Dustin and Lucas walked off, heading over to Max.
Will was still at the lockers, standing beside George. He'd been watching Lucas and Dustin's weird conversation too.
"What's going on?" He asked.
"No idea," George admitted, shaking his head.
"Shall we just...go then?" Will asked awkwardly. George nodded. What else could they do?
They looked at each other for a second and laughed. Why were their friends so weird? George smiled. He was glad though, to have friends no matter how weird they were.