Danny's Point of View
"The phone, the phone is ringing! The phone, we'll be right there!" I hear my ringtone go off. Julie put that on my phone as a joke. I start to fish it out of my pocket when Dad interrupts me.
"Daniel, do not answer that. It is dinner time," he scolds.
"I'm just checking who it is. What if it's important?" He sighs but lets me check anyway.
🐢Missy🐢 it says.
"I've gotta take this," I say. I tap the green button and put the phone up to my ear.
"I said no!"
"Dad, it's important. I love you and I'm sorry, but it's important. Hello?"
"Did you just say you love me? The connection got lost for a second but I definitely heard an 'I love you' in there somewhere. That better be just a friendly 'I love you.' It really better be, because if it's not I will hurt you for hurting Julie. I will do it, Daniel Matthews! I will-"
"Missy I wasn't talking to you," I walk upstairs.
"Oh. Then who were you talking to? Is it another woman? If that was another woman I swear I will-"
"Missy! Do you really think I would do that to Julie? I was talking to my dad," I explain, sitting on my bed.
"You love your daddy," She explodes into a fit of laughter.
"Really," I say, my voice flat. I sigh. "Anyway, the reason you called. What is it?" Missy takes a few deep breaths and continues to talk.
"I was wondering if you were busy tomorrow night. I need you," she says.
"How very informative. Need me for what, exactly?"
"A meeting. I need you to attend. Tomorrow at 3:30 in the old warehouse."
"Why are you being so vague? This is weird. I'd like to know why I'm going to the old warehouse at 3:30."
"So you're coming? Cool. I'll see you there. Oh, and bring a pen!"
"Wait!" I shout, but I'm too late. She's already gone. I return to the dinner table to ask if I can go.
***
I sit quietly, staring at the large, rectangular thing under a sheet and listening to the constant drip of water from rusted pipes.
"Meeting is in session!" Missy shouts.
"Why are you shouting? There's only four people in here, including you." Andra scolds.
"Because I felt like it, Andra! Geez you're such a downer." I snicker.
"Guys, stop it. We're here for a purpose, remember?" Amelia says.
"What is that purpose, again? I didn't exactly get an itinerary for this." I ask.
"I was getting to that Danny, if everyone would just stop interrupting me!" Missy shouts. A murmur of 'sorry's echoes throughout the room.
Missy rips the sheet off of the rectangle and I see it is a white board on wheels. Halloween is written across the top in black bubble letters, topped off with a squiggly line underneath it. Missy uncaps an orange dry erase marker and makes a small bullet point to the left of the board.
"Halloween is Julie's favorite holiday. She has always put an extreme amount of energy into it. Costumes, candy routes, the whole nine yards. Since she isn't here to celebrate this year, I say we do something together. Just the four of us, as a sort of commemoration for her. She would want us to enjoy Halloween even though she can't."
"Wow. So, why the old warehouse?" Amelia asks.
"It's one of Julie's favorite places. It's dark and creepy, just like Halloween. There's that annoying constant water drip from the pipe that she loves, for god knows why. And the fact that when you walk out of here, you're nearly blinded because your eyes had adjusted to the darkness. God she's morbid."
"You know you love it," Amelia coos.
"So, what are our plans?" I ask.
"That is why the white board is here. You give me ideas and I write them down. Then we discuss."
Andra raises her hand. Missy points the marker at her.
"Trick or treating. Julie loved the whole free candy concept." Missy makes a writes it down next to the bullet point, making another directly underneath.
Amelia raises a finger, indicating she has an idea. "Ames!" Missy shouts, once again pointing the marker.
"Stephanie Miller is having a Halloween party on the 28th. She always invites the entire class. Just saying." Missy shrugs and writes it down.
"What about costumes?" I ask. The girls look at me and Missy gestures for me to continue. "Well, Julie's always wanted to have a themed Halloween costume, and wanted friends in on it too. But, as you guys know, it's never worked out. So, I was thinking we could do that."
"You are chock full of good ideas, Danny. I love it." Missy writes 'Themed Costumes' down.
"What kind of theme though? Julie has read so many books and watched just about every fictional show or movie there is." Andra asks.
"Idea!" Missy screeches. "We could do a Julie theme." We all look at her quizzically, huhs and whats murmured among us. "You're all obviously confused." We nod.
"Well, I was thinking of a theme for our costumes and I came up with the theme of Julie. She is, after all, insanely obsessive with the whole work of fiction concept. We could just pick one character from one of her favorite fandom thingies to dress up as."
"Oh, you're good," Amelia whispers.
"Do you like the idea?" Everyone nods. "Great! Now what are our assigned costumes?"
"What does she like that we can pull off easily?" Andra asks.
"Well, I can be Lena Duchannes from Beautiful Creatures," Missy suggests.
"And I can be the Doctor. 10th incarnation." I say.
"Andra could be a Luna Lovegood, she's got the hair." Amelia points out.
"Oh! You could be Mary Winchester as a teenager." I waggle my finger at Amelia.
"Oh my gooosh, you guys. This is working!" Missy squeals in delight. She uncaps the orange marker to write down our costumes. "Ok. Soo are we going to go trick or treating, or to the party?" Missy asks.
"Why not both?" I ask.
"He's got a point," Amelia says.
"Problem is, can we get the costumes done in time?"
"Well, if we start looking for supplies tomorrow, we'll have enough time to put them together."
"Wait," Andra stops Missy from squealing again. "What about our parents? What if they decide we can't go?"
"Well, have any of you given your parents reason to not let you go?" Missy asks. We all sheepishly look away. "Seriously? You people." She shakes her head.
"Well, looks like we'll have to behave extra well until then." Amelia says.
Missy uncaps her marker once more. Making a small note to the side of the whiteboard, she takes her sleeve and wipes everything except the note away. Then, she begins to write our concrete plans down.
"Soo where are we gonna get the stuff?" Amelia asks. Missy shushes her and continues to write.
After a few minutes of silence (save for the constant dripping of water), Missy turns to face us. She steps out of the way of the white board to let us read.
"Viola."
October 2- Ask parents about plans.
October 3- (If parents say yes to our plans) After school, we go look for costume material. Find as much as we can.
October 5- Talk to Julie's grandmother about sewing things. If she does not agree, we can look for tailors.
October 7- Start making costumes.
October 28- (Hopefully) Go to Stephanie Miller's party and blow our whole class's minds.
October 31- Have fun in our badass costumes in memory of Julie.
"Here you all are." Missy starts walking over to us with paper. I take one from her and see that the exact plans from the whiteboard are on the paper. All three of us look at her, surprised.
"What? Julie taught me many things, and one of them is how to write fast. And I mean fast."
"But you wrote on three papers!" Andra screeches in protest.
"Technically four, counting mine," Missy replies. "But honestly. Julie always took our notes when we were absent, and hers all at the same time. And she still got it all done before the slide changed. I merely just took what I learned and applied it to a real life situation. Our teachers would be so proud." Missy places a hand over her heart, looking out into the distance dramatically.
I laugh. "Soo, what now?"
"Now you can all leave. Meeting adjourned!" Missy screams for the last time. "And don't forget to talk to your parents! I mean it."
We say our goodbyes and begin to walk out the door. I shield my eyes from the glittering light that is the sun, waiting for my eyes to adjust to the brightness.