I'm walking behind the girls as they point out every 'scary' decoration.
Looking over at Finn, I push him in the back of the head. "Ow— what?"
"Go talk to Sofía," I insist.
"She's so pretty and I don't think she likes me."
"Well, you won't know that if you don't talk to her. Lav invited her for you."
Sage throws an arm around Finn. "Yeah, I mean, you think that stops your big brother? Lav hates Elijah but that doesn't stop him from talking to her."
I poke the inside of my cheek with my tongue. "Nice."
Sage sends me a big grin and I can't help but smile myself.
"Go talk to her!" I demand.
"I will! I will! At the next house," Finn waves me off.
"Lavender," I call out her name, making her stop and turn toward me. "You missed this house."
Finn quietly groans before taking Giselle's hand and walking up to the big house with Sofía.
"This is a big house, I want some," Sage explains. He takes off his cowboy hat and flips it upside down to use as a bucket.
I move over next to Lav and nudge her on the shoulder. "Having fun?"
"Yes, because I love walking around blocks and blocks with heeled boots on!" She smiles sarcastically.
"I'll trade you shoes," I offer.
Lavender looks down at my white Converse and then her boots. Her attention turns back on me and she laughs, making me fall back in love with her all over again.
"They had full-sized candy bars!" Sage comes rushing back.
Sage gives a big chocolate bar to Lavender and they walk with Gigi while Finn finally talks with Sofía.
I feel a hand try to wrap around my shoulder. Looking down, I see Harper smiling up at me. "Hola. How are you and Lavender?"
"Shush, Harper. She's right there." I gesture in front of us.
"She's like ahead of everyone, she's fine. Answer my question."
"I— I don't know. What do you want me to tell you?"
"Lav told me what you did. Bad move buddy. Lavender will always find out one way or another," Harper warns.
"Yeah, I got that. Thank you." I narrow my eyes at her.
"Want a tip?" she asks.
"Um—"
"Lavender loves aquariums and zoos. But only if you know for sure that they're not harming the animals," Harper interrupts.
"Can we go to the rich neighborhoods now?" Finn asks from ahead of us.
"Sí, we've been around the houses a million times," Sofía adds.
"Okay, we can go back to the house," Lavender offers and we all turn around and walk back to where she said.
Harper follows back to Lav and her sister as Finn comes up to me. "Do you think we can trick or treat alone?"
"What? Me and you?" I wonder.
"No, Sofía and I."
"You? And a girl? All alone on the 'scariest' night of the year? I don't think so, buddy." I pat his shoulder.
"Why does it matter? You hang out with Lavender all the time alone?"
"Why— what? Why does that matter?" I laugh.
"You're a boy, she's a girl. Lavender's pretty, Sofia's pretty. It correlates pretty well," Finn sasses.
"Well you guys are like twelve and practically, we're legally adults. How does that correlate?"
He groans.
"I'll let you guys walk ahead and we'll follow way behind, how about that?"
"Fine," he mumbles.
I smile and shake the plastic firefighter hat on his head.
"Hey, do you want to take my Mom's car? It has eight seats. Plus the car seat for Giselle," I turn around and offer.
They all nod and we end up at my house soon enough. I go inside real quick for the keys.
"Done already?" my Mom asks as I come in the door.
"No, I was just wondering if I could borrow your keys, please? Finn wants to go to the mansions."
She takes a moment and looks at me over at the kitchen island. "Okay, be safe then. I love you."
"I love you." I smile and grab her keys hanging off the wall.
I come out of the house to see Lavender looking at Sage weirdly as he talks. I can't hear what they're saying but she looks over my way and subtly smiles.
I smile back and unlock the car, scaring Sage and making him scream from the noise. Lavender bursts out laughing and I can't help but grin. She has no idea the effect she has on me.
I start the car and everyone gets in. Finn and Sofía head to the very back, Harper buckles Giselle in her car seat in the second row along with Sage, and Lavender takes the spot upfront.
Backing out of the driveway, I put my arm around the passenger seat to look over my shoulder to see the back window.
Pulling out to the road, I put back my hands on the wheels after lowly turning on the radio. Soon enough, the car erupts in their own conversations.
"Can I ask you a question?"
"You always do," Lavender responds.
"Do you really think I would do that to you?"
"Do what?"
"I mean- I was with you all day yesterday and you thought I called up a random girl to hook up." I glance over at her and she's staring at her lap. I hesitate before reaching over and squeezing her bare knee. "You take up all my attention, Quinn."
I take my hand off her knee and place it on my own. Focusing back on the road, I can't see her expression but through the corner of my eye, I see her look at me.
She turns back away and I smile.
———
I feel like the shape of his hand is imprinted on my knee.
Elijah pulls up to an open spot on the side of the neighborhood and we all get out.
I help get Giselle out of her car seat and rest her on my hip as everyone else gets out.
"I'll take the princess," Sage says in a high-pitched voice as he takes Gigi out of my hands.
Elijah locks the car and Sofía starts strolling with Finn. Before Harper can go up to them, I pull her back.
"What?" she asks.
"I feel like I'm going insane. You saw that right?"
"The knee thing? Yeah everyone in the car saw it. He likes you, Lavender. Obsessed with you if I may." She continuously looks over at her sister walking ahead.
"Okay but how do you know?" I beg.
"Because he—" Harper pauses and hesitates when she looks my way. "Because it's painfully obvious."
"No," I deny.
She takes a minute to stare at me. Harper opens her mouth to say something but eventually gives up and rolls her eyes.
Looking behind me, Elijah's head automatically turns over to Sage holding Giselle. I face back forward and bite the inside of my cheek.
Finn and Sofía stop and go up to a house as Sage follows with Gigi. Elijah meets up with me and Harper.
"Why are they so far ahead?" Harper asks him.
"It was either that or they go all alone."
"Neither."
"I'm sorry. Do you have a problem with my twelve-year-old brother?"
"Of course not. I have a problem with whatever advice you tell him about girls," Harper retorts.
"I'll have you know I teach him to respect women. Because I respect women, and I love women."
For the last sentence, he quickly takes a glance at me making me look at the floor.
Everyone comes back from the house and continues to walk. I stay quiet as I people watch. I notice all the customized jack-o-lanterns and the family costumes, making me smile.
"Lovey, look it's a haunted house!" Harper stops wandering and comes to me to squeeze my arm.
We all look over to see a public house open and everyone walking towards it.
"Um— maybe not."
I feel my light brown hair being moved off my shoulder and soon being replaced with an arm. Following who the arm belongs to, I look up to see Elijah. The way he towers over me is so...
Never mind.
"Awe, is the princess scared?" he teases.
"No. It's just- like what if there are clowns in there," I mumble.
"Let's go in the haunted house!" Giselle claps her hands.
I internally groan and follow her up to the house. If a four-year-old could go then I could go.
I'm the last one to enter because if I get scared, I usually punch someone and I do not want to get arrested tonight. Elijah follows next to me just in case.
We walk in and the lights are flashing red as fog clouds the floor. Automatically, I walk closer to Elijah and find his hand.
I am scared for my life.
There's a loud slam making my brother and I scream. I squeeze Mr. Know-It-All's hand as we anxiously walk through the rest of the house.
There's a tassel curtain that Harper opens and we all go through it. Me being the last one to walk in, a clown pops out of the corner making me let out a high-pitched scream. I let go of Elijah's hand and move to his arm, squeezing his bicep.
Damn.
Anyways—
I don't look at his face due to the fact I'm scared out of my mind looking around the house.
"How much longer?" I shriek.
"Not much," a scarecrow jumps out of the corner rocking chair making me whimper in fright and hide my face in Elijah's side.
I feel a hand caress the back of my head as we continue treading through the house.
Finally outside, I run over to Harper and she wraps me in a hug as she laughs. I look over and Giselle and she seems unfazed as she twirls her sprayed-red hair. I push my best friend away and clear my throat.
I try to hide the redness on my face as I brush through my wavy hair with my fingers. Haunted houses make me uneasy.
They all continue to walk and I follow behind, now more paranoid than ever.
"Do you need me to take you home?" There's a voice in my ear as well as a hand on my arm making me jump.
"No, I'm just a little anxious that's all. I'll be fine," I tell Elijah.
"Are you sure? I can drive you home no problem."
"I'm fine. I don't want to ruin it for anyone." I give him a closed-lip smile.
"Well—" he tries.
"No, Rivera. Leave it alone." I wave him off and walk faster to catch up to Sage.
"Are you guys okay?" he asks.
I look at him strangely. "What? Why? We're how we always are."
"How are you always?"
"I don't know. Why does it matter?" I roll my eyes and move over next to Harper.
"Do you wanna go home and watch 'Coraline'?" She asks.
"What about the kids?"
"Have you seen their buckets? These rich people have filled them already. I'm getting kinda bored anyway." Harper winks at me and I smile as I throw myself into her arms.
***