Chapter Eight: Halloween
The minute I step foot in my room, I knew I was in for it. I was with a boy. Not only was I with a boy, I was with a boy I never told anyone about. Kira and Indie would surely have my head for this. They both sat on my bed, glaring at me. I shut the door behind me and they let loose. Both of them began yelling at me at the same time.
"Alright, slow down," I sighed, setting down my costume.
"Who's this Griffin guy? And why are we just meeting him?!" Indie spat.
"A friend of mine," I rolled my eyes. "It's no big deal."
"No big deal?! It was a big deal when I didn't tell you about Bradley!" She argued.
"Because you two were dating! Griffin and I aren't even friends!"
After a few more minutes of arguing, I finally explained Griffin and I met while I was walking my dog. I had to leave out certain parts, like him being the Grim Reaper. I couldn't drag them into that. They're my best friends and I couldn't live with myself if I knew they worried about me. They deserved to smile genuinely before I leave. It wouldn't be fair to have to weigh them down with my burdens.
Once they finally accepted my answer, they were quick to rummage through my bag. Kira glared at me when she saw what was in the bag. I still had to go out and get the rest. For now, I only had two fake swords and a mask. She must think I gave up completely. She tossed the bag to the side, much to Indie's dismay. She frowned at Kira.
"I was still looking in that bag, you dimwit!" She barked.
"There's nothing to look at!" Kira shot back before turning back to me. Her expression softened. "Kenzie, I get that you just broke up with Micah-" The look on my face stopped her.
Up until now, I had totally forgotten about Micah. It was like he didn't exist. I was relieved. Looking back on our relationship, it wasn't worth the effort. Obviously, neither one of us was happy with the other. Micah didn't want me, he wanted my looks. He wanted what he thought I'd be like. I guess that's why he became so controlling. Once he realized I wasn't who he thought, he tried to mold me into that person.
I wasn't happy being controlled. The person I used to be couldn't be controlled. The only people I answered to were my parents. Not even Kira and Indie could keep me under wraps for long. Being in that relationship, that person faded away. The thought arguing was quickly thrown away. The fight I had in me left and was replaced by a girl who would rather pay attention to leaves on the ground. I thought that girl was okay. That everyone likes her. Now, I know everyone doesn't like her because I hate her.
I smiled at my best friends, "Screw him. Let's get decorating!"
Indie gave me a suspicious look before shrugging and following me. It took Kira a few extra seconds to join us, but she eventually did. We grabbed the boxes of decorations from the basement and got to work. Kira hung up the lights around the house while Indie and I put up the fake cobwebs with spiders. Eventually, Lindsay and Tanner joined us. Tanner always does the cauldrons of dry ice. He's like our special effects guy. Lindsay decorated the furniture and the door. She put a fake mummy right next to the door, knowing it'll scare at least one person.
My parents got to work with us. Mom was on the phone making calls for catering and Dad helped put up the decorations that went higher up on the wall while telling the worst jokes ever. Once again, my thoughts drifted from the problems in life. I was focused on the moment and enjoying every second. Though I liked decorating, I was glad when we were done. I was exhausted. Our house
"Why do cows have hooves instead of feet?" Dad grinned. We all collectively groaned. "Because they lactose!"
"That has to be the worst one!" Lindsay rolled her eyes, trying to hide her smile.
Kira sighed, "No offense, Mr. Oliver, but your jokes are horrible!"
"Excuse you, Kira! Dad's jokes aren't that bad," Tanner defended.
Dad smiled proudly at his son, "Thank you, son-"
"They're terrible!" Tanner laughed and we all joined in.
"Ben!" Mom called from the kitchen. Her voice sounded sweet, but we could all tell it was forced.
"I took the trash out, fed the dog..." Dad's voice slowly faded as he disappeared into the kitchen, trying to figure out what he was in trouble for.
Lindsay turned to me, frowning, "Do you have a costume yet?"
I sighed, remembering I had to go out and get the rest, "Kira, Indie, let's go."
-*-
I woke up feeling my exhaust from yesterday. After I got the rest of my costume, I helped Mom finish dinner. Then I finished homework I had and finally went to sleep. I rolled out of bed after five minutes of staring at my ceiling and contemplating my existence. By the time I was dressed, I knew I was going to be late today.
I felt refreshed. My cycle had ended for the month and I realized Micah wasn't worth the tears. I was even back to dressing like a human. I was wearing a black crop top, high-waisted blue jeans with a black and red flannel around my waist. My hair was half up in a ponytail and half down. I made sure to put water on it so it'd be curly. I winged my eyeliner and applied a light layer of lip gloss.
I grabbed an apple from the kitchen and slipped into my black Converse. I rushed to school, promising Mufasa I'd take him for a walk before the party. I hadn't been giving him much attention lately and I was starting to feel guilty about it. I spent the entire day of school thinking about the party. I was excited. Once the final bell rang, I quickly rushed to my locker. I tossed my books in and hurried to find my best friends.
Before I could reach them, Taylor got in my way. I rolled my eyes at her outfit. She was in a short black skirt- if you could even call it that- and a black skin-tight shirt. Cat ears sat on her head, right in front of her blonde bun. Of course, she was dressed as the stereotypical girl on Halloween. Her two "minions" stood behind her, dressed as other animals. I wondered how they made it through the entire day without getting a detention slip.
"A little birdy told me you're having a party tonight," She smirked.
"How ironic," I scoffed. "I bet you ate that poor bird once it told you that you weren't invited."
Her smirk disappeared, "Who said I wanted to go in the first place?! Like I'd be caught dead at some lame party no one's gonna show up to!"
Just then, Kellie, a friend of mine, walked by, "My friends and I will see you tonight!"
I smiled back at her before turning back to Taylor, "You were saying?"
She rolled her eyes, "Whatever."
I continued on my way to my friends. We went straight to my house since they left their costumes at my house. We all got dressed quickly since we also had to set up the food. Kira was wearing a 1920's flapper costume. It was black and she paired it with black and white heels. Her headpiece was black with a black feather. Her hair was curled and resting on her shoulders. She wrapped her white boa around her neck. She had on a bold red lipstick and put on glittery black eyeliner. She would be wearing stockings but she tore them yesterday.
Indie was dressed as Luigi. She had on a blue overall dress with a green shirt under. She wore green heels and the signature green hat with the small white "L" on the front. Her hair was in pigtails under the hat. She added little white gloves to her hands. She only had a bit of eyeliner on with lip gloss and blush.
My ninja costume came together pretty well. I found a long sleeve black shirt with a hood. I paired it with black leggings and black ballerina flats. I tied a red karate belt around my waist and tucked my fake swords into it. I put on my mask and tossed my hood over my head. I looked like a 21st-century ninja and I was happy with that. My hair was in a bun now so it would go under the hood. I touched up my eyeliner and I was ready.
We all headed downstairs and helped set up the food and the music. After an hour of making last minute adjustments, guests started arriving. It didn't take long for the party to kickoff. Thirty minutes in, it was in full swing. Monsters and movie characters were everywhere. Bradley arrived dressed as Mario and I suddenly understood why Indie was so determined to be Luigi. It was a couple costume. It was cute.
Indie ran over to him, throwing her arms around him. Kira and I were left on the couch, sipping drinks from our cups. Kira had spiked her drink, wanting something stronger than the punch. I, on the other hand, decided on sparkling cider. The first time I got drunk wouldn't be at my parents' party. Especially not while my little brother was here.
"Aww! They are so cute!" Kira squealed. "Ugh! When is it gonna be my turn?!"
"When you stop being an ass towards every girl and boy that comes your way!" I chuckled. "Seriously, you reject everyone that even comes within a three-mile radius of you."
She shrugged, "If I can find someone who's worthy of me, I'll let you know."
I rolled my eyes and laughed. People thought Kira was asexual for an entire year since she rejected everyone, though I knew better. She just wasn't looking for a relationship. Eventually, she came out as bisexual and even more people started throwing themselves at her. She was amused by it at first but got annoyed very quickly.
She stood up and smoothed her dress out, "Screw this. I'm having some fun tonight!"
With that, she left me alone on the couch with a fake zombie. I raised my glass, as if making a toast, and took a sip. I pulled out my phone and started scrolling through my social media apps. All I saw were pictures of different people's costumes. I saw animals and mystical creatures everywhere. It was starting to get old.
"Bored?" I glanced up and saw Griffin standing there.
He looked good as a vampire. He had on a black tailcoat with velvet cuffs, a dark red velvet vest under and a white button up underneath all of that. He wore black slacks and wingtip dress shoes. His curly hair was now slicked back. I found myself missing his curly hair. It seemed to fit him.
"Don't tell me you forgot to get fangs," I raised my eyebrows at him, putting my phone down.
He shook his head and showed off his realistic fangs, "I had to look up what these foolish creatures look like and I saw they had fangs. Fangs! This is absolute nonsense!"
I smiled at him, "For what it's worth, you look pretty cool."
He rolled his eyes and took a seat next to me, "I will never understand these things. Why would you want to be in a crowd of sweaty people that you can hardly move in?"
"It's the atmosphere," I explained. "The thought of getting together with a group of friends and having a good time, that's why they're here."
He shrugged, "Still seems a bit overrated to me."
We sat there for a while, not talking. He was observing the party while I observed him. Even at a party, he's sitting up straight. Every time I see him, he's always perfectly aligned. It was interesting. The costume only made his perfect posture look more natural.
"So, you never step out of line?" I asked. "You always maintain proper etiquette?"
He nodded, "Of course. It's the only true way to succeed in life."
The truth is I knew he'd be perfect for a vampire. His gray eyes and perfect posture would fit the costume perfectly. His height worked well with it too. I felt proud of my choice and attention to detail.
I sighed in content and stood up, "I'm gonna go get some more sparkling cider. You want anything Count Griff-ula?" He shook his head and I walked away.
I saw my parents smiling and laughing with their friends. It made me happy to see my parents so joyful. I suddenly felt my mood fall when I thought about how I wouldn't be able to see that forever. I shook it off and poured my drink. Tanner suddenly appeared next to me. He was dressed as the Grim Reaper. I almost laughed.
"Have you seen Lindsay? She owes me ten bucks!" He frowned.
I shook my head and he stomped away. I smiled, knowing he'd probably never get to her. Lindsay was practically royalty at Applewood when she went there. Everyone was probably all over her. I made my way through the crowd and back to the couch. Before I got there, I saw Taylor sitting next to Griffin. She was shamelessly flirting with him, I could tell by how she was positioned next to him. She had one leg crossed over the other and she was leaning towards him.
For some reason, I felt myself getting angry. Instead of storming over, I stood there watching it play out. I took a sip of my drink, attempting to calm myself. She started pushing her chest up, trying to seduce him. Griffin just raised an eyebrow at her. I smiled to myself. Seeing Taylor being rejected was enough to cheer me up. Especially since she wasn't even supposed to be here.
I walked towards them.
"Your eyes are so pretty," She moved closer to him. "Are those contacts?"
"No," He answered, sounding bored of the conversation.
"Oh-em-gee! Are those fangs?! Super cool!" She gushed.
"Party's over, Taylor. Get out of my house," I interrupted.
They both looked at me. Taylor was shooting daggers at me while Griffin looked grateful. She stood up and grabbed my arm. Her grip tightened every passing second.
"Mackenzie, you're starting to piss me o-"
Before she could finish, Griffin ripped her hand off of my arm. She turned to him, hurt and confused. His face showed no emotion, but I could see it in his eyes. They showed his anger, something I'd never seen him show. There was something else there, but it was hard to decipher.
"Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't know this was your friend! It's just that she's always so mean to me and-"
Griffin cut her off, his voice sharp, "She told you to leave her house. Why are you still here?" Before she could make up an excuse, he cut in. "Leave, now."
Her face twisted into a frown as she marched away. I watched her storm away, unsure of how to approach Griffin. Honestly, seeing him angry was mildly terrifying. He's been nothing but patient with me for the little time I've known him, so seeing angry was intimidating. When I finally gained the courage to turn around, Griffin was already sitting on the couch.
I took a seat next to him, "I could've handled her. I usually do."
He turned to me, "I told you my job is to protect you. She was threatening you, so I had to step in."
"Okay... I'm gonna go find some trouble to get into. Have fun, Count."
-*-
Once the party ended, we were left with a mess to clean up. Cups were everywhere along with plates and food. Mufasa was already helping clean up by eating all of the food dropped on the floor. Indie took Kira home because she was drunk, so that left my family.
And Griffin.
He said he'd help clean up since he had nothing better to do with his night. I agreed because I could really use the extra help. Cleaning after a party is never easy, especially when it's a teenager and adult party.
"Ooh la la," Mom bumped my hip with hers. "Who's that cutie over there?"
"That's Griffin, her acquaintance," Lindsay teased. "I'd totally get with that if I wasn't talking to someone."
"Such a shame. If only you weren't with Micah," Mom sighed, turning to walk away.
"Actually, we're not together anymore," I muttered.
Mom and Lindsay's heads both snapped in my direction, "What?!" They said in unison.
"I realized he was a jerk and dumped him," I shrugged like it was no big deal. I grabbed another plate from the ground before Mufasa could get to it.
"Why am I just now learning this?! I'm your sister for crying out loud!" Lindsay, who was now focused on me, exclaimed.
"Learning what?" Tanner walked in, followed by Dad.
"Mackenzie and Micah broke up!" Mom shouted, still shocked.
"Oh, that. I knew that already," Tanner shrugged and kept walking.
Dad raised an eyebrow at me, "Do I have to kill him? I will. I swear if he hurt my little Kenzie-"
I rolled my eyes, "I'm fine, Dad."
I tried getting back to cleaning, but I felt everyone's eyes on me. I sighed and put down the plates I was collecting and turned towards my family. They all stared at me expectantly. It's like they wanted me to break down crying right there. I was over that phase. Now I was over him and the entire situation.
Unfortunately, they didn't get that.
"Forget it," I groaned. "I'm going for a walk." I grabbed Mufasa's leash, knowing that I could only go if I took him with me. "I'll be back soon, okay?"
Instead of waiting for a response, I walked out the door with my dog. It was pretty chilly outside considering the was the middle of fall. I was excited about winter. Snow may be a problem to get around in, but it's peaceful. Quiet. Unlike most things in this world, you can't hear it fall. It's just there. The first snowfall would be happening soon.
Greyford is a place that gets all seasons. I love that about this place. It's not a big city, but it's not a small town. It's easy to get lost in this place, but you'll always find your way home. It's also perfect for late night walks. No one bothers anyone since the entire neighborhood knows each other. The worst that's happened to me during my late-night walks is a raccoon scaring me.
I took a seat on a bench under a streetlamp. I let my eyes fall shut. Though I needed time to myself, I knew I wouldn't be able to stay out much longer. It was too cold and it's a school night. I would catch a cold or be ground. Or both if I'm lucky enough.
Just a little longer. I thought to myself as I shivered. After a few more minutes, I took a deep breath.
Right as I was about to open my eyes and head home, I felt something drape around my shoulders. My eyes snapped open to reveal Griffin sitting next to me.
"Care if I join you?"
//
It's been a while. This chapter's been done since June 20th... so there's that. Yeah. So it's Halloween! I was gonna make this chapter longer but realized it was long enough and I had to save the action for later ;) Anywho, thanks for reading!
Tatty bye <3