"Hi, Becky," the other said.
"Hi, Heather," Becky responded politely. "Hi, Courtney."
"Uh, Raven," Heather began. "Where do you get your clothes?"
"Off of dead people?" Courtney mumbled with a laugh.
"Ssh!" Heather said to her. "No, really, I want to know."
I wasn't sure what to say. I knew on the one hand they were trying to make fun of me. And then on the other hand, if they wanted to see how the other half lived, they might actually like it.
"We want to go goth this year. Any hints?" Heather continued.
I didn't want to divulge my secrets to them. They wore what they did to be "in." I wore what I did because it was me. It was my soul. It was my being.
Last year I went as a tennis player. And a tennis player should be able to dress as a goth. It was, after all, Halloween.
But I didn't feel like making it too easy on them.
"You can go to the thrift store," I told them. "I think they should have something black that you can rip up and make look really funky." I was pleased with myself that I gave them some helpful tips.
"Ooh," Heather said. "Wear something someone else has worn?"
"Not in this lifetime," Courtney added.
I rolled my eyes.
Just then Trevor turned the corner.
"Hi, Trev!" Heather said to him.
Trevor was passing out orange flyers with black writing. He handed them each one, and they read them to themselves.
"This looks like fun," Courtney flirted. "We'll see you there?"
"Oh, you'll see me, all right, but you may not recognize me." The two girls giggled and then headed back to their lockers. Then he looked at me. "You don't need a flyer," he said. "You already know."
"I'd still like to have one," I insisted.
His gaze was cute but menacing. "For your scrapbook of horrors?"
"Yes, right next to my picture of you."
I snagged a flyer from his hand before he took off.
Becky and I read it.
HAUNTED HAPPENINGS
LEAVE YOUR FEARS AT THE DOOR sOR<
BE THE FIRST TO MAKE IT OUT ALIVE
DATE: THIS SATURDAY NIGHT
LOCATION: THE CRYPT
"I will be clinging to Matt for dear life!" she said.