I forgot my Maglite. It’s the perfect tool for searching out secret parties,” he teases.
I laugh nervously. “Ah, I see. Good luck with that.”
“Hey, how was work today?” he asks, thankfully changing the subject.
“Slow and quiet.”
“That’s all? Slow and quiet?”
“Yeah, pretty much. We did have an abnormal amount of people looking for books on the occult and ritual sacrifices, though.”
“Really?”
“No.”
He chuckles. “All right, I’ve got to get back to work. Call me if you need anything, okay?” he says before placing a kiss on my forehead.
“Will do.”
“Oh, and have fun studying with Rory and Alex. You know, I’m so glad that you have good, stable friends who don’t party too much…even though Alex is in that silly band of hers,” my dad says as he opens his car door.
I laugh nervously again and reply with, “I’ll try.”
While watching him pull out of the driveway, I slowly begin to back up toward the front door, but keep my eyes glued to his cruiser. I know he’s going to roll down his window and wave goodbye to me. Like I said, he’s a creature of habit. The moment his vehicle disappears from sight, I bolt through the door and up the stairs to my room.
I dive into my closet and pull out the Little Red costume. After hanging it up on the hook affixed to the back of the bathroom door down the hall, I hurry back into my room to grab a red lacey bra and pair of panties from the dresser. I’m going to be sexy Little Red, after all.
The moment I hear the crackle of the walkie-talkie, I stop dead in my tracks and run over to pick it up.
I hear Janice’s voice come through. “Mint Chip, this is Marshmallow. Are you there?”
“I’m here, Janice. So, are you coming tonight?” I ask, making my way over to the window in order to see her across the way. The curtain is pulled back slightly, allowing me to see her face as she talks.
“It was easy to convince my mom, which is strange. She usually grills me about everything. She completely bought the whole library thing,” Janice replies. She speaks in a quiet voice and I assume her mom’s nearby.
“Oh—do you by any chance have a costume? It’s kind of a requirement for tonight.”
“That’s where we may have an issue. Mom hates Halloween, remember? So no costumes in the house,” she answers, sounding defeated.
“Hold on a sec,” I tell her, and set down the walkie. I hear her respond, “Okay” as I move over to the closet. I sift through the back of my wardrobe in an attempt to find a costume I wore two years ago. Janice is about my size, so anything could work.
“Yes,” I exclaim when I find the costume.
I pick up the walkie-talkie. “What’s your opinion on the Bride of Frankenstein?” I ask, examining the skimpy white gauzy dress and tall black and white wig that’s been preserved in a plastic bag.
“Indifferent, why?”
“Well, I think I have the perfect costume for you tonight,” I reply with a smirk. “All right, leave your house in about thirty minutes for the library. I’ll pick you up on the way. Sound like a plan?”
“Sounds good. See you soon,” she replies, and I hear the eagerness in her voice.
I head back to the bathroom to finish getting ready. I want to be gone soon in case my dad decides to pay me a surprise check-in visit.
Fully dressed in my Little Red costume, I lock up the house and hurry out to my car. I opt for my red Converse sneakers instead of my glossy red pumps, because I know with my luck, I’d probably bust my ass running across the gravel path in the front yard if I wore the heels.
After throwing my picnic basket, containing the sexy Bride of Frankenstein costume into the back seat, I start the car and pull away from the curb. Passing by Janice’s house, I slow down. I see her mom, Hattie, tending to the hedgerow that separates our houses. Her focus hones in on me and a glare appears on her face. I dodge it and switch my attention to the road ahead as I speed up.
“Wow, she must really hate me,” I murmur.
After driving a few blocks, I see Janice walking down the sidewalk toward the library. I honk my horn and she stops, turning around to face the car. She raises her hand and brushes the long, wind-blown strands of her light