Halloween with the Cullens
Chapter 1
Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap…
It was Thursday afternoon in the Forks High School Cafeteria, and I momentarily stopped the tapping of my pen against my head to chew on the end of it. I had to come up with a great costume idea for the 2010 Halloween Hallows Dance, and I relaxed my usually playful self in order to concentrate. I wanted an outfit of absolute hilarity, but I had competition…
Everyone in the school was trying to come up with their own idea of a winning costume, especially since the First Prize this year was two hundred and fifty dollars! Our particular lunch table was one of FHS's more familiar clicks, with most of us having grown up in the town of Forks.
I was a recent addition to the Mike-Jessica-and-Everyone's-Obsessed-with-Bella-Swan lunch group. I had been an outcast before Bella joined, due to my mother's abuse and my father taking off to start another family when I was ten. Most people knew my chain-smoking mother's sour disposition, which she made no effort to hide. She considered every small town like Forks a haven for shitty conservative beliefs. The only reason she had moved to our home was to get married, and divorced, to my father.
Consequently, she had no friends.
Consequently, I ended up in the same friendless boat, simply because I was my mother's daughter.
Of course, I hadn't been the only outcast at school.
There were the Cullen kids: a tight-knit and ghostly pale group, adopted by Dr. and Mrs. Cullen. They had arrived two years ago from Alaska, but no one tormented them because they had this unearthly beauty and gracefulness about themselves. Oh, and they were the privileged children of our town's prestigious doctor. Our parents made sure we knew to be grateful for the man's arrival.
"You've made my life miserable with your birth," my mother had once growled. "Don't make it worse by mouthing off to any of the Cullens. I better not have their parents calling me because you couldn't act right!"
Even though they and I had shared the same essence of rejection, the Cullens had treated me with a respectful distance-the only solidarity I had shared with the rest of the Student Body.
My life started to change when Bella had moved here to live with her father. She had gotten a fill-in of all the rumors swirling around our school, but had sensed I wasn't really a waste of time like the other students had *originally* believed. The second day of her arrival, she had invited me over to sit and eat with the rest, to the disapproval of the students at her lunch table.
Gradually, the others had gotten to actually know me, and I had blossomed. I had become playful and kindhearted and creative, which helped Bella ease better into being a new student and grow in her own way.
It was a relief to know I hadn't inherited my mother's rotten personality, just the misfortune of having to deal with her every day.
It was through Bella that the Cullens had come into my personal life. The unhappy disapproval of the kids at our lunch table darkly amused me, especially since Jessica and Mike backstabbed them the way they had me.
I'm glad Bella has bonded with Edward instead of you, Mikey. You're a bit of a rat bastard, I smugly thought today. I glanced to my right at messy-haired Edward Cullen. He glanced back, smirking at my mental comment.
I knew he and his adopted siblings weren't human from the day I had seen some of them sparkling in the same deep part of the forest where I was exploring for plant samples from drawings in a Botany book. I had purchased it at the Port Angeles Goodwill with money from a secret account set up by my father. My jealous mother did not allow me to go out socializing with other kids, but if my chores were done, I usually took off exploring and did not often return until nightfall. It was a Saturday when I found out the lesser known reason why Edward's parents took their children out of school on sunny days.
With his mind-reading abilities, Edward discovered my good nature long before I became acquainted with it, and so trusted me not to let the bat outta the bag. He, along with Jasper and Alice, had escorted me back to my home, all the while joking with me and showing off some of his abilities by wrestling with his brother. Alice even granted my request to see her fangs, grinning when I rewarded her with a "wow!"
We had finished our lunches, and were chatting about the coming weekend's festivities. I was on a student decorating team with Alice, Emmett, Jasper, and five others, preparing the huge gym with our far-out ideas!
With advisement from Esme, Alice was creating a legendary menu that was sure to use half the world's supply of sugar and chocolate. Emmett was obsessed with building up a haunted house, which the school had accepted that no one under 14 would be allowed to enter. He was given permission to extend the project into the adjacent hallway and classrooms as parts of a "Panic Tunnel". The Denali Clan had been recruited to frighten the revelers, and a fog machine had been rented by the Cullen's for just this occasion!
He planned to dress up as Dracula himself and rise from a mechanical coffin that Rosalie was expertly crafting at home. Edward had related to Bella and me that Emmett was working on a ghoulish laugh for his character part, randomly belting it out at the Cullen house in the dead of night.
As for my part, I was sketching and painting scary movie figures on long lengths of paper, which we would hang up from the ceiling and walls. These would be given to contest winners at the end of Saturday night's celebrations. Emmett had asked for my drawing skills in his Spook House. It was great being allowed to let our imaginations run wild!
"Sia, do you think people would be weirded out if I had a guy costume?" said Jessica. I surfaced from my inner mind and shook my head, explaining that Halloween belonged to the young because we had no rules.
"Transgender Jessica! Sexy!" teased Mike, amicably.
"Oh, you like that, right? Yeow…!" she murmured.
Mike chuckled.
Oh, you and Bella are a cute couple just LIKE that, Edward! I thought. I smiled toothlessly from ear to ear and wiggled my nose at him mockingly. Bella caught a glimpse of my mischievous face and smiled with me, her eyes twinkling in anticipation of what our back-and-forth would lead to.
"I'm totally going as a Chinese Einstein! I'm got the wild wig and everything!" chirped Eric.
Bella turned to him. "That would be awesome, Eric! You should get some big teeth to fit under the mustache!" He agreed with a vocal "definitely".
"How are your costume plans coming along, Sia? Got anything good? C'mon, don't be sneaky." Edward spoke up, nonchalantly. One corner of his mouth was deeply smirked, eagerly giving me his retort to my silent joke. He knew I had wanted to keep it to myself. Sneaky indeed, Edward!
"Holding out on us, Sia Sia?" said Mike, tilting his face down to look me square in the eye. He did the lovely "Ken doll look" perfectly every time he chose to do it.
"Yeah, Sia Sia! Spill the beans, girl!"
"Sia Sia Siaaaa"
"Her ideas are probably better than mine, heh!"
Two can play THIS game, Edsy! I grinned silently at Edward. Living with my mother, I endured lots of things. Her unexpected rages taught me to hide things if I wasn't going to take delight in having them stomped to pieces on the carpet or given away to her co-workers for the Secret Santa partnerships her boss made her do around Christmastime.
To be truthful, I had two costume ideas trying to dazzle me for first place. One of them was too awesomely wicked to reveal just yet…
Smirking myself, I briefly glanced at Edward…and then allowed my mind to hide the idea by concentrating on the geographical details of Forks Forest. This really wasn't difficult for me, since I considered the woods my home away from home. I envisioned the earthy smells, the pleasant dampness of mist on my skin, shadows and light and uneven leafy paths, the sounds of birds in the trees, of insects buzzing close to my ear and hurrying away.
I caught the very slight drop of Edward's mouth and the amused smile curling on his face as he intently watched me.
Yeah…I'm damn good.
"You can tell it's going to be shockingly great because she's not answering." teased Bella, chuckling. Following her, the others chimed in.
Leaning forward theatrically and trying to sound benevolently innocent, Edward asked, "Is it plant, animal, or mineral, Sia?" I laughed when he made his antagonism worse by hanging his mouth open.
"I'm thinking of an animal, since I've been human all month!" I joked. I placed my hands on my head with the palms facing outward and the fingers together, finishing with the craziest grin and wildest eyes I could come up with.
This shot off peoples' imaginations and the dialogue at the table increased.
This Halloween would be an absolute blast!
Chapter 2
Walking briskly down Elk Loop Drive towards the white-washed fence of my small, two-story house, I took pleasure in the cool weather and the scent of Evergreen trees scattered around my block. The school day was done and I had said my farewells to Bella and the Cullens.
I inhaled the smell of the immediate world around me with happiness. Things were different for me-had been better for a long time. You see things in a different way when you're handed a precious gift.
In my case, it was freedom from my mother.
I hadn't told anyone that she had abandoned me nearly half a year ago, after announcing two weeks beforehand that she was quitting her job and looking for another. She had desired to go out for a drive alone one night, to "think about her situation"…and had never come back. I knew she had left because the important stuff from her bedroom and the dining room were missing. I immediately planned not to tell anyone. I would just go to a foster home, maybe in some town I'd never visited, to live with people who didn't want me but couldn't pass up the government check for my care.
Besides, there was that secret bank account Dad had set up for me. I was paying the mortgage and the bills and looking out for myself now, and I was okay. It hadn't taken much to persuade Dad to send money instead of his usual child support check. He didn't like my mother's bitching any more than I did, and I had no problem lying that she was still here, still mad and demanding as ever.
I had been afraid when it first became clear that she was not coming back. I was all alone, and I felt like some fledgling bird clinging to the edge of the nest cliff, preparing for my first flight. It had taken nearly a week before I became settled enough to appreciate the change.
Then, I changed the locks.
The first weekend of my coveted freedom was used to vacuum, rearrange, and wipe down the whole inside of the house. The yard had also been sorely in need of its own cosmic transformation. Around its edge, there was an ugly metal fence with bits of dead and matted mowed up grass at the bottom, left there by yours truly. Thankfully, I was not without resources.
Dad's accountant job enabled him to put away regular amounts of money for me, starting when I was a wee lass of five. Eleven years later, there was $73,920, and counting. Most of that was meant for college, since both Dad and I knew that my mother wouldn't bother to lift one cigarette-stained finger to help my future.
Using a little bit of that money, I had torn out the fugly fence, and put in the white one. I could literally feel the values of the neighbors' properties springing up like daisies as soon as it was in the ground. With the internet as a guide, I also replaced the roof, put in rose-pink wooden shutters, and painted the house a newer white with an added outline of cobalt blue in a few good-looking places. This spring would see two Pacific Dogwood saplings and a Fir tree gracing the yard. I felt it was too late in the season to plant a small garden near the front steps, but that would come in time.
Although the neighbors were used to my doing yard chores while my mother watched television inside, I made sure to do improvements little by little, so as not to attract too much attention. Small towns love gossip, you know.
The highlight of my new life came when I found my Calico kitten, Ruby. I had discovered her wandering in a fallow field near the south forest edge where I was exploring for bark samples for a Botany scrapbook.
Walking up the trimmed walkway, I could hear my fuzzykins mewing for attention. It was the most welcomed sound in the world!
Closing the front door and making my way to the kitchen, with my kitten frolicking close to my ankles, I set my bag down against the round kitchen table. Squealing with my kitty as she made her cute 'hungry' cries, I peeled open a can of Friskies and shook it into her bowl. The day was quickly fading into twilight as I switched on the living room and kitchen lamps. Sitting down, I took out my art book and turned to the page where I had sketched my outfit, musing warmly over messing with Edward Cullen, after he tried tripping around my brain this afternoon.
Chuckling, I got up and made a glass of Ovaltine and picked up the phone for Home Slice Take N Bake. I would need some serious mozzarella stick-veggie pizza-Pepsi-Cola bravery to put together my costume, which involved drastically changing my hairstyle. I had picked up a straightening iron and other supplies from the grocery store three days ago in order to achieve the part. Tomorrow was Friday, the perfect day to pick up my costume pieces since I was allowed to miss two of my three classes to finish setting up the gym. Grinning, I savored the wild thrill inside me, its wings beating confidently inside my chest.
Ding Dong!
Hearing the doorbell, my stomach quickly joined that thrill in excitement. The 20-something pizza man gave me a charming grin and a roaming eye as he held the receipt out for me to sign. This was becoming a common occurrence, ever since my eating habits had improved upon my mother's sudden departure. I had previously been lanky and anemic because she had been lazy about grocery shopping and stingy with her paycheck.
Now, I could have as much good, nutritional food as I cared for-and the results showed just a bit in my hips and chest. I certainly had the approval of some of the boys at school, as well as Alice Cullen. She had been giving me fashion tutoring tips lately, which I actually didn't mind. Bella was certainly glad to have someone else to shift that attention to once in a while!
Closing the door, I didn't wait to make it to the table before opening the pizza box. The delicious smell knocked out whatever manners I had left, and I quickly demolished a slice, the melted cheese and juicy vegetables crashing into my taste buds.
Sticking her small head around the kitchen corner, I caught my cat staring at me, inquisitively.
"Mew?"
Snickering at her and still gobbling my meal, I went back into the kitchen. My sketch was nearly finished. I had even written some lines for the part, and I couldn't wait to see the look on Edward Cullen's face!
Chapter 3
6:15 AM
Bending my right arm awkwardly backwards to shut off the bird sounds on my alarm clock, I groaned in protest. I had come to love high school, but all I wanted right now was to snuggle in my warm bed! The sound of fall leaves rustling outside my bedroom window brought a deep and contented sigh from me. Rolling onto my back, I deeply stretched out my kinks, savoring the audible pops from my spine.
Today was Friday! Tomorrow was Halloween!
Getting dressed and tying my long, curly hair into a ponytail, I hurried down the hallway to the kitchen. Quickly pouring kibble into Ruby's bowl, I grabbed some blueberry pop tarts from their box on top of the fridge, and slung my backpack onto my shoulder. Locking the front door and bounding down the steps, I was startled by the determined growl of a motorcycle.
There was Jasper Cullen, straddling his Ducati motorcycle and leaning against the handlebars at the far end of the fence, his eyes merrily twinkling at surprising me. He grinned before waving.
"Hey girl! Want to show off being allowed to miss most of your classes today?",
twanged Jasper, his accent only increasing his strikingly angelic features. One could have sworn that it was an Archangel astride that bike…
I raced towards him, excited to ride a motorcycle for the first time, but also to be able to put my arms around Jasper's strong abs. He was a beloved older brother to me, but I had to admit-Alice had one in a million with her husband!
Hopping onto the bike behind him, I laughed with delight!
"Haha! Did I make you happy, showing up at your place with this 'ole horse of mine?" teased Jasper. Grinning, I was twirling inside with the joy that was emanating from this Master of Emotions.
"You're the best, Jazzy! Let's beat the wind!" I rejoiced.
"You got it, little babe!" He winked, with a grin.
Gently stepping on the gas pedal, Jasper confidently circled the bike back down the road
towards our high school, the wind sweeping his gorgeous blond curls across my forehead and cheek. He smelled of forest mixed with the dusty road. I could feel the powerful rumble of the motorcycle in my solar plexus, and I laughed loudly with excitement! Jasper caught my exuberance and chuckled deeply with appreciation.
Life was good!
The day went by fairly quickly, with a good beginning in Art Class. We practiced rubbing metallic plates to produce and image. The illustration I had chosen was a hummingbird, its wings in motion around the outlines of a foxglove flower. The only distraction came from Emmett, who couldn't keep still and had to stand while he did his work because of his restlessness. The minutes crawled by slowly and towards the end of the class, I had to stand with him. We were both impatient to leave for the gym. With fifteen agonizing minutes of class left, Emmet turned and opened his mouth comically in a silent Dracula cackle, briefly showing me the tips of his fangs while hissing "Aaaaaah tata tata" at me. Laughing out loud with a pig snort, I succeeded in causing the art teacher to graciously release the two of us early.
"Awesome!" chuckled Emmet in the hallway. With his happy energy, he bounced most of the way to the gym. I giggled and spread my arms out like an airplane, following him at a jog.
Alice was waiting at the front entrance for us, dressed in buckskin boots, jeans, and a long-sleeved, white and lavender tunic that was tied with a belt at the waist. She waved enthusiastically when we came into view.
"Hi, guys!" she sang.
Grinning, I began prancing towards her when Emmett suddenly picked me up and jogged with me to where his sister was.
"Hey, Sis!" he yelled. "Catch!"
Smirking, she held her arms out obediently to truly catch me. I braced myself for the brick wall impact…
Emmett kept trotting past her into the gym, calling "Syk!" behind him.
Smiling wryly, Alice followed us, skipping lightly as any skilled ballerina.
There wasn't much to do, so we were able to take our time with the work while listening to some good tunes. When "What Part of Forever" by Cee Lo Garden began playing, the rest of us got to witness Emmett dancing outlandishly while he was painting a part of the Fright Tunnel, his butt doing an exaggerated booty dance as he used the paint brush for a microphone! Rosalie showed up with the mechanical coffin towards the end of our work. It was made of stained cherry wood from a Trappist Abbey in Iowa that sold caskets. She had done a bang-up job tweaking and remodeling it, and garnered more awe for herself by letting the rest of us try it out for ourselves! Of course, Emmett had to "help" his wife carry it into the gym in order to properly fool us mortals!
Everything was set and ready for the community around 3:30 PM, and I was able to get a ride into Port Angeles with Jasper. Telling him I had to shop in secret for my Halloween costume, he smirked and nodded over to the Odyssey Bookshop across the street.
"I'll be in there, reading. We'll get you some dinner after you're done. Just come holler." he smiled, bowing like a good southern gentleman before strolling across the street with his hands suavely behind his back.
Smiling contently, I briskly walked to my hush-hush destinations. Knowing that Alice could see the future, and that Edward could read her mind, I kept my mental faculties in check by "deciding" to attend the dance as Superman.
Turning my shopping bags inside out to hide the shop logos, I backtracked my way to the bookstore. Conveniently, Jasper was reading a novel in the front window of the bookstore's coffee shop, his legs propped up on the opposite chair. He had purchased a coffee and was stirring it slightly as he read. The seriousness on his face as he read made me chuckle loudly. Looking up from the hardback, Jasper smirked and pointed affectionately at me, having heard me with his superhuman senses.
Being careful of the passing cars, I bounded across the street for our meet up. Catching a glimpse of him, I saw his smirk become a grin with the same joy I felt. It made me happy to have the Cullens in my life; with them, I had the peace of a close-knit family.
These feelings suddenly made me remember Jessica Stanley's remark that the Cullen kids were intolerant and arrogant-high society brats spoiled by Doctor Daddy and Pretty Mommy. At the time she had spewed her opinion out on me, I had seethed inside at her cheap jealousy of them, especially Edward and Bella.
Now, I felt only sorrow at the enormous loss she was incurring for herself by refusing to let them in, or even to acknowledge Edward's presence at our lunch table.
My sudden melancholy aura must have shown as I entered the bookstore, because Jasper had quickly and discretely met me at the door, swooping his arms around me with concern. It fascinated me how very much he was like his adoptive father, showing that same priceless compassion for the inner welfare of human beings, how stronger he was in himself when he was around his family, around Alice.
And yet, Jessica and Mike and many others simply could not see.
They were like having to listen to my mother all over again….and it hurt.
Jasper provided dinner at Steak n Shake, made easier by his purchase of a soda to lessen the awkwardness of his blood-only diet. Informing his wife on his cell of plans to stay awhile with me, we sat together in the same restaurant seat as I unabashedly poured out my experiences with Jessica and Mike to him. To Jasper, the pair's derision did not shock him in the least. In fact, given the powers of the Cullen Family, he related that their silly inclinations were some of the more tiresome effects of having the abilities to know what people were up to.
"Don't worry about it, little babe," he spoke, softly. "Those two will learn…in time. They're some of the dozen or so people who took a fancy towards despising us over the decades. Toying with his soda straw, Jasper sighed before continuing. "Call it an occupational hazard to being one of us, especially given our dietetic habits. In fact, we're oddities because of it, but it keeps us…understanding…and appreciative...of life. That's the only real way to live."
Unwinding, Jasper propped his head against his left fist to gaze gently at me. I was glad for his self-confidence and lack of hatred for his existence. I was glad the Cullen kids were able and willing to stand on their own feet in the face of malice and envy.
I'll always protect you guys, I thought. The bird inside my chest twirled and danced with tenderness.
Sensing the overwhelming sentiment of my thoughts, Jasper held my chin fondly. "I don't have my brother's talent, but for whatever it is you're thinking….thanks."
Without pondering the appropriateness of the action, I leaned in and crookedly hugged my vampire friend, resting my head on the shoulder of his fuzzy black sports jacket. His startled response made me snicker, and I marveled at the solidity of Jasper's form. In my imagination, it was like hugging the marble statue of Michelangelo's David.
I received a better comprehension of that when Jasper embraced me back, his cold and rock-hard arms forming a shield around me. It felt like a perfect eternity.
I glanced up when I heard murmuring and quiet giggling from a booth to our immediate left. Five, teenaged girls were boldly watching us, and thoroughly enjoying the scene. They were also likely enthralled with Jasper's supernatural loveliness. Since he was known to be old-fashioned, I expected him to pull away to preserve our reputations. However, with a very amused expression on his angelic face, he simply planted a spirited kiss on the top of my head! The vigilant girls burst into squeals and giggles and applause, causing me to blush even more than I already was, especially when other patrons turned to investigate the scene!
If looks could freeze, my face would have been red for the rest of my days!
Laughing loudly, Jasper assured me that his wife had seen this coming and had shared in the sweet humor of it. Courteously removing his arms, he smoothly exited the seat and held a hand out to assist me, smirking handsomely. Smirking back, I grabbed my bag and took his hand to follow. Bowing to the young girls, he gallantly entwined his arm around mine to escort me out.
This made the girls hush with exultant adoration. Looking back and grinning, I made sure to set a good example by standing tall at Jasper's side.
Preparing ourselves outside the eatery for the long night drive on his motorcycle, Jasper related that he treasured being able to display how a man was suppose to act. It let the youth know what a gentleman was like. Nodding in agreement, I hopped behind him and we sped away home to Forks.
Chapter 4
"Instruction: To apply Clairol hair color to the root, section the hair by parting down the middle from the forehead to the nape of the neck, and combing hair straight down on both sides…"
Sighing with excitement, I did as the Clairol Hair Coloring box directed. I had already washed my hair and cut it to fit the guide picture, and I was extremely pleased with the results. Now, shivering in the shower and feeling extremely awkward, I waited for the color to set into my hair before washing it out. Naively, I wondered if doing this would disastrously burn my scalp, like the stuff African-Americans did to their hair in Chris Rock's film Good Hair. Rolling my eyes at myself and snickering, I washed my hands again of any remaining coloring residue and checked the time on my pocket watch.
2:40 PM
Trembling with nervousness and anticipation for tonight's merriment, I waited ten more seconds before rinsing. Even though the event was four hours away, I had major butterflies in my stomach! Singing to strengthen my courage, I faintly chanted in the shower, "Edward's gonna get it…Edward's gonna get it...he might avoid me on Monday, but he's gonna get it..heehee!"
Slicking away the water from my exceptionally shortened hair, I grabbed the burnt orange towel hanging on the right and quickly dried myself. I was eager to see if I'd gotten the color close enough. Dressing swiftly in a clean, short-sleeved T-shirt and long pajamas, I hurried to the mirror and quickly wiped the shower mist from the bathroom mirror with the towel. Examining my work, I swelled with pride! Feeling silly, I struck a Superman pose and held it awhile before half collapsing with giggles. All that was needed was hair gel, and I was ready for mischief!
I had a long time to wait, so I made my way to the kitchen to finish carving one of the two pumpkins for the porch. Ruby swiftly stole a glance at me from her sunny, bird-watching spot by the backyard's sliding door, and hunched back slightly in confusion. Smirking deeply at her, I wiggled my hands up at her and made kissing sounds, chuckling when she ran off to hide under the living room sofa!
Switching on the kitchen radio to find "Jack's Lament" from Nightmare Before Christmas playing, I carved one of the pumpkins to look like it was drunk and puking. Every time the character singing boomed his lines, I emphasized the words by holding up the ice cream scoop I was using for the pulp.
I was having a great deal of fun because when I next looked up at the clock, it was 4:45 PM! Quickly placing a candle inside the finished pumpkin and setting it outside by the front step, I came back in to wash my hands and sprint to my bedroom to get dressed.
Checking my appearance in the long mirror I now had hanging from my bedroom door, I purred with satisfaction! Since I was walking the short distance to the school, I would be able to hide my costume from curious eyes with my plum jacket and a light winter cap until my awesome debut.
It was 5:20 PM by the time I arrived at the Forks High School and signed my name in at the gym entrance. A lot of students and people from the community had already showed up, and were enjoying the darkness and the activities. Concealing myself in my coat and hat, I cautiously peered into the gym to see if the Cullens had arrived yet. Noting their absence, I inconspicuously hid myself behind a long row of fake, dead-looking, cobwebbed trees lining the entrance, and kneeled down to wait.
My heartbeat was like an earthquake inside my chest, and I desperately hoped that it would not give me away too early! Thankfully, I heard the Cullens before I saw them.
"Edward, stop fidgetting and be normal! This will be fun!", said Alice from the check-in tables. I covered my mouth to stifle my laughter at Edward having been made to dress up. Looking up at the dark ceiling, I silently gave a grateful thank-you to God for Alice's remarkable power of annoyance.
"I'm familiar with your ideas of fun, little sister…", Edward warmly retorted back, referring to Bella's 18th birthday party.
"Oh, shut up, scarecrow…" said Alice.
"As they say, time will fly when you're having fun," joked Carlisle. The bird inside my chest suddenly flew up to my throat and I covered my mouth again to keep myself from loudly gasping with anticipation.
From my hidden vantage point behind the trees, I glimpse the hulking form of Emmett leading the way. He had on a gorgeous, blood-red cape that just brushed his ankles, complimenting his pale skin. Close behind him was Rosalie, dressed in a richly embroidered Renaissance gown the color of sun-kissed ivy leaves, with an empire waist and puffy-sleeved underdress. Two detachable, grommeted arm bands graced her upper arms. Her golden hair was arranged up in waves and ringlets, and she was absolutely to die for! I could not yet see Edward, but since Alice and Jasper had turned up as Dorothy and the Tinman, I could accurately guess that Edward had indeed been made to come as a scarecrow!
The Cullen Family stopped a quarter of the way from the gym entrance to survey their surroundings. When Emmett looked around and asked about my whereabouts, I took that as a cue to compose myself and saunter out. Bella, Edward, and his parents were directly in front of me when the thrill inside me finally spread its wings and sang! As quietly as I could, I walked up behind Edward and stopped.
"Ahem."
Eight pairs of eyes turned around to look at me, and eight mouths dropped open wide in shock! It had taken a lot of energy throughout the week to keep him knowing what I was really up to, and I had received the hilarious reaction I had been dreaming of!
Blinking rapidly and exhaling with stunned pants, he stared at me with a grin slowly spreading on his face. The other members of his family followed suit with gladness. Bella, dressed as a modern Toto in black clothing and painted face, smiled and nodded in joyful approval.
"Son…" I spoke, using my best, deep, male voice. I stood up straight with my arms behind my back as I had seen Jasper often do. The effect was amazing! Edward, with his mouth still open wide and grinning, looked up to the ceiling and covered his eyes with both hands. His gasps had turned to mirthful groans!
I had come dressed…as Dr. Carlisle Cullen!
I ate up the extremely amused grins on the faces of Edward Cullen's parents and siblings. The Doc himself, his face broken in happy laughter, clapped in deep appreciation for my efforts. I had donned a blue men's shirt with a sky-blue tie, and a white medical coat with black men's pants. I had even achieved the same gel waves in my hair as Carlisle!
Others began to notice my costume and congratulate me. Playing my role, I kept my arms behind my back and nodded respectfully to them. Catching sight of Carlisle, I saw him turn to his widely grinning wife with a pleased look on his gorgeous face. Alice, a pretty blue ribbon in her hair, came bounding up to Bella to snag her camera for pictures.
"You are so amazing, Sia! This is definitely going in our photo albums!" laughed Alice. One photo had Carlisle and me posing together as "respectable doctors", although we both had extreme trouble composing our faces for it! We even did our best smoldering, sexy faces for another picture before Emmett dragged me away to help out in his haunted house.
He had built a side door by the main house entrance in order to bypass the medium-sized crowd waiting to get in. Strong plywood, nails, and huge slabs of cardboard had been used to create the place, using the gym stage as a kind of second-story level. I could hear some of the Denali Clan members doing scary noises to unnerve the crowd. Jasper and Alice had volunteered to welcome the people going in, and I supposed that they had dressed in non-scary outfits to keep everyone going in unprepared. To prevent folks from lighting their way in the dark with their cell-phones, the two vampires were taping nametags to the devices and confiscating them.
Emmett had purchased another costume for me to use in the haunted house-
a wild-haired, teethy, green-and-black goblin with long, rubber nails and a hairy body. The hairs were all long and pitch-black. Somewhere in the Panic Tunnel, Jasper had stapled several yards of long, black, hairy tendrils to the ceiling that the patrons would be forced to walk through if they wanted to reach the exit. Hidden by the black hairs of my costume, I was to dangle my upper torso from a specialized platform in the middle of the it and grab the people coming through!
Walking down the entrance tunnel to take my place, I heard my name gently whispered. Snapping my head around and peering into the dimness, I caught sight of Eleazar, dressed as a dirty mummy and lying on his stomach in a dark crawlspace behind a cardboard wall.
"Have fun tonight, Sia!", he murmured, grinning. I grinned back and gave him the thumbs-up.
The haunted house was an absolute favorite that night! Although no one under 14 was allowed to enter because of the scare factor, people genuinely were freaked by their experiences! I myself had trouble getting used to Emmett's Dracula laugh without jumping! It was a wonderful event!
Towards the end of the night, vice-principle Strefici encouraged everyone to compete for the costume prizes. We were not able to use the gym stage since all of it had been used for space for the wildly-popular ghost house. Our judges would be the entire crowd that had stayed for the end, with the vice-principle acting as final judge beside a makeshift podium.
Gathered in a line, there were 15 of us students and 2 adults. For a personal thrill, Edward joined in the contest and stood next to me. The community got a kick out of seeing him side by side with a petite version of his father, and snapped several pictures of the funny scene.
It was twenty minutes until there were only three of us left standing: Einstein Eric, a Goldfish, and myself. Noting the eleven o'clock hour, Mr. Strefici announced the two students with me as second-place winners, who each received a coupon book and $75 spending cash.
Suddenly, I realized…I had won!
The Cullen and Denali Families were over the moon for my victory, with Carlisle sincerely clapping with pride for me. My head swum with exhilaration! I was allowed to make a short thank-you at the podium before Halloween Night was officially declared over. I brought back my deep voice to close the entertainments with a bang:
"Hello…I'm Carlisle Cullen!" The smirk on my face was unbelievable!
The crowd laughed and cheered at my lightheartedness. I could see the Doc totally enjoying himself as well! Alice and Kate were both giggling behind their hands, while Edward, his eyes twinkling gaily, shook his head in mock disapproval at what he knew I was going to say.
"I know what all you ladies are thinking: You keep the apple! I'll take the doctor!" Well….(giving them my best sexy smolder) I am accepting…new patients!"
More cheering and hooting and clapping followed when I had finished. If vampires could blush and cry, Carlisle and Esme would have been a happy mess with their laughing!
Honoring her with my humor, I announced, "Let's give a hand to Esme Cullen, who's actually married to Carlisle!"
The Cullen and Denali kids were enthralled with the fun! I watched gleefully as Carlisle, joining in the hilarity, wrapped his arms around his beloved wife and bent her gently backwards while kissing her, much to the delight of the crowd! The joy on both their faces set off fireworks in my heart!
This was a night neither the Cullens nor I would ever forget!
Finito.