Chapter 1:

"You can't be serious," I crossed my arms over my chest.

"It won't be for long," Tina smiled, carrying the bowl of chocolate across the kitchen. "It's only for tonight."

"Whose idea?"

"Mom," she shrugged her shoulders. "She believes in rites of passage. Special occasions can't be ignored. Blah, blah, blah and everyone will throw a parade."

I picked up a pink candle and looked at the colorful banner on the wall. Happy 16th Birthday Evey in colorful letters sprinkled with sparkles. Red and gold balloons were in all 4 corners of the room with white ribbons streaming from the stems. It was beautiful.

"It's sweet." I smile holding back a smile. "Where is she?"

"With dad outside picking a pumpkin," she nodded toward the window, pouring the chocolate into a bake pan, rippling over evenly until the square was complete. She licked her finger," So what's it like being an old whore?"

"Shut up," I laughed licking the chocolate off the edge of the bowl. "It's not the end of the world. Being 16 is gonna kick ass."

"Sooo," Tina hummed biting her lip smiling. "Is the birthday girl gonna get a present from Jake?" She poked her tongue against the inside of her cheek and moved her hand back and forth from her lips, winking.

"It's not like that!" I slapped her hand away. "He's coming over tonight, through my window, you gotta promise me you won't tell mom. She'll have a cow sideways."

She put the bake pan inside the oven, shut it, and looked at me.

"Are you guys gonna… do it?"

I bit my lip, going through the memory of him and me sitting at the willow tree making a promise sealed with a kiss. He was a virgin, too. So I didn't have to feel any shame for being a virgin too when we would—

"I don't know," was the only answer I could give.

Tina smiled, shoulder pushing me, and giving me a hug while planting something in my hand. It was at that moment when mom and dad walked in with the biggest and brightest pumpkin that I've ever seen. Dad gazed at mom before slipping out a large steak knife from his hand holding her gaze and turning to us.

"Girls," he smiled.

"Hey dad," we replied, sitting at the table. "Thanks for the party."

"Anything the princess wants," he kissed my temple, holding my shoulder with the knife in his other hand. "It is the highest honor with the household that you carve the first pumpkin. Go on. Take it."

The large blade was presented in my hand. Looking at my mom, she smiled nodding her head, and stood close to dad. I looked at the pumpkin and stabbed the head firmly feeling the shell wobble and crack under my pressure until the entire stem was gone. The smell of the seeds within came first. My mother couldn't have been more proud in that moment, and for some odd reason, held a steady gaze with my father until Tina presented me with my first birthday gift. It was a gift card to Starbucks and a photo frame of both of us when we went to California for a vacation alongside the beach 2 years ago. I smiled and thanked her for the gift, sneaking a quick glance at the object she put in my palm. It was a condom. How typical of my bigger sister to encourage safety on my special day and on the day of Halloween. Tina pulled me in for a hug while mom and dad stepped out of the room carrying the steak knife.

Later in the evening, the trick-or-treaters knocked on our door wearing their adorable costumes with plastic pumpkin baskets. Small and large they came to our door and they stopped coming soon after 11pm. Tina and I were in our dressing rooms fixing our makeup when mom came to our door with a flashlight and two cans of pepper spray.

"Hey babies, you two have a curfew at 2am tonight and don't forget to stay in a group. Use girl-code and look out for each other."

"We'll be okay, it's just a party," Tina mumbled holding a comb in her mouth spraying mousse in her hair. "We'll be okay."

"But just in case," she gave us the pepper spray. "You never know when a werewolf, vampire, Frankenstein is gonna come alone and ask you if you have a rough tongue."

"Ew!" Tina cringed. "Why would they ask that?"

"You're a cat aren't you?"

"No! I'm a lemur! The most intelligent and adorable creature of Madagascar!"

"Oh," mom mused, smiling," And you! Evey, you never know when a boy dressed as a mustard bottle is gonna come along either."

"Mustard?"

She looked at my outfit, "You're dressed as a ketchup bottle aren't you?"

"No, I'm little red riding hood! I got the hood and boots and basket. Duh!"

"All I'm saying is that I want you to be safe. From the ghouls, goblins, lions, tigers, bears—"

"Oh, my—"

"-werewolves, elves, trolls, firemen, cowboys, 1920's gangsters, spacemen, pirates, cavemen, twerkers, and monsters of the night. Did you know that they're inventing new date rape drugs? I read it on this online article published by a housewife who lives in Florida and she said-"

"Mom, we'll be ok."

"We'll be ok, we promise."

"Okay, okay I'll stop talking," mom followed us to the front door. "But use your flashlights! Tina do you have your coat? Remember to stay together even when going to the restroom! Keep your cellphones close! Never put your cup down! I put hand sanitizer in your pocket! Make good choices! Okay, I love you! Be safe!"

By the time she stopped talking we were already in the car waving from the windows and headed towards the party at Jake's house. Our house disappeared as we turned around the corner. I rolled my gloves back and looked at Tina, in her fur boots and scarf, and thought about today. Taking out the condom from my pocket, I gazed upon the plastic circle.

"It'll be great," she suddenly said, as she came to a stop at the red light at an intersection. "Jake is a nice guy and everyone knows that he likes you. You like him right?"

I frowned," I'm just afraid it's going to hurt."

"You didn't answer my question. Do you like Jake?"

The light turned green and the car accelerated forward. I looked at the ring he won for me at the carnival, the mood ring, and I remembered it was the first time he called me his girl. Jake was the only boy in school that didn't treat me like I was in the shadow of my sister, the eldest, who was great at everything. Even looking at her now, she was too beautiful for any boy to resist in the school. Lemur or not she had the wild ambition of a sexual prowling tiger. I may not have been captain of the varsity volleyball team, captain of the debate team, straight A student, president of student council, or the prettiest girl in the school. But he never treated me second rate. And that's what made him special.

"I…I do, yea, he's been sweet to me. And we've been together for 4 months and he told me he would make it special. I believe him..."

"First of all, you hesitated. Second of all, there's nothing creepier than losing your virginity on Halloween at a party upstairs with a guy you met at a Cupcake fundraiser at the school football field… And third of all, you make damn sure that he treats you with some fucking respect!" she raised a brow looking at me. "Don't let him treat you like Donny treated me. They're all fucking dogs."

I remembered Donny.

I also remembered the bruises he would leave on her and all the phone calls and the police cars outside our house.

"He always treats me with respect, he's sweet and he's considerate and generous."

And not to mention nothing like Donny, nothing like him at all. Jake knew what kind of boy he was and disgusted by him, more than I was.

She waved her finger at me, "Well, birthday girl, you do what you want to do. Today is your day, not Jake's, and if you don't want to bone him then that's completely up to you. I just …don't want you having any regrets tonight, especially on your birthday."

We turned around the corner and approached Jake's house. It was the only house with the lights still on and cars parked alongside the curbs. We could hear the music boom. My hands rubbed together thinking of what Tina just said to me and fingering the plastic wrap of the condom in my hand. Jake was in that house and soon I would be, too. But would I leave a different girl than when I entered? Sucking in my breath, I pulled my hood over my head. We exited the car and walked down the sidewalk before I turned to my sister.

"Thanks, T…" I mumbled, looking at the mood ring on my finger. "But I'm not sure if I've changed my mind or not. I don't know, but I do know that it's still my birthday and it's Halloween. So anything can happen. But if something happens then you're definitely be the first to know about it."

"Trick-or-treat!" Tina smiled, skipping towards the house. "Come on! You're only 16 once!"

I followed her inside the house. Immediately it's almost as if we entered a club. So many people in masks, devil horns, cleavers, pig masks, ghosts, ghouls, animals, cartoon characters, and so much more were huddled together in a drunken and wild group dancing in strobe lights with fog machines. Shoulder to shoulder I was bumped like a hockey puck across the room until I was finally free to roam in the kitchen distracting myself by getting a cup of punch. Tina was at the pool table talking to Cindy and Rebecca and Rachael dressed in matching Vegas Girl dresses, glamorous and beautiful.

"Well, I'll huff and I'll puff… and I'll tear that dress right off of you and eat you alive," came a voice from behind me.

Chad, gazed at my dress and at my black bodice and red cloak, snatching the string. I slapped his hand away.

"I'd rather kiss a rat than a toad." I smile looking at his green outfit.

"Sticks and stones, baby," he smiled, grabbing my red cup and taking my red punch. "And where is your sister?"

"With her squad and where is your merry band of men?"

"Outside watching a group of sexy mermaids make out with each other," he smiled getting me another cup of red punch and handing it to me. "I'm looking for Nicki, do you know where she is?"

Chad and Nicki were on and off, on and off, on and off until Mike came into the picture and Nicki left him for the star football player in a drop of a hat. Chad had been scorned by her ever since and there's not a moment or chance he won't take to get back at her. Poor guy, he deserved much better than what he was given.

"She wasn't coming tonight. Sick with the flu."

"Oh, is that what she said? What a lying bitch," he rolled his eyes, dunking his cup into the sink and stalking over to the island bar.

I followed him and narrowed my eyes," What did she tell you?"

"She told me that she was coming tonight because she heard your boy, Jake and Mike were going to be here. I'd keep an eye out for you little boy toy," He chuckled shaking his head, looking towards the backyard. "I don't know what she's playing at. Whatever the fuck her little game is."

There was a possibility it could be true. Either Chad was spilling his usual bullshit, Jake was feeding me bullshit, or Nicki was full or bullshit. I bit my lip remembering Tina would tell me about her and their history together. Friends in sophomore year and enemies the next, close enemies, sworn to fight till the death. Chad stepped close to me, closer than he had before.

"If you wanna find your big bad wolf I suggest you try the Beer Pong table in the garage, you'll find your boy toy. But you're not gonna be happy when you see him..."

I pushed him away dropping his red punch," Thanks for the tip."