CHAPTER 7 - HAPPY HALLOWEEN
Black and orange balloons adorn Violet and Pete's house. The lights are kept dim. *We're Coming To Get Ya'* from A.N.T. Farm blasts from the sound system. Marley and Lila sing and dance along while greeting the guests in their Zomibie costumes. "~~Callin' all the monsters, callin' all the monsters~~oh ya aye, oh ya aye~~Tonight all the monsters gonna dance~~We're coming t get ya'~~" The twelve year old girls sing as they greet trick or treaters at the door.
Four year old Drew Freedman is dressed as Spiderman and four year old Sara Wallace is a Candy Corn Witch. They stick their hands in a pretend mummy, feeling the body parts with the other young party guests.
Amelia's twelve year old son, Dylan, announces to his friends. "This party is lame."
"Is not!" Twelve year old Lila Wilder defends the party at her house.
"I'm not wearing a blind fold and playing stick the stem on the pumpkin with my four year old sister." Dylan grimaces.
"My parents needed to set up games for all ages." Lila tells him.
"What games are there for us to play?" Dylan questions her.
"We could play Mr. Bones Relay Race." Lila suggests.
"Are you kidding me?" Dylan scoffs. "I played that with my kindergarten class when I was five."
Marley suggests. "We should go outside and think of a game to play." The group follows Marley out into the backyard. They all know Marley's the brains of the group.
"What do you want to play?" Cole Jr. asks his twin sister.
Noah has an idea first. "How about spin the bottle?"
"I'm in." Dylan grabs an empty soda bottle off the table.
The group sits down in a circle when, Julia, Marisa's younger daughter comes out to join them. "Can I play?"
"Perfect." Lila nods. "Now we have three girls and three boys."
"What are you playing?" Julia asks.
"Spin the bottle." Dylan tells her.
"How do you play?" Julia asks.
"We have to take turns spinning the bottle and you have to kiss whoever it lands on." Dylan explains. "I'll go first and show you." Dylan spins the bottle and it lands on Marley.
"You can't kiss Marley." Lila scowls. "She's your half sister. That would be incense."
"You mean incest." Cole jr laughs. "Incense is scented stuff you burn for the smell, like candles."
"Gross!" Marley's disgusted. "I'm definitely not kissing you, Dylan."
Noah points out. "This game isn't going to work since Marley has two brothers playing. It means she can only kiss me."
"Okay." Dylan says. "Then, let's play truth or dare." Dylan explains the rules. "You have to say if you want to take truth or dare before you hear the question. I'll go first to show you" Dylan announces again. "I pick Marley. Truth or dare?"
"Dare." Marley smiles ready for the challenge.
"I dare you to take off your shirt." Dylan says.
Cole Jr. intervenes. "No way. I don't want to see my sister without her shirt on."
Lila adds. "She's your half sister, Dylan. Why would you ask her to take her shirt off? That's gross!"
"I'm not playing anymore!" Marley gets up and stomps inside the house.
Chase is inside helping Drew and Sara paints pumpkins. Marley stomps over and grabs some paint.
"What's wrong with you?" Chase asks Marley.
"Dylan dared me to take my shirt off in front of everyone. I'm not playing with them anymore!"
Chase sighs. "I guess I need to go out and supervise the tweenies more than the little kids. Can you keep an eye on Drew and Sara for me?"
"Sure, they're so cute." Marley paints pumpkins with the four year olds.
Chase strolls outside to the backyard and finds the tweens. "What are y'all doin' out here?" He asks.
"Just hangin' out." Dylan answers.
"That's not what I heard."
"Did Marley rat us out?" Dylan demands. "She's such a girlie baby!"
Lila defends Marley. "Marley's not a baby. You dared her to take her shirt off." Lila screws up her face.
Sheldon walks into the backyard with Pete. "What's all the commotion, Lila" Pete asks his daughter.
"Nothing." Lila tells Pete.
"Then you kids won't mind if Sheldon and I hang out here with you?" Pete smirks. "It's a nice night. Look at the full moon."
The kids collectively grunt and sigh.
Inside, Andie tells Danielle. "The tweens are having are having a better time than us."
Danielle nods. "We have to fix that."
Andie asks Danielle and Tyler. "Do you want to go down to the spooky walk at the park?"
"Sure." Tyler nods. "That's gotta be better than painting pumpkins and feeling up mummies."
"You guys go ahead." Danielle tells them. "I have to wait for Lucas. We'll catch up with you in a little bit."
Andie and Tyler walk through the tree lined trail. Teenage volutnteers dressed in scary costumes jump out from behind trees at them. Andie jumps when she touches a vampire in a coffin and it jumps up and grabs her. "Ha! He got you good." Tyler laughs. They laugh about it and walk further down the trail when Andie's face suddenly drops in horror. "What is it?" Tyler asks her.
"Nothing." Andie watches Nicky walk into the large tool shed that has been transformed into a haunted house for Halloween. Nicky's holding hands with a pretty blonde. Andie takes Tyler's hand and pulls him into the haunted tool shed. She looks through the fog supplied by a fog machine for Nicky and his date. Tyler looks at the life sized animated zombie props. They pass under some bloody baby zombies spinning on a ceiling fan. A life-sized animated prop of Freddy Krueger sings ~~One, two; Freddy's coming for you~~Three, four; better lock your door~~ Five, six; get your cucifix ~~Seven, eight; better stay up late~~ Nine, ten; never sleep again. "That's creepy, let's get the hell out of here." Andie pulls Tyler by the hand.
On the way out they pass Nicky again near the exit, he's making out with the blonde in a corner near an animated zombie prop of a little girl in a bloody white nightgown. The girl zombie's head spins on her bloody neck while her eyes light up red. Tyler's watching the zombie. Andie watches Nicky making out with the blonde. She can't keep her eyes off them as she approaches the exit, she trips down the stairs, falling forward on her knees.
"You okay?" Tyler asks. "That bloody girl must have really freaked you out."
Andie gets up and brushes herself off. "I'm freaked out that's for sure." Andie grumps.
Nicky and his date exit the haunted tool shed. They pass Andie as she brushes herself off. "You need to watch your step." Nicky smirks while walking by with his date. Andie grumbles something to herself.
Andie grabs Tyler's hand and pulls him along briskly, following Nicky and his date. They walk at a fast pace until they catch up with Nicky and pass him and his date. Andie looks back to make sure Nicky can see her, she pushes Tyler up against a tree and kisses him on the lips.
She keeps her eyes open so she can watch Nicky and his date pass by, once they're out if sight she breaks her kiss with Tyler.
"What was that?" Tyler's totally taken by surprise.
Andie shrugs, "I felt like it."
Danielle and Lucas catch up to Andie and Tyler. Lucas gives Tyler a high five.
The four of them continue walking the spooky trail. "I guess you're over Nicky now?" Danielle whispers to Andie.
They let Lucas and Tyler walk ahead and talk.
"I'm totally over him!" Andie tells Danielle. "I saw him here with some blonde bimbo."
"Is that why you kissed Tyler?"
Andie shrugs "I like Tyler. He's a nice guy."
"Don't break Tyler's heart, Andie. Don't use him to get to Nicky"
"I'm not." Andie defends.
Charlotte and Cooper are having martinis on the couch, watching a movie together. Chase comes in the door carrying a sleepy Drew. Drew's still wearing his Spiderman costume. Noah walks in yawning behind them. "Uncle Pete gave us a ride home." Chase informs his parents.
Charlotte looks up at her three boys. "How was the party?"
"It was okay, I guess," Noah answers, yawning and still wearing his Darth Vader costume.
"You need to go to bed, Darth Vader" Charlotte smiles. "Where's your sister?"
"She ditched the party with Danielle, Tyler and Lucas to go to the Spooky Walk at the park."
"What about Nicky?" Cooper asks. "Was he going to the Spooky Walk?"
"Don't worry about Nicky, dad. He has a girlfriend." Chase tells Cooper.
"How do you know?" Charlotte asks Chase.
"I just saw him making out with some blonde girl in his driveway, after Uncle Pete dropped us off." Chase informs his parents.
"I hope Andie doesn't come home and have to see that." Charlotte sighs.
"I do." Cooper gets up to look out the window. "Let Andie see the kind of guy Nicky really is."
Lucas pulls up and let's Andie out of the car. Tyler and Danielle wave goodbye to her before Lucas drives off. Andie walks up the driveway, she spots Nicky's car parked in his adjacent driveway. She can see him in the car with the blonde. She walks in the front door and slams it with a scowl on her face.
"Are you okay, Sweet Pea?" Charlotte asks her daughter.
"I'm good."
"Did you see Nicky in his car with that blonde?" Cooper asks.
"Yes, daddy."
"I told you he was no good for you."
"Nicky doesn't matter. I'm dating Tyler now." Andie walks up the stairs to her bedroom.
Charlotte looks at Cooper and rolls her eyes.
Cooper sings a little tune. ~~"I'm glad I'm not a teenager in love."~~
"What the heck?" Chase looks at his father.
Cooper answers. "I'm just saying, I'm happy I'm married to your momma and not a teenager."
"So, you'd rather be an old man than be young and have you're whole life ahead of you?" Chase questions.
""Who are you calling an old man?" Cooper scoffs.
"You're old." Charlotte nudges his arm, teasing him.
"See, dad, even momma thinks you're an old man."
"Your momma's not too far behind me."
Charlotte looks at Chase" Just carry your little brother upstairs and put him to bed. We'll be up to say goodnight in a minute."
Charlotte sits back down next to Cooper on the couch and finishes her martini. "Another Halloween down." She pats Cooper on the knee. " I'm glad this night is over and the kids are all home safe."
"Me too." Cooper kisses her nose gently.
It's a little early for Halloween but I didn't think you wanted me to wait that long to post this chapter! =)
To Annie- Nicky's not Andie's brother (her brother's are Chase, Noah and Drew). Nicky is her couisn by blood but she has no idea since Cooper's adopted and never sought out his birth famiy. Only the readers and Nicky's mother, Leslie, know about it. =)
