This is when things start getting good ;)
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flash foward: two months later... friday, october 31; the day of massie and alicia's halloween party

"Hey Block." Derrick snuck up behind Massie and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Hey Derrick," She replied, awkwardly turning around to kiss him. Just a light, soft peck; they were still at school.

Derrick frowned when Massie pulled away. "What was that for?" He groaned, tightening his grip on her waist.

"Not at school," She hissed, anxiously glancing around for any disapproving teachers.

"Aw, come on, the bell already rang! School's over." Derrick held the door open for her as they began walking across the front lawn of the school.

"Later," Massie promised. "Remember? Halloween party?"

Derrick nodded, first reluctantly, then enthusiastically. "I'm counting on it."

With another short kiss, she slid into Chris Plovert's waiting silver BMW. He was her ride to and from school.

Over the last two months, they had become close. Study sessions every other day, Guitar Hero parties on Friday nights, and the occasional stroll around the neighborhood. He was as close to Massie as Alicia was, and Alicia was closer to her than anyone in Westchester.

Her an Derrick had been going strong for two months. It was mostly bliss, but there were always those moments when he wanted to take things further but she flat-out refused. She had edgily explained to him that she had had a bad experience with a guy in California and she didn't want to rush into anything, and he usually accepted. As time passed, his brown eyes filled with more and more love for her, along with lust and still that scheming glint.

Overall, everything was perfect. Dylan hadn't contacted her once since she had dropped that hint about visiting, and Massie was so relieved she could have cried. Alicia was practically her sister. Claire and Kristen were her best friends. Chris was her best guy friend. Josh, Cam, and Kemp were all good friends too. She couldn't remember a time when she had ever been this happy.

"Hey Mass," Chris greeted her as she dumped her bag on the floor. "What's wrong?"

Massie smiled half-heartedly. He could always tell when something was up. "Derrick is pushing it."

He nodded, taking his eyes off the road for just a second to smile sympathetically at her. "Again? What happened?"

Massie sighed. "Nothing out of the ordinary. He wanted to keep kissing, I pulled back, I told him we could take things further at the party tonight."

"Did you mean it?" Chris asked. His grip on the steering wheel tightened ever so slightly.

"Not really," She admitted. "I really like him and all, but I don't know. It just feels weird even thinking about that, you know?"

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed his posture visibly relax. "Yeah, I gotcha. So, what time do you want me to be over?"

"Well, Leesh is co-hosting, so she's gonna be at my house at four. So come at maybe... six? If the party starts at eight, then we can hang out for a while. I told Derrick to come at seven though, so don't say anything." Massie heaved her bag of the floor and prepared to lug it out of the car and up the stairs in her house.

"I won't," Chris promised, his heartstopping smile crossing his face for just a second. "See ya later!"

"Ciao!" Massie said as she shut the door and hauled her bag into her house.

Her parents were in Cabo for two weeks, but she had permission to have a Halloween party, as long as only girls stayed the night and she didn't provide alcohol. Massie had readily agreed to both conditions.

When she opened the door, she couldn't help but to beam hugely. The decorators she had paid had gone above and beyond. But then again, when a decorating fee could probably pay for a moderately sized house, the result should be pure fabulous.

Orange and black lights lined the curving staircase, which was marked off by yards of ribbon. Pulsing lights binked out from the two-story ceiling, casting beams of eerie light down the the first floor. A think blanket of fog covered the entire floor, produced by hidden dry ice makers. The walls had been entirely draped with gauzy fabric, illuminated with typical Halloween-ish images behind it. Massie could have stood there and noticed every little detail, but it would have taken hours.

Making her way to the back staircase, she excitedly ran up the stairs and into her room. Kicking off her strappy mules, she grabbed her phone and dialed Alicia's number.

"Hey Mass!" Alicia squealed. "I'm on the way. I couldn't wait until four. I'm pulling up at your house right now! Eep! I'm so excited"

Massie giggled. "Come up the back stairs." She hit end and dropped her phone on her bed.

By then, Alicia was bouncing into the room. "IT LOOKS SO BEYOND AMAZING DOWN THERE!"

"I know! I didn't even think it would be that perfect." Massie greeted her best friend with a hug and then grabbed their costumes from her closet. "Ready? We need all the time we can for hair and makeup."

"Given," Alicia agreed, picking up her costume. "I love this. It's so cute!"

They had decided to be matching, of course. Along with Kristen and Claire, they were a gang of heartbreakingly gorgeous cowgirls. Adorably rugged leather cowboy boots, tiny denim skirts, second-skin plaid tank tops, and different colored bandanas were what they had decided on. Chic cowboy hats rounded out the look. At the last minute, Massie and Alicia had found suede, vintage-looking, sheriff-style vests that gave them just a little extra bit of fabulous. Not to mention the faux gun holster they all had clipped to their skirts.

Within two hours, they were ready. Alicia shook a can of hairspray and drenched Massie's sultry barrel curls until they stayed perfectly in place. "C, K, Chris, and Cam should be here any minute," She noted.

"Well, we're just about done," Massie said as she tied her deep purple bandana around her neck. "Want me to tie yours?"

Alicia nodded and handed her the rich scarlet bandana she held. Massie carefully tied it around her neck, pushing Alicia's matching curls out of the way. "C has pink and K has blue, right?"

"Yeah." Massie twisted her bandana so that it was slightly to the left and giggled. "And Chris is green and Cam is navy."

"You made them go all cowboy?" Alicia squealed excitedly. "That's beyond amazing!"

"I know, right?" Massie was cut off by her bedroom door being slammed open, and Claire, Kristen, Cam, and Chris tumbled in.

"It looks so great down there!" Claire exclaimed. Her and Kristen were also ready, and both of them were rocking beachy waves.

Massie and Alicia were too busy staring at Chris and Cam's cowboy-ness to answer her.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Let's go down and finish setting up." Massie flicked the lights off and clicked down the hall in her low-heeled boots.

The next two hours flew by. Derrick came, dressed as a soccer player, the waiters and attendants showed up, the decorators left. Alicia and Claire were practically bouncing off the walls, and Kristen and Massie were focusing on making sure everything was perfect.

The second the first guests showed up, Derrick practically dragged Massie onto the dance floor. Not for dancing, of course - for making out. Massie obliged as the dance floor quickly filled, but the second his groping hands reached for her bra, she pulled back. "Stop it!"

The pounding music drowned out her protest, and he pulled her in for another steamy make out session.

She yanked back this time and stormed off to the less crowded kitchen. Naturally, Derrick followed her.

"What's wrong? Is everything okay?" He said, obviously longing to be back out there.

"I really wish you would stop pushing me!" Massie growled. "I told you, I had a really tough time in Cali and I want to make the right choices this time."

Derrick scowled. "Oh, this again! You said tonight we could take things further!"

"Well maybe I didn't mean it! I don't want to be reckless and out-of-control again, Derrick! If you really love me, you would listen," Massie shouted over the chaos. Instinctively, she felt the silvery-pink scar on her neck.

"If you really love me then you would listen to me!" Derrick stalked out the back door and slammed it behind him.

Massie froze. This was not what she had hoped for tonight. She was just about to take off upstairs for the night when Chris appeared. "Hey..."

She chose to sink down into one of the tall stools instead. "Did you hear all that?"

He nodded guiltily. "Sorry." He walked around to the side of the counter that faced the row of stools.

"It's fine," She sighed, resting her head on her hands. "Who do you think is right?"

"You." He said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Do you mean that or are you just saying that?" Massie narrowed her eyes dangerously.

He raised his palms like he was surrendering. "I mean it, of course. You don't want to take things further, and he should respect that. I know you like him and all, but maybe you need to think about if he loves you physically or mentally."

"Of course he loves me," Massie said, but even she could hear the uncertainty in her voice.

They sat in silence as the minutes ticked by.

When Massie finally snapped back into it, she glanced quickly at the clock. 10:01. Had it really been two hours? Between greeting guests, dancing, fighting, talking it out, and sitting in silence, she guessed it had really been that long.

"Wanna do a lap? See what everyone's up to?" Chris suggested.

"Sure, why not?" Massie gently slid off the stool and followed him as he started walking.

Alicia and Cam were occupying the center-of-the-dance-floor spot, wrapped up in their own world. Kristen and Josh were busy in the living room. Claire was holding court with a group of sophomores who were gushing over her costume. Seemed like everyone was having a great night except her.

Chris noticed her distress and squeezed her arm gently. "It'll be okay."

Massie smiled weakly in thanks. He was such a great friend.

They were just circulating into the foyer when the doorbell rang.

"Perfect timing," Chris joked. "This is probably the only place in the house where we can hear the bell."

Massie forced a giggle. He was obviously trying to lift her mood, and she could at least act like she was trying.

Chris unlocked the three locks and opened the door, letting a blast of frosty air in. A single person was standing on the top step, their face shrouded in the inky black of the night.

"Trick or treat."

And then, everything went black.

Dun, dun, dunnnnn!
Three guesses who it is. It's really not that hard. Haha.

Will update for reviews ;)