A/N: Hey everybody and welcome back to Horshack's Brightspot. I am so happy you're all here and I hope you're doing well. fun little treat for you guys! It's the Halloween chapter! I'm really looking forward to sharing this with all of you. As always, I do not/have not/probably nor will I ever own the rights to Welcome Back, Kotter or any of its characters, themes, plot points, and settings. I do own Vera, Cassie, and Raquel. Also, stay tuned for the incredibly special costume note of this chapter. Now, enough talking onto an ooky spooky cooky chapter eight.
CH. 8 Halloween
Arnold's P.O.V
Last night I had my date with Vera at the movies. It was incredible. We even got to hold hands and she kissed me on my cheek. I'm calling it, Vera Kimura is the girl I've been waiting for. Today, I get to go hang out with Freddie, Juan, and Vinnie. I'm gonna ask em if they want to go to Cassie's Halloween party. I think as I long as I don't mention Vera and say that there's gonna be beer there, they'll go. I get to the front door of Vinnie's place and knock on it. "Hey, Horshack. Come on you're just in time." Juan greets after he opens the door.
"Hey Juan. Hi fellas." I waved as soon as I saw Freddie and Vinnie. "Hey Horshack. What's going on?" Freddie asks. "Not a lot. Uh hey you fellas wanna go to a Halloween party on Friday?" I asked to get it out of the way. "Depends. Who's throwing it?" Vinnie asks. "Cassie Bennet." I tell them. "The Cassie. As in the only chick Vinnie can't get?" Juan laughs. "Yeah. That Cassie. From what V-I mean I heard, she's gonna have a keg. It'd be fun for us to go." I tell them being careful about not mentioning Vera. "For the record, none of you can get Cassie either. Horshack, you said a keg?" Vinnie asks.
"Yeah." I nod. "Hot chick I want and free beer? I'll be there." Vinnie grinned. "I don't have practice that night and I'm sure Verna will wanna go. I'll come." Freddie accepts. "Eh why not." Juan shrugs. "Great." I smirked happy. More time with Vera here I come. The next day at school when I see Vera, I tell her the good news. "I'm going to Cassie party on Friday." "Oh, Arnold that's great! Wait, are you gonna dress up?" She asks. "I don't know." I shrugged. "Well if you do come up with something, I bet it'll great." She smiled. I can't let her down.
When I get home that night, I go straight to ma. "What's wrong?" She asks. "I gotta get a costume for this Halloween party on Saturday." I tell her.
"Arnold, you know we don't have the money for that. I can barely afford to buy your siblings costumes. Just wear Superman again." Ma suggests. "Ma I was Superman two years ago." I remind her. "So, make it work Arnold. You're gonna look fine. And what time are you getting back?" She asks me. "Midnight. Maybe a little earlier." I tell her. "Okay. I trust you. Just be careful." Ma warned me. "Yes ma'am." I replied.
Friday night rolls around and I'm so excited. I can't wait to have a good time and have fun with Vera. Freddie picked us all up in his dad's car. When he pulls up, I see Juan and Verna are the only ones in a costume. "Vinnie and Freddie why aren't ya dressed up?" I asked embarrassed. "I said the same thing Horshack." Juan sighed. He's dressed up like Groucho Marx. Verna is dressed like Pam Grier. "Dressing up is for kids. Get in the damn car." Vinnie rolled his eyes. I get in the car, feeling not alone in wearing a costume. When we get to Cassie's house, her place is packed.
There's people, cars, and red cups everywhere. "Get ready boys. Were in for a night!" Juan cheered as we parked the car. "Hey don't act weird." Vinnie warned. I get out of the car and I'm the first one to the door. Cassie answers the door wearing a costume that looks like the ringleader of a circus. "Hey! Superman. Cool. Wait till you get a load of Alice." Cassie grins at me. "Thanks, Cassie." I thanked her. "No problems. Drinks and snacks are in the kitchen, people are smoking outside and, in the basement, and please don't go in my parent's room." Cassie warned.
"Vinnie stayed by the front door to talk to Cassie, Verna and Freddie split to go dance to a Hendrix song, Juan grabbed a beer, and I walked around looking for Vera. On the couch, I notice a tall girl in a catsuit and a girl with a blonde wig wearing a blue dress. I know the girl in the catsuit was Raquel, which meant the blonde was Vera. I walk up to the couch. "Vera." I call her. She turns around smiling at me.
"Arnold you look great." She complimented. She gets up from to couch and hugs me. "Thanks. I like your costume too. You look cute." I tell her. She's blushing now. "Aw thanks. You look very handsome yourself. Do you wanna go get a drink?" She asks. "I thought you don't drink?" I asked. "I don't. Cassie has Sprite specifically for me. And honestly, I might have a beer. It's a party why not?" She shrugged. "Okay, well let's go." I hold my arm out for her.
She links mine with hers. "Ya know, had I known you were gonna be Superman I would've dressed up as Lois Lane." She tells me. "Why?" I asked her. "Cause, what's Superman without Lois there to encourage him, give him strength, faith, and write about him in the paper?" She asks. "I don't know." I shrug. "Exactly." She giggles before grabbing a Sprite. I grab a beer. Only one though. That stuff is dangerous. Cassie walks in holding a polaroid camera, "Cassie not this again." Vera groaned. "What?" Cassie asks.
Vera turned to me. "She just got that thing and has been snapping pictures all day. She even took some while we were getting ready." Vera explained. "You don't like pictures?" I ask. "I love them. But there's such a thing a TOO MANY." Vera tells me, yelling the "too many" part at Cassie. "Oh, come on, just one more of you two. Then I'll go bother Raquel." Cassie begged. "Don't bother Raquel either. There are people from like three different schools and 4/5 boroughs having a great time here. Go take pictures of them." Vera suggests.
"Fine. Just one more with you two though?" Cassie asks. "Are you okay with it?" Vera asks me. "Oh yeah sure I'm fine." I promised her. Vera let's out a sigh. "Fine, Cassie. One more." Vera accepts. "Okay, on three say Trick or treat." Cassie warned. Vera moves herself close to me, wrapped her arm around me, and rested her head on my chest. I looked down at her grinning, holding out my cup. Her face is towards Cassie's camera. I wasn't expecting her to do that.
"1….2…. 3.. TRICK OR TREAT." Cassie yells out. "Trick or treat." Vera and I say together. Cassie takes the pictures, it comes out, and Cassie passes it to us. Vera takes the picture and shows me. We look like a real couple. "You can keep it." I tell Vera. "You sure?" She checks in. "Yeah." I say. People start coming in and out of the kitchen. "It's so packed in here. I know where we can go." Vera tells me. "Where?" I asked. "Follow me." She grabbed my wrist and pulled me upstairs.
Were standing in front of a door. "What's this?" I asked. "Cassie's room." She smiled. "Are you sure we can come in? Won't Cassie be mad?" I asked. "No. Raquel and I are the only ones who can use this place." She tells me. We walk into Cassie's very pink, flowery, and girly room. Vera closes the door behind us then takes a seat on Cassie's bed. I just stand there. "Arnold come sit down." She waves me over patting the place next to her. I sit down. "Are you having fun?" She asks. "So far." I nodded. "I've been here since four helping Cassie set up and get ready. I've never been to a party this big before. It's overwhelming." Vera explained.
"Yeah I haven't either. Does she know this many people?" I wondered. "I think a word of mouth thing. You know people love a party. I'm glad you came though." She sighed. "Really? Why?" I asked. "Because I like being around you. You make me laugh, you're really nice, and we have a good time together," She tells me. "I think you're really nice too. And smart and pretty." I admit. "You think I'm pretty?" She asks. "Well yeah. I think you're the prettiest girl in Bensonhurst." I tell her. "Please. That's Cassie or Rosalie." Vera shook her head.
"Not to me. You're my Brightspot." I reminded her. "I'm your what?" She giggles. "My Brightspot. Cause every time I see you it's the brightest part of my day." I explained. "That's the nicest thing that anyone's ever said to me." She's blushing. "It's true." I promised grabbing her hand. "Would you possibly want to have dinner with my mom and I soon? She's been hounding me about inviting you over." She asked "I will. In a few weeks." I nodded.
We get quiet. I feel good right now and it's not because of the beer. Vera moves closer to me and rests her head on my shoulder. I want to kiss her. I should kiss her. "Hey, V." I try to get her attention. "Yeah." She looks up at me. I start leaning my head down. Then we start hearing screaming. "What the hell?" Vera jumps up worriedly. "POLICE!" Some screeches. Vera runs to the window then turns to me. "Um the police are here and we gotta go." Vera tells me.
"Why?" I asked. "Uh Arnold most of the people are drinking, including you. And it smells like pot in her. We could all get arrested. Come on, we'll go through the back and out of the gate in the backyard." Vera grabs my hand again. "What about our friends?" I asked. "If we see them, tell them to come with us." She warned. We start running out of Cassie's room and down the stairs. It's a madhouse when we get there. "Rocky come on. Where's Cassie?" Vera is yelling. "Haven't seen her." Raquel tells her. "Well we gotta go." Vera waves her over. Raquel starts following us. I see Verna Jean, Juan, and Freddie. I wave them over. "Horshack where are we going?" Juan asks.
"I don't know. Just follow Vera." I yell as we get out to the backyard. Were running down Cassie's backyard to her gate. Luckily, it wasn't locked. "When we get out to the alley everyone has to cool it." Vera warned. "Yeah, Morticia I know. It's not my first time dealing with the cops." Juan rolled his eyes. "Wait my car." Freddie sighs. "Come back and get it tomorrow." Vera sighed. "That's my dad's car. Are you crazy? See Horshack this is why you don't need to be with her." Freddie warned. "Watch your mouth." Raquel snapped.
"All of you shut up. I just saved your asses. Go home. Rocky I'll call you later. Freddie don't speak on me" Vera brushes everybody away. "V, I'll walk you home." I offered as she lets go of my hand. "Thanks." V thanked me. I start walking her to her house, trying to figure out what just happened. "That was really cool what you did back there." I told her. "Yeah well we had to get out of there." She shrugged.
"Maybe you should be the one dressed up like Superman." I laugh. "What? No, you were a great sidekick. A Super Boy if you will." She tries to cheer me up. "I just followed you." I shrugged. We turn down her street. "Well it was still nice." She brushes it off. "Sorry about Freddie. He's a lot nicer when you get to know him." I apologized for Freddie. I didn't like how he or Juan talked to her. "It's okay. I don't really care what they think." She says.
"Really?" I ask. "Yeah. I only care about your opinion." I swore. "Why?" I ask as were walking up to her door. "You mean something to me. Like my mom, Cassie, and Raquel. I care about what you have to say and your opinion of me." She admits. "Thanks, V. I care about what you think of me too." I tell her. "Well I think the best of you. You're pure hearted." She told me as we get to her front door. We just stand there smiling. Again, I want to kiss her. "V do you mind if I?" I start. "What?" She asks me. "Can I kiss ya?" I asked.
"Really? Um okay. I have to warn you, I've never kissed anybody before." She admits. "It's okay. I haven't kissed a lot of people." I told her. "I trust you." She nods. I touch her face and kiss her. She turns her head and tries her best at kissing me back. When we pull away, she's smiling. "Was it okay?" I asked her. "For my first it was nice." I told her. "I'm glad. Goodnight, Brightspot." I wished her. "Goodnight, Bandit." She waved as I started to walk away. I didn't know what was gonna happen next, but if I had her, I think I'm gonna be fine.
A/N: That was quite a chapter. Slight spoiler, Arnold and Vera get together next chapter. I really hoped you guys enjoyed this because I did. This was one of my favorite chapters of this story. So, I instead of a color note for this chapter, we have a costume note! Vera is Alice because the party is wonderland to her. Like she said, she's never been at this big of a party before. Also, the drugs and alcohol element are a big part of her wonderment. Arnold is Superman because A. His mother can't afford a new costume and B. We all know Vera loves the Superfam. That's its for the costume note. Thank you so much for reading. I really hoped you enjoyed it and I'll see you next Tuesday. Bye Guys!