It was the night before the Halloween party and I was over at Aly's place finalizing details for the following night. The previous weekend we had both been invited by Aaron to his big annual Halloween party, and it was a "costumes encouraged" party. We were in the basement, pinning patches to green mechanic coveralls to make them look like Maverick and Goose. I, being taller and blonder, would take the roll of Goose.

"Hey, if you need boots to go with it, my mom has an extra pair like mine." Aly stood up to get an overview of her jumpsuit on the concrete floor. "Do you think I need to move the name tag up higher?"

"Put it on and we'll adjust it if we need to," I stood to look at mine as well and be ready to help my friend. "I think I have a pair at home, but I'll let you know tonight when I look. Should I pick you up tomorrow?"

She shimmied into her costume and began buttoning the front. "Umm… Probably, if you don't mind? I just really don't want to show up alone."

"You didn't want to show up at all," I said as I unpinned one of her patches to place higher.

"I'm not like you, Valerie." Aly looked at her feet timidly. "You're so much better at talking to those people."

"Those people?" I climbed into my own costume to test out and shook my head. "Al, they aren't aliens. I've seen you talk to 'those people' in class before. You don't need to feel so nervous."

"That's different," she closed the difference between us to look at the patches, which she gave a nod of approval to. "That's talking about school things. Learning. I'm not very good at talking about things outside of school with people who aren't friends."

"Stop it!" I grabbed my friend's shoulders and shook her lightly, smiling to try and reassure her. "I'm telling you, you think too much. You're going to be fine and I'll be with you the whole time. I'll tell you what. Jacob told me that they always have a big Halloween bonfire down on the reservation, so they aren't going either. He said some pale faces would be welcome. We could just make a showing at the party and then head to a more relaxed setting."

"That sounds like a good compromise." Aly sighed a breath of relief. She unzipped her costume as she turned around, taking a few steps away. "Will, um… do you think Embry will be there?"

My head snapped upward, only having unzipped my suit halfway. "Uh, yeah." I smirked as I continued to get out of my costume. "I think so. Why do you ask?"

She blushed at my rhetorical question. I already knew the answer

"So, Embry." My grin spread uncontrollably. "Maybe that failure of a hike went better than I thought, at least for some people."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Aly strode over to the couch with a sewing needle and thread to secure her patches in place. She slid down the arm of the loveseat and settled into the corner, tucked tightly against herself in embarrassment.

"Yes, you do!" I slung myself over the opposite arm and settled in too. "You think he's cute! Which, I mean, you're not wrong – Ouch!"

Aly pushed me sharply with her foot. "Shut up!"

"Hey," I grew more serious and sympathetic at her reaction to my playful teasing. "You know I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I'm sorry, I just thought – "

"No." Aly shook her head. My friend's hands fell into her lap as a defeated expression washed over her. "It's not that. I just…"

"Al, hey." I scooched forward, closer to her side of the couch. "What's up? You can talk to me."

"I haven't told anyone this yet," she picked at the edges of her patches. "Mark and I have always been really close. We grew up together, we played together. We've been neighbors forever. Part of me always hoped that we would turn into something more."

"Wait, Mark?" I blinked back a wave of surprise.

"Yeah…" she trailed. "I haven't really paid much attention to other boys because of him. I guess a part of me is just hoping that someday he will see me as more than just a friend."

Aly's words struck me, a pitchfork through the stomach as I felt instantly ill for her. My friend was lovesick for someone that was too close to even see it. Hell, I didn't even see it. There she was, secretly having a Bachelor of Arts in Emotional Deception. I stared at her as I watched the turmoil in her eyes. But why now? Why would she tell me after clearly showing an interest in Embry?

"I think I was doing a pretty good job of pretending I didn't until recently. He's been so distant and standoffish lately and it makes me hate the way I feel about him, especially since he will never see me the way I want him to."

Her shoulders slumped further than I thought possible. It wasn't unusual for Aly to be timid; that's just who she was. Sweet, caring, soft spoken unless seriously aggravated. This was something different though. She looked defeated by unrequited love, probably more confused with a flurry of attraction to Embry.

"The way he sees Kennedy."

I shot upright at Aly's words as a tingle ran down my spine, and a tear fell from her eye. Mark liked Kennedy? How could anyone in their right mind like someone like that? I must have let out some sort of stutter in my disbelief, because Aly nodded in response.

"Yeah," she sniffled, wiping her nose on her sleeve. "He swore me not to tell anyone about it. I don't really see the point anymore, I guess. Mark says that no one sees the side of her he sees. Their dads are good friends, so they spent a lot of time together over the years."

"But she's horrible!" I spat with wide eyes, still a little sideswiped. "How could he have feelings for someone so mean and vindictive? Okay, I know I am not exactly the best fair evaluation since I bruised my forehead with her nose but what the actual hell!"

She shrugged again. Aly hung her head back and looked at the ceiling. "She's pretty. She's popular and confident. Kennedy is everything Mark ever wanted. Ever since the bullying thing, he's been more defensive for her than ever. And…"

"And what?"

"Liz told me that Mark was hanging out at their house with David and she overheard them talking," Aly futzed. "Mark wants to ask her to sit with us at lunch because her friends have turned on her."

"They have?" I slapped my own head. "Good god, do I even go to this same school? How have I not seen that?"

"No one has because they are all really good at pretending to be friends," she shrugged. "But you're still kind of new. You don't see it the same as the rest of us. When you stood up to Kennedy, you changed something. People don't bow to her anymore."

"So, what, now Mark feels bad and thinks bringing her closer to me will somehow help that situation?" I feverishly began to sew at my patch, fueled by a newfound annoyance. "Yeah, that would go really well. Why would she even want to sit by us?"

"She still thinks you want her spot as most popular. If she associated with you, she would still be near the top and you'd be less of a threat."

"Well that's stupid," I scoffed. "I don't want anything of the sort."

"I don't really blame him," Aly sympathized with the boy who broke her heart without even knowing it. "It's every classic movie plot ever. Unpopular boy falls for popular girl during her vulnerable times."

"Okay, maybe," I shook my head still. "Regardless of that, how have you kept this a secret for so long? You never told the others?"

"No," she shrugged. "Although, Becca might have a slight idea about it."

"And Mark, he has no idea because he's pining over Kennedy?"

Aly nodded. "The only other person besides me he told is David. Liz told me, Becca, and Michelle that she overheard them one night in David's bedroom talking about it."

Jeez, Liz liked gossip. I groaned. "If he thinks Kennedy is the ideal girl, he's not worth it. Can I ask what made you decide to tell me?"

"I was feeling really confused and frustrated I think," she wiped her huge greenish-blue eyes. "Meeting Embry and feeling something for him made me think back on this garbage."

I set my suit down on the old coffee table, stabbing the needle to stand upright in one of the thick patches. "Well, if you decide that Embry is worth shifting gears for, and I think you would be right, I'm in total support. If not him, we need to find you someone else to think about. From this point forward, no more cute thoughts of Mark. That way you'll be open to other possible suiters."

"You know nothing is ever going to happen, right?" she raised a brow as her hands feel to her lap. "A, I'm too afraid to make a move and B, my dad probably wouldn't let me have a boyfriend till I'm 30."

"He does have a lot of guns just laying around," I nodded, completely fibbing. "A poor guy wouldn't even make it through the door to pick you up."

"It's scary, truly." Aly rolled with the joke, clearly staring to feel a little better.

"Utterly terrifying."

"My crushes are strictly reserved for the imagination only so that I can save lives from my father's wrath," she dramatically sighed. We shared a laugh before standing to head upstairs, having finished our costumes and ready for some of whatever Mrs. Meissner had cooked up for dinner. A smell of chicken and tomato sauce was wafting down the steps, stirring a grumble from my stomach. It turned out to be chicken parmesan, which the Meissner family insisted on sending me home with in a single-serving freezer container since they knew Aunt Olivia was often away for work.

…

The next evening, I drove to pick Aly up, already dressed in my jumpsuit, aviator sunglasses, and hair pulled back into a messy ponytail. She came out of her house, looking the same as me mostly, but more nervous which was saying something. The party was lively before we got there, the deep base of loud music coming from somewhere further into the house pulling us further in, but only slightly. Near the stairs we found Mike, Eric, Lauren, and Jessica. Most of the time we hung out with them, not leaving our spots in fear of losing each other in the mass of people.

Aly was chatting with Eric about the newspaper; he was trying to recruit her talent for the written language and arts. Oddly, she almost looked pleased, like she was actually having a better time than me. Of course, I had been trying to wrangle up Jessica for about thirty minutes, so that didn't help my level of fun.

Jessica had too much to drink. Her cup was constantly in her hand and every time she left the group, she came back with another full glass of beer from the keg in the garage. I tapped Aly's arm to let her know I would be back, leaving the group to go look for Jessica when she didn't come back. I found her alone in the small kitchen, elbow deep in a bulk bag of pretzels. Her black cat ears had tipped crooked on her head.

"Valerieeeee!" Jessica cooed from the island stool as she opened her arms to me.

"Hey, Jess," I rushed forward to make sure she didn't fall of the chair, spinning her to face the counter again where she continued to snack. "What are you doing in here? I was worried."

"I found a bag of pretzels!"

"I see that," I pinched my nose.

"But now I want to go back to the party!"

Jessica jumped up from the chair and stumbled to the swinging door that was, at the moment, blocking the loud music and other partygoers. I ran forward quickly to grab her before she made it out there. If she passed through the doors now, there would be no getting her back. She was wasted and desperately needed to go home, or at least somewhere that wasn't the party house.

"We should really just hang out with you more," Jessica drawled in her drunken state, her arm slung around me as I eased her back on to one of the stools. She slumped as she found her bearing on the seat, gripping my arm as I tried to make my way to the sink. "The others are always so into Bella, but," Jessica hiccupped, "I think you might be the real gem of the family."

I smiled, forced and awkward, as I pried her fingers from my wrist. "Alright there, kitty cat. I'm gonna get you some water." An empty stack of red party cups sat next to the sink. After filling one from the tap, I set it in front of her. "Now please drink this, Jessica."

"You're not listening to me!" she whined.

"Drink!" I ordered, lifting the cup to her mouth. "Slowly."

Jessica grumbled and then obliged, grabbing the cup from me. She swallowed roughly. "Valerie, do you think Mike likes Bella?"

Oh my god, what was with people this weekend? This was Halloween, not Valentine's Day. Something must have been in the air that I was missing.

"We went to prom together last year and I thought we would date after that. But nooo," she waggled her fingers. "He still watches Bella all the time, more now that Edward Cullen is gone. He's gonna move in on her!"

"Jess," I placed my hands on my head for a moment, stressed. "Look, Bella isn't even talking hardly. She isn't interested in being with anyone. Regardless of that, you clearly need to talk to Mike."

"No," Jess chomped hard on a pretzel.

"But," I started.

"Noooo!" her head fell to the counter in frustration as one of the swinging doors into the kitchen opened.

"Oh, hey!" It was Aaron, and he was wearing buffalo plaid and carrying a plastic axe. "I haven't seen you all night! I'm glad you made it, Val."

"Yeah, thanks for inviting me," I smiled. "It's a great party."

"So, you're having a good time?"

"Uh," I looked at Jessica who was starting to lift her head. "I would be enjoying it more if I wasn't also babysitting."

"I'm fine!" Jessica piped up. She then smiled flirtatiously at Aaron. "You know, Val, Aaron and I were sweethearts in the 7th grade."

"Oh really?" I raised a brow at Aaron and he nodded to confirm, laughing a bit.

"Yeah, it was only for a week," Jessica continued in a slur. "But it was great."

"Best week of my life," Aaron dramatically teased.

"Shame you kids couldn't last."

Jessica laughed drunkenly at my statement. "Aaron was too sweet for me. He always was the nicest boy in the class. He still is, isn't he?"

"Alright, um, hey! Jessica! Have some chips!" Aaron placed an open bag of Doritos in front of the drunken cat, which she immediately dug into and stopped talking. He shook his head and leaned forward on the counter looking at me. "Sorry about that."

"About what?" I questioned. "You're not the one blabbing uncontrollably. So, hey, what are you supposed to be?"

He stood straight and looked himself up and down before slinging the axe over his shoulder again and grabbed a nearby roll of paper towel. "You mean you can't tell?"

"Oh!" I clapped and pointed. "You're the Brawny lumberjack!"

"Exactly!" Aaron swung his axe dramatically. "And you are…"

I held out my nametag.

"Ah! Top Gun?"

"Yes, but it makes more sense with my other half next to me," I explained. "My friend is Maverick."

"That's awesome," Aaron smiled in approval before being interrupted by someone calling his name on the other side of the door.

"Aaron!" Kennedy's head poked in followed by her body dressed in a cliché sexy nurse getup. "Come on! We're next for beer pong!"

"Oh, um. Sorry, Kennedy." Aaron's soft blue eyes shifted back to me. "I didn't plan on playing. I'm actually talking to Val, so…"

Kennedy looked me dead in the eyes, her expression stoic and unchanging while she watched me. "Why."

My eyes widened against my will and behind me I heard Jessica hiss, now fully embracing her costume. I turned to nudge her with my elbow and laughed a little while Kennedy's stony appearance shattered, returning to the usual program of fake smiles and overexaggerated movements.

"Oh!" Kennedy giggled. "I just meant why would you stay in here instead of joining your party! Come on, please?" She pouted. "Don't make me play by myself."

"Find someone else. I'm talking to Valerie right now."

Kennedy's expression fell as she looked from Aaron to me as she was crushed with his denial. I stared right back as she glared with her green eyes before turning on her heels out of the kitchen. We were all silent until Jessica hiccuped loudly to break the tension.

"Sorry about Kennedy," said Aaron.

"She seems pretty upset that you turned her down." Especially since you are talking to her most hated enemy.

"You'd think she'd be used to it by now!" Jessica spattered out.

Aaron sighed heavily. "Yeah, she's been this way ever since we were kids. Our older brothers were friends, so… this has been an ongoing thing. She doesn't take hints very well."

"Wasn't she just going out with that other guy? Hank something…" I pondered, picturing the basketball playing jock with light hair.

"She moves quickly," Aaron said pointedly. "I should thank you. You gave me a really good reason to not go back out there. I like talking with you."

"Ooooh oui oui, mon cheri!" Jessica said before sipping more water.

I ignored her, pleasantly surprised by Aaron's comment. "I've enjoyed talking with you, too. Hopefully Kennedy doesn't hold that against you though. She hates me, if you didn't already know that," I said with a dripping sarcasm.

"I did," Aaron nodded pointedly. "Yeah, you really gave it to her, huh? Everyone's been talking about you lately."

"Is that the only reason you know who I am now?" I joked, followed by a feeling of dread that it was true.

"No," he reassured me. "It caught my attention though."

"Between you and me, I wish people would stop talking about it. It's only going to make her loath me more."

Aaron raised his hands. "Say no more. People will just have to talk about your other good qualities."

My face flushed and I felt really warm. "I hate to do this but I should really get Jessica out of here."

"I understand," he nodded sincerely. "Maybe we can talk another time."

My mind stumbled and the butterflies in my stomach flipped.

"Well, we do have a class together," I laughed nervously as I hoisted Jessica off the chair. "The chances are likely."

"Or over coffee," he shrugged coolly.

What was happening?

I swallowed and nodded. "That would be cool."

Oh my god you are so lame.

Aaron's smile flashed. "Cool. Drive safe, okay?"

Aly and I headed for the La Push bonfire after leaving the party after dropping off Jessica at her house and making sure she was okay. Luckily, the snacks sobered her up enough to get past her parents. Even though the two of us were tired, we just wanted to at least show up to the fire to see a different scene.

For a little while, we sat by the fire talking to Jacob and everyone else that he knew and introduced us to. Eventually, I moved to get a marshmallow from a pop up table further away, and when I came back my spot had been taken by Embry who was talking to Aly. I chomped the marshmallow in my mouth with an absurd grin, making eye contact with Jacob and raising my eyebrows. Our friends were mutually crushing on each other. I liked it for some reason.

"They are getting awfully close," Jacob eventually made his way over to me and said.

"Having a crush to flirt with is always fun," Quil said, sneaking up behind me.

"You flirt with everyone," I rolled my eyes playfully.

"She hardly knows you and she has you pegged," Jacob pushed him a little. "Something must be in the air to have Embry acting so boldly."

"Yeah," I blinked into the fire. "Something in the air."

And it had gotten to me earlier, too.

Authors Note: Thanks for reading! Another Halloween related chapter to come right away, because it was too long to cram all in one.