"There's my baby brother!" I cooed, giving Will's head a good scrubbing as he came into the living room dressed in his Halloween costume. "Best costume yet! All the other kids are gonna be so jealous!"
Will groaned and pushed me away. "Johanna!"
"What?" I asked feigning innocence. "It's just you look so cute!"
Jonathan bumped my shoulder with his. "Lay off the little guy, you're embarrassing him."
"In front of who? His mother and brother?" I shot back.
"Will someone just take some pictures before you're all late to school?" Mom asked with her hands on her hips, looking exasperated. I gave her a wide grin as I stepped out of the way and Jonathan squatted down to get a good angle.
"Three, two, one..."
"I hope it doesn't suck!" Bob called after us as we got into the car. I rolled my eyes and laughed good naturedly as Jonathan snickered along with Will.
"I just don't get what she sees in him," Jon said as he drove towards Mike's where we were meeting the other kids for trick or treating.
"What?" Will asked from the back seat.
"Bob."
"At least he doesn't treat me different. I mean, I can't even go trick or treating by myself. It's lame," Will murmured. I frowned, a wave of sadness cresting over me.
"What? You think we're lame?" Jonathan asked.
"No, but it's not like Nancy's coming to watch over Mike, you know?"
Jonathan sighed and we drove the last minute in silence. When we pulled up to the Wheeler's, the other three boys started yelling and jumping around, so my brother honked the horn in response which only served to rile them up some more.
Jonathan put the car in park but made no move to get out as I unbuckled.
"Hey, listen," he said, turning around to look at Will. I paused, my hand on the handle.
"Yeah?"
"If I let you go on your own, you promise to stay in the neighborhood?"
Pure excitement crossed Will's face.
"Yeah! Yeah, yeah, totally," Will promised.
"And be back at Mike's by nine."
"Nine... Thirty?" Will hedged.
"Nine."
"Yeah," Will relented.
"Deal?"
"Yeah, deal."
"Alright." Will opened the door and moved to get out, but Jonathan stopped him as he handed over the camera. "Hey, Will. Don't let any of your spazzy friends use this, alright?"
I snorted, looking back to said spazzy friends who were still acting like hooligans. "Good call."
Imitating Bob from earlier, Jonathan said, "I hope it doesn't suck!"
Once Will had closed the door behind him I turned to look at Jon with a single brow raised, but didn't say anything as he seemed to be thinking something over. With a sigh he pulled out a familiar bright orange flyer.
"Please tell me we're not going to that," I said.
Jonathan sighed again. "Let's go get sheet faced."
I groaned and bounced my head off the seat. "This is gonna suck," I drawled.
Girls on Film played as Jon and I walked into Tina's house, packed full with people in costumes. In fact, Jonathan might have been the only one not in costume. He didn't see the point in dressing up once we got too old to trick or treat, but I loved it so I kept doing it. This year I was one of the twins from The Shining, a play on the fact that I was a twin. If only I had been able to convince Jonathan to dress up with me...
I followed his gaze into the crowd to see Nancy and Harrington dancing to the music together. I chanced a glance at my brother before raising my eyebrows. "I thought they broke up?"
Jonathan didn't meet my gaze. " I did, too."
He didn't move from the entryway and I wasn't about to wander off on my own when I wasn't technically invited. I got the feeling he wasn't either, but oh well. He's at least got a flyer.
"Nice costume."
"Huh?" Jonathan says, turning to the girl looking at him.
"Nice costume."
"Oh, uh, yeah. I'm going as the guy who hates parties," he replied smoothly.
She laughed before introducing herself. "I'm Samantha."
"Uh, Jonathan. And this is my sister, Johanna." He paused for a second. "Kiss?" When she gave him a blank look, he clarified, "The Band."
She laughed again, nodding her head, before excusing herself. I waited until she was out of earshot to laugh myself.
"That was random and not awkward at all."
Suddenly Nancy came storming around the corner and up the stairs, shortly followed by Harrington. I cringed at the sight of her stained white shirt and watched them close the door to the bathroom behind them.
Jonathan and I continued to stand there awkwardly until I realized his whole plan in coming here. Turning to him, I said,
"You came just to see her, didn't you?"
Jonathan looked at me with a caught expression on his face. "No."
"Uh huh. Then what made you decide to come here, then? You hate parties."
"I thought it might be time to try something new. Besides, I wanted to give Will some time away from all of our hovering, and we couldn't very well go home."
I opened my mouth to say something when someone bumped into me.
"Shit, sorry- Byers?"
I turned around to see Harrington, dressed up as Tom Cruise from Risky Business, I assumed. Which means Nancy was probably the prostitute. A little shocking, if you asked me. Not Harrington, but Nancy.
"Yeah. You got a problem?" I asked, realizing I had been staring. It's not my fault the assholes are usually attractive. Especially in that blazer...
"No, no. Sorry. I didn't see you there."
"Yeah, it's fine," I said off handedly.
"The Shining?" He asked.
"Mhm. I tried to get- Where the hell did Jon go?" I spun around, searching for my twin but Harrington pointed up the stairs.
"I think he went to check on Nance." He looked a little put off when he said this, and I raised a brow.
"What, lover's quarrel?" I asked.
He spluttered. "No- We're not- I mean, not anymore- She just... Never mind." He ran a hand through his hair and took off out the front door.
"O...Kay..." I looked around, feeling mega awkward now that it was just me standing here in the entryway. I didn't have to wait long, though, as Jonathan soon appeared at the top of the stairs, Nancy tucked into his side.
"Come on," he said once he reached the bottom. "I'm gonna take her home."
I grinned. "Maybe you should have dressed in shining armor."
He rolled his eyes at me and opened the door. "Are you coming or are you walking your smart ass home?"
"I'm coming, I'm coming."