For Halloween and for 4everSamcedes. :)

"Look what I got?" Jenny says, holding out a large chocolate bar. "They give out better candy here than back home. I officially love Scotland."

It's Halloween, and Crane invited me and Jenny to go Trick-or-Treating with him around the neighborhood. Then we'll go back to his treehouse to eat and trade what's in our bags.

Every kid on the block is out, including Katrina VanTassel and Abraham Van Brunt; they're in me and Crane's class. Both Abraham and Crane dress as soldiers from the Revolutionary War. They have the exact same costume, with a fake sword and gold buttons that go down their long, navy jacket. The hat that comes with it is kind of silly though. Katrina's a witch.

Jenny dresses as an artifact collector. She carries a bag with a marble kit, a jewelry box, and an old teddy bear, things she got from the antique shop in town. I'm a cop. And I polished my plastic badge before I left home. I wanted to carry a water gun in my holster, but mama said no. She doesn't want kids thinking I'm toting a real weapon. Pah! I'm gonna have a real gun when I'm an adult anyway. This is just practice.

We arrive at the last house in the subdivision; it's decorated in cotton spider webs, skeletons, and pumpkins. A witch's broom hangs above the doorframe. The door is left open. I hear kids screaming from inside. Goose bumps pop up on my arms.

"This is Mrs. Webster's house," Crane says. "She makes a huge spectacle of Halloween. Last year, her house was a zombie graveyard. It was truly a great experience."

My eyes widen at him. "You went inside?"

"Of course. I was rather pleased with the special effects."

"You're crazy."

"Do you like haunted house at all, Abbie?"

"Nope. Never have and never will." I cross my arms. "I'm going home."

"Don't be a chicken, Abs." Jenny pokes me.

"I am not!"

"Are, too!" She opens her chocolate bar and takes big bite. Mama is gonna kill her for eating so much candy. "You're a cop for Halloween. You can't be scared. Who's going to protest us? You have to be the brave one."

"I'm not that brave."

"I really want to check it out. And it's freeeee!"

"Mama says we're not supposed to go into stranger's houses, Jenny."

"Mama's not here, is she? She doesn't have to know. And we're going together. Plus, Crane's with us." With chocolate around her mouth. "Pleeease!"

I can never say no to my sister. Stupid Jenny! I turn to Crane.

"And you want to go in, too?"

He nods his head. "However, we don't have to go if you don't want to."

I roll my eyes. "Come on. You go first."

"All right."

"Boo!"

I jump and turn around to see Abraham and Katrina.

"Don't scare me like that, weirdo!"

Abraham laughs, and Katrina covers her smile.

"It ain't funny, you two!"

"It sure was, Abbie," Abraham says. "You should have seen how high you jumped. Are you lads going in the house or what?"

"Don't let him get to you, Abs," Jenny says. "He's just being a jerk."

"Yes, please do not let Bram get the better of you," Crane says. "He is highly immature."

I nod while Jenny walks into the house like it's ours. She's too brave for her own good sometimes. There's no telling what's around the corner. I feel like I'm barely moving through the house. Either I'm in the foyer or living room; it's pretty dark. Arrows tell us which way to go, so it's some guidance. Cobwebs hang on the walls and from the furniture. Scary music comes from a speaker none of us see. I hear hissing somewhere and stop walking. Crane bumps into me.

"My apologies, Abbie. Are you alright?"

I shake my head, though I know he can't see me. The goose bumps creep on my neck now.

"Would you mind if I held your hand? Would that make you feel less frightened?"

"Yeah, it might."

A boy's never held my hand before. Mama wouldn't be too happy about it either, especially dad. They told me and Jenny that boys have cooties, which can make us sick. I hope I don't come down with anything. His hand is warm and gentle, like him. I'm not so scared anymore.

"Abbie and Crane, sittin' in the tree…" Jenny snickers in front of us.

"Shut up," I say.

She giggles again.

We walk through the house, whispering about which way to go.

"Let's see what's upstairs," Jenny says.

"You go. I'm staying down here."

"Are you that much of a chicken, Abbie?" Abraham says. "For a cop, you don't have any spunk."

I'll show him spunk: with my fist.

"If you talk about Abbie like that again, I'll—" Crane says.

"You'll what?"

"I'm afraid I'll have to spar with you."

He really does talk funny, but I'm glad he's sticking up for me. It's nice of him. It's also really hard to picture him so upset or getting into a fight.

Abraham laughs. "We shall see, Ichabod. We shall see."

As we go up the stairs, my hand tightens around Crane's. He squeezes it.

"Woooooo." It's Abraham, making ghosts noises in my ear.

Then Katrina tugs on my hair.

I whirl around. "Don't touch my hair, Katrina. Ever!"

She laughs until I get in her face.

"I meant it."

"You touched my sister?" Jenny says. "Don't."

"Back away from Katrina at once."

"She shouldn't have touched me."

"Yeah," Jenny says.

"Abraham, you and Katrina should leave," Crane says.

"We're not going to. Your girlfriend is being a scarycat and a crybaby."

"Don't call her that!" Crane pushes Abraham.

I don't think any of us really expected Crane to do that, but he does. Bram shoves him, and they fight in the hallway. I yell at them to stop while Jenny cheers Crane on. Katrina doesn't really say anything. She's not really any kind of help.

Suddenly, a witch drops from the ceiling, and we all scream and run downstairs into the living room toward the door. I think one of them must have tripped a wire or something during their spar as Crane calls it. It doesn't matter anyway because I get to leave. Finally.

"Rah!" Mrs. Webster jumps out from behind the sofa, and we scream even louder than before. I almost pee in my pants. This was a horrible idea. I'm never doing this again.

Mrs. Webster is dressed like a witch, too, but I don't pay much attention because I'm out the door in one second. We're all running down the street, far away from Mrs. Webster and her scary home. I'm relieved. Crane's catching his breath. Jenny's getting something out her backpack; it's the marbles she packed earlier. She tosses them around in her hand.

"What are you doing?" I ask.

"You'll see."

Abraham consoles Katrina, whose crying and shaking. I don't feel bad for her.

"Hey, lovebirds, look."

"What's that?" Abraham says.

"Marbles."

Katrina wipes her eyes. "For what?"

"These can be enchanted. I got them from a witch in town. I can put a spell on them. Then break them open on the ground in the front of the person the spell is for. And that person will be cursed forever."

"We don't believe that," he says.

"My mum told me that's really happened, Abraham," Katrina says. "She knows a lot about witches. We better run, I think."

"You better. If they break at your feet, that's it."

Katrina tugs his hand as Jenny inches closer to them. They run down the street, yelling for Jenny and her curse to stay away from them. I laugh.

"Jenny is insane."

"You still love her of course," Crane says.

"You're right."

"Shall we go to my treehouse, Abbie?"

"Yeah. I could use some candy right now."

We climb up the ladder, settle on the ground, and dump our candy out. There's a mix of fruity and chocolate. The caramels are my favorite. I trade chocolate for fruit chews, and he trades fruit chews for chocolate.

"Thank you for today."

"You're welcome, Abbie. I'm sorry that Abraham wasn't nice. I didn't like Katrina messing with your hair either. They don't have any manners."

"Yeah. I'm glad you were there. It made things better."

"It was my pleasure. Plus, you are my best friend. I know we haven't known each other long, but you are, if that's all right with you."

I smile. "You're my best friend, too. My very first one."

He blushes.

I do something that I know my parents will be mad about if they find out. I peck Crane on the cheek, and his face turns even redder.

"Thank you, Ichabod. For everything."

"You are more welcome, Abbie."

We eat candy until our stomachs hurt.