It's time, it's time! Halloween time, of course!
October. Cooling air, colorful leaves blowing across the ground, and the sound of bare branches scratching against windows in the night…
I love this time of year. So here we go, Halloween! Twilight and all its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. I like to play in the world she's created.
The world of Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I like to play in it.
COSTUMES
Chapter 2 – The Party – The Arrival
As Jessica dropped Bella off, she asked, "Are you sure you don't want me to help you with your makeup?"
"No, Jessica, I'll be fine," Bella said.
"But you won't," Jessica said. "You don't want to mess this up. That guy is seriously hot."
"I know," Bella whispered as Jessica pulled away. "And I'm afraid of messing it up."
Halloween.
Donald Trump came to the Swan house that night. Several times. As did Hilary Clinton, Spider Man, the guy from Dead Pool, and an assortment of princesses and pirates. Bella passed out candy to trick-or-treaters of all sizes until 7:45. But her mind wasn't on the candy-seekers. Several times, instead of offering her standard choices of "chocolate or lollipop" she blurted out "Jasper or Emmet." Nope. This was not going to be a night when she could stay focused.
At 7:45, she used a break in the flow of trick-or-treaters to turn out the porch light and get ready for the party.
Despite her best intentions of dressing up, it only took a few minutes to get ready. She put on some mascara and foundation, then ended up washing off the foundation. She didn't like the "made up" look. Mascara and a near nude lipstick would have to do, she thought as she slipped on her Hogwarts robe.
She looked in the mirror as she put on the scarf, tying it a few different ways before just throwing it around her neck.
Bella was still brushing her hair overly energetically when Jessica pulled up to the house and leaned on the horn. Bella smiled as she watched Angela mouthing "stop" at Jessica through the window.
On her way out, she blew out the candle in the jack-o-lantern on the porch. As she got in to Jessica's car, she commented, "You look amazing, Angela."
"Thanks." Angela did look good. She had done dramatic make-up and it was very effective. Her face was alabaster, with carefully sculpted cheekbones, and she had applied a plum/burgundy eyeshadow, setting off the eyeliner and brows. Her lower eye line echoed her eyebrow. It shouldn't have worked, but it did. And her lipstick was black. Bella couldn't stop staring at her, thinking over her own limited makeup.
Angela seemed to guess what Bella was thinking. "I found a MAC video on the InterNet," she said. "Do you think it's too much?"
"No, it's great," Bella said.
From the driver's seat, Jessica blew a bubble with her chewing gum. "Not too late to stop at my house. I could do your make-up, Bella," she said.
"Thanks, Jessica, but I want to feel comfortable," Bella said. "Besides, the classmates in the Harry Potter movies never looked made up. They just looked…like kids."
"Wonder what the guys will be wearing?" Jessica asked.
Bella giggled, getting over her own nervousness and starting to feeling excited about the party. "No idea. Did you hear about anyone else going?"
"No and I didn't ask," Jess said. "I just told my mom I was going to a party at the doctor's house."
"Are you sure you know the way?" Bella said. "They're kind of off the beaten path."
"Emmett said he would put out a sign for us," Jessica said. "We're supposed to turn off the 101 after the bridge."
The night was bright, lit by a rare Halloween full moon. Angela read the MapQuest directions she had printed, directing Jessica to turn off at the bridge before Sappho. The road was narrow, barely two lanes, and quite dark under the pines that nearly met above the pavement. Jessica slowly made her way through the gloom.
"Help me look," she said to Bella and Angela.
"It's just so dark," Angela said. "Do we have a phone number? Maybe we should call and have them come meet us."
Jessica popped her gum again, irritating Bella. "No phone number," she said. "Should have asked. Not leaving tonight without it."
Finally the darkness was broken by the eerie glow of orange fairy lights strung on a pair of pine trees. At the base of one tree, a lit pumpkin beamed a wicked grin.
"I think that's our sign," Jessica said, turning her car up the driveway.
They had only driven a few hundred yards when they encountered a hand-lettered sign. "This Way," it read, with an orange arrow pointing straight ahead.
"That's our sign all right," Bella said.
They slowly made their way down the long driveway. It was much smoother going than the road they had come in on. "How long is this driveway?" Jessica grumbled. "I mean, when are we going to see a house?"
As if in answer, there was an opening in the trees. Jessica pulled up in front of a large farm house with a wrap-around porch, which glowed a faint alabaster in the moonlight. The windows were dark, though the wrap-around porch was lit by jack-o-lanterns that lined the bannister and steps.
"I think we're expected," Angela said.
"Somebody knows how to carve," Bella said. "Look at the faces and scenes on those jack-o-lanterns. They put my little pumpkin to shame."
The pumpkins were spectacular. There were cats with arched backs, haunted castles, ghosts, Frankenstein monsters mixed in among standard smiling and frowning faces.
"There must be twenty or thirty up there," Angela breathed.
Jessica parked next to a black BMW. As the girls walked to the front of the house, a couple in evening wear came down the steps. A tall blond man wore on a black tuxedo topped with a cape, while she had on an elegant evening gown, soft but glowing gold.
"Good evening, girls," the doctor said.
"Good evening, Dr. Cullen," Jessica said. "I love your house."
"Why thank you," he said. Behind him, the front door slowly swung open, but no one appeared in the doorway.
"I believe your hosts await within," he said in a stage whisper.
"Are you leaving?" Bella asked.
"We're going to the hospital for a few hours," Dr. Cullen replied. "Boring, grown-up event. We'll be back soon."
The woman asked, "Do you want us to stay?"
Angela answered. "If you want to, Ma'am."
"I think the boys have a full evening lined up," Dr. Cullen said, "and I suspect it doesn't involve us."
The two adults left, the doctor handing his lady into the BMW.
Angela sighed, watching them. "So romantic, so gallant. That's what I want, a man who will treat me like that."
"Kind of weird, leaving us like this," Bella said.
"He's just open-minded," Jessica said, "Let's go in."
xxx
Thanks for reading. Halloween is just HOURS away!
Please leave a review. Reviews make my pumpkin smile and I will send a preview of the next chapter to all reviewers. Next chapter on Halloween! See you then!
