We leave the house shortly after my aunt and uncle. Jane dressed up as the main character from Dusk, and Ethan, Benny and I decked out in our Star Wars gear. This was going to be an interesting Halloween.
The neighborhood was crawling with little kids out trick-or-treating with their parents. Ethan and Benny had a strategic conversation on which houses gave out the best candy, and decided that those where the ones to hit first before all the good candy got taken.
"Are you having a good time?" Benny asked me, taking my hand.
"Actually, yes." I reply. "More than I thought I would."
"Good." he leans over and kisses my cheek.
We walk like that for a while, hand-in-hand, around the neighborhood with Ethan and Jane.
Jane turns around and looks at us. "Do you love each other?"
Benny and I look at each other and smile. We hadn't actually told each other we loved each other yet.
"Do you?" Jane inquires.
"Sure," Benny and I say in sync, and start busting out laughing at how we both said it at the same time.
"You don't show it," she says.
"That's because Benny and Kate aren't like some stupid vampire movie couple, who tell each other they love each other every ten minutes of screen time," says Ethan.
"Dusk is not stupid!" argues Jane.
"Okay," Ethan says, sarcastically.
We get to one of the houses that gave out the full-sized candy bars. I wait at the end of the driveway for them to get the candy.
"I'll be back in a second," promises Benny, kissing my cheek and then proceeding up the driveway.
"Wasn't that sweet," says a mocking voice above me. I look up to see a dark figure in the tree I was standing under. I walk over to get a better view. Jesse is lounging on one of the branches, looking down at me.
"What're you doing here?" I ask him.
"Trick-or-treating," he says, sarcastic.
"Where's your costume?" I ask.
"I'm wearing it."
"What're you supposed to be? A stalker in a tree?"
"A vampire," he smiles.
"I don't think that technically counts, since you already are one," I say.
"Don't you recognize me?" he asks. "I'm the idiot vampire from Dusk."
"I wouldn't know," I admit. "I never really got into the whole Dusk thing."
I look towards the driveway where Ethan, Benny and Jane are making their way towards me.
I look up at Jesse. "You might want to go. Unless you want my cousin to stake you."
"You're dorky cousin couldn't stake me if he tried," he says, amused.
"We totally go ripped off!" Benny complains, walking up to me. I steal a glance up at the tree. It was empty.
"How'd you get ripped off?" I ask.
"They give Jane a full-sized candy bar and just happen to run out when E and I get up to the door. We got the bite-sized ones instead," he explains.
"Maybe they knew you guys were too old to be trick-or-treating," I tease.
"Sure, whatever," says a not-very-happy Benny. "Let's just go home."
"Aww, don't let it ruin your night, Bennyboo," I say.
"Bennyboo?" Ethan, says with a laugh.
"Shut up," Benny says, embarrassed. He gave me a look like "What the heck?"
"Sorry," I apologize. "I wasn't thinking."
He just shakes his head and starts walking ahead of us.
Really? He was going to get mad at me for slipping up and calling him by his pet name? Jeez.
"Don't worry," Ethan says, coming up beside me. "He'll get over it."
I nod, hoping he was right.
"I don't recall Han ever getting mad at Leia," I whisper to myself.
Ethan, Jane and I start walking after Benny. I didn't understand why he was mad at me. It was just a stupid nickname.
We get to another house, this one with a long winding driveway. I wait for Jane and Ethan to come back. I didn't know where Benny had gotten to. Traitor tears were trying to escape my eyes. A few get lose, much to my dismay.
"Why so sad?" a voice says behind me. Jesse.
"Are you sure you're not a stalker?" I ask him.
He just shrugs. "Why would you say that?"
"Because running into the same person in less than five minutes is a little conspicuous."
"So?"
"So…are you stalking me?"
"No," Jesse says.
"Then why're you here?" I ask, suspicious.
"I'm not quite done with you yet." he says. "Did you not get my text when you left town like a coward?"
"I am not a coward." I defend.
"And you're also not your cousin, I get it," he says, annoyed. "Anyway, I've come up with a new deal for you and I to compromise on."
"What is it?" I ask, curious.
"Come with me, and I'll tell you."
I look over towards the driveway, no sign of Ethan and Jane. Or Benny.
"Okay," I sigh. "Just don't knock me out this time, please."
"I won't," he promises.
He jumps out of the tree, and lands beside me. Then grabs my arm and jumps back up into the tree, motioning with his finger, for me to be quiet. I look down and see Jane and Ethan getting to the end of the driveway.
"Where'd Kate go?" Jane asked.
Ethan shrugged. "Maybe she went to track down Benny."
"Maybe," says Jane. They continue to walk down the sidewalk towards the next house.
Once the coast is clear, Jesse leaps up out of the tree and we're flying over Whitechapel.