CHAPTER TWO: PUTTING THE TRICK IN TRICK OR TREAT
Just as Erin was finishing her story, Danny walked into the kitchen. "Hey, guys." He moved in to give his wife a quick hug.
"Back already?"
"Short meeting," Danny explained. "Hey, were you telling my wife about that one Halloween?" he asked Erin.
"Yes, she was, Danny. I can't believe you didn't warn me about letting our boys go trick-or-treating with her, after what happened to Jamie," Linda teased her husband.
"Hey, Erin told me she learned her lesson. Didn't you, Sis?"
"I did," Erin agreed. "I toned it down after that, and I haven't sent anyone to the hospital since."
"Just Jamie, that one year. Of course, we all ended up at the hospital that Halloween."
Jamie shook his head. "Danny, I was in the hospital and Erin was there with me. You and Joe weren't."
"Yes we were," Danny argued. "You just didn't see us. Pops picked us up before the doctor finished with your leg."
"Well, what were you and Joe doing at the hospital?" Jamie asked.
"Being in trouble with Mom and Dad. Just like Erin."
Frank joined his children in the kitchen. "That they were."
Jamie frowned. "Why was Joe in trouble? I remember he got some bruises roughhousing with Tim and Matt, but why did that get him in trouble?"
"It has to do with how he got those bruises," Frank began…
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Frank was standing at the admissions counter at the local hospital's emergency room, finishing up the paperwork for Jamie's care. The paramedic at the cemetery had determined Jamie needed stiches to close the gash in his leg, and the doctor was working on those stiches. Mary was with Jamie in the treatment room, with Erin standing nearby to witness the consequences of her behavior.
"Frank? Oh good, you're here."
Frank turned around to see Patty Fleming standing a few feet away. Tim Fleming's mother. Joe was supposed to be sleeping over at their house tonight… Then he spotted Joe, standing behind Mrs. Fleming. The ice pack he was holding to his face almost hid the bruises that were forming around one eye and his nose.
"Hi, Daddy." Joe's voice already sounded nasally.
"Patty, what happened?"
"You didn't get my message?"
Frank shook his head. "No."
"Dad, it's not Mrs. Fleming' fault," Joe interrupted. "It was our idea."
Frank looked from Joe to Patty. "Shall we let him explain?"
"You know how it's Halloween, and when people come to the door they say 'Trick or Treat'? Well, Tim and Matt and I thought it would be funny if we gave them a trick…
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"Man, this is boring," Tim Fleming griped to his friends, Joe Reagan and Matt Longerri. Tim and Joe were seated on the bottom stair in the Fleming's foyer, while Matt distributed candy to the latest group of trick-or-treaters. "No wonder Mom let us take over giving out the candy."
Matt Longerri nodded as he closed the door behind the most recent trick or treater. "Yeah. This blows."
"Trick or treat. Trick or treat. Trick or treat. If I hear that one more time…" Joe Reagan added to his friends' complaints.
"Trick or…" Matt began, and Joe jumped to his feet and tackled Matt into the front door. "Hey! Get off!" he yelped.
"Guys! I have an idea. How about the next person that comes to the door, we give them a trick instead of candy?"
"Like how?" Joe asked.
"We could flash them," Matt suggested. "We'll borrow one of Mr. Fleming's coats, and when we open the door, we'll yank them open."
"Nah, we'll get in trouble for that," Joe advised. "Indecent exposure."
"Whatever, cop-boy."
Tim looked at the staircase leading to the second floor, and how it was neatly aligned with the front door. "What about we get some scary masks, and some plastic bags, and slide down the stairs right at them when we open the door? That would scare them, I bet."
"Yeah!" Matt agreed. "Let's do it!"
The three boys quickly set their plan in motion, gathering all the necessary items for the first ever 'trick' instead of 'treat.'
"I wanna go first," Tim insisted. He positioned himself at the top of the stair with his legs inside the plastic bag. As soon as the doorbell rang, he pushed off from the top and arrived at the bottom, screaming and waving his arms, just as Joe opened the door for a five-year old princess and a four-year old witch. Both girls screamed in terror and ran back down the Fleming's front walk.
All three boys collapsed with laughter. "We have to do that again," Tim gasped out. "Man, that was the best. But kind of bumpy on the butt."
"What about a sleeping bag?" Joe suggested. "It has some padding, and it's slippery on the outside."
"I'll go get one." Tim scrambled to his feet and headed for the basement. He returned with two mummy bags. "Joey, why don't we both go this time? Double the scare, right? And Matt can go next."
"Okay!" Joe grabbed one of the bags, and ran up the stairs. He and Tim slipped their lower bodies into the bags, and waited for their next victim. The doorbell rang, and they both pushed off…
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"And that's where it messed up. The mummy bags slid faster than we thought they would and we landed bad at the bottom," Joe stated quickly. "And Tim's elbow hit me in the face, but he hurt other stuff."
"Sprained his ankle, and maybe a slight concussion. The doctor is checking him out now," Patty explained. "Frank, I'm sorry."
"Not your fault." Frank looked down at his son. "It was a bad idea the boys came up with."
Joe looked away, trying to avoid meeting his father's eyes, and spotted someone he knew. "Hey, look, Danny's here. Danny!" he called to his brother.
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"…and as to what Danny was doing at the hospital, I'll let him explain that," Frank concluded.
"It's all Al Cleary's fault," Danny argued.
"Good. Blame the guy who's in jail, and can't defend himself," Erin joked.
"Hey, he's in jail because he murdered his parents. And it really was his fault, although I might not have gotten in so much trouble if Joe hadn't made sure Dad knew I was at the hospital."
Jamie snickered. "And now you're blaming Joe."
"Well, if he hadn't drawn Dad's attention to me, I might have gotten away with it."
Erin crossed her arms and looked at her older brother. "Explain what 'it' was," she demanded.