Chapter 33: Trick Or Treat
I paused on the front step, horrified at what I did but at the same time unwilling to reverse it. I may not have planned it, but it seemed a fitting punishment for such disgusting people.
Knowing I myself would be punished by the coven, I slumped my way down the driveway to the street, dragging my feet as I headed home.
To my surprise, I stumbled on Alison. She sat on the curb with the borrowed shawl wrapped around her, staring blankly out into the street. I stopped, not sure what to do but unwilling to leave her there alone.
I took a seat next to her, hugging my knees, discarding the hat to one side.
"Thanks," she said.
"My pleasure," I answered. "I just wish..."
"What?" She toyed with the laces of her red stained sneakers, once pristine white.
"That I reached you sooner. Before they... you know."
She hugged the shawl to her. "It's tradition. I was expecting it."
"What?" How horrible was that?
"Well," she said, "not quite that way. But when you are kicked off the squad, you have to give your uniform back. The girls usually make a big deal of it. But I think I'm the first to be publicly stripped."
She gazed off down the street as she spoke. I knew it was because if she looked at me while she said it, her resolve would break and she would burst into tears. How did I know? Because I would have.
I shook my head in disbelief. It made me sick.
"Sorry," I said, "but I still wouldn't have done what you did."
"I know," she said. "Pretty stupid, huh? I thought I could be, you know, tough about it, like I didn't care."
"I think they got that," I said.
She laughed bitterly. "You probably would have destroyed it yourself and left it in her mailbox or something, wouldn't you?"
"Or something," I muttered, thinking far darker thoughts. Like a midnight visit from a scary demon or two for Miss Suzanne and her bitch squad.
"It's okay," Alison said. "I really did deserve it, Syd."
"No one deserves that," I argued. "No one."
"I guess not," she said.
"Would you have done it?" I challenged her.
She blushed but didn't turn away.
Wow.
"The old me," was her answer. "Thanks to you, I've turned over a whole new leaf. My mom hates it," she giggled. "Not that she's around much, but she doesn't know what to do with me now."
"Yeah, I'm kind of going through the same thing with my mom," I said.
"Well, I guess I'll go home." She didn't seem very happy at the prospect. To be honest, neither was I. How was I going to explain this? I watched a couple of little kids decked out as super heroes wander across the street in their costumes. I wondered if Meira was having fun.
"Well, I can't go home yet," I answered.
"I hope I didn't get you into trouble," Alison said.
"Not exactly," I winced a little. "It's just... there'll be the questioning and the meddling and the grilling and after that the third degree, and I'm not in the mood at the moment."
Alison laughed. "Lucky you," she said.
"Are you kidding me?" I asked.
She shook her head and rested her chin on her knees. "I wish," she said so softly I had to lean in to hear her. "There's no one at my house."
In a flash of insight, I knew exactly why Alison was the way she was. I felt a huge rush of regret for her. I struggled my whole life against the enveloping pressure of my family, feeling smothered and overwhelmed they wanted to be the center of my life.
Alison was my opposite. I could barely imagine it.
Two more kids found their way down the street. I had an idea.
"Let's go trick-or-treating," I said.
Alison made a face as she gestured to what was left of her clothes.
"Syd, seriously," she said. "Who am I going as? A stripper?"
We both laughed at that.
"I'm wearing about six layers of stuff here," I said, getting to my feet. "I'm sure we can share."
A sparkle I had never seen before lit her eyes. She stood up, still smiling.
"Let's do it."
We ended up in the bushes in front of Suzanne's house. The giggling commenced immediately. Two scarves made a nice skirt for her while a glittery pink shawl tied up into a nice shirt. Another scarf made a jaunty kerchief. In the end we looked more like a couple of sparkly bag ladies, but the hat was a perfect candy holder and it was good enough for us.
As we emerged, we dodged an ambulance roaring around the corner. It squealed to a halt at Suzanne's driveway before pulling in. I could hear the distant sounds of puking and winced.
Alison frowned at the ambulance.
"What's going on?"
I tried to be nonchalant while my stomach flipped over in sympathy. "Maybe someone was sick from the punch?"
I hurried her away, partly to keep her from seeing what I did and partly so I wouldn't have to witness it myself. My imagination was bad enough.
Man, I wouldn't want that cleaning bill.
Alison and I giggled and strutted our way through the whole neighborhood, ringing doorbells and squealing, "Trick-or-Treat!" like a couple of six-year-olds. I had never in my life had so much fun. I think from the expression on Alison's face she hadn't either.
By the time we hit the last house in full dark, I had my first real friend ever. I was glad things turned out the way they did in the end. Being with Alison, laughing and carrying on like a normal teenager, I managed to forget everything that was happening, had happened, and just be Syd.
As we reached the end of the driveway at the last house on the block, I peered into the overflowing hat at the huge pile of treats.
"Wow," I said. "Meira's going to love this."
Alison rigged a hammock for her treats out of a scarf. It was also way too full and threatened to dump candy on the ground every time she took a step.
"Then here," she offered me her haul. "Give her these too."
I shook my head as she did her best to tie up the bundle and hand it to me.
"No way," I said. "You earned those fair and square."
She smiled at me, open and happy. "I don't need them, Syd. I already had my treats."
I took the scarf, knowing exactly what she meant.
I felt a brush of familiar power. Uncle Frank waited on the corner, leaning against a tree, grinning. I ran to him, relief pouring through me. I hugged him hard, ignoring the stray treats hitting the ground as I juggled the bag, the hat and Uncle Frank.
He hugged me too. When he leaned back, there was unspoken gratitude in his eyes.
"Uncle Frank!" I said. "You're okay!"
He smiled, but his gaze went to Alison. It was only then I remembered we weren't alone.
"Yeah," he whispered, kissing me on the forehead, voice only loud enough for me to hear, "because of you. Thank you, Syd."
"Any time," I whispered back.
I turned to Alison and waved her forward. She joined us, a little shy.
"Alison," I said, "This is Frank Hayle, my uncle. Uncle Frank, Alison Morgan."
Uncle Frank's eyebrows raised but he greeted Alison kindly. I noticed his color was normal, his body warm. He had already eaten, thank goodness, or she would probably have run from him, screaming.
"Nice to meet you, Alison," he said.
"You too," she dimpled.
"I thought you went to a party?" Uncle Frank looked back and forth between us. When his eyes hit mine I knew, knew, he knew what I did. My heart fell.
Crap.
"We decided to go trick or treating," Alison said. "Syd's idea."
"Really," Uncle Frank said. "Looks like a successful night."
I lowered my gaze to my hands full of candy. Alison answered.
"You bet! Way fun, right, Syd?"
"Yeah, way," I said.
"We should probably get you home, Syd," Uncle Frank said. "Your mom will want to hear all about it."
His eyes were unreadable.
"I guess," I said. I turned to Alison. She looked at me funny. I winked at her. Her face softened.
"Did I get you in trouble?" She whispered as she came close enough to hug me goodbye.
"No," I whispered back, "I managed to do that all by myself."
She hugged me hard and let me go.
"I'll get these things back to you," she said.
"No hurry," I answered.
"Thanks, Syd," she said. "For being there for me. For suggesting this," she laughed as she gestured to her costume. "For everything."
Despite what I was about to face at home, knowing I not only helped Alison but made a friend, made everything I did so worth it.
***
