Fifteen Feet Ahead

Chapter XV

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Chapter XV

"Happy Halloween!" Janie squealed opening her front door. She wore a huge witch hat and a long orange gown. Scanning me up and down she politely asked, "Where's your costume?"

My face heated. I wanted to punch myself in the face. How can I show up to a Halloween party without a Halloween costume?!

"Don't stress!" She smiled. "No one's even here yet, and we have so many more costumes in the basement."

I followed her inside. It was always strange and almost intimidating walking through someone's house for the first time. Well, at least for me anyway. You learn so much about a person by walking through their home. This is where they live, where they eat and sleep each night, and where they grew up.

Janie's house was far bigger than mine, and wooden flooring ran through the entire main floor. Black, orange, and purple streamers hung from nearly every corner. Opening the door to the basement, it was obvious that it was finished, with carpeted steps and baby blue walls.

It was decorated even more than the rest of the house, and placed on a coffee table sat bowls filled to the rim with Halloween candy and potato chips. Sour Cream and Onion, Duncan's favorite.

"Here!" Janie exclaimed, revealing the costumes behind the closet door. "Choose anything ya want."

She had anything from teenage mutant ninja turtles to Disney Princesses. There was even a hamburger costume.

"I like that one," I smiled, pointing to a set of Mario overalls and his red hat.

"Mama-mía!" Janie chuckled, handing me the costume. Slipping it on over my clothes, it was obvious that it was just a little too big, but that really didn't matter.

"Thanks. You really saved me with that one."

"Oh, it was nothing. And you look awesome!"

Suddenly, the door bell rang. Who else would be going to Janie's Halloween party? She mentioned family members, but would anyone else from school be here? Who were Janie's friends anyway? In that moment it hit me. I knew absolutely nothing about Janie Miller, and I felt like an idiot, being invited to her party, standing in her own basement, not knowing anything about her except that she was someone I talked to in biology and history sometimes.

"I'll be right back!" She squealed, darting up the stairs to get the door.

But Janie loved to dance, I knew that since middle school. She was on a really competitive dance team and did everything from hiphop, to modern, ballet, and tap. Obviously, I had never watched her dance myself, but from what I hear and from her Instagram videos, I knew she's pretty darn good at it.

In a split second, she came rushing down the steps with a familiar face, Brandon Clifford. Duncan's closest friend, Brandon Clifford. One of the most popular guys in school, the Brandon Clifford.

Shit, my stomach turned and flipped. There wasn't a doubt in my mind that he didn't already know about what happened earlier this week. Duncan told him everything. Brandon knew everything.

"I think you two have met already. Miranda, you know Brandon right?"

Hell yeah I knew Brandon. Everyone knew Brandon. Dani always said he was the hottest guy in our grade, said he had the greatest body too. I never agreed with her, and I never could see why he was such a heartthrob to every girl in school. Maybe it was just because I've known him since I was five and seeing him in such a way would be too strange, or maybe it was because I had more of a thing for blondes. And let me tell you, Brandon Clifford was not blonde. His hair was darker than Duncan's.