ᴀ sᴜᴍᴍᴇʀ's ᴅᴀʏ - Nick Miller

ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴀʟʟᴏᴡᴇᴇɴ ᴘᴀʀᴛʏ

"You want to use this weekend as an attempt to attract Cassy? To you?" Schmidt asked, narrowing his eyes.

"She's staying over because people are going to paint her apartment, Schmidt." Nick replied, making a face. "I said nothing about attracting anyone."

"Nicholas, be honest." Schmidt urged.

"Fine, this is my chance. I even bought a new shirt." Nick said, gesturing to a black t-shirt with a lack of the usual stains. Schmidt made a noise, covering his mouth.

"It's a cool shirt. I like that shirt." He said, his voice cracking. "You look cool, man."

"You making fun of my shirt, Schmidt?" Nick asked. Winston tried not to laugh, sitting at the kitchen table, carving a pumpkin.

"Oh my god!" Schmidt exclaimed as Jess walked into the apartment in full costume, covered in blood. "Jess, you have to stop."

"What? It's the week of halloween. I have one costume for every day, and two for today." She protested.

"And what is today, dressing like a homeless dead body?" He asked, scowling at her.

"Yeah." She said, smiling back. Schmidt just scoffed, turning to Winston, who was beginning to sing.

"What are you carving?" He asked.

"A pumpkin." Winston replied.

"Aw, look at that. That's beautiful." Schmidt stated, right before punching a hole right through the carving.

"My pumpkin!" Winston cried, frowning at the destroyed carving.

"Schmidt, that is not very nice." Cassy stated, walking into the apartment wearing her scrubs and holding a pumpkin. She walked over, handing it to Winston.

"Thanks, Cassy." Winston replied, smiling.

"That was supposed to be for my doorstep, so make sure it's a good carving." She said, pointing a finger at him. He saluted, going immediately back to carving.

"Cassy! I'm glad you're home. We have to start decorating for our halloween party!" Jess cried, running over and hanging off of her arm like a child.

"Our?" Cassy asked.

"Yes, our, you're part of this now, so you have to participate." She insisted.

"What is "this?"" Cassy asked.

"Hell." Schmidt muttered, scoffing and turning away.

"Do I have to wear a costume?" Cassy asked Jess.

"Yes! Of course!" Jess replied, putting her hands on her hips in some sort of teacher pose. "Everyone is wearing a costume. It's a costume party." Cassy made a face. "Look, I already bought the decorations, we just need to put them up."

"I'll help." Nick said with a shrug. Cassy sighed, looking at her watch.

"Jess, I just got home from work, I'm tired, and I-"

"No excuses!" Jess interrupted, grabbing her arm and bringing out the massive box of Halloween decor.

"You look at dead bodies for a living. How do you not like Halloween?" Schmidt asked, reluctantly beginning to participate as he took a spool of black tinsel from the box.

"Because I look at dead bodies for a living." Cassy replied, deadpan.

"Yeah, that makes sense." Schmidt said, nodding.

The four of them spent the rest of the afternoon decorating, hanging up halloween banners, tinsel, cute little statues of ghosts and other things Jess had accumulated. Most of it she'd stolen from the school, but they were decorations. Cassy put a little sign on her door that said she was at the other apartment, but she brought her candy over to 4D so they'd have extra for the kids.