𝐑𝐄𝐃 • Max Dennison

V: MAKE A BELIEVER

"You stalking me Dennison?" Lilah teased and Max walked into the full house.

"No, I-" Max stumbled over his words.

"Chill, I'm kidding."

"Is this your house?"

"No, but take as much candy as you want, they won't care."

Dani looked at the huge bowl of candy and her and Max ran over. "Jackpot!" She yelled.

"Max Dennison," Allison's voice sounded suddenly from the stairs.

Max took off his cap and looked at Allison, although the didn't seem as flustered as earlier. That was quick. "Allison," he said.

"Oh, Allison, huh?" Dani wiggled her eyebrows.

"I thought you weren't into Halloween," Allison said.

"I thought Lilah wasn't, but here she is at a party. I was just taking my little sister, Dani, around."

"That's nice of you," Lilah said.

"I always do it," Max smiled, attempting to show off.

"My parents made him," Dani admitted. Max hit Dani gently on the back, as if to tell her to shut up.

"Do you guys want some cider?" Allison asked.

"Sure," Max said, Dani declined.

Allison grabbed a cup of cider for her and Max. "What about me?" Lilah asked.

"You don't like cider," Allison said.

"You could have offered. It's the principle."

"Quiet, Li."

"So, uh, how's the party?" Max asked.

"Boring," Lilah said.

"Mhm," Allison agreed, "It's just a bunch of our parents friends, they do this every year."

"We're on candy duty."

"By the way, Dani, I love your costume."

"Thank you," Dani said, "I really like yours, too. Of course, I couldn't wear anything like that because I don't have any... what do you call them, Max? Yabos?" Max choked in his drink. "Max likes your yabos. In fact, he loves them."

Allison laughed as Max's eyes widened. Lilah rolled her eyes and Max looked at her sadly. She noticed it, but wondered why. She didn't put much thought to it, though. Maybe it was a look of embarrassment and she'd mistaken it.

"I'm really into witches," Allison said.

"Really? Me, too. We just learned about those sisters in school."

"The Sanderson sisters? I know all about them, my mum used to run the museum. Lilah would always come with us, but of course she didn't believe in any of it."

"BS," Lilah said.

"There's a museum about them?" Dani asked.

"Yeah, but they shut it down because a lot of spooky things happened there," Allison said.

"Funny," Lilah said, "I don't recall."

"Why don't we go to this old Sanderson house? All four of us?" Max suggested. Allison was hesitant, and Dani was very clearly against it. "Well, come on, make a believer out of me."

"We shouldn't really leave the party," Allison said.

"I'm bored, anyway. I'll come. Allison, cover for me?" Lilah asked.

"Fine, but I doubt anyone would notice anything."

"Better to be safe than sorry."

"Max, we're not going to that place. My friends at school told me about it, it's weird."

"I wanna look around the town more."

"Well just go to the movies like a normal person!"

"Look, just do this one thing for me and I'll do anything you say."

"It's not actually haunted, Dani. The scariest thing about that place is the creaky door, and my bedroom door is louder," Lilah reassured her

"Okay, fine. Let's go."

"I'll see you later, Allison."

Allison waved them off. As Dani and Max walked down the path, Allison stopped Lilah. "Don't have too much fun," she winked.

"Ew, Allison. First of all, not interested. Second of all, eight-year-old present."

"Oh, my bad, I forgot. You seriously don't like him, though?"

"I guess he's kinda cute."

authors note
this chapter is super short and pretty much just dialogue but it's a filler chapter so idrc