Zepotha

CHAPTER ONE

Alaine didn't jump up and out of her seat the moment that the bell rang. She never did. She stayed staring out the window: something she usually spent the entirety of class doing on days like these. Caramel Oakes was beautiful in the autumn. She never viewed her town as being something very special until the leaves began to turn oranges and yellows and reds, and pumpkins started appearing on everyone's doorsteps.

"I'm sure I don't have to remind you all to be safe tonight!" Yelled Mr. Price over the commotion of the class. "You're seniors-- role models. Don't go mucking around and showing up in places that you are unwanted!" He carefully enunciated the last three words of his sentence. "Halloween is a children's holiday! Let's not ruin it."

"Halloween is a children's holiday! Blah, blah, blah," Maxine mocked from beside Alaine. Price's class was one of only two that they had together this year, and they were lucky enough to be next to each other.

"Careful, Max," Alaine warned. "He'll hear you."

"God, I hope one of these days he does. Two months into school, and I already can't stand that guy!" Maxine stood, snatching her backpack from where it hung on the back of her chair.

"Will you hush!" Alaine insisted. "I don't feel like failing trigonometry simply because Price heard your stupid remarks, and I just happened to be next to you."

Maxine rolled her eyes. They practically disapeared into the back of her head. "Trigonometry is dumb. C'mon. Let's get out of here-- I'm so ready for an Alfred Hitchcock marathon." Maxine reached out and took Alaine's hand in hers. Maxine's hands were always rough and scratchy, and Alaine loved the familiar feeling of her palms. It was soothing. Ever since they were little kids-- they'd always had an excuse to hold hands.

"We watch those movies every Halloween," Alaine said with a laugh. "Can't we do something else?"

Maxine guided Alaine up to the front of the classroom. Her platform boots clanked against the floor. Luckily, Price was too busy talking to another student to pay any attention to them. "There is nothing else to do. Besides-- it's tradition. We can't break a tradition. And you know it would make me cry." Maxine stuck out her bottom lip, pouting.

Alaine frowned back at her. "Traditions can be outdated, y'know."

"Not ours. Ours will live forever."

Out in the hallway, students in all grades and of all ages were running down the halls-- screaming and shouting and laughing. Some wore Halloween masks or face paint and were sneaking around pouncing on their friends to scare them. Someone was spraying a can of silly string up into the air. Mostly, people were shoving and yelling and whooping.

Halloween was always a big deal in Caramel Oakes. The novelty of the holiday never seemed to be lost on the countless new generations of teenagers. There were over a dozen parties on Halloween night each year in Caramel Oakes alone. It never mattered if it was a school night or not. Alaine and Maxine had always skipped out on those parties. They'd each received the occasional invite the past few years, but neither ever dared to leave the other to experience the sacred Alfred Hitchcock marathon alone-- no matter how bored they got of it.

"Danny Ardmore is staring at you," Maxine said just above a whisper, nudging Alaine in the side.

"Danny Ardmore?" Alaine mumbled. She scanned the crowd for his figure. "And why would Danny Ardmore be--"

Just as she spoke his name, their eyes met. Her mouth snapped closed in surprise. Danny Ardmore was tall, brunette, and skinner than most of the Jefferson High popular boys, and he was staring at Alaine through the crowd of teens at that very moment.