Chapter 3: The Hints Were Not Taken

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Adam

'Halloween Dance!
Friday, 10/31/97
Eden Hall, Gym: Room 101
Bring a date!'

The black flyer Charlie had handed me was decorated with brightly colored pumpkins and skeletons that bordered the bold, swirly, white font. I looked back up at him, an eyebrow raised. He had a wide grin on his face, sitting next to me at our lunch table, the other Ducks were all in their own conversations.

"This is what you're so excited about?" I asked, skeptically, but amused. He'd been all jittery since we got here just a few minutes ago.

It's been two days since Micheal Conway showed up out of the blue and ambushed Charlie. I was a little taken aback to see that the only reaction Charlie gave the next day was leaving study hall early to go down to the rink about an hour before practice. It seemed like he needed some space, so I didn't go with him.

Now, he wanted to go to a Halloween dance... okay, then. It was a little strange for Charlie to want to go to a dance of all things, but hey, who am I to rain on my boyfriend's parade?

"Yup," Charlie replied, popping the p. "Will you go with me?" His brown eyes were bright with excitement.

"Who else would I go with, Spazway?" I couldn't help the smile that turned the corners of my lips.

"I dunno." Charlie shrugged. "So is that a yes?" I rolled my eyes. I would've leaned forward and kissed him to prove my point, but we weren't in the safe privacy of our dorm room. I tapped his nose instead.

"Yes," I said softly, then turned to my food.

"What do you wanna go as?" Charlie asked, after finishing his sandwich and started eating a bag of potato chips.

"Oh..." I said, voice trailing off as the implication of his question hit me.

"What?" He asked, confusion lacing his tone. I looked at him and met his eyes.

"We're going together together?"

"What do you mean?" Charlie's eyebrows scrunched.

"Like... as a couple? I'm only asking 'cause we're- we're not out, other than to the Ducks, you know?" Anxiety rose in my throat. "If people found out..."

"No, no, I didn't mean together as a couple. I know that people probably wouldn't take it too kindly." Charlie confirmed reassuringly, putting a hand on my arm. "I just thought we could still match, right? We have before."

"Yeah," I nodded and a wave of relief washed over me. Charlie started suggesting various costumes, but they were all ones we've done in previous years. When we were kids, we came up with a general rule that we had to be something new each year.

"Oh!" Charlie finally exclaimed, startling me slightly as I finished the last of my salad, almost choking. "What about Jack Skellington and Oogie Boogie? You know, like from The Nightmare Before Christmas?"

"That's actually a really good idea." I said. "I'd totally do that. Do you wanna go shopping for stuff this weekend?"

"Yeah!" Charlie grinned. He'd always loved Halloween. "I'm sure my mom drop us off downtown."

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