Bookstore Bonding

Chapter Twenty-One.

♡ Claire ♡

. . .

"You gave her your jacket," Lindsey goes on as we walk down the sidewalk.

It's Halloween night, and I'm out with Lindsey, Harper, Jacob, and our little siblings. Morgan and Stacy are dressed as Wybie and Coraline, while Jacob and Lindsey have gone all out as ketchup and mustard. Meanwhile, Harper and I are just in our usual clothes. Ahead of us, Morgan and Harper's siblings are running around with their little plastic candy buckets, darting from house to house along with other neighborhood kids.

Lindsey, who I never told about Sophie having dinner with my family on Thursday, won't stop grilling me about it. I swear, she's more invested in this than I am, and it's honestly baffling. It's like she's trying to tell me something without saying it outright, which is annoying, especially since Jacob had to spill the beans for no reason. Sure, the Morgan thing was funny, but that doesn't mean Lindsey needed to know about it.

Still, what's done is done, and now I have to endure her relentless questions. I mean, Harper hung out with Casey that day, and I'm pretty sure they almost kissed, which is way more scandalous than an awkward dinner with Sophie.

"Come on, Claire Bear, why won't you tell me if nothing happened?" Lindsey nudges my shoulder playfully. Next to me, Harper steals a mini Reese's from Stacy's stash, laughing softly, probably relieved she's not the one in the hot seat. I scowl at her, and Jacob seems too entertained to intervene.

"Nothing happened, so there's nothing to say," I sigh. "And I have a feeling you wanted something to happen."

Lindsey shrugs. "You gave her your jacket," she points out. "I've never, and I mean never, seen you give anyone your jacket in our whole friendship. I mean..." she trails off, her eyes sparkling with mischief. Suddenly, she calls out to the kids, "Go over there!" pointing to a house on the left.

I raise my brows and glance at the house, admiring the decorations, when it hits me: she set me up. Not exactly a setup, but it feels intentional, and I can't believe she would do this to me.

"Lindsey!" I whine, pouting as she takes my hand and drags me up the familiar porch of Sophie's house.

"Come on, I'm helping you; you'll thank me later," she insists. Behind us, Jacob and Harper are standing on the sidewalk, laughing at my expense, which feels all too common tonight.

"Oh, I wonder when," I roll my eyes. The closer we get to the porch, the more nervous I become. My heart races in my chest as the door swings open, and standing there, handing out candy and complimenting kids' costumes, is Sophie Wood. I freeze, feeling like a deer caught in headlights.

I haven't seen her since Thursday, and now looking at her, my heart rate quickens. As I stand there, paralyzed, Lindsey somehow manages to get me moving and smiles at Sophie as the kids scramble down toward Jacob and Harper.

"Hey, Soph!" Lindsey waves, while I stand there, trying to fix my pouty expression. Sophie's wearing what looks like a vintage white dress with long, oversized sleeves, her hair styled in a way that makes her look like she stepped straight out of the 1600s. The costume feels familiar, but I can't quite place it.

"Hey!" Sophie beams, and oh my gosh, is it possible for my heart to do a cartwheel? Because I think it just did. "Hey, Claire," she smiles at me, and her dimple shines through.

"Hey," I reply, trying to calm myself down. Why am I acting like this? It's just Sophie, plain Sophie...

"Let me guess," Lindsey starts, "are you supposed to be one of those characters from the third Fear Street movie?"

"No," Sophie laughs, her smile growing wider as she balances a bowl of candy in her left arm. Lindsey feigns disappointment as she throws out other incorrect guesses, and then it hits me—who she's supposed to be.

"Emily Binx?" I ask, recognizing the headband she's wearing from Hocus Pocus.

Sophie's eyes light up as she nods. "Ding ding!" she chuckles.

Lindsey groans, "Damn it."

Sophie hands me a full-sized Hershey bar, and I stare at her, confusion etched on my face. "For whoever guesses my costume," she clarifies, a playful wink accompanying her words. "And not just because I like you."

"Oh," my voice comes out in a shaky sigh, and I watch as she blushes.

"I-I mean like a friend," she adds quickly, and for some reason, that makes me feel a strange pang in my chest. What is happening to me? At this point, I'm seriously hoping to have a heart attack to escape whatever I'm feeling around her.

"Is she the first person to guess right?" Lindsey asks, clearly enjoying this whole interaction.

Sophie shakes her head. "Morgan guessed right just before you guys came up here," she shrugs. "And some other little girls before Morgan, and a man I think was some kid's father or older brother, and so on."

Lindsey nods, her voice dripping with the kind of enthusiasm I've learned to dread. "So..." she starts, and I can sense where this is headed. I've heard this tone all night. "Did you have fun at Claire's house Thursday?"

Sophie's cheeks turn a bright shade of red. "Yeah, I mean sure," she mutters, suddenly shy. And just like that, I'm feeling shy too. Sophie looking bashful is one of the cutest things I've ever seen.

"Are you guys coming?" Jacob yells from the sidewalk. Right, I forgot he was still here.

I glance back to see him standing there, alone, and I realize Harper must've left with the kids. A group of kids from across the street rushes toward Sophie's house, and I nod, "Y-yeah," I confirm, "see you later, Sophie..."

As I turn to leave, I'm struck by an impulsive urge to hug her. Where is this coming from? I barely even like hugs. Lindsey heads down, and when she notices I'm not behind her, she pauses and looks back at me, her eyebrows raised in question.

Ignoring her, I mutter, "Can I hug you?" It's incredibly embarrassing, and I can feel my cheeks burning at the mere thought of asking.

Sophie's cheeks flush as well, but I can't tell if it's from my question or the chilly October breeze. "Yeah..." she whispers, nodding softly.

So, I hug her. Instantly, I'm enveloped in a warm vanilla scent, the smell of coconut shampoo invading my senses. What is happening to me? How do I make it stop?

. . .

Claire honey, don't fight your feelings for the love of your life. Anyways, I feel offended because this story doesn't have enough "I'm-falling-in-love-with-you" fluff but whatever, two more chapters and it's all over :( Fortunately for me (because I've fallen in love with these characters and the world around them) I have two stories associated with the Mason sisters. 

Anyways, question of the chapter:

Would you rather be stuck on an island with your worse enemy or no one at all and why?

Xoxo,

♡ T A L E Y I A H ♡