𝐅𝐀𝐖𝐍•ᵉ ʲᵃᵉᵍᵉʳ

13

𝚜𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚍𝚊𝚢 , 𝚘𝚌𝚝𝚘𝚋𝚎𝚛 𝟹𝟷𝚜𝚝

𝐘𝐀𝐘! 𝐈𝐓𝐒 𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐘 𝐇𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐍, and with Saturday here, plus the bonus of having Monday and Tuesday off for fall break, I couldn't be more excited. I slept in until 10 a.m., savoring the extra hours in bed, enjoying the rare chance to wake up slowly without any obligations to drag me out from under the covers.

Last night, I'd managed to put the final touches on my Little Bo Peep costume. The outfit was perfect: the blue corset, the lace ruffled skirt, the thigh-high tights with blue bows—it all came together exactly how I'd envisioned. Now, all that was left to do was tear apart my closet to find that white cane. It's gotta be here somewhere—no way would I lose something that I had obsessed over as a kid. I remember clinging to that thing like it was a royal scepter back then, waving it around like I was some kind of pint-sized queen.

Once I found it, I tied a pink ribbon around the handle for some extra flair, then used the remaining ribbon to fashion a cute little choker necklace. I can already picture myself at the party, fully in character, with a little twist of sass added to Little Bo Peep. I'm ready to show up and show out—no sheep necessary. Everything is coming together perfectly, and I just know tonight's going to be one to remember.

I glance at the screen, Sasha's messages lighting up my phone. A smile pulls at my lips despite myself, and I can already imagine her chattering about tonight's party, or maybe some ridiculous costume idea she's come up with. The essay is instantly forgotten as I lean back against my pillows, phone in hand.

I skim through her texts and roll my eyes at one of the messages—Sasha's got a knack for knowing just when to distract me. The pomegranate essay could use a little more polish, but there's plenty of time for that later. Tonight, it's all about letting loose and making the most of Halloween.

Still, I decide to at least try to finish this last paragraph before I lose all motivation. I set my phone aside, refocusing on the essay, and start typing away again.

A few seconds pass and my phone beeps twice more. I snicker before opening my phone, checking the spam of Sasha messages.

sash:
hi boo
so jean boy said he needs help
for like decorating his place and stuff
so can u pretty pls pack up all ur costume stuff in like a bag and whatever you need for it because we're gonna be at his house for several hours if u help
I'll pick u up obvi
answer me :(((
Y/N:
kk! do I need to bring anything?
sash:
your costume, a charger, ur hair tools, makeup, and solo cups if u have any
Y/N:
I have a couple packs of cups
come pick me up already!
sash:
I'll be at your dorm in 2 mins

I scrambled to gather everything as quickly as possible, shoving my baby pink duffle bag with every last piece of my costume. The blue corset, the tiny pink ruffled skirt, and those thigh-high tights with the big blue bows—I practically tossed them in like I was preparing for a hurricane.

My hair tools and makeup went in next; I knew I'd need my straightener and some extra glitter for the finishing touches. I even dug through my closet to find the three pack of pink solo cups because who wants to run out of those at a party? Better to be over-prepared than scrambling for cups later.

I made a mental note to grab my shampoo and body wash, knowing I'd need to shower at Jean's. Once I was sure I had everything, I threw on an off-the-shoulder t-shirt that has stains and is ripped on the bottom. A shitty contrast to the flashy costume I'm about to wear later.