PROPERTY OF A. KENDRICK

Entry 53

October 24

I spent a whole week avoiding those two, and it was exhausting. Halloween is only a week away, though, so that should be fun. I hope.

Today I woke up to Liota crawling into my bed. When I questioned him about it, he said, "You get hurt more now." I opened my eyes to look at him, but his face was mushed into my chest.

"I'm not gonna leave you, Liota. It's my job to protect you."

"But what if..." His hands tightened in my shirt. "What if I leave?" I'm sure he heard my heart rate speed up.

"Why would you?"

He shrugged. "Dunno."

He was soon asleep again.

***

When I woke up again later today, my mom had already gone to work and Liota was making breakfast.

"Want help?"

"No."

"Okay." I went to the fridge to pour a glass of milk. "Should we get our costumes today?"

"Yeah." He flipped over the pancake with a concentrated precision that made me smile.

"Are you ever gonna teach me how to time those things?"

"No." He handed me a plate already stacked with three pancakes. "My job."

***

Liota and I sifted through the costumes at the craft store.

"How 'bout this one?" I held up one of numerous mummy costumes, which is what Liota had decided to be this halloween.

"Historically inaccurate," he complained.

"It's a halloween costume."

He ignored me. "You should be a knight."

"Do I have to be historically accurate, too?"

He nodded.

"Dunno if that's possible. For multiple reasons." I picked up a simple, black skeleton costume. "I kinda... like this one?"

Liota blinked at me. "'Kay."

"You don't mind if I get it?"

He shook his head.

"You sure?"

He nodded.

"Are you absolutely—"

"Arawn!" Vincent's voice sounded behind me and I spun around, losing my footing and falling over into the costumes. Vincent grabbed my arm and pulled me back, something I was grateful for, as things have a tendency to break when I fall on them, and I couldn't afford to pay for anything. "Y'alright?" He put a hand on my shoulder.

"Yeah, um, sorry, just clumsy." I shook him off and put some distance between us. Being with him in public, with Liota here, made me feel extremely self-conscious. Liota was outright staring at Vincent, challenging him with a protectiveness that I'd tried to quell in fear that it would someday put him in danger. But after glancing Liota's way, Vincent turned back to me, ignoring him.

"Lookin' fer Halloween costumes?" Vincent looked me up and down. "Ya'd make a good knight." I felt my cheeks heat up. Liota must've nodded behind me, because then Vincent said, "Yer brother agrees with me." I twisted around so I could have a partial view of both of them.

"Um, I already... well, I thought..." I ducked my head in embarrassment as the words refused to form themselves, and held up my left hand to showcase the costume that I still hadn't put back.

"Ya gonna be a skeleton?" Vincent asked, pulling the costume from my hand so he could look at it.

"Um, well... m-maybe. Liota's gonna be a mummy, so I guess it kinda fits," I said quietly.

"'s a good choice." I raised my head up in surprise, meeting Vincent's eyes. He was grinning at me without a hint of malice or condescension. "Oh! Idea!" He folded up my costume and glanced between me and Liota, eyes sparkling. "How 'bout you two come trick-or-treating with me? I'm gonna be a vamp, so it'd fit perfectly. I'll even buy yer costumes!" He raised his eyebrows hopefully.

"Vincent, I can't accept that!" I wailed. "I'm not— Liota's costume needs to be historically accurate; it'll cost too much! Not to mention coming with us would be putting you in danger if anyone figures out who we are!"

"That's why ya need a big strong vamp to protect ya!" Vincent leaned an elbow on my shoulder and grinned. I frowned at him. Then he squatted down in front of Liota. "Whatcha say, Liota? Want me ta buy ya the most historically accurate costume in this place?" Liota eyed him skeptically. Then Vincent leaned over and whispered something in Liota's ear. I couldn't catch what he said, but when he leaned back, Liota nodded at him. Both boys turned to me expectantly.

"Well, if both of you want to, then I guess it'll be okay," I conceded.

"Ha ha!" Vincent grinned and slung an arm around my shoulder. Liota walked over and stared at Vincent, then pointed towards the area of the store that held the more expensive costumes. Vincent sighed. "Wow, ya weren't kiddin' 'bout the cost, were ya?" He shot me a smile. "But I wasn't kidding either."

We parted ways after Vincent bought the costumes. He offered to keep all the costumes at his house (I don't know why), but I still need to convince our mom to let us go, so I thought it'd be best if we kept ours at our house.

***

"Okay," Liota said when we got home.

"Okay? What's okay?" It was odd for Liota to speak first, so I was a bit on edge.

"Vincent." I followed Liota into my room, where he stuffed the costumes under the bed. "You wondered." I hovered after him.

"Yeah, but I, he... Henry?" It was so irritating that I stuttered when I was flustered, but Liota seemed to know what I meant anyway. I suppose since it wasn't far off from his own preferred speaking pattern.

"Halloween is a test." Liota smiled slyly. I smiled back.

"Okay."

God, my brother is adorable.