How The Sun Rises

12: Mustard or Ketchup?

"There is no way I'm wearing this," Jackson announced, interrupting our laughter.

Ray snorted. "Yeah?" She said, "Too bad. If I'm wearing this, you're wearing that."

He gave her an exasperated look before turning towards Kyle, who simply shrugged nonchalantly as he fingered the thick fabric of his yellow mustard bottle costume. "I kinda like it," he admitted before turning his gaze towards me. "And I definitely like yours, Bunny."

My laughter stopped short as Jackson slowly turned to look at me, his eyes glancing up and down my body and making me squirm. There was a strange sort of expression in his eyes that was both unsettling and confusing.

And then he laughed.

Jackson threw his head back, hands covering his stomach as he exploded from his own amusement. I wasn't entirely sure what was so funny about the costume, and I unintentionally glanced over my shoulder to stare into the mirror behind me. It didn't look like I was wearing anything out of place.

"Y-you—" he stammered before erupting into a fit of laughter all over again.

Despite how erratic my heartbeat was at the sight of Jackson uncontrollably basking in his own mirth - something I wasn't sure was at all healthy for myself - and how amazing it felt to have distracted him successfully from the horrors of his life. . . I couldn't deny the embarrassment prickling at the back of my throat and staining my cheeks a dark crimson.

"Oh, ignore them, Bunny." Ray said with a roll of her eyes. "They're the ones who look completely stupid."

I smiled softly at her, simply because while I knew Jackson and Kyle didn't mean any harm in laughing, there was no denying I was a little hurt by it. There was no way I would admit it, but I was picking at my fingernails trying to distract the tears which desperately threatened to fall.

"I have a suggestion." Kyle interrupted, his fair skin flushed from how intense his merriment had been.

Ray raised an eyebrow at him and Jackson clamped down on his bottom lip in his attempts to fight a smile.

"I'm hungry - starving, actually - and I really don't feel like waiting a million years for us all to get changed back into our clothes. So . . ." He trailed off, and understanding washed through me.

There's no way I'm doing that, was my first thought. From beside me, Ray let out a loud boom of laughter, but it was obviously insincere. It was the kind of laughter you forced when someone said something so ridiculous, it was all you really could do. Jackson's expression had been wiped of all amusement at Kyle's words, and he looked ready to throttle him for the suggestion. All in all, it seemed the three of us were in complete agreement that what Kyle had wordlessly proposed was absolutely not going to happen.

Except it's funny how not even fifteen minutes later, we still walked out of the Halloween store sporting those exact same costumes, all of our clothes packed tight into a large black shopping bag. And we looked absolutely, positively ridiculous. People all across the street were staring completely unashamed, looks ranging from wonder to judgement on their faces. Of course, I had my head ducked down as my cheeks burned red, tugging at the pair of black shorts I'd quickly slipped on above the black bodysuit. It was a miracle I was entirely grateful for that I kept them in my bag at all times.

It took almost ten minutes for us to reach a local burger joint, where almost everything on the menu was either grilled or fried. Even though we were indoors, the strange and judgemental looks never ceased. I was fidgeting in my seat, trying to sink lower and lower so that no one could see me. If anyone noticed, they didn't say anything.