October

Chapter 15

October 31
Halloween

Halloween wasn't the same as it used to be. I should've been excited to be out, but knowing that I had gotten into my final hours, I wasn't excited one bit. Harry and I barely spoke to each other or his friends, but his hand was still held warmly against mine.

His friends seemed to be enjoying the sweets and festivities, but soon, it was 10:00, and all houses had closed up for the night. Harry's friends were determined to find more candy, however.

My bag was full, as was Harry's, so we left them to sit on a bench while his friends ran around crazily on a sugar high. Without speaking, we sat there, glancing at the full moon in the sky.

"Pretty moon," Harry observed. It was the first time I'd heard him talk in an hour or so.

I nodded, too afraid to speak. I would surely sob once more.

For a half hour, we sat on the bench, just staring at the moon and occasionally glancing at each other. Harry's friends had soon gone, and Harry and i headed back to his porch where we could be alone.

"Harry, you're back!" his mom called as we came up the front porch. Her eyes narrowed as she glanced at me. "Cece, are you going home?"

I hadn't thought  of any excuses to make. Before I could speak, however, Harry saved me.

"Her grandmother is having a Halloween party, and--" I cut him off before he could continue.

"She doesn't want me to come home until midnight because she's afraid I might disrupt her party. Is it all right if I stay here for now?"

His mother pondered in thought for a few moments, then sighed. "All right. Do you want to come inside?"

"I'm good here," Harry decided. He turned to me. "You?"

"Yeah, I'm good," I agreed.

 "Well, if you get cold, it's warm inside," his mother said, leaving us.

We waited a couple minutes, and then Harry spoke again. "Well, that was good cover."

"Thanks," I replied. There was a long pause before I spoke again, and when I did, I began to cry. "I-I don't want to leave!"

"Sh," Harry said, patting my back as the sobs returned. "Not so loud. My mom will hear you." Then, he held me close again and whispered, "It'll be okay. We're here together, aren't we?"

I nodded. "I just don't want to say good-bye."

"I know you don't. But we will have to when the time comes. We still have over an hour."

"I remember when I first saw you," I began, the memory clear in my mind. You were walking back from school, talking to your friends about how relationships didn't work for you. Then, later, I saw you at the dance."

Harry laughed. "Were you spying on me?"

I giggled. "I was standing at a reasonable distance where conversation could've been overheard," I admitted.

"So, how'd you find out about the dance?" Harry wondered.

"When you and your friends mentioned it, I decided I'd go," I explained. "You have no idea how many times I had to make up excuses and escape the house to see you. To go to the dance took an extra bit of strategy and convincing."

"Your grandmother is pretty strict," Harry realized.

"I know," I replied. After a pause, I spoke again. "But I love her. After she left, I had no idea what to do. I had to tell you the truth because the guilt had been eating me alive."

"I'm glad you told me the truth," Harry told me, smiling warmly.

"Really?" I asked, surprised.

"I have to admit, I was a bit freaked out at first, but it didn't take too long to get used to."

I smiled, glancing at Harry's watch. It was nearly 11:00. Harry looked up, noticing my concern.

"Hey, we still have about an hour. Let's make the most of it," he urged.

I nodded and laid my head against his shoulder, unable to speak anymore without crying. As his watch struck eleven, we looked at each other.

"One more hour," I said.

"One more hour," he replied.

I was about to speak again when suddenly I felt myself becoming light. I looked down, realizing my body was dissolving. Another summoning from the Ghost Council?

"Cece, no!" Harry shouted, reaching for me. "Not again!"

"Why is this happening?!" I screeched as I began to fade. "I still have an hour! Help!" Then, the world faded and I disappeared, leaving Harry alone on his porch with no explanation whatsoever.