Replay

October 31, 2011

▶

After the whole park incident, we hung out some more. We went to the movies with your friends and you met Sam. But those weren't that important. I guess.

So, October 31. Halloween - or the Halloween Ball.

You already know this - the school holds one every year. We wear costumes.

Now, I don't know if I told you this but this was the time I realized my feelings for you.

No, you did not tell me this, you idiot.

Sam and I went together, since we were dateless again. I was supposed to be a vampire. Sam was supposed to be the Grim Reaper. I guess it was fun - sitting and talking and drinking.

Then you called me. "Haloway!"

And I turned and thought you looked wonderful. You were dressed as Cleopatra. I swear you looked way nicer than the other girls who decided to come as bunnies.

You make me laugh, Peter.

"Hey, Williams," I greeted.

"What the hell are you doing, sitting here?" You grinned and said hi to Sam as well.

"We're also drinking," I pointed out.

You rolled your eyes. "Yeah, but that's it though, why aren't you dancing?"

"I don't dance, Al."

You wouldn't have any of it. Sam and I were both dragged to the dance floor and made to join you and the others. You mostly laughed at my moves. Told you I didn't dance.

Exactly. You said that you didn't, not that you couldn't.

It wasn't long before I lost you and then Sam. Just before I was about to go back to the table, though, you appeared again and made me stay.

"Enjoying yourself?" You were screaming - the music was too loud.

"Sure!" I yelled back. "Don't you have a date? A pharaoh maybe?"

"Thought I'd settle with someone a bit more undead."

Rolling your eyes, you laughed again. And I noticed the way your eyes light up and your nose scrunches up when you do so.

It was then that I started taking note of the little things about you.

When you smile, there's a tiny dimple by your chin. You bite your lip when you're thinking hard about something. Your eyebrow twitches when you lie. And you smirk a lot and there's always this glint in your eyes when you do that - like you know something everyone else doesn't.

"Nice costume by the way!" You laughed again.

"Not so bad yourself, Cleopatra!" I shouted.

"Thanks, Dracula!" You screamed.

See, in the time that we've spent together, I've gotten comfortable around you - but not overly comfortable. I still wasn't the most interesting person - but I could laugh with you, talk to you with only a few awkward silences here and there.

But you, Al, you're definitely interesting. Not just because I thought you were beautiful. It's the little things. Besides, what good is it if someone so beautiful couldn't even make a nice conversation?

A person could be this great thing and is made up of even more amazing things. That's you, by the way.

'A great picture is only great because of what's in it,' my grandma used to say.

That night during the Halloween Ball was when I realized what a great picture you are.

Your friends would join in when we were dancing and I found Sam too, he was dancing with a girl in a sexy nurse costume. Lucky guy.

I snorted. Peter knew he was way luckier with me.

Anyway, later that night you would drag me off to your table because your feet were killing you. I made a pun - but I'd rather not say it, it wasn't that funny.

It wasn't. I slapped your arm when you said that.

So that night, was a great big picture. With our friends dancing and us sitting down drinking. In all the Halloween Balls I've been to - which is a total of three, by the way - that was the most fun.

Like I said, it was an amazing picture. After we sat down for drinks, we danced again with the others but that didn't matter - not to me, at least. The moment I captured was just that - a fairy (Mary), a jock (Chris), the Grim Reaper (Sam), and a ninja (Adam) dancing by the side and Cleopatra and Dracula sitting down and drinking.

■

A leaf flutters by my feet. I stare at it, wondering if it'll get picked up by the wind and lead to somewhere else. It did, and I smiled.

Peter's Gran was right, a picture is only great because of what's in it. It's not just the general thing - the things in the picture that make it up give it the power to be amazing.

He's an amazing picture too.

-

(author's note): yeah, okay. maybe i took too long in updating. eh. bUT HEY I'VE JUST SEEN TFIOS AND GUYS IT'S AMAZING OKAY? OKAY. and this chapter doesn't seem as nice as it seemed to me before. does that make sense?