Thirty Reasons Not to Date a Player

05. He Has Witty Comebacks

My mom always said that Halloween is the one day of the year when girls can dress like sluts and get away with it. When I see my reflection in my bathroom mirror, I can totally see where she's coming from. 

Mel talked me into buying this devil-girl costume from Ricky's. She doesn't know this, but I only bought it because it was on sale. I stare back at the girl in the mirror, barely recognizing myself in the short red dress. It's strapless, but so tight fitting around my chest that I might need help getting out of it later. I am wearing black fish-net tights and black pumps to match. They're April's. The only heels I own are no more than three inches tall. My mom thinks stilettos are immodest for girls my age. 

I decide that I'm definitely bringing a jacket, partially it's chilly outside, and partially because my mom would not let me leave the house without one. I dig through my closet until I find a cropped leather jacket that I was obsessed with during freshman year. I put it on, pleased to find that it still fits. 

"AJ!" My mom calls from the hallway. "April's here!"

April and I always meet up at my house before we head over to school for the annual Halloween Bash. Last year, I couldn't make it because I had to take Katie trick-or-treating. I love my little sister but spending Halloween with a three year old instead of my best friends kind of sucked. Mel and April said the party would have been so much more fun if I had been there, but I know they still had a blast. There were pictures all over Facebook. 

"You look hot!" April says, as she walks into my bedroom. "You are totally getting hit on by like, everyone."

"Oh please," I sigh, adjusting my devil-horn headband. "I just want to have fun with you and Mel. Screw boys." 

"Do anything but that," she tells me, sitting down on my on my bed and taking a tube of lip gloss out of her purse. It takes me a minute to realize what she means. 

I apply some red lipstick of my own, but I can see April's reflection behind me in the mirror. She's wearing a sexy bat-woman costume. Her black boots come up to her knee, and her jet-black hair with a few streaks of red complete the look. April is half Korean, so her long hair is pin straight. It was her sister's idea to get the highlights. She totally rocks them.

My hair, on the other hand, is deep brown. It comes down around my elbows and I recently got side-bangs. I blow-dry them straight whenever I shower, mostly to keep them out of my eyes. I curled the rest of my hair an hour ago, just for variation.

 "When is Mel picking us up?" I ask, ignoring her earlier comment. 

April checks her phone. "She says ten minutes." 

 *

Twenty minutes later, the three of us are cursing down the freeway in Mel's BMW. Except, she's driving in the opposite direction of South River High.

"Where are we going?" I ask, suddenly more curious than worried. 

"You'll see," Mel winks at me and April through the rear view mirror. Her boyfriend, Matt is hogging the front seat. He doesn't have his own car yet, so Mel basically acts as his private chauffeur. I can't really complain because she drives me and April around too. Although, it would be nice to have some girl time to talk without Matt being around.

"Don't tell me we're going to Parker's," April says, folding her arms. Oh God. Sounds like we're headed for some random dude's house party.

"She's smarter than she looks," Matt comments. April rolls her eyes, as if to ask, what is that supposed to mean?

"It'll be fun," Melanie promises. "We're getting older guys, it's time to live a little!" 

I take out my phone and type out the words: Matt totally forced her into this. I hand the phone to April, who types back.