Before You Know It

Chapter 24

"Do you know what next weekend is?"

I look at him around the door of my locker, "Uh, Saturday?"

His entire face dropped as he looked at me.

"Are you joking?" He deadpanned.

"Yes?"

I pushed a strand of hair behind my ear as I looked at him and continued rifling through my locker.

"Anne." His serious tone was unnerving.

"Yeah?"

"It's Halloween. Next weekend is Halloween." He paused and crossed his arms at me, "How could you forget Halloween?"

"I'm sorry to say this, but I just don't really care about it anymore." I closed my locker and looked up into his green eyes. "I just grew out of it."

I shrugged my shoulders and started walking to the cafeteria.

I could feel his warmth next to me, "How could you have 'grown out' of Halloween?"

I paused for a second and looked up his quickly before continuing, "I, uh, just haven't cared for it for awhile."

We sat down at our table at lunch and he exclaims, "Well then we're gonna do something together this year."

Sophie and Sean came walking up to the table and Sophie quickly butted in.

"What do we have to do together this year?"

Jake eyed me and then turned to Sophie.

"Halloween."

I nibbled at my sandwich in my hand as I watched Sophie's face. Her face was completely straight then all of a sudden, she started laughing, loudly.

I looked at her as she threw her head back and her curls bounced. Then I met Sean's eyes and they mirrored my confusion whereas Jake just patiently waited for her to stop.

"Good luck." She was out of breath and even had the decency to wipe away a tear.

"What do you mean?"

"Anne," she stated pointing at me, "does not do Halloween. Trust me."

"But why?" Jake groaned.

"I just don't care for scary things. And if I want Candy I'll just go buy some."

"But Anne, this year Halloween falls on a Saturday. Which means we can be out as late as we want to without school the next morning."

"How have you guys spent the last year's together?" This time Sean spoke up.

"Inside." Sophie stated.

"But with pizza." I retorted.

"What do you guys even watch if Anne doesn't do horror movies?"

"Anything but." She said. "Last year it was Disney movies, the year before it was rom coms, and the genre just changes every year."

"But with pizza." I chipped in.

Jake places his hand on my leg and was rubbing light circles with his thumb.

"How about the four of us hang out?" He asked towards Sophie and Sean.

"Sure. Sounds fun." Sean said.

"Why not. I already live at that house now." She chuckled to herself.

"What would we do?" I asked him.

He smiled at me and said, "You'll just have to wait and see."

I did not like that answer. And so as the days passed I kept questioning him about it and he just kept saying "you'll see."