The Key to my Heart

Chapter 16: Halloween (Lex's P.O.V)

"Okay guys, who's gonna get the most candy this year?" I whispered to Bex and Rex. Every year on Halloween, we had a competition to see who could get the most candy from Sophie's neighbors. We worked all year for this night, doing yard work, helping with groceries, babysat pets, doing whatever we could to make her neighbors like us so they'd give us extra candy. The prize for the winner was decided by Dex each year, because although he was too 'old and mature' to play the game with us, he loved to build stuff for us as prizes. Our mom, however, thought it was too much like gambling, so it was always kept a secret from her.

"I won last year and I'll win again," Bex said, flipping her hair.

"You won for the first time last year," Rex pointed out. "I've won three times, so I'm going to win."

"I think picking weeds out of half the yards in their neighborhood gives me an automatic win," I told them.

Rex laughed. "You said that last year. And did you win?" He hesitated briefly. "No."

I huffed. "Well, I'll win this time, you'll see."

"Sure you will," Bex said, patting me on the head like I was a dog. "I'm going to get into my costume."

Rex followed her and I flopped back on my bed, looking up at the wooden airplane hanging from the ceiling. The only trick or treating prize I'd ever won. This year. I thought. This year I'm gonna win again.

~*~

Why do I listen to any of Bex's ideas? I wondered as I pulled on the black cat mask. She had suggested that we be the Berlioz, Toulouse, and Marie from The Aristocats. And I listened to her! The idea sounded cool when she fist mentioned it, and Rex and I agreed. Now I regretted it, and from the constant muttering coming from the bathroom, I assumed Rex was regretting it, too.

Once I had my costume on, I went downstairs to meet the rest of my family. My parents had decided to go along with Bex and be Duchess and Thomas O'Malley. But Dex got to choose what he wanted to go as, and decided to be Ron from Harry Potter for the third year in a row. He laughed when he saw our matching costumes.

"I'm so glad I didn't get myself into that," he said, flicking his wand at me, Bex, Rex, and our parents. "Although I'm going to look a little out of place."

Our dad waved the comment away. "Nonsense!" He said. "The rest of your friends are going to be there, all dressed up as different things. Now come on!"

The six of us piled into the family car, and then we were off to Sophie's house.

~*~

"Hey guys!" Sophie- or I assumed it was Sophie, it was really a giant turkey- shouted from the doorstep. I didn't know most of the other kids, but the tallest figure in a basic prince costume was the one Bex liked. "Do you know everyone?" Sophie asked when we reached the door. I shook my head, as did Bex and Rex. "Okay. Guys. GUYS!" She yelled. "We have guests," she informed her friends. "Okay, your going to have to pay attention, because we need to get going. Keefe is the hamburger, Tam is the skeleton, Linh is the angel, Jensi is the cactus, Biana is Belle and Fitz is Prince Charming, so you guys aren't the only ones doing joint costumes, and Marella is the bunny. All clear?" She waited for us to nod. "Let's go."

"It looks like our sister's in love," Rex muttered. I took that chance to embrace my costume.

"Sissy stuff," I said and than grinned. Rex rolled his eyes and stalked away. I continued to watch Bex openly flirt with Fitz, amused. Then I looked around and realized they weren't the only ones. We'd been walking around for a while, and everyone's feet must've been getting sore, I knew mine were. Biana was leaning heavily on Jensi, and Tam had put an arm around Sophie and pulled her close, which must've felt pretty weird, because of the turkey costume and all. Keefe, Linh, Marella, and Dex were all just walking around awkwardly. I rolled my eyes. Of course Dex couldn't get a date. He was never very good at that.

About an hour later, we all got into the car to head home, though much less enthusiastically as earlier that night. Rex fell asleep after a few minutes, and I felt myself slowly nodding off. The last thing I saw was Bex dropping onto Rex's shoulder before I, too, passed out.

Woo! 785 words and with this, probably 800. Sorry for such a long chapter, there was a lot of stuff I had to squeeze into it! :)