Page 7 of Another Love, Another Time
“I don’t think any of them are going to win us that prize,” I tell Auggie while we are on FaceTime.
“Have you asked your mom what the prize is? Can you snoop in her room or around the house?”
“You know her room is like Fort Knox.” I respond and he chuckles.
“Well, we need to narrow down our options. What are your top three favorites?” I prod.
“I like the Joker and Harley Quinn, Fred and Wilma, or Top Gun. You know, we would definitely get your dad’s vote if we did Top Gun. You know that’s his favorite movie.” He winks at me.
“Yeah, but I only have fifty dollars to spend on a costume. How much do you have?”
“My mom only gave me a twenty-dollar budget for my costume, but I have some money saved up from my allowance.”
“Do you think that you could get your grandma to help make us the costumes?”
“Yeah, if I help her. You would have to get your mom to send your measurements.”
“So, Top Gun?”
“Yeah. We also need the aviator glasses. We can’t do it without the glasses.”
“You’re right, so it’s decided. Do you have any black boots to wear with the costume? We have to win, Aug. You can be Maverick, and I’ll dress up to be Goose. I’ll even wear a stache.” I giggle a little, imagining myself with a mustache.
With Auggie’s brown hair and his blue eyes, he will look just like Maverick. “That will be epic! Yes, you have to get a mustache.” I write down the list of items that we will need to get.
Once I get off the phone with Auggie, I go over to my grandma’s house to ask her to help me with the costumes. She said she will if I help her.
~~
Halloween is finally here! I can’t wait to see what everyone is wearing. Aunt Connie said the parents will be judged separately from the kids. The adults get to judge the kids’ costumes, and the kids get to judge the adults.
My grandma helped me make our flight suits. We even got the patches like in the movies. I know we’ve got this in the bag. We just got to Aunt Connie’s house after a six-hour car ride. As soon as the car stops, I grab the bag with the costumes and run inside the house to find Auggie. We are currently getting dressed in the downstairs bathroom. The party doesn’t start for another hour, but I want to make sure the jumpsuits fit and that nothing needs to be fixed. I know my costume fits; I tried it on as soon as we were done with it. My grandma showed me how to make adjustments just in case. Auggie puts his on, and it fits perfectly. He grabs his aviator glasses and smirks. “Do I look like Maverick?” he asks.
“I’ll let you be the judge.” I turn him to the mirror.
He says, “You can be my wingman any time,’ and we both laugh.
“When are you going to put on the mustache?” he asks after a while.
“Probably not until the party starts. My mom has to get my hair fixed so I look more like Goose.”
He grabs my pinkie, and we are silent for a minute. Whenever we do this, my heart always feels like it’s going to beat out of my chest.
Our moment is interrupted when we hear people coming downstairs. I wonder if he did what I asked him to do. “Have you talked to Logan? Do you know what he and Melissa are coming as?” Logan had unfortunately been paired with Melissa. Poor Logan. Since the birthday party, I haven’t spoken with Melissa. We have been to a few family things together, but I steer clear of her.
“No. He wouldn’t tell me, but he didn’t seem excited about it either,” Auggie replies.
“I hate that your mom works with her dad. Ugh! I know the only reason your mom started inviting them was because they are my mom’s family. I feel like we are stuck with them.”
“Oh, she’s not that bad. I heard she gives great gifts.” He looks at me and smirks. I roll my eyes. “Too soon?”
“Yes, too soon! You little brat.” Still, I’m smiling back at him. “Did you do what I asked?”
“Yes, but I think you’re still wrong.”
I just shrug my shoulders and smile. “I guess we’re about to find out.”
Halloween: Auggie, Age 11
