Page 1 of Halloween with a Daddy
Bethany
Ilovethistimeof year.
Summer is losing its heat. The leaves on the trees are changing. Every other house in my neighborhood has a pumpkin or a jack-o’-lantern on display. Some people take it a step further and go all out with their Halloween decorations. My grandparents are somewhere in the middle. We always carve a pumpkin, get the decorations from the attic, and spend an entire Saturday turning our house into something between heartwarming and spooky. It might be a little spookier if we weren’t using the same decorations we use every year, but there’s something about tradition that always makes me smile. It feels comfortable.
Most of my friends couldn’t wait to leave home. Some of them went away to college. Some of them moved out on their own, although most of them that did are now cramped into tiny apartments with roommates they can’t stand. None of that was really appealing to me. I love the small town of Willow Grove that I grew up in. I love my grandparents. The local college isn’t Ivy League, or one of the top ranked schools in my state, but it’s good enough for me. Just like the life I’ve always known, it’s comfortable.
Truthfully, I’m the type that rarely steps out of my comfort zone. It’s easier that way. Some may call it boring, but if boring makes me happy, then what’s the big deal? I don’t have to be spontaneous or adventurous to have a good time. I’m looking forward to a quiet Halloween night at home with my grandparents, drinking pumpkin spice coffee so we can stay up late to hand out candy to all the trick-or-treaters.
There’s a smile on my face and I’m singing along to some Halloween tunes when I turn onto the street I grew up on. The Andersons have their collection of jack-o’-lanterns out and it’s just dark enough to see the artistic displays his kids carved this year. Mrs. Smith still puts up the same decorations from when I was young enough to show off my costume to her every year. She always made such a fuss over it and she gave out the best candy. On my right is the house that makes me smile the most, but my expression switches to curiosity when I see my best friend’s car parked in my driveway.
“Why is Amelia here?” I tilt my head slightly in confusion and glance at my phone. “She didn’t even text me.”
I open the front door and walk into the living room. My grandmother has already cooked a pumpkin pie, and the smell is an awesome reminder of the season. I can hear talking and laughter coming from the dining room. I turn the corner to see my grandparents and Amelia, each with a slice of pumpkin pie that is rapidly disappearing from their plates.
“Bethany!” My grandmother gives me a warm smile. “I put your dinner in the oven to keep it warm, and when you finish with that…”
“Yum.” Amelia says, waving to me. “Hey Bethany!”
“Thanks grandma.” I return her warm smile with one of my own, nod to my grandfather, and give Amelia a curious look. “I didn’t know you were planning to stop by today. Is everything okay?”
“Amelia was just telling us about the Halloween party she’s attending this year.” My grandfather chimes in before Amelia can answer. “Sounds like a lot of fun.”
“I’ll tell you about it after dinner.” Amelia flashes me a devious smile that my grandparents do not pick up on.
That explains why she didn’t text. She knew I had to stay late to work in the library, and she wanted to get my grandparents on her side before she could ambush me with an invitation to whatever party she’s going to this year. That’s fine. I’ve turned her down before. If she didn’t want to get declined over the phone, I’ll just have to do it in person.
I gather my dinner from the oven and take it into the dining room. My grandparents and Amelia finish their pie, but stay at the table while I eat. I give Amelia a few suspicious glares between bites of the amazing ham steak my grandmother has made, but the conversation is mostly small talk. My grandmother brings me a piece of pie after I finish my dinner. When that is done, Amelia and I excuse ourselves to go to my room while my grandparents go to the living room to watch a movie before they turn in for the night.
“I know what you’re going to say.” Amelia pushes my door closed. “But at least hear me out.”
“You know I don’t like parties, Amelia.” I walk over and sit down on my bed. “Why do I want to go to a Halloween party with a bunch of frat guys who will spend the entire evening getting drunk and trying to sleep with me?”
“Well, I’d hate to tempt you with a fantastic evening.” Amelia grins. “But this isn’t that kind of party. I got invited by a guy I work with and it’s for responsible adults.”
“Then why are you going?” I scoff at her. “That sounds like the exact opposite of the parties you go to.”
“Open bar, networking opportunities, hot guys.” Amelia counts out the reasons on her fingers. “Well, one hot guy in particular.”
“Mark invited you, didn’t he?” I narrow my eyes. “The guy you’re obsessed with?”
“Well yes, but…” She stammers and grins again. “Come on, you said you were hoping to get a job at my company soon. This would be a great way to meet a few people that could give your resume a nudge in the right direction.”
“I guess that’s true.” I look down. “So this is an office party, right? Would I even be welcome there?”
“It’s not exactly an office party.” Amelia shakes her head. “It’s being thrown by someone I work with and quite a few people from the company are going. You’ll be my plus one. It’s not even on Halloween night. You’ll still be here with your grandparents to hand out candy, like always.”
“So that’s it? No catch?” I lift my head slightly.
“One small catch, but hear me out.” Amelia gives me a nervous glance.
“I won’t like this part, will I?” I sigh.
“It’s not a big deal, but you have to dress up.” She bites down on her bottom lip.
“That’s fine.” I shrug. “I’ve still got a few costumes in my closet. You’ve seen them all. Which one do you think I should wear?”
“No, not those boring costumes, Bethany!” She raises her voice and lets out a huff. “You need to wear something hot!”
