After dancing with Todd, Tessa lets me go home. I walk home alone in the dark, the moonlight lighting up the puddles in the gutters. I walk over to the Mortimers’ house before heading home, and stand next to the gate, looking up at Jack’s window. The light is off, so at least he’s getting some rest. 

“What are you doing here?” Someone asks, and I nearly scream, and turn to face their flashlight beam. 

“You scared me.” I say, putting my hand on my chest. “My friend came home from the dance early, because he wasn’t feeling well. I was just making sure he was okay.” Isaiah, the policeman that Mom is dating, the one who treats me like a child just because I believe in ghost stories, seems to approve of my explanation.

“You need to get home, Lara.” Isaiah says, moving the flashlight to point at the house.

“I was planning to do that.” I say, folding my arms. 

“Then do it. And be safe.” He says, obviously irritated with me. Good.

“I think I’ll be fine crossing the street.” I mutter, and purposefully step on his foot as I walk across the road to the driveway. I go up to the bedroom, put on my nightgown, and wait patiently for Tessa to get home. About half an hour later, Tessa appears, walking down the road with Henry. They’re holding hands. When they reach the driveway, Henry kisses Tessa’s cheek, then leaves to go home to his own house. I scowl at him as he leaves, then pretend to be asleep when Tessa comes into the room. 

“We need to start thinking about our Halloween costumes.” Tessa says, pulling on her coat for the first time in months. I nod and straighten my headband. My honey-colored hair now reaches just past my chin, and complements my round rosy cheeks much better than long hair did. “Halloween is less than a week away, and we don’t even know if we have costumes.” 

“We have six large boxes in our garage for costumes, and even more than that around the house.” I say, buttoning my old, worn coat. “I think we’ll be able to figure something out.” Tessa rolls her eyes, then takes my arm and leads me out of the house, walking me down the sidewalk. “What’s the point of this little outing?” I ask, glancing around the street. A layer of frost covers everyone’s lawns, making them sparkle in the morning light. 

“If I told you, you wouldn’t want to come.” Tessa says, with a mischievous glint in her eyes. I try to pull my arm out of her grasp, but she tightens her grip.

“That statement alone tells me I won’t like it.” I say, tugging my arm out.

“You need to get more comfortable in social situations, Lara!” Tessa yells, grabbing at my arm and pulling me along the road. Eventually, we reach a little white house on the edge of the neighborhood with a bright red door. The kind of house we would have grown up in if we were wealthy. Tessa holds onto my wrist very tightly, and knocks on the door, a smile on her face. 

“Where are we?” I ask, as whoever lives here walks to the door. 

“It’s a party. Only the most select people in the school were invited.” She smiles at me as the door opens. “And that includes us.” I roll my eyes and turn to face the person who opens the door. Cal smiles at me, and leans against the doorframe. Tessa apparently doesn’t know he attacked me and cut my hair, because she smiles warmly at him. 

Just like Mom told me, I don’t shrink and hide as usual. I need to show I’m not afraid. Holding my head high, I smile smugly, and walk past him, stepping on his foot as I pass. Tessa drags me right into the middle of the crowd, and introduces me to everyone. 

“You already know Todd, and these are my friends, Kathy and Maryann.” I wave awkwardly at everyone, then quickly escape the circle as soon as I’ve met all of Tessa’s friends she’s made in the month and a half we’ve been at school. I walk over to the table, and grab a tiny soft pretzel, with little salt crystals stuck to it. I start to nibble on it, then hear footsteps behind me. 

“Hello.” I say to Cal, turning to face him. 

“What are you doing here?” He asks, his expression hard. 

“My sister dragged me here.” I say. “Believe me, I take no pleasure being in your house.” I say, and take a bite of the pretzel. “This is good. Did your mom make these?” I say, with my mouth full. Cal snatches the half-eaten pretzel out of my hand. 

“Stop that.” He says, throwing the pretzel in the little trash bin next to the table. 

“Stop what?” I taunt, folding my arms and smiling.

“Acting like we’re friends. Being friendly.” He says, and glares at me. 

“Well, you were wanting to be more than friendly with me the last time I saw you.” I say, not bothering to lower my voice. Cal looks around to see if anyone heard, and looks relieved when nobody looks our way. 

“Don’t talk about that.” He threatens, pointing his finger at me. “It’s embarrassing enough to have people think I like you.” 

“Do you realize how insulting that is?” I ask, picking up another little pretzel. 

“Do you even really care what I think of you anyway?” Cal asks, taking the pretzel away, and putting it back on the little china platter. 

“Fair point.” I say, picking it back up, and eating it. Cal glares at me as I eat it. 

“Get out of my house.” He says. 

“Fine. I never wanted to come here anyway.” I say, then grab three pretzels. ‘I’m taking these, and if you try to stop me, I’ll sing your crimes to the world.” Cal rolls his eyes. 

“Stupid girl.” He mutters. 

“But still smarter than you.” I say, taking a bite of one of my pretzels. I walk past Tessa to the door. 

“Where are you going, Lara? We just got here?” Tessa asks.

“I have chores.” I lie, and give Cal a smug smile before leaving. After finishing my warm pretzels with a lot of satisfaction, I lick the butter off my fingers, and head up the driveway. 

“Mom, where do we keep the costume boxes?” Tessa asks, after dinner.

“Oh, yeah. Halloween is coming.” Mom says distantly, as she writes down something for work. “Teresa, you can get the costume boxes out of the garage with the younger two. Lara, go check my closet for those old costumes I used to keep there. There should be a whole box of them.” I nod and go up the stairs, to Mom’s room. I open the closet, and look on the floor for a box. Nothing but old shoes with dusty leather. I look on the upper shelves above where the dresses are hung, and see a box, with some sort of dark blue velvet poking out of it. I bet that’s the costumes. I think, then grab Mom’s bathroom stool to pull the box down.

“Don’t kill me.” I plead with the box, as I lower it down from the shelf. I set it down on Mom’s bed, and lift the cool velvet thing out. I shake the dust off of it, and hold it out. It’s long, and heavy, with a hood. It’s a cool cloak. Kinda looks like- “A witch cloak.” I drop the cloak and look back in the box. 

A book, just like the magical one under Everly’s food table. Exactly like the magical one under Everly’s food table.

A necklace, with a pendant made from iron vines cradling an interesting stone that Kelsie would have immediately added to her collection if she saw it. The stone is purple in some lights, and red in others. 

A hat, pointed, with a wide brim. It’s dark blue velvet, very fancy, and matches the cloak. It’s a witch hat. 

Footsteps in the hallway make me shove the various items back into the box, but the bedroom door opens before I can hide my curiosity. Mom enters the room, and looks at me. She sees the box in my hands, and opens her mouth to talk, but I stop her. 

“Mom, are you a witch?” I ask, the words hurting as they exit my mouth.