Dare Me - Halloween Sleepover Spectacular - Goosey's Gorgeous Gaggle
Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2022 11:08 pm
Contents:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7 (end)
Author's Note: This story is part of the "Dare Me" universe. It is set after chapter 7. Might be useful to read those first to understand the backstory. For those wondering about the vote, a truckload of ballots was dropped off after the poll closed. This story won in a landslide. You'll thank me later.
And now, by popular demand...
Dare Me - Halloween Sleepover Spectacular - Goosey's Gorgeous Gaggle - Part 1
That fall, for the first time, Lucy and I were in different schools. As we settled into the routine, we both seemed to be flourishing. I perhaps was taking a bit longer to adjust to my new environment. But Lucy, as the big fish sixth grader in her small pond of elementary school, practically ran the place. Popular kids gravitated to her, which I guess made her popular too. It didn't hurt that she had done a lot of growing over the summer and was a classic beauty. The best-looking girls tended to flock together for some reason.
She attracted lots of friends which created an interesting new dynamic around our house. I never knew when I got home from school which of Lucy's cute classmates would be hanging around. I think I held a certain intrigue for them as the mysterious older brother who was a...teenager. Their eyes would track me everywhere I went, and I often heard fits of giggles pass between them when I left a room. I admit, I tended to strut around them, enjoying the attention; especially since none of the girls in my school showed the least bit of interest in me.
Mom seemed relieved that we were doing so well in school. One less thing for her to worry about. She was having a hard time at work, and I often heard her complaining over the phone to her sister. She was on a sales team that had landed some big clients recently. Her boss always took her with him on sales calls if he thought an attractive woman at the table would make a difference.
She told Aunt Julie about the inappropriate comments he made about her, that her clothes were too frumpy, and she should open more buttons on her blouse. Unfortunately, mom had a hang-up about authority figures and tended to do whatever he suggested. Despite all her hard work to learn the product and be a good salesperson, the type of clients her boss targeted only saw her as a piece of eye candy.
It didn't help that her current position did not pay commission. She couldn't prove it, but she suspected he was passing over her for promotions and holding her back so he could keep the commissions for himself. Aunt Julie called him a "slimeball pig" and, from mom's descriptions, I couldn't disagree. It sounded like he was a jerk who treated her like a glorified secretary, or worse a piece of meat, and stole the rewards of her labors.
One day, in early October while we were sitting with mom around the table, the subject of Halloween came up. I was in that weird in-between age where I felt too old for trick-or-treating, but not old enough to join the party scene. I said I could find some friends to hang out with and maybe we would hit a haunted house.
Lucy, on the other hand, was in the Halloween sweet spot. She was old enough to have stronger opinions about her costume choices. The prospect of getting to wear make-up and do her hair up special was exciting. But the child in her was just as excited about getting to eat a ton of candy.
There was only one problem. Her Halloween costume had to be just perfect, and Lucy tended to have expensive tastes. She would never accept the pathetic cookie-cutter selections at Wal-Mart. But we didn't have any extra money for perfect. That's when mom, in an attempt to think outside the box, made an interesting suggestion. Why not have Mr. Beski make a costume?
It actually made a lot of sense. Mr. Beski had made her a beautiful dress over the summer which was a huge hit at school. Whenever she wore it, she got lots of compliments and proudly told people it was a "custom, designer dress" (whatever that means). Despite the humiliation she had endured to get it, Mr. Beski had certainly delivered. He was clearly a skilled artisan, and as a lonely retiree, he would probably jump at the chance to make something else for her. It's not like she could make a better costume herself.
Since we couldn't afford the boutique stores and Lucy wouldn't consider the imported cookie-cutter crap, I guess she was willing to swallow her pride and ask him for help. Mom couldn't help with money, but she did offer something else to make the evening special.
"I don't have anything scheduled for work that weekend." Mom said, then added "Do you want to invite some of your friends over to spend the night on Halloween?"
Lucy was ecstatic and immediately started transforming mom's simple offer into a Halloween sleepover spectacular. She asked how many friends she could invite. Could they make cookies? What about decorations? Balloons? Entertainment? She had seen a home makeover kit at the store. And of course, there was dinner to think about. Maybe a taco bar? NO! Pancakes, even better!
Mom shot me a worried look. Lucy was getting carried away like she always did, and she needed someone to step in and help manage expectations. I was the closest thing she had to a co-parent.
"Pancakes...and cookies?" I interjected myself into the conversation, "don't you think that's a little much? I mean, there will already be plenty of candy. I think you should plan something simpler. Trick-or-treating is the main entertainment. Mom can have a frozen pot pie ready when you get back and everyone will probably be pretty wiped out by then."
Lucy seemed to accept that logic and withdrew her unreasonable requests. After all, it was better than nothing. Now the only remaining point of negotiation was the number of attendees. She insisted on inviting her two closest friends, Grace, and Katherine. But she was shooting for at least three more. she tried to argue that she had to invite them all. It wouldn't be fair to leave one out and invite the other two. But mom looked stressed. If I was gone at a friend's house all evening, she alone would be woefully outnumbered by six girls hopped up on candy. I determined it would just be too much for mom and made Lucy settle for just Grace and Katherine. She was still overjoyed and ran to the phone to invite them.
Once the party was confirmed, she now had to come up with a costume idea. Naturally, the idea of matching costumes came up. But what could three girls go as for Halloween? The Three Musketeers? Not exactly exciting for three 12-year-old girls (or 11.9 in Lucy's case). Then there were the old traditionals; ghosts, vampires, witches. But nobody wanted to wear green paint on their face. For a while, they were seriously considering asking Mr. Beski to make them into black cats. It probably would have made a cute sight. But then, Lucy got hooked on a vision and couldn't let it go: devils and angels.
Not bad, but how do you make it work with three people? She brainstormed and came up with a clever solution. One would dress up as a devil while the other would be an angel. And Lucy would stand in the middle dressed up as half a devil and half an angel; like her soul was hanging in the balance and the other girls were each trying to lure her to their side.
It was actually kinda genius. To do all that yourself would be very expensive. Basically, you would have to buy two complete costumes, cut them down the middle, then sew the two halves back together. Fortunately, they had access to a very skilled tailor who was willing to make it from scratch and didn't charge for labor.
She went over after school the next day to make her request in person; fully dressed, this time. If you're wondering why, it was worth noting that Lucy wore clothes to visit Mr. Beski...it's a long story. He was delighted and agreed on the spot. He even refused our offer to pay for the fabric. His only request was that the three girls submit to a measurement’s session and perhaps a final fitting when the time got closer.
Lucy balked at that request. She knew what Mr. Beski's measuring session was like and didn't want to submit her friends to that humiliation. Instead, she offered herself and asked if he could just use her measurements as a pattern for all three. He reluctantly accepted and had Lucy strip naked so he could update his measurements for her. It had been a couple months since he had last taken them, after all. Once that was done, it looked like smooth sailing. But almost immediately, things started to go wrong, and they kept going wrong right up until Halloween night. And Lucy's Halloween Sleepover Spectacular nearly turned into a nightmare.
The first setback could have been chalked up to cultural idiosyncrasies. I had agreed, after she begged me, to accompany her over to Mr. Beski's house a couple weeks later to check in on the progress. It turns out old Hungarians have a different idea of what a devil looks like. His first attempt at that costume looked more like an ugly sheep. It was very lumpy and unattractive; nothing like Lucy's original vision. She was expecting a modern, American devil.
She ran home and came back with a magazine she had bought of costume ideas. She explained that all three costumes had to have a cohesive look. But they also needed to be cute. That was the whole point of having them custom-made. She showed him a bunch of different costumes and called out various things or features she liked about them. I was kind of bored. Why hadn't she done this before he wasted his time and money on something that would have to be thrown out?
Slowly, Mr. Beski started to get the idea. He suggested starting with a leotard base and working from there. I noticed he kept turning back to one page that had a spread of sexy costumes for adults; probably because there were lots of costumes on that page with a leotard base. I had already perused that page on my own time so I knew what it contained. Slutty nurses, sexy mummies, plenty of skin and miles of gauze. There was even one woman dressed like an angel. But the fabric of her top was so sheer, she had her hands over her breasts to keep the photo from being too racy for public consumption.
He asked if he could keep the magazine for reference. As expected, he would have to throw out his work and start over. He would also have to order all new material, white for the angel and red for the devil. That is, until Lucy suggested black with red trim for the devil. She said black would make a better contrast on Lucy's middle costume. It was going to be close, and they would have to scrap the rehearsal fitting, but he estimated he could still have them all done in time for Halloween night.
While Mr. Beski did the bulk of the work, Lucy and her friends were far from idle. Aside from the main costume which he was working on, they were responsible for shoes and accessories. The girls spent every day after school (and too much money) on it. They tried to make a pitchfork before giving up and buying one along with a headband they found with red horns on it. They also planned to get a shiny new pair of black open-toe shoes with straps running up her legs and even a little heel.
For the angel, they were actually able to build a harp out of cardboard with string for the, uh, strings. They also got her a white skirt which they glued cotton balls all over to look like she would have a cloud floating around her wherever she went. A pair of white ballerina shoes would make for appropriate footwear. And to top it off, she would get a sparkly, silver halo. The decision on tights or socks was still up in the air and could be a night-time decision.
I wasn't sure how Lucy's accessories were coming together. For example, we couldn't afford two new pairs of shoes just so she could wear one of each style. But she kept working on it and I expected she would figure something out. Of course, I wasn't involved in any of the shopping or preparation. I was in the dark about it all until Halloween night. However, I did notice mom's looks of distress whenever they returned from yet another supplies run. It wasn't just the costume. There was also hair and make-up to consider. What a racket!
One day, I guess it suddenly occurred to Lucy to ask me what I was going to be for Halloween. She had wanted to run to the store again, but mom was gone to work. When I told her I didn't even know if I was going trick-or-treating this year and was probably going to just hang out with my friends, she was stunned. Like she didn't even know that was something people did. When she realized for the first time that I probably wouldn't be around for Halloween evening, she started pouting.
"Come on, Mikeeee!" she whined, "You have to go trick-or-treating. Why don't you go with us?"
"As what?" I replied. "I don't have a costume. Besides, you girls have a whole theme. I would just look out of place."
I hadn't meant to make her pout, so I tried to cheer her up. "Hey, look on the bright side." I said, "Maybe your costumes won't be ready in time."
She looked up at me in fright. Oof, that backfired. I quickly tried to salvage things by clumsily turning it into a joke. "I meant, uh, if they're not ready, you won't have anything to wear either. Then we could all go together, as nudists!"
Lucy blinked at my salacious attempt at humor. But at least her pouting stopped. She pondered for a moment then said something unexpected.
"They like you; you know? Grace and Katherine. They think you're cute."
My heart skipped a beat. I tried to play it cool.
"Oh, yeah?" I asked.
"Yeah, " she replied, "they keep asking if you have a girlfriend. And they were hoping you were going to be here to hang out on Halloween. Oh, well, I’m sure someone will take pictures. I think Grace has a Polaroid camera."
HOLY SHIT. Katherine and Grace think I'm cute?! What did she mean by "they keep asking"? As in, they couldn't stop asking about me? I desperately wanted to interrogate her for more information, but instead I managed a hopefully disinterested "Hmm".
After about a minute, I excused myself and went to ponder the implications alone. I even considered cancelling my own plans. But how desperate would I look in front of my classmates if they found out I bailed on them just to go spend the evening with some sixth graders who had shown some interest in me?
But Katherine and Grace were no ordinary sixth graders. Other than Lucy they were, by far, the hottest girls in their school. If Lucy was a 10, they were 9.9's. I didn't go through with cancelling, but I did very seriously consider it and had trouble falling asleep that night.
When the big night finally arrived, Lucy had so much nervous energy, she looked like she would explode. She bounded from room to room like a caged kangaroo. At one point, she literally bounced off the wall. Remember when I said the whole event was almost a nightmare? That was the reason for her nerves. Mr. Beski had called earlier in the day to say the girls' costumes still weren't ready. He was working furiously and would call to let us know when we could come pick them up. The other girls were due to arrive any second and would need time to get ready before hitting the neighborhood.
I was about to walk out the door to bike to my own evening festivities when the phone finally rang. Lucy beat everyone to it and answered it with a glimmer of hope. But it was just mom's boss.
"Why would he be calling so late?" mom wondered aloud, then took the phone from Lucy. My sister didn't move away, though. She needed mom to get off the phone quickly in case Mr. Beski was trying to call. As she listened to the man talk, mom's face gradually turned from happiness to dismay. Lucy was watching, too. And by the time mom hung up, Lucy was bawling. She didn't even know what had happened yet, but she just knew the news was bad.
Apparently, A couple of clients were grumbling about not being appreciated. They played poker with mom's boss all the time. So, he figured an evening of explaining the benefits of our product over a poker table could smooth things over. He had booked a conference room at a hotel about an hour away and they were going to host these clients for an evening of poker and schmoozing.
Mom looked so distraught. She was ready to help her daughter have a spectacular and memorable Halloween evening and sleepover. And now her boss had just called an emergency overnight business trip. Worst of all, she wouldn't be any help. She didn't even know how to play poker! But her boss made it clear that attendance was mandatory. Or she would be fired. Lucy somehow started crying even harder as her evening prospects circled the drain. What else could I do?
"It's OK, mom. You go on. I'll stay here." I offered. I was a little bummed to be missing out on the haunted house, but I couldn't stand to see my sister so devastated.
Lucy continued lightly sobbing, but it looked like the waterworks were slowing down as she tried to follow what was happening. Had she been in her right mind, mom would have called the other parents to see if the sleepover could have a last-minute venue change. Or maybe let me be in charge for trick-or-treating then send Katherine and Grace home.
Had she been in her right mind, she would have told her boss to shove this last minute "business trip" which was really an excuse to play poker with his buddies on Halloween night up his ass. But none of that happened. Instead, she turned to me, her surrogate co-parent, and said "Thanks, Michael. I know you're disappointed. I'm disappointed, too. But you know how much tonight means to Lucy."
I nodded solemnly. When Lucy realized what was happening, she ran over and gave me the biggest hug which made it all worthwhile. Mom said, "Lucy, Michael is giving up his night for you. You better think up some way to make it up to him."
Between sniffles she said, "Oh, Yes, mama! I will, I promise!"
Just then, two things rang at once: the doorbell and the phone. The evening had begun!
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7 (end)
Author's Note: This story is part of the "Dare Me" universe. It is set after chapter 7. Might be useful to read those first to understand the backstory. For those wondering about the vote, a truckload of ballots was dropped off after the poll closed. This story won in a landslide. You'll thank me later.
And now, by popular demand...
Dare Me - Halloween Sleepover Spectacular - Goosey's Gorgeous Gaggle - Part 1
That fall, for the first time, Lucy and I were in different schools. As we settled into the routine, we both seemed to be flourishing. I perhaps was taking a bit longer to adjust to my new environment. But Lucy, as the big fish sixth grader in her small pond of elementary school, practically ran the place. Popular kids gravitated to her, which I guess made her popular too. It didn't hurt that she had done a lot of growing over the summer and was a classic beauty. The best-looking girls tended to flock together for some reason.
She attracted lots of friends which created an interesting new dynamic around our house. I never knew when I got home from school which of Lucy's cute classmates would be hanging around. I think I held a certain intrigue for them as the mysterious older brother who was a...teenager. Their eyes would track me everywhere I went, and I often heard fits of giggles pass between them when I left a room. I admit, I tended to strut around them, enjoying the attention; especially since none of the girls in my school showed the least bit of interest in me.
Mom seemed relieved that we were doing so well in school. One less thing for her to worry about. She was having a hard time at work, and I often heard her complaining over the phone to her sister. She was on a sales team that had landed some big clients recently. Her boss always took her with him on sales calls if he thought an attractive woman at the table would make a difference.
She told Aunt Julie about the inappropriate comments he made about her, that her clothes were too frumpy, and she should open more buttons on her blouse. Unfortunately, mom had a hang-up about authority figures and tended to do whatever he suggested. Despite all her hard work to learn the product and be a good salesperson, the type of clients her boss targeted only saw her as a piece of eye candy.
It didn't help that her current position did not pay commission. She couldn't prove it, but she suspected he was passing over her for promotions and holding her back so he could keep the commissions for himself. Aunt Julie called him a "slimeball pig" and, from mom's descriptions, I couldn't disagree. It sounded like he was a jerk who treated her like a glorified secretary, or worse a piece of meat, and stole the rewards of her labors.
One day, in early October while we were sitting with mom around the table, the subject of Halloween came up. I was in that weird in-between age where I felt too old for trick-or-treating, but not old enough to join the party scene. I said I could find some friends to hang out with and maybe we would hit a haunted house.
Lucy, on the other hand, was in the Halloween sweet spot. She was old enough to have stronger opinions about her costume choices. The prospect of getting to wear make-up and do her hair up special was exciting. But the child in her was just as excited about getting to eat a ton of candy.
There was only one problem. Her Halloween costume had to be just perfect, and Lucy tended to have expensive tastes. She would never accept the pathetic cookie-cutter selections at Wal-Mart. But we didn't have any extra money for perfect. That's when mom, in an attempt to think outside the box, made an interesting suggestion. Why not have Mr. Beski make a costume?
It actually made a lot of sense. Mr. Beski had made her a beautiful dress over the summer which was a huge hit at school. Whenever she wore it, she got lots of compliments and proudly told people it was a "custom, designer dress" (whatever that means). Despite the humiliation she had endured to get it, Mr. Beski had certainly delivered. He was clearly a skilled artisan, and as a lonely retiree, he would probably jump at the chance to make something else for her. It's not like she could make a better costume herself.
Since we couldn't afford the boutique stores and Lucy wouldn't consider the imported cookie-cutter crap, I guess she was willing to swallow her pride and ask him for help. Mom couldn't help with money, but she did offer something else to make the evening special.
"I don't have anything scheduled for work that weekend." Mom said, then added "Do you want to invite some of your friends over to spend the night on Halloween?"
Lucy was ecstatic and immediately started transforming mom's simple offer into a Halloween sleepover spectacular. She asked how many friends she could invite. Could they make cookies? What about decorations? Balloons? Entertainment? She had seen a home makeover kit at the store. And of course, there was dinner to think about. Maybe a taco bar? NO! Pancakes, even better!
Mom shot me a worried look. Lucy was getting carried away like she always did, and she needed someone to step in and help manage expectations. I was the closest thing she had to a co-parent.
"Pancakes...and cookies?" I interjected myself into the conversation, "don't you think that's a little much? I mean, there will already be plenty of candy. I think you should plan something simpler. Trick-or-treating is the main entertainment. Mom can have a frozen pot pie ready when you get back and everyone will probably be pretty wiped out by then."
Lucy seemed to accept that logic and withdrew her unreasonable requests. After all, it was better than nothing. Now the only remaining point of negotiation was the number of attendees. She insisted on inviting her two closest friends, Grace, and Katherine. But she was shooting for at least three more. she tried to argue that she had to invite them all. It wouldn't be fair to leave one out and invite the other two. But mom looked stressed. If I was gone at a friend's house all evening, she alone would be woefully outnumbered by six girls hopped up on candy. I determined it would just be too much for mom and made Lucy settle for just Grace and Katherine. She was still overjoyed and ran to the phone to invite them.
Once the party was confirmed, she now had to come up with a costume idea. Naturally, the idea of matching costumes came up. But what could three girls go as for Halloween? The Three Musketeers? Not exactly exciting for three 12-year-old girls (or 11.9 in Lucy's case). Then there were the old traditionals; ghosts, vampires, witches. But nobody wanted to wear green paint on their face. For a while, they were seriously considering asking Mr. Beski to make them into black cats. It probably would have made a cute sight. But then, Lucy got hooked on a vision and couldn't let it go: devils and angels.
Not bad, but how do you make it work with three people? She brainstormed and came up with a clever solution. One would dress up as a devil while the other would be an angel. And Lucy would stand in the middle dressed up as half a devil and half an angel; like her soul was hanging in the balance and the other girls were each trying to lure her to their side.
It was actually kinda genius. To do all that yourself would be very expensive. Basically, you would have to buy two complete costumes, cut them down the middle, then sew the two halves back together. Fortunately, they had access to a very skilled tailor who was willing to make it from scratch and didn't charge for labor.
She went over after school the next day to make her request in person; fully dressed, this time. If you're wondering why, it was worth noting that Lucy wore clothes to visit Mr. Beski...it's a long story. He was delighted and agreed on the spot. He even refused our offer to pay for the fabric. His only request was that the three girls submit to a measurement’s session and perhaps a final fitting when the time got closer.
Lucy balked at that request. She knew what Mr. Beski's measuring session was like and didn't want to submit her friends to that humiliation. Instead, she offered herself and asked if he could just use her measurements as a pattern for all three. He reluctantly accepted and had Lucy strip naked so he could update his measurements for her. It had been a couple months since he had last taken them, after all. Once that was done, it looked like smooth sailing. But almost immediately, things started to go wrong, and they kept going wrong right up until Halloween night. And Lucy's Halloween Sleepover Spectacular nearly turned into a nightmare.
The first setback could have been chalked up to cultural idiosyncrasies. I had agreed, after she begged me, to accompany her over to Mr. Beski's house a couple weeks later to check in on the progress. It turns out old Hungarians have a different idea of what a devil looks like. His first attempt at that costume looked more like an ugly sheep. It was very lumpy and unattractive; nothing like Lucy's original vision. She was expecting a modern, American devil.
She ran home and came back with a magazine she had bought of costume ideas. She explained that all three costumes had to have a cohesive look. But they also needed to be cute. That was the whole point of having them custom-made. She showed him a bunch of different costumes and called out various things or features she liked about them. I was kind of bored. Why hadn't she done this before he wasted his time and money on something that would have to be thrown out?
Slowly, Mr. Beski started to get the idea. He suggested starting with a leotard base and working from there. I noticed he kept turning back to one page that had a spread of sexy costumes for adults; probably because there were lots of costumes on that page with a leotard base. I had already perused that page on my own time so I knew what it contained. Slutty nurses, sexy mummies, plenty of skin and miles of gauze. There was even one woman dressed like an angel. But the fabric of her top was so sheer, she had her hands over her breasts to keep the photo from being too racy for public consumption.
He asked if he could keep the magazine for reference. As expected, he would have to throw out his work and start over. He would also have to order all new material, white for the angel and red for the devil. That is, until Lucy suggested black with red trim for the devil. She said black would make a better contrast on Lucy's middle costume. It was going to be close, and they would have to scrap the rehearsal fitting, but he estimated he could still have them all done in time for Halloween night.
While Mr. Beski did the bulk of the work, Lucy and her friends were far from idle. Aside from the main costume which he was working on, they were responsible for shoes and accessories. The girls spent every day after school (and too much money) on it. They tried to make a pitchfork before giving up and buying one along with a headband they found with red horns on it. They also planned to get a shiny new pair of black open-toe shoes with straps running up her legs and even a little heel.
For the angel, they were actually able to build a harp out of cardboard with string for the, uh, strings. They also got her a white skirt which they glued cotton balls all over to look like she would have a cloud floating around her wherever she went. A pair of white ballerina shoes would make for appropriate footwear. And to top it off, she would get a sparkly, silver halo. The decision on tights or socks was still up in the air and could be a night-time decision.
I wasn't sure how Lucy's accessories were coming together. For example, we couldn't afford two new pairs of shoes just so she could wear one of each style. But she kept working on it and I expected she would figure something out. Of course, I wasn't involved in any of the shopping or preparation. I was in the dark about it all until Halloween night. However, I did notice mom's looks of distress whenever they returned from yet another supplies run. It wasn't just the costume. There was also hair and make-up to consider. What a racket!
One day, I guess it suddenly occurred to Lucy to ask me what I was going to be for Halloween. She had wanted to run to the store again, but mom was gone to work. When I told her I didn't even know if I was going trick-or-treating this year and was probably going to just hang out with my friends, she was stunned. Like she didn't even know that was something people did. When she realized for the first time that I probably wouldn't be around for Halloween evening, she started pouting.
"Come on, Mikeeee!" she whined, "You have to go trick-or-treating. Why don't you go with us?"
"As what?" I replied. "I don't have a costume. Besides, you girls have a whole theme. I would just look out of place."
I hadn't meant to make her pout, so I tried to cheer her up. "Hey, look on the bright side." I said, "Maybe your costumes won't be ready in time."
She looked up at me in fright. Oof, that backfired. I quickly tried to salvage things by clumsily turning it into a joke. "I meant, uh, if they're not ready, you won't have anything to wear either. Then we could all go together, as nudists!"
Lucy blinked at my salacious attempt at humor. But at least her pouting stopped. She pondered for a moment then said something unexpected.
"They like you; you know? Grace and Katherine. They think you're cute."
My heart skipped a beat. I tried to play it cool.
"Oh, yeah?" I asked.
"Yeah, " she replied, "they keep asking if you have a girlfriend. And they were hoping you were going to be here to hang out on Halloween. Oh, well, I’m sure someone will take pictures. I think Grace has a Polaroid camera."
HOLY SHIT. Katherine and Grace think I'm cute?! What did she mean by "they keep asking"? As in, they couldn't stop asking about me? I desperately wanted to interrogate her for more information, but instead I managed a hopefully disinterested "Hmm".
After about a minute, I excused myself and went to ponder the implications alone. I even considered cancelling my own plans. But how desperate would I look in front of my classmates if they found out I bailed on them just to go spend the evening with some sixth graders who had shown some interest in me?
But Katherine and Grace were no ordinary sixth graders. Other than Lucy they were, by far, the hottest girls in their school. If Lucy was a 10, they were 9.9's. I didn't go through with cancelling, but I did very seriously consider it and had trouble falling asleep that night.
When the big night finally arrived, Lucy had so much nervous energy, she looked like she would explode. She bounded from room to room like a caged kangaroo. At one point, she literally bounced off the wall. Remember when I said the whole event was almost a nightmare? That was the reason for her nerves. Mr. Beski had called earlier in the day to say the girls' costumes still weren't ready. He was working furiously and would call to let us know when we could come pick them up. The other girls were due to arrive any second and would need time to get ready before hitting the neighborhood.
I was about to walk out the door to bike to my own evening festivities when the phone finally rang. Lucy beat everyone to it and answered it with a glimmer of hope. But it was just mom's boss.
"Why would he be calling so late?" mom wondered aloud, then took the phone from Lucy. My sister didn't move away, though. She needed mom to get off the phone quickly in case Mr. Beski was trying to call. As she listened to the man talk, mom's face gradually turned from happiness to dismay. Lucy was watching, too. And by the time mom hung up, Lucy was bawling. She didn't even know what had happened yet, but she just knew the news was bad.
Apparently, A couple of clients were grumbling about not being appreciated. They played poker with mom's boss all the time. So, he figured an evening of explaining the benefits of our product over a poker table could smooth things over. He had booked a conference room at a hotel about an hour away and they were going to host these clients for an evening of poker and schmoozing.
Mom looked so distraught. She was ready to help her daughter have a spectacular and memorable Halloween evening and sleepover. And now her boss had just called an emergency overnight business trip. Worst of all, she wouldn't be any help. She didn't even know how to play poker! But her boss made it clear that attendance was mandatory. Or she would be fired. Lucy somehow started crying even harder as her evening prospects circled the drain. What else could I do?
"It's OK, mom. You go on. I'll stay here." I offered. I was a little bummed to be missing out on the haunted house, but I couldn't stand to see my sister so devastated.
Lucy continued lightly sobbing, but it looked like the waterworks were slowing down as she tried to follow what was happening. Had she been in her right mind, mom would have called the other parents to see if the sleepover could have a last-minute venue change. Or maybe let me be in charge for trick-or-treating then send Katherine and Grace home.
Had she been in her right mind, she would have told her boss to shove this last minute "business trip" which was really an excuse to play poker with his buddies on Halloween night up his ass. But none of that happened. Instead, she turned to me, her surrogate co-parent, and said "Thanks, Michael. I know you're disappointed. I'm disappointed, too. But you know how much tonight means to Lucy."
I nodded solemnly. When Lucy realized what was happening, she ran over and gave me the biggest hug which made it all worthwhile. Mom said, "Lucy, Michael is giving up his night for you. You better think up some way to make it up to him."
Between sniffles she said, "Oh, Yes, mama! I will, I promise!"
Just then, two things rang at once: the doorbell and the phone. The evening had begun!