decided that the four of us should do a group theme. Isn’t that an awesome idea"?"
Okay, I’m not going to lie; I was puzzled by this. First, I’ve only celebrated Halloween once in my life way back when I was little. So, completely aside from the fact that I had no idea what she meant by "group theme," I was under the impression that Halloween was a children’s holiday that involved dressing up like a character of some sort and begging neighbors for free candy.
"What do you mean by 'a group theme'?" I wasn’t even going to try to pretend I knew what she was talking about.
"We’ll all dress up in a theme." Luckily, she breezed right over the fact that I was clueless, probably because she was so excited. "You know, like Charlie’s Angels or the Spice Girls."
Oh man, they expected me to dress up for Halloween. The only time I dressed up for Halloween was when I was six and lived with my grandmother. She made me a silver costume shaped like a chocolate kiss candy. We spent the entire afternoon walking around her neighborhood and, when we were done, sat on the family room floor and ate candy for dinner. It was one of the best memories I had, and I doubted dressing up with this family could compare.
"Um, Amber, holidays aren’t really my thing. I don’t really do Halloween." I shrugged, knowing from her obvious excitement that I was in for a battle.
I sat there and watched as Amber went from super excited to heartbroken. She looked so devastated over my reaction that it was actually a little bit amusing.
Slowly, she crossed the room and sat on her bed. As Randi stayed in the doorway, Amber looked over at me with the saddest expression I’d even seen her make.
"But, Ashley, it’ll be amazing. It’ll be the best Halloween ever. There’s a big Halloween party and everything, and you can’t go if you’re not dressed up. Randi and Becca and I really want to go, but we won’t go without you."
Except that they’d gone to every other party that semester that I’d skipped.
I opened my mouth to respond politely that I really don’t mind them going without me and that I think I’d rather sit that one out, but Amber beat me to it.
"Please, Ashley, it’ll be great. I promise. We really want to do this together — the four of us." She looked both so sad and so earnest, I swear I thought she was going to break into tears at any second.
I don’t know if it was the look on her face, or if it was just that I craved feeling included, but I broke down and nodded my head yes.
"Yay! I’m so excited! Come on." Amber jumped up and grabbed my arm.
"Wait? Where are we going?" I’d had my heart set on taking a jog before dinner. I still had a lot of thoughts running through my head, and going for a run was my go-to way of clearing them.
"We have to go costume shopping."
"Now? I have…" I tried to think of a good excuse, but there really wasn’t one. I just went with the college stand-by. "I have a ton of studying — huge exam coming up. Do you guys need me? Can’t you just pick something out?" I shrugged and smiled, hoping it worked.
Amber looked over at Randi, still perched in the doorway. She nodded. "Sure," Amber said. "Are you going to be here? I’ll call you with ideas."
Knowing my run wouldn’t take long, I nodded yes. "I’m just leaving to get dinner, but I should be here."
"Cool! See you later."
****
Amber, Randi and, I assume as I didn’t see her around all night, Becca, were gone for quite a while.
I received one phone call from them stating that they had fallen in love with a group of costumes with a Wizard of Oz theme. They asked if I would be the cowardly lion. I figured that would be the safest costume of the bunch — what with the fur and the mask, so I happily said yes.
When the girls got back and presented me with my costume, I didn’t even open it. I looked at the package for a picture, but it was missing. It was just brown furry fabric in a plastic, rectangular package. I just
Okay, I’m not going to lie; I was puzzled by this. First, I’ve only celebrated Halloween once in my life way back when I was little. So, completely aside from the fact that I had no idea what she meant by "group theme," I was under the impression that Halloween was a children’s holiday that involved dressing up like a character of some sort and begging neighbors for free candy.
"What do you mean by 'a group theme'?" I wasn’t even going to try to pretend I knew what she was talking about.
"We’ll all dress up in a theme." Luckily, she breezed right over the fact that I was clueless, probably because she was so excited. "You know, like Charlie’s Angels or the Spice Girls."
Oh man, they expected me to dress up for Halloween. The only time I dressed up for Halloween was when I was six and lived with my grandmother. She made me a silver costume shaped like a chocolate kiss candy. We spent the entire afternoon walking around her neighborhood and, when we were done, sat on the family room floor and ate candy for dinner. It was one of the best memories I had, and I doubted dressing up with this family could compare.
"Um, Amber, holidays aren’t really my thing. I don’t really do Halloween." I shrugged, knowing from her obvious excitement that I was in for a battle.
I sat there and watched as Amber went from super excited to heartbroken. She looked so devastated over my reaction that it was actually a little bit amusing.
Slowly, she crossed the room and sat on her bed. As Randi stayed in the doorway, Amber looked over at me with the saddest expression I’d even seen her make.
"But, Ashley, it’ll be amazing. It’ll be the best Halloween ever. There’s a big Halloween party and everything, and you can’t go if you’re not dressed up. Randi and Becca and I really want to go, but we won’t go without you."
Except that they’d gone to every other party that semester that I’d skipped.
I opened my mouth to respond politely that I really don’t mind them going without me and that I think I’d rather sit that one out, but Amber beat me to it.
"Please, Ashley, it’ll be great. I promise. We really want to do this together — the four of us." She looked both so sad and so earnest, I swear I thought she was going to break into tears at any second.
I don’t know if it was the look on her face, or if it was just that I craved feeling included, but I broke down and nodded my head yes.
"Yay! I’m so excited! Come on." Amber jumped up and grabbed my arm.
"Wait? Where are we going?" I’d had my heart set on taking a jog before dinner. I still had a lot of thoughts running through my head, and going for a run was my go-to way of clearing them.
"We have to go costume shopping."
"Now? I have…" I tried to think of a good excuse, but there really wasn’t one. I just went with the college stand-by. "I have a ton of studying — huge exam coming up. Do you guys need me? Can’t you just pick something out?" I shrugged and smiled, hoping it worked.
Amber looked over at Randi, still perched in the doorway. She nodded. "Sure," Amber said. "Are you going to be here? I’ll call you with ideas."
Knowing my run wouldn’t take long, I nodded yes. "I’m just leaving to get dinner, but I should be here."
"Cool! See you later."
****
Amber, Randi and, I assume as I didn’t see her around all night, Becca, were gone for quite a while.
I received one phone call from them stating that they had fallen in love with a group of costumes with a Wizard of Oz theme. They asked if I would be the cowardly lion. I figured that would be the safest costume of the bunch — what with the fur and the mask, so I happily said yes.
When the girls got back and presented me with my costume, I didn’t even open it. I looked at the package for a picture, but it was missing. It was just brown furry fabric in a plastic, rectangular package. I just
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