setting: halloween -- pov: bennett's

Jonah turned and dropped his head onto my lap. “This movie’s lame,” He moaned. “Plus it’s Halloween I want candy.” He’s been saying this all night. I shoved his head off of my lap.

“Get off,” I mumbled.

Becky threw something hard at Jonah but it hit me- yes- in the face. I gripped my face. At Jonah’s instant loud laughing Sean turned on a light. “You okay?” He asked me between a stifled laugh.

“I’m sorry!” Becky said loudly.

“It’s okay,” I said. I pulled my hand away but suddenly Jonah got up. He wore a cape over for no reason. It was retarded looking but our constant making fun of it never stopped him. He just let it sly in the wind behind him as he went into the hall. I figured he was going to look for something to eat but no. I heard the pine cones- all of which are scented and smell like cinnamon- get dumped into a bowl and he came out with the picnic basket my mother once had full of pinecones three seconds ago.

“Anyone want to go trick-or-treating?” He asked.

Sean started cracking up. “You look like a tool,” He said.

“I’m starving,” Jonah said. “I’m out of here.”

Sean got up. “I’ll go,” He said. Becky was watching the movie carefully. All of her attention was into it. I didn’t like this movie that much but the last thing I wanted was to look like an idiot. “What can I use as a bag?”

“The pillow-zipper-thing-case,” Jonah said. I couldn’t stop them. I’d explain to my mom that they were crazy. They were so she wouldn’t care. I’d just put it back. I looked back at them. “If someone doesn’t answer stay away from the windows and don’t get into anyone’s cars when they offer free candy.”

Jonah laughed and they were gone. I sat back and watched the movie. Becky looked out the window. “How long do you think it is before the police bring them back?” She asked looking back at ‘Halloween.’

I sighed looking at the clock. “Nine sharp,” I said. “We’ll hear from them saying they were arrested.” She sighed in agreement and we went back to watching the movie. I didn’t watch the clock but at nine exactly nobody called. That was forty five minutes after they left. At nine-fifteen the movie ended and Becky shifted looking out the window. “Should we call them?”
I hesitated. “Maybe,” I said.

She took out her phone and sighed. “You have no reception whatsoever,” She sighed. “This is why I hate your house. Everything else is nice except for the fact it’s a plain out dead zone.”
I got up walking over to my house phone and dialed Jonah’s cell. There were a few rings. Long enough for him to dance to whatever Saves the Day ringtone he has this week. “Hey, guess whose house I’m at?”

I sighed. “Hi,” I said. Becky got up moving to the couch sitting backwards listening. She rested her head on her hands and waited. “I don’t know. Are you coming back soon? The movie just ended.”

“No, no,” He said. “Really, guess who?”

I wasn’t in the mood for this. “I don’t know,” I said.

“Okay, okay, okay,” Jonah said quickly. The energy tablets were hitting him, I could tell. “Her name starts with a vowel and ends in another name that starts with a consonant.”
I froze. “What?” Becky asked. My eyes were wide and my spine stiffened completely.

“No.” I said clenching my jaw. “Jonah, what are you doing there?”

“Doing where?” I heard him laugh.

I sighed heavily and rubbed my left eye pressing the phone to my ear. “Where are they?” Becky asked.

“Fine, fine,” Jonah said. “I’ll tell you, we’re at Elisa’s house.”

I covered my mouth and tried to calm down. When Jonah was on those tablets he said everything very quickly and very detailed. She probably wasn’t there. “So here’s the thing,” Jonah said quickly. “We were going by and she answered and we went in- she invited us in- and we were talking, you know, like normal human beings about Halloween and stuff and she actually had no plans, and since you know, we all know each other and you guys are… you know… friends, I said what the hell, you know, if you’re not busy Elisa, come over to Bennett’s and she’s just like ‘I don’t know, I should just stay here, take all my candy’ and I was like look, Elisa, you’ve given us all your candy and you’re all here by yourself and you’re not going out and getting drunk or dressing up as some whore-y-animal, why don’t you just do the same thing you’re doing here, at Bennett’s house. She’s like completely not convinced its okay, so… here you talk to her.”

Jonah said that in ten seconds.

I closed my eyes and Becky was listening like it was the most interesting show in the world. I heard the phone get covered and waited. “Hello?” Her voice was confused but the same I always pictured it. I turned my back to Becky so she didn’t see me smile a little. My palms got clammy and I felt my stomach tied into a knot.

“Hi,” I said. “I’m sorry about them, if they’re being annoying or bothering you or whatever.”
“It’s okay,” She said. She was so unsure and quiet. I didn’t know this side of her too well anymore. I met this Elisa. This wasn’t the one I was used to, but in front of other people this is who she acted like.

“Are you meeting up with Nathan later?” I asked. She probably just didn’t want to talk about Nathan to Jonah and Sean. I’d assume they had plans.

“No,” She said. “But you don’t have to feel obligated-”

“You should come over,” I said. I meant it. I felt bad. Nathan was such a dick- the least he could do was sit with Elisa on the couch or something. I’ve never been anyone’s boyfriend and I knew you were supposed to do that. “We’re just hanging out and watching movies- nothing big, but if you’re not going out later you should come. I want you to.”

She was quiet as she considered this. “Are you sure?” She asked.

There was a loud: “YES” in the background from Jonah.

I smiled. “Yeah,” I said. “Completely one hundred and seven percent, but I’ll apologize in advance for my crazy friends.”

“Okay,” She said. “I’ll come over then.”

“Hey, can I say something to Jonah really quickly?” I said.

“Sure,” She said. She passed the phone to him.

“So she’s in? Cool-”

“If you,” I said slowly and softly so I wasn’t too loud that she’d hear it. “Mention anything about anything you and Sean make up I will kick your ass and murder you in your sleep when you pass out on my couch in three hours. I’m not in love with her or pining for her. You will not say I am. You’re going to walk silently to my house and you’re not going to say anything to her or you are fucked.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” He said. “No secret-spilling, got it.” He hung up and I put my phone down.
“That was the girl, right?” Becky asked.

“What?” I turned around.

She rolled her eyes. “The one the guys are teasing you relentlessly about.” She said. “The one you’re basically obsessed with.”

I paused. “I’m not obsessed with her,” I said.

“You’re insanely nice to her,” She said. “I’ve heard that and been a witness to it, and who is this Nathan guy?”

I inhaled. “Her boyfriend,” I said.

“Nathan Pratt?” She asked.

“Yeah,” I said. “Why?”

“She’s small,” She said. “Half your size and wears band t-shirts all the time and is insanely shy and quiet?”

I nodded. “Once you get to know her,” I said. “She’s not that quiet.”

She nodded thinking about it. “Now that I think about it… she is like exactly your type. Miles away from Rainie Joseph at least, which is a good thing since I heard her and Spinella are in love forever.”

I nodded.

She got up. “I need to smoke.”

I stood there in my empty house for now. I soon heard them talking and went over and sat on my couch. “Hey Bennett!” Jonah called coming inside. “Guess what? I got you a ton of Reese’s and guess who else really likes them? Eh-lisa…”

I looked over and saw her. She looked so uncomfortable and misplaced but she looked at me and smiled a little waving. “Hey,” I smiled instantly. Jonah chuck a Reese’s at my head. “Cool,” I said to him. He snickered and plopped down on the ground. Sean and Becky came in.
I got up. “What movie?” I asked.

“‘Friday the 13th,’” Sean said.

“No,” Jonah said. “I need some Tim Burton.”

I went over to the DVDs we had. “I have ‘Friday The 13th,’ ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas,’ ‘Edward Scissorhands,’ and…” I looked at Sean snickering. “‘The Little Mermaid.’”

He rolled his eyes. “I didn’t mean to bring it.” He said sitting down and pulling Becky onto the same chair as him. Elisa sat down uncomfortably on my couch looking around still.

“Put on the 13th movie,” Jonah said. “Never seen it…”

I did. I set everything up and listened to Jonah start awkward awful conversation with Elisa about the movie. She’s seen it before but not for a while. I came over and sat down. Jonah was sorting through his stash. The lights went off and every few pieces from his picnic basket he tossed a Reese’s back onto the couch between me and Elisa.

Elisa and I. Us. I looked over at her quickly. She didn’t have any make-up on but didn’t seem worried about it. She looked really pretty. I picked up a Reese’s and un-wrapped it taking a bite. She liked Reese’s too. She was my soul-mate there was no doubt in my mind.

Eventually her hand crept over picking up an orange wrapped candy and she ate one too. I swear our fingers brushed at one point. It was the single most thrilling part of watching this movie. It made my heart speed and my palms clam up again. I felt bad for not paying attention to the movie. I just paid attention to her- her movements and her eyes reflecting the image. I liked knowing she was three feet away from me. I was being creepy in the least creepy way. I couldn’t stop thinking about her. I just wanted to start talking to her.

Jonah kept throwing things at Sean and Becky when they started to make out. But I just kept watching the movie with Elisa, at least when I paid attention to the movie I knew we wee probably thinking the same things about it.


“I have to pee,” Jonah got up.

“Thanks, for sharing,” Becky said. Her lips were pink from kissing Sean and Sean was just sitting there. He made a face at me. I got another Reese’s and Becky got up to smoke. Sean went with her. Leaving me alone with Elisa, I pulled my feet up onto the couch.

She looked over at the door as it closed behind Sean and Becky. Then she looked at me. “I’m sorry if you just invited me here because you felt bad,” This was the Elisa I knew.

“I didn’t,” I said.

“Nathan was going to come over but he ditched me,” She said. “I was just sitting at home and they invited me and I was saying no when you called.”

I paused. “Nathan ditched you?” I asked. That was the worst part of all of this for her probably. Her boyfriend ditched her and she feels like she got a pity invite.

She nodded. “He said he was going to come over but he never showed up,” She said.
“I want you here,” I said. “I like having one sane friend.”

She smiled a little. “They didn’t do anything bad,” She said. “They just came in when I invited them and I gave them all of the candy we had left.”

I smiled. “Are all these Reese’s from your house?” I asked.

She blushed a little- I’ll say it again- I love it when she blushes. “I buy all the candy so I got some extra,” She said. “They’re my favorite and I usually get sick of everything else and I usually end up eating it all and gaining ten pounds.”

I shook my head. “I’m hesitant to inform you,” I shifted. “That not only are you my musical soul mate but my Halloween one as well. Everyone gives me crap about my taste in candy. I’ve always been a Reese’s person.”

“Me too,” She said taking off her moccasins and pulling her feet onto the couch. “Cass is a Skittles person and hates chocolate so I always got tons of Reese’s when we were younger and when trick-or-treating.”

I heard Jonah pass the hall going out front with Sean and Becky. I liked this. They’d be out there for twenty more minutes. Sean and Jonah were chain smokers. I was suddenly excited. I could talk to her for twenty minutes.

We talked about bad Halloween experiences. We both had the same experience when we were two of being dressed up as a teddy bear. I told my story about my Halloween as a happy clown that cried a street straight because I had to go out with my neighbors and leave my mom home alone to give out candy. That year I went home and helped her give out candy. Elisa told me about when she was six and her sister helped her put on scary Goth-like make-up and went from being a bride to a monster bride in five minutes. She went out and nobody knew who she was because she had always been so quiet and here she was going up to houses and growling at people or hissing at them.

When everyone came in I felt like I couldn’t stop talking to her. Sean put on ‘Edward Scissorhands’ but I kept making eye-contact with Elisa. Right before he shut the light off. “I don’t really feel like watching this,” I said.

Jonah smacked my thigh. “That’s fifteen lashes- you never say that once you put on a Tim Burton movie.” He said.

“Me either,” Elisa said softly.

I looked at her. “Come on,” I said. I got up and she did too. We made it to the hall when Jonah dropped down on the ground and stuck his head out in our direction.

“Hey, Elisa,” He said pointing at her. She looked. “Be safe…”

She blushed a little catching what he meant but I just gave him a look and he cracked up. I went upstairs and she followed me. I was happy fro the first time in my life my mother made me clean my room to the point it was spotless. I felt less weird bringing her upstairs.

I sat down on the ground against my bed and she sat down a good four feet across from me and we picked up where we left off. I didn’t have music on but I didn’t need to, this was enough. Just sitting here talking to her.

Once we hit the subject of music, we weren’t stopping.


“You’ve never heard ‘Lisa’s Birthday Tape’?” I asked.

She laughed a little. “No,” She said. She was smiling a lot now and laughing. I loved her laugh.
I sighed letting my shoulder drop. “You’re kidding…” She shook her head smiling. I got up and went through the small shoebox of tapes I had. They were all labeled until I found the one from Jonah that just said ‘I love you’ on it and a heart as a joke. I put it in and pressed play. When I turned around she had moved so she was sitting on the ground against my bed and I walked over sitting a half a foot away from her. She waited and smiled when it started.

“Wow,” She said when the first song ended. “This is so… different from Saves the Day.”

“I know,” I said looking at her. She was staring ahead but I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. Knew she felt me looking at her. She looked at me and smiled a little more. “I really like this,” She said.

I smiled. “I’m glad you do,” I said. “I’ll burn you a copy.”

She smiled. “Okay,” Her voice was softer. I felt the Earth shift. Did she feel it? Did she feel my stomach going crazy and my heart pick up speed? Or was she feeling it on her own? I wanted her to be mine. I hated Nathan. I doubt he felt this way about her every time he talked to her. She loved him. I was just her friend. But I wanted to kiss her so bad.

She blinked and her smile faded. She just looked at me. Her eyes that change colors were green now and big and deep. I fell into them and forgot the world around me. I started to lean in. I couldn’t stop myself. She didn’t pull away she just stayed where she was and closed her eyes a little.

“Bennett?” It was Sean. Reality checks came at the worst times. “You guys still alive?”

I got up and went out opening the door and stood at the stairs. “Yeah?”

“Becky’s dad is pissed right now,” He said. “And Jonah passed out like three minutes ago so we’re going to go.”

“Oh,” I said. “Um, okay.”

“What are you doing tomorrow?”

I looked back at Elisa who was looking around my room. I had been this close to kissing her. She was going to let me. I felt awful and disappointed at the same time. She had a boyfriend. “I have work,” I said. “But I can hang out after.”

“Cool,” He said. “Is Elisa still here?”

“Yeah,” I said.

“Did you…” He made out with the air in front of him. His tongue was out and flailing around like crazy. He even rubbed his air girl’s back. I was grossed out by this.

“No,” I said defensively.

“…show her the new EP you showed me last night?” He said

“Um, no,” I said.

“You should man,” He said. “She would really like it.” He was smirking because I knew he meant it in a different way. I rolled my eyes. “See you tomorrow then.”

“Yep,” Sean walked away. I watched him drag out a half-unconcious Jonah and Becky said goodbye and they shut the door. I turned back and saw Elisa at my CDs reading through them.
Maybe tonight meant I had hope. I didn’t have to worry so much about if I was showing her I liked her or if I was acting like I did. Maybe in a small way she could like me back. But she loved Nathan. It was like Rainie all over again except I was sure Nathan wasn’t right for Elisa. She deserved so much better than anyone could give her.