"Are you fucking serious?" I gasped, my jaw dropping at the absurd statement I heard.

I was standing at the door in my blue pajamas covered in cloud patterns as I stared at the two girls in front of me. My forehead furrowed in confusion.

"I mean, I'd rather she be mad at you and me than just you alone," Laurie shrugged.

I relaxed my eyebrows at her unexpected statement and exhaled, chuckling lightly.

I had been lying comfortably on the couch, watching the surprisingly interesting fishermen reality TV show, before the doorbell rang and I had to get the door. I expected to see some Girl Scouts begging me for my money, but I ended up with Laurie and Layla.

"So you told her about Julien right after I left?" I glanced upwards, trying to suppress a smile growing on my face.

"Pretty much," her mouth twitched as she stuffed her fists into the pockets of her grey sweatpants.

Right after Andrew drove me home yesterday, I bawled my eyes out in my room and spent the night watching dramas on my phone.

"She's probably fuming right now," I lightly kicked a rock off the front porch. Taking a deep breath, I look back up at the both of them. "So what's next?"

Layla glanced at her before quickly turning to me. "Well, for now, we're just going to wait for her to apologize to you," she stops, remembering something. "As for tomorrow..."

"What's tomorrow?" I cut her off in a hurry.

"The Halloween party," Her statement sounded more like a question.

My eyes widened in surprise. I had completely forgotten about the event.

A few weeks ago, we all decided to wear matching costumes. We were going to be dressed as the Ninja Turtles. We bought the clothing in question and threw them in our closets as we waited for the day. I guess I was too preoccupied with what had happened with Bella to remember our plans.

I looked at my slippers in guilt.

"It's okay if you didn't remember," Layla comforts me. "It's not going to work, so I'm not going to go."

My eyes dart to hers as I tilt my head in questioning. "Why not?"

"The turtles are four not three, stupid," Laurie rolls her eyes at me, arms crossed in amusement.

"Right, right," I nod my head quickly. "What about you?" I ask Laurie.

"I'm dressing up with Julien," she reveals. "He's going to be Fiona and I'm going to be Shrek."

I burst out laughing at her idea, my puffy eyes closing as my mouth curved up. "I bet you came up with that," I say, wiping a tear from the corner of my eye.

It felt so good to laugh like that after crying myself to sleep.

A sparkle flashed in her eyes before she slammed her palms on both my shoulders. "You could be Donkey," she offered.

I smile in return. "It's okay, I don't think Donkey likes third-wheeling Skrek and Fiona."

"Ariana, trust me you won't be a third wheeler," she whines.

"I'm just gonna stay home," I reply.

"Don't dress up then," she tells me. "Come, I swear it'll be fun," she begs as her eyelashes flutter in pleading.

I pouted my lips, thinking, as my eyebrows furrowed before sighing towards the sky. "Fine..." I accept. "But if you go off with your boyfriend and leave me alone I will eat your homework."

Her mouth quirked up as she agreed.

◆◈◇

If there was one thing I hated most in the world, it would be sitting next to my brother in the car. Now I don't mean in the front seat, I mean in the back seat. I despised the way he spread his legs out and took all of the leg space available.

And yet, here I was, in the back of my friend's boyfriend's car, sitting next to two guys who had no shame whatsoever.

The guy on my right was wearing an inflatable costume that was squishing me. Every time I would try to reposition myself. The noise caused by the friction of the fabric would make everyone's heads turn to me. On the other hand, the man on my left was wearing an Iron Man costume, and one of the parts was poking me on the side and making it harder for me to sit comfortably. I had to sit straight up because if I leaned on the seat, I would get poked again. My back was killing me.

"You good back there, Ariana?" Laurie turns around from the passenger seat.

I plaster a smile on my face, trying to hide the discomfort I was feeling. "Mhm," I say.

I didn't want to ask the guys to move over a bit, because the costumes they were wearing looked quite uncomfortable and I didn't think they could do much even if they did shift a little away from me. Plus, I didn't want to confront them. I would rather stay in this position. And it's not like we're staying like this forever, I just needed to survive a couple of minutes more.

Soon enough, after staring at the palms of my hands for what felt like half an hour, we reached the school and pulled into a parking spot near the edge of the football turf.

I waited as both of the guys on my side struggled to get out of the vehicle. Iron Man was first to leave, so I followed right behind him.

Leaving the crowded car, I took in a breath of cool air, the different smells of fall lingering in my nose.

"Let's go!" Laurie exclaimed, her green antennas wobbling around.

We all walked behind her as she led the way to the event. A couple of minutes of talking and laughing later, we arrived at the party.

Cheering and applause could be heard throughout the crowds. Students danced to the loud music as others competed in some of the activities offered to us.

Laurie nudged my arm in excitement. "Come on, we gotta do everything!" She tells me. "We can't miss out on free stuff."

I throw my head back, laughing at her relatable response. "Okay, I'm down to do everything, as long as you don't leave me and run off with your boyfriend."

She smiles at me, revealing her pearly white teeth.

The two other guys who came with us left with Julien, so we walked over to the food court, arm in arm.

Laurie and I grabbed as much as we could from the food stands. When it came down to the monster-shaped cupcakes, Laurie showed no shame in her greed.

"Laurie that's your fourth one," my eyes widen as I swallow the last bite of my dessert.

"I don't care," she shrugs with her mouth full, closing her eyes.

The corner of my mouth quirks up in amusement.

I glance around at the people who attended the evening. Different types of costumes in all colors and sizes were dispersed around. Not many people danced on the dance floor because most of them were hanging around in groups and laughing with each other. I couldn't help but wish I hadn't caused this problem and ruined our plans. We would've had so much fun if Layla and Bella were here.

As if noticing the thoughts going through my head, Laurie was first to speak. "Let's go play some of the games," she says as she grabs my wrist and pulls me towards the activities.

Many stands were displayed around. The lines were short and sweet so the waiting time wasn't too long. I noticed some high schoolers had also come to attend the party, which wasn't too unexpected because their school was only a few kilometres away from ours.

For about an hour, we played a bit of everything. I tried so hard to be victorious in every game but she just had to ruin my plans. Laurie was my nemesis, because our grades usually matched. So I couldn't afford to let her win and shove it in my face.

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Even so, when it came down to human-sized chess, she won. In sack races, she won again. In apple bobbing? She also won.

"I need competition, Ariana!" She whines while staring at the sky.

"Fuck you," I roll my eyes at her, crossing my arms. "You're just cheating,"

She stares at me weirdly for a moment before she finally explodes in laughter.

I examine her while she clutches her stomach, unable to regain composure. Suddenly, I spot a figure approaching us.

Turning around, I noticed that it was her boyfriend who was jogging over.

"Laurie!" He yells. "Laurie, Annabelle's throwing a party," he tells her.

Her eyes widen in surprise. "Like Annabelle, Annabelle?" She asks in uncertainty.

He nods rapidly in urgency. "We have to go. She even hired a bartender."

Laurie gasps, shock written all over her face. "Okay, yeah let's go."

She grabs my arm and pulls me along with her. "Wait! I don't wanna go," I state in haste.

She narrows her eyes and lets my arm go. "Why not?"

I press my lips in a hard line, hesitating about what to say. "I can't go," I settle.

She sighs, nodding understandingly. "Okay, you want us to drop you off at least?"

Julien nudges her arm. "Laurie, on doit y aller maintenant," he whisper-shouts in French.

In response, she glares at him with wide eyes and tells him to shut up.

"Come, we'll drop you at your house," she states.

"Laurie, we don't have time!" He whines.

"Shut the fuck up before I smack you," she yells at him.

At that, he shuts up and crosses his arms, turning away in a huff.

Seeing the interaction between them, I didn't want to make it worse by burdening them. If I asked them to bring me home, Julien's going to be pissed. Plus, I could just ask my brother to get me.

"It's fine, Laurie," I stated, glancing at her boyfriend for approval. "I'll just ask my brother to pick me up."

She frowns and turns her head towards Julien, accusingly. "If it's because of him, don't do what he wants," she says.

Examining Julien, I see him plead with his eyes.

"Don't worry, my brother's picking me up," I lie.

Squinting her eyes at me, she stays there for a while before finally sighing. "Fine, but text me when you're home, okay?"

I smile while nodding.

Her eyes dart around, as she hesitates on what to do. "Okay..." she starts. "Stay safe, Ariana," she orders me as she leans in for a hug.

Soon after, she and her boyfriend leave me in the middle of the place.

I wasn't going to stay here any longer.

I pulled out my phone from my pocket and wrote a message to my brother. Before being able to hit send, a giant group of students passes around me, cramping me up and throwing me around.

Suddenly, a hand grabs my wrist in a hurry, pulling me out of the squished environment.

"Ariana," a deep breathy voice makes its way to my ears.

Right as I'm about to turn to the person, some girl bumps her butt into me by accident, causing me to trip over my feet and slam into the guy who pulled my arm.

His arm wraps around my waist as soon as I hit him, securing me.

As soon as he did, I looked up at the face, taking in his features.

Why was El Primo in front of me?

Wait-

"Andrew?" I ask hesitantly, my forehead creasing in unsureness.

"Yes?" He answers after a moment.

I searched for his eyes before realizing the position we were in. Backing away suddenly, his hand falls from my back, taking the warmth away with it. I examine his figure. He wore a tight blue mask that wrapped around his head, leaving the lower part of his face uncovered. His full lips were slightly parted, showing off the whiteness of his teeth. My eyes dragged along his body, noticing the muscle suit he wore and the golden belt tied around his waist, right above his belly button. His blue pants were snug around his legs, highlighting his prominent calves and thighs.

"Your muscle suit looks so real," I notice.

His eyebrows furrow even deeper than they already were. "I'm not wearing a muscle suit," he claims.

My eyes widened while my face flushed red. I cleared my throat in response, wiping my sweaty palms on the back of my skirt. I was wearing a Harley Quinn costume. It was the costume I had worn last year, so I reused it this year since we didn't wear the matching outfits. My makeup was thick so I was hoping it was hiding the pinkness of my face. I finally glanced back up at him, timidly.

"You seriously listened to me?" I ask in astonishment.

He blinked, dumbfounded. "You told me to wear it, so I wore it."

"I was just joking," I explain. "Besides, where the hell did you find that?" I laugh.

"Lisa made it for me," he declared.

Lisa...

That girl is really pissing me off.

I accidentally chuckled out loud, gaining myself a curious look from him. Once again, I turn away in embarrassment. "So, uh, why'd you come here alone?"

"I didn't come alone. I was with my friends."

"You have friends?" My eyebrows rose.

He doesn't answer me but simply lets his eyes dart around my face. His unreadable expression made my heart beat faster.

I'm sorry if I offended him, but it was hard to picture him hanging out with anyone at all.

I answered my question as if I was asking myself. "I'm alone because Laurie left with her boyfriend to a party," I kick a rock with my sneakers.

"What about Layla? Why isn't she here?"

As I was about to answer his question, another one popped up in my mind. "How do you know Layla...?"

"Its because of-"

"Lisa?" I cut him off.

His breath hitches at her name. "Y-yeah," he looks away, his large figure somehow becoming smaller.

We stand there in silence, the music fading into the background and the voices of the hundreds of people talking on top of each other. A small breeze passes our way and I shiver at the cool air.

"So..." He starts. "Did your cousin apologize yet?"

"Nope," I answer, my eyes landing on his before quickly looking back at the group of students jumping around while playing a game.

"Where are your friends?" I ask him, still not believing the idea of him having friends.

"I left them when I saw you," he admits.

I freeze in my place, a warmth squirming around in my chest. My gaze connects with his, as a way for me to try to understand the meaning behind his statement.

He was trying to befriend me. He was the one who approached me for once.

Suddenly, I get the desire to talk to him all night.

I want to get to know him, his regrets, his past, his goals, and everything else I can find. He was a mystery to me, something I wanted to solve.

How can I know more about him?

"You want to sit down for a bit?" I attempt.

He nods hesitantly before following me towards one of the benches a bit further away from the event. I sat down first, patting the spot next to me for him to sit on. As soon as he does, a harsher breeze passes our way, making us shiver. Luckily, I had brought with me a hoodie in case it got really cold. I take it out of my tote bag before stopping, glancing at my side. Andrew had his head turned towards the lights of the festival, taking in the sounds of it. He looked so tense sitting next to me, like I was the source of all his worries. I barely knew him, he barely knew me. Maybe that was the reason why he was so unpredictable with me. Or maybe I was just overthinking it.

He was technically half-naked, so there would be no way he wasn't cold. I, who wore a long sleeve, was already dying of cold.

I throw my hoodie on his lap, startling him. He looks back at me quickly and shifts his gaze to the piece of fabric on his thighs.

"What do you want me to do with this?"

The corners of my lips quirk up in amusement. "Wear it, duh."

"It's not going to fit me."

I placed the back of my hand on his face to see how cold he was. The moment my hand touches his skin, a muscle in his jaw clenches. "You're freezing," I tell him, removing my hand and insisting on him wearing the hoodie.

He stares at the object in his lap for a moment before finally attempting to put it on. While his head was submerged in the hoodie, I took the opportunity to soak in the last images of his stomach, watching as his muscles tensed and moved while he tried to put it on.

Send me to jail, I don't care. A girl's got to do what she's got to do.

I leaned forward on the bench, my head tilted to the side while I waited for his head to pop out of the collar.

Once he did, he let out a puff, due to the shifting and turning he had to do, until he locked eyes with me.

Suddenly, I burst out laughing.

The way the shirt clung to his broad shoulders, the sleeves barely passing his elbows, and the tight fit it had on his body, made his figure look comically large.

As my eyes glimmered with humor, he examined mine. A little shimmer passed through them like a shooting star in space. For a mere second, I watched the event of the curvature of his mouth, unfold.

Making sure I don't miss it, I take in the view in front of me. The corners of his mouth were lightly lifted upwards, making his small dimples noticeable. Even with his mask, his eyes were filled with amusement.

If only I could see this every day.

Why couldn't he smile like this all the time?

"You think this is funny?" He asks me.

Jaw dropped, I reciprocated the expression on his face. Smiling as brightly as I could, I answered him truthfully. "Very."

He lets out a laugh, his eyes crinkling while his dimples deepen.

I watched him in mesmerization while I took in the sight. Why has he deprived me of this, this whole time?

For a while, we sat there staring at each other while the music played in the background. My eyes twinkled in awe while his examined mine. And there, for a split second, I saw them flicker to my lips before going back up to my eyes.

"Andrew and Ariana," a cold voice says in a sharp tone. "Never would've expected it in a million years."

Too busy looking at Andrew, I only realized the third person in front of us the moment Andrew's eyes widened and set on a deep frown.

I look in front of us, searching for the owner of that voice.

Stood there, only a few meters away from us, Ethan had his arms crossed over his chest while his brows knitted together.

"You know, Ariana, Im not one to tell you who to be friends with but, that guy is the last person you wanna be around." He scoffed with an offended grin.

My smile faded as soon as the words left his mouth. Andrew had his fists clenched at his sides while a muscle ticked in his jaw.

"Get the fuck out, Ethan," Andrew snarled.

Paying no attention to him, Ethan keeps his eyes locked on mine. "He's gonna end up dropping you, you know," he warns me, looking at him for a brief moment before looking back. "He's got a history for it," he continues, sizing him up.

"Ethan," Andrew harshly warns him.

"I'm just saying," He shrugs. "Don't say I didn't warn you when he suddenly cuts you off out of nowhere," he continues before trotting away along the path, towards the flocks of people.

Speechless, I watch his retreating figure march over to the festival. Andrew, who got pressed by what happened, burned holes into the ground with his eyes.

I wanted to know more, but this wasn't the moment. What happened between them? Did Andrew really drop him like that?

Unable to stop myself, I ask him what's on my mind. "Is that true? Did you cut off Ethan?"

His head shifts towards me in an instant. His eyes speaking in a thousand of different languages, each showing a different emotion. Pain? Empathy? Regret? Worry?

He gets up from his spot and doesn't look back, leaving me sat on the bench alone.

And here we are, back to square one.

I really thought something had changed. I guess not.

I looked at my feet as the scene replayed over and over in my head. I shouldn't have asked those questions. I didn't have a right to. I should've known that it wasn't the moment for this.

My eyes teared up, but I held them back from falling, worried that it might ruin my makeup. Then, people would give me weird glances.

"Do you have a ride home?" A familiar deep voice asks from in front of me.

I tip my chin up, a burden lifted from my shoulders when I realize that Andrew has come back.

"No," I sniff, recomposing myself.