As I flipped through the channels downstairs in the living room, someone rang the doorbell. Normally, I'd wait for Mom or Zoey to answer, but I was home alone. I was sure Zoey was with Chase even though her excuse to Mom was that she was "with friends." Or maybe she was with Micah. I reluctantly rolled off the couch and answered the door, only to look down and see Roanoke sitting properly with a bow on his head and a card in his mouth. Confused, I took the card from his mouth and he ran between my legs, into my house. When I opened the note, it read:

Our puppy missed you.

I rolled my eyes and turned around to go inside. I closed the front door.

"You know, you should start locking doors and windows," a familiar voice said, startling me. I walked over to the couch where he sat.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him.

"I told you that I'd be begging to be your friend again if I screwed up," he reminded. He stood up in front of me and looked down.

"Because you were such a good one before..." I said, sarcastically as I rolled my eyes. I turned from him and trudged up the stairs. I noticed that my bedroom window was open and Chase had probably climbed into it...but how? It was a second story window...

"Alicia," he said once. I sighed and plopped down onto my bed. "I'm not going to apologize for my idiotic brother's words to you. I'm here to apologize for what I know you're mad about...I didn't defend you."

"Go on," I allowed.

"I had a reason," he announced.

"And what reason would ever require me to be dissed by some douche bag that I don't even know!?" I exploded.

"I didn't want it to seem like his words bothered me. He'll do anything in his power to torment me. If saying I'm a man whore makes him think that it'll get to me, I won't respond to it. If saying shit about you gets to me, he'll tease you a whole hell of a lot more. And worse."

"Honestly, I'm sorry for what I did," he whispered down to me.

"For what you didn't do," I mumbled.

"For what I didn't do," he altered. He started to poke my sides and I poorly contained my laughter. "You know you want to laugh."

I started a smile, but bit my lip to stop. His hand brushed over my tummy once more and I busted out laughing. He tickled me everywhere as I had a spazz attack, but when the front door slammed shut, we froze.

"Sis, you here?" Zoey's voice asked from downstairs. Shit. Chase started to get up, but I grabbed his arm.

"Why are you still with her?" I don't know why I blurted this out now or how it even became a priority for me to ask him in this earnest moment. It must've meant that I believed strong enough that they shouldn't be together. He knew it too, but didn't give me the response I was expecting at all.

"Why aren't you with Wes?" he immediately countered. I gave him a confused look and his expression read "I didn't mean to say that" just as much as mine read when I asked him about Zoey. He awkwardly climbed off of me and my bed to go greet Zoey, who was—judging by the sounds—glad and surprised to see Chase here.

I, on the other hand, was still confused about his question. Why aren't you with Wes? Why would I be? Although Wes was recently acting out of character by being nice to me all of a sudden, it was only because he wanted to get in my pants. Other than that, he was the same ole jerk that I'd known from the start. Nothing about that deserved any reciprocated feelings from my end unless I was begging to get hurt.

***

Throughout the day, I lounged around the house and eventually went to Jasmine's.

"So Alicia, I haven't seen you around here much," Mrs. Fisher said at dinner.

"That's because you and Dad work all the time," Jasmine said.

"Jasmine, we work to provide for you," Mrs. Fisher reminded. Jasmine rolled her eyes.

"You've provided enough...obviously!" Jasmine responded, referring to their wealthy lifestyle. Her parents sighed in grief. I just ate quietly and so did Jasmine's parents to dismiss her complaint.

"So Jasmine, how's Eli?" Mrs. Fisher asked.

"He's good," Jasmine nodded.

"What do you think about Eli, Alicia?" Mrs. Fisher asked.

"He's one of my closest friends and he and Jasmine seem like a really good match for each other," I answered, surely.

"So I won't have to worry about someone else breaking my little girl's heart?" Mr. Fisher asked.

"Dad..." Jasmine warned as if embarrassed, even though everyone at the table knew her business.

"If he does, I'll be sure to give him a hard time," I said to distract from Jasmine's disapproval of her father's attempt at protection.

"So are you girls ready for the Halloween festival?" Mrs. Fisher asked.

"Uh—"

"Depends. Are you actually gonna go this year?" Jasmine asked skeptically. Her parents exchanged looks.

"Yes," they answered together.

"Wait. Really?" Jasmine asked. They nodded. "Wow..."

"Wait your birthday's coming up, Alicia. Is there anything you've planned for it other than the festival?" Mrs. Fisher asked me.

"You know what? I think I'm just gonna pretend like the Halloween festival is in honor of me," I joked.

"You sure?"

"Yup," I replied, popping the p. I wasn't one for parties anyway. "All my friends are going to be there anyways, so might as well right?"

"I just got an amazing idea," Jasmine said out of nowhere. I cocked an eyebrow at her. "As your present, I can buy your costume."

"Unknown costume..." I mumbled.

"Well you know the drill about the suggestion box..." Jasmine reminded. I rolled my eyes. The suggestion box was a crate filled with costume suggestions like "someone interesting," "something you want to be when you grow up," "your favorite celebrity," "something that disappoints you,"...and anything in between to help find costumes for people that had no clue what to get. Even when people knew what they wanted to be, they'd still use the suggestion box for a challenge. We had a lot of creative people stretch the suggestions as much as possible every year.

"Fine," I allowed within a sigh even though I wondered what kind of luck I'd draw with a suggestion. Either way, I wanted to go all out this year for some reason and I was glad to have Jasmine help me.

***

"Everything you oppose."

I finally got my suggestion and that's what it was.

"How would you feel about a leotard?" Jasmine asked me on Friday as we were trying to pick out costumes. I frowned. "Well what do you not like?" she asked even though she very well knew everything I disliked in life.

"Trashy behavior. Girly things. Stupid things—"

"I get it!" she interrupted. "OMG. I know what you should be!"

"What?"

"I'll surprise you," she announced.

"No."

"Yes. Lili, I'm your best friend—"

"That keeps calling me a name I hate..."

"You should trust me enough to get you a costume!" she finished. "I promise it'll be perfect."

"What is it?" I asked.

"The perfect costume," she said like well-duh. I sighed. Jasmine was one of those people that stretched the suggestion box out...like more than necessary. Honestly, I was worried.

I allowed Jasmine to surprise me with a costume and then had Zoey pick me up from the store.

"So what did you decide?" Zoey asked in the car.

"Nothing," I sighed. "Jasmine, my ever-so excited best friend, decided that she wanted to surprise me with the 'perfect costume.'"

"Good luck," Zoey wished.

"I'll probably need it," I said, negatively in a way. "What are you this year?"

"A cheerleader," Zoey answered with a smile.

"Was it by will or by suggestion?" I asked, first off.

"Both."

"Mmh..." I nodded. I don't think she grasped the concept of Halloween very well because she always picked a cliché outfit. And I bet that she was hoping for Chase—or maybe even Micah—to be her shiny all-star football player to match.