Halloween is here and I'm stuck baking cookies until Katelyn's party tonight. Tomorrow Liam has a bake sale at school and he thought it would be a great idea that I volunteer to make cookies. I'm not too happy since the school has not done shit to help him, but whatever makes him happy. Liam sits at the table stirring the batter in the bowl while I prep the oven and the pan. I'm thankful that his babysitter and her son are coming to get him and they are going to go trick or treating together.

I hear heavy footsteps and pray it's not Merle, I haven't seen him around much thank god. I'm also really not in the mood for a screaming match tonight because tonight is about fun. I can't wait to dress up and let lose for a few hours and be a normal young adult. I should be partying on weekends and studying during the week, but that's not my life. I love Liam, but I wish my mother would step up and actually be a mother.

I turn around to find Daryl sitting down across from Liam. He's smiles at him and tells Daryl that he's making cookies. Daryl's really paying attention to his signs.

"He can read your lips."

I walk over and set the pan down on the table. Daryl looks up for a quick second, his lips twitch. He looks back at Liam and signs cookie. Liam nods his head.

"What are you baking these for?" he asks.

Daryl isn't shouting like a lot of people do. They get in his face and talk to him loudly like it will help him hear. It actually just confuses him. Liam signs school and Daryl looks at me for translation. I repeat the sign and say, "School. He's making them for the bake sale tomorrow."

"Ah. School," Daryl says signing it again.

Daryl holds up his hands and pumps them in the air to sign awesome. My heart skips several beats. He remembered the sign. Liam's face lights up and he's happy to have someone who will try to communicate with him unlike Travis and mom.

Daryl continues talking to him while I roll the dough in my hands. Liam asks him to help and Daryl again looks at me for translation. I put my palm up and make a fist lifting the fist in my palm. "Help," I say. "He wants to know if you'll help."

Daryl looks at him and nods his head to say yes while signing "help". Liam looks at me again and happily rolls the dough. Daryl stands and goes to wash his hands, then comes back over and starts helping. I've got some dough in my hands and in the corner of my eye I'm watching him. He looks like he knows what he's doing. I can feel the smile on my face. I shake my head and place the dough on the tray.

"What?" Daryl asks.

He looks up at me and I can see the corner of his lips turning up. Warmth fills my cheeks and I shake my head again, looking down at the tile. He kicks my foot gently with his boot willing me to look at him again. "What?" he challenges again.

"Nothing." I bite my lip trying to stop myself from laughing.

"Didn't think I knew how to do this?" he questions.

I can tell he's not being serious, so I shrug and roll my eyes up. A grin forms on his face and it's the most I've seen him smile yet. The warm fuzzy feeling returns and I don't want to let it go. Daryl finishes up his last cookie, and Liam sets his down. I walk over to the oven and place the sheet inside, then set the old fashioned kitchen timer. I put it down on the counter and wash my hands. Daryl and Liam follow. I look at the time on the clock above the fridge, I have to leave soon for the party and Liam will be leaving soon too.

"Hey, can I ask a favor?" I ask him.

He finishes drying his hands on the cloth, and looks at me.

"I have to get dressed really quick, can you um... just keep an eye on Liam and the cookies. If you need to understand him he can write it down for you," I tell him.

I don't give him a chance to answer before I race away. I get to my room and shut the door, the costume is hanging on the back. I chose to be Buffy the vampire slayer. I found a photo on the AOL a few weeks ago and was excited to put the costume together. I pull the red leather pants from the hanger and shimmy them on. I've even broken down and bought black dress shoes with a thin heel. Without falling over I put them on and throw a black tank over my head. At the Halloween store I picked up a small dagger looking thing, and I already have blonde hair so it worked in my favor.

I come into the kitchen just as the timer is about to go off. Daryl and Liam are sitting in front of the oven on the floor like little kids waiting for Christmas. They both sit with their legs crossed and the oven light on so that they can watch the cookies bake. Daryl hears me walk in, I mean who wouldn't with the clicking of these ridiculous heels on the tile floor. He does a double take and stands. Liam turns around and looks at me funny.

"Who are you supposed to be?"

"Buffy the vampire slayer," I say coming into a pose.

Daryl laughs like a real laugh, I didn't even think he was capable of laughing like this. I walk over as the timer goes off and smack his shoulder. He's still laughing. I ask Liam to move from the stove and pull out the fresh batch of cookies, they smell so good. I shut the oven because they are definitely done a nice golden brown. Daryl reaches over and I smack his hands away.

"You want to be the one to bake another batch?"

He backs away hands in the air like he's surrendering. Liam comes over and asks me if Daryl is going trick or treating. I tell him no and that Daryl has his own plans. I also tell him to go get ready for his night out. Daryl stops him to ask what he's going to be. Liam puts his hands out like he's throwing spider webs. Daryl watches for a few seconds trying to figure it out, "Spiderman!" Liam nods his head and claps his hands. He's happy that Daryl figured it out. I hurry Liam out of the room and he rushes to his room to get ready.

"Thank you," I say as Liam leaves the room.

"For what?" he asks, grabbing the bowl of the table.

He brings it over to the sink and places it in, and starts to rinse it out.

"You don't have to..."

"It's fine. I can put this stuff away for you if you need."

"Why..." I start to ask. "You know what never mind. I guess if you want to. The Tupperware it up in the cabinet..." I start to say as a car horn beeps outside. I know it's for Liam. "I should go get Liam that's his ride. Are you sure..."

"Go!" he says.

I nod my head give him a small smile and head out to get Liam. He's already in his costume ready to take on Halloween. I grab my things then walk him out to the car. I tell him to have a good night, and shut the door. Getting into my car I watch Daryl through the kitchen window as he washes the dishes. I'm not quite sure what changed with him, but he's different somehow.

I pull up to Katelyn's small ranch on the other side of town and park on the street. There's already music blasting and a lot of cars around. I get out of the car and hear a whistle. I turn to see Ethan leaning against his car smoking a cigarette. I've never seen him smoke before. I walk over and he pulls me into a hug, he smells like weed too, this is totally not the Ethan I knew.

"Hey! You want a swig?" he questions pulling out a small flask from his back pocket.

"Sure," I tell him.

I down at least a shots worth and then hand it back to him. He smiles and takes it from me. He wraps a hand behind my back and tugs me into him hard. I wince because it kind of hurt the way he just grabbed me unexpectedly. His lips graze my neck, it feels weird but I still let him. Part of me still wants something to happen between us, but I know it will just be a back and forth mess. I grab the flask from his back pocket while he moves his lips lower down my neck. I down what's left and can feel the burning sensation deep down.

"Woah, you owe me," he says laughing.

"Sorry kind of need to let lose tonight," I say.

"Yes you do."

I pull away and look at him. He's looking at me like he wants to ask what the fuck is wrong with me, but says nothing. I sigh.

"I'm going to go inside."

He mumbles something under his breath and lets me walk away. It's so easy for him to let me walk away. I hear a girl calling his name. He smiles and she rushes into him almost knocking him over. I don't care to stay to see who she is or what relationship they have so I head straight for the house. The minute I step inside someone hands me a red solo cup and I down it.

"You go girl!" Katelyn yells from the other end of the room.

Katelyn's home is entirely open on the first floor. The dining room, living room and kitchen are all together. This is where most of her parties happen. Her parents vacation every year around Halloween, so she's been throwing these parties since we were sixteen.

"Hey!"

"Hey yourself, where' Ethan?" she yells over the music.

"Outside with some girl," I say.

"Oh," she says.

"Here have another," she says handing me a drink.

It's only around nine, but I know I need to head home soon. Liam is going out to eat at the diner right after trick or treating so he won't be home till probably ten or eleven. It's a school night, but it's Halloween and he deserves to have some fun. I'm not sure at this point how many drinks I've had but I'm starting to feel really good. I'm not even sure I could drive home if I wanted to.

"Where'd you run off to?" Ethan questions wrapping his arms around my waist.

He slams his body into me from behind. His lips touch my neck again, I want to push him away but I miss him and it feels good. I hate admitting that I miss him, but I do. I roll my head back and it might be the liquor talking but I feel great. He spins me to face him and plants a kiss on my lips. I like the familiarity of his lips, the way his tongue lightly tickles the outside, feels nice. We fall onto a couch nearby. He's got his hands all over me and starts to slide them up my shirt. I smack him away and pull back.

"The fuck Chloe?"

"You know my rules," I remind him.

"They don't count tonight, it's Halloween and I want you so bad," he tells me.

"Ethan, no."

I'm dead serious, I may be drunk but I know when someone is trying to take advantage of me. He tries to pull me in again and I push him away and get up. He knows I'm strong enough to do some damage so he backs off. I hear him say whatever and then he disappears into the other room.

I grab several drinks to forget about everything, and walk into the kitchen. Katelyn is sitting on the counter, her legs are swinging back and forth. I love her costume she decided to be the pink ranger from the Power Rangers. She had been raving about it for weeks because she claimed the costume made her ass look nice.

"Hey baby girl," she coos.

I look at her and put my hands on her shoulders.

"You are drunk," I tell her.

"You are too!" she reminds me.

We both laugh hysterically. I love feeling like this, it feels good to not give a shit for once. I've drank plenty of times, but this time I feel like I've gone way over my threshold. I don't even know how I'll drive at this point.

"I can't drive," I tell her.

"I can drive," she shouts.

We both giggle again loudly, and I hug her. She wraps her arms around me and tries to lift me, but I end up falling to the ground with her on top of me. We crack up again.

"I dare you to prank call your house," she laughs.

"Oh shit my house!" I yell.