"I put a spell on you, and now you're mine." — Winifred Sanderson

*

I finish getting ready and hurry downstairs, my mom is in the kitchen on her laptop typing. She gives me a look, "Why're you late to school?" She asks, she takes her glasses off and closes the laptop.

"I guess I forgot to put an alarm on, sorry mom," I said. "I can't believe your going to Yale and becoming Valedictorian of this year, with that kind of punctuality." My mom says I give her a teasing look. "Wow geez thanks, mom."  

I grab a granola bar and head out the door, quickly saying a "goodbye" to my mom.

I decide to go on my bike and ride past when I do hop on my pink kawaii bike I notice the neighbors have settled in quite well, I'd like to visit them tomorrow. It's Halloween today and I can't see as I have to take the twins to trick or treating, then go to the cool, sick Halloween party Tyler's throwing.

Tyler, yep he is not good at flirting but he should stick to pranks. I think to myself.

***

I head into class and the teacher isn't even here. The students are talking and laughing around, I sigh and am so relieved are teacher decided to show late. Ha, looks like I'm not getting detention after all.

Avery happens to come to my desk with some other girls I've never seen, with her she'll befriend random people every day, so she can have a herd of followers under her spell to do her dirty work for her.

"Hi Avery can I help you?" I say, pleasantly.

She places her finger on my chin, raising it up to her eyes. It's so dark and cloudy, God knows what she could be planning.

"I want you to quit the netball team, resign at lunch or else." Her emotions are stoic and then she smirks.

"If you don't we'll get you real good," Rachel says.

"Yeah worse than before, with the itching powder and goo," Sara adds.

The girl from earlier who picked a fight with Rachel whatever her name was, is now friendly with her. Girls, they confuse me.

"So you know what we're capable of. See you later, amigo." She says, her lips in a blob of shapes, what the hell girl? She saunters away with her evil minions and I just chuckle under my breath. Do they really think I'd leave?

If this ruins her reputation, then I'm so staying.

"Hey!" I hear a familiar voice and I see Megan, Tara, and Sasha approaching my desk. Along with them, the teachers comes in a substitute who looks rather confused as to what we're doing. Some help her set up the lesson and others just chatter away. I'd want to help but my friends are surrounding me with comments about the party tonight.

"So what do we wear tonight?" Megan squeals at us. I shake my head, "Not sure, we should go to shopping."

"We don't have time for that, besides you said your babysitting, and we have to get ready plus the travel time as well, we'll all just go to my house, its close to Audie's house and quite close to the party, just a little drive and where there. Not forgetting to mention I already brought sexy costumes." She winks.

I guess that's acceptable.

"OK, so it's settled, Sasha what's a matter?" Megan asks her, she looks a little deprived lately. Is she not sleeping?

"Nothing." She says bluntly. I pull her arm, into which she reacts 5 seconds later. "Can I talk to you, in the corner?" 8I ask her alone, Tara and Megan seemed confused, but I give an assuring smile and walk into the corner with Sasha.

"Ok, what's up, like really up?" I ask.

She gives me a pointed look. "The sky is up."

"No like tell me what's going on with you, lately?" I ask her, she seems to have pale skin and eye bags under her eyes.

"M- my parents had a fight last night and t- they may be split-" She doesn't finish and cries, she gestures towards me and I jerk. I'm not really good at this, but I hug her tight and soothe circles on her back.

"Oh, honey... it's ok, I'm sure everything will be fine, just give them time, it's normal for parents to fight a lot and argue over minor things." I say, will this help her? I am not really good as my dad left me at a young age. I hope this makes her feel better.

She squirms under my touch and comfort. She gives me a smile, and her face brightens up. "Great that's the Sasha I know, the one who stood up to the bullies with me and helped me through my problems and ate all the Oreos collection from Hong Kong," I say, listing all our greatest moments. This seems to cheer her up.

"I'm ok, I'll give them some time to calm down, and Aurella, if it's not better can you help me again?" She asks, her eyes seem to wonder for answers, searching mine. A shimmer of hope. I say "Why of course." Imitating her. She giggles along with I and we walk back to our table for the lesson to begin.

"What happened?" Megan asks. I shake my head. "Don't worry its all sorted, it'll hurt her if I tell you." And it's true I'm her life-long best friend, her first and last I can only trust her and she trusts me. Megan and Tara, it'll take time. I mean they ruined my phone, they embarrassed me in front of Devil-Face and one time they pranked me on April fools and it turned horrible that Avery and her friends made a meme out of it.

I don't trust them. But they can't know this. Hopefully, I'll trust them soon enough.

***

It's lunch now, Avery expected me to resign but I'm instead going to read a book right in front of her. The book is called. 'How to be a boss at netball.'

Avery approaches me and snatches the book of me. "Hey give that back!" I bark.

"Not until you resign here, sign this paper, give it to her Rachel!" She orders Rachel who smirks. I refuse and gesture for my book back. "Give it to me now, Avery West, before I snap your heels, and cut that hair off," I say, tempted to hit her.

Her reign of "Bitchiness" has gone on long enough. I stand up against her, my face inches from her and do something unexpected.

I slap her cheek.

The sound echoes throughout the hall and some students observe a gasp on their faces. Rachel and Sara have an "o" mouth shape, along with the others.

Avery looks stunned like she couldn't quite register the pain. She then reacted 10 seconds later and hissed at me. "You bitch!" She pushed me against the brick wall.

She was going to raise her hand and slap me and punch the living daylights out of me before Adrian stopped her. He pushed her away and looked at me with worry and confusion. His eyes are dark and they hold no emotion.

I decide to run off, but he prevents me from going, his arm tightening around my arm. I give him a narrowed look. "Didn't I say, stay the hell away from me?" I say, my breath become hard and hands clammy.

He smiles weakly. "No, I can't let you go, just like that."

"Why not, it's not like I'm your friend. I never was, and never will be." I say, biting my lip.

"Your lying." He states.

"W- what m- makes y- you think t- that?" I stutter, his grip hardens and I bite my lip.

"You're biting your lip." He says, no emotion on his face but worries.

"You always bite your lip when you lie." He says, was he really that observant of me that he learned it. It stuns me how much he knows and too much to know is dangerous for him.

"Where's the hoe at?" Megan says and Tara comes towards us and snarls at Avery.

"I should go." I manage to say, his eyes grow darker and he lets go, a hurt look on his face. I can't help you, I can't do anything but hurt you.

Before I leave the hall. "How am I supposed to help you, if you won't open up to me?" He yells at me. I catch a glimpse of him, his back is turned towards Avery.

You're still with her, you're still attached to her. Even if Chase wasn't here, I just couldn't bring myself to date a popular. It's too harsh and cruel, and I just can't be those other cliché girls. I want to be living my life as best as I can.

Megan and Tara are with me, we walk to the rest of our classes pumped of the party tonight. I haven't been to a proper one before, I mean I was nobody before. But oh wells.

***

My mom sits beside me in the kitchen, we eat some potato pie with broccoli and spinach. Not great, but not bad either.

I frown at my plate. Adrian is messing with me, why doe she care about me? Why does he want me to trust him? I just want to give him these questions, but I'm afraid of him, I'm afraid of getting hurt.by emotions.

Never let emotions cloud judgment. They get the better of you and that is your ultimate weakness. Chase will find out about him and I can't...

My mom gives me a look. "You ok, dear?"

"Yeah fine, good."

She gives a warm smile and continues reading a book online while eating. She is obsessed with reading and writing. Even with fashion and all that. She loves creating new ideas and designing, producing them.

"Mom?" I burp, she snorts.

"When are the twins coming?" I ask.

Fred and mom just want alone time.... I smirk to myself.

"They should be here by now." She says.

"Can I talk to you, while they're on their way?" I ask, breathing deep breaths for what I'm about to say next.

"Sure, what is it dear?" I break into a fit and hyperventilate. Should I tell her? Is it wrong? Oh God...

"Chase is back. And he is threatening me with messages, they're warnings first but they'll evolve into threats." I say, she reacts with a laugh.

I become nervous and scared. Does she not care?

"MOM! This is serious its true!" I say, breathing deep breathes and soothing myself.

"Honey, Chase isn't here, show me the messages." She gestures to my phone I hand it to her and she gives me a worried look.

"Are you ok?" She asks.

"Yep – it's right there you see now I-" I begin to lose my words as the message isn't there. Did he delete it?

Oh shit, I forgot to screenshot it, I was too scared and panicked, my PTSD triggered and I was barely able to save it to my gallery. Way to go, Audie! Now my mom thinks I'm a nutto.

"Mom I swear it was there! He deleted it."

"There's a reason we have a screenshot button." She says, evident in my problem.

I shake my head. "But you believe me right, he's here I promise," I say, giving her a pleading smile.

She envies me and hurries to the doorbell. "Sorry," She mutters.

The twins run in the house with adorable costumes.

Christy is wearing a tooth fairy and Misty is wearing a Pokémon outfit, it's scary and cute. They primp and cheer doing a silly happy dance, in which I get their buckets and head out.

"By Mom, by Fred!" I shout in the empty house.

They say "'bye."' And we leave.

The twins first go to our neighbor's house, it seems spooky and freaky. They knock on the doorbell. "What the fu- uh you doing um here?" Adrian's sister I'm guessing her name is, asks, she looks annoyed. But Halloween is for fun and scaring people. She looks like a ghost in all that makeup.

"Trick or treat, money or sweet." The twins say, smiling excitedly.

The mysterious girl gives me a shy look. "Thanks for standing up to the bullies. I guess I should calm down, especially for Halloween. My favorite period of the year." She says, offering a subtle but shy smile.

I shake her hand. "Aurella Claire, your neighbor and I got to Oak bridge, I hope we can be friends," I say, smiling sweetly.

She shakes my hand, quite a firm touch. "My name is Anabelle Lucian; I don't have the same surname as my brother. Were kind of adopted. It's hard to explain. But yeah- anyways I'll get some sweets stay here, girls." She says and walks back inside.

The cold air bites my skin, like a sharps jaws.

The twins groan. "It's cold." Christy especially says as she's dressed as a fairy.

"Don't worry a few more houses and I'll drop you off home," I say, biting my lip. I look at my watch. 7:00 PM ok, I have to be there by 8:30 pm at the latest or the doors is closed.

"Fine but I'm going to pick the houses, please?" Misty begs. Christy pushes her. "No I will, it isn't fair that you dressed as Pokémon that nerdy show and didn't match with me, you weirdo you know that boys will not like you, only me, so yeah ha-ha," Christy says, snorting at her sister.

Misty glares at her and crosses her arms. "Well your such a hypocrite you love Pokémon you practically have a whole collection of them, so stop lying, you just show off to the boys, especially Mason." I swear I see Christy blush before she says "shut up," to Misty. The two face away from each other.

Then Ana returns with the sweets. "Here you go." She gives them an equal amount.

"Thanks, girl." They both say in unison and run off cheekily.

I give her a smile. "See you around." I manage to say.

"Can we be friends?" She asks.

"F- friends?" I stutter.

"yeah."

My heart increases and the world shifts. 'Can we be friends?' What Adrian exactly said. It really confuses me, but I just nod, at least she's not that related to him and is nice then that jerk. "Yup," I say popping the p.

"K, cool I have to attend to my grandma, my real ones dead I'm stuck with this one, but she's nice at least." She says we both snort and walk away from each other.

She seems nice.

After going to some houses, one of a single mom who gave us sweets as her son was allergic to most of them. Another of a man who was a creep he kept perving on the girls so we excused ourselves and ran off. Then we found the final house, it was perfect and quiet.

We knocked and the door opened.

My heart stopped, It wasn't really stopping but at least I felt like I was dying.

Of course, why of course, I'd see his mom here.

"Good riddance, is that you Lizbeth?" Her voice is as polite, nothing much like him.

I nod, biting back my tears. She embraces me with a hug.

"Wow- I never thought I'd see you, how are you and your mom?" She asks.

Ms. Jones, Chase and Evelynn's mother. Stands before me. Her blonde curls are short, she has short hair compared to Evelynn a platinum shade. Her eyes are ember and light, sparkling with an embodiment of surprise. I want to leave right now.

"Who Lizbeth?" Misty asks. Christy holds my hand, looking at me with curiosity.

"N- no one."

"What are you talking about? Lizbeth? It's you." She says, her lips in a curve, always smiling she was.

She never blamed me for the death, just like my mother. She doesn't even know Chase is haunting me with threats and warnings.

I wonder if he's here, so I ask impatiently. "Is Chase here?"

"No, he's out with some mates, I'm just happy he's settling in now, in a new town away from..." I realize she was about to mention Evelyn's death. But I change the subject beforehand.

"Cool, it's nice knowing your here," I say, in a polite way. The twins are confused, but I ignore and signal for them to leave. "See you later." She smiles, wrapping her robe around her.

"Who was that?" Christy asks. "My mom's old friend," I say, constantly. They keep repeating but I get angry. "Just drop it okay! NO- one." I know it was wrong, but I got nerved sometimes. And this was my life at stake.

I'm just glad they live on the other side of town. We took a bus here, so it's all chill.

Inside I'm dying of hysteria, my lungs are so inflated it could pop any second now. Why the fuck now?

We reach the bus, the twins dance around. After a while the bus stops, I drop them off and call the girls who pick me up.

"Trick or treat bitch!" Tara says, too excitedly. Sasha is in a positive mood. And Megan well she's just Megan.

I can't seem to get my head around the fact that Chase is here now, living so close to me, he's literally breathing down my nape.

I huff and smile at the girls, don't want them to be evident or observant in my storytime.

We reach Tara's house and dress in some sexy costumes.

Hopefully, this party gets my mind off some things which have been bugging me lately.

Megan dresses as a kitty cat.

Tara dresses as a dusty bunny.

Sasha dresses as Velma from scooby doo.

I dress as Lara Croft, tomb raider.

We put our suited makeup, for me a bit of mascara some lip liner and contour and highlighter mostly. I straighten my hair and put it in a french braid.

We head out and get in Tara's BMW. We head to the party.

"By the way guys, you know who's going to be at the party?" Megan informs. "Who?" Tara asks, signaling to turn left, in the dark, misty road.

I sit at the front in the passenger seat with Megan behind me, with Sasha beside her.

"Some boys from different schools, bad boys in actual gangs, they come from Silver Bridge. Then you have your school with our bad boys. Girls are so excited for the boys to hook up with, apparently, there's going to be a game where you have to hook up with a boy in one dance and it's really fun, especially in costumes." Megan explains.

Seems quite illegal and dangerous. I mean bad boys.

I should not drink too much or any alcohol for that matter. Chase could be there as he attends the school and he'd hurt me, I can't afford to get drunk.

Then again Adrian is there too, I hope they don't meet. I don't want them to. Adrian isn't going to be hurt by a mean arrogant jerk AKA Chase Jones.

*

Make sure to vote, comment and follow me. I love you all and know that this chapter is special for October and Halloween. I want you to be spooked and freaked, with all the plot-twists and turns. I'm the queen of those, trust me. *laughs manically*

Stay tuned for more Halloween disasters 😈🎃