skeletons and ghostbusters

. ✧ ・゜. +・o ✧

Back at home, Alina and Will both ate a quick microwave dinner before prepping for trick-or-treating. Alina redid her makeup, with more care this time around, copying off an image she'd found in a magazine, and emerged from the bathroom triumphant. The whole costume was pretty realistic, and Alina knew she would take some awesome pictures. With a smile, she met up with Will, and Jonathan took some pictures of the two. She wasn't dreading it like she had been this morning, and she found herself really smiling as the camera clicked and flashed.

After doing several poses—some with just her, some with her and Will, and some with the whole family, including Bob, who'd dressed up for the occasion, and Skywalker, who Alina couldn't resist dressing up as a ghost—Jonathan finally set the camera down. Bob had the idea for Jonathan to vlog the entire trick-or-treating experience, and so, while he taught him the basics, Joyce spoke to Alina and Will, putting the latter's proton pack back on.

"Listen," she instructed, "stay close to Jonathan, okay? And listen, listen, listen," she grabbed Will's shoulders. "If you get a bad feeling or anything, you just tell him to take you straight home. That applies to both of you," she added, and Alina startled, before a wave of fondness shot through her as Joyce pat her shoulder. "You promise?"

Will gave her a thumbs-up. "Okay."

"Got it," Alina added. She couldn't help but feel excited. Even though today hadn't been great—it'd been a roller-coaster with all of the ups and downs she'd had, she couldn't wait for her first (and probably last—she didn't see her and her friends trick-or-treating next year, when they were in high school) real Halloween she'd ever had.

"Alright, you ready, you two?" Jonathan asked, coming over to them. Alina wished he didn't have to come with them, but that was what Joyce insisted, her fear for Will overriding her empathy for their 'coolness'. Alina knew Will was embarrassed about it—he'd pleaded to Joyce for them to go alone multiple times, with arguments ranging from "there will be loads of other kids out, we'll be fine!" to "it's not like we're going to be alone, we're going with the party!" But Joyce had been unmoved, and thus, Jonathan was to be coming with them.

"Yeah." Alina and Will both spoke at the same time, then turned to each other and high-fived. Alina felt a surge of guilt run through her when she remembered the conversation she'd had with Will yesterday, to tell each other everything, but she didn't want to worry him by telling him what she'd been experiencing lately. Besides, her brief visits to the Upside Down might just be hallucinations. After all, she'd never been there, so she had no idea what it was like. Right?

With pillowcases clutched in their hands, Alina and Will made their way to the front door, Jonathan, Joyce and Bob all trailing behind. "Be safe," Joyce called, waving as they stepped outside into the cool night air, and Bob grinned from beside her.

"I hope it doesn't suck!" he said, imitating Dracula. Bob really had gone all out for this Halloween. He was wearing a cape tied around his normal clothes, had smeared some makeup around his eyes, and shoved fake fangs in his mouth, his speech slightly slurring as he called out to them. Alina couldn't help but smile at that and attempted her own Dracula imitation as she called back to him.

"I phink we'll have some fun! Bye, Bob! Bye, Joyce!"

Bob laughed and waved back at her, and Will let out a giggle of his own before Jonathan, also smiling, lead them to the car. As per usual, Will got in the front seat, and Alina got into the back, and they were off. Alina was tingling with anticipation now. The last time she'd gone trick-or-treating, she'd been eight years old, a time where it was still cool to bring your dad with you. It had been a night where Linda wasn't home, although they only had gone out for an hour, in fear she'd get back early.

Alina had dressed up as a robot for that Halloween, wearing cardboard boxes painted silver and sticking pipe cleaners on her 'head' as antenna. When she'd gotten home, she'd hid all of her candy in her dresser. They were simpler times, although not much better than now. The constant fear of Linda had really put a damper on most of Alina's life, and sometimes she wished she could do it over again and grow up a normal kid.

Alina was already tasting the candy she'd get tonight. Her mouth watered as she pictured all of the junk she'd get sick on tonight—gummy bears, Bubble Tape, cola bottles, and, her favorite, Snickers. She rested her head against the window and pictured the stash she'd have when they were done. God, she loved being a kid.

Her fantasies were interrupted by Jonathan suddenly speaking. "You know, I just..." he began, "I just don't get what she sees in him."

"What?" Will asked. He'd been staring out the window, most likely doing the same thing Alina had been doing.

"Bob," Jonathan clarified, and Alina raised an eyebrow, confused. She knew Bob could be a little strange sometimes, but overall, he was a nice, likeable guy. Which made her puzzled as to why Jonathan was feeling that way. But, she thought to herself, I guess everyone gets a little uncomfortable when a new member is added to their family. Including me. The thought made her worried. Jonathan, Will and Joyce all had taken her in with open arms, but were they secretly feeling the same way?

Will just sighed. "At least he doesn't treat me different."

"Or me," Alina added. "And I like Bob, he's really nice."

"Yeah," said Will. "But like seriously, we can't even go trick-or-treating by ourselves. It's lame."

He trained his gaze out the window again. He didn't look too happy.

"What?" Jonathan asked. "You think I'm lame?"

"No, but it's not like Nancy's coming to watch over Mike, you know?"

"Yeah," said Alina. "And plus, we're way over the age to have someone taking us trick-or-treating. Will and I are both teenagers now. And it's not like it's just gonna be me and him. Mike, Dustin, and Lucas are all coming too, and we've proven to be able to take care of ourselves in the past. Right?"

Jonathan let out a sigh and tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, thinking. But before he could say anything, though, the car pulled up to Mike's house, revealing Lucas, Dustin and Mike already waiting, their own pillowcases flapping in the wind. "Will! Al! Hey!" Dustin called, and the duo waved at their friends, the excitement returning.

Mike, Dustin and Lucas all mimed shooting the car with their blasters, and Alina shook her head, grinning. What a bunch of nerds.

The car pulled to a stop, and both Alina and Will unbuckled, the latter still frowning, obviously still quite embarrassed at having to go with his older brother. Alina hoped it wouldn't ruin tonight. According to Mike, Lucas and Dustin, Halloween with friends was supposed to be the best night of the year.

Alina was pushing her door open when Jonathan stopped them. "Hey, listen."

"Yeah?" Will asked, turning to his brother.

"If I let you two go on your own, you promise to stay in the neighborhood?"

"Yeah!" Will's smile had returned. "Yeah, yeah, totally!"

Alina smiled, too. "Cross my heart!" she added.

"And," Jonathan added, "be back at Mike's by nine."

"Nine... thirty?" Will pleaded, trying to extend the deadline. Alina checked her watch. It was six now, which meant they had three hours to go trick-or-treating, three and a half if Will got his way. But Jonathan shook his head.

"Nine," he insisted. "Deal?" he stuck out his hand, and Will nodded, quickly shaking it, eager to get out to his friends. Before he could, though, Jonathan turned to the back, extending his hand to Alina, who also shook. That small gesture made her feel a little more welcome. "All right," said Jonathan, and Alina and Will both opened their doors, meaning to run over to their friends, but Jonathan stopped them once more. "Hey, you two." He held out the camera. "Don't let any of your spazzy friends use this, all right?" Will took it.

"Okay," he said.

"I hope it doesn't suck!" said Jonathan, echoing what Bob had said before they left, and Will let out a chuckle before closing the door. Alina quickly followed, and the two ran over to their friends, excited.

"Will!"

"Al!"

"Egon!" Lucas called, waving erratically at his fellow Ghostbuster.

"Woah, you look sick, Alina!" Dustin said, glancing at the makeup she'd meticulously applied earlier. "Did you do that yourself?"

"Yep," said Alina, feeling proud as she embraced her friends. "Just watch out," she said, jerking her face away from Dustin's oncoming shoulder. "I don't want it to smudge."

"Sorry!"

"Yeah!" even Mike looked excited, and he'd been particularly mopey lately. "You two ready for tonight?"

"So ready!" Alina cried, pumping her fist into the air. "Best night of the year, right?"

"Yeah!"

And so, the quest for candy begun. Four Ghostbusters—with two Venkmans, not that anybody noticed or anybody but Mike cared—and one skeleton roamed the street of Hawkins, which gradually began to fill with other kids. Alina even noticed Daniel Tree out with his friends, not dressed like a tree like she thought he would, but as a zombie, with a bowl cut wig on his head. Alina remembered Zombie Boy, and had a sinking feeling that he was dressed up at Will. When she brushed past him on her way to another door, the boy too focused on talking to his friends (it was a surprise he even had any) to notice her or Will, she made sure to slyly take her switchblade out from her belt loops (she'd brought it just in case) and tear a candy-sized hole in her bag with it. As he walked off, candy trailed behind him, and Alina smiled under her hands. Revenge was sweet.

Will kept his video camera to his eye at all times, recording people's reactions to their costumes. Alina had to admit she was having fun, and kept that happiness inside of her as she knocked on another door, a sweet looking old lady opening it.

"Trick or treat!" the four chorused, holding out their pillowcases.

"Oh!" the old lady gushed, opening the door wider as she looked at them. "Well, aren't you cute! The little exterminators, and a skeleton, too!" she held out a bowl of 3 Musketeers, and the party's grins faded. 3 Musketeers had come in a surplus tonight. They'd gotten so many Alina figured it might be possible they'd turn into the nougat candy bars after the night was over.

Reluctantly, Alina, Lucas, Mike, Dustin and Will all grabbed a handful of the candy, the boys also smarting over the fact the lady had called them exterminators instead of the Ghostbusters. As they walked away, Lucas immediately started to complain.

"If I get another 3 Musketeers, I'm gonna kill myself."

"I know," Alina agreed, glancing into the bag to find it mostly piled with that type of candy. "People really need to be more creative."

"What's wrong with 3 Musketeers?" Dustin asked.

"What's wrong with 3 Musketeers?" Lucas repeated incredulously.

"No one likes 3 Musketeers," said Mike, his pillowcase swinging slightly as he walked.

"It's disgusting," said Alina. "Why would you want your teeth to be glued together every time you eat a chocolate bar?"

"Yeah," said Will, "it's just nougat."

"Whoa," said Dustin. "Just nougat? Just nougat? It is top three for me."

"Top three?" Lucas repeated, disgusted.

"Top three!"

"Oh, God," Mike moaned. "Give me a break."

"Seriously," Dustin insisted. "I can just eat like a whole bowl of nougat. Straight up."

Alina wrinkled her nose. "That's repulsive, Dustin, like seriously—"

Before she could finish, a masked figure leaped in front of them, brandishing a knife and letting out a growl. All five party members screamed, jumping back, their hearts pounding hard, before Alina could make out a girl's laughter underneath the mask. Her mood soured a little when Max took off the mask.

"Holy shit!" she cried, still laughing. "You should have seen the look on your faces. And you—" she nodded at Lucas. "Who screams like that? You sound like a little girl." Max let out a snort, beginning to walk off, and although Lucas and Dustin exchanged excited looks, Mike slumped a little. Max turned back to them. "Hey, you guys coming or not? Ooh, I heard we should hit up Loch Nora. That's where the rich people live, right?"

Alina stared after her, not knowing what to feel. It seemed that Mad Max had just infiltrated her first trick-or-treating experience.

. ✧ ・゜. +・o ✧