HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

I won't keep you guys long here so you can read, but I just thought I'd ask (I KNOW NOT AGAIN) but I very nearly made an instagram account for my wattpad yesterday, if you still me to do it, let me know because I'm still on edge about it.

Also THANKS DAD for helping me come up with a chapter name for this, i just told hm i had written a chapter about a halloween party and because he's all intelligent and WAY more creative than me, he came up with this! WOOO THANK YOU DAD.

Alright...feeing random.

Let me know what you think! I've been doubting it again...

- Lauren :D
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Hazel POV

The dull buzz of my phone wakes me from my sleep and I let out a loud groan. Pulling the white blankets closer towards me and over my head.
I roll over and I open my eyes to squint at my bedside table, my white iPhone is illuminated by the bright white screen on my bedside table, everything else you can only just make out the shape of due to the darkness of my room.

1 new Message

I roll my eyes as I steadily shift myself into a sitting position, stretching all my muscles and bones. I curl three fingers around the edge of one of my crème curtains and I pull it back carefully.
It looks bitterly cold out; even Murray, who sits beside Mrs Green's ginger tom Charlie, looks cold. He looks up at me as I tap my fingernails against the double panned glass and his mouth opens in what I hope is a greeting but I can't hear it, I stupidly wave in response and then I let myself collapse against the oh so inviting and comfortable mattress.

I rub at my sleepy eyes and stretch out a hand towards my iPhone, after a few attempts, I grasp it and pull it towards my vision.

Daniel Foster <3- Morning beautiful, sorry if I woke you, I'm making waffles for Ellie and was wondering if you wanted to come and have breakfast with me? Ellie's off to Robin's in 10 so it should be just us xx

I smile at the screen sleepily and taking my time, I tap a reply on the keypad.

Sounds great Dan, be there soon as I can x

I hit send and wait patiently for the little swooping sound, which signals me it has sent, and then I nod to myself and make my way to the bathroom.
I examine my reflection very carefully, absorbing every flaw. The faint freckle on my chin; the darker specks of brown in my eyes, the one strand of my hair that will never be tamed and so on. Dan always complains and says that I am 'perfectly imperfect' or something like that.

Oh! And you might be wondering, about Dan and I... Well everything seems to be going okay, I don't think he knows, and things are going normally and everything is fine.

In fact, we are both going as vampires tonight for the Halloween party, sort of sorted out by my college but held at some hall down the road.

A knock on the door makes me spin in a circle to see Mum standing there, in her fluffy little dressing gown and a make-up free face, she smiles at me and then leans against the white tiled wall.

"Morning Haze, can I get you anything for breakfast?"

"No thanks Mum, Dan asked me over for waffles"

"Oh how sweet (she clasps her hands together in delight) so what's the plan?"

"Well, I'm going to head over there now, just in this, and then we might watch a movie or meet up with someone, I don't know, but then I'll get back, have a bath, blow dry my hair and straighten it and get to work with my make-up, tube of fake blood and costume"

"Am I dropping you two off?"

"No we're going to walk it"

"Are you meeting any of the others?"

"No, Kirsty and Josh are arriving slightly later because Josh is working a shift down at the pool, and Emma and Ol are arriving together"

"Are they together now then?"

"Yeah, they're really sweet"

She rolls her eyes and mutters something that sounds like 'same old Hazel' and then she grasps the brass handle and closes the door behind her.
After brushing my brush several time through my hair, cleaning my face and teeth and putting on Dan's jean jacket over the top of my red sweatshirt, I walk downstairs.

"Bye Mum!" I yell through the house as I slip my red converse over my light green slipper socks.

"Bye Love!" she yells back.

I raise my eye brows, since when did she start calling me 'love'? I'm telling you, the sea air is getting to her head.
I walk down the gravelly driveway from the bottle green door, I reach an arm out to brush the tips of my fingers against the bushes that separate my house from Dan's, a few single tiny green leaves scatter onto the path I've just walked. I get to the pavement and literally step eleven steps and I'm at the Foster house.

Looking up I see Murray perched on the top of Heather's red Toyota; he squints at me in the sunlight and meows, I smile at him and rub my knuckles on his fuzzy little head and he starts twisting and turning on his back, purring.

When I approach the door, I knock twice and press the doorbell, Ellie arrives looking very dulled up with thick mascara and a peach lip-gloss coating her lips, the ends of her brown hair are curled and her blue eyes stand out due to her eyeliner. A purple top hugs her torso and she completes it with brown boots, white jeans and a black duffel coat.

"Morning Ellie!" I exclaim, giving her a quick hug. She chuckles.

"Hi-ya Haze! Lover boy is in the kitchen" she says with a smug smirk (oh my god, she has the exact same smirk as Dan, 'the signature Foster smirk' I as off now have decided to call it) then she walks down the driveway, sending me a quick wave and disappearing down the road.

I wait for her to disappear from my view, and then I walk into the open door into the inviting hallway.

The smell of cinnamon waffles greets me as I close the door behind me; I slip of my converse and the jean jacket. I look up at a picture of Dan and Ellie, taking professionally about a year ago. I smile to myself and his voice echoes down the hallway.

"Is that you, Hazelnut?"

"Yeah" I reply loudly, walking towards the kitchen. Quickly checking my hair in the mirror.

Oh who am I kidding?

The smell gets more intense as I enter the kitchen, smiling slightly at the all-too-familiar bark-looking wallpaper, the dark wood cabinets and the willow tree painting that is positioned next to Heather's fox calendar.

Dan stands by the black metal cooker, a white vest top hugging his torso, he wears a pair of black Calvin Klein boxers, which I'm guessing is his typical sleep wear.

I avert my eyes with a smirk on my face, thinking about the curve of his muscles through his shirt, I watch them move as he moves a hand up to run it through his hair.

I clear my throat and he turns around swiftly, a smile evident on his lips. He opens his arms wide and I take the last few steps into his embrace, my arms bunched together in front of my chest as he presses me to his body.

Him and that bloody cologne...

"Hey Hazelnut" he greets and I smile into his shirt, the nickname that he gave me when I was about 11 never wearing off, no matter how old we are, or how much our situation has changed.

"Hi Dan"

***

So eventually; after eating waffles, splitting to get ready and then going to walk Gizmo around the park, I sit in front of the mirror as Mum French plaits my dark brown hair.

I stare at my eyes in the mirror, not truly getting used to the redness of them. I bought red contact lenses to give the vampire costume I am putting together, more of an edge to it.
The rest of my face is a pale white from the powder Mum padded all over, with fake blood in two trails on either side of my lips. I wear a red dress covered with a black lace material and a short cape. I wear black tights with tiny glittering bats on them that slip into a pair of black heeled boots.

"Done" Mum finalises, reaching for the hair spray. I close my eyes and cough as she makes sure it will stay in place and then brushes her fingers over it.

"Nice" she nods to me in the mirror "now get up so I can get a better look at you".

I rise from the black leather chair, I run my hands over the bottom of my dress. I look at mum as she asks me to do a spin which I do and she claps.

"Yes! You look brilliant!"

"Thanks Mum"

Laura and James beam at me from the door frame, nodding enthusiastically. James' arm is firmly secured around Laura's shoulders.

"You look great Hazel" James says and Laura nods in agreement.

"Hey Laura, maybe we could take the kiddo trick or treating next year?"

James suggests with a smile, placing a hand on her baby bump. I can tell you now (since it's been confirmed) that she is 5 months pregnant, more than half way through her pregnancy, and is expected for some time in February, a due date hadn't been given yet though.
Laura smiles back at him and nods "yeah maybe". Turns out, when she found out, she was more pregnant than we thought...opps.

I smile at the mirror, revealing the prosthetic fangs that are glued to my teeth, when happy, I leave for the stairs.

Dan greets me at my door; standing beside my Dad who even though he accepts my relationship, always seems to intimidate Dan. Dan's hair is slicked back, fake fangs are evident as he smiles widely, his face is dusted pale like mine with dark shadows under his eyes and in the hollows of his cheeks, fake blood is in the same place as my own, his eyes remain their usual green (but I'm fine with that because I love the colour of them). He wears black jeans and a pair of black converse, with a dark red waistcoat with tiny dark swirls covering it and he finishes it all off with a cape.

He greets me with a hug and a quick kiss; which when he draws back he looks sheepishly at my Dad who rolls his eyes and folds his arms in front of his chest, Mum hurries over with a camera and takes a few pictures before James appears and pries it from her hands.

"Look after her Foster" James says jokily, a smirk on his face and a hand pressed against the banister. My parents and Laura laugh along with him as Dan looks nervous.

"Really guys?! Come on Dan" I say, taking his hand and opening the door, I pull him down the drive.

***

The hall's ceiling is the first thing that catches my eye, hundreds of black and orange ribbons travel from the small chandelier to all parts of the room, there are cobwebs everywhere, balloons being weighed to the floor and stuck to the walls, tables stand around the edges of the huge hall full of sweets, toffee apples, fake spider cupcakes and other Halloween themed food. The steps leading up to the slightly bigger part has a dance floor and a DJ. It is crowded with people in all kinds of different costumes, masks and outfits. I let my eyes flicker over every wall that is covered with a black sheet and even more cobwebs are stuck to them.

"Wow" I say aloud, my hand suddenly feeling clammy in Dan's.

"Yeah...wow" he says and I free my hand from his.

The air smells like alcohol and the thumping of the music echoes in my ears, I walk into the hall and turn slowly on the spot, trying to take everything in.

"Hazel!"

I spin round to find that Dan has disappeared into the crowd, but in his place stands Kirsty, a tiara slotted into her auburn hair that falls in curls by her shoulders, large silver wings on her back and wearing a pink glittery dress. Alongside Emma, who is dressed in a black dress covered in white paw prints, with a black nose and whiskers drawn on her face, with a cat hair band slotted neatly in her dark hair.

"Hi guys, happy Halloween!" I say, pulling Emma into a hug first and then Kirsty.

"Happy Halloween Hazel"

"Yeah, happy Halloween"

They take me on a guide around the room, all the while I see a few familiar faces from my classes who smile and wave at me, everyone has really made a good effort, there is actually glitter in Emma's hair that I didn't see originally for example and Kirsty even managed to find a pink eyeliner for her eyes. It takes us a while to get around everything as there are so many people and so much to see.

We find the boys at the back of the room, sipping from red plastic cups and laughing at something that Josh has said, Ollie wears a Robin Hood outfit, being his adorably dorky self, with a bow and arrows and even a green hat with a bright red feather. And note my sarcasm when I say that I am surprised that Josh came as Prince Charming, wearing a cream top and trousers with a golden sash. Dan stands beside them, he smiles at me as Ollie kisses Emma on the top of her head, then puts an arm round her shoulder.

"Thanks for leaving me back there Dan" I whisper, annoyance in my voice as I glare at him. The others distracted as a guy in a full werewolf outfit approaches.

"You look really scary, glaring with red eyes" he answers, eyes widening slightly.

"Dan, please just stick the point" I push him in the chest, felling extremely pissed off, but then slightly guilty as his face fills with shock. At the same time, in the corner of my eye Emma looks over grinning, her wide smile fades and she tugs at Ollie's sleeve.

"I'm sorry I left you, I thought you were right behind me" he explains, trying to place a reassuring hand on my shoulder.

"Sorry for overreacting" I say, the heavy thuds of music echoing in the background.

We stand in an awkward silence, before joining the group around the werewolf.

***

After about two hours after that, we had already hit the dance floor, taken pictures in the photo booth, I had been chased playfully by a guy dressed as a vampire hunter, who then chased Dan, who screamed like a girl the whole time which was just hilarious and I even went apple bobbing.

I leave the dance floor for the second time tonight and I make my way over to the cobweb-covered drinks table. Squeezing through a group of bloody paramedics and nurses.

I pick up a coke and it hisses as I open it, I rest my back against the wall and just watch the scene of everyone having fun; getting drunk, acting on being already drunk, dancing, or chatting amongst themselves.

"Great party, hey?"

I look to my left, a little startled to find a tall boy, with dark hair and bright blue eyes staring straight ahead at the crowd of people, his hands stuffed into his black jean pockets, he wears a white blood stained shirt and a small smile on his face.

"Uhm..."

He turns to look over at me, the smile widening as he searches my eyes with his own.

"Very scary" he says with a smirk, nodding at my red contacts, I shake my head and I step forward to leave but he asks the question again: "Great party, don't you think?"

"It is" I say, my heart thumping loudly due to the heat in here and the fact that an, although sort of attractive, strange guy is talking to me, although if he wasn't around my age he wouldn't really be here.

"Don't look so creeped out Hazel Robinson, I'm not some sort of molester, I'm in your social studies and English lit classes"

"So that's how you know me then, sorry, I don't really recognise you"

"I wish everyone was like that" he says sighing, running a hand through his dark hair as his eyes seem to settle on a group of girls, all looking perplexed and looking for something.

"What?"

"Well I mean, I get bombarded by girls every day, not that I don't like the attention, I go to parties pretty much every weekend, I live life on the edge"

"Uh right..."

"I want to change though, I mean, why am I at this party when I could be taking my little brother and sister trick or treating? Why am I here letting girls throw themselves at me? It's just pointless"

I'm quite weirded out, is this guy high or something?

"No offense, but why are you telling me this?"

"Because you look exhausted and that Foster bloke didn't come over here when you did, yeah I know who he is too, you were alone, so I thought, 'maybe I could go and say to hi to pretty little Hazel Robinson'"

Foster bloke...aha, that is pretty funny.

"Are you drunk or something?" I say, starting to feel a bit uncomfortable as my cheeks heat at the fact he called me pretty.

"A bit tipsy I'll admit"

Thought so...

"Right"

I turn to leave but something about the attractive stranger urges me to know more, I go against my better will and I turn back to him. My heart continuing to thump in my ears as I try not to be pushed over by a continuing conga line.

"I didn't catch your name!" I yell over the music

"Matt" he yells back simply "Matt Lloyd"

"I'll see you around then Matt" I say.
I can't tell if he was just being genuine towards me, or so drunk he could only just make out who I was. Looking back there is the same swarm of girls who he was staring, surrounding him, he winks at me and I look away very quickly.

***

Dan walks me home half an hour later, telling me about how ridiculous his dance moves are and how he kept telling Ollie that he couldn't dance.
When we get to my drive way he wishes me goodnight and pulls me into a hug, he kisses me quickly and I smile at him.

"Goodnight Hazelnut"

"Night Dan"

And I turn to my front door, unlocking it to reveal the dark hallway. I turn on the lights to reveal all of the framed photos on the wall. I walk into the kitchen and again I turn on the lights; dashing over to the sink to relieve my eyes from the contacts, it takes me a while but I take them off and place them in a little bowl of water along with my fangs, that I put in my bag about 20 minutes into the party, I sling my cape onto one of the kitchen chairs and I check the clock.

23 minutes past midnight.

Not too bad then.

I change into a top and jogging bottoms that Mum left for me on the kitchen table and I let my hair loose down my back, I wipe all my make-up off and sigh in relief.

I'm about to open the fridge to search for the leftover mushroom risotto from last night, when there's a knock at my front door.

I freeze in terror, who could be knocking at nearly half midnight on Halloween?

They knock again and this time, echoing in the hallway, I take action, dashing down the hallway, I open the door on the chain.

"Who is it?" I ask.

With the only reply being the sounds of sniffing and a small sort of weeping sound, I open the door fully.

To find Kirsty standing alone; pink and black make up running down her face, her eyes bloodshot and her lips tremble as she tries hard to get rid of the moisture causing her blurriness in her eyes by blinking, but she soon stops. I look down at her from the slightly higher up door frame, she looks straight back, her blue eyes full of desperation, despair and an element of sadness that I have never seen before.

"Hazel" she croaks, voice sounding harsh and beginning to breakdown for what doesn't look to be the first time tonight "Help me".