Epilogue

Halloween

Friday 28th, October

Well, that's not normal, is it?

A woman mutters beside me as a few disapproving glances are thrown my way when Max pulls up outside the train station, music blasting.

He rolls down the window and struggles for a moment to take off the giant werewolf mask over his face. When he eventually does, his own hair is wild and messy, and his eyes are stained red and blotched in white face paint, like he really has just woken up from a night spent out under a full moon.

"My London lady," he says, popping open the passenger side door.

"Very understated," I laugh, as the looks of disapproval turn to worry when I get in and kiss his cheek.

Max picks at a stringy cotton cobweb and plastic bat that hangs from his wing mirror. "Mel got a little carried away with her decorating duties, as you can see."

I peer over the front bonnet and at the pumpkin decals plastered all over it. She really has. And I'm excited for the excuse to dress up and to celebrate Halloween weekend, and the last Friday before we go back to college for the next term.

"So, how did it go?"

Plugging in my seat belt, I lean back into the seat as Max pulls away and sigh, "It went pretty well actually."

"Blush count?"

"Three."

Max turns to me with a wide smile. "That's amazing."

"One wasn't actually even anything to do with the interview, it was when I couldn't find my train ticket on the way back and the guard got annoyed, but I found it and even then, the blushing wasn't that bad," I say, proudly. "Minimal."

Driving up and over the station bridge, Max rests a hand on my knee and gently squeezes, sending my tummy soaring. "I'm really happy to hear it went well. Do you know when you'll hear back from them?"

I shrug, I'm not sure I've got much of a chance of landing such a sought-after London work experience placement at brilliant central film studio, but all I do know is that ICE didn't sabotage me this time and I managed to not fluff all my answers to their serious questions.

In fact, I was actually quite confident, though inside I felt anything but, which is something I've been applying to my media lessons at college with Mr. Cockburn and whenever I pass Maddie in the corridor, her tan only now fading from a summer spent with her Grandparents.

And though I haven't asked, she looks happier than before.

Last week, she even smiled and waved at me in front her drama group like it was nothing. Like she was glad to see me.

It's weird, but it's better this way.

Everything has been since the talent show.

"Okay, so, if you did get offered the placement, which, let's face it, you will because your Josie and you're amazing," Max says warmly, "when would you start?"

"Next year, during the February half term. It's only for two weeks, but it would look great on my CV and on my uni application."

"Hey! What's all this uni business about? I thought we agreed that after college we'd take the band out on the road, see the world, become rockstars," Max jokes, tongue firmly in cheek. "Don't kill the dream."

"Does our two night stay in the Travelodge out of town not count as an epic road trip then?"

Max's eyes light up and he grins, "Well, I wouldn't say it wasn't epic or memorable..." I know he's replaying our first night and day away from home, one spent in bed doing nothing and everything and not ever wanting to stop.

Why I'd ever been so worried about it, I don't know.

And as Max continues to grin, I lightly pinch the pinks of his cheeks and he sighs out a deep breath.

"Really though, all jokes and rockstar aspirations aside, I am chuffed for you, Josie. And even if for some reason they loose their minds and you don't get it, at least you went for it. Did the interview. That takes guts," he says, stopping at a set of traffic lights. When he smiles, my tummy soars though we're on flat ground.

And once we've made a quick pit spot at my house to pick up my Halloween costume and Max has helped me apply the fake wolf like scratches to my left cheek, we drive to the Montgomery's.

The house is almost unrecognisable.

Cobwebs and lanterns that flicker in time to the creepy and haunting music set up by the front door greet us first, alongside fake entrails wrapped round red bulbed fairy lights and mini gravestone heads.

Stepping over a giant gutted pumpkin, Max takes my hand and laughs, "Mel was up at 6am today. I didn't even think that was possible."

"Wow."

"Halloween is her thing. Every year she's begged mum to let her throw a huge themed party, and this year she finally caved."

As if on cue, and with burning ears, Mel springs out from the dimly lit kitchen and gives us a scare.

"You guys made it!" She beams," How did London go?"

"Good thanks."

She gives a brief thumbs up before her attention's stolen by a spooky hanging skeleton that isn't sticking to the ceiling quite right.

As she struggles to fix it and Max trots off to find a step ladders, I offer compliments on her costume and the impressive transformation from family home to ghoulish crypt. "I'm really sorry I couldn't be here earlier to help set up."

"No worries," Mel replies, untangling the flame red wig she has on from the glittering green 'poisonous' ivy wrapped around her whole body. "I roped Libby into coming over and mum's new fella popped in to set up the music and lights."

"New fella? Since when?" I say with a small gasp.

She rolls her eyes. "Since a couple of weeks ago. It's gross really. They're like teenagers. Max caught them snogging in the kitchen, but whatever. At least mum's happy and he doesn't have any kids so there's no nightmare step siblings to deal with. Thank god."

I nod and follow Mel's gaze through the kitchen, towards a DIY cardboard-style guillotine, complete with fake silver blade and paper-mache chopped head.

"We're still going to make him do that later through, before he's officially allowed to join the party," she winks, though I have no doubts that she's 100% serious.

And when Max comes back, covered in real cobwebs from digging around in the garage for the mini step ladder, Mel ditches the skeleton and tosses it over the stairs and asks us to follow her.

Stepping out into the garden, Mel charges off to inspect the drinks table and I spy Wonder Woman Linda rigging up some more lights near the summer house, although it takes me a while to notice who she's got helping her.

"That actually suits you," I say, when she bounds over to see us. I pick up one long, jet black plait up from her white collared black dress and Libby stares at me, completely deadpan and in character.

"Wednesday Adams, meet Little Red Riding Hood," Max says, as I swish my blood red cape and shake off the big hood. I flash her the contents of my wicker basket and Max's werewolf mask stuffed inside.

Libby whispers that she loves it and then resumes her commitment to staying in character by looking suitably unimpressed. "And you are?"

Max's lips curl down and his voice lowers. "By day I am the noble and strong Woodsman, but by night and the light of a full moon, I am a fierce predator and hunter, they call me the Wolfman-"

"Glad I asked," she replies, finding it hard not to crack a smile when he pretends to rip away his shirt.

"You look great," I assure him, because it's the truth, even in all the make up and fake blood he still looks gorgeous.

Max buttons back up his flannel shirt and pretends to swing his plastic axe close to her. She doesn't even flinch.

"Libby darling, would you be able to hold this for me please?" Linda calls out, swinging her own cape back from getting caught in the net of severed body parts hung up on the branch of a tree.

I wave at her and Max asks if I'd like to get a drink as Libby shuffles over.

Back inside the kitchen, he pours a ladle full of blood red sangria out from a mock witches cauldron and we both take stock of the last minute panic before all the guests arrive. A 50/50 split of Mel's mates and Linda's, which sounds interesting.

"And mum's new guy," Max says with a small groan.

"Yeah, I heard about that. Is he really that bad?"

He pauses to take a sip, slowly he shakes his head like it pains him to do so. "No, not really. He's been pretty decent and he came to set up the sound system because I couldn't be here today."

I slam my cup onto the kitchen counter and choke back sangria.

"Oh Max, crap! I am so sorry," I say, my cheeks starting to glow from the guilt of forgetting about his first official day at the small second-hand music shop in town. "How did it go?"

He brushes a hand across mine and leans against the counter. "I didn't mention anything because I wanted to hear about you're day first, but it went well. Hard work. I missed my Saturday morning lie in," he laughs.

"I'm really proud of you."

"That makes two us us," he says, kissing the ball of my nose and then he grazes my cheeks, to whisper, "You look wonderful tonight."

And as the music filters into the kitchen, through a mini stereo hooked up to the one outside, Max takes my hand and spins me round and round until I'm dizzy and giddy with excitement for not only tonight but what the future holds for both of us.

"Did you make this CD?" I ask him as the Monster Mash fades into Superstition by Stevie Wonder.

He laughs, "The new guy did. I'm not sure how well my Pop Punk Does Halloween mega mix would go down when everyone's stone cold sober."

"He has good taste me in music and so do you. No wonder you get on so well..." I tease.

"Mum says he's excited to hear us play later," Max says, reminding me that we'd agreed to revive the band, one last time to serve out Halloween classics.

And though I'm not quite sure I've got the chops to sing Thriller or croon I Put A Spell On You, I'm going to give it a damn good try.

"When are you're parents getting here?"

"As soon as my dad puts in his plastic Dracula teeth," I say, with a small chuckle. "That's as far as he goes for Halloween. Mum on the other hand has been planning her costume for weeks."

"Sounds like someone I know," Max glances down at my costume, "So, what do you say we take one quick trip back to the summer house before everyone arrives?" He suggests, weaving his fingers through mine.

I follow his lead, past all the decorations and fake giant spiders, out into the garden as Libby takes a picture of Mel and Linda besides a cardboard Frankenstein. Max and I slip into the summer house and he switches on the coloured lights hung round the doors

And for once it really doesn't matter about the colour of our cheeks. Not when everything is bathed in deep red.

It doesn't define us any longer.

I see Max's cheeks and mine reflected in windows as he holds me close and we sway in time to music.

With the last of his kiss lingering on my lips, I feel a fierce, but small blush creep to my cheeks, born from deep within.

My heart feels full, like it really could burst.

Max smiles as we dance close, savouring a moment meant just for us.