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After having visited all the houses on Penny's street, Dani and the two teenagers began to notice that all the good candy supply was drying up. The last residence they had been to gave Dani a toothbrush and a lecture on the dangers of excessive sweet consumption. When finishing his boring talk, Penny discovered the man to be her dentist and she quickly urged the group to exit swiftly, before he could drone on at her for not wearing her retainer. Nipping down a side street, the Dennisons and Penny found themselves on Essex Street - one of the most affluent neighbourhoods in Salem, MA.
They looked up and found themselves in the shadow of a towering, white colonial mansion with contrasting midnight black shutters on each of the nine windows. Autumnal leaves of gold and scarlet had begun to collect in the displays of hay in front of the house, on which nestled dozens of perfectly carved jack-o'-lanterns. Lanterns hung from the roof, swaying gently in the cool, night-time breeze, casting rays of artificial moonlight onto the path leading up to the house.
Max and Dani let out a perfectly harmonised sound of amazement, caused Penny to chuckle slightly to herself. To say they argued a lot and claimed to have nothing in common, they were much more alike than either of them would care to admit.
"Check out this house," Max mumbled in awe.
Dani shrugged. "Eh, rich people."
Looking to Penny to see if she would side with him, Max was met with an equally dismissive response.
"Don't look at me like that, Dennison. You're happy to come after capitalism when it gives you an excuse to talk badly about Halloween, but when you see a pretty mansion you lose the ability to speak?"
She laughed and took Dani's hand, as they walked towards the front porch, Max following behind them. Penny raised her hand, ready to rap on the white oak door, decorated with a wreath of traditional harvest flowers, but was stopped by Dani.
"You know, they'll probably make us drink cider, bob for apples."
The two girls looked at each other solemnly, pretending to be bored by the prospect, before their lips broke into smiles. The two of them buzzed with excitement and Penny knocked sharply three times. Cautiously, Dani creaked the door open, before disappearing inside. Penny went to follow her, but an arm suddenly wrapped around her waist, and Max turned her to face him, drawing her back from the door.
"Don't you think bobbing for apples is a bit childish?" he asked sceptically.
"That sounds like the voice of a boy who's never managed to get an apple in his life," Penny retorted with mock pity. "If you were a winner like me and Dani, you'd understand, Hollywood."
Max smiled tauntingly. "Alright, Salem, let's make a bet. If I catch an apple quicker than you, at midnight, you have to give me a kiss."
"You do know that out of all the kissing holidays - Christmas with mistletoe, New Year's Eve when the ball drops in Times Square - Halloween isn't one of them. Besides, if I win (which I will), what's in it for me?"
