December Boys (BxB) | ✓

Chapter 32 - Lost Boy

Halloween arrived with as much drama and expectation as a high school student could wish for. The night before October 31st had proved a stormy one, and the large maple tree in the school parking lot had lost one of its stately branches in the fray. Said branch had traveled over the asphalt and pierced straight through a first-floor window, leaving glass and maple leaves pasted to every surface of the room inside. The classroom belonged to Axel's specials class, coincidentally, and all the other departments reveled in secret mirth at this nifty detail.

Mr. White had nearly blown a fuse trying to convince our class to participate in the inevitable clean-up effort, and the wisest decision altogether had therefore been to skip class after lunch and bolt back to Seth's place to prepare for the party.

Because party we would. Seth had tinkered with his costume for weeks, and none of my dubious protests would convince him to drop it. He'd even gone as far as employing his sister as co-creator and paid her a pretty penny for her expertise with the design. It was 4:30 pm when we found ourselves on our stomachs in his messy room, making our final touches on the masterpiece.

"I'll win this year for sure," Seth mumbled through the pins in his mouth. His serious blue eyes were locked to the fabric he was currently adjusting.

"I don't see how you could lose," I conceded. "I don't think anyone else has spent nearly as much on costumes as you have."

"It's not about the money, Nao-boy." He pinched the fabric and stabbed a pin through it. "It's about the final product. This'll blow Miriam's cosplay out of the water."

"You know she only won last year because she's pretty."

He hissed but offered no reply. It was Seth's third and last Halloween at December High. The fact that he'd lost "best costume" to Miriam Reed two years in a row was a bit of a sore spot for him. He was hellbent on taking the victory back home with him this year, even if it meant spending both his October and November allowance on props and sewing supplies. He hadn't just been stressing over the December project this month, that was certain.

"Now, your costume on the other hand..." Seth raised his eyebrows at me. "Why do you always go with such low effort stuff? You've got so much potential!"

I made a face, barely avoiding having my finger stabbed. "Hey, watch it! Also, it's not low effort, I just don't feel like losing sleep over one night of dressing up. That's all."

"Dressing up..." Seth clicked his tongue and shook his head. "You just don't get it. The thrill... The allure... "

"Right, right," I said, a smile creeping onto my face. "You're at your most powerful on Halloween. I know."

"So respect it! Lots of spooky stuff will happen tonight, mark my words. The maple tree was an omen."

Rolling my eyes, I continued holding Seth's costume in place as he made the last few tweaks on the fabric. It was creeping closer to party time, and my stomach had taken to rolling and gurgling against my will. I'd casually mentioned to Axel that I would be at the party, and received a lukewarm response in return. He'd hinted at going, but imagining Axel at a Halloween party was a comical thought. Costumes were mandatory, so he'd have to dress up as well. What kind of costume would Axel go with? How would he look...?

Two hours later and Seth had hidden his costume underneath his dad's huge winter coat. His face was aglow with excitement and pride as we left his house and made our way back to December High. The city streets were painted in somber grays and wistful blues, dotted with the occasional light from the street lamps. The school, on the other hand, was alive with lanterns and music, and we stopped on the steps outside to admire it all.