How to Save Someone: 101

Hailey: Halloween Fair

The leaves around campus had finally started to change color and litter the grounds. The air at night had gotten cooler, but the days were still pretty hot. October was here.

I tied my dark purple velvet cape into a bow in front of my neck. Looking into our full length mirror, I straightened my pointy hat and smoothed my dark green dress. Bella emerged from the bathroom in her red and black robe with a pair of jeans and a red t-shirt that had a lion on it. She had convinced me to dress up as a more traditional witch while she dressed up as a fake witch from a movie. Or maybe it was a TV show? Hair Miney from Hairy Potter (maybe it was a show about hairy wizards? I have no idea). 

"Oh my, God! You look great!" She exclaimed as she looked at me in my costume. "Are you sure you're not a descendant of the witch clan up north?"

"Definitely not," I scoffed.

"Do you know your biological parents?" Bella's smile faded.

I shook my head.

"Do you ever think about them? Like, wonder who they are?" Bella had never asked me questions like this before. She never asked deep, personal questions. Maybe she was afraid I would get upset at her for asking questions like that. But, really, I was glad she liked me enough to learn more about me.

"All the time. I've been bounced around to a lot of different foster homes. When I was little, I had this, dream I guess, that one of the homes I would be sent to would be my parent's home. And they would great me at the door, hug me and tell me they were sorry, then we would be a family," I sighed, lost in my own dream. "It was only a false hope."

"Where's your foster family now?"

I shrugged. "From what I understand, I was placed as an 'Independent Foster' when I came to this school. Meaning I am a child of the school's."

"But, Christmas break is coming up."

"Yeah, I know. I was planning on asking Principal Duncan if I can live at the school. Maybe if I offer to clean some of the dorms or classrooms, she'll let me stay."

"Well, I'd have to ask my parents, but I'm sure they would be more than happy for you to stay with us."

I smiled at her. "Thank you."

She smiled back before changing the subject, "We've gotta go! Mr. Bienville will have a fit if we're late!"

~~

Bella and I approached the front of our school that was decorated like a haunted house. The white columns were unusually dark, cobwebs hung in random corners, and even bolts of lightning erupted from clouds above the school.

"I guess Loren is in charge of the lightning," I guessed out loud. 

The freshman class were in charge of the outside decorations, while sophomores and juniors decorated the inside. Elementary school students had to walk through the entire haunted house before getting to the back of the school where seniors waited to meet them and give them candy. This served as seniors first act of community service, and the elementary students got to meet future superheroes.

"Bella! Can you run these streamers up to top of the columns?" Mr. Bienville held out a roll of black streamers. 

"Sure!" Bella grabbed the streamers out of Mr. Bienville's outstretched hand and ran up the first column. 

"Hailey! Did you bring the candies?" Nick had asked me earlier in the week if I would be able to make a special candy for the seniors to hand out. He wanted me to make a diluted energy potion and make it into candy. 

I nodded as I held up my bag of individually wrapped candies. The candies were cinnamon, lemon juice, and ginger mixed with a honey and Jademint base. (Jademint is the secret energy ingredient). It was diluted with water and then solidified to make the candies. Bella stayed up with me late last night to help me wrap each one.

"Awesome! Could you bring those to the seniors for us? They're waiting for them."

My heartbeat picked up speed and a lump formed in my throat, but I nodded. 

As I started walking into the school, a voice called out to me, "I'll go with you." I turned to see Nolan jogging behind me. "They don't really need me until the kids show up," he shoved his hands in his pockets and shrugged. "My job is for Shadow to scare them a little bit."

I chuckled as I imagined Shadow jumping out from a shadow on the wall to scare a little kid. We walked down the hall together. The rooms were almost completely finished and ready to scare anyone that walked into them.

We walked into the great hall at the end of the corridor where the senior class stood around talking. They were all dressed in different costumes. "What do you two freshies want?" An human lizard snarled and flicked her tongue at us.

"Hey, Belinda, chill out. They brought us some extra candy to hand out. Or you made this, didn't you?" Gray Kimber, the head of the senior class, approached us from behind Belinda Donelle, the lizard senior.

Belinda slinked away to join the other group. Gray chuckled and shook her head. "Sorry about her, you guys. But you made these, right?"

I quickly nodded. "They had a special energy potion. Not too strong for the kids but just enough." 

Gray flashed me a dazzling smile as he inspected the candies in the bag.

He was even more beautiful in person.

"That's awesome! What's your name?"

My cheeks heated up. "It's Hailey. Hailey Wilson."

"Nice to meet you, Hailey. Thank you so much for these. I'm sure the kids will love them." He smiled again before turned to join the group.