Everything I Didn't Say

s e v e n

SEVEN

FOUR BLISSFUL WEEKS passed in the blink of an eye. One minute, I was busy enjoying them and then the next they had gone all too quickly.

Autumn began to slowly creep into our small town: Addison, on the south of Chicago overnight. The trees in our backyard started to shed their leaves which were now crisp orange and rich reds. You could hardly see the grass from all the different piles.

Rehearsals for West Side Story started almost immediately. I had to change my work schedule to later shifts and stay behind a lot for practice. It was awkward the first couple of weeks between Jeremy and I as we'd never really engaged in conversation before that but pretty soon we just got over it.

You couldn't be uncomfortable around anyone in drama, that's how the business of it all worked. Backstage people were asking to measure us for costume fittings and trying different makeup on our faces. You had to be familiar with everyone because awkwardness wasn't going to get you anywhere in the industry, I quickly found out.

Jared began staying behind for around the same time as I did. I had a sneaky suspicion it was because Alicia was ordering him to make sure I get home safely but he blamed it on extra art coursework that was always overdue. Either way, he did end up working productively in the art studios before meeting me on the parking lot when we were both done.

The weather began to get even colder as October began dwindling down in weeks. Jenna and I brought out our long coats and scarves and thought about how to re-style them with different outfits. Also, because of the decreasing temperature change, Jared and I began stopping regularly on our way home for Starbucks.

It was typical I know, but sometimes all you wanted on a freezing day was a nice Starbucks to warm you up. Also, because we got out so late from school, it wasn't around a peak time and we missed the huge queues and half hour waits. Sometimes we stayed in to eat and got muffins each, discussing different classes or whatever had happened in rehearsal that day. I always got a double whip caramel macchiato and Jared got the same refresher each time.

Before I knew it, it was October 30th, the day before Halloween.

I was sat on our front porch, wrapped up tight against the cold in my coat, beanie and bright yellow scarf. In between my knees I clasped a fresh pumpkin and a knife in one hand, trying to decide on what sort of face to design on it. I'd already discarded all the innards before-hand.

Xavier was indoors, watching TV and Mom was out buying even more candy for the trick-or-treater's tomorrow (Xavier and I had eaten the first packs she'd purchased).

I was just about to start carving a spooky face onto it as opposed to a smiley face when I heard my name being called. "Isla!"

Looking up, I found Jared approaching me across my lawn. "Hey" I greeted with a small smile, putting my knife down momentarily.

"You're only just carving your pumpkin?" Jared questioned, dropping down beside me on the porch step.

"Yes. Some people aren't as gifted at art as you are. Speaking of, wanna carve the face for me?" I suggested, depositing the pumpkin in his lap mischievously.

He narrowed his eyebrows at me but obligingly took the knife and began carving away. He angled the huge vegetable away from me so I couldn't see what he was doing.

"What are you doing for Halloween?" Jared asked me as he worked.

"Staying in probably, help hang decorations, answer the door to hungry kids and watch Hocus Pocus on repeat all night" I explained without missing a beat.