Being Shot

P h o t o #30 - Buttercream Frosting

P h o t o #30 - Buttercream Frosting

The walk to the Appollo residence was short but sweet. Not once did Connor let go of my hand, and when we passed some trick or treaters that were still out and about scouring for candy from their neighbors, he would even tighten his little grip in mine.

You could say I was basically floating with happiness. I had thought that this young boy would never come to like me, but now I knew that I must've struck a cord with him. He was stuck to me like glue.

Once we turned the corner to the street our destination was on, I could already tell something was different. Without warning, I rushed down the street, pulling Connor with me. Elliot followed closely behind, no questions asked.

The first thing I noticed was that all the lights in the house were on - except for the room I presumed to be Kae's, of course - making the house the brightest thing on the block. Next, I noticed the dark blue decorations adorning the house. Balloons of the same rich color had their long strings tied on the twin railings all the way up the set of steps, flapping in the slow autumn breeze.

I felt my eyes enlarge at the scene in front of me. The three of us practically sprinted past the gates of the house and up the stairs.

Once I made it inside the door, an entire lot of multicolored streamers flew my way.

"Surprise!" Familiar voices rang out around me.

After clearing the confetti from my vision, Cooper, Kayla, Jonas, and even the presumably sick Parker was standing in front of me.

"W-What?!" My jaw almost fell to the floor. I could barely keep the excitement out of my voice, "What's going on?"

"Well," Kayla drew out the word, "Since we hadn't really done much today, we thought we'd have a little party tonight. Just all of us."

"S-So all of that was planned out?!"

"No no no!" Kayla answered to my dubious response, putting her hand ups, "We only anticipated the trick or treating part, not the Connor running away part."

"Hey!" Connor rebuked from below, one hand still clamped in mine and the other brushing stray colorful threads from his shaggy hair, "I didn't run away, I just went with my friend, that's all!"

"Alright, alright," Cooper responded, walking over and picking up his little brother. Reluctantly, Connor let go of my hand. "Let's just head inside. The cold air's starting to get in."

After everyone was in and the door was shut and locked, I walked over to Parker before we all headed for the living room.

"And what about you?" I began, raising my hand up to his forehead, "Don't you have a cold?"

Startled only for a second by my sudden skin ship, Parker burst into a fit of laughter as a charismatic smile that would've sent the entire population of girls in our school into cardiac arrest rose to his lips. "Really, it wasn't that unpleasant. I just have a slight case of head congestion. I'm completely fine. Though, your concern is quite flattering."

I let my limp hand fall to my side, my ears burning, "Oh...ya, no problem."

He adjusted his glasses pointedly, "Although, getting the truck and employees here and back before anyone took notice was a great challenge."

"I was about to say," I said as I looked around at the splashes of the deep, dark blue color I so loved in every place I looked, "I couldn't believe you had done this all yourself."

"Yes," Parker replied, flipping open his black binder and scribbling something in it, not even looking in my direction, "Though all of this wasn't my idea, of course. The one most deserving of the glorious party planner title belongs to the timid one to my right."