Hallow

(6) Hallow-Hains

HALLOW-HAINS

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BETHANIE KNEW AVOIDING IT WAS impossible. She had done the unthinkable – ditched the queens for a run-of-the-mill nobody. Her day was meant to start here, at the festival, with Amelia and Chance. It would have included participation (of a sort) in the games, a little indulgence in the sweet food on offer, and the possible cheering on of the football boys, who were tolerable – if not attractive – in appearance but rather less so in personality.

But it was midday and Bethanie was only just turning up to the annual Hallow-Hains festival.

And there they were – the two of them hovering by a candy cart, managing to look spectacularly bitter and sickly sweet at the same time.

Bethanie spun back around. Dylan looked at her in surprise. "What is it?" he said. His clothing was still speckled with water from the river. It was cold – too cold, it seemed, for quick-drying.

"Let's go another way."

"Another way? Bethanie, Hallow-Hains is only on one street. You can forward or you can go back, and we've already been that way."

"We can go around, start at the other end."

"What would be the point? We're here now."

Bethanie sighed. There was no getting out of this, regardless. She just had to hope she wasn't destroying her friendship with them entirely.

They continued forward. Dylan wanted to stop at a stall. It was right next to the candy cart and Bethanie could hear Chance and Amelia talking about outfits and boys and gossip – the usual sort of thing. At one point, she went to add something to the conversation, then realised she was only listening in and stopped herself. It felt strange being on the outside, and for all her talk of breaking free from the normal, Bethanie didn't like it.

[Poem Idea #90: An Out of Body Experience]

When Dylan had finished up and they were about to move on to the next stall, Amelia caught Bethanie's eye. Bethanie could do nothing but stare. It was like watching a tidal wave gathering over her head, about to crash down on top of her – escape was impossible. Drowning was inevitable.

Amelia opened her mouth, about to speak when a girl stepped in between them like a dividing wall, a curtain swinging over the film before it could finish. Bethanie looked up in surprise.

"What a coincidence, seeing you here," the girl said. Bethanie's brain took a moment to catch up. Florence, she realised. Her timing was impeccable.

"Yeah," was all she said, though the world suddenly felt irregular – a sensation Florence seemed to drag with her and emit in waves. Around her, nothing felt quite as it usually did.

"You know, I was just on my way to the haunted house. Would you like to join?"

Bethanie hesitated. She edged slightly to the left so she could see around Florence, thinking she'd see Amelia on the approach. But there was nothing but the crowd.

Bethanie looked back at Florence. Did this girl know what she had just interrupted? Had she done it intentionally?

Dylan practically materialised beside Bethanie, eating something that smelled strongly of cinnamon. "I'd love to," he said, answering Florence's question. "Beth?"

Beth? Since when does he call me Beth? But the question faded away, her mind quickly occupied by other things. Like the fact that Amelia had left without a word, which was definitely a first and certainly out-of-character. She never had any qualms about pushing people out of her way. But not Florence, it would seem. Why not Florence?

"Sure," Bethanie replied at last, more confused about the people in her life than she cared to admit. "Sounds like fun."

"Great!" Florence exclaimed. Dylan lifted his camera, getting a picture of the two of them. Florence was grinning, a strawberry lollipop in her left hand. Bethanie was looking away. She had forgotten to smile.