The Halloween Cannibal

Chapter 3)Eyes Wide Open

***
After the Sterns made their exit, all three kids head upstairs to either use the bathroom to or put the finishing touches on their costumes.
Their exit left me alone with Ben and the awkward silence we had adopted whenever the two of us were alone together. It wasn't often we were around each other. Typically, it was at school in the hallways whenever we would be grabbing something from our lockers. They were only four spaces apart. I ignore him as he looked to me, and then he looked away and ignored me as I looked to him. Picking up the bags of candy I brought with, I made my way to the Stern's enormous kitchen with Ben following behind me after a few moments.
"So...Guess we thought alike with the candy," he mused, setting his bags of peanut butter cups next to my bags I bought.
"Guess so."
My voice was unintentionally curt but I didn't care to apologize. I instead made my way to the large refrigerator to grab a few water bottles to bring with incase the kids became thirsty while we were out. I tucked them into my large bohemian purse and said nothing else. Ben looked to want to say something but didn't quite know how to say it. He brushed his unruly hair out of his eyes once more. "Look, I'm trying not to make this awkward," he said quietly.
"Why would this be awkward," I reply sardonically.
"You responding in that tone that says you don't really want to be here," said Ben in a mutter.
"And you do?" I finally turn around to lock gazes with him. His eyes seemed even bluer than I remembered. Ben said nothing as he watched me. The silence continued before I finally shrugged. "Guess your silence is my answer."
"Like I said, I'm trying not to make this awkward-"
I grit my teeth, finally losing my temper. "What do you want me to say, Ben? That it's not awkward? Is that what you want, really? Here's the truth. YOU blew apart this friendship, not me. So, if you find it's awkward between us, you only have yourself to blame." Heading out of the kitchen I leave the speechless Ben behind. I head towards the staircase to call for the kids. "Hey guys, we ready?!" I call up.

Nick Stern bounds out from the hallway before descending the stairs. His previously outrageously curly brown hair now cut very close to his scalp, nearly at a buzz cut. "Hey Cass," said Nick, providing a small wave.
"Hey Nick! Whoa, you look at least four inches taller than when I last saw you!"
Nick grinned. "Blame the Stern genetics. Every guy in the family has wicked height." He laughed.
He wasn't wrong. The Sterns were blessed with height genes in their family. Mr. Stern was over 6'4, as was his brother who also attends the same church as his family. Nick clearly seems to be following in the family gene pool towering in at nearly six feet exactly. "Nice seeing ya! Pops told you I'd be headed out, right?"
I nodded. "Yeah, have fun. Oh! I overbought on candy, it's in the kitchen if you want to take a bag with." I said with a shrug, knowing there was no way that there will be enough trick'er'treaters tonight to demolish all the bags I brought with me.
"Eh I'll grab some if there's any left-over tomorrow, goin' to grab some pizza.". Nick headed to the drawer to grab his car keys, he stopped upon seeing Ben enter the hall. He looks between the two of us with what seemed to be surprise. "Two of you tonight, eh? Stay safe," he said with a wink.
It was only after he leaves do I find his comment strange.
***
I chose not to overthink what Nick said. Given he was only sixteen and most likely already knew of mine and Ben's falling out upon hearing it from his parents, I realized he simply lacked tack. If not for painfully strained silences, Ben and I would be lucky not to have an eruptive blow out similar to the last time we had spoken. I stare up towards the staircase, hoping the kids come down soon.

"I'll never understood why Tom and Simone don't have Nick babysit for them." Ben remarks, walking over to sit on the staircase in front of me. Due to his massive height of 6'3, he's now practically eye level with my 5'5 self. He was the only person I had ever met not related to the Sterns who rivaled in height to the men of the family.
"They probably just don't want someone younger watching them," I say absentmindedly, not really caring to correspond with him. Ben gives me an odd look.
"He's only two years younger than we are. He probably doesn't want to because the kids are only his half siblings," he replies with a shrug.
It was true, Nick was a product of Tom's marriage or relationship with someone else. I never discovered which it was, and my parents and I found it too rude to ever ask. Simone never treated him different compared to her own children, so I was doubtful there was discord within the blended family.

"Or maybe Tom and Simone are such nice people, they have us babysit only because they know some of us need the money," I reply, my tone clipped and cold to purposely indicate I held no further desire to talk to him. It seemed rather petty, but after not speaking for the last six months, I didn't find myself caring how immature I was being. My cell phone started loudly ringing, a horrible rendition of 'Eye of the Tiger' sung by a high-pitched voice. Ben laughs as I try to remember which pocket of my bag I had placed it in before entering the house.
"No way, you still have it as your ring tone?"
I say nothing in response, silently wishing he'd get the hint that I don't want to talk. I ignore his question and check the ID. "Hey," I answered, my voice not sounding any less clipped then when I was speaking to Ben.
"Hey babe," said Tyler over the other end. "When do you get off tonight?"
"Not until really late tonight."
Tyler's voice shouts out of surprise. I'm about to ask what happened before I hear a female voice. Due to the squabbling of voices, I'm unable to hear who it is until the person seemingly wrestles the phone away from Tyler.
"CASS ATTACK!" Jessica shouts through the receiver loud enough that I have to pull the phone away from my ear. "Really late...Does that mean you could make the party?"
"Am I on speaker?" It was then that I realized Jessica probably made Tyler make the call because I wasn't replying to her texts in a quick enough fashion. That made more sense than the idea that Tyler called me himself. We hadn't text each other the entire day, and he typically wasn't someone to call instead of refer to the simplicity of text.
"Wait wait... Now you are!" Jessica says triumphantly as I hear a click of a button. She sounded slightly intoxicated. If I knew her as well as I thought I did, she had probably downed four cans of Busch light already.
"Jess, I keep telling you I'm babysitting...You're acting crazy."
Jess whines through the receiver. "It's crazy that I want my best friend to hit up the biggest party of our school year with me?"
"Pretty much."
"You are such a spaz, you're always killing my buzz," she moans halfheartedly.
I suppose she wasn't wrong. I've always been the voice of reason in our friendship since it started, always quashing her 'buzz', never wanting to indulge her drinking habits. I've never been one to drink or play around with recreational drugs. After seeing my friends lack intelligence and poor decision making upon consuming either, it was a major turn off. Not to mention, no dedicated student was ever a serious drinker or partier in high school. That was one of the reasons Ben and I had always been close. Ben had never been as popular as I was, but one of our common interests was not caring to consume alcohol.
From the corner of my eye, I see Ben randomly playing with a ping pong paddle he found on a desk. "Damn," he mutters as he mishits it.

"You guys have fun, alright?" I say to Jessica. "Put Tyler back on."
"We're gonna miss you not being here, cutie." Tyler says over the line. I mentally note he does not say that he'll miss me specifically. I don't overthink it for the feeling is mutual.
"I'll miss you guys too," I reply as Parker, Lauren, and Sarah come bolting down the stairs.
"Alright, we're heading out, bye Ty!" I click off the phone without waiting for his response.
Ben hops up from the step he was sitting on as the kids descend the stairs.
"No way! A ghost and a goblin!" He exclaims upon seeing Parker and Sarah's costumes, intentionally getting it wrong. As if perfectly scripted, the kids giggle. "I'm a skeleton!" said Parker jubilantly. He snuck a peak at his twin dressed in a sparkly back gown and pointed hat. "And Sarah is going as herself."

Sarah scowled and shoved her brother minorly at the shoulder. "I'm a witch, stupid!"
"That's what I said," says Parker with a snigger.
"Alright, knock it off," said Ben as he pulled his long arms into a stretch. "Onto more serious matters; who's ready to get me some candy? Er...I mean...yourselves candy?" He joked.
I couldn't help the small smile that crossed my face. He's always been great with kids, almost like another older brother. All three Stern children started to chat excitedly, oblivious when I attempted to tell them tonight's itinerary. Deciding it was better to get started on trick'er'treating instead of informing the kids of the peanut butter cups, I encouraged them to head towards the car. They soon scampered out the door to make their way to the Volvo, leaving Ben and I walking behind them as we close the door behind us. I make sure to lock the door behind me while pretending to be oblivious to his watching my movements.
"So...nice weather today," commented Ben. I swivel my head to cock an eyebrow at him. His face is holding nothing but true sincerity, but it's comical. We haven't spoken in nearly seven months. "Seriously?" I deadpan.
Ben gave a shrug. "Well, yeah. Last year it was cold enough people thought snow would fall, remember?"

I ignored his humor and attempt at friendly banter as I make my way to the drivers seat. I'm about to open the door of the Stern's white Volvo to haul myself into the spot before a jingling of keys caused me to look over my shoulder. I felt I was being watched.
"I'm oldest, so I'm driving," said Ben with a playful wink. "Unless you wanna throw rock, paper, scissors for it," he said as he tossed me a familiar crooked grin. That was how we usually solved our debates throughout the years. Want the last slice of pizza? A throw of fists for rock, paper, scissors for it. I don't return his smile. I could only stare sadly at his clenched fists as I remembered the good times of our previous friendship.

Yet again I don't bother replying as I move over to the passenger side. I opened the door and climbed in, but as I was about to shut the door, I had the strange sensation that out of the corner of my eye someone had been watching me from the upstairs of the Stern's third floor. But when I looked, I found no one.
***