Christobel

Chapter 4

Bel

The weeks seem to speed up their pace. August vanished in the wake of September. September gave way to October which found the last of its days in a festive mood.

The high school on the grounds hosted a festival for the elementary and junior high, usually on October 31st. It was their way of giving the student body a small break after the rigorous month of midterms. Bel soon learned that the twins really loved Halloween and they used the festival as a way to channel their excitement. Contrary to Bel's primary belief, the twins had not joined the planning committee out of obligation or to gain popularity. They basically ran the whole Fall Festival Planning Committee themselves. Everyone tried to keep up. Although he had not been part of the official committee, Bel had hung around after lacrosse practice long enough to become an unofficial - almost involuntary - member.

Leo wanted a haunted house with blood and organs galore. He'd asked Bel if animal entrails would be too much. Bel had nearly jumped out of his skin when Leo had specified that yes, he did mean real entrails, and surely everyone had heard him call Leo a 'fucking serial killer.'

Leo had done nothing more than blink innocently at him, grinning in that particular way that made Bel's stomach knot and come undone. He'd gathered up a mass of mysterious materials and jars full of what Bel hoped was fake blood before disappearing into the designated haunted house area.

With Leo busy working on the big, scary details, Lei was left with the bigger picture: the costume contest, the location of the booths, the menu, the invitations to parents and guardians. She was a machine of organization, business-like and capable. She had an entire planner just for the festival. Bel had never seen anyone take as many notes or plan things out as thoroughly as her.

If they fell behind schedule, Lei reworked the days. Often, she and Leo would put in as much time as possible. Leo would only be gone a few hours for his piano lessons. Lei had canceled all of her violin.

"I'm mediocre at best," she told Bel. "I can hold a tune, but the music doesn't sing the way it does with Leo. It's best to let him have his talent fully than try to imitate him."

"I never took you for someone that sold herself short."

Lei glanced at him, smiling as her eyes returned to her clipboard. "I don't. I know where my strengths are."

As if to accentuate her point, a booth installation fell apart just then. Lei was on it in a heartbeat, shouting commands and making sure that people were doing what they were supposed to. In less than ten minutes, the booth's frame was back on its feet.

Unlike Lei, Bel did not enjoy planning. He hated having to talk to his classmates and would only follow Lei's direct orders. And that was only when she really needed his help. Not even Leo could get him off of whatever perch he had taken up. Somehow, though, he always ended up doing one thing or another, whether it be with Lei or Leo. Being with the twins usually meant being in the roughest part of the storm. Bel cracked eventually and told Lei that he would not help if he was surrounded by fucking morons.

That was how he ended up working on the haunted house with Leo, he didn't understand how Lei could betray him so badly and pair him up with the biggest moron on campus. Bel focused on creating the scenery out of cardboard and paint and whatever other scraps they could find. When he made the gravestones, Bel made sure to add McClaren's name to the rest of the sad, rotting corpses. Leo found him snickering in satisfaction.

"You're pretty good at this."

"Art was the only elective that I didn't hate," Bel admitted, and Leo hummed. Bel squinted up at him. "And it was also the only elective that would take me. Turns out, you don't need much talent to call something art. Ask Picasso."