“Aw, c’mon guys. It’s Halloween. Best day of the year! Turn those frowns the other way.”
I turned to Darryl. “Destroy him.”
The werewolf cracked his knuckles again.
Later that evening, Adam emerged from his bedroom wearing a shiny leather thong, a wide-brimmed hat, and boots wide enough to fit his larger feet. Draped across his chest was a bandolier of fake bullets with a realistic-looking AK-47 strapped to his back.
“What the hell are you even supposed to be? Carl Weathers on a pride float?”
“Isn’t it obvious? I’m Jason fromLeagues and Losers. I just had Roscoe make it more my style.”
Austin moped, dragging himself into the living room wearing an actual polar bear suit with gold-painted armor.
“This is humiliating,” he said. “I look stupid.”
“No way,” Adam said, wrapping his arms around Austin while shoving his face into the bear costume. “I’ve always had a thing for Pawlibear.”
I tried my best to hold back laughter, but a snort escaped and Austin snapped toward me.
“It looks great!” I said.
“Nope. Not doing it.” Austin unzipped the costume.
“Cody, you idiot,” Adam said, trying to stop Austin from practically tearing off the suit. “Come on, please. I wanna ride you into battle.”
“No,” he grumbled, and Adam turned to me.
“This is your fault,” he whispered. “Fix it. Do that thing.”
“I just find the name kinda funny, Austin,” I called out. “The costume looks fine!”
Austin disappeared into the room, and Adam folded his arms.
“Damn it,” I muttered, following the lumbering bear-wolf. “Austin.”
He turned around, and the hue of the room turned a silvery-blue.
“You’re going to the costume party dressed as…” I took in a deep breath through my nose, trying to keep a straight face. “Pawlibear. Understand?”
Austin’s eyes turned light blue, and he nodded. “All right.”
“God, that’s handy,” Adam said excitedly. “Can I tell him what to do now, or does it just have to be you?”
“Don’t even think about it, Adam. I mean it.”
He frowned. “Fine.”
“Cody, yer costume’s ready,” Roscoe shouted from the bedroom.
“And here we go,” I said under my breath as I walked toward the hallway. Roscoe snorted like a bull, scuffing his foot against the floor, pretending he was about to charge. Thecostumewas him completely nude, with thick leather and gold bands around his wrists and ankles. There were also a pair of horns tied to his head, and a large gold septum ring hanging from his snout.
“You are going to wear something to cover up, aren’t you?”
“There ain’t no clothes in the labyrinth.” Roscoe tossed a leather belt with a sword and hilt onto the bed with a few other thin leather straps. There were also two gold-colored shin and arm guards.
“Who am I supposed to be?”
“You ain’t never read about Theseus and the Minotaur?”
