“Can we go now?” Cam asked, hopping up and down in his seat.
“I need another minute,” I said, going into the back to hang up my apron and grab my things. I said goodbye to Mrs. Mill, and the four of us walked to the car. Thiago got in the driver’s seat, and Cam and I sat in the back.
“Can I go to your guys’ party?” he asked.
“No,” Thiago and I said in unison. Taylor, though, shouted, “Hell yeah!” I narrowed my eyes at him, and he changed his tune. “I mean, you can help us set up. But you can’t stay for the party. Sorry, pal. It’s for grown-ups.”
“How is it for grown-ups if it’s a costume party?” Cam asked.
“Older people dress up too,” Taylor replied.
“Not me,” Thiago murmured as he put on his turn signal and took a right. It was dark, and there was lots of traffic, mostly people headed home to the suburbs. We were going to the Walmart in the next town over—Carsville didn’t have any big-box stores.
“Whatever. If you’re dressing up, I am too,” Cameron protested, crossing his arms.
“Sure, man, I’ll dress up with you, and we’ll put up the decorations together. It’ll be super Halloweenish!”
“Is that even a real word?” asked my know-it-all brother. I laughed, and Taylor shrugged.
“I like making up words. Where do you think languages come from anyway?”
“But to be a real word, it has to be used by lots of people. Isn’t that right, Kami?” Cameron asked.
“I guess so.”
“So let’s all start using it, and it’ll become one!”
Thiago had to rain on his parade. “You try using the wordHalloweenishwith your teacher and see what kind of grade you get.”
Taylor turned and winked at us, and Cam smiled as we got out of the car.
My brother clung to Taylor like a leech as they walked through the aisles filling up the cart. I hung back with Thiago.
“Those two,” he said. “If you didn’t know better, you’d think they were brothers.” He grabbed a couple of tools from a floor display. I could tell he didn’t give a shit about Halloween. He had just used the trip as an excuse to get stuff for his motorcycle or some other project.
“I wish I could keep holding on to that childlike innocence,” I said.
“Yeah,” Thiago responded. “I haven’t felt that for a long time.” There was bitterness in his tone.
I remembered we were supposed to open our time capsule the next day before the party, and my stomach did a flip. It brought back all the times we’d snuck out at night to have adventures. I was excited to finally do that again with the two guys who had been like brothers to me.
Taylor and Cam reappeared with a full cart. Taylor had gotten cotton spiderwebs, giant spiders to hang from the trees, ghosts, fake blood, candy, cups with monsters on them, eerie lights, even one of those dumb speakers that makes a scary noise whenever you walk by it. “They’re having a fifty percent off sale,” Taylor said, shrugging.
Thiago didn’t say anything. After we’d checked out, he grabbed six of the bags and took them to the car. Taylor, Cameron, and I divided up the rest. When we parked at their house, Cam reminded Taylor that he’d be by early to help set everything up.
“Sounds cool,” Taylor said. I grabbed my little brother’s hand and said goodbye to Thiago. Taylor came over to give me a kiss on the cheek. “See you tomorrow, precious,” he said and winked. I smiled and dragged Cameron home.
As soon as we’d closed the door behind us, he asked, “Kami, is Taylor your boyfriend?” I tried to tell him to zip it, but before I could, Mom walked out of the kitchen. I had texted her to let her know Cam was with me. She hadn’t even noticed he was gone or that he’d run off to the neighbor’s house.
“Did I hear the wordboyfriend?” she asked suspiciously.
“No,” I replied.
“She’s got one, Mom. It’s Taylor Di Bianco!” Cam screamed.
Shit.
With daggers in her eyes, my mother said, “Youare kiddingme, right?”
