Page 51 of Knot Their Boo
It’s only ten after five, which means that the mini trick-or-treaters haven’t even started, since they usually start showing up right at five thirty. It’s an unspoken rule here.
Bee won’t be here until closer to six. In her words,“I’m slow. Deal with it.”
After lacing up my bustier and layering a few black skirts, I pull on my cloak, going for the classic look. I’ll save the sexy version for the party later.
I’m setting up our chairs twenty minutes later, and filling the massive cauldron with candy when I hear giggling.
“You’re a witch!” someone says behind me, and I turn to see a very small mushroom pointing at me.
“You’re a mushroom! I can use you in my potions!” I tease, wiggling my fingers and winking at the kid that can’t be more than three.
“Ooooh! Yeah! Put me in a potion!” he cheers, and I snort a very undignified laugh.
“Perhaps…” I tap a finger to my chin. “But first, what do you say?” I ask, squinting, and pretending to think really hard.
“Trick or treat! Thank you! Bye!” He says in quick succession, his mom’s smile folding for a second as she cringes in that way parents do when their kid doesn’t quite grasp something.
“One at a time, kid,” she huffs, mouthing sorry to me, but I wave it off.
“Oh.” He frowns, pouting. There’s a long, silent pause as he considers his mother's words. “That was one, mom.”
I can’t help it, I cackle as the little guy leaves his mom at a loss for words.
“Touché, I guess.” She lets out a long sigh, shrugging.
“Have a happy Halloween,” I say as I put a handful of candy into his bag.
Tonight had started so well, but I guess that was never going to last.
I was hoping today would be better than the last few weeks with everyone in town whispering every time I’m around. Sadly, as three mothers gather at the foot of the stairs, leaning into each other and saying something that makes them giggle, my cheeks turn red.
I’m saved from the awkward encounter as their kids run off to score candy from the next business, but this does not bode well for the rest of my night.
Thankfully, Plum arrives just in time to save me from the next judgy gaggle of townspeople.
“Hey Sugarbat!” she greets cheerfully as she leaps up the steps dressed as an elf-witch. The layered green gauzy fabric swirls around her hips over dark green leggings as she reaches me. Sparkly eye shadow makes those silver eyes even more captivating. Lucky witch. I shake my head at her as she pulls me in for a hug. She’s never beating the elf allegations, even if she tries to hide it with a witches hat.
“Hey, Sugarplum. Glad you’re here. I’m starting to get sideways looks, and the tried and true judgy whispers,” I huff as we take our seats beside the cauldron filled with candy. “I’m debating whether to start throwing salt.” She snorts at my joke, but glares out at the town.
“Of course, because these small-minded simpletons have nothing better to do than be assholes all year long,” Plum grumbles quietly as another set of trick or treaters approach.
“I should probably skip the costume party at Taron’s tonight,” I sigh, feeling defeated. I don’t want my presence to ruin his night.
“NO!” Plum snaps loudly, whipping to face me, her eyes wide, chest heaving. I lift my brow at her over reaction.
“That was dramatic,” I point out as the slightly startled kids retreat. Jeez woman.
She leans over, whispering behind the candy pot so the tiny tots climbing the stairs don’t hear her.
“What I mean is…girl, fuck that! Fuck them, too! Well, maybe don’t fuck them.” Plum wiggles her brows at me, making me snort a laugh. “But fuck letting them get the best of you.”
“I just hate feeling like all eyes are on me, and everyone is whispering mean shit I can’t hear, so I can’t defend myself,” I whine once their mothers help them back down the stairs. It’s picking up now, with a steady flow of little tikes coming for their candy.
“Trick or treat, smell my feet!” A small one interrupts as she approaches, looking to be about four, and holds up a stick with feet tied to it. There’s no way to describe the look of pride in her eyes that completely contradicts the sorrowful look of defeat in the mothers.
“She really wanted to be smelly feet for Halloween,” the mother explains, and I snort. “I tried to explain that you can’tbesmelly feet, you can onlyhavesmelly feet but that only seemed to make things worse, so here we are. As you can see, I lost that fight,” she says with a long sigh.
“Another day, another reason to never have kids,” Plum says once the mom flees with her stinky foot child.
