They were pressed up against the leopard print wallpaper just outside the living room, waiting for the perfect time to interrupt their parents' conversation.

"What about The Producers?" The Producers?" Kendra asked her husband. "You liked that play." Kendra asked her husband. "You liked that play."

"No, dear, I said I didn't hate hate it." it."

"Well, I hated it," Jay said.

"You hate anything that doesn't take place on a football field," Judi said.

Ma.s.sie looked at Claire and rolled her eyes. She couldn't believe their parents talked about such boring things.

"Okay, we're going in," Ma.s.sie said. "Remember, even if something I say sounds strange, go with it." Then she grabbed Claire by the elbow and pulled her forward into the room.

"Hey, everyone." Ma.s.sie squeezed Claire's arm.

"Hey," Claire said, right on cue.

Ma.s.sie took a deep breath. The familiar smell of coffee and burning wood filled the air. Ma.s.sie instantly relaxed. She had worked this room a thousand times.

"Claire and I just wanted to say happy birthday to Dad one more time before we went to bed," Ma.s.sie said.

"Y-yeah, happy birthday, William," Claire added. Her voice was strained and her smile forced.

"Wanna ask them?" Ma.s.sie turned to Claire. She knew Claire would have no idea what she was talking about and hoped she would play along.

"No, you should," Claire said. "You're such a good asker."

"Thanks." Ma.s.sie looked at Claire with a humble smile and puppy dog eyes, hoping her parents would believe affection and respect flowed effortlessly between them.

"Mom, Dad, Judi, Jay," she addressed her audience. "Claire and I were talking before bed, which we've been doing ah lot ah lot lately, and-" She paused for effect. lately, and-" She paused for effect.

Claire nodded in agreement.

Ma.s.sie continued. "We were thinking about maybe having a Halloween party at the house this year."

Ma.s.sie looked for her mother's reaction first, because it was the only one that mattered. Kendra presided over all things related to the house, school (before, during, and after), spending money, sleepovers, punishments, and food. Her dad only stepped in when it came to grades, curfews, and loud music that needed to be turned down.

Kendra had a delicate white mug with gold trim raised to her lips but put it down before taking a sip. The clink of the china was the only sound in the room. Ma.s.sie couldn't stand the silence and rushed to fill it.

"Of course, we would stay in the backyard so the house doesn't get dirty," she added quickly. "Oh, and Claire has a great idea. Wait till you hear it."

Ma.s.sie knew it was crucial for her parents to think that she and Claire had spent hours discussing this and that saying no to the party would be like saying no to their first steps toward friendship.

"Go on," Ma.s.sie said. "Tell 'em."

Claire stared right back at Ma.s.sie and asked, "Whhhat?" through her teeth. It came out sounding like, "Ahhht?"

"EhmaG.o.d, you are sooo modest." Ma.s.sie put her arm around Claire. "She "She thought it would be cool to invite a few boys to the party, too. You know, just to balance things out and to get some interesting costumes in the mix." thought it would be cool to invite a few boys to the party, too. You know, just to balance things out and to get some interesting costumes in the mix."

Ma.s.sie discreetly pressed her arm down on Claire's shoulder, reminding her to play along. Claire brushed her hand against the back of Ma.s.sie's leg to say that she would.

"Claire, that was your your idea?" Judi asked. She sounded pleasantly surprised. idea?" Judi asked. She sounded pleasantly surprised.

"Looks like our little Lyon is one big dog," Jay replied, and followed up with a phlegmy laugh.

"Don't tease." Judi slapped her husband's arm playfully. "I think it's perfectly normal that she's ready to interact with boys."

Ma.s.sie could feel Claire starting to squirm under her arm.

"So Mom, can I?" Ma.s.sie asked.

"Can you what?"

"Can I have the party?"

"Can you you have the party?" Kendra looked from Ma.s.sie to Claire and then back to Ma.s.sie again. have the party?" Kendra looked from Ma.s.sie to Claire and then back to Ma.s.sie again.

Ma.s.sie's mouth dried up and a rush of p.r.i.c.kly heat shot up the back of her neck.

How could I make such a stupid mistake?

"I a.s.sumed you two were going to co-host." Kendra tapped the side of her mug with her bloodred acrylic nail tips.

"Especially since it was Claire's Claire's idea to have the boys in the first place," Judi said. She leaned in toward the dessert tray on the coffee table, snapped off a piece of biscotti, and popped it in her mouth. idea to have the boys in the first place," Judi said. She leaned in toward the dessert tray on the coffee table, snapped off a piece of biscotti, and popped it in her mouth.

"Oh, we're definitely co-hosts," Ma.s.sie said. "We've already started working on our list."

"I hope your brother, Todd, is in on it," Jay said to Claire.

"Of course he is." Claire stuffed her hands into the side pockets of her cords.

"And how many kids did you plan to invite from your grade?" Kendra asked her daughter.

Ma.s.sie paused. If she said "everyone," her mom might worry about noise or mess. But if she said "almost everyone," her mother would be angry she was leaving people out.

"Everyone," Ma.s.sie said, deciding that when it came to her mother, it was always best to include. She held her breath while she waited for a reaction.

"We'll sleep on it," Kendra answered.

Ma.s.sie stomped her foot and put her hands on her hips.

"I need to know-" Ma.s.sie felt Claire tap her on the back of the leg. "I mean, we we need to know tonight," she said. "Halloween is only a week away, and we want to get Landon Dorsey to plan it." need to know tonight," she said. "Halloween is only a week away, and we want to get Landon Dorsey to plan it."

"Who?" Claire asked.

"She's the best party planner in the entire 914 area code. There is nothing nothing that woman can't do," Ma.s.sie said. that woman can't do," Ma.s.sie said.

Kendra looked at the girls one last time and sighed. "I'm okay with it if you are," she said to the other parents.

"Have Landon call me with the cost," William said.

"Thanks, Daddy." Ma.s.sie ran over to the couch. She hugged her father and planted a big kiss on his balding head.

"What about the cell phone?" Claire whispered to Ma.s.sie.

"Huh?" Ma.s.sie said. She was busy ma.s.saging her father's shoulders.

"You told me you'd help me ask for a cell phone."

Ma.s.sie started karate chopping William's back.

"Honey," Jay said to Claire. "You know the rule. NO cell phones until you're sixteen."

"I know." Claire looked down at her fluffy pink slippers.

"Well, g'nite," Ma.s.sie said, her voice bursting with cheer. She kissed her parents and headed off to bed.

Claire ran out after her.

Todd was sitting on the hardwood floor outside the living room, playing his Game Boy on mute so he could eavesdrop.

"Hey, Ma.s.sie, how 'bout for the party I dress up as a rock star and you can go as my stalker?"

"Hey, Todd," Ma.s.sie said. "How 'bout you dress up as a roadside racc.o.o.n and I'll go as a speeding truck driver?"

"Are you serious?" Todd asked Ma.s.sie. "I love that."

Ma.s.sie ignored him and was speeding toward the stairs when she saw that Claire had followed her out of the room.

"I can't believe you tricked me like that!" Claire shouted at Ma.s.sie. "I thought we had a deal."

"Then DEAL!" Ma.s.sie shouted back.

"Good one!" Todd slapped his hand against his faded jeans. "Hey, who wants to make root beer floats?"

But all he got in return were heavy sighs, stomping feet, and slamming doors.

HARDAPPLE ORCHARDS.

HAYRIDE.

11:15 AM AM.

October 24th The rickety Hardapple Orchards wagon jerked and wobbled as it rolled over the clumps of hay and horse poo that covered the trails. The entire seventh-grade cla.s.s struggled to keep their hot chocolate from spilling all over the rough wool blankets that covered them. Ma.s.sie fixed her gaze on the pa.s.sing apple trees and thought about how she'd get back at Becca Wilder.

It was their second field trip of the year, and despite the chilly air and the b.u.mpy ride, it was going much better than the first.

"Hey, Kristen," Britton Daniels shouted toward the back of the wagon. "You're not going to be selling any bad makeup on this this trip, are you?" trip, are you?"

Britton and her B-list friends giggled.

Ma.s.sie saw Kristen clench her jaw muscles.

"Don't let her get to you," Ma.s.sie said. "How were you supposed to know the makeup would make everyone's lips swell up?"

"Yeah," Dylan Marvil said. "It's not your your fault they got rushed to the hospital." She twirled a piece of long red hair around her index finger. fault they got rushed to the hospital." She twirled a piece of long red hair around her index finger.

"Dylan's right." Alicia's beautiful almond-shaped eyes looked hazel in the sunlight. "It's their fault for having sensitive skin."

Despite the comforting words of her best friends, Kristen refused to let it go.

"Hey, Medusa," Kristen fired back. "This time I thought I'd sell you something from my new line of power tools. Maybe an electric saw will help you comb through that lice trap you call your hair."

Britton ran her hand across the back of her head. Ma.s.sie, Alicia, and Dylan roared with laughter.

"That's enough, girls," Heidi said. Their nature-loving science teacher was zigzagging her way over to Kristen, clutching onto her students for balance as she pa.s.sed. When she finally reached her target, Heidi rested her palm on Kristen's shoulder and continued her lesson.

"We will be at the pumpkin patch in a few minutes. In ancient Greece pumpkins were called pepons pepons, which is Greek for 'large melon.'" The turbulent wagon made her voice shake.

"That's a nice pair of pepons pepons you got there," Ma.s.sie whispered to Alicia. you got there," Ma.s.sie whispered to Alicia.

Alicia was super-sensitive about her big b.o.o.bs and Ma.s.sie knew it. But she wasn't about to pa.s.s up the opportunity for a good joke.

Alicia responded by smacking Ma.s.sie on the arm as hard as she could.

Dylan laughed out loud, but it was Kristen's cackle that caught their teacher's attention.

"One more interruption and there will be no pumpkin picking for you today," Heidi said to Kristen.

Kristen lifted the wide collar of her turtleneck over her blushing face and hid.

The horse-drawn cart rolled up to a huge pumpkin patch and Farmer Randy pulled the reins until they came to a complete stop. Heidi started explaining how the pumpkins' bright orange color came from beta-carotene, but the girls had already tuned her out. Most of them were too busy scanning the orchard so they could outpick each other when they were finally let loose.

"Someone should tell these losers that they can buy pumpkins for twenty bucks on every corner in our neighborhood," Ma.s.sie said.

"What? And ruin all their fun?" Alicia put her hand on her heart and shook her head to show she pitied her naive cla.s.smates.

The second Heidi unlatched the wooden gate on the side of the wagon, the "losers" busted out like stampeding bulls.

Claire and Layne held hands and laughed hysterically while they ran, moving as fast as their matching steel-toed hiking boots could take them, which wasn't very fast at all.

Layne's friends Meena and Heather ran along beside them.

Ma.s.sie, Alicia, Dylan, and Kristen trailed behind. They had no interest in pumpkins, picking, or soil.

"Wanna know what we're doing this year for Halloween?" Ma.s.sie asked.