Take Three (The Jilted Bride #2)(52)

The kids jumped up and down and ran in different directions, screaming with enthusiasm.

This better not be what I think this is…

“Are you ready?” she looked at me with her ‘please don’t be mad at me’ face. “I’m sorry I didn’t mention that this wouldn’t be a one on one date…”

“I don’t think you know the definition of the word ‘date’…Is this a family tradition?”

“Yeah…I took all the neighborhood kids trick or treating every year, ever since I was ten. My mom and I would host a party for them and I would take them door to door. It used to really help the neighbors out. I feel so bad about not being there for them over the past four years…The ones who remember me probably thought that I—”

“They still love you,” I gave her a quick kiss. “What do you want me to do?”

She handed me a treat bag. “Enjoy your first time.”

We walked out onto the porch and the kids were still jumping up and down in anticipation. Selena assigned me a group of ten kids to keep up with, and my group followed her group.

She led us down the road to a dilapidated house that didn’t have any of its lights on. It had no glass over any of its windows and all of its cinder-colored shutters were in horrible condition.

“Who wants to ring the doorbell? Who wants to start the fun tonight?” she beamed.

This is considered “fun”? Ringing the doorbells to empty houses?

My group of kids grabbed onto my legs and hid behind me.

“No takers?” she teased.

None of the kids said a word, but a young Batman stepped forward and timidly raised his hand.

“Okay,” Selena whispered. “Go up there and ring the doorbell.”

Batman took three steps forward and looked back. He took four more steps forward then ran back towards the group, hiding behind me.

Selena laughed to herself and walked up to the porch. She rang the doorbell but no one answered.

She dramatically shrugged her shoulders and just as she was about to step down, the lights in the house began flickering. Rolls of toilet paper flew out of all the windows and the tattered shutters opened and closed rapidly. A loud and evil “Muhawhahahaha….Muhawhahahaha” laugh played from a set of speakers.

The front door flew open and the kids screamed. A group of teenagers dressed in creepy masks and black sheets ran out amongst the kids—chasing a few of them, tossing candy into the yard.

They screamed, “Happy Halloween losers!” and “No one can hear you scream!” a few times before running back inside.

The kids were terrified. Frightened.

The four year old Superman in my group wet himself.

The kids ran around the yard shrieking and crying, until they realized there was candy on the ground and began picking it up.

What in the hell just happened?

The next houses were inhabited by normal people: Their lights were on, and all the kids had to do was ring the doorbell and say “Trick or Treat” once the door opened to get a handful of candy placed into their bags.

We stopped by every house in the neighborhood, and the kids seemed to get more energetic as time wore on.

Selena shot me a few “bear with me” glances throughout the night, but we didn’t talk much—not that I minded though. I was actually enjoying myself, wishing that I hadn’t attended boarding school for half my life so I could’ve experienced trick or treating as a kid.

“Hey,” a little Cinderella tugged at my pants. “I don’t feel like walking anymore.”

“Okay…”

She stretched her arms up towards the sky and blinked at me. I hesitantly bent down and offered her my shoulders.

“You’re tall,” she slapped me in the face with her treat bag. “What’s your name?”

“Ethan. Yours?”

“Cinderella, duh!”

I laughed. “It’s an honor to meet you, Cinderella.”

“I know! Is she your girlfriend?” she pointed towards Selena.

“Um…”

“You can tell me! I won’t tell anyone! I promise!”

“Um…I guess you could say that but…We don’t really—”

She gasped. “Put me down! Put me down!”

I stopped and bent down, letting her climb off me. She twisted her treat bag around her wrist and immediately ran towards Selena. She motioned for Selena to bend down and I could see Selena’s face turning bright red as soon as Cinderella broke her promise.

Figures…

Selena blew me a kiss and the kids shouted “Eeeeww!” “Gross!” and “Get a room!”

We trick or treated for another hour; I made sure my kids had as much candy as their bags could hold and carried the sleepy ones for a few minutes at a time.

When we arrived back to Selena’s childhood home, she took away all the treat bags and wrote their names on each one.

“Pick five pieces and put your bag in the hallway box!” she yelled. “If your bag isn’t in the box, you won’t get dinner!”

The kids groaned, but they seemed to follow her instructions.

Cinderella tugged my pants again. “Are you staying for the sleepover too?”

Sleepover?

“Um…I wasn’t aware that this was a—”