by Anne Thomas
"Do I have to sleep over?" he then said.
"That's all part of the fun," Adam said. "C'mon, Lou, we can't leave John on his own! They'll tear him apart!" He shrugged when he saw my questioning gaze.
"I hate other peoples houses," Louis confided.
"It's true," Adam nodded, "He slept at my house once and he freaked out in the middle of the night, mumbling about werewolves and shit. Aaron nearly wet himself."
Louis' face flushed under his tan. "It wasn't –"
"It was hilarious," Adam snorted. "I don't know where the hell it came from, though. Maybe it's best you don't stay, Lou, you might scare the shit out of everyone for no reason." Adam then dodged a swipe from Louis' fist, chuckling as he did so.
"What's going on?" Billie's voice interrupted our conversation.
"Nerys was just asking us if we'd like to come to her Halloween party thing," Adam replied, now holding Louis in a headlock.
"Oh?" Billie's eyes looked to me. "I don't remember being told about this..."
"Well, that's because you weren't invited," I admitted.
Billie rolled his eyes. "Of course I wasn't. So, tell me, what is it?"
"It's pretty self-explanatory," I shrugged. "On Halloween people are coming over to mine and ... uh, sleeping over."
"I see. Is food involved?"
I nodded. My mother was involved; there'd be enough food to feed my whole family till Easter.
"And scary films?" I nodded again, resting my hand on my hip.
"And trick or treating," I supplied for him. "Because we're feeling a bit childish."
"Nothing childish about it," Adam sang, as Louis struggled to get out of his grip. "We are children after all."
"Well, you can count me in," Billie declared, giving me a crooked grin. My eyes narrowed.
"You weren't invited," I pointed out. He held a hand over his heart, face distorting into an expression of mock-hurt.
"Your own boyfriend isn't invited?" he said, his voice a low whisper. "I am hurt." I smacked his arm and he chuckled.
"Let Billie come, Nerys," Adam chirped. He was now sat on top of Louis, who was stretched out face down on the ground. The whole of the yard was staring at them now.
"Yeah, let me come," Billie agreed. His eyes sparkled.
"Fine," I muttered. "Friday, six o'clock. It's fancy dress, too, so –"
He pushed his hair out of his eyes and began to turn around. "I figured that one for myself. It is Halloween, it does tend to be fancy dress." Then he came to a halt, as if something had just occurred to him. "Hey, Nerys, what are you going as?"
"A vampire," I said, without thinking. I'd been a witch the year before, and a cat the year before that, and in Year 7 I'd been a ghost. It was time to be a vampire. "Why?" I then asked curiously.
"Oh, you know," he shrugged as he began to walk away, "I just thought we could be...a pair, I suppose. How about I be Dracula, and you be my Queen?" he winked over his shoulder and he ignored all my shouts for him to come back.
"Aw, how cute," Adam sniggered. I looked down at him; he was sat quite comfortably on top of Louis, who was muttering darkly to himself. "You'll match!"
Quickly, and without thinking, I booted him in the chest so he toppled over. Then, I flounced away, ignoring the sounds of Louis' and Adam's play fight starting up again as I went.
The 31st of October was cloudy and it looked like it was going to rain; those were my first thoughts as I looked out of my bedroom window. Just your average October day, but I hoped that the rain would hold off until we'd returned from trick or treating.
The day was spent decorating the house. We all helped: even Pascal came over with some of her own homemade decorations and brought some films over too – well, two films, both French, both horror. I accepted them politely and hoped that they both had subtitles.
I was just starting to get ready, around half four, when the doorbell rang. At that moment in time, I was clad in nothing but my underwear and a white bathrobe, and my mother and father were busy in the kitchen while my brothers released the stress of Halloween decorating by playing on the Playstation 3.
With a heavy sigh, I dumped the toiletries I'd been carrying into the bathroom on the landing floor and traipsed downstairs, shouting, "I'll get it!"
No one answered.
I opened the door, and to my immense surprise (and embarrassment) Glyn stood there, brow furrowed and looking a bit pale.
"Hello," he said.
I stared at him, and then I blurted, "How do you know where I live?"
His only response was a shrug, and he moved onto the step. We were inches apart and I felt my heart begin to hammer – not because I enjoyed the sudden closeness, but because I was actually a bit scared. I didn't really want to invite him in, but that was impolite. I battled with my manners, and my manners won.
"Uh, come in," I said, feeling flustered.
I moved to one side so he could walk into the hallway, and then I shut the door behind him.
"Did I come at a bad time?" he asked, eyes raking up and down my body. I fidgeted with the tie on my robe.
"Uh, kind of," I said, "I was just about to go in the shower." He blushed, and then Grimm strolled into the hall from the dining room. She gave one look at Glyn and then shot into the living room. He shuddered.
"I absolutely hate cats," he explained.
"Are you allergic?" I asked, some sympathy seeping into my tone.
He shook his head. "No, I just really hate them. In my opinion they should all be exterminated. I hope she's not your cat in particular."
"She is, actually," I said icily. "I got her for my birthday last year."
His blush deepened, and I stepped into the living room. Like hell was I going to talk to him without my brothers present.
All three of my brothers looked up as I came in. Pascal had her nose buried in a fashion magazine. "God, Nerys, put some clothes on," Matty commanded, but his voice trailed off as Glyn followed me in. The expressions on my two older brother's faces instantly turned frosty, while Gareth just looked a bit worried.
"Who's this?" Matty said in a slow voice, putting the controller to one side and rising to his feet.
"Glyn," I said. "He's Glyn." I widened my eyes a fraction so they both knew who I meant. I don't think that they did.
Gareth came to my rescue, by saying, "The stalker boy!" in Welsh. At those words, Pete stood as well.
"Um, I just wanted to talk to Nerys," Glyn said. "Alone."
None of them moved. Pascal put her magazine to one side and reached out, sliding one hand into Matty's and pulling him down so he was sat next to her again.
"No offence, but you're a stranger and Nerys is wearing a bathrobe," Pete said with a roll of his eyes. "We'd be going against brotherly duties if we left her alone with you."
Glyn's face went even redder. "I wouldn't –"
"I don't care," Pete interrupted, sitting down. "Get on with it. Talk to her."
Pete can be pretty intimidating when he wants to be. I'm not sure if it's the Mohican, the piercings or the tattoos. Maybe it's the collection of Japanese swords he has.
One will never know; I don't find him so intimidating because he's my big brother and he gives great hugs and wears fluffy bunny slippers.
But anyway; I leaned against the wall while Glyn sat on my dad's armchair.
"I wanted to talk to you about Billie."
I rolled my eyes and nodded. "Okay. Go on."
"Are you actually going out with him, or are you just trying to make me jealous?" Glyn said after taking a few deep breaths.
Gareth's laughter came out in a rather pig-like squeal, while Pascal tittered. Matty and Pete made no audible reaction, but Pete did look rather amused.
"Um, no, I'm not trying to make you jealous," I said, running a hand through my hair.
"Are you sure?"
I pulled a face, feeling like kicking him. "Of course I'm bloody sure," I found myself snapping, "I think I'd be aware if I was trying to ma
ke someone jealous, Glyn. God."
"Then what are you trying to do?" he pressed. "You can't pretend it's real. I know it's not. I'm not stupid!"
"Um, well, you see –"
"Don't lie. You're not really his girlfriend." Glyn rose from his seat, eyes narrowed, and if there weren't a solid wall behind me I would have turned and ran like the wind. I eyed the door to my right, and considered running through it. "You lied to me and you deserve to -"
"Get out," Pete interrupted, rolling his eyes and striding over to Glyn. He took him roughly by the elbow and threw the door open, shoving him into the hallway. "I'm glad you didn't finish that sentence, kid, because it sounded like it was going to end with a threat."
He pushed him down the hallway and out through the front door, while Glyn looked at me with pleading eyes, saying, "Nerys! Tell them you want me to stay!"
As Pete made to shut the door, I pushed around him so my head was poking out through the doorway. "Glyn," I shouted. I heard Pete sigh behind me, and he muttered in a low voice, "Nerys, don't be such an idiot."
Glyn stared at me with wide eyes. He looked very upset but I didn't feel too sympathetic towards him, so I said the next words without feeling bad about it. "Glyn, I am actually going out with Billie," I said quietly. "We're not pretending. We are actually a couple, and I didn't lie to you. Oh, and I don't know where you got my address from, but please...Please don't come here again."
I saw his eyes flash with anger and he opened his mouth, stepping towards the door again, but I pulled back and shut the door before he could do so.
"What a creep," Pete muttered, moving back into the living room. I followed him.
"That's it," Matty said loudly as I stepped into the room, "You're joining a nunnery. First there's that...whatshisname, Bobby? And he forces himself on you. Then there's some ginger nutter?" He pointed his finger. "You shall join a nunnery, little sister of mine."
I rolled my eyes and perched on the edge of the sofa. With a plaintive meow, Grim padded across the sofas to put her two front paws onto my lap. Without a second thought I scooped her up into my arms and nuzzled her fur.
"Billie didn't really force himself on me," I mumbled, stroking Grimm's head.
"It's true," Gareth agreed. "Nerys asked him to kiss her. But I agree that Glyn's a nutter. He's really freaky. I don't know if you saw, Nerys, but he looked like he was ready to hit you or something."
"Hmm," I responded. "I had noticed."
"Stay with Billie, Nerys," Pascal urged, turning a page in her magazine. "He can speak French and I bet he likes cats."
"Cats?" I raised a quizzical eyebrow. "What's that got to do with anything?"
"That ginger boy, he said he wanted all cats to be exterminated, did he not?" How the hell Pascal heard that over the sounds of Grand Theft Auto, I've no idea.
Matty and Pete both burst out laughing. "He said that to you?" Pete demanded. "You, the eternal cat lover of the Powell family?"
I nodded, and dispensed Grimm onto the floor. She swiped at my bare leg with her claws for my trouble before trotting out of the room, tail high in the air.
"I'd best go in the shower," I shrugged, pushing myself off the sofa.
"Yes," Matty agreed, eyes sliding over me. "That's not right," he muttered, then in a louder voice, "You will go live in a nunnery, and you'll wear iron underwear while you're at it, just in case there are any rogue monks."
"Or lesbian nuns," Pete chipped in.
"Oh, shut up," I snapped, slipping out of the room before running up the stairs. Scooping up my abandoned toiletries, I trooped into the bathroom to prepare for my sleepover.
A/N: So, maybe not my best chapter, but I quite like it anyway. I'm aware that Glyn's choice to talk to Nerys on Halloween is a bit weird. There's no ulterior motive for that, btw, it's just kind of how it happened while I was writing.
Chapter 15: Apprehension
Somehow, while I was getting ready, I managed to let Glyn's little visit slip to the back of my mind. It was probably a combination of struggling to get ready in time and nervousness over the fact that everyone would be arriving soon, coupled with the fact that Billie would be there and would also meet my family...
"I think you chose a perfect outfit," Pascal informed me as she helped lace up the red corset that came with my costume. It wasn't a proper corset in the sense that it didn't make my waist look any smaller, but it did fasten in a similar way. My dress was floor-length, black, with a slit running up the side. The corset was red with black netting over it, and a black spider was pinned to the top of it just underneath my breasts. It goes without saying that the outfit didn't really please either of my older brothers, but I didn't really care.
I wasn't sure, really, whether the outfit was supposed to be for a vampire or a witch. It didn't come with a hat; so I suppose that did rule out the latter, but you never know.
"What makes you say that?" I asked as I stepped away from her, twisting and turning as I looked at myself in the floor-length mirror in my parents' room.
"Well, it suits you, firstly," Pascal explained. I contested that (it was a little bit too tight, if you know what I mean), but I wasn't about to argue. "And it's somewhat...daring. Billie will love it."
"Which isn't necessarily a good thing," Matty growled from outside the closed bedroom door. Pascal rolled her eyes and flung the door open.
"Matthew, you shouldn't listen behind doors," she scolded. "And Billie seems like a nice boy. If you keep up with your overprotective brother act when he gets here tonight you can forget about sex tonight."
I blanched. I didn't want to think about that. Matty's face flushed scarlet and he stumbled off down the landing. Pascal snorted.
"You look lovely, Nerys," Pascal then said sincerely. "Your make up is, of course, superb." She looked proud as she said that, which she would, because she did my make up. My face was a deathly white and my lips were dark red. She'd also put dark grey eye shadow under my eyes and had used red lip liner to put a trickle of crimson coming out of the corner of my mouth.
I rolled my eyes at her. "Yes, it is," I agreed. "I just need to do my hair."
Pascal's face lit up. While she is studying graphic design, there is nothing Pascal loves more than hairdressing. Unfortunately for her however my dad runs his own hair salon.
"No, my dad's doing my hair," I shook my head at her, "He'll be quicker, we've already discussed what style I'm having." I eyed the digital clock on my mother's bedside table. "Look, it's half-five, I'd best..."
She pouted. "I could do your hair," she reminded me petulantly as we padded downstairs.
"You could," I said, "But my father is. Sorry."
My mother fussed over my outfit when I came into the dining room. The dining room was usually just your basic magnolia walls and cream coloured carpet and pretty pictures, but for today the room was lit by pumpkin lanterns and there were numerous Halloween decorations placed strategically around the room – glow in the dark meat cleavers hung on the walls, giant plastic tarantulas amidst the platters of snacks, 'cobwebs' strewn along the windowsill, Halloween balloons floating around the ceiling. I knew that the rest of the house would be done up in a very similar fashion.
"Your father's in the kitchen," my mother said after she'd finished rearranging the laces on my corset (apparently Pascal's method of lacing just wasn't good enough). "He's going to do your hair in there because it's lighter."
I went into the kitchen. Pete was sat on the countertop, a cigarette hanging from the corner of his mouth as he stared with narrowed eyes at his phone. My father was fussing around in his basket of hairdressing paraphernalia, and a chair was placed in the middle of the kitchen.
I perched on the chair, my hands fumbling together in my lap.
"Okay, so, princess, I'm at a complete loss with what to do to your hair," my father said with a sniff. He picked up handfuls of my hair and then let it drop. "You're a vampire."
I nodded and rolled my eyes. "Sure."
"What
about a beehive?" Pascal suggested, sweeping into the kitchen with Matty in tow.
"Isn't that more Frankenstein's bride than Dracula's bride?" Pete spoke up, pushing his phone into his pocket and flicking ash into his Bob Marley ashtray.
"Or just a classy updo of some kind..." Pascal shrugged. "It should be up and off her face, at least."
I couldn't see my father, but I knew he was shooting Pascal a look that screamed 'I'm the hairdresser here, Pascal!'
"Right, okay then." Dad sounded kind of tired, and then he began to work on my hair.
By the time he was done – lots of curling and choking hairspray later, that is – my hair was arranged into a pile of rigid curls on top of my head.
"You look lovely, princess." My father dropped a kiss on my forehead and then ushered me out of the kitchen. "Now go, your guess will be arriving soon."
And, just as I got into the living room, the doorbell rang. I rolled my eyes and went to open the door.
It was Beth and Sian. I'd expected them to be the first to arrive seeing as they didn't live so far away. I knew that Elisha and Sharon were coming together, and that all of the boys were coming together as well. I wasn't sure about Ann.
Beth had opted to be a ghost and had backcombed her hair into a crazy tangle for the occasion. Her face was paler than mine and her dress was very loose and resembled a sheet more than anything.
And Sian...Well, I wasn't sure what Sian was at first. She had a red cape on, and a miniscule red and black dress and long black socks and red high heels. Her lips were painted red and her eyeliner was thicker than usual. She also had a basket over one arm.
"Okay, I'll bite," I said eventually, after eyeing Sian for a few moments. "What are you?"
"I'm Little Red Riding Hood, of course!" she chirped, as if it should have been obvious, twirling on the spot. She very nearly twirled right off the step before Beth caught her.
I just stared at her, slightly open-mouthed, and didn't comment. Beth shook her head at me.
Gareth trundled down the stairs. Like me, he'd gone for a vampire costume, but he just looked adorable. I couldn't resist giving him a squeeze as he bounded over to say hello to my friends. He shoved me away.
