A short Wednesday chapter. Enjoy the cliffhanger.
Enjoy.
...
For days, specifically a little over two weeks, I was at the mercy of House's various punishments. From doing proctological exams, collecting samples, cleaning necrotic extremities, cleaning abscesses, in general a very wide selection of incredibly unpleasant jobs that no one in their right mind would do for pure enjoyment, and that therefore would be very willing to let me do. All that time, not forgetting my 'responsibilities' at the free clinic, of course.
Fortunately or unfortunately, I was already very used to dealing with similar things.
The weekend, on Halloween night.
Like last year. Mom had costumes for the whole family, including of course Charlie this time.
All arranged in the same spot in the living room, with Charlie in my arms and Gabe next to me, we smiled at mom's camera that Diane held waiting for the photo, a second later right after the sudden flash. Teddy, dressed as Velma from Scooby Doo, broke away from the rest of the family at full speed. "See you later" she said, arriving amazingly fast at the front door.
Teddy was going to her first Halloween party, the same one I had also been invited to, but had no plans to attend.
With visible effort pulling her gaze away from the camera, even though she wouldn't be able to see the photograph until the picture was developed. "Wait a second" mom, dressed as Daphne, stopped her with an authoritative tone.
Planting her feet and turning slowly with fear, after easily a couple hours of negotiating her permission. Teddy pressed her lips together looking fixedly at mom.
"Remember the rules" mom warned, "no alcohol, be careful of people's intentions around you, and listen to your brother when he comes to get you."
Nodding faster than her neck could probably handle, or at least that's what I feared. "Yes, mom" Teddy answered rigidly, trying to hide the growing anxiety she was feeling about leaving.
Mom and Bob had, for a little over a week, a commitment with Mrs. Cooper, who had spent the same amount of time organizing her church's haunted house.
Even though we didn't belong to her congregation, being close friends as they were, and maybe a little bit of mom's interest in getting to put on a performance in front of an audience. Mom had happily agreed to participate and along with her had offered up both Bob and Charlie.
Because of that, it was my job to go get Teddy and her friends from the party, after trick or treating with Gabe who, I realized, had disappeared at some point during the conversation.
Sighing, making Teddy wait a second longer than necessary, mom nodded and without waiting a second, maybe afraid mom would change her mind, Teddy left practically running out of the house where surely Bianca and Baja would be waiting for her along with the latter's mother, who would take them to the party.
Exhaling worriedly, watching mom move at a quick pace out of the house to see Teddy leave, and maybe greet the other woman. Bob, being Fred, shook his head slowly. "Try to go get them as early as possible" he reminded me as a silent plea.
Snorting amused, I shrugged. "I'll try, but you know Gabe" I said.
And as if saying his name were enough to summon him, my brother came back from where he had disappeared to, our room, carrying his pillowcase completely empty and ready to be filled with candy.
Moving anxiously to the door, just like Teddy had moments earlier. "Can we go already?" Gabe insisted exasperated, dressed as Scooby Doo, "I can feel the good candy disappearing the longer we wait" he said with sudden seriousness looking outside the house.
Handing Charlie over to Bob's arms, dressed in an adorable Scrappy Doo costume. I rolled my eyes exasperated for the man's amusement, before approaching Diane who simply smiled watching my family's interaction.
Like last year, I had promised Gabe and the army of kids who still occasionally came looking for us to play, that I would go trick or treating with them.
For some reason the kids, except for my brother, who wouldn't admit it out loud but was excited just to go out with me, seemed more interested in what might happen during the outing than anything else.
Unfortunately, at least for them, I highly doubted that this time a 'fight' with a group of idiot teenagers would happen.
Walking slowly next to Diane, who had a witch costume. "Yeah, yeah" I said in a tired tone, I was completely sure there weren't many kids out trick or treating in the street yet.
Going back inside the house, smiling calmly, having of course greeted Baja's mother. Mom noticed Gabe's anxiety to leave. "Are you going?" she asked me worriedly.
I nodded immediately. "Yup."
"Wait, I want to take a picture of you two" mom said, practically running toward where the camera was.
Watching Gabe exhale exasperated, I snorted amused and nodded. "Sure" I told mom, holding Diane gently.
To Gabe's despair, after a couple of photographs. "All right, be careful out there" mom finally said, making Gabe celebrate silently as he left, just like Teddy, shooting out of the house.
Happily receiving a kiss on the forehead from mom, I said goodbye to my parents hearing, before closing the door behind me, mom urging Bob to get ready for Mrs. Cooper's haunted house.
Outside the house, as I imagined, with the sunset just happening there were only a couple of kids in costume scattered in the street asking for candy.
"Get ready to be surrounded in a few minutes" I reminded Diane.
Frowning. "Are there really that many kids?" she asked me.
"Oh yeah" I sighed.
Usually I wouldn't mind being surrounded by all those kids, after all I was already used to hearing them scream and talk at the same time. The problem was, that for that night every single one of them would be just one step away from a glycemic coma.
Being the first house next to ours, Gabe knocked on the Coopers' door. A minute later, Mrs. Cooper dressed as an angel and slightly rushed since she surely already had to get to her haunted house, opened the door with a bowl full of candy in her hand. "Oh Gabe" she said smiling at my brother, "Missy and Sheldon are in the garage playing with Billy and Tam" the woman added, handing a couple of candies into the open pillowcase, which Gabe held out like a bank robber.
Watching as Gabe, once he'd gotten his candy, got ready to move on to the next house. "Say thank you" I reminded him seriously, stopping him dead in his tracks.
Turning his attention back to the woman. "Thank you" he said, before turning again and heading out toward the Coopers' garage.
Laughing under her breath, Mrs. Cooper shook her head amused. "Please keep an eye on them PJ" she told me, smiling at Diane a second later, "and you keep an eye on him" she added jokingly.
"Don't worry ma'am" I said amused seeing the seriousness with which Diane nodded receiving her 'orders'.
Holding Diane's hand, we followed Gabe who had disappeared into the Coopers' garage, only for a moment later, to come out along with three more kids accompanied by Tam.
Dressed as Carl Sagan. "Hey PJ, Diane" Sheldon was the first to greet us, followed by Tam who was wearing a toga and wizard beard.
"I'm Superman" Billy declared with his ever present cheerful smile, fortunately actually wearing a Superman costume.
Dressed as some kind of artist I didn't recognize. "And I'm Cindy Lauper" Missy said spinning on her feet.
Nodding amused. "Well I'm Shaggy" I said showing off my costume.
"And I'm a witch" Diane added, seemingly wanting to join in.
"And I need us to keep moving" Gabe insisted.
Incredulous at how irritated a twelve year old could get over such a small thing, I walked alongside Diane, urging the kids to follow us.
As the night went on and we visited houses, like last year, slowly the same group of kids started forming around us. With Gabe as their leader we followed a specific order of houses and streets.
House by house the bags and sacks filled up with candy and with all that candy available the frenzy began.
Taking it as a personal job to make sure no kid left trash in the street, I endured the screams, laughter and rapid fire chatter of dozens of kids with worrying blood sugar levels.
The hours passed and finally we reached the last house on Gabe's list, at least the last one within the range previously agreed upon with mom. And fortunately, as I had predicted, there was no problem with drunk idiot teenagers.
As we walked back home, lifting his heavy pillowcase full of candy. "That was a great haul this year" I heard Gabe talking with Missy and Billy, who were carrying pillowcases of the same size.
Sheldon, who was walking next to us, smiled satisfied just like his sister. "I was really worried only you guys would know who Carl Sagan is" he admitted.
Apparently all night his costume had been mistaken for something else, until finally one of the people recognized it.
"Well it's not a very recognizable outfit" I shrugged, immediately receiving incredulous looks from both Sheldon and Diane, "at least not for people who don't have such good memory" I reminded them both, "on the show he just wore a sweater and pants" maybe the blazer would be a giveaway, but realistically I highly doubted that many people, at least in Medford, had seen Cosmos.
Tilting his head thoughtfully. "I didn't think about that" Sheldon admitted.
"But hey, what matters is that the costume is good" I assured him patting his shoulder.
"More importantly, we have candy" Gabe exclaimed hearing me, backed up by Missy, Billy and even Tam, who didn't seem to be doing all that well after hours of eating candy nonstop.
Worried, since under mom's and Mrs. Cooper's instructions, the kids would stay on their own at the Coopers' house waiting for the adults to come back. I left with Diane, heading toward the party, hearing the start of the candy negotiations.
While I drove toward the party. "That was a fun experience" Diane commented, who had never gone trick or treating before, "even though my feet hurt a little" she added stretching her legs.
"Oh sorry about that" I said frowning, "you should have told me earlier so we could head back sooner" I added, I wouldn't have minded the kids' complaints.
"No, the kids were fun" Diane murmured with a soft smile, "they really like you" she added amused.
Snorting embarrassed, I bowed my head. "It's Gabe, he somehow convinced everyone that I'm cool."
Frowning. "You are cool" Diane declared emphasizing the last word.
"Well thank you" I smiled arrogantly.
Incredulous, Diane opened her mouth. "Oh, it was a trap!" she exclaimed pushing my arm without any real force, "you just wanted me to say it."
Laughing softly, I kept my eyes ahead. "I don't know what you're talking about" I lied, proud of how perceptive Diane had been.
Not long after we arrived at the party, in the rich neighborhood of town finding without much trouble the only house giving off colored lights with loud music polluting the silence of the night and with dozens of cars parked out front. "Do you want to wait here?" I asked Diane, remembering her sore feet.
Nodding relieved, Diane settled into her seat smiling at me as I got out of the car.
Remembering having visited that same street a couple times in the past, since Regina's house wasn't very far from there, I pictured the dimensions of the house with its huge facade in front of me. Even though I had been invited by different people to the party, I really had no idea whose house it belonged to.
Without knocking on the door, since it was half open with drunk teenagers on the porch of the house, I walked in immediately frowning at the volume of the music, I didn't understand how the country didn't have more cases of tinnitus in the population.
Moving through the people, being recognized every few steps by someone slightly drunk who greeted me excitedly, I looked for my sister and her friends in the house with no luck. I kept moving through the sea of people in the house, it seemed like the whole school was there.
Reaching what seemed to be the house's living room, I found the sliding glass doors that opened onto the wide backyard, where I could make out a pool short of Olympic size and strangely a ring and gym equipment, plus of course a by no means suspicious crowd of people in a circle that kept gathering more and more interested people.
Great, someone was fighting.
Figuring my sister and her friends might be near the gossip, I opened the glass door, feeling the change in temperature from being shut in with hundreds of people, to the autumn Texas night, immediately I could hear the chanting. "Fight, fight, fight" from dozens of voices at the same time.
Exasperated, I got closer and couldn't take more than three steps, before Teddy, running anxiously, came up to me. "PJ, they're going to kill him" she cried pointing at the group of people.
Having no idea who she was talking about or why she was so upset, I dodged past her speeding up my pace to the circle of people, pushing my way through the excited teenagers I reached the center of the circle where two people were fighting.
Luke Palmeiro was about to go down despite protecting his head from the punishment he was taking from Ryan McCarthy, who was toying with the kid.
Great, there goes my 'no fighting with idiot teenagers' thing.
...
I committed a very serious mistake and I know it's unforgivable, but as much as I wanted I only hope you find in the deepest part of your hearts the ability to forgive this imperfect soul. I want to admit that I made a mistake with my calendar.
In the story's timeline this chapter was supposed to take place on Sunday, October 31st, but due to a silly mistake, the days don't line up and I accidentally pushed forward a day with my decision that PJ's birthday happens on Monday, October 10th. The sharpest of you will realize that then it's not Sunday the 31st, but Monday the 31st.
The horror, the disgrace, I don't know how I'll be able to show my face again in the streets of my city without being branded a common criminal.
I have no choice but to humbly ask you to forgive me. I understand if that can't be the case.
...
Author Thoughts:
As always, I'm not American, not a doctor, not a fighter, not Magnus Carlsen, not Michael Phelps, not Arsene Lupin, not McLovin, not Elliot, not Capone, not Tiger Woods, not Sam Fisher and not Greg Louganis.
Another chapter has passed, so new thanks are in order. I would like to especially thank:
11332223
Victor_Venegas
RandomPasserby96
I think that's all. As always, if you find any errors, please let me know, and I'll correct them immediately.
Thank you for reading! :D
PS: PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW.