The Halloween Kiss

My best friend Wendy was on a mission as she colored in my forehead as if my face was a coloring page. I kept wiggling my nose, but it still itched. “Veronica, will you please stay still?”

This session, no less than two hours perched on my toilet lid, had left me fidgety. “What if your plan doesn’t work? What if Dale recognizes me?”

She sighed and put the pencil down, staring at me with hands on her hips. “Your own mama won’t even recognize you. And my plan will work. We go to the Halloween dance, then sneak over to the party. You find Dale, get your first kiss. Bada bing. Bada boom.”

As easy as that. I curled the edge of my black skirt into my fingers. “But Dale doesn’t have to give me my first kiss. And this is crazy.”

For many reasons. Greg would kill him for touching his little sister. He would be pissed at me for messing with his best friend. And then it would be the whole town’s business how little Ronnie tried to get Dale Murphy to kiss her.

She rolled her eyes. “Of course you don’t need him to. But you’ve had a crushie-crush on Dale since forever.”

I folded my arms. “Nuh uh. And I can ask Jimmy.”

Wendy pointed at me. “I triple-dog dared you, remember? It’s got to be Dale.”

She pointed towards the mirror, and I stood and looked at my reflection. A wig of long black curls disguised my shade of sandy blond hair. After she drew in the finishing touches along my eyes and nose, I looked like I belonged in the cast of CATS.

“And with this disguise, it’s got to be tonight.”

“Me-ow,” I said. I hardly recognized myself.

“See? There’s no way he’s going to know it’s you.”

“But Wendy…Dale will know.”

“Tell you what. If anyone recognizes you, I’ll think of something else, okay?”

The long black unitard clung to my body, and Daddy’s brow shot up as Wendy tried to hurry me out the front door.

“You girls going trick-or-treating?” he asked, halting us before we reached the doorknob.

Wendy unwrapped a lollipop and stuck it in her mouth.

“No, Lou,” Mama said, coming in from the kitchen. “I told you Wendy’s mama’s dropping them off at school for the Halloween dance.” She turned to me. “Muffin! Is that you underneath all that makeup? And goodness! Look at you as a brunette.” Wendy had a talent for it. She’d even colored my hands grey and black.

“A brunette kitty,” Wendy said.

“But do your heels have to be so high?” Daddy asked, frowning. “And does the skirt have to be so short?”

I tugged the skirt lower over the unitard. I knew I wouldn’t have gotten out of the house without it.

“Leave her alone, Lou. She looks darling.”

“What about you, Wendy? What are you supposed to be?” Daddy asked.

“I’m a witch,” she said, wearing a lacy black dress. “My hat and broom’s in my mom’s car.”

A car honked, and I snatched a bag of M&M’s from the big orange candy dish. Four jack-o’-lanterns lit the porch steps, and voices from excited kids carried nearby.

Wendy grabbed my hand and pulled me through the door. “That’s Mama! Bye!”

Her mom fawned over my makeup and dropped us off at the dance. Our alibi. We entered, and among the sea of Wednesday Addamses, superheroes, and other unoriginal costumes, I began losing my nerve.

“I can just ask Jimmy.” I gestured to him coming toward us wearing an army uniform. But the camouflage makeup didn’t hide his identity nearly as well.

“Hi, Wendy, what are you supposed to be?” he asked her but looked me up and down.

“A vampire,” she said.

I held back a snort. Even she didn’t know what she was.

His eyes stayed on me. “Who’s your friend?”

She elbowed me, smiling. “This is my cousin…Katrina.”

He extended his hand. “Katrina. You new here?”

So, Wendy was right. Even though he’d taken me to the homecoming dance, he didn’t know me. If I wanted, I could sneak off with him into the hallway, stand there quietly, and as arrogant as he was, he would just kiss me.

One quick peck on the lips would put an end to this plan, wouldn’t it? But she squinted her eyes at me like she knew what I was thinking. I shook his hand. “Meow.”

Jordan from bio slunk over to us, checking me out and ignoring Wendy and Jimmy. “I’m Jordan. Wanna dance?”

It was hard enough keeping my balance in these “borrowed” stilettos as they clicked across the gymnasium floor.

“Shoo now, y’all,” Wendy said. “My cousin and I are gonna get some punch.”

Fake webs, spiders, and ghosts hanging from the beams transformed our gym for the Halloween dance. Colored spotlights rotated around the mob of kids dancing to the “Time Warp.” We maneuvered around them to the table, where a cauldron of punch sat beside snacks shaped like eyeballs and mummies. She scooped some blue liquid into a cup and then popped an orange-iced pretzel into her mouth.

My hands shook as I held the cup, and I had no stomach for themed snacks. I knew what was coming.

“It’s time,” she said. “Let’s go. And your disguise is perfect.”

She led me to the bathroom and then out the exit. The kids were out in full force, wandering the streets with their sacks of candy. We rushed a few blocks over to the Camerons’ party. The stilettos were killing my feet, but ignoring the pain, I kept going.

I stopped as we turned down the block, and the music blared from a few houses away. This party was for the older kids.

“Just get in, get your kiss, and get out,” Wendy said.

“Now… excuse me, Wendy, but we haven’t figured this out. What exactly do you want me to do? Go up to Dale and say, hey would you mind puckering up?”

“You’re not going to ask him for a kiss, silly. You’re just gonna kiss him.”

“Yeah, but what about Greg? What if someone recognizes me?”

“You are fine. Literally, girl.”

“But Rhonda’s back in town. What if they didn’t go to the party?”

“My dad overheard Mr. Murphy saying that he’d be there. Don’t worry. I’ll distract her. You’re not the only one incognito tonight.” She pulled a ski mask out of her bag and slipped it on. Only her eyes and lips were visible.

My stomach tightened as I stepped through the door. Cigarette smoke clouded the entrance. With the long dark hair, my cat makeup, and heels, I looked like a stranger in our small town. Wendy, with courage I didn’t know she had, pulled me toward the living room past couples making out in dark corners.

“There he is,” she whispered, though it was hard to hear her with the Monster Mash ringing in my ears.

Wearing a cowboy hat, Dale sat on the couch with Rhonda beside him. Or rather, she scooted closer to him, but he looked in the other direction.

“Trouble in paradise,” Wendy said.

Oh, I hoped so. She tried to put her hand on his knee, but he moved it away.

Yeah.

Rhonda was back from college, and I’d been worried they’d end up someplace else—doing things I’d rather not think about.

“Drink?”

I stiffened at the sound of my brother’s voice and turned around. Greg held two red Solo cups, one in each hand. I wrinkled my nose at the smell of skunk coming off him. His green eyes were tinged with red as he turned to Wendy. “What are you supposed to be?” He wore his black shirt that said in bold white letters:This is my Halloween costume.

“Cat burglar,” she said.

“Don’t recall seeing you gals around here.”

“We’re just visiting family,” Wendy said, taking a cup from him.

“Oh? Who?” He handed me the other one.

“Bob. Uncle Bob,” Wendy said.

I kept my mouth shut.

“Oh. Bob Thornton, Thomas, or McGillicutty?”

“Greg…I swear I can’t leave you alone for a second.” Connie, wearing a French maid outfit, appeared at his side. “Well, hello.”

And how he landed the prom queen, I’d never know. “Hi,” we said.

But two quarreling voices rang out, and Rhonda, in her fairy costume, stormed past us. And when I looked back at the couch, he was gone.

“Uh oh,” Connie said. “That can’t be good.” Rhonda darted down the hallway and slammed the door shut behind her.

Lizzie, Pastor Colin’s daughter, dressed as a slutty nurse, leaned in to Connie. “She cheated on him.”

“Oh no.”

“She wasn’t good enough for him.”

“Well, I know that. But it’s none of our business.”

Rhonda. That cow. Like how could I be mad at her? This was my opening. Wendy elbowed me, and I took a swallow from the Solo cup, wincing at the sour flavor.

Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” took over, and Connie grabbed my brother’s arm. “Let’s go dance! Come on girls, it’ll be fun.”

“The bathroom?” Wendy asked.

She pointed as I set down my cup on a corner table where fog rose from a block of dry ice. We parted ways. I had an idea where I’d find him.

I walked out into the darkness, and the cool night air blew against my neck. Where did he go? His beast of a truck was down the street along the line of parked cars. My feet were killing me, and I missed the first step, twisted my ankle, and landed on the ground.

“Oww!” Stupid heels. Glad nobody saw that, I stood, wincing at the pain.

“You okay?”

Dale.

With his Western shirt, bolo tie, and cowboy boots, he looked the part. And in these heels, I almost reached his chin. I still seethed at Rhonda.

My ankle was sore, and I sank down on the stoop. I nodded. “Yeah. Yes.” I cleared my throat. I had to lose the twang. “I’m fine.”

“You are not from around here.”

“No,” I said, as he looked into my eyes. I wanted to lose myself in those brown eyes, though I didn’t want him to recognize me. What in the actual heck, Wendy? How was I supposed to do this? “Are you okay?”

He sat down beside me. “I’m just mad. You ever have your whole life planned out with someone, and then they break your heart?”

“No.”

“She just went away, met someone else…thinks I’m just gonna sit here and wait for her.” He looked back at the window, and when I turned, I noticed her watching. “Do me a favor?” Dale whispered.

“What?”

“Kiss me?”

“Pardon?”

“I know it’s a rotten thing to ask. But what she did…I just want to show her…”

“She doesn’t deserve you.”

His brows pulled together and he gave a reluctant nod.

That was all the opening I needed. I leaned in shakily, and he leaned back.

“I mean. We talked about getting married. You know?”

Aw crap. What should I do? I was this close to getting that kiss. Wendy would kill me if I didn’t try. This moment called for boldness. I set my hand on his knee, like I’d seen Rhonda do earlier, but he didn’t move away.

He inched closer, and I took a breath in anticipation. This was it.

“But what if she doesn’t love him?” he said softly.

I backed away. Dale looked like such a lovesick puppy. I burned…wished he would look at me…think of me this way. Ugh. I’d told Wendy I wanted him to give me my first kiss. But I’d wanted him to be my boyfriend.

“This is crazy. I don’t care,” he said, glancing over at the window. “She’s still watching. And you probably have a boyfriend.”

“Actually. No. I’ve…”

“What?”

“You’re gonna laugh.”

I started picking at the lace on my skirt. “I’ve never been kissed.” Like would I have admitted this to him without the disguise?

“What?! I’m sure you’re a knockout under all the makeup. How is it possible?”

I was glad he couldn’t see the blush rising in my cheeks. Would he still think so if he knew it was me? “Homeschooled.”

“Well, then,” he said. “Would you allow me to give you your first kiss? You would be helping me.”

Frozen, I could hardly get the word out as he reached his hand out to me. “Okay,” I said, taking his hand. There was something intimate about the warmth in his grasp and the way he threaded his fingers into mine.

We leaned toward each other, and an ugly grunt came from behind us. Rhonda’s eyes shot daggers at Dale, and she didn’t even look at me.

“Dale Murphy…we are over! You hear me! Done.”

Dale’s mouth dropped open, and he looked like he might get up, but instead he stayed with me as she stormed off into the night. Surprisingly, he didn’t go after her.

“Well. That’s that,” he said.

“That’s it?”

“It still hurts, but I didn’t do anything yet. She was just looking for an excuse. She barely calls me. I knew once she left for college, it was only a matter of time. Besides, if she loved me, she wouldn’t have slept with that guy.”

Ouch.

“I think I’m just going to go,” he said. “I’m not very good company.”

Wasn’t this a good thing? He and Rhonda were over. But the girls in town seemed to be waiting for their turn with him.

“Oh, okay. I…should find my friend.” I tried to stand but winced at the ache in my ankle.

“I’ll get you some ice,” he said. “Stay right here.”

This felt very familiar. Except I’d been a child when I’d fallen out of our apricot tree. Dale had kissed my knee and put a bandage on the scrape.

How could I not fall for him even as a little girl? And here I was, desperate enough to trick him into giving me my first kiss.

He came back out, and the song from Ghostbusters blared from the house. “Here,” he said, sitting beside me.

I took the sandwich bag of crushed ice and flinched as the cold hit my skin.

“I can go in and get her,” he said. “Who’s your friend?”

“Oh. She won’t be ready to go. She’s secretly meeting someone here.”

“I can take you home,” he offered.

I tried not to laugh. “I’ll be fine.”

He stood and sighed. “Well, thanks for listening. What’s your name?”

“Katrina,” I said, borrowing Wendy’s alias.

“I’m Dale. My dad owns Murphy’s Sporting Goods. I’ll see you around.”

“I’m just in town for the weekend,” I told him.

“Oh. That’s too bad. I’ve really liked talking to you.”

I nodded. “I liked talking to you too.”

He turned to leave. “Bye, Katrina.”

“Bye, Dale.”

Mission failed, I thought as he walked down the sidewalk leading to the driveway, but then he stopped and came back.

“So, how old are you?”

“Seventeen,” I lied. Like next year. And some months.

“I was thinking…I could give you your first kiss.”

A little thrill ran through me, and my heart began to pound. “Okay.”

He sat beside me again, and this time, he removed his cowboy hat and set it down beside us. After running his fingers through his dark hair, he put his hand on my face. “You remind me of someone,” he said.

“Oh. I get that a lot,” I said, surprised I could even speak. My chest began to rise and fall. My first kiss. And Dale was really going to give it to me.

“Don’t be nervous,” he said. “I’ll be gentle.”

Trembling, I closed my eyes. A breeze touched my neck, and I felt his breath against my face. For the longest second, I waited until his lips met mine with the gentlest pressure. I reached for his face and leaned closer, opening my lips slightly against his.

“Katrina.”

We broke apart at the sound of Wendy’s voice.

When I looked up, Wendy was smirking down at us. But my brother was standing behind her. “Sorry to interrupt,” he said. “I was trying to help this young lady find her friend.”

“You ready to go, Katrina?” Wendy asked, her eyes wide.

My cheeks flamed. Greg had just seen his best friend kissing me. And what a kiss it was. Dale cleared his throat and scooted a few inches away.

“Okay,” I said, grabbing the ice pack off the ground.

“Did Rhonda leave?” Greg asked him.

“Uh yeah.” He put his cowboy hat back on and stood. Wendy met me at the bottom of the steps. My ankle felt better, though still stiff. “Take care now, Katrina.”

The way he said my name. The hesitance there…as if he also wished we hadn’t been interrupted.

“You too, Dale. Thank you.”

Wendy put her arm through mine and rushed us toward the street.

She gushed as we walked, the music fading, the stars so bright, the cool night air biting my cheeks.

I didn’t hear a word as we headed back to the school dance. The only thing I could think of was Dale’s lips and my first kiss.