I SOMEHOW MAKE IT to work without crying. Before I get out of my car, I notice I have a missed call and a text message from Rynne. I look at the text message.
Must have missed you. Did work start earlier today?
He didn’t see me. Of course he didn’t. He was too preoccupied. A sour taste fills my mouth as I replay what I saw all over again. I didn’t get a good look at the girl he was kissing. I didn’t get a good look at the scene at all, but I saw what happened. I saw that he kissed her.
I don’t want to reply to his text, but I guess I shouldn’t make him worry. I type a quick message in response.
Yep. Sorry.
Now I need to push it out of my mind. As much as I can anyway. I have to hold it together for work. I can’t miss over something like this.
I get out of my car and look at the Blu Boutique. It’s a small shop, like most shops in Reverie are, but it carries a large variety of decorative items and the store’s owner, Gina, switches things up for the different seasons—well, for as long as she’s been here. Gina moved to Reverie and opened the Blu Boutique almost a year ago now. The shop opened up for the first time during Christmas last year. Right now, against the wishes of my parents and the elders in the town, the shop is dressed up for Halloween. The outside of the store is covered in fake cobwebs and spiders. There’s even an animatronic zombie butler welcoming people at the door. I should be used to it. It’s been there since the beginning of October, but it still freaks me out. I sneak past it in an attempt not to trip its sensor.
Just as soon as I enter the Blu Boutique, I’m greeted by Gina. She offers me a big smile and gives me a hug. Gina is what some people would call overly friendly, and she looks like someone who isn’t native to Reverie. Her clothes are just a bit too loud and colorful, and her black hair is styled in a spiky pixie cut. The slim and angled features of her face in combination with the hairstyle and clothing make her look like the pixies depicted in children’s books, though she’s much too tall.
“Tasia Wren! Just in time!” she tells me, enthusiasm oozing off her every word. “Halloween has really got people excited in this town. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
This is basically Reverie’s first time experiencing Halloween, so I’m not surprised she feels that way. Besides, the Blu Boutique is the only place in town that’s selling actual mainstream Halloween costumes and decorations. Gina has very selective hearing. She hasn’t heard what the more traditional members of Reverie have to say about what she’s selling. My parents have even voiced their opinion about me working here, surrounded by all the Halloween paraphernalia. They haven’t made me quit or anything, but they’ve made sure to let me know how much they disapprove of the whole thing. Gina pays me well, though, and I’d hate to quit my job over a single season in the year. So, I’m pushing through, regardless of mine or my parents’ feelings on the whole Halloween thing.
I force a smile despite feeling miserable as Gina chatters on about everything she’s been selling and about the Halloween party the Conway family is putting together. They’ve been her biggest patrons this season, which makes sense, seeing as the whole town is invited to their party. They want Reverie’s first Halloween celebration to go over well. They want to open Reverie up to the world a little more, and the Blu Boutique has exactly what they need. It’s the only shop here that has exactly what they need.
“Is something wrong?” Gina asks abruptly, bringing me back to reality.
“N-no,” I say as I fight back the hot stinging sensation of tears gathering in my eyes.
She eyes me suspiciously. Then she places a hand on my shoulder and squeezes. “I can let you off early if you want.”
I bite my lower lip. “Thanks, but I’d really like to stay my whole shift… Unless you’re saying you don’t have work for me today and—”
Gina raises her hand for me to stop. “Nothing like that, dear. Go ahead and clock-in then.”
I do as she says and take my place at the cash register. The shop starts filling up rapidly, and I end up being busy with helping one customer after the other. We’ve been getting a regular influx of shoppers right when the high school gets out. The teens are probably the most excited about the Halloween party. The party has the entire high school buzzing, and everyone going wants to look their absolute best; I don’t think I know of a single person there, apart from maybe myself, who isn’t excited for it.
Maybe Rynne. He doesn’t seem excited about the party. He never talks about it. He acts like it’s not even something that’s happening.
Rynne.
Don’t think about him.
I help another customer and manage to drive off the tears for a moment longer.
I’m fine while we’re busy, but when things start to slow down, my mind starts to wander all over again, and I feel like crying. I haven’t shed a tear this whole time, but I’ll make up for that by shedding plenty of them into my pillow once I get home tonight.
I’m pathetic.
“Thanks for your help as always, Tasia,” Gina says as we close the store together.
I nod instead of acknowledging her with words.
“Hurry up and go already! It’s a school night.”
We haven’t even finished closing up, but Gina gives me this look that says “don’t argue with me,” so I don’t. I clock-out and make my way to my car. Honestly, I’m relieved she kicked me out a little early. I’m tired of barely holding myself together. But I have to do it for a little while longer. I can’t cry until I’m alone in my room. I don’t want my parents to ask what happened. I don’t want anyone to know why I’m so upset.
It’s dark outside now, and the air is so cold. I wouldn’t be surprised if we get snow soon. I tighten the scarf around my neck and pull on a pair of gloves as I walk to my car in the nearly empty parking lot. Once I’m inside, I start the engine to get the heat going, and then I check my phone out of habit. I have a new text message from Rynne.
We’ll make up for it tomorrow.
That’s it. I can’t hold it in anymore. The tears pour out of my eyes and I hunch over to rest my arms at the top of my steering wheel, and then I set my forehead down on top of them. I have no right to cry like this. I keep telling myself that, but I’m doing it anyway. And I hate it. I hate it so much. Rynne isn’t even my boyfriend. I have no right to cry.
“You’re such a child, Tasia,” I tell myself.
Eventually, I make my way home—after I’ve stopped crying and I’ve made sure my eyes don’t look too red or puffy. My parents would totally ask questions if I came home looking like that, and I don’t want them to. I just want to go home, get into my bed, and sleep.
When I get home, I park my car in our gravel driveway and walk up the porch steps. I’m greeted by a familiar ring of garlic always pinned to our front door. I brush my fingers across it and ask it to banish the negativity surrounding me. I know the gesture is in vain. If my black diamond can’t even lighten my thoughts right now, I doubt a ring of garlic could.
“I’m home,” I announce as I close the door behind me.
No one answers me. The living room is dark. If a burglar tried to get in, he’d probably trip over something, but I know my way around the herbs, the gemstones, the rosaries, the incense… I pause when I hear voices and see flashes of light coming from the kitchen. My parents must be watching TV.
I navigate my way through the living room and into the kitchen, where I see my parents literally glued to the TV. I place my hand on the back of the only empty kitchen chair and glance at the TV to see what they’re watching. It’s the local news.
“The Guardian Angel was desecrated after someone broke into Reverie Park and turned on the power; some of you might have seen the sight from your houses.
“The Guardian Angel’s wings have been detached somehow. We currently suspect the use of a sledgehammer or something similar. The Guardian Angel was also splattered with a tube of fake blood. The police are looking into it as I speak.
“The mayor wishes to send a message out to all of Reverie’s citizens. He says whatever the motive, it is unacceptable. Our Guardian Angel is to be respected. It is the town’s oldest memory, and it will undergo restoration as soon as possible…”
“How awful,” I whisper.
Mom says, “Don’t go to that Halloween party.”
“You’ve already told me not to, and I wasn’t planning on it.”
“Before, your father and I were just telling you how we feel about the whole thing, but if you go now, you’ll be grounded.”
I reply with more bite in my voice than I intend, “There are so many people excited about the Halloween party. Whoever did this was probably someone who doesn’t want anyone in town to celebrate Halloween. This is a scare tactic. Why is everyone making such a big deal out of Halloween that someone would go and do something like this? The rest of Pennsylvania celebrates Halloween every year and they get through just fine.”
“You don’t know that,” Dad says. “It’s a step toward evil.”
Mom glances behind her to look at me. “Trust us, Tasia. We have a bad feeling.”
I shake my head, too tired to fight. I’m not hungry either, so there’s no point trying to make myself eat something for dinner. I excuse myself and go to my room.
I close my door and bury my face into my pillow and cry again. I can’t believe I saw Rynne kissing some girl—today of all days. He’s never kissed anyone. With the way gossip works in Reverie, everyone would have talked about it. And now the town’s going crazy over the Guardian Angel.
Who would do such a thing? I’m almost positive whoever did this to the Guardian Angel isn’t anyone who’s excited about Halloween. I know everyone going to the Conways’ party, and they’d never do anything like this. I know plenty of older people who would do this to stop the Halloween party from happening though, and all consequential Halloween celebrations. Those old people who are angry about life just to be angry about it would do this. They wouldn’t think twice about desecrating the statue if they could scare people away from celebrating Halloween. They’re all stuck in the old ways, the ways of the past. I think even Jazmin would do something like this. She’d see it as the lesser of two evils.
I laugh even though tears are still spilling out of my eyes. I can’t believe I’m thinking like that. Now I’m just assigning blame without any proof. But now I want to know. I want to know why my parents and the elders think Halloween will ruin Reverie and why someone would go so far to stop any form of celebration for it. They say it’s a step toward evil, but is it really? And what about what happened to the angel? That’s a step toward evil.
I know the mayor. I know the people going to the Halloween party. They want to start Halloween with that party. This whole month people have been preparing to celebrate Halloween early with the idea of carrying that celebration on to Halloween night itself. None of them are doing it with any bad intentions. They’re doing it with good intentions. They want to bring the town together and have some fun. They want to embrace the world around us.
I think I will go after all. I know Didi and Connor are going. I doubt Rynne is, but it doesn’t matter. Either way, I’ll deal with it. I can’t keep crying over him like this. I don’t want to stay trapped. I don’t want to hide from everything my whole life. I don’t think I even want to stay in this small town forever. There’s a whole world out there, full of people and places I’ve never seen, and all I’ve ever known is Reverie. My parents have taught me a lot. Jazmin gave me this black diamond to fight off evil and the spirits that bombarded me. I know there’s truth in their words and choices, but I’m also sure they don’t know everything. I’ll go to this Halloween party to prove them wrong.