Remembering Atticus by Dara Girard

Author:Dara Girard [Girard, Dara]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: ILORI PRESS BOOKS LLC

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5

Halloween night came with an ink black sky and chilling breeze. Jeanette fed the Fowler’s cat, Ginny, and dressed her in her costume, without fuss. “I can’t believe you like this, but I’m here to serve.” She took a picture with the camera Mrs. Fowler had left out on the counter. “Smile!” she said to the miserable looking cat. She put the leash on the cat and stroked it until it began to purr. “You are sweet,” she said. “Let’s go.”

A group of kids were already out knocking on doors and shouting ‘trick or treat’. Jeanette had walked several blocks when she saw cars streaming down the street and a house decorated for the holiday with orange lights, a large spider web and dancing skeleton, she saw flashing red and white lights in the windows and heard pounding music. She stared at the party from across the street, surprised the neighbors hadn’t complained about the noise yet. Then Jeanette spotted Jackson’s girlfriend stumble out the front door, dressed as a vampire queen and Jackson dressed as a zombie—his face so painted he looked like a different guy.

He was wearing an impressive costume. She lifted her phone and took a quick picture. She’d tease him about it, if he ever bothered her. She’d put her phone away and turned to go home when it rang. She glanced down at the number with little interest then did a double take. It was Jackson. But how could that be? She glanced up and saw the zombie, who was leaning against the porch with his vampire queen at his side. But he wasn’t using his phone. Oh no.

She darted behind a car then answered. “Hello?” she said with a note of caution. Maybe it was his sister using his phone.

“Hi,” Jackson said in his typically cheerful way. “What are you doing?”

Damn. “Working. I thought you had a party to go to tonight.”

“Nope. Grounded.”

“People still get grounded in high school?”

“Of course.”

“I’ve never been grounded.”

“Never?” Jackson said as if she’d just shared that she could fly. “Never ever? In your whole life?”

“Right,” Jeanette said in a dry tone. “That’s what ‘I’ve never been grounded’ means.”

“You must live a boring life.”

“Sure, which is why I’m out free on Halloween while you’re stuck at home talking to someone you hardly know.” She peeked through the window of the car she hid behind and saw the couple still in the front of the house. Why wouldn’t they just go back inside?

“I know you.”

“I said ‘hardly’. We’re practically strangers.”

“I’ve known you since middle school.”

Before Jeanette could reply, a little boy in a Lego costume shouted, “Mommy, a dog dressed like a cat!”

“That’s really good,” his mother said to her.

“Hold on,” Jeanette said to Jackson then she picked Ginny up. “No, it really is a cat.” She knelt in front of the boy. “And she’s really friendly.”

“She’s ugly.”

“Because she wants to look mean for Halloween,” Jeanette said then made the same miserable expression.

The boy giggled and his mother said “Happy Halloween!” before they both left.

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