Tricks and Treats (Ainsley)

This is my yearly Halloween fic that's just being posted early. Enjoy!

“PHILLIP!!!!!!!!!!” I scream at the top of my lungs, even though he's only a few feet away. He covers his ears and glares at me “What?” He says through gritted teeth. I climb up on a chair so we’re more at eye level and lean on the kitchen table “hi.” He rolls his eyes and goes back to whatever he was doing with the stack of papers in front of him. I poke him in the cheek “Phillip.” He doesn't respond, and so I poke him again. “Phillip.” Once more no response. “Phillip. Phillip. Philly. Phil. PHILLIP JAMES EVANS I AM TALKING TO YOU.” Eventually he looks up “what do you want?” I grin “On Halloween will you take my friends and I trick or treating?” He taps his pencil against his chin “I'm going to guess I have no choice but to so sure.” I clap my hands and go to tell Ama and Mum, though they likely would have put him up to it anyways, but a ringing doorbell gets in my way. I tug open the door, it's Everan. “Hi Ev.” He waves hello and I let him inside, he picks me up “How's it going?” I shrug “Your nerd of a boyfriend wouldn't listen to me for a good five minutes, but the matter has been sorted out.” He peeks into the kitchen where Phillip is then looks back at me with raised eyebrows “And what was the matter?” He asks shrugging off his satchel and placing it on the floor. “If he’d take me and my friends trick or treating. Hey, you wanna come too?!” He looks over at Phillip, who I think was eavesdropping, as he signs the word “Please” in a rather desperate fashion. “Sure. What are you going to dress up as?” A large grin spreads across my face “I'll show you!” He puts me down and I run up the stairs, Ev following after me into my room. I hold up my costume, a black and orange witch dress with a matching hat. “I'm a witch!” A smile shows at the edges of Ev’s mouth. He doesn't completely smile that often, so it's nice to see him smiling at least a little bit. “What are your friends going to be?” Hmmmm that's a good question, I know what Luke is being, and Maria but I'm not sure about Riley. “Luke is being Luke Skywalker, Maria is being a pirate, and Riley I have no idea but then again do I ever know what he's doing?” Ev shrugs, he's only met Riley once or twice. Phillip knows more of what I'm talking about, Riley's a nice kid, just a bit...odd. “Oh and did you ever get that pumpkin back? The white one?” I nod and lead him back downstairs where the now decorated pumpkin sits on the living room windowsill. Phillip gets up and comes over to us and sits down. “Hello.” He says with a sigh and falls against Everan, who puts an arm around him. Phillip looks tired. “You should go take a nap. You seem tired.” He moves from his spot on the floor instead to the couch and lays there while the three of us sort things out. “I think Lee is going to be in Alinor too seeing her parents so she might show up too.” Ev says to Phillip. “Who's Lee?” I ask, I've heard the name before but never knew who she was. “Maria's older sister. She lives in Cyrodil with one of Valans childhood friends, Meg. Leah Yadin, she's nice you'll like her I think.” Phillip explains. Huh, Maria never told me she had a sister I'd always assumed she was an only child.

THE NEXT DAY

Mum drops me off at school early because she has to go to work and Phillip has to procter testing whatever that means, and Mom worked night shift at the hospital so she's sleeping. She said either she or Everan will pick me up. Ev’s basically a member of our family at this point.

I wander around in the hallway doing absolutely nothing, I just wanted to move around until I hear some voices coming from inside the classroom and peak in the door. Oh great, Tommy got in another argument with someone. He's the kid who got me in trouble on my first day. Eventually we somewhat sorted things out, but he can still be a jerk. I think he might just be lonely, and his other friends aren't the nicest crowd in the world. I walk over to where the group of boys are “Hey, what's going on?” I ask peaking out from behind a bookcase. “This isn't a matter for the likes of you!” A boy snaps. Huh, never seen him before. Maybe this group is different from the normal hours kids. I reveal myself from my spot behind the bookcase “Actually it is, you seem to be in an argument with an acquaintance of mine. I'd like to know what's going on.” I explain as diplomatically as I can. Having an older brother who's a professor means I got a head start on eloquence, the importance of vocabulary, and ways to confuse people by using big words. Thanks Phillip. The kid stares at me confused. Before I can repeat myself I feel a tapping sensation on my right shoulder and turn around to face a very excited, and seemingly very hyperactive Luke. “Hi Ainsley!” He nearly yells, drawing the attention of Maria, who I just noticed sitting under her usual blanket fort. “Lucas Hayles did you have suger this morning?” She asks not looking up from her picture book, but the disapproving and confused tone is evident in her voice. “Maybeeee.” Luke replies in a singsong voice and rocks back and forth, the other boys who were having the argument seem to have parted ways and gone to do something else, makes sense, as it's almost time for the normal day to start. The two of us join Maria in our commandeered pillow and blanket fort until Riley comes, though he shows up late for some reason and seems a bit disoriented. Wierd.

FAST FORWARD TO SNACK TIME

The four of us sit at a small circular table by the window and divide up snacks, per usual. “Did you talk to Phillip about trick or treating?” Luke asks taking a handful of goldfish from the center of the table. I nod “I managed to convince Everan, who then convinced Phillip.” I turn to Maria “Also a few weeks ago he said someone you might know is coming to Alinor. Someone named Lee or something like that.” She smirks “That's my older sister!” Riley gives her a look “I never knew you had a sister. I always assumed you were an only child.” I nod in agreement. “She lives in Cyrodil, in the imperial city. When we left Hammerfell we all split up at first. My mom went to High rock and talked to her family a bit, Lee went to the imperial city and has stayed there, she lives with her girlfriend Meg now. And my dad and I came here, my mom joined us later on. The last time I saw her was the holidays, so I'm happy she's coming.” She explains very nonchalantly then picks up a carrot and eats it. “I can ask my parents to call her and tell her the plans. She doesn't get here until Friday.” Maria says in between bites. “Ok. Sounds like a plan.” Luke makes a sound of agreement and Riley gives a thumbs up. “What is everyone going to be?” He asks laying his head on the table and twirling a strand of hair between his fingers. “I'm gonna be a witch.” I say leaning back in my chair “I'm gonna be a pirate, or something like that. Redguards are known to be good sailors ya know.” Maria explains. “I'm gonna be Luke Skywalker!” Luke pretends to wave a lightsaber through the air. “What are you going to be Riley?” He asks sitting down again. “I'm gonna be...I don't know. My step sister does costume design so I think she's making something. She said it's a surprise, and the only hint she gave me was its very random. Not that I care.” I wonder if she knows Carmen or Sarah, they're involved in stuff like that. Only they mostly do set design rather than costume design. A bell sings signaling the end of snack, oh well. We can always talk later.

Ev picks me up at the end of the day and I tell him our plan for trick or treating. Though our plan involves tricking AND treating. “So you're going to try to scare your brother? Good luck with that.” Everan says to me after I fill him in on the details. “Phillip may not be phased by loud noises or other things you might find happen in a science experiment but he has his weaknesses.” Ev looks down at me with a wicked grin “Which are?” I give him a grin in return. “Here's what I know…” the two of us walk through the streets as I tell him what, and how to scare Phillip. The one we decided on was the dark. We turn off all the lights in the house, hide, then jump out of the darkness. He’ll probably be mad but he never stays mad for long. He's got too even a temper for that, except when it comes to people he really doesn't like or things that make him absolutely furious.

FAST FORWARD TO HALLOWEEN NIGHT

“Everyone in position?” I ask and three heads pop out from various places with massive grins. “Okay. Now we just wait for Everan and Phillip.” We sit in our hiding places until we hear the sound of keys in a door and scramble into place. “After you.” Ev says to an unassuming Phillip who walks right into our trap. We jump out and he flinches then noticed it just us and instead gives me an annoyed look. “Was that really nessesary?” I shrug and point to Everan “He was in on it too you know.” And he turns and glares at Ev, who sighs and looks away. A young woman shows up a few moments later dressed in a white top and grey pants with a brown sweater and a rather interesting feature, blue hair. “Sorry I'm late.” She pants and Luke, Riley and I turn our heads in confusion. “You're not late Lee. After all, A wizard is never late. Nor are they early, they arrive precisely when they mean to!” Phillip and Ev shake her hand and reintroduce themselves. “Is that your sister?” Riley whispers to Maria who nods. “Ooohhhhhhh.” The three of us say surprisingly all at the same time, that makes much more sense now. Riley and Luke go up to her and introduce themselves. "Luke Hayles and Riley Hirosaki at your service." She smiles and shakes their hands "Lee Yadin at yours." Phillip gets his keys from the shelf where he'd put them, “Shall we be off then?” Ev asks Phillip who looks at me “What do you think Ains ready to go?” I grab my witch hat and bag “Let's go.” Riley, dressed as a loaf of bread because his sister made his costume, Luke dressed as Luke Skywalker and Maria dressed as a Pirate all follow after me and eventually catch up as we walk down the street and throughout the neighborhood. In the end it was quite an eventful night filled with both tricks and treats...and a rather annoyed enchanting professor.

I hope you liked it!
Until next time,
Max