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Description

As they stepped out of the minty-green minivan and thanked Toby's mom for the ride, Angela, Autumn, and Cherie each glanced at the house they were stuck at for at least an hour-Toby made it clear that was how long he was staying-to get there and come pick them up. The house looked good, especially for one that was decorated without magic. The neat lawn was bathed in orange light and plastic tombstones with clever sayings on them were stuck in the ground here and there.

They followed Toby into the garage, where the main party was. They never actually talked to Toby once they got out of the car; he was convinced that as the only magic-users for a mile they would stick out like a sore set of thumbs attached to the same hand, one that he didn't want to be associated with. The garage door was closed, but they could hear music pumping from inside, and they went around the side where they were met by a tall, burly boy who was apparently acting as the bouncer for the night.

"Invitations?" he asked. Autumn ogled at such a big person, and Cherie opened her mouth as if to say, "Surely you can manage to string more than one word together for a sentence," but Angela beat them both. She flipped her long blonde hair, smiled, and breathed, "Silly us, we forgot them at home. Let us in anyways?"

The boy's eyes nearly popped out of his head. Autumn didn't blame him. In her flowy, rather Grecian white dress and feathery wings, Angela looked quite angelic.

"Go ahead," he said, stepping aside with one mechanical movement.

Angela winked at him jauntily. "Good choice."

Inside, the party was already going full-swing. Witches, cats, cowboys, vampires, and all kinds of other Halloween-appropriate characters were dancing in the middle, while other people chatted with friends, drank punch, argued with the d-j, or simply watched from the margins around the wall.

"Let's get some punch," Autumn suggested, tugging on Cherie to remind her that now was not the time to make a fool of herself by climbing on the table to look for Mallboy. "We can take a look around while we do- staking out the snack table if we have to," Autumn assured her. Actually, a stakeout was not a bad idea. There were some bat-shaped cookies that Autumn had her eye on at the table. "Is that him talking to Toby?"

Cherie looked in the direction Autumn was pointing. "Nope. He's got sort of sandy hair and green eyes- a great smile, too, with these dimples… and nice broad shoulders, too. I think he might have mentioned his costume at some point. I'll try and remember it."

All that from one meeting? Autumn couldn't tell anyone what color Sam's eyes were to save her life, not that it was important anymore. She and Sam had decided that dating was too awkward for their friendship and high score in Hostile Takeover Club back in September. She wondered whether Sam was at Jeanne's friend's party tonight.

"There he is-I think!" said Cherie suddenly, nearly dipping one of the many sarves that made up her gypsy costume into the bowl of bright-red punch (complete with ice cubes containing eyeballs!) nearby. Autumn followed her gaze. She had to admit, Cherie had some sort of good taste. He was very good looking.
Cherie suddenly looked around, her brow furrowed. "Where's Angela?"

Autumn waved her unspoken concerns away. "Last I saw her there was a Robin Hood and a Superman with her. Go talk to him!"

When Cherie looked uncertain, Autumn took her by the arm and pushed her towards the blonde-haired boy in a waistcoat and a watch chain. She then smiled in satisfaction when Cherie stammered something and the boy, smiling, replied. She took a sip of her drink and took a place by the wall and sort of swayed to the music. It was less corny than the usual "Monster Mash" and most of the twenty of so guests seemed to enjoy it. In fact… Autumn did a quick head count. Yep, there were twenty people total, in that one garage. Toby's friend must be pretty well-off to be able to fit so many people in one garage. As a consequence, though, it was stiflingly hot.

Autumn doffed her witch's hat and fluffed out her dark hair, which she would spend hours crimping and teasing to its full witchiness tomorrow for the school party. Now it was just straight. Without the hat pressing it down, her scalp was much cooler. She gulped more of her punch, and nearly choked on a plastic eyeball. As she was bent double, coughing and sputtering and hoping that no one had noticed, she saw an apple with only one bite taken out of it, still wet from what she can only suppose was an apple bob, roll right at her foot and tap it. She immediately straightened up and looked in the direction that the apple had come from. Someone dressed in completely black robes and carrying a play lantern was waving at her. He gestured for her to turn over the apple.

She did so, bemused. There, carved into the apple like text from a typewriter, were the words "Come outside. -D" Straight away, Autumn wondered if Angela's super competitive older brother had followed them here. She doubted it, though. Damion would probably have stormed in and told her, in a voice much too officious for someone only one year older than the one he was addressing, that she was in a lot of trouble and to come home right away. Autumn looked for Cherie and Angela. Both of them looked like they were enjoying themselves, so she left through the side door. The bouncer ignored her now that she was not trying to crash the party.

It was unexpectedly dark once she got out of the light spilling out from the party and the glowy orange exterior lights. Autumn paused for a second and rubbed what appeared to be a largish gem set in a rather gaudy piece of costume jewelry at her throat. The gem flared once, brightly, before settling into a weak source of light that brought the robed figure into view for the first time. There was one noticeable difference from inside: a hood was no longer covering his face. Autumn recognized that almost sickly pale skin and dark hair…

"Dante!" she whispered. "What are you doing at a party in the Mute part of town? And what are you dressed as?"

Dante grinned. She didn't really trust the smug expression. "I could ask you the same questions."

Autumn shrugged defensively. Dante was so irritating at times. "I'm a witch. And I'm doing a favor for- No! I asked you first!"

He looked like he was going to split his face from ear to ear. "Oh? That sounds like a topic worth pursuing. I appreciate your sense of irony. I was here looking for you, and," he activated the witchlight in the lantern with a theatrical flourish. "I am Virgil."

Autumn was not impressed by the sudden brightness from the lantern or the literary reference. Witchlights were a dime a dozen and just about the easiest thing of magic to work since the silk top hat. She supposed that she would have appreciated the Inferno reference if Dante hadn't done it so many times before.
"I'm here. What is it that you wanted, Dante?" She glanced back at the party, wondering whether Cherie was still getting on all right. Dante noticed her preoccupation.

"Okay, I suppose I should make this short so you can get back to your Mute friends. I have some strategy ideas for tomorrow. I was thinking that a direction-finder would work well, and some enchanted string or something-"

So that was what Dante wanted. He wasn't going to get her or Angela or Cherie into trouble. He just wanted to talk strategy for tomorrow. She sighed a little. Whether from relief or exasperation, even she didn't know. "I'm not in charge of strategy, Sam is. I'm only second-in-command, remember? At Sam's beck and call so that I can "take over if he is incapable of fulfilling his duties as Fearless Leader"? We went over this at the class meeting, remember?"

Dante's smile faded. "Sam won't listen. I- I think he's sick or something. Se, at that party of Elijah's, we were playing with a Ouija board and-"

"WHAT WERE YOU DOING AT ELIJAH'S? And what did you idiots do to Sam?" Autumn asked, astounded at the stupidity of some of these guys. Elijah was a class-A idiot. Even freshmen should know better than playing with a Ouija board in the same city as Elijah.

The smile was back, and there was something unrepentant about the way Dante's eyes glittered in the witchlight. "We weren't doing anything at Elijah's. I wouldn't go near his cat without the use of a forty-foot-pole. But Sam was right- you do get cuter when you get angry and bossy like that. Trick-or-treat!" she cried suddenly, flinging a small plastic bag into her arms. She caught it automatically and watched him run into the night until his witchlight went out.

She opened the bag to find a few chocolate candies and a plastic pumpkin ring in it, along with a bottle of smoke that would explode once she threw it on the ground. What had just happened? Whatever it was, at least it wasn't the delivery of news of Sam's incapacitation. That was one of her certainties. But for some reason, it unsettled her.

Autumn made a sudden decision. She marched back into the garage and grabbed Angela's arm, ignoring her protests. Angela would never have anything to do with any of those boys on a normal day. In fact, she was probably already regretting the time she had wasted with them.

She came up to where Cherie and Mallboy were talking by the wall, and said with a smile, "Sorry, but my mom is here. We have to go now Cherie." He might have started to offer to give her a ride home himself, but Autumn ignored it. Cherie looked disgruntled as she ot on her cell phone to call her parents. Angela wasn't looking too disappointed anymore. She took the bag from Autumn.

"At least you managed to snag some sweets. Thanks Autumn. I love you!"

She fished out a chocolate and popped it into her mouth. She chewed it slowly before swallowing. After a moment of watching Cherie talk in French to her mother for a minute, before she turned back to Autumn and opened her mouth. Instead of words, though, a shrill whistle came out of her mouth. Even Cherie glanced up at her.

Autumn just laughed, but Angela looked rather offended. "Trick or treat!" Autumn said happily.

Description

As they stepped out of the minty-green minivan and thanked Toby's mom for the ride, Angela, Autumn, and Cherie each glanced at the house they were stuck at for at least an hour-Toby made it clear that was how long he was staying-to get there and come pick them up. The house looked good, especially for one that was decorated without magic. The neat lawn was bathed in orange light and plastic tombstones with clever sayings on them were stuck in the ground here and there.

They followed Toby into the garage, where the main party was. They never actually talked to Toby once they got out of the car; he was convinced that as the only magic-users for a mile they would stick out like a sore set of thumbs attached to the same hand, one that he didn't want to be associated with. The garage door was closed, but they could hear music pumping from inside, and they went around the side where they were met by a tall, burly boy who was apparently acting as the bouncer for the night.

"Invitations?" he asked. Autumn ogled at such a big person, and Cherie opened her mouth as if to say, "Surely you can manage to string more than one word together for a sentence," but Angela beat them both. She flipped her long blonde hair, smiled, and breathed, "Silly us, we forgot them at home. Let us in anyways?"

The boy's eyes nearly popped out of his head. Autumn didn't blame him. In her flowy, rather Grecian white dress and feathery wings, Angela looked quite angelic.

"Go ahead," he said, stepping aside with one mechanical movement.

Angela winked at him jauntily. "Good choice."

Inside, the party was already going full-swing. Witches, cats, cowboys, vampires, and all kinds of other Halloween-appropriate characters were dancing in the middle, while other people chatted with friends, drank punch, argued with the d-j, or simply watched from the margins around the wall.

"Let's get some punch," Autumn suggested, tugging on Cherie to remind her that now was not the time to make a fool of herself by climbing on the table to look for Mallboy. "We can take a look around while we do- staking out the snack table if we have to," Autumn assured her. Actually, a stakeout was not a bad idea. There were some bat-shaped cookies that Autumn had her eye on at the table. "Is that him talking to Toby?"

Cherie looked in the direction Autumn was pointing. "Nope. He's got sort of sandy hair and green eyes- a great smile, too, with these dimples… and nice broad shoulders, too. I think he might have mentioned his costume at some point. I'll try and remember it."

All that from one meeting? Autumn couldn't tell anyone what color Sam's eyes were to save her life, not that it was important anymore. She and Sam had decided that dating was too awkward for their friendship and high score in Hostile Takeover Club back in September. She wondered whether Sam was at Jeanne's friend's party tonight.

"There he is-I think!" said Cherie suddenly, nearly dipping one of the many sarves that made up her gypsy costume into the bowl of bright-red punch (complete with ice cubes containing eyeballs!) nearby. Autumn followed her gaze. She had to admit, Cherie had some sort of good taste. He was very good looking.
Cherie suddenly looked around, her brow furrowed. "Where's Angela?"

Autumn waved her unspoken concerns away. "Last I saw her there was a Robin Hood and a Superman with her. Go talk to him!"

When Cherie looked uncertain, Autumn took her by the arm and pushed her towards the blonde-haired boy in a waistcoat and a watch chain. She then smiled in satisfaction when Cherie stammered something and the boy, smiling, replied. She took a sip of her drink and took a place by the wall and sort of swayed to the music. It was less corny than the usual "Monster Mash" and most of the twenty of so guests seemed to enjoy it. In fact… Autumn did a quick head count. Yep, there were twenty people total, in that one garage. Toby's friend must be pretty well-off to be able to fit so many people in one garage. As a consequence, though, it was stiflingly hot.

Autumn doffed her witch's hat and fluffed out her dark hair, which she would spend hours crimping and teasing to its full witchiness tomorrow for the school party. Now it was just straight. Without the hat pressing it down, her scalp was much cooler. She gulped more of her punch, and nearly choked on a plastic eyeball. As she was bent double, coughing and sputtering and hoping that no one had noticed, she saw an apple with only one bite taken out of it, still wet from what she can only suppose was an apple bob, roll right at her foot and tap it. She immediately straightened up and looked in the direction that the apple had come from. Someone dressed in completely black robes and carrying a play lantern was waving at her. He gestured for her to turn over the apple.

She did so, bemused. There, carved into the apple like text from a typewriter, were the words "Come outside. -D" Straight away, Autumn wondered if Angela's super competitive older brother had followed them here. She doubted it, though. Damion would probably have stormed in and told her, in a voice much too officious for someone only one year older than the one he was addressing, that she was in a lot of trouble and to come home right away. Autumn looked for Cherie and Angela. Both of them looked like they were enjoying themselves, so she left through the side door. The bouncer ignored her now that she was not trying to crash the party.

It was unexpectedly dark once she got out of the light spilling out from the party and the glowy orange exterior lights. Autumn paused for a second and rubbed what appeared to be a largish gem set in a rather gaudy piece of costume jewelry at her throat. The gem flared once, brightly, before settling into a weak source of light that brought the robed figure into view for the first time. There was one noticeable difference from inside: a hood was no longer covering his face. Autumn recognized that almost sickly pale skin and dark hair…

"Dante!" she whispered. "What are you doing at a party in the Mute part of town? And what are you dressed as?"

Dante grinned. She didn't really trust the smug expression. "I could ask you the same questions."

Autumn shrugged defensively. Dante was so irritating at times. "I'm a witch. And I'm doing a favor for- No! I asked you first!"

He looked like he was going to split his face from ear to ear. "Oh? That sounds like a topic worth pursuing. I appreciate your sense of irony. I was here looking for you, and," he activated the witchlight in the lantern with a theatrical flourish. "I am Virgil."

Autumn was not impressed by the sudden brightness from the lantern or the literary reference. Witchlights were a dime a dozen and just about the easiest thing of magic to work since the silk top hat. She supposed that she would have appreciated the Inferno reference if Dante hadn't done it so many times before.
"I'm here. What is it that you wanted, Dante?" She glanced back at the party, wondering whether Cherie was still getting on all right. Dante noticed her preoccupation.

"Okay, I suppose I should make this short so you can get back to your Mute friends. I have some strategy ideas for tomorrow. I was thinking that a direction-finder would work well, and some enchanted string or something-"

So that was what Dante wanted. He wasn't going to get her or Angela or Cherie into trouble. He just wanted to talk strategy for tomorrow. She sighed a little. Whether from relief or exasperation, even she didn't know. "I'm not in charge of strategy, Sam is. I'm only second-in-command, remember? At Sam's beck and call so that I can "take over if he is incapable of fulfilling his duties as Fearless Leader"? We went over this at the class meeting, remember?"

Dante's smile faded. "Sam won't listen. I- I think he's sick or something. Se, at that party of Elijah's, we were playing with a Ouija board and-"

"WHAT WERE YOU DOING AT ELIJAH'S? And what did you idiots do to Sam?" Autumn asked, astounded at the stupidity of some of these guys. Elijah was a class-A idiot. Even freshmen should know better than playing with a Ouija board in the same city as Elijah.

The smile was back, and there was something unrepentant about the way Dante's eyes glittered in the witchlight. "We weren't doing anything at Elijah's. I wouldn't go near his cat without the use of a forty-foot-pole. But Sam was right- you do get cuter when you get angry and bossy like that. Trick-or-treat!" she cried suddenly, flinging a small plastic bag into her arms. She caught it automatically and watched him run into the night until his witchlight went out.

She opened the bag to find a few chocolate candies and a plastic pumpkin ring in it, along with a bottle of smoke that would explode once she threw it on the ground. What had just happened? Whatever it was, at least it wasn't the delivery of news of Sam's incapacitation. That was one of her certainties. But for some reason, it unsettled her.

Autumn made a sudden decision. She marched back into the garage and grabbed Angela's arm, ignoring her protests. Angela would never have anything to do with any of those boys on a normal day. In fact, she was probably already regretting the time she had wasted with them.

She came up to where Cherie and Mallboy were talking by the wall, and said with a smile, "Sorry, but my mom is here. We have to go now Cherie." He might have started to offer to give her a ride home himself, but Autumn ignored it. Cherie looked disgruntled as she ot on her cell phone to call her parents. Angela wasn't looking too disappointed anymore. She took the bag from Autumn.

"At least you managed to snag some sweets. Thanks Autumn. I love you!"

She fished out a chocolate and popped it into her mouth. She chewed it slowly before swallowing. After a moment of watching Cherie talk in French to her mother for a minute, before she turned back to Autumn and opened her mouth. Instead of words, though, a shrill whistle came out of her mouth. Even Cherie glanced up at her.

Autumn just laughed, but Angela looked rather offended. "Trick or treat!" Autumn said happily.