Robbie smiled. “You right to be mad at her. The whole school knows she had the other cheerleaders keep you out of the bathrooms so you wet yourself. That’s why you are wearing that diaper, isn’t it?”

I looked at him with surprise. “Clara, a forgetfulness charm,” I hissed at her.

She stood in front of him with her batwings outspread as she reached into her miracle bag.

“I won’t tell,” he said. “You got her worried about something.”

I waved Clara off. “Go on.”

“I don’t know what her deal is. It’s over the line doing that to another student.” He looked longingly at me. “At least you don’t have to date Amy. I’d rather date you because you are smart.”

“You are dating Amy?” I asked.

“Yes,” he said. “The quarterback of the football team always dates the head cheerleader in high school. That’s what my mother and father say. They were quarterback and head cheerleader in high school.” He shrugged. “Amy sure is dull. AP Physics is the only class I have without Amy. That and football practice, but the cheerleaders are right next to us then.” He took my hand but thought better about it. He looked at me instead. “I’m sorry about the diaper and her making you wet your pants for a whole month straight. He looked down from the bell tower. We better get our experimental items and return to class.

We went down the ladder and he helped me to the ground when we got to the third floor landing. We went out the first floor door and picked up our toys. The cannonball and the paratrooper toy were the best. I wondered why this school was so cool, except for an angry cheerleader who made other students wet their pants.

Back in class we had to answer our workbook questions. We weren’t allowed to do that part together, so I did it by myself. “Why did the paratrooper and the feather fall at a different time than the other objects?” I put something about air resistance. I finished the paper and turned it in and sat beside Robbie. Just then the bell rang. I started to get up, but everyone else was seated.

Robbie looked at me. “It’s just the announcements period.”

“That’s right,” I said. We set and gossiped, but then the loudspeaker started to blare.

Everyone stood and I stood a second later. Someone lead the Pledge of Allegiance and then we all sat down. “South High Students, this Friday is Halloween and we are too old for trick or treating, and too young for bar-hopping. Instead we are having a high school dance. Wear your most scariest costume and the winning boy and girl will be crowned Halloween King and Queen.”

I leaned over and looked at Robbie. “I wish you could take me.”

He looked back at me. “I was going to go with Amy…”

I shrugged and gave a disappointed look.

“…but, why not. It’s not homecoming or prom. Maria, will you be my date for the Halloween dance?”

Amy was going to be so mad at me, but Maria deserved this night of fun. What was the worse thing that could happen? “Of course I will go to the Halloween dance with you,” I said.

4. Thrifting

I had never been dropped off at a Goodwill in a chauffeured Rolls, but a driver and a blonde body was a new thing for me.

“What are we doing here?” asked Clara. She stretched out her bat-wings. Her horns were less prominent today and they were getting smaller and smaller. Soon her halo would fit.

“What are we doing here?” asked Jimmy. He straighened his chauffeur’s cap and held the door for me.

“I am buying a Halloween costume for the dance.”

“This is a thrift store. The Halloween store is in the old closed Macy’s at the mall,” said Jimmy.

“I don’t want to be a slutty (insert name of occupation).”

“You can always be a sexy or trampy (insert name of occupation),” said Clara.

“So what are you looking for? Who are you going to be?” asked Jimmy.

“I don’t know. Let me look for something.” I walked away from the car and started to look around. The trucker hats were picked over. This was not a very good Goodwill. All the crap was gone. This was a Goodwill in an upscale neighbor hood. However, something did jump out on me. It was a nightgown with an ugly neck. I shrugged, held it up, and it looked like it would fit me.

“That looks awful,” said Clara. “What are you going for? Old lady?”

I shrugged. “It is ugly, but it looks just like something a Regan from the Exorcist wore.”

“Who’s Regan? The President?” It was give or take if Clara would get a pop culture reference. I hoped the other students at school would understand it. That movie came out way before I was born.

“It’s a horror movie character about a girl possessed by a demon,” I explained.

“Demons are fallen angels. They don’t go around possessing people. Well, not usually. A guardian angel would have to be a really big failure to allow that to happen.” She then blushed. “A bigger failure than me anyway.”

I shrugged. “Well, it’s just a movie. That’s what we humans think of when we think of Halloween monsters.”

Clara sighed. “Well find out what you need and we can make a costume.”