The Boy Next Door

"Come on, it will be fun! I promise you." Alex says. He's trying to make me go to this Halloween party this Saturday night at Zack's friends's house.

"Alright, alright. But I'm not dressing up." I surrender. I never dressed up before for halloween, because where I used to live, we don't really celebrate it. But I wouldn't say no to a party.

"Why? You're no fun! Come on, it's that time of the year when you can dress up as someone else!" He pleas

I laugh, "What are you gonna dress up as anyways?"

"Actually, I do know what I'm gonna be. I was gonna ask you to help me with my make up. I was thinking of dressing up as a skeleton this year, maybe you can help me put on the face paint with those talented hands of yours?" Alex asks

"Yeah I can do that." I nod

"And now for you. Pretty please dress up this halloween! It's gonna be so much fun!" He pouts and takes my hand

I shake my head, "Oh God, not again. This is the 3rd time in a row that I've given in to you. And yes, alright, I'll make an effort to dress up this year."

"That's my girl!" He ruffles my hair, "You can ask the others to come too, if they haven't had anything planned."

The next day I find out that my friends are also gonna be going to the same party and ask me to come with them before I even say anything. Everyone's so hyped up about halloween, thinking of what they're gonna dress up as. Apparently it's a really huge thing here, unlike where I used to live.

Friday after school, we go straight to the mall and search for our costume. Call me cheap call me whatever you want but I don't really feel like buying a costume just for one occasion and throwing it away after that, I was actually thinking if I could make something with the things I already have in my closet. I.. have been saving money for other things. Besides, I don't exactly know what I wanna be yet.

And on Saturday, me and the girls, we've decided to get ready at Jas' just like we did for homecoming. Alex and the others are gonna come pick us up later before going to the party. Another good thing that's also changed, Alex, Jack, Rian and Zack have gotten kind of close to my friends. I'm really happy about this now that everyone's friends with each other. Alex's perspective of my friends have changed, and everyone's happy.

At around 8-ish, the boys arrive at Jas' and we all hang out for a bit while waiting for the rest to touch up our costume and make up. I end up dressing up as a pop art character, complete with the make up that I looked up on the internet and bright colourful outfit. I look like I just step out of a comic book.

"You look terrific!" Alex comments as he sees me

"Thanks." I kiss him hello, "Now, come here. Let me do your make up."

I tell him to sit down so I could start working on his face. He keeps giggling from time to time, complaining about how the brush tickles his face. After I finish, he actually looks really good with usual black converse, black ripped jeans and a black denim shirt that goes with the make up. He still has his ankle bandaged, which hopefully will be taken off some time next week.

"Look how grim and scary looking I am compared to you." He points at my colourful clothing

"And look at Jack Barakat!" I get distracted as I see Jack coming in

He's dressed in a tight Batman onesie, complete with the mask to hide his face. I give him a hug as we say hello, "Looking good there yourself, Gail." Jack says

"Good luck going to the toilet in that costume." I say

"Oh, peeing is not my main concern in this kind of situation if you know what I mean." He winks

We all laugh and head to the car. The drive to the house isn't too long and in 15 minutes, we've arrived at the party. The guys say hi to the host and then we go ahead and find something to drink. I pour myself my usual drink, coke with a little bit of vodka.

Alex comes up to me with a cold beer in one hand, "I don't like this beer but it's all they have. It's like having sex on a canoe." He complains

"And why is that so? Did you find out from experience?" I smirk

"Because it's fucking close to water!" He finishes the drink and put the bottle away

"Hey Gaskarth, Olson! Come here! We're playing a drinking game, we need 2 extra players!" Chris calls us out

I raise my glass, "You in?"

"I fancy a girlfriend who knows how to have fun." He smirks

---------------------------------------------------

"I'm dead."

"I didn't know you were that good at playing flip cup." Alex comes to sit beside me on the sofa

I grin, "There's more of me you've yet to discover."

"And I look forward to knowing you more." He grabs my hand

I smile at him and for a while, we just sit there on the sofa, holding hands and watch as the party goers do their thing. I place my head on Alex's shoulder, the scent of his usual cologne flushes my nose. Sometimes, I still can't believe the fact that.. Alex Gaskarth is my boyfriend. Alex Gaskarth that used to be my nemesis, is now someone who makes me happy. And I am indeed happy.

"Let's get out of here." Alex says out of the blue

"What?"

"Let's get out of this party." He tries to get up, but since his ankle is not fully healed yet, it's kind of difficult to do so

"Where to?" I ask

"Just.. Follow me." He takes my hand and leads me outside

It's 2 in the morning and I have no idea at all of where he's taking me to. But I follow him anyways. We both aren't completely sober, but not that wasted that we have no control of our sane mind. His ordered uber comes and we hop in it.

"A tattoo parlor?" I ask as we get out of the uber. He managed to find one that's still open at 2 in the morning

"Yes! I'm getting a tattoo!" Alex says

"Alex, you're drunk. You should not get a tattoo when you're drunk." I assure

"I'm serious! Come on in." He gets inside of the shop

"Alex! Look at me. Are you sure you're not gonna regret it?" I ask

"Yes.. I've been meaning to get one since as long as I can remember. There's no better time than now. Gail, I promise you, I'm not gonna regret any of it." Alex says reassuringly

I sigh, "Alright. Don't say I didn't warn you."

And so, my friends, that's how Alex Gaskarth ends up getting his first ever tattoo. I sit next to him as he's being repeatedly pricked with tiny needles on his forearm. Some time later, we get out of the tattoo parlour, with his freshly done tattoo.

"So, how was that?" I ask

He cringes, "It hurt like a bitch, but I'm pretty happy with the result."

I look at his tattoo once again, "Alex Gaskarth in a skeleton costume, now with a tattoo of a trick and treating skeleton dressing up as a skeleton on Halloween."

"Yep. Halloween is just simply my favourite holiday. And admit it, skeletons are cool, aren't they?" Alex holds out his forearm

"Well, I do like this skeleton standing in front of me." I grin

He smiles, "Do you know why this skeleton is dressed up as a skeleton?"

"Why?"

"Because you should never ever hide behind a mask, and you should always be yourself." He says

I laugh softly at his response. "Look at us now, at 3 in the morning, two kids in our halloween costume just waiting for our uber to come. You clearly have succeed in making me do the things I never thought I'd do in my high school years, Alex."

He plants a kiss on my lips, "Just spending the remains of our wasted youth."

Notes

I was hanging out with my American friend and she told me that sex on a canoe joke I couldn't help myself but put that in this story I swear I didn't stop laughing for 15 minutes straight