fic: halloween
They've never gotten trick-or-treaters at Grandma Ida's. The closest neighbors are ten minutes by car in either direction. There are no sidewalks. There is no point.
When Corbin was young enough for trick-or-treating, Grandma Ida would drive into town and he and Harley would go door-to-door in Harley's neighborhood. Afterwards, they would dump out their haul on Harley's kitchen table and trade back and forth - someone always gave out Good n' Plenty, which Corbin hated, so he would trade for Harley's Milky Ways.
Grandma Ida would take a picture of the boys, and Harley's dad always took some payment in exchange for letting them walk the neighborhood by themselves.
Corbin hasn't been trick-or-treating since he was thirteen, since before Harley's dad went to Iraq. He's much too old for it now, but sometimes he misses the camaraderie of being just one of a hundred kids on the street in costume.
He wonders if Harley misses it, the wearing costumes and begging for candy.
"Do you miss trick-or-treating?" he asks when he gets home from the gas station.
"Do I what?" is Harley's answer.
"Do you miss trick-or-treating."
Harley shrugs.
"I don't miss walking around in the cold," Corbin admits. "Did you make cupcakes?" There are two sitting on a plate in the kitchen. They have white frosting with candy pumpkins on top.
"Mrs Larsen did. She said I could take some home. I got candy, too. I know we're not going to get any trick-or-treaters, but it's chocolate, you know?"
Corbin knows. He understands.
Later that night they pop popcorn and find scary movies to watch on TV. Corbin turns off all the lights. He and Harley poke each other during suspenseful movie moments, then jump and giggle.
It's not dressing up in costume and trick-or-treating from house to house, but Corbin will take it. He'll never be too old to eat popcorn and watch monster movies. And he knows he'll always have Harley to watch them with. He'll never have to miss that.
When Corbin was young enough for trick-or-treating, Grandma Ida would drive into town and he and Harley would go door-to-door in Harley's neighborhood. Afterwards, they would dump out their haul on Harley's kitchen table and trade back and forth - someone always gave out Good n' Plenty, which Corbin hated, so he would trade for Harley's Milky Ways.
Grandma Ida would take a picture of the boys, and Harley's dad always took some payment in exchange for letting them walk the neighborhood by themselves.
Corbin hasn't been trick-or-treating since he was thirteen, since before Harley's dad went to Iraq. He's much too old for it now, but sometimes he misses the camaraderie of being just one of a hundred kids on the street in costume.
He wonders if Harley misses it, the wearing costumes and begging for candy.
"Do you miss trick-or-treating?" he asks when he gets home from the gas station.
"Do I what?" is Harley's answer.
"Do you miss trick-or-treating."
Harley shrugs.
"I don't miss walking around in the cold," Corbin admits. "Did you make cupcakes?" There are two sitting on a plate in the kitchen. They have white frosting with candy pumpkins on top.
"Mrs Larsen did. She said I could take some home. I got candy, too. I know we're not going to get any trick-or-treaters, but it's chocolate, you know?"
Corbin knows. He understands.
Later that night they pop popcorn and find scary movies to watch on TV. Corbin turns off all the lights. He and Harley poke each other during suspenseful movie moments, then jump and giggle.
It's not dressing up in costume and trick-or-treating from house to house, but Corbin will take it. He'll never be too old to eat popcorn and watch monster movies. And he knows he'll always have Harley to watch them with. He'll never have to miss that.