Avery & Matt shorts - 6. Halloween Party

Prompt # 454: Use the following in a story – costume, candy apple, big dog, a large bowl, and a broken mask

Halloween Party

"What the hell are you supposed to be?" Erin chuckled as she opened the door.

Matt quirked an eyebrow at her costume for the Halloween party. "What's with the broken mask and the black trench coat?"

Erin spread her arms in a "ta-da" motion. "I'm Hei."

Matt frowned down at his sister, confused. There was no way she would take any kind of drugs, and certainly not at mom's house. "You're high?" he repeated dumbfounded.

Erin rolled her eyes. "No, you idiot. Hei. H-E-I. As in the anime character..." she prompted, obviously expecting him to know what she was talking about. When he continued to stare at her blankly, she huffed. "From Darker than Black."

He stepped on into the house, shaking his head. "I still don't know what you are talking about."

"Figures." She closed the door behind him as he made his way to the kitchen.

His mom had an impressive spread for the neighborhood Halloween party already laid out. Candy apples, caramel popcorn, a large bowl of a pretzel snack mix with candy corn, a cheese and sausage platter, as well as a wide array of beverages.

"Mom went all out, I see."

"Yeah, she did. You know how she gets when entertaining. So where's Avery? And you still didn't tell me what you're supposed to be." She waved her hand up and down at him like it would sudden make the costume look better.

Matt glanced down at his pitiful little costume. He'd waited until the last possible minute to even decide that he was going to wear a costume. And he'd done so only because Avery was so excited about the party. As a last ditch effort, he'd cut an irregular shape from cardboard, drew an "S" on it and hung it around his neck.

"It'll make more sense when Avery gets here," he mumbled. Although in retrospect, he probably should have made more of an effort.

"Fine, where is he, anyway? The other guests will be getting here soon, and mom wants pictures."

"He'll be here in a minute. He was coming from the library. He did some reading for a children's group."

"In his costume? I'm sure they loved that."

"Most kids do love big dogs," Matt quipped as he popped a pretzel in his mouth.

"Big dogs? What is he? Clifford?"

"Who's Clifford?"

"God, Matt, are you really that lame?" Erin groaned. "You know, Clifford, the Big Red Dog?"

He reached for more pretzels, and Erin smacked his hand. "Stop eating all the food."

"Alright, alright." He held up his hands defensively.

"So what—?" Erin started to ask again, but a knock interrupted them, and Matt could see his boyfriend through the textured glass sidelight at the door.

"Go see for yourself," he urged, waiting for her to turn her back to him before snagging another couple pretzels.

Erin opened the door for Avery, smiling widely at his costume.

"Ruh-roh," Avery greeted with a huge smile.

Erin grinned, laughing as she cast her gaze back at her brother. "Big dog, huh?"

"What? He is," Matt said around a mouthful of pretzels.

"Yeah, but it still doesn't explain what you're supposed to be," Erin snipped.

Avery bounded over to him, kissing him deeply before licking his cheek.

"Aww come on!" Matt wrinkled his nose as he wiped at his jaw.

Avery giggled before slapping Matt on the stomach. "He's my Scooby Snack!"