[Dunphy House]
The atmosphere in the Dunphy house was already set. Claire had transformed the entire ground floor into a spooky stage: fake cobwebs hung from the corners, the lights were strategically dimmed with candles and red lamps, and even the backyard had tables decorated with themed drinks and snacks.
The music played at a moderate volume, enough to give the place some energy without drowning out conversations. The first guests, friends of Phil, had already arrived and were wandering curiously through the decorations.
Upstairs, in Haley and Alex's room, the air was thick with perfume and makeup.
On the bed, Haley sat cross-legged, resting her chin on her hand as she watched her friend intently.
She was already in costume: a nun. Not the usual provocative kind that always tempted Haley and that Claire would never approve of. This time she had gone for a darker, more sinister look: gloomy attire, pale makeup, and dark shadows that made her look straight out of a horror movie.
In front of the mirror, sitting on a stool, was Willa. Her costume was even more unsettling, the Grim Reaper herself. She wore a long black robe with a wide hood. Leaning against the wall was her scythe, so realistic it looked stolen from a movie set.
Instead of a cheap skull mask, Willa had patiently been working on makeup that outlined her face with white strokes and deep dark hollows, just enough to create a chilling effect. A pair of skeleton gloves completed the illusion, matching the bony theme of her outfit.
On the table, brushes and makeup jars were piled up. Willa was focused on the final details in the mirror; she wasn't a makeup enthusiast, but once she started something, she did it well, she was meticulous.
Alex was there too, though unlike the other two, who were perfectly in tune with Halloween night, she wore a loose black hoodie and sat at her desk reading a book, jotting notes into a notebook.
Haley watched Willa in silence. Until she finally couldn't help herself.
"Tomorrow Andrew's going to the college game with Madison."
Willa paused her brush for a second. "Yeah? And what about it?" she asked, continuing her work.
Even Alex, sitting at the desk going over her notes, stopped her pen for a brief moment, though she quickly resumed writing with apparent indifference. Still, her ears were clearly tuned in.
"I don't know…" Haley said, crossing her arms, searching for the right words.
"Doesn't it bother you?" she added after a few seconds.
This time Willa actually put the brush down and turned to look directly at her.
"Bother me? Why would it? I'm not his toxic cousin like you."
Haley frowned immediately. "I'm not toxic!"
"Of course you are," Alex and Willa said in unison.
Haley made a face, then shrugged. "Okay, maybe a little. But it's because I care. I just don't want him dating any random girl who throws herself at him, and with Andrew's profile, that's bound to happen."
"Mom trained you well… a little too well," murmured Alex without looking up.
"She didn't train me," Haley shot back quickly. "Besides, Andrew's a bit toxic and protective too, with the guys I dated. And if you ever had one, he'd probably be the same. But well, the world would probably stop spinning before you get a boyfriend."
She didn't say it mockingly like in the old days, but as a simple, logical observation.
Alex closed her book and looked at her sister. In the past, she might've been offended by that comment, but seeing there was no malice, only logic, she didn't mind.
Still, there was something in that statement that wasn't true, and that was what she intended to respond to next.
"Andrew? Toxic and protective?" Alex repeated.
"That's not true. Protective, maybe, but more to soothe Mom's paranoia than out of his own initiative. Do you see him making a scene like you did just because some guy talked to you a little too flirty?"
Haley went silent, with nothing to say back. Alex was right. Andrew had never actually interfered with her relationships. He didn't approve of jerks, sure, but he never made a big deal out of it. With Dylan, he was always polite, not exactly eager to be friends, but never hostile either.
Alex continued, "He always accepted Dylan. And did you see him make any fuss about that new guy you're seeing? On the contrary, he congratulated you. Meanwhile, you took forever to accept Pippa, even Veronica, in that fake relationship, and now with Madison—"
"Okay, okay, I get it, enough!" Haley cut her off, raising her hand in annoyance.
Alex smiled faintly and reopened her book as if nothing had happened.
Haley sighed and turned back toward Willa, determined to return to the main topic.
"Fine. So… it really doesn't bother you about Madison?"
"I said no. Why would it?" Willa replied, looking at Haley.
"Oh, come on, Willa," Haley pressed, as if it were obvious.
"What? Go on, enlighten me, oh toxic cousin," Willa shot back with a crooked smile.
Haley huffed but didn't back down. "You and Andrew? Seriously, nothing? You two don't seem just like friends."
Willa leaned back on the stool and groaned. "Ugh… why does everyone see us that way?"
"Maybe because there's a reason, don't you think?" Haley replied, standing up. "You spent days and days giving him free acting lessons. Would you do that for Leonard or Howard? Spoiler alert: you'd kill Howard by the second class."
"If they asked me to… I would. They're my friends… maybe," Willa said quietly, with a trace of doubt that Haley caught immediately.
"See?" Haley jumped in, crossing her arms triumphantly. "You're different with Andrew. Don't deny it. It's not crazy to think there's a possible… something between you two."
Willa opened her mouth to respond, but Haley didn't give her the chance.
"For example," Haley went on, pointing her finger, "I saw you two reading comics in bed, lying next to each other, laughing in sync like an old married couple. What the hell is that? Do you do that with Howard and Leonard?"
"No, I don't," Willa said, her tone sharper now and her earlier smirk gone. "But that doesn't mean anything—"
"Of course it does," Haley interrupted, grinning like she'd hit the mark. "The thing is, neither of you wants to admit it."
Willa frowned, and Haley instinctively took a small step back. She knew she was pushing it and risking Willa's temper, but she'd gone too far to stop now.
"There's nothing to admit because there's nothing. Period," Willa stated firmly. Then she took a deep breath, her expression softening. "But let's say you're right… Would you even want me to be with Andrew? Would I have your blessing?"
"Of course you'd have my blessing!" Haley said instantly, with a wide, sincere smile. "You and Andrew would be amazing together!"
Willa stared at her, surprised, she hadn't expected that much enthusiasm or such a quick blessing. Luckily, Alex stepped in just in time, giving Willa a way out.
"I see exactly where this is going," Alex said calmly.
"What do you mean?" Haley asked, frowning slightly.
Alex adjusted her glasses and replied evenly, "You want Willa to be with Andrew because it would make you feel at ease. You wouldn't have to be jealous or go into protective mode every time a new girl shows up around him. Willa's your friend, you know her, you trust her. Deep down, what you really want is to feel in control of the situation."
Haley opened her mouth to reply but found nothing to say.
Willa, on the other hand, smiled for the first time in several minutes and nodded. "Exactly. Finally, someone logical. See, Haley? That's all it is. There's nothing between Andrew and me. Maybe I treat him differently because I see him as a closer friend than Leonard or Howard, that's all."
"If you want to give it a name…" she added casually, "I'd say we're best friends. But that's it."
Haley fell silent, thoughtful, though she still didn't seem fully convinced.
"I'm going to the bathroom, be right back," Willa said, standing up and leaving the room.
The moment Willa left, Haley turned toward her sister, who had already gone back to reading as if nothing had happened.
"Why are you sabotaging me!?" she whispered harshly, her tone frustrated.
"I'm not sabotaging you," Alex replied calmly without looking up.
"Yes, you are."
"No, Haley. I'm just being realistic. I'm not going to force a romance just because you and half the world think you see one between them."
Haley huffed, crossing her arms. "Oh, come on. Don't tell me you don't see it too? Best friends? Yeah, right."
In Haley's mind, it was impossible for a guy and a girl to be that close as best friends without something more underneath. Sure, they could be friends, like Willa was with Leonard and Howard, or even like Haley herself was with them, but not with the level of connection and chemistry that Andrew and Willa had.
Alex lowered her book slightly and looked at her with patience. "You're right. There's a reason everyone notices," she admitted with a small shrug.
"Then why are you sabotaging me!?" Haley insisted, pointing an accusing finger at her.
"Because Andrew's the one who decided to invite Madison. He's showing interest in that cheerleader, so the logical thing is to let him do whatever he wants. If he wants to go out with her, let him. It's not our business," Alex replied firmly.
She returned to her book, ending the discussion.
She didn't say it out loud, but deep down Alex was far less convinced than she appeared. Madison didn't strike her as anything more than a passing interest for her cousin. Sure, she could be wrong, but the few times she'd seen them together, especially on game days, she hadn't sensed any real spark from Andrew. And she knew him well.
On the other hand, Alex wasn't blind to the whole Willa-and-Andrew thing. If any relationship truly had potential, if there was genuine, natural chemistry that went beyond normal friendship, it was theirs. But if they both insisted there was nothing between them, who was she to argue?
The last thing Alex wanted was to repeat the family's usual pattern: everyone meddling in Andrew's love life under the pretense of protecting him, or just out of nosiness. She refused to do that. In her mind, it was clear: in the end, it was up to Andrew and Willa, and only them, to decide what they were or weren't.
Haley clicked her tongue and dropped the subject. Willa returned a few minutes later, and no one brought it up again. They were all ready, and just then, the door burst open.
"What's going on? Are you ready yet, or are you still in an eternal makeup session?" said a voice dripping with irony.
Andrew walked in as if the room belonged to him. He was wearing a Jason mask, holding Lily in one arm, the little girl clinging to his neck like a koala, and in his free hand, he held the iconic machete.
Behind him appeared Howard and Leonard, in costume: the former as the Joker, the latter as Scarecrow.
"Why do you come in without knocking?" scolded Willa, raising her scythe as if to defend their territory. "What if one of us was changing?"
"Oh, please," Andrew replied unfazed, lifting his mask to reveal his face. "If you were still changing at this hour, you'd be ready by the time the party's over."
Willa gave him a half-smile, recognizing that, in part, he had a point. But her eyes soon shifted to Lily, still clinging to Andrew's neck. She softened her tone and stepped closer.
"Lily came too?"
Haley leaned in too, melting at the sight of the little girl's tiny Halloween outfit, a pumpkin-print pajama set.
"Yes," Andrew replied calmly, gently adjusting the back of Lily's head. "The babysitter canceled on my dads at the last minute. I found them at the door, Mitch was already ranting like crazy. So, Lily's sleeping here tonight. Your mom set up Luke's old crib in her room."
"She's so cute…" Haley said softly, brushing her little cousin's hand.
Willa tried speaking to Lily sweetly, but the girl only let out a sleepy whimper, too tired and too comfortable in Andrew's arms to move. Willa sighed and left her be.
She turned her attention to Howard and Leonard, who stood nearby, clearly waiting for their moment to be acknowledged.
"Great costumes, guys," Willa said with a smile, nodding in approval.
"Yeah, you really went all out," added Haley, impressed by the level of detail.
"Thank you," said Howard, giving an exaggerated bow.
Leonard, meanwhile, simply nodded with a shy smile, pleased that someone noticed his effort.
Howard, hands on his hips, gave Haley and Willa an evaluating look. "You two look amazing too," he said, rubbing his chin as if inspecting every detail.
Haley and Willa exchanged a knowing glance, they could already see where this was going. And indeed, it came.
"If Death came for me and it was you," Howard said to Willa, "believe me, I'd let myself be taken without a fight. And if a nun showed up in my bed in the middle of the night," he added, turning to Haley with a smile, "I swear I'd become a believer in a second."
Haley rolled her eyes. "Say one more thing like that tonight and I'll tell your girlfriend. Let's see how she takes it."
Willa crossed her arms and smirked mischievously. "Good idea. She'll get mad, and then you'll have to get on your knees to apologize. Literally."
Howard raised both hands in surrender. "Okay, okay… I'll shut up."
"But I'm actually impressed you're spending Halloween with us. I thought you'd be glued to your girlfriend like a hormonal parasite. Respect," said Haley, genuinely surprised.
Truthfully, they had all thought the same, once Howard got a girlfriend, they expected him to vanish from the group completely to be with her.
Howard grinned smugly. "Told you, I don't ditch my friends. I'm a man in control of his instincts. Not everything is about sex."
Leonard, without even raising his voice, called him out immediately. "Tell the truth, Howard."
Silence filled the room. Haley and Willa both raised an eyebrow in perfect sync. Even Andrew tilted his head slightly, waiting for the confession, since he wasn't in on the story.
Howard sighed, knowing there was no escape. "Fine. She stayed home… studying. Like her," he said, pointing at Alex, the perfect example.
"You've got a girlfriend with a future. Congratulations," Alex said, eyes still on her book.
"So she's a nerd?" Haley asked, crossing her arms.
"No, no, not that obsessed with studying that she'd lock herself up on Halloween," Howard clarified quickly. "Her mom made her. She's got a test on Monday, and tonight her mom gave her a choice: either go to the Mater Dei game and study afterward, or go to a Halloween party and have studied beforehand."
"So she chose the game," Willa cut in with a half-smile. "Looks like watching her school advance in the playoffs is more important than Halloween, or making out with her boyfriend."
"That girl's the one who really knows how to control her instincts," Haley said with a laugh.
Howard huffed and shot Andrew an accusatory look. "Thanks a lot, man, because everyone wants to see you break records and destroy rivals, I can't spend Halloween with my girlfriend."
But it wasn't just his girlfriend. The whole of Mater Dei was in the same boat. In the hallways, the cafeteria, between classes, all anyone talked about was the football team. Their perfect streak, how unstoppable they seemed on their way to the sectional championship. And at the center of it all: Andrew, the quarterback who was rewriting how high school football was played.
Miss a typical Halloween party or witness historic games being broadcast nationally and regionally as must-see events? The choice was obvious.
Andrew shrugged, not quite sure what to say.
While Haley, Howard, and Leonard chatted among themselves, Willa approached Andrew. "Ready to fake a heart attack at any moment?" she asked quietly.
"Of course," Andrew nodded without hesitation. "Let's say everything goes according to plan, right when my aunt pulls the prank, I fake the heart attack with perfect timing… What do you think the odds are she actually believes it?"
Willa paused, biting her lower lip slightly, enough to make Andrew raise an eyebrow.
"Be realistic, it's fine," he said.
Willa sighed. "Low. Pulling off a convincing heart attack is hard. You need to fool the other person completely. It takes strong acting skills to sell the illusion."
Andrew nodded slowly, accepting the dose of reality, but Willa went on, trying to lift his spirits. "Still, we've got some factors in our favor: loud music, dim lighting, and if your aunt gets a little tipsy, with some luck, it'll be easier to fool her."
"Yeah, we'll have to get her drunk indirectly," Andrew said more seriously. If he brought her a glass of wine or anything, Claire would immediately sense something was off and refuse. She had to drink socially with her friends, no suspicion involved.
At that moment, the door swung open.
"Guys, the party's started! Are you ready?" Claire called out, poking her head into the room.
"Yes, Mom, we're coming," Haley answered, already used to her mother barging in without knocking.
Claire smiled politely at everyone, but when her eyes met Andrew's, the air grew tense for a brief moment. They stared at each other, both fully aware that the game was already on. Andrew narrowed his eyes slightly, his expression a mix of calm focus and quiet challenge.
"I'm going to take Lily to sleep in my room," Claire said finally, stepping closer to lift the little girl from Andrew's arms. "I've already got the crib ready. I'll put her to bed myself."
"Alright," Andrew said, carefully handing Lily over, as if his baby sister might suddenly become another piece in the twisted game he and Claire were playing.
Claire left the room with her usual confident stride.
The silence broke when Howard snapped his fingers.
"Alright, let's go, the adult-with-teenagers party. It's gonna be weird, I admit."
He wasn't wrong. It wasn't a typical teenage party, more of a hybrid: neighbors, family friends, and of course, them… the only teenagers there.
Andrew adjusted his Jason mask and headed out with Willa, the two of them chatting and laughing quietly about something. Haley followed them with narrowed eyes, watching suspiciously, while Howard stood beside her.
Leonard was the last to leave, but he paused in the doorway. He looked back inside, Alex was still sitting at her desk, focused on her book as if the party existed in another universe.
"You're not coming?" Leonard asked.
Alex shook her head without looking up. "I don't like parties."
Leonard leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed. "Come on, it'll be fun, and it won't last long. Plus, it's not some typical school party with deafening music and chaos everywhere. It'll be more chill. We can actually talk and hang out with everyone."
Alex hesitated, absently spinning her pen between her fingers. Finally, she looked up, uncertain. "I don't have a costume."
Leonard raised an eyebrow. "You don't have an old one lying around?"
Alex stood slowly, closing her book. "Yeah, plenty actually. My mom never throws anything away, she keeps them all in boxes."
Leonard smiled. "Perfect. I'll help you pick one."
Alex studied him for a moment, as if deciding whether he was serious, then finally nodded, leaving her notes behind.
The party began, and the twisted game between Andrew and Claire was officially underway.
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