The night went on.
Andrew stayed alert, every step calculated, waiting for the moment Claire would try to pull her prank, but surprisingly, she seemed to pay him no attention.
Meanwhile, they all stuck together: wandering around the house, chatting, trying out the ping-pong table and the darts Phil had taken from the garage.
Howard and Haley made several attempts to get alcohol through Willa, since she was the oldest in the group and could drink with permission. But Willa was firm: no matter how much they begged or tried to bribe her, she refused to hand over even a single beer. She had permission, her mother trusted her, and she occasionally drank in moderation, but she wasn't a fan of alcohol, and she definitely wasn't about to risk her neck in front of Claire.
Still, the party was fun. It was different from the one Andrew had gone to after the Mater Dei vs. Servite game, or from his usual hangouts with his friends. Even Alex, who usually kept her distance, had joined in and was enjoying herself, fitting in better despite the age difference.
Time flew by amid laughter, games, and conversations that bounced from one topic to another.
Finally, around 1:55 a.m., all the guests had left. What remained were only the traces of a party: plastic cups everywhere, streamers hanging half-fallen, a couple of smashed decorative pumpkins in the yard (courtesy of Luke), and soft music still playing in the background.
"No way… did she forget?" Andrew muttered, dropping into a chair, puzzled.
The lights were already on, and Claire was rushing around the living room, doing a quick cleanup so she wouldn't wake up the next morning to a wrecked house.
There had been no prank from her. And therefore, none from him either, he needed Claire to make the first move before he could fake his heart attack.
"Maybe she did," Willa said, settling beside him with a glass in hand and taking a long sip. "Your control-freak aunt, finally leaving that crazy competition behind, she's maturing," she added with a small laugh.
Andrew shook his head. "Impossible. Two years in a row forgetting about the competition? I don't buy it."
Then he narrowed his eyes at her. "Don't you think you've had enough beer already?"
"I'm fine, officer. This amount is nothing," Willa replied with a grin, swirling her cup.
Andrew held her gaze for a few seconds, then turned his head, scanning the room for his aunt.
Nearby, Manny let out a huge yawn, almost contagious.
"Let's go, mi amor. You've got a big day tomorrow," Gloria said, standing up and ruffling his hair. Then, raising her voice, she yelled, "Jay! Hurry up in the bathroom!"
Mitchell, sitting nearby, jolted awake at the sudden shout. He'd gotten up early and worked all day, his body couldn't handle these late-night parties anymore.
"I think it's time for us to go too," he murmured through a yawn.
Cam nodded beside him. "I'll get Lily, and we'll head out."
At that moment, Claire reappeared with a trash bag in hand. She set it down and smiled wearily. "I'll go get her," she offered.
Cam nodded gratefully and waited while Claire climbed the stairs with determined steps.
Willa frowned, turning to Andrew. "And Leonard and Howard? I have to drive them home, I'm basically their personal chauffeur," she huffed. "Howard better buy that Batmobile soon."
Still watching the stairs where Claire had disappeared, Andrew answered almost absently, "Leonard's asleep on the couch in the living room. And Howard… probably texting his girlfriend."
He saw his parents getting ready to leave and stood up as well, followed by Willa, who was already heading off to wake the sleepy Leonard and put an end to Howard's endless romantic chat.
Jay came out of the bathroom grumbling, "Can't even take a leak in peace," muttering as he buckled his belt.
Andrew barely heard him. His attention was fixed on the staircase.
There she was. She had Lily in her arms, wrapped in a blanket, standing just a few steps from beginning her descent.
And then it happened.
Claire tripped on the last step. Her foot slipped, and in an instant of absolute horror, her arms jerked and Lily, still wrapped in the blanket, flew through the air.
"NO!" screamed Claire, her voice tearing through the room.
Time seemed to stop. Everyone turned their heads toward the same spot, the small figure falling down the stairs at terrifying speed.
Andrew's heart lurched violently in his chest. He felt his blood turn cold as his legs moved on instinct.
Mitch let out a sharp shriek; Cam screamed his daughter's name, his voice cracking with panic. Gloria covered her mouth, Jay froze in place, Manny jolted awake with eyes wide open. Willa, standing next to Andrew, felt her heart begin to race.
The silence shattered with a dull, heavy thud as the figure hit the floor.
A chill swept through the room.
Andrew was the first to reach it, dropping to his knees, trembling as he pulled back the blanket, and there it was.
A baby. Small, with features so lifelike it made his stomach twist. But it wasn't breathing. It wasn't crying.
It wasn't Lily. It was a doll.
Within seconds, Mitch, Cam, Gloria, Manny, Jay, and Willa surrounded him, staring with their hearts in their throats.
For one eternal second, no one processed what they were seeing. Then Andrew looked up at his aunt, disbelief written all over his face.
Claire stood at the top of the stairs, hands over her mouth as if trying to hold back laughter, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction.
"What happened?!" Phil shouted as he rushed into the room, alarmed by his wife's scream and the cries from Cam and Mitch.
"Seriously, Claire?" whispered Mitch, pale and still trembling, his voice barely holding.
Cam couldn't even speak.
From upstairs, Alex and Haley came running out of their room, peeking over the railing without understanding what was going on. Leonard and Howard hurried in from the living room too.
It was Gloria who broke the silence, glaring furiously at Jay. "Your daughter is CRAZY! Manny, we're leaving." She grabbed his hand and dragged him toward the door, giving him no choice.
Jay, finally processing the scene, just shook his head. He preferred not to say anything, the night was over. Without a word, he followed Gloria out.
Mitch, still in shock, turned to his sister. "You crossed the line this time, Claire."
Phil, Leonard, and Howard, who still didn't quite understand, asked in unison, "What happened?"
"She nearly gave all of us a heart attack," Willa said, still shaken. "She pretended Lily fell down the stairs," she added, pointing at the fake baby.
Howard and Leonard exchanged an awkward glance. They could only mutter, "Oh…"
They knew about the twisted prank war between Andrew and Claire, and honestly, considering Andrew had planned to fake a heart attack to scare her, this wasn't that far off.
"So that's what all those scream rehearsals were for," said Phil, half astonished, half resigned.
From the top of the stairs, Claire straightened up, crossing her arms proudly.
"Exactly. I practiced my desperate scream. How was it? A ten?"
Alex and Haley stood beside her, both looking at her with that mix of disbelief and weary familiarity.
"I'm not surprised, but this is way too much," said Alex, rubbing the bridge of her nose. Her mother was insane, and this just confirmed it further.
"And I'm supposed to be the one with issues," muttered Haley, rolling her eyes.
The collective judgment fell upon Claire, every look around the room was filled with reproach and disbelief. Until a different sound broke the silence. A slow, deliberate clap.
Everyone turned their heads at once. It was Andrew, still half-kneeling beside the doll on the floor, staring up at her. He was clapping calmly, a faint smile on his face, and a flicker of respect in his eyes.
"Bravo, Aunt," he said softly, but loud enough for everyone to hear.
Everyone stared at him in stunned silence. Was he seriously showing respect after that prank?
Andrew accepted that he'd lost. This year, the game belonged to Claire.
He couldn't fake his heart attack now, she'd completely caught him off guard, and trying it afterward would just look forced, maybe even pathetic.
Cam looked back toward the stairs and started climbing furiously.
"Where's Lily?" he demanded, wasting no time on scolding.
"She's still sleeping in her crib," Claire replied quickly, stepping aside with her hands raised in a gesture of peace.
Cam huffed, not even glancing at her, and hurried past into the bedroom to see for himself.
A minute later he returned, holding his sleeping daughter in his arms, and without another word headed straight for the door.
"Let's go, Andrew," said Mitchell, his voice still shaky as he gave his son a gentle pat on the shoulder.
"Yeah, I'll be right there, give me a sec," Andrew replied, grabbing his mask from the table and glancing toward Willa, who was chatting animatedly with Leonard and Howard about how crazy Claire was, though her tone carried a hint of admiration.
He noticed she was unusually cheerful and talkative. She definitely couldn't drive, even if she wasn't that drunk, it would be risky.
Claire descended the stairs, stopping Andrew with a look, "So… I won this year," she said with a half-smile.
Andrew stayed silent for a moment, brows slightly furrowed. Then, finally, he nodded in resignation.
"Yeah," he said. The word came out reluctantly, as if it cost him more than he'd admit.
"Three to two, I'm in the lead," Claire said, holding back the urge to celebrate. In another setting she would've jumped with excitement, proudly proclaiming her victory. But seeing everyone's pale faces, she knew making a show of it now would be digging her own grave.
The group began to file out of the house.
Phil, as always, tried to smooth things over, "Good night, everyone. And just to be clear, I had no idea about any of this. None. Please don't associate me with that prank," he said, raising his hands almost pleadingly, desperate to distance himself from his wife's mischief.
Andrew said goodbye to Phil and followed his parents outside. Before they got into the car, he spoke up.
"Willa had a bit too much to drink. She has to drop off Howard and Leonard and then go home. I'll drive her, she shouldn't be behind the wheel right now. I'll figure out my ride back later."
Mitchell and Cam exchanged a quick glance and nodded.
"If you want, after I drop off Cam and Lily, I can pick you up from Willa's place," Mitchell offered.
"No need. I'll figure something out. But if I see I've got no choice, I'll call you. Either way, I'll be home in twenty minutes tops," Andrew assured them.
With that, he said goodbye and walked over to Willa. Leonard and Howard were already sitting in the back of the truck, seatbelts fastened, as if they knew the risk they were about to face: Willa's reckless driving, now worsened by the beers she'd had.
"Of course, both of you in the back. No faith in my driving skills," Willa huffed, about to open the driver's door.
Andrew stopped her, gripping her wrist firmly. "You're not driving," he said seriously.
"I'm fine, Andrew. What I drank was nothing. I can drive," she replied, half-offended, half-amused.
"No." Andrew didn't move an inch. "Do the test."
"What test?"
"The balance test. Stand up straight, arms up, count backwards from fifty, no wobbling."
"Seriously?" Willa scoffed, though the spark of amusement in her eyes gave her away. She accepted the challenge, stood tall, raised her arms, and began to count, "Fifty, forty-nin… forty-eigh…"
She stumbled. Andrew was already there, catching her by the waist before she could fall.
Willa ended up against his chest, laughing. "I failed, officer," she said, raising her hands as if surrendering.
Andrew smiled, locking eyes with her. "So, will you let me drive you home?"
Willa sighed dramatically, "Fine. You win." She walked over to the passenger seat without another word.
As soon as Andrew sat behind the wheel, Leonard and Howard let out a synchronized sigh of relief.
Willa slowly turned toward them, raising a brow in mock threat. "And why are you two sighing like that?"
"For no reason," they both replied at once, sitting up straight like kids caught red-handed.
Andrew started the truck and began the drive. He dropped Howard off first, then Leonard, and about ten minutes later parked in front of Willa's house, where she lived with her stepfather and mother.
"Where should I park it?" Andrew asked.
"There's fine," Willa said, pointing.
Andrew nodded, turned the wheel, and shut off the engine.
"Well, here we are," he said. The inside of the truck filled with an odd silence.
"Yeah… Halloween's over, and you lost. What a shame," Willa said after a few seconds.
Andrew let out a frustrated sigh. "I didn't even get to fake the heart attack. I froze. Days of practice for nothing."
"It's not your fault," Willa said softly, glancing at him. "No one expected a prank like that from your aunt. She's completely insane."
Andrew smiled faintly. "She likes to win. She'll do whatever it takes."
"Yeah, that's obvious," Willa laughed, shaking her head. "But hey, at least the practice sessions were fun, right?"
"Yeah, it was fun having you teach me," Andrew said, looking at her.
Willa held his gaze for a few seconds before smiling back. "Same. It was fun teaching you."
They stayed like that for a moment, silent, looking at each other, until they both turned away almost at the same time, their eyes returning to the windshield.
The silence settled again, but this time, Willa was the one who broke it.
"By the way, a little before the party, Haley talked to me about something…"
Andrew raised an eyebrow. "What something?" he asked, curious.
Willa explained that Haley had mentioned noticing something different between them, a kind of romantic chemistry, and had asked if it bothered her that Andrew was going out with Madison the next day.
When she finished recounting it, Andrew let out a sigh, ran a hand over his forehead, and shook his head with a resigned grimace. "That meddler," he muttered irritably.
"Yeah, she's very meddlesome," Willa agreed, rolling her eyes. After a moment of silence, she added, "But it's weird, isn't it? It's not the first time someone's said it. Remember Howard and Leonard at the last Comic-Con?"
Andrew remembered when those two had told him they saw something between him and Willa. And they weren't the only ones. He'd overheard his parents in a recent conversation, commenting on the "spark" between them during the acting lessons they shared.
Why did everyone see that? And now, with those odd silences that occasionally happened between him and Willa, Andrew couldn't help feeling increasingly paranoid about it all.
"I remember. What if we do like each other and just haven't realized it?" Andrew asked, half-joking.
Willa laughed, tilting her head. "Maybe. Everyone knows it except us."
But then her expression shifted. She lowered her gaze slightly, and her tone softened.
"Kidding aside… I don't want those comments to make things awkward between us. You're my.." She swallowed, as if the word stuck in her throat. "my best friend."
Andrew looked at her curiously, sensing a hint of emotion she rarely showed.
"Best friend?" he repeated, smiling gently. "I like how that sounds."
The truth was, Andrew had never really had a best friend in the full sense of the term. Howard and Leonard were close, sure, but as an inseparable duo he'd joined later. Same with Steve, Archie, Kevin, and Reggie, his childhood friends, they were all friends together, but there'd never been that one-on-one bond.
So hearing Willa say it like that meant something special.
"You're my best friend too," Andrew said sincerely. "And if we have to compete with Leonard and Howard as a duo, we'll do it." He smiled, lightening the mood. "And don't worry, nosy people's comments aren't going to ruin what we've got."
Willa watched him quietly for a few seconds before smiling.
"That's great. I feel lighter already, I'll be able to sleep well tonight," she said as she climbed out of the truck.
Andrew got out too, shut the door, and handed her the keys.
"Come inside," she said right away. "I'll ask Brian to drive you home. You're not walking twenty or thirty minutes at two in the morning, no matter how much cardio you want to do."
Andrew was about to protest but just exhaled, "Fine, whatever you say. Is he awake?"
"Awake? At this hour, he's just getting warmed up with his ideas and scripts," Willa said, unlocking the door and stepping inside with him.
Once in, Willa went to Brian's studio and asked him to give Andrew a ride home, explaining the situation.
Brian agreed without hesitation, first thanking Andrew for bringing her home safely, though he did lightly scold Willa for drinking and thinking she could drive.
The legendary screenwriter and director drove him himself. The ride was calm, and when they parked in front of the Pritchett-Tucker house, Brian turned to Andrew before saying goodbye.
"Thanks, Andrew."
"You already thanked me, sir, it was no trouble giving Willa a ride," Andrew replied modestly.
"That's not what I mean," Brian said, shaking his head. "I mean for everything. Before she met you, Willa never really had close friends. The environment she grew up in… Hollywood, the masks, the fake gestures, her tastes and her personality never quite fit in. Now she has you, Howard, Leonard. And your cousin too. I've seen her much happier since she met all of you."
Andrew smiled, genuinely touched. "I'm glad to hear that. She's a great friend."
Brian nodded with a small smile. "By the way, congratulations on the game. I watched it, an incredible performance, as always. I feel bad for the Crespi boys."
Andrew laughed, rubbing the back of his neck, a little embarrassed. "I always give my best, but yeah, I guess it must've been rough for them. That's football, you win or you lose."
Then he added naturally, "Next Friday we play the quarterfinals. It'd be great if you came."
He knew Brian was a football fan, they'd first met at the summer tournament where Andrew had played Eyeshield 21, and he was sure Brian would get along great with Jay.
"It would be an honor," Brian said sincerely. "Though I'll have to convince Willa, you know how she is."
Andrew grinned. "Leave that to me. I'll take care of it."
If he couldn't get his best friend accept, it would be a real embarrassment. He said goodbye, got out of the car, and walked up to his front door.
Halloween and the first playoff game were behind him. Tomorrow, he had a college game to watch.
...
Author's Note:
And Halloween comes to an end. It took me longer than I expected to wrap up :y
I also wanted to use this story arc to close out the Will theme, and this is my final decision: Willa and Andrew will remain just friends.
That doesn't mean there aren't hidden feelings between them, there probably are, but Willa, who never really had close friends before and tends to see things with a realistic lens, understands what's at stake.
She knows that if she ever takes the next step or tries to start something romantic with Andrew, things will inevitably change. And if it doesn't work out, she risks losing not only him, but also the circle of friends that came with him, because, let's be honest, Howard and Leonard are Andrew's friends mostly, and Haley, though fond of Willa, is still Andrew's cousin first.
Looking at the bigger picture, Willa isn't willing to gamble all that away. For her, keeping Andrew as her best friend is worth far more than risking everything for a what if.
...
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