The Halloween

                                    

                                          
Siana stood in the middle of a chaotic costume store, her arms crossed, staring at a rack of elaborate outfits with a mix of frustration and confusion. Ashleen, meanwhile, had already dived into the racks, pulling out one outrageous costume after another with the excitement of a kid in a candy store.
“This one!” Ashleen exclaimed, holding up a glittery vampire costume with a plunging neckline and a dramatic cape. “It screams mysterious yet sexy—perfect for you!”
Siana gave her a deadpan look. “Ash, that cape weighs more than I do. I’d look like a bedazzled bat.”
Ashleen rolled her eyes and tossed the costume over the rack. “Fine, Miss Picky. What about this one?” She held up a princess gown that sparkled so much it practically blinded Siana.
“Nope,” Siana said, shaking her head. “I’ll look like a disco ball.”
Ashleen huffed dramatically. “You’re impossible! The party’s tonight, Sia. We don’t have time for your boring taste!”
Siana shrugged. “I just want something simple and comfortable. Not—” she gestured to the glitter bomb Ashleen was still holding—“whatever that is.”
Ashleen groaned and turned to the next rack. “Simple and comfortable? Ugh, you’re no fun. Halloween is the one time you can be as wild as you want, and no one judges you!”
“Yeah, but I don’t want to look like I belong in a carnival,” Siana replied, browsing through the less dramatic costumes. She picked up a witch’s hat. “What about this? Classic and easy.”
Ashleen stared at her like she’d suggested wearing pajamas to the Oscars. “A witch? Seriously? That’s what you’re going with?”
“It’s timeless!” Siana defended. “And I don’t have to deal with uncomfortable sequins or carrying a fake sword around all night.”
Ashleen sighed as though Siana had just personally insulted her entire existence. “Fine. But if you’re going as a witch, at least let me glam it up. Add some glitter, maybe a spooky but sexy choker, something.”
“Deal,” Siana said, relieved to have found something, even if Ashleen would inevitably cover her in sparkles anyway.
Ashleen, however, wasn’t done. She turned back to the rack with renewed energy. “Now, I need to find the perfect costume. I’m the host, after all. I need to be iconic.”
Siana smirked. “You mean over-the-top?”
“Exactly!” Ashleen grinned, pulling out a pirate costume with gold embellishments and a feathered hat. “What do you think?”
“Perfect,” Siana said with a laugh. “You’ll definitely make an entrance.”
Ashleen struck a pose, pretending to swashbuckle an invisible sword. “Captain Ashleen, Queen of Halloween, at your service!”
Siana shook her head, smiling. “You’re impossible.”
“And you love me for it!” Ashleen said, tossing the pirate costume over her arm. “Now let’s go pay before I change my mind and make you wear something outrageous.”
“Thank God,” Siana muttered, but she couldn’t hide her grin as they made their way to the checkout, ready to take on the Halloween party in true Ashleen-and-Siana fashion.
.
.
.
Ashleen lounged on Siana’s bed, casually flipping through her phone while Siana unpacked their shopping bags. There was a suspicious gleam in Ashleen’s eyes, but Siana was too distracted to notice—until Ashleen sat up abruptly and said, “Hey, Sia, let me borrow your phone for a sec. Mine’s dead, and I need to check something.”