-Blake West:
Lunch ended, but the heaviness in my chest stayed long after the plates were cleared by the maids.
Zade and I were still dressed in our ridiculous costumes as we stepped out onto the front yard—me in my humiliating pumpkin outfit, him in his crooked pirate costume, his stupid black eye patch, feather bobbing with every step. The sight of him like that should've felt silly, maybe even embarrassing. But instead, it felt like comfort.
We were standing side by side now under the warm afternoon sun, just past the main steps of the house. He was fiddling with the strap of his eye patch, swatting at it like it was annoying him while I stood awkwardly in my round pumpkin suit, feeling as orange as I looked.
"So...," I began, nervously glancing at him, "Thanks. For, uh… dressing like that. I know you only did it to make me feel less embarrassed."
