START AT SUNDOWN
$5 PER PERSON
The drive segues from gravel to dirt before it reaches the woods, the entrance to which is decorated with cutouts of ghost and goblin caricatures. It appears that the haunted hayride travels through the woods. I look around for Sarah but don't see her anywhere. I wonder if she'll be going on it.
Henri and I enter the pavilion. The cheerleaders are off to the side, some of them doing Halloween-themed face paintings for the kids, the others selling raffle tickets for the drawing to be held at six p.m.
"Hi, John," I hear behind me. I turn around and there's Sarah, holding her camera. "How did you like the parade?"
I smile at her and slide my hands into my pockets. There's a small white ghost painted on her cheek.
"Hey, you," I say. "I liked it. I'm think I'm getting used to this small-town Ohio charm."
"Charm? You mean boringness, right?"
I shrug. "I don't know, it isn't bad."
"Hey, it's the little guy from school. I remember you," she says, bending down to pet Bernie Kosar. He wags his tail wildly, jumps up and tries to lick her face. Sarah laughs. I look over my shoulder. Henri is twenty feet away, talking to Sarah's mom at one of the picnic tables. I'm curious to know what they're talking about.
"I think he likes you. His name is Bernie Kosar."
"Bernie Kosar? That's no name for an adorable dog. Look at this cape. It's, like, cute overload."
"You know if you keep that up I'm going to be jealous of my own dog," I say.
She smiles and stands.
"So are you going to buy a raffle ticket from me or what? It's to rebuild a not-for-profit animal shelter destroyed in a fire last month in Colorado."
"Really? How does a girl from Paradise, Ohio, learn of an animal shelter in Colorado?"
"It's my aunt's. I've convinced all the girls on the cheerleading squad to participate. We're going to take a trip and assist in the construction. We'll be helping the animals and getting out of school and Ohio for a week. It's a win-win situation."
I picture Sarah dressed in a hard hat, wielding a hammer. The thought brings a grin to my face. "So you're saying I'm going to have to cover the kitchen alone for a whole week?" I fake an exasperated sigh and shake my head. "I don't know if I can support such a trip now, even if it is for the animals."
She laughs and punches me in the arm. I take out my wallet and give her five dollars for six tickets.
"These six are good luck," she says.
"They are?"
"Of course. You bought them from me, silly."
Just then, over Sarah's shoulder, I see Mark and the rest of the guys from the float walk into the pavilion.
"Are you going on the haunted hayride tonight?" Sarah asks.
"Yeah, I was thinking about it."
"You should, it's fun. Everybody does it. And it actually gets pretty scary."
Mark sees Sarah and me talking and scrunches his face into a scowl. He comes walking our way. Same outfit as always-letterman jacket, blue jeans, hair full of gel.
"So you're going?" I ask Sarah.
Before she can respond Mark interrupts. "How'd you like the parade, Johnny?" he asks. Sarah quickly turns around and glares at him.
"I liked it a lot," I reply.
"You going on the haunted hayride tonight, or are you going to be too scared?"
I smile at him. "As a matter of fact, I am going."
"You going to have a freak-out like in school and run out of the woods crying like a baby?"
"Don't be an ass, Mark," Sarah says.
He looks at me, seething. With the crowd around there is nothing he can do without causing a scene-and I don't think he would do anything anyway.
"All in due time," Mark says.
"You think?"
"Yours is coming," he says.
"That might be true," I say. "But it won't be coming from you."
"Stop it!" Sarah yells. She works her way in between us, pushing us away from each other. People are watching. She glances around as though embarrassed by the attention, then scowls at Mark first, then at me.
"Fine, then. You guys fight if that's what you want to do. Good luck with it," Sarah says, and turns and walks away. I watch her go. Mark doesn't.
"Sarah," I call, but she keeps walking and disappears past the pavilion.
"Soon," Mark says.
I look back to him. "I doubt it."
He retreats to his group of friends. Henri walks up to me.
"I don't suppose he was inquiring about yesterday's math homework?"
"Not quite," I say.
"I wouldn't worry about him," Henri says. "He looks to be all talk."
"I'm not," I say, and then glance at the spot where Sarah disappeared. "Should I go after her?" I ask, and look at him, pleading to the part of him that was once married and in love, that part that still misses his wife every day, and not the part of him that wants to keep me safe and hidden.
He nods his head. "Yeah," he says with a sigh. "As much as I hate to admit it, you should probably go after her."