Chapter 7

Garrett texted me later that day asking me about the party. Was it a costume party or not? Questions like that. I replied to him saying it was a costume party, and I asked him if he wanted to go in a couple's costume. He replied instantly saying he would love to do a couple's costume, and we were throwing ideas at each other, and we couldn’t agree on a costume. He suggested to meet up and go costume shopping later today after his shift and I agreed. I asked Sav what her and Chase are going as and as I suspected they are going as Cinderella and Prince Charming. I mean seriously could they be any more predictable? At least I can say no princess costumes to Garrett.

Later that day I pulled up outside the costume shop Garrett suggested to see him leaning against the wall looking at his phone. There’s just something sexy but vaguely familiar about how Garrett is leaning against the wall. But I can’t yet put my finger on it. Putting my car in park I grab my purse and climb out of the car. Walking towards Garrett, he looks up from what he was doing on his phone and smiles at me as he pockets his phone and leans off the wall. “Hey, sorry I’m a little late. I had to check something with my brother before meeting you. I hope you haven’t been waiting long?”

“No, not at all babe I’ve been here maybe a few minutes or so. What did you have to check with your brother? Was it costumes so we don’t go the same?” Garrett asks me thinking along the same lines as me with not wanting to clash with my brother.

“It was yeah, I found out that he and his girlfriend are going dressed as Cinderella and Prince Charming. So, them and so cliche if you ask me.”

“Let me guess, and please correct me if I’m wrong. They were both crowned Prom King and Queen at your senior Prom and she wore a blue dress?”

“You are half right. Yeah, they were crowned Prom King and Queen, and she did wear a blue dress, but it goes back further than that. To our winter formal. We did this masquerade thing, and they were in this chat room thing got to know one another, and fell in love without meeting but at the dance, it was my brother who recognized who she was and since that night they have been together. It was their Cinderella moment and it’s their thing.”

“If my sister, her friends, and some of my team’s girls heard that they would swoon. It sounds romantic for a chick, but most of the guys on my team would think if he was going that far it must be for some good pussy. Sorry babe no offense since she’s your friend and it’s your brother.” I can feel some anger bubbling up inside of me with how he just spoke about my brother and best friend. That must be the first piggish thing Garrett has ever said, I don’t like the fact he said that about my brother and best friend, but I should give him the benefit of the doubt.

“I don’t like how you just spoken about my brother and my best friend. You don’t know the struggles they went through to get where they are today so as a warning keep your opinion about their relationship to yourself and we won’t have any issues got it?” I snap at him and start walking toward the door of the costume store.

“I’m sorry Jen, that will be the last time I say anything about them like that. I like you and I want to get to know you and I would still like to go to the Halloween party with you. Could you forgive me? Please?” Garrett takes hold of my hands in his holding them together pleading me to give him another chance. I nod giving him this one chance. I tell him this is the only chance he will get as I have been hurt in the past from giving someone another chance for it to be thrown back in my face time and time again. He promises me this will be the only time he will ask for another chance as he takes one of my hands and walks into the store with me.

Once we are in the store, I look at all the costumes hanging on mannequins, on hangers, in their original packaging, and all the props. It feels very overwhelming in here, I don’t think we will find the perfect couple's costume for us. It’s that overwhelming I don’t know where to start. I see Garrett has gone one way in the store to look, while I go the other way. Looking around every inch of the store I have found nothing that screams Jen and Garrett. Nothing. There are couple costumes, but it was either cop and robber, Sonny and Cher, Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy, Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia, or people from the 50’s and 70’s. None of these would do. A couple of them I have already done with Greg back when we were dating. I don’t want to relive them memories with someone new. So, I go in search for Garrett to see if he had any better luck than I did.

Finding him at the other end of the store I hear him talking on the phone. “Really? You’ll let us do that? No Mav that’s perfect yeah. Everything in this store is shit I would love the honor of wearing the new gear. I’ll speak to my girl and get her to agree. This will be huge for us especially if he finds out who I’m with.” Wait, what? Who is he talking to? What does he mean by gear? But most importantly who is the he is talking about and what does it have to do with me? I walk closer to him as he finishes off his call he turns and looks at me with a smile on his face. But something feels different about this smile than previous ones.