the end of october came with the overloading amount of stress for jamie that came with throwing the annual somerville high school halloween party. a little backstory: sophomore year, paris had panicked and accidentally told the guy that she liked that she couldn't hang out with him because she was going to a party. long story short, paris came running to jamie begging her to actually throw the party because now the guy was telling everyone about it. 

since then, jamie had been the one throwing it every year. her parents would hide all the valuables and spend the night at a hotel with maya so that jamie could have her fun, while being responsible, of course. 

the day of the party, the triplets and caroline showed up a couple hours early to help set up. isaiah also came with them, filling in paris' very noticeable absense.

"paris didn't come with you?" jamie asked as the triplets entered her house. nick shook his head. 

"no, she said she had to babysit or something. but she'll be here tonight. we brought isaiah instead, though." 

"okay," jamie started when everyone arrived. "matt and nick, you guys know what to do, so get on that. make sure you buy enough this time. we can't run out of sprite like last year." she handed them her mom's card. "mom said don't exceed two hundred dollars." 

"got it." nick nodded, taking the card. "your parents are so cool for letting us do this again."

"yeah, well, they were both the party types in high school so they get it." jamie shrugged. "as long as i'm responsible and don't get too drunk, i can host parties as long as i ask."

"isaiah has a fake." caroline spoke up. "i can go with him to get drinks." 

"oh..." jamie thought for a moment. she really didn't want to be alone with chris, but she could get through it just this once. "that's fine. just make sure not to get the gross cheap beer like last year. we had so much leftover last year and my dad hates that shit."

"got it." caroline gave a thumbs up. "so that leaves..." she suddenly trailed off, realizing who was left. "chris, you think you can stay and help jamie set up?"

"yeah, that's fine." chris shrugged nonchalantly. "i'm the only one who knows what goes where, anyway." he said. he and jamie have been doing decoration duty together for the last few years. 

"alright." caroline hesitated. "you'll be okay, jamie? i can stay with you if you want." jamie shakes her head. 

"no, you go." jamie replied. "chris is right, anyway. he's the only one who knows where specific things go." 

"perfect!" nick exclaimed, oblivious to the awkardness. "ready?" he puts his hand in. the group followed. "three, two, one, BREAK!" everyone matched his energy and raised their hands up before splitting to their various places. once everyone else had left, chris and jamie head toward the basement. 

"is it in the same box?" chris asked her. jamie nodded.

"yeah, everything's in the basement." she replied, shutting her eyes for a moment and taking a breath. "so, what are you planning to be tonight?" she asked when the silence got unbearably awkward. 

"oh, um, i haven't figure it out yet. paris wants to do some couples thing, but..."

"you're not really into that." jamie finished for him, remembering his distaste for couple's costumes. jamie had made him do one with her freshman year and he was not the biggest fan. 

"yeah." chris nodded. "how about you?" 

"i don't know, either." jamie admitted. "my mind's been a little preoccupied recently." she turned away from him and started to look for the halloween boxes. 

"oh yeah?" chris asked, appearing next to her. "how so?" the tone of his voice implied that he might have some idea. jamie sighed. 

"school, senior year, college applications." she replied, shortly. she didn't lie, exactly, but she didn't really want to tell her ex that him dating her former best friend also lingered in her mind. 

"did you apply to anything already?" chris asked her. "early decisions come out in december, right?"

"yeah." jamie nodded. "i applied to umass amherst for early decision. i'm not really looking to move out of state. boston college, tufts, and boston university were my early actions. and then for regular decision, i'm just gonna use umass boston as my safety." she explained. chris nodded, knowing how much jamie wanted to go to university of massachusetts amherst since middle school. 

"that's really good." chris replied. "you'll get into umass, for sure."

"i hope so." jamie sounded hopeful. "creative writing and math are biting me in the ass for sure."

"you're doing fine. college won't care if you have a c in math if all your other classes are a's." chris assured her. "just apply for an arts scholarship or something. use art as your way in."

"that's...actually not a bad idea." she finally looked at him. "thanks, chris."

"no problem." chris smiled at her. he spotted the halloween box on the shelf right above her head. "oh, look! the box!" he reached up and took the box down. "let's go upstairs." 

"sure." jamie followed chris up the stairs and the two set the box down on the living room table. chris opened the box, digging around to find something specific. 

"found it!" he said, triumphiantly. he held up the little scarecrow ornament that he had given her a couple years back. "this little guy will go right where he always goes." chris stood up and head toward the door to hang the scarecrow on the key holder. jamie couldn't help but laugh at him. she continued to look through the box, taking out the used orange and black streamers and pumpkin themed centerpieces. 

"should we put these on the coffee table again?" jamie asked, referring to the centerpieces. chris nodded. 

"yeah, they set the mood really well. do you want to help me put the streamers up?"

the two quickly fell into a comfortable rhythm, working together to get the house ready. jamie would never admit it, but it kind of felt like old times, minus the parts where they would take breaks to cuddle on the couch or something. when they finished the living room, both teens stood in the entrance and gazed proudly at their work.

"i can't believe i'm saying this, but i'm glad i stayed to help you." chris admitted. jamie looked at him and smiled. 

"i'm glad you stayed to help, too. we make a good team." she replied, holding out her hand for a fist bump, to which chris returned.

"yeah, we do. c'mon, let's watch tv or something while we wait for the others to get home." 

+ + +

around forty-five minutes had past until matt and nick got back. chris and jamie were watching an hour long compilation of the biggest dance moms meltdowns. 

"there's no fucking way you two are watching dance moms right now," matt gaped at them. he was holding two plastic walmart bags. "together." he added in disbelief. nick entered right after, carrying more groceries.

"they're doing what?"

"nothing." jamie rolled her eyes. "we finished the house, so we just sat down and started watching tv until you got here." nick had a skeptical expression on his face.

"and you guys didn't fight? at all?" caroline and isaiah had also just arrived, heading straight to the kitchen to set down the drinks, ignoring the scene in the living room.

"not a single disagreement." chris smiled at him. "we know when and where to cause a scene."

"so the school hallway at eight in the morning is acceptable but jamie's by yourself isn't?" matt asked, referring to the first day of school. jamie shook her head.

"duh." 

"does everyone have their costumes with them?" caroline asked walking back from the kitchen. almost everyone except herself shook their heads. caroline groaned. "alright. you guys go home and get ready. we have about an hour and a half to finish setting up and all we have to do are snacks and drinks. i can do that on my own. just be back here before people start arriving."

"got it." matt nodded. he jangled his keys and motioned for the boys to follow him. "c'mon guys, i'll bring us back here in an hour." he led the group outside. caroline turned to jamie.

"mind telling me what you and chris were doing on the couch together?" she raised an eyebrow. jamie rolled her eyes.

"we were just watching tv, carol. and before you start setting up the food, help me find a costume."

"WHAT?" caroline yelled. "you mean to tell me you don't have a costume yet?" when jamie shook her head sheepishly, caroline sighed. "alright, let's see what you have upstairs."

+ + +

jamie's closet was soon raided by caroline as she desperately searched for a costume.

"what were you last year?" caroline asked. jamie shrugged.

"a cheetah." she replied. caroline rolled her eyes.

"okay, well, you either be a cheetah again, or be nothing!"

"i'll go with nothing." jamie said, rolling her eyes when caroline sighed. "carol, i love you, but nothing can get me back into the spirit of halloween right now.

"alright, fine." caroline said. "just put something on and say you're a random teenager from one of those shows." she gave her a sympathetic smile "i'll be downstairs." she gave jamie a hug before leaving the room.

jamie sat down on her bed, she hated being dramatic like this, but she couldn't bring herself to put in any effort for halloween this year. it was her holiday with chris. halloween was one of their favorite days of the year. they would choose each other's costumes and chris would come over to help set up for the party. he would even get her a gift every year, like the scarecrow ornament a couple years ago, and the photobooth photos of the two of them last year (jamie still has them in her 'chris' box). jamie shook herself out of her thoughts. she cannot be sad today. picking out a quick outfit, a simple t-shirt and jeans, jamie walked downstairs.

"i found this." caroline told her, holding out a headband with pumpkin antennae on it. jamie smiled at her.

"thanks, carol. " she said, taking the headband and placing it on her head. "who could i pass as?"

"um.."caroline took a look at her before her eyes lit up. "do you have an orange t-shirt?"\

"what?" jamie asked. " i might. why?"

"you can be silena beauregard. you look just like her."

"who's that?" jamie asked. caroline scoffed.

"have you not read percy jackson, jamie?"

"i've seen the movies." jamie replied. "you know i don't read." she frowned as caroline gave her a look.

"fine." she studied jamie's outfit. "you could pass as rory gilmore, actually. you have the sweater, right?"

"i do." jamie nodded. personally, she hated rory gilmore, but she was at her last resort when she ran back upstairs to change into the white sweater. jamie went into the bathroom to finish her makeup. when got back downstairs, caroline was changed into a pair of cowboy boots, jean shorts, and a pink v-neck shirt.

"you're lucky I was already planning to be rodeo lorelai." caroline smiled at her. jamie narrowed her eyes, recognizing the clothes.

"those are my—"

"no! it's all mine!" caroline said, quickly. jamie laughed. she appreciated caroline stealing her clothes just to match with her, playing it off as it being planned.

the two finished setting up the food and drinks. just when jamie was about to sit on the couch, the doorbell rang. she sent a quick text to her parents and maya, letting them know people coming over now, before opening the door for the triplets, isaiah, and paris. nick, matt. and isaiah greeted here before going inside.

" hi jamie!" chris greeted her with a small smile. hee looked at her "costume" and raised an eyebrow at her. "i thought you hated rory gilmore?"

"i didn't think you'd recognize my— hold on, are you steve harrington?" jamie asked surprised. chris smiled as he walked in.

"i managed to pull something together." he winked at her. paris interlocked hre arm with chris'.

"i'm nancy." she announced. jamie gave her a look before looking to chris, who just shrugged.

"okay.." she caught a small gift bag in chris' hand. her heart raced. "what's that?" she asked. chris suddenly remembered what he was holding.

"oh, yeah! um, i know we're not... you know... anymore, but i still wanted to give you something. it's basically like tradition, right?" he held out the bag.

"right." jamie smiled at him, taking the gift bag. she tried to ignore the fact that her heart was still beating fast. she hoped she wasn't blushing. that would be a sign of weakness. "ill go put this in—"

"i'll do It!" chris said, quickly. "be right back." he took the bag and speed walked toward the stairs.

"oh, okay. " jamie frowned. she did not appreciate being alone with paris.

"so, how come you're being all friendly with chris but you're still giving me the silent treatment?" paris asked jamie. jamie ignored her, instead walking toward the kitchen. she couldn't deal with this right now. "jamie, hey." paris stopped her. "i asked you a question."

"paris can you not get the hint that i don't want to talk to you? you're lucky i'm even letting you in my house right now."

"don't be dramatic." paris rolled her eyes. "if you can be civil with chris, why not me?"

"because chris wasn't the person i trusted with my entire life, paris." jamie snapped. "i mean, i trusted him, for sure, but there were still things i didn't tell him that i would tell you. you were my best friend, my sister, my everything. and you went and stabbed me in the back knowing how much i cared about him. knowing how torn i was after we broke up." 

"what's going on?" caroline asked walking up to the two.

"nothing. we're done." jamie said, walking towards nick, matt, and isaiah. caroline frowned and gave paris a dirty look before following jamie. chris came down the stairs just then, his eyes slightly red, as if he'd been crying a little bit. 

"chris?" paris asked. "you okay?"

"yeah, fine." chris faked a smile. "let's go get a drink."

maha speaks :)

next chapter gets crazy