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“What do you mean you can’t go with us?!”
“It’s dad’s last word,” sighs Sean. “I gotta babysit, Daniel. You know my situation with him.”
“But I told you that I’m cool with him joining us!” Lyla argues. “You know, like wayyyy back in Eric’s Halloween party.”
“Uh, yeah, the same night I made a fool of myself in front of Jenn and couldn’t remember shit.”
“Pfft, okay, drama queen. I intervened before shit went down or worse, you threw up on someone. Besides, Jenn thinks it's cute that you’re sleepy drunk!”
“Shut up.”
“Whatevahh, brah. I’m totally down for Daniel joining us, though. I know Eric wouldn’t mind him. Daniel’s like a….honorary member of the friend group!”
“Right, an annoying 4th grader?”
“You’re just jealous ‘cause he is my favorite Diaz.”
“Whatever, I’ll see ya later tonight.”
“You’re so easy. Byeeee!”
“Wait, Lyla,” Sean pauses, clearing his throat. “You really think….Jenn thinks I’m cute?”
“Oh. My. God.” Lyla bursts into laughter. “You’re so thirsty, dude!”
Sean ends the call and almost slamming his phone back to his desk.
“Was that Lyla?” Daniel suddenly pops in behind him.
“Daniel, what did I say about coming into my room?” Sean spins on his chair and notices his brother already dressed up for Halloween trick-or-treating tonight. He’d been planning his outfit everyday ever since Monday.
“Your door was wide open! We made a rule. A wide open door means free to enter.”
Sean remembers they had a tussle about Daniel entering his room which their dad ended up telling them to make rules. “Lyla and friends are joining us for trick-or-treating.”
“Really?!”
“Yep, so be on your best behavior, enano, and don’t cause any trouble for me.”
“Like I’m not the only one,” Daniel whispers under his breath.
Sean glares at him. “What did you say?”
“I mean, you crashed in my bedroom after your party on Friday.”
“That was one time, and I wouldn’t do it again.” Thanks to Lyla, his dad didn’t outright ground him again because Sean still got home safe.
“I saw you and Lyla smoking a few times.” His brother shrugs. “At the porch.”
“Fine.” Sean looks at his brother and raises a hand up, the other one on his chest. “I promise there won’t be smoking or drinking at this trick-or-treating.”
Daniel smiles, and that’s enough to ease Sean because he still is a big brother who is leading an example to his little bro. “What time will Lyla be here?” He asks.
“She’s coming a bit early, like at 6pm ‘cause she told me she’ll help out with your zombie make-up.”
“Oh, yeah! Are you dressing up, Sean?”
“Not really.”
“Lame! I know Lyla’s dressing up, but she said it’s gonna be a surprise.”
Sean wonders what Lyla could be dressed up as, and he went through the list of horror movies he watched with her. There’s the bear trap girl from Saw, Carrie, Jason, Michael Myers, or maybe even Ghostface?
“So, you’re really not dressing up for this?” asks Daniel again.
“I dunno, really,” shrugs Sean. He’s being for real though. At some point, he did dress up as Nacho Libre, and dad won’t ever make him see the end of it. He still has a picture frame of his son in a red cape and red tight underpants somewhere in their garage that Sean hoped to god Daniel would never see.
—
The clock reaches 6pm, and Sean expects Lyla to arrive soon, but he can’t find his brother around the house, so he can be ready for Lyla.
“Daniel?”
The house remains still. Except for a noise downstairs.
Sean goes down to the garage and looks around the room with minimal lighting from only a dying lightbulb that’s probably way older than Daniel. When he was little, Sean remembers how much his dad’s garage creeps him out to the point that he’d run like the slender man is chasing him whenever he has to grab something from there.
He might be less of a pussy now, but still. He takes a breath and turns on his phone flashlight. “Daniel! I know you’re in there. Stop messing around!”
He goes deeper and swiftly turns around from a sudden clicking noise that almost made him shat his pants.
“AHHH!”
A flashlight shone from out of nowhere to a familiar face with pale white makeup and only a blackened sunken eye peaking between her long black hair that’s obviously a wig covering her face.
Holding the flashlight, Daniel and his zombie mask finally appear behind her. “You should have seen your face, Sean!” He hollers, laughing so hard he holds his stomach.
Sean swore he almost felt his skin jump out from his bones. “Lyla!” He turns to her in her costume who’s laughing so hard as well and high fives his brother. “Seriously, Sadako?!”
“Should have taken a picture of your face!” She says. “I thought you’d know what I’m wearing tonight.”
“We watched that movie way back in middle school.”
“And I still remember how much it creeped you out!”
That’s the very last time Sean was actually able to stay over at Lyla’s house. They watched “The Ring” together (yes, boo me, the 2001 American remake). Lyla had wanted to watch the original Japanese movie just to piss off her parents because she said they had this weird phobia of anything Japanese related. However, after Lyla’s parents split up, all the hangouts(aka movie nights) ended up in Sean’s place.
“Heyyyy, you dressing up?” says Layla and Sean notices that Layla went really out with her Sadako make-up. She even painted her lips gray and black to make her look even more paler.
“Ahh, this.” Sean throws his hands up. “I was hoping you could do my facepaint.”
Lyla looks at him, up and down. He’s only wearing his hoodie and lame ass jeans. “You’re shitting me, right?”
Sean pouts. “Uh, I can dress up as Gandalf that dad wore last Halloween?”
Lyla looks him dead in the eye. “Do you wanna score chicks or not?”
“You’re insane.”
“Ohhh, Sean’s got a girlfriend~” Daniel chimes in.
Before Sean can even say
anything, Lyla already had turned away his little brother, so she can work on his zombie face paint.
Less than thirty minutes later, Sean does end up dressing up as Gandalf in the Halloween of 2016. Both Daniel and Lyla don’t know how to feel. Meanwhile, Eric’s rolling on the floor, close to his deathbed.
“So the usual gameplan?” Sean adjusts the knapsack he has ready to collect his candy. His Gandalf’s beard began to itch, and he’s pretty sure it's also starting to smell.
“Raid the rich neighborhoods!” Daniel answers, hopping in joy.
“You know it, little man!” Eric says who finally recovered from his ridiculously long laughing session to Sean’s Gandalf costume.
Sean even had to make sure if Eric got high before this. Even Lyla had her suspicions. Eric swore he’s just being himself. In fact, bro did not even dress up for Halloween, but just showed up in his Vans and skateboard.
The group had driven to the next city for the best spot of collecting Halloween candies where the houses’ front porches are always lit up and decorated in season. Not to diss their own neighborhood but they always end up with half a bag of Tootsie rolls here. The rich neighborhoods(which they dubbed The Hills because it’s literally on the hills) always seem to hand out S-tier rank Halloween treats like a whole bar of Snickers and Kitkats. It’s like striking gold out there.
“Okay, enano, stick with me at all times, got that?”
“Yes, sir!”
As expected, the neighborhood is busy. The gang went through door to door and had S-tier rank Halloween treats. The friends recognized some kids in their high school also trick-or-treating in the neighborhood.
“What are the chances Jenn could be here?” Sean asks, suddenly sweating under his costume.
“No idea.” Layla shrugs. “No one can probably recognize us with our costumes, especially your dorky one.”
Sean rolls his eyes. “Eric finds it funny.”
“But that’s Eric we are talking about who might or might not be baked right now.”
“Guys, look who I found!” says Daniel. Another kid shows up beside him who is in their Indiana Jones costume that might be too loose for him. “This is Noah!”
Sean remembers him.
“Hi,” Noah greets. “Sick costume.”
“Sean! Is it okay if I tag along with him,please? Noah’s mom is with him.”
Sean thinks it's been almost an hour since they’ve been walking, and having to chase his little brother or telling him off to not touch certain decorations is definitely a workout. He nods. “Be back soon. Meet us back here in half-an-hour.”
“Thank you!” He grins.
“Behave, okay?”
“I will!”
Daniel joins his friend, and Sean sits on a curb under a tree to rest along with Lyla and Eric.
“Relieved of baby-sitting duty?” Lyla asks as she notices Sean let out a big sigh.
“Yep.”
The sounds of wrappers being opened reaches their ears and the best friends turn around to see Eric, already shoving the Halloween treats down his throat.
“Are you seriously stoned or not?” Lyla’s the next one to let out another sigh.
“Geez, Eric,” groans Sean.
“I swear, dudes. Haven’t eaten dinner yet, and I got hungry, that’s all.”
“Seriously, dude. I can't be babysitting you too.” Sean observes as Eric gives him a thumbs up, and continues chewing his candy without any care in the world.
“Your dad seems to be more away than usual,” comments Lyla.
“Yeah, business is booming,” agrees Sean. “Sorry, can’t be out to hang out with the gang these days. Gotta look out for Daniel.”
“Hey, you know I always understand!” Lyla gives him a light punch on the shoulder.
“It’s just - y’know, I also wanna hang out with you guys, but it’s just difficult sometimes.” Sean looks down on his feet. “My dad...he said that we are a trio now. And I gotta be responsible for Daniel.”
“Look, Sean, I don’t have any siblings like you do, and thank god my sucky parents don’t have another spawn, but I grew up with you, and I saw how much of a good loving brother you are and Daniel is lucky to have you, got that?”
“Thanks, Lyla.”
“Now, stop being emo, please. I can’t take you seriously with your dorky Gandalf look.”
Sean laughs. “And I didn’t expect my childhood nightmare to be cheering me up right now.”
“Seven days…” croaks out Lyla, mimicking the exact same voice from the movie.
“Stop!”
—
“Mom, we will be finishing the entire block!” Noah shouts as he jogs along with Daniel.
“Slow down, boys!” yells back Noah’s mom. The boys are one house ahead of her when she’s still panting and close to going down her knees.
“We promise, one last home and we’re done!”
“Okay, son! I need to catch my breath. I’ll be watching you two from here. Don’t go too far!”
“Yes, mom!”
“You have such a nice mom, Noah,” says Daniel, and he wishes that if he gets to meet his mom she also dresses up and goes trick or treating with him.
“Yeah, mom can be a slow poke, sometimes...” Noah smiles.
The boys get to the last house of the block. Daniel takes of his zombie mask and feels the sweat on his back and forehead. They’ve been speeding this entire block just so he can get back to his brother in time.
Before they go towards the front porch, Noah pulls out his working binoculars that’s part of his costume.
“As for our last treasure, I see a rare sight of the last…left Twix bar!” Noah exclaims.
Daniel and Noah look at each other. It’s truly a rare sighting because they’ve been meaning to complete a set of Twix bars since they always somehow end up with a right one.
“So, rock-paper-scissors for the last Twix bar?” Daniel suggests.
“Let’s do it!”
“Let’s make it three points,” says Daniel when Noah wins the first round. He pulls the same move that his big brother always does when they play rock-paper-scissors.
“But that’s not fair!” Noah disagrees.
“How about this, the first to get three points can choose anything from the other’s bag on top of the last Twix bar.” Again, the same exact move Sean would tell him.
“Deal!”
Daniel throws a paper and Noah throws a rock.
For the next round, Daniel throws a scissor and Noah throws a rock.
A tie breaker.
Finally, for the last round-
“Hey!”
It catches the two boys' attention, their fist frozen in midair as their heads turn towards the front porch of the house. They follow the loud yell that could shake up every kid in the block, and it leads back to the front door.
“What do you kids think you’re doing?”
Daniel squints his eyes, and he notices an old wrinkled lady, frowning at them. “Um, trick-or-“
“You two are not from around here,” the old lady interrupts. “You’re stealing candy from the kids in the neighborhood.”
“We’re not stealing anything,” says Daniel. That’s a wild accusation! “It’s Halloween, and-“
“Sorry kiddo, but that bowl is only for the kids from here. Not for outsiders.”
“C’mon, Daniel, let’s just go,” Noah whispers to Daniel, motioning his head to leave the scene.
Daniel tightens his fist. It reminds him of his neighbor Brett who seems to be obsessed with that word, outsiders, and he throws it around to his dad a lot.
Noah’s mom comes into the scene as she notices the commotion from afar. “What’s wrong, kids?” She asks.
“That lady is being mean to us,” answers Daniel, pointing a finger to the old lady.
Noah’s mom turns around. “Is there a problem here, ma’am?”
“Yeah!” The old lady suddenly raises her voice. “Why don’t you white trash stay out of this neighborhood and take that beaner with you!”
Noah’s mom places her hands on both of the boy's shoulders, biting back her lips and furrowing her brows. “Let’s just go, boys.”
Daniel hasn’t seen Noah’s mom this serious. He doesn’t understand what’s the deal with that lady, but he bets Sean and Dad will.
“It’s okay, Daniel. We can get our Twix somewhere,” reassures Noah. Daniel remains silent the rest of their walk back to his brother.
—
The news reaches Sean when his brother returns, and he remains nervous for a second that it’s Daniel doing. But then Sean looks at his brother and notices his jumpy Halloween spirit gone.
“Let’s talk about it once we get home, yeah?” Sean says, patting his brother’s back.
“You okay, small bro?” Asks Lyla, tilting her head to look at Daniel.
“Just,,..confused.”
“Hey, little man, I got you something.” Eric shimmies into the conversation and offers his closed fist to Daniel.
He looks up with a raised brow. “What’s that?”
“I got you a…” he opens his palms, “ultra rare right Twix!
Daniel finally smiles.
“Thanks, bro,” says Sean.
“Told ya I’m not stoned.” Eric fingerguns him.
Lyla chuckles. They all decide to end the night there as the neighbourhood has also died down.
The garage lights are turned on when they get home, and it only means one thing.
“Gandalf for Halloween?” His dad asks his oldest as his youngest gives him a bear hug.
“Yes, dad, and the beard smells.”
His dad shakes his head. “So, how was my hijos trick-or-treating?”
“It was alright,” says Sean. “We went around to the hills and got good candy.”
Daniel looks at Sean, his eyebrows raised.
“And, uh, had a difficult neighbor but it’s all-”
“Um, dad, I have a question,” interrupts Daniel.
“Well, go ahead, mijo.”
“What…does a beaner mean?”
The smile on his dad’s face drops.
“You see, I wanted to ask Sean, but he said we can talk about it at home.” Daniel clutches his neck.
“Did someone…say this to you?” His dad asks.
“It was some old lady from the hills.” Sean starts filling his dad in on what happened.
“You see, beaner is a word they use to be mean to someone who’s from Mexico.”
“You’re making it really sound too nice to him, dad.” Sean crosses his arms. “It’s like being called a Mexican scum. It’s like that because Mexican food has lots of beans.” When he was little, he still remembers when he first heard that word from Brett’s father.
Then he remembers a memory of his mom who confronted Brett’s father, knocking hard on their front door. Sean always wonders what all went wrong when she suddenly leaves.
“So is it like the..N-word?” Daniel whispers.
“It is offensive, mijo. You shouldn’t be using those words to hurt people.”
“Look, Daniel.” Sean goes down on his knee. “People might call us names just because we look different, but it’s important it doesn’t get to you, okay?”
It hurts. It’s those exact words his mom told him when they’re getting weird looks at the grocery shop. Is that why she left?
Daniel nods. He starts yawning. “I think I’m pretty tired now and ready for bed. Goodnight, dad.” His dad gives his youngest a hug.
“Goodnight, enano.”
As Daniel walks away, Esteban turns to Sean and pats him in the back. “You did well.”
“Just wanted to tell him the hard truth,” answers Sean. “I wish you told me that when I was younger. Brett can say some nasty shit when we’re just walking by.
Esteban offers him a small smile. “Well, I’m glad he has a brother like you.”
“Gotta get ready for bed. School tomorrow.” It’s Sean’s turn to yawn as he stretches his arm.
“Hey, how about a trip to a taco place tomorrow, hm? I’ll pick you up after school. Got paid good by the client today.”
“Of course, dad. Anything just to escape the school bus.”
-
“You’re not suffering with me on the bus ride home?” Lyla asks, devastated.
“Yes, get to escape the insufferable school bus.” Sean chuckles. “Dad’s picking me up. He can give you a ride home if you want?”
“Nah, that’s fine. Do your family bonding. I know he’s been busy lately. Hugs!” Lyla attacks him with a hug as always. “Have fun!”
It is a trip for the Diaz family to visit the big city because it’s either they go there for car parts or authentic Mexican food. His dad pulls up with Daniel already in the car, and Sean rides shotgun.
“It’s not fair! When do I get to be in the front seat, dad?”
Esteban chuckles. “Not until you’re thirteen, Felipito.”
“But that’s like in a thousand years!”
Sean laughs at his dad and brother. He looks at the backseat through the rear view mirror and Daniel is pouting as usual. Sean remembers helping strap his baby brother in the exact same back seat.
One of the best things about riding shotgun is Sean gets to be the DJ and puts in music. He plays some Gorillaz. His dad specifically requests a Spanish song called “Nunca Es Suficiente” which is an absolute banger. Meanwhile, Daniel requests a theme song from a cartoon he’s been watching.
They eventually reach the taco place, and Sean notices that something’s different about the restaurant. He’s been here a couple of times. It’s always been colorful with its eye-catching skeleton murals and colorful banners, but this time there’s more lively and colorful decorations as usual.
“This looks cool!” says Daniel, his eyes sparkling from the new vibrant marigold flowers and skull decors they have.
Their dad exchanges conversation in Spanish with the waitress about them being glad to see him back with his sons. Sean also catches them talking about the upcoming 2016 election.
“What are they talking about, Sean?” asks Daniel, whispering to his brother as he tiptoes to reach his height.
“Just some adult stuff you’ll find boring,” shrugs Sean. “Hey, Daniel.” He calls his brother as he realizes something. “Didn’t you know it’s Dia De Los Muertos today?”
“Yeah, Day of the Dead!” Daniel grins. “It’s Taco Tuesday, too!” He adds, seemingly proud of himself.
Sean isn’t going to lie, it's pretty rare for them to celebrate a Mexican holiday, maybe because they live in a predominantly white neighbourhood, and the Mexican-American population is pretty low in Seattle in general. When they do celebrate, they get invited by their dad’s friend or coworker from the big city which can be a pretty long drive and Daniel’s constant moaning of ‘are we there yet?’
Once they’re set for a table and ordered their food, their dad begins to talk.
“There’s something I want to tell you two,” he starts. “I’ve been thinking about what you told me, Sean, and also the incident yesterday.”
“Is it the lady who called me a beaner?” Daniel asks.
“Not too loud, enano.” Sean widens his eyes as he looks around.
“Oops, sorry.”
“Yes, that incident.” His dad sternly looks at them both. “I just want both of you to know that having Mexican heritage in this country is not just about being called names or being treated differently, but it’s also this.” He motions to the restaurant.
It’s busier than usual with families talking and laughing at tables with delicious food on their plates. You can smell the kitchen cooking up food where Latin music plays in the background that’s clashing with the crowd’s noise. It’s as joyous and vibrant just like the restaurant's decorations.
“Taco Tuesdays?” Daniel raises a brow.
“Exactly! good food, good community.” Their dad both pats them on the head. “Always remember that..”