hypnotised by the law of motion.

“Well, as long as he knows that he did a good job than we have made someone’s day better.” Harmony replied, letting out a small laugh. She liked to be able to make people’s days better, even if it was just with the small things. “I work on Broadway mostly, so it’s not really a big deal that you don’t remember my name. Mostly only the hard core theatre people remember it. I’m Harmony Andrews.” Harmony added, sending the woman a smile. She always ended up being surprised when people recognized her. “I have tasted it, and it surely isn’t something that I enjoy having in my mouth.”

            “Yeah, that’s true,” Ivy said with a kind smile on her lips, letting it transition into a laugh to join in with the other woman’s. “Harmony Andrews from Broadway. That’s really impressive,” she admitted with a smile to match her words and their meaning, “I can just imagine how amazing it must be to be in that kind of environment. Are you in any upcoming shows?” She asked, thinking about getting tickets for her and her dad if there were any left. “Right? It’s so sweet, I was surprised.”

“It would be impossible to miss in all likelihood,” Lydia admitted, her brows raising into her hairline as she watched the costumes usher in and out of the pavilion. “He’s lucky the whole get-up doesn’t fall apart by high noon. But I give him credit for creativity, between you and I.” She pushed a wayward strand of hair behind her ear, shaking her head slightly. “No. Never have, probably never will.  But, I’m prepared to hand out candy, if that counts for anything. Don’t tell me you’re going as a television character.”

               “Right? Luckily he seems like the type of guy who can’t get enough of all the attention,” she mentioned, laughing lightly, “yeah, but who knows how long it’ll hold— I feel like the longer it lasts the more uncomfortable it is, and the more gross it’ll inevitably be when he has to get out of it. But yes, he deserves the creativity credit, I’m definitely impressed.” She tried to spot him again in the crowd, but couldn’t. “Oh, you never dress up for Halloween? Well, good for you. We need some with the backbone to say no,” she said, chuckling. “No, I don’t know what I’m going as yet. I might just go as a person who doesn’t like to dress up.”

“People are into all kinds of things and there are most definitely more harmful things to be into than this.” She said aloud with a shrug of her shoulder since he could be harming himself or others. “It’s displeasing to those who have to see it, but that’s some kind of dedication that I can get behind.”

           “Very well said,” Ivy agreed and nodded her head to show so. In the big scheme of things, whatever that guy was thinking was better than him cruising for drugs or something like that. “Yeah, I mean, he’s clearly very creative and committed to this costume. I can applaud him for that, for sure.”

Brody couldn’t have agreed more. Time was something that he’d realised was more prominent as he got older. Prominent in the way that it seemed to pass without even noticing quite how quickly it was going. It was only when he had a moment to stop and consider it, that he would realise the year was almost over. “Tell me about it, next we’ll blink and it’ll be Christmas. Then we’ll be having a conversation about how we’re going to pull off having the best Christmas party attire.” He commented with a grin, laughing lowly at the thought. In all reality though, he was a Christmas kind of person. “You could definitely say that, you’ll have people assuming you’re lying at first but if you play it up they’ll eventually believe you. It’s all about commitment.”

           Ivy nodded and pushed a sigh past her lips in wonder, not sure how summer had already come and gone and that Christmas truly was right around the corner now. “I know what you mean, I think it’s crazy though, because... how can it be Christmas already?” She asked, genuinely unsure how it was true. “We might as well get our Christmas outfit when we shop for Halloween costumes from now on,” she suggested jokingly, a soft laugh punctuating her words. “I’m not a very good actress though, but I like the idea of giving people a bit of a fright. Maybe I’ll try it.”

“Right?” Erin said, laughing. She refused to acknowledge that some people may actually enjoy clowns, and Erin found her explanation much easier to understand. “Well, thanks,” she said, smiling at Ivy. “I had to think about something when clown nightmares were keeping me up at night.” Erin looked around at the festival, now free of anything that scared her. “So, what did you come to the festival for?”

             “Definitely,” she confirmed and nodded her head to make it even more conclusive. Ivy wasn’t under the impression that anyone liked clowns, to be honest. She couldn’t recall ever knowing anyone who wasn’t creeped out by them to some extent. “You’re welcome. Next time you see one, you just throw a punch and you’ll be fine,” she joked. “Uh, I just came to have a look around honestly. What about you?”

            “You can try all you want, short stuff, you’re never going to get me to agree to any of that bullshit.” Her tone harsh but also kidding entirely with the fellow blonde, with whom she had always been close with since they were kids. With only a few years between them, it wasn’t really surprising they had bonded. “Give me a few shots of something first, and maybe I’ll be more sway-able.” It was false hope, really, but any excuse to get a round of drinks in. “Like I said, this is all I’m doing, Ivy. So, let’s get your scare on and run around this thing until we get so lost we end up needing to pitch a tent.”

Adam gave a little laugh. “I’m not totally sure the world is ready for a next level costume from this guy,” they said. “It’s gonna be crazy.” They smiled and shrugged. “I know plenty of adults who can be loud, too,” they pointed out. “I mean, you never saw my dad watch a football game, he can be plenty loud then.”

             “That’s a good point. We might all need a six months warning to get used to the thought before he pulls out all the stops again,” Ivy said and chuckled, “You’re so right. Adults can be pretty loud too, and they’re not usually as cute as kids are when it happens,” she joked. “Men and football games though.”

                                  It was becoming crystalline to Adrian with each second lapsed in their gentle collision, full of sincerity in such an oddly droll way, that this girl was no stranger. She elicited a feeling somewhere between deja vu and nostalgia within him, the sensation swelling his chest with baited breath and grooving his brow with a curiosity, fond but subtly frustrated, all while his grin remained. “Ohh, is that—- is that why you’re right outside the station? You here to turn yourself in?” His head canted then, thumb jutting to the station behind him, brows furrowing and eyes narrowed in faux perplexed suspicion. “You bumped into the right guy, if that’s the case. I do plenty of arresting when it comes to serial body bumpers like you.” The artificial earnest look dissipated from his features, and he was left with a lopsided smile on his lips, and searching eyes still narrowed when the familiarity of her became more of a frustration than an oddity. Hair the colour of gold, eyes of emerald, memorable features evolved. The slight stun in her expression that flushed her cheeks was enough to tell him that, yes, she recognized him too, and it wasn’t long before he earned an auditory confirmation. “… Uh, yeah, I—-” He stopped, his confusion expression dropping when eyes widened with recognition. He hadn’t seen her in years, not since she was a lot smaller, but that didn’t mean he hadn’t thought about her and her family from time to time. “Wait—- is that–” he blinked fast, a laugh of disbelief escaping him, his head shaking throughout. “Ivy Windsor, all grown up? Holy shit, I can’t believe this. No way.”

“Trouble?” She repeated, giving the blonde a little laugh. “Trust me when I say this, that’s usually the least of my concerns—” Kendall continued, pausing between her words and realizing how childish they were beginning to sound. She’d like to think that leading a life of her own had calmed her, but at the end of the day, most of her decisions had usually been rash and impulsive, a dash of recklessness. “I have no idea how I’m an adult,” She finished, shaking her head and laughing again. Her eyes lit up as her friend continued to speak, a smile growing on her face as she nodded enthusiastically. “You’re a good friend, Ivy Windsor. A really good one.” She always had a good time around Ivy, but anyone that knew her knew that alcohol and food was truly the way to her heart. “We’re on time? You’re kidding, who are we becoming?”

             “Oh please,” Ivy laughed but shook her head, blonde tresses falling from behind her ear before she pinned them back in place again with a decisive, but absentminded hand, “you’re an adult because you’re independent, fierce and I assume you can tie your own shoes and know the basics of math.” A laugh parted her mouth and slowly faded into a warm smile when she glanced over at Kendall. “Right back at you, Covington.” She meant it of course. There was something about Kendall that couldn’t be denied, and Ivy always had an amazing time in her company. “I know, right? It’s another sign that we’re truly grownups now. Ew, it sounds horrible, doesn’t it?” She laughed and hooked her arm through Kendall’s when they left the train and moved through the station and out onto the street.

“We can always just throw a protest if he doesn’t win. I am sure that other people would join us as well.” Harmony joked, although in reality there was a lot of people in this town that she still knew nothing about. She had been living in Lanford for a year now, but she had also been incredibly busy with work and had taken several long trips to the city. “I agree completely. As an actress I see a decent amount of fake blood and yet it amazes me every time. Whoever came up with the formula really must have known what they were doing.”

             “Oh good idea. I mean, I’m sure that’ll help, or at the very least make him feel better, you know? He can tell himself that at least some of us thought he deserved to win,” Ivy said and laughed, her mouth quirked up into a grin. “Oh my god, you’re an actress? That’s why you seem so familiar! I’m so embarrassed though, I don’t... I don’t remember your name,” Ivy admitted. “But I completely agree with you, fake blood is realistic enough to be very scary. Have you tasted it though? It’s very syrupy— and no, I don’t normally go around eating fake blood, don’t worry.”

“I think so too,” Devyn said since she’d seen a few people walk around with pumpkins that had holes big enough to fit various limbs of their body in them. It had her confused until she noticed the male and quickly put the pieces together. “I wonder how much they win when they do, but all the more to him. He’s definitely been the most creative one I’ve seen yet.”

          “I mean, kudos to them for being dedicated, right? I just... don’t see myself every being that into it even though I do like Halloween,” Ivy said, kind of just thinking out loud, still somewhat struck by the sighting of the pumpkin man. “Me too. I doubt they’ll win enough to make it worth it, but I do hope he wins.”

                  He didn’t like to think of himself as a victim, but Jamie had suffered. He had endured the consequences of lies that he wanted no part of, and it had cost him everything. Jamie lost his home, career and friends all because of a family wanting to protect themselves. They didn’t care about what happened to him, or how their lies would affect his life; They were the real scum. Jamie sighed just as the barista came to the table and put his coffee down, “I know…” He couldn’t explain to the students, it was unprofessional. He couldn’t speak to his colleagues because they didn’t believe him and ultimately, it was them and the parents that had him removed from the school. “Thank you. The last thing I want is for you to walk around town thinking that I hurt that woman.”

            Ivy looked up at the barista when she neared, watching her like he wasn’t sure what the heck she was doing until she placed down Jamie’s coffee in front of him, puncturing the odd tension for a moment. She needed that, but not because she was uncomfortable with Jamie, but because the whole situation was so unexpected, and she had a hard time knowing what was okay and appropriate to say and what wasn’t. When the barista left them be again and the conversation continued however, Ivy nodded, her shoulders relaxing a little again. “You don’t have to thank me,” she said and felt that strongly, “I’m sorry that you had to... go through all that. I’m not surprised that family wasn’t above destroying someone’s life like that, but I’m sorry it happened to you. You were one of our favourite teachers.”

Adam gave a little chuckle. “Maybe he is,” they said. “I bet Halloween is their favorite time of year, so he can finally wear his pumpkins again.” They gave her a smile. “I’m a kindergarten teacher.”

            “Yeah, that wouldn’t surprise me at all,” Ivy laughed, her nose wrinkling softly with the sound that adorned her lips. “I’m sure his costume next year will be even more elaborate.” It wouldn’t surprise her at least. “Oh you are? That’s really nice, though I’m sure it’s nice to have a bit of time off too. Kids can be loud...”

          Apparently Ivy was a big fan of the holiday, which wasn’t a real surprise when you took into account their differences, including their opinions on this day to be added to the list. “You can like it enough for the both of us, ‘cause we both know this isn’t my thing. So I’ll be the one sitting on that bale of hay while you no doubt enjoy the goings on — though I might tackle the maze.” She soon admitted, recalling there was a bloody good sized maze to get lost in, or scare people in, should she seek some form of activity to keep her amused.

Erin looked over at Ivy and tried to hold back a smile at the other woman’s similar reaction. “Deal,” she said. “I mean, seriously, who thought white face paint was a good look? Or that children would find it fun? I feel like whoever invented clowns probably did it as, like, a joke or something, but people were afraid to say that it freaked them out, and for hundreds of years we’ve had to pretend that clowns were amusing. Or something. Not like I’ve put a lot of thought into this or anything,” Erin added, rolling her eyes at herself.

           Ivy nodded several times in agreement, listening to Erin who was definitely hitting it right on the nail with her theories, and making Ivy laugh at the same time— which was very comforting after the fright of the night ( hopefully the only fright ). “That sounds like the legit history of clowns right there,” she said, “I mean... if I were the first person to ever see a clown, I would be so frightened too that I would be way to scared to speak up. Also, I like that you’ve put so much thought into it, just saying.”