Page 50 of Talk to Me

Silently, I followed him as he dragged me towards the stairwell. Once we’d pushed through the metal door and it had slapped shut behind us, I suddenly realized how noisy the dorm hallway had been. It was like being returned to the womb. Theo led me to the first landing and pushed me against the beige cinderblock wall.

“Excuse me?” I stammered.

Before I could do anything, Theo had stepped back and pulled out his phone. A quick snap and flash later, and I was blinded.

“Just in case you decide I can put you in my Halloween Peepers video.” Theo grinned.

He handed me his phone and exchanged places with me.

“Take one of me,” he said.

Shrugging, I took a picture of Theo against the wall. In the dimly lit stairwell and with the flash on, the picture was dark. Only Theo and his costume seemed to stand out, everything else around him was in darkness. I surreptitiously swiped to check the photo he’d taken of me and found it to be of similar quality. I looked ridiculous, but nothing I could actually protest against.

“I don’t care if you keep this picture no matter what,” I said, handing the phone back to Theo, “but you won’t post it until I decide if I want to be on your channel, right?”

“Of course not.” Theo rolled his eyes with a chuckle. “I never post anyone unless they say it’s okay.”

“I know.”

We stood there on the stairwell landing for a moment, me looking over Theo’s arm as he scrolled through the pics he’d taken while getting ready for the bonfire. When he accidentally scrolled too far and a photo of him in his boxer briefs in the bathrooms popped up, I squeaked out an “oop” sound and he chuckled nervously and locked his phone. Sliding his phone into his pocket, he turned to me with a rosy-cheeked smile.

“In case I haven’t said it yet,” he said, “and, in case I forget to say it later, thanks for doing this.”

“I mean,” I replied, “I was going anyway. May as well get all gussied up and have fun with it.”

He nudged me in the arm playfully.

“This means a lot,” he said. “This costume really is stupid.”

I nodded. “It truly is. I love it.”

“You mean it?” he asked as we turned and started down the stairs.

“I mean it,” I said. “Even if nobody gets it, it feels special. I guarantee that not one single person tonight will be dressed like us. And all the duos who did couple’s costumes will be sexy, freaky, weird things. We have class.”

Theo guffawed.

Down in the lobby a minute later, we found a crowd of people milling about, checking out each other’s costumes. Theo grabbed my hand as we exited the stairwell and yanked me through the flood of bodies. We got stopped several times by people who desired to tell Theo they wanted to be on his channel. Polite and amiable, he made promises to record more people and their thoughts in the coming days and weeks. However, he made it clear that tonight was all about Halloween and the bonfire. Fortunately, everyone took that well. Of course, there’s nothing like Halloween and an impending party to make people friendly.

He continued to pull me through the crowd by my hand until we got through the glass doors leading out to the path. Once we were clear of everyone and had turned on the path towards the parking lot, I slid my hand from his. Theo looked down at the movement, as if he hadn’t been aware he was still holding my hand. He gave me a quick smile and shoved his hands in his pockets.

I studied him for a moment as we walked, until my eyes drifted up to his hair.

“Your hair looks so dumb,” I said.

“You think so?”

The sun was fully behind the horizon and darkness was creeping in, though the sodium lamps had buzzed on and cast us in an orange glow. People raced by and around us as we walked the path, giggles and laughs and screams filling my ears. The bonfire was going to be held in the giant empty field next to the north parking lot, and it seemed as if the entire campus was going to participate.

“Absolutely,” I replied.

“Thank you.”

“I’m glad you realized it was a compliment.”

Theo looked over at me, his eyes lingering on mine for a moment before they drifted up to look at my hair.

“I think your hair looks really dumb, too,” he said.