"When I was little I worshipped Halloween," "And truthfully, part of me still does," "Because it's your one chance all year to be someone else," "Are you sure you don't want to wear my flapper dress?" "Mom, why do you always ask me everything 1 0 times?" "I said no." " l can't be Catwoman," " Do you want cereal?" "I want to be someone else,  but to wear an actual costume to school is too scary," "No, thanks. I just don't see the point of wearing a costume." "Mom, I can't be Catwoman." "Sheri H ickey is going to be Catwoman." " And she's developed." " l thought she was Madonna." " l'll get it!" " She wants to be someone scary." " Hello?" " Who is scarier than Madonna?" "Dad, Madonna peaked." "It's that Boyd guy." "Boyd!" "No, no, no." "That's all right." "is that the guy Mom hired to replace you?" "No one can replace me." "And, yes." "Well, no." "No." "Of course." "I understand." "O K, I'll see you then." "He'll be little late." "Chiropractor." " Again?" " Mom?" " Mom, what should I be?" " A pain in the butt, since you are." "I'd be you, but nobody can find a mask that ugly." "Danielle!" "Danielle, let this be a lesson to you." "Don't always leave things until the last minute." "So, do you want my flapper dress?" "Mom, you asked me that 1 0 times." "You know what's happening?" "I'm sleeping over at Rayanne's." "I know. I said you could." "Don't ask me everything 1 0 times." "I meant that as a joke." "Sure." "So you basically feel he's working out?" "Boyd?" "What can I say?" "He's always either coming late or leaving early." "There's always some chiropractic adjustment I have to hear about." "I mean, he means well." " Wait!" "Who are we going to be?" " When we grow up?" "No, at Camille's costume party tonight." "I hate Halloween." "You've got something." " You can wear that flapper dress." " l hate that flapper dress." "Hey, rat!" "Hey, rat girl!" "I'm not a rat. I'm a cat." "Hey, hands off the tail." "Watch your tail, kitten!" "I'm a cat, okay?" "Deal with it." "People are wearing costumes,  Even teachers are wearing costumes,  I should have worn a costume,  But who would I be?" "I can't believe people are walking around dressed like idiots." "I wouldn't talk." "O K, people!" "We're starting a new unit this week." "You want to read new books." "You want to study." "Well, in honor of All Saint's Eve, we're going to be reading stories... about famous ghosts and spirits." "Speaking of apparitions, where's Catalano?" "Does anybody know Jordan Catalano?" "Does anybody know Jordan Catalano?" "That question got to me,  I mean, I'd had seven conversations with him, and one really bad kiss,  and one amazing one," "Angela?" "But did I know him?" "Sort of." "Tell him he better quit ditching class." "I want him in tomorrow or I'm going to have his butt kicked out of school." "There are too many good kids." "I don't have time for the bad ones." "O K, let's open our books and turn to page 7." " This is how drains get clogged." " This is how girls get foamy." " Scary costume!" " l got it from Brian Krakow." "I thought this Halloween, I'd be everyone else." " Angelica!" " You're Brian?" "Wait until you see what I brought you!" "They're actual." "It's not a costume." "They're, like, real." " Oh, look, mohair!" " Go, try them on!" "What!" "Lerner handed out the new book this early?" "Somebody's got to do something." "Halloween bites this year." "We've got to find Tino." "Tino is M r." "Halloween." "See you in Soc!" "Good you're wearing a costume." "Because if more people don't start wearing costumes... they are going to be, like, discontinued." " Cute rat suit." " l'm a cat!" "Oh, my God!" "That fits you perfect." "We've got to do your hair and your make- up." "Let's see who else had it." "Don't you like to see who else had a book." " N icky Driscoll?" " Lie!" "The N icky Driscoll?" " See for yourself." " Who's N icky Driscoll?" "U nreal." "There it is." "Oh, my God!" "Didn't he, like, die on Halloween?" "He didn't die on Halloween." "That's just a myth." " He did so!" " Did not!" "Who is N icky Driscoll?" " We heard about him freshman year." " lt was after this Halloween dance." "He and his friends decided to paint the gym black, just to do it?" "And he was up in the rafters." "And some moron girl leaves her spike heel... right in the middle of the floor, don't ask me why." "And, so, when he fell... this humongous spike stabbed him right in the nostril." " Gross!" " Rayanne, that's disgusting!" "Oh, shut up!" "They just tell kids he died like that so people won't climb the rafters." "No." "No, it's true." "Our moms even know about him." "It was the Halloween right before Kennedy got shot." "That's not how I heard about it." "I heard he was trying to hang this banner... that declared his love for this girl." "N icky Driscoll." "This couldn't really be his book." " lt's a prank. lt's fake." " But look. lt's faded." "He and my uncle's friend were in the same class." "And my uncle said the night he died, there was this storm... and the electricity went out." "And the next day, they found out the electricity went out... at the exact same time that N icky died." "My Mom's sister once rode on the back of his bike." "She was 1 2 and said she was 1 5." "Those are her clothes." "Do you want to stuff?" "Rayanne!" "Are you sure?" "It's the way they did it in the old days." "Rickie, you know, you look good without make- up." "Oh, Rickie, it has pockets." "Oh, Rickie, look!" "That's so cool!" " What else do you know about him?" " About who?" " N icky Catalano." " You mean N icky Driscoll." "Why?" "What did I say?" "Never mind. I don't know much about either of them." " So, you coming to Soc?" " l n a minute." "I told you there was a shop here." "Do you think I'm going to have to fire him?" "Boyd?" "You're kidding!" "It's just not working out." "I mean..." "Please don't say you want Power Rangers." "We're out." "Everybody is out." "It's not for our kids." "Her friend is having a costume party." " Camille is our friend!" " Not when she has a costume party." " l love your costume." " What costume?" "I got just what you need." "Rapunzel." "And a pirate." " What's so funny?" " You as Rapunzel." "Well, I mean, come on." "Not that..." "Well, you know..." "Actually, I don't see myself in tights." "I would rather not be a storybook character if possible." "Today is Halloween." "Yesterday, I could have got you Bill and H illary." "Let this be a lesson to you." "Don't always leave things until the last minute." " We'll take them." " Should we try them on?" "Look, Dollface. I've been doing this for a lot of years." "They're going to fit like a glove." "Trust me." "It's a costume." "I wouldn't really dress like this." " l'm supposed to give you a message." " From Tino?" "No, from M iss Lerner." "Who?" "M iss Lerner?" "She's been our English teacher for over a month now." "She says you have to start showing up to class... or she's going to have you kicked out." "So what's the message?" "That you're going to get kicked out of school." "Like it's doing so much for me." "You're welcome!" "Don't you even care?" "I'm having a brain hemorrhage, this is such a great idea." "I can't believe it. I can't even communicate with him when it matters." " When it could affect his life." " Will you forget Catalano?" "I've finally got something going here." "I told Tino about your book, so we are going to meet... here, tonight, outside the school at 9: 00... because it's a witchy number, and we are going to contact... the spirit of N icky Driscoll." "Finally. it's Halloween!" "When someone dies young,  it's like they stay that way,  forever," "like a vampire," "Look!" "He's just your type!" "But watch out for those dead guys." "They'll break your heart." "I just wanted to see what he looked like." "So, you're going to be there tonight, right?" "I mean, since he contacted you." "Rayanne, stop." "I still can't look at him." " lf he were alive today, he'd be..." " Who?" "N icky?" "That's easy!" "Some burnt- out greaser with no teeth and a parole officer." "Rayanne!" "That's so unfair!" "It seems like some people have to die young." "Like it fits them or something." "Why are you singing that song?" "I don't know." "Because Rickie was, I guess." "Angela, we have to do this." "I don't know." "It seems like such a sick idea." " So, what's the down side?" " You mean, contact him?" "How?" "I have enough trouble contacting living guys." "I don't even believe in ghosts." "Yes, right." "That's why you ran here to check his picture." "I'll see you tonight." "I'm leaving!" "Keep your shroud on!" "Angela and N icky sitting in a tree... I heard." "Count me out." "N ice and open- minded." "Have those clothes gone to your brain?" " Rickie?" " Seriously, you know you want to." "Excuse me." "Can I talk to Rickie, please?" "What am I?" "A receptionist?" "Look it's no big deal. I just..." "About the clothes." "You can return them whenever, if you need to keep them longer." "Why would he need to keep them longer?" "The whole point of him wearing them is that he would never wear them." "Ignore her." "She got up on the wrong side of the coffin this morning." "Come on." "You've got to help me figure out what do we bring?" "Gee, let me think." "I haven't raised the dead recently." "Like I have." " ls there a party or something?" " Forget it." "Tino will know." "Tino and the forces of darkness are like that!" "I'm still counting on you, Vasquez!" "We will meet back here tonight, 9 o'clock at this very spot." " Crazy plan." " Yeah, I figured." "So by we, did she mean, I mean, who exactly did she mean?" "J ust be glad you're not doing it." "It involves a ghost." " l think it's a terrible idea." " Because you don't believe in ghosts?" "No, because I do." "Listen, I'll return your clothes tomorrow." "I'll even wash them and everything." "Wait." "Be careful." "You have to wash the pants separate." "I decided to make pumpkin soup." "We can freeze it." "I can't even bear to look at him anymore." "Boyd. I've got to tell him he's fired." "Somehow." "is this like when there's a spider and you expect me to kill it for you?" "What?" "No, nobody's expecting you to kill anything." "You're not involved in the business anymore. I've accepted that." "You know, the longer I put it off the worse it gets." "I've just got to do it." "It needs something." "Camille is going to send Sharon over to pick up this chaffing dish." "Will you give it to her when she comes here?" "Sweetheart?" "Mom, Sharon Cherski and I exist in two different worlds, okay?" "I can't just hand her a dish, okay?" "I mean, it's just not that simple." " l'm doing Angela." "Pretty good, uh?" " Oh, my God." "I thought it was starting all over again!" "Very convincing, Danielle." "My God!" "That was really scary!" "Listen, your mother and I have to go change into our idiotic costumes now." "So you be back over at Courtney's by 1 0 o'clock." "1 0 o'clock?" "On Halloween?" "That was very good, Danielle." "It sounded just like Angela." " That was me." " 1 0 o'clock." "It's a shame." "He seemed like such a nice guy." "It doesn't change anything, though." "You can't expect him to be perfect." "I'm not perfect." "You didn't fire me." " Technically, I did." " Yes, technically, you did." " Check out the wig!" " l can't handle this." "Graham, nobody is asking you to fire him." "No, I mean this." "Look, they're purple, Patty." "I kind of like them." "The point is, I hired someone, it is not working." "I got to deal with it." "God, I can hardly breathe!" "I just hope..." "I mean..." "Suppose his kids suddenly need braces or something." "You know?" "This is wrong." "No, it has to be this way. I mean... he means well, but..." "This is so tight." "Look, it's not that I wouldn't do it for you." "Because, if you really want me to do it... lt's just that it's so scary to have to fire someone." "There are worse things in this world." "Believe me." "I just can't help picturing his poor little children without braces." "If only there was some way out." "Forget those little rugrats." "He leaves early to go to the chiropractor, he's a dead man." "I'll fire him myself, the filthy cur." "Graham." "That sounds so cutthroat." "Well, all is fair in love and war." "H i." "The chafing dish is in here." "What are you, a mouse or something?" "Yes, I'm a mouse." " Oh, my God!" "You're Angela!" " l can't talk about it, okay?" "Only, Angela would stand more like this." "Yes, like the shirt is her only friend, or something." " Well, I've got to go." " Trick- or- treating?" "Yes, there's this house on Rossmore, and they made it like a haunted house." "And then on Courtney's street, they give really good candy." " Where are you going?" " Out with my boyfriend." " Well, bye." " Bye!" "Danielle!" "Wait!" "Angela?" "Angela?" "What are you doing here?" "Nothing. lt's public property." "I'm locked out of my house." " Where's Angela?" " She said she heard something." "I think I spooked her." " What are you doing here?" " lt's public property." " l left my keys in your pants." " What?" "I mean, my pants." "Shut up." "I guess it was the wind." "I mean, I heard something." " You're here?" " So?" " He left his keys in Rickie's pants." " Oh, no!" "Let's go!" "H urry up!" " Feel my bag, go ahead." "Feel it." " Feel mine." "I can't believe I almost missed this." "Promise me you won't let boys drain all the fun out of your life." "I promise. I wish you were my sister." " Danielle!" " l hate her. I do." "Okay." "You hate her." "So, why did you want to be her if you hate her so much?" "I'll trade you this jawbreaker for that sucker." "Deal." " This is the last time I listen to Tino." " lt's weird to be here at night." " Who's Tino?" " A dead man." "It's Halloween!" "I say we break into school... and write " N icky Driscoll was here" on the gym floor in red lipstick." " That is such a terrible idea." " Come on!" "We'll be legendary!" "They won't forget us." "We'll be like N icky!" " Excuse me." "N icky got killed." " Come on, Rayanne." "There's no way we can break in without setting off the alarm." "There's got to be a way. I'll ask Brian." "Brian knows some clever chess club way, don't you, Bri?" " Oh, my God!" " What?" "What?" " You know a way in!" " l do not!" "I was just goofing on him." "I don't believe it." "But, Brian... you could never risk such a risk, could you, M r." "Brilliant Future?" "Shut up!" "My life's complicated enough." "Count me out." "Look, we're going in, with you or without you." "And if it's without you, well, then, we'll just have to go in and get out... before the cops come." "Man." "An A" " V graveyard." "Why are you doing this?" "What do you mean?" "What about you?" "Let go of my arm." "You can get into trouble." "You could screw up your whole life." "At least I'll know I'm alive." "Hey, maybe the cafeteria is unlocked." "Come on!" "We're in!" "What the hell was that?" " Oh, no!" "No!" " Okay, wait!" "Let me think!" " You locked us in!" "You idiot!" " Shut up!" "Let me think!" "Okay, I know where the computer is for the security system." "I'll just shut off the system, and then we can leave... through another exit without triggering the alarm, okay?" " Were you looking at me?" " No!" "Where is Angela?" "There she is!" "Angela!" "Angela, meet us in the gym." "We've got something to take care of." "Come on!" "Did you do it yet?" "Did you do it?" "Will you please" "Okay, turn them back on." "Krakow!" "Come on, the joke is over." "Turn the lights back on." "There must be some aspect of the system I'm not familiar with." "This is the last time I let them use my 45's for a hop." "They scratched my Mathis and my Ricky Nelson." "So, N icky never showed." "I don't care." "Did they scratch your Elvis?" " Oh, sorry." " Public property." " Well, I was just leaving, so..." " l wish I was." "Every year we come out here, we tear up the track... and throw garbage cans over." "God, it's getting old." "Can't you just go or something?" "No, no." "We still got to find the guy who egged Tino's car." "That's something I can't get out of." "It's always the same." "But you come because you think, you know... maybe something cool will happen." "Because what if something did happen, and you missed it?" "You better get out of here, though." "These guys are pretty ripped." "Okay." "Connie!" "Help me out with these decorations here." " N icky give you that?" " Yes." "He probably stole it off somebody's grave." "Connie!" "He and those creeps he hangs out with went to the cemetery tonight." "So?" "He really likes you." "I don't care if he does." "He's a loser, Ruthie." "N icky Driscoll is going nowhere, and I'm not going there with him." " Are they even?" " Left one needs more." "Come on, Nicky!" "Trick- or- treat!" "Here!" "What wonderful costumes." "Happy Halloween!" "Bye!" "Those children, so innocent, so sweet." "So tender." "We'll be late." "I'll be quick." "I'm not that quick." "Trick- or- treat!" "One for you, and one for you, and..." " one for you, and one for you." " Thanks." " Bye, bye!" " Happy Halloween!" "All set." "You've got the car keys?" "Yes." " Graham." "Your sword!" " Sorry." "Trick- or- treat!" "No." "Leave the tights on just a few minutes more." "Please." " We've got to find Angela." " We can't." "We looked." "Get over it." "So dark." "Why's it got to be so dark?" "This is all your fault!" " You were looking at me." " What are you talking about?" "You were scoping my legs, and you let the stupid door shut!" "You must be so hard up." " Where are you going?" " Anywhere you're not." "Brian!" "Brian, don't go. I'm scared." "Scared of the dark, okay?" "Have fun telling all your little friends." "You are?" "I mean, it just..." " doesn't seem like something you'd be." " Yes, well, I am." "is there a reason?" "Why?" "Because when I was a kid... my dad would come home, wigged out of his mind..." " and he'd lock me in the basement." " Oh, my God." "I'd sleep at the foot of the stairs, because... if I pressed my face against the floor... I could see the light that we left on in the hallway." "But if I turned around... it would be... so dark." " You bought that." " You are sick." "You just expected this big explanation." "I don't know why I'm scared of the dark." "My dad never even came home, so that had nothing to do with it." " l saw you watching me." " What?" "I'm just..." "When?" "Today." "Shaving my legs." "Well, yes. I'm..." "Look, I'm..." "My hobby is photography, so I'm trained to notice stuff." "Being the stuff people notice is my hobby." "I mean, I live for it." " J ust don't leave me alone here, okay?" " Okay." "We've got it good!" "This is a kick." "Billy, come on." "You're getting soft on me." "It's that homecoming brat." "Come on, N ick." "We got to hang principal jerkface." " Why?" " Because we got to do it!" " Man, you're crazy!" " l'm doing it for us, man." "He can't kick us out of school and think he's going to get away with it." " Billy, come on!" " Forget it, man!" "Yes, yes." "Yes." "So, I'm at Brad's right now." "And he's pretty sick." "But I really shouldn't leave him." " H is parents?" " They're out of town." "They're out of town." "No, we're not unsupervised." " H is grandmother's there." " H is grandmother's here..." " But she's asleep." " But she's asleep." "So, I really should stay." "Yes, I'll call you in the morning." "No!" "Don't call here." "You'll wake the grandmother!" "You'll wake up his grandma, and she's exhausted." "She needs rest." "Mom, I'll call you in the morning." "Yes." "Okay." " l like this song." " l know." "You know, I heard Elvis was only our age when he recorded this." " Where did you get the flower?" " l..." "She threw it away?" "Yes, well, I'm not in her league." " She thinks I'm a loser." " No!" "What do you mean, no?" "She's right." "Wait, where are you going?" "I'm going to help a friend do something." " No, don't!" "Please don't!" " l've got to. I can't get out of it." " No!" "You're going to get hurt!" " At least I'll know I'm alive." "But you're not!" "You're not alive!" "You threw your life away for no reason!" " See, you." " No, wait!" "N icky, wait!" " Hey, no more candy." " Mom, I know." "Bet you are glad to be yourself again." "Better get out of your sister's room." "Angela!" " N icky?" " Very funny." "Man, you sleep like this stoner I knew." "He was, like, dead." "We had to check his breath with a mirror." "I've been trying to wake you." "We've got to jam before everybody gets here." "It's cool." "George won't tell." "Because there's nothing to tell." "Because we were never here, right, George?" "Come on." "Sorry we didn't show, Camille." "No." "It must have been something we ate... because suddenly something just came over us." " Anyway, I'm sorry we didn't make it." " l wouldn't say we didn't make it." "I'm sorry, what?" "Camille?" "No." "No, of course we had costumes." "I told you we were all set to go." "Bill and H illary." "Okay. I'll talk to you later." "Why did you tell Camille we were the Clintons?" "I don't know. lt just seemed easier." "I mean, what is the deal with Rapunzel anyway?" "is she a princess?" "is she under a spell?" "What?" "I mean, all anybody ever remembers is that... she has this really long hair and she was locked up in some kind of a" "Prison." "She let her hair down, and he climbs, and climbs, and climbs..." " This bodice is ripped." " l did that?" "I guess you don't know your own strength." " Do you want me to fire that guy?" " Part of me wants you to." "Part of me wants you to want me to." "Hello?" "Hello, Boyd." "Boyd, there's something that I've got to say and there's really... no great way to say it, so, I'm just going to say it, because..." "The truth is, Boyd, I don't think you're the right person for this job." "Well, I'm sorry." "Nobody likes to hear these things." "It's never fun, but, in my experience, you've just got to face it." "Well, no, I didn't see it coming either, but..." "Hey, Brian!" "Here's your clothes." "I washed them." "Cold." "You will not believe, you will not believe what we did last night." "Yes, I know." "Rayanne told me all about it." "I should have done it, right?" "So, what did Rayanne say happened?" "Well, actually, she said that nothing happened." "That it was a total waste of time." "Well, yes, it was." "H i, I'd like to return these." " There was a slight accident." " Bodice get ripped?" "Yes, as a matter of fact." "Why?" "Has that happened before?" "Happens every time." "That's Rapunzel for you." " l'll pay you for the damage." " No charge... no damage, no harm done." "Well, thank you. I was wondering... do you ever, I mean..." "You want to keep the costumes, don't you?" " l was thinking about it." " Of course, you were." "I don't really know that..." "I mean, actually, it seems kind of silly." "Actually, I mean, Halloween is over." "And, what would we do with them for the rest of the year?" "I better not." "You're the boss." "Where's the handkerchief?" "What?" "What do you mean?" "It isn't in here?" "I'm sorry. I don't know what... what happened to it." " That I'll have to charge you for." " Of course." " You're not going to class?" " What's it to you?" "You know, you are going to get expelled." " Don't you care?" " lt don't matter." "Of course, it matters." "She's looking to throw me out, okay?" "She's been waiting for this." "She thinks I'm a loser." "You're crazy to let her tell you what you are." "What are you talking about?" "She doesn't know you." "She doesn't know who you are." "You can't let her decide what you do." "Hey!" "I decide what I do." "Maybe I want to get kicked out of school." "Maybe you do. lt doesn't mean people can't try and stop you... and tell you." "I know you think, how could someone like me understand." "Only, I do." "Okay, people." "Come on, let's try to look alive." "I know we all have candy hangovers." "But, today, we're going to be visiting M r." "Dickens' world of dark factories... grey skies, lost souls." "Speaking of which, M r." "Catalano, how nice to see you." "Are you just visiting, or are you going to stay with us for awhile?" "All right, people, if you would turn to page 2 7." "Now who would like to start the reading today?" "Come on, people." "I know we're all tired, but I had far more chocolate than you did." "Let's get into the spirit of things..."