"Nix, come on!" Nellie shouted from the door way; she flipped her long auburn hair impatiently and tapped her foot. Nixon came running down, his hair was falling in his face and Nellie doubted he'd brushed his teeth recently.
"Oh, Nix, can you at least look half way presentable?" Nellie asked impatiently.
Nixon rolled his dark eyes, "Nel, relax." Alex beeped his horn from outside,
"Come on!" Nellie shouted.
"Okay, okay." Nixon said, running out the door and into Alex's car. When she got in the back, Nixon gave her a crooked grin,
"Beat'cha." She rolled her eyes and buckled up.
"You're looking beautiful as usual, princess." Alex said, looking at Nellie through his rear veiw mirror.
"Oh shut up, Walker." She grumbled back. Alex smirked and winked at her.
"I think it may be Nel's time of the month, Al." Nixon told Alex,
Alex rolled his eyes, "Come on, Nix, you know she doesn't get that."
"Shh." Nixon replied jokingly.
"You guys are both prats." Nellie said angrily.
"Oh, Nel, relax." Alex said, "The Halloween dance is coming up...find a date yet?"
"I'm not going...I have to much preparation for the Halloween ritual...by the way, are you coming?"
"I plan on it. My mom might wig....she knows your mom is married to a woman and all but she doesn't feel comfortable with me going over and stuff..." Alex tried not to meet Nellie's dark eyes but they bore into the back of his head.
"Nellie please don't turn the evil eyes on me. You know it bothers me." Alex said calmly.
"Sorry." She mumbled, "anyway, just go. Its a free country."
"But she's my mom." He pressed.
"Would you stop with the eye thing?!" Alex exclaimed, "Anyway, I was planning on just going..She thinks Halloween is evil."
"No wonder my mother got bad vibes from her." Nellie mumbled.
Alex pulled into the school parking lot and stopped the jeep,
"Last day of the week!" Alex reminded them brightly.
"Yeah," Nellie mumbled.
"Oh brighten up, Nel!" Nixon exclaimed; both he and Alex clambered into the back and began tickling her.
"No!" She squealed. She giggled and writhed until someone knocked on the window. All the kids got out and faced their intruder: Mr. Nelson.
"Yes?" Nellie asked calmly. Mr. Nelson surveyed them closely.
"What were you doing in the car?" Mr. Nelson asked, looking the kids over.
"Tickling Nellie." Alex replied. Mr. Nelson gave him a dirty look,
"I was asking Nellie."
"They were trying to cheer me up." Nellie said bravely. She wasn't scared of teachers, she never had been. Her mother was Halloween Queen, why would she fear teachers? Nixon and Nellie had faced more terrible things that Mr. Nelson could even dream of.
"Very well then." Mr. Nelson replied. Nellie got out of his face and followed the boys to the school.
"What an idiot." Alex exclaimed once they were inside the confines of Davey High School.
"I know...I should show him some of those Nepitips I had to vanquish last week...we'll see what he thinks about tickling." Nellie replied.
"Nel, shush." Nixon said.
"Oh, please." Nellie replied dismissively. Alex closed his locker and put a hand on the back of Nellie's neck, a gesture that he'd been doing since they were Freshmen.
"Al and I have American Lit." It made Nixon uncomfortable to be away from his sister for so long.
"Alright. See you second period." Nixon said, the same anxiety setting. Nellie put a hand on his shoulder,
"I'll be okay."
He sighed and walked towards his gym class.