Free Trick or Treat by Richie Tankersley Cusick

asked. Blake and Greg were arguing loudly about the basketball coach, and she leaned across the table towards Martha.
    “No,” Martha said. “I really haven’t thought about it.” It’s the last thing I want to think about right now ….
    Wynn shook her head; she looked unhappy. “I wish the class had voted on something else.”
    “A romance?” Greg bent close to her, lowering his voice dramatically. “A mysterious stranger who sneaks into girls’ rooms at night and —”
    “A stranger with sexy blue eyes,” added Blake as Wynn tried to push Greg away.
    “Look at her, she blushes every time,” Greg deadpanned. “Every time we mention that blue-eyed stranger —”
    “It’s true,” Blake nodded. “He just has something the rest of us guys don’t have —”
    Wynn bent her face into her hands as they laughed. “You two — will you please — ”
    “We’re a little upset with Wynn,” Blake said seriously to Martha. “See, we really wanted to invite your brother but —”
    “ Blake! ” Wynn’s face went a deep scarlet, and she looked so distressed that even Martha found it hard not to laugh.
    “No, Wynn said we couldn’t ask your brother,” Greg continued, just as solemn. “She said she wouldn’t come if he came, so —”
    “It was between Wynn and the blue-eyed stranger,” Blake said. “And I hated to see her starve, so —”
    “Stop,” Wynn moaned, but she was laughing now, in spite of their teasing. As it suddenly dawned on Martha that Conor was the topic of their conversation, she looked at Wynn in barely concealed astonishment.
    “Conor? If he had come, I wouldn’t have come, either. Then you’d have missed out on both of us.” It was said before she even thought, but the guys burst into laughter, and Wynn cast her a grateful smile.
    “Then we made the right decision.” Blake shook Greg’s hand, nodding emphatically. “After all, there’s only room for two real men at this table.”
    “Then you’d better leave so they can sit down with us,” Wynn threw back and looked smugly at Martha.
    “So what’s the story with your brother, anyway?” Blake asked Martha, draping his arm casually over the seat behind her. “Besides the fact that he’s obviously a genius and has every girl in Bedford fantasizing.”
    “Stepbrother,” Martha said automatically. “And I didn’t know he was a genius.”
    “Are you kidding? I’m in three classes with him, and he knows everything . The guy’s a walking encyclopedia.”
    “You mean he actually talks in class?” Martha looked doubtful. “He hardly says a word at home.”
    “Well, let’s put it this way.” Blake spread his hands, explaining. “He never volunteers — never speaks up. But if he’s called on — watch out. By the end of class, he and the teacher are in some deep discussion, and the class is hanging on every word. It’s incredible.”
    “He must read a lot,” Greg surmised, and Martha squirmed uncomfortably.
    “I don’t know.”
    “Maybe he’s got one of those photographic memories,” Blake suggested. “What does he do around the house?”
    Martha cleared her throat, conscious of their eyes upon her. “I don’t really know.”
    “You don’t know? You live with him, don’t you?” Blake laughed, but Wynn came to Martha’s defense.
    “She hasn’t known him that long. They practically just met.”
    This time it was Martha who looked grateful. “He keeps to himself a lot. He’s sort of in his own world.”
    “And to top it off, he plays a mean game of basketball.” Blake shook his head in mild disbelief.
    “He cooks,” Martha added, and Blake rolled his eyes.
    “Naturally.”
    “And he likes to walk in the woods.”
    “That’s nice,” Wynn said. “It’s sensitive and —”
    “And what?” Greg nudged her.
    “Nothing.”
    “Come on, you were going to say ‘romantic,’ weren’t you?” Blake picked up mischievously.
    “Well, suppose I was.” Wynn lifted her chin. “We could