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T he party was… interesting. Max was completely blown away by the outrageous costumes some of these people had come up with. The amount of skin on display was surprising. He had seen a half-naked cop, a half-naked reindeer, a more than half-naked sexy nurse—who was also a man—and a T. rex with a tray of Jello shots. Remi grabbed two of the small plastic cups from the stumbling dinosaur and handed him one.

“On the count of three,” she said.

Max took the plastic cup from her and squeezed it a bit, detaching the sludge from the sides to make it easier to shoot.

“One–two–three!”

They both sucked down the slippery Jello and Max was shocked at how easy it was. Not just the shot, but being at the party, with his cat ears on—that no one even batted an eye at— and being with Remi. She made it easy for him. The loud music made it easy. The alcohol definitely made it easy.

“Let’s go out to the patio so we can talk. It’s too loud and stuffy in here,” she said, grabbing him by the hand as she led the way to the beach access patio. His entire body heated at the simple gesture, her confident grip on his hand, guiding him—he felt safe, even while completely out of his comfort zone.

“I can’t believe it’s going to rain tonight. The weather’s been so unpredictable,” she said.

“I like the rain,” Max said, watching as Remi brought her bottle of vodka to her lips, taking a long swig before handing it to him. He lifted the bottle and did the same, the vodka warming his insides.

“Don’t you have a game tomorrow night?” she asked.

“I do, but I’m not getting the start in front of the net. It’s probably not the best decision I’ve made in my lifetime, drinking straight from the bottle the night before a game, but I think I can handle a little hangover from the bench.”

Remi looked up at him, and her smile softened. “Yeah, the whole bench thing,” she said, “we don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to. About hockey and all that. We can save it for another night.”

Maybe it was the liquor, maybe it was Remi, or maybe it was the cat ears causing him to feel so bold, but Max did want to talk about it. He wanted to get it off his chest, say it out loud to someone, anyone , because carrying it alone had become so heavy.

“I think there's something wrong with me, with my health,” he admitted, not wanting to be too specific.

Remi’s entire body tensed up at his confession.

“Like, I think I need to see a doctor or something, to be honest,” he confessed, breaking her gaze to look down at his blurry feet. The party raged on, but suddenly the space around them seemed to go silent and still.

“Max…” she said, encouraging him to go on, to give her more, to say everything he was hiding.

“It’ll be okay, I don’t think it’s something that’s going to kill me. I plan to make an appointment soon,” he said, pulling back from the conversation by offering her a simple solution, one he wasn’t even sure he was ready to hold himself accountable to.

Remi nodded her head encouragingly, but he didn’t miss the way her entire demeanor had changed at his confession.

“But hey,” he said, offering a comforting smile, “I’m sorry I even said anything, I didn’t mean to kill the mood. I guess I just needed to get it off my chest. I can’t be honest about this stuff with my team.”

“Don’t apologize. I’m happy you told me. When you’re ready, I’d like to know more about it, whatever it is.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, Max. I worry about you,” she said, giving his hand a comforting squeeze.

“Don’t worry about me. It’s nothing, really. I think I just needed to say it out loud, ya know? Admit to someone that something might be wrong, something bad enough to land me on the bench.”

“Well, I’m happy you told me. Maybe saying it out loud was the push you needed to make the appointment to get some answers, set your mind at ease, and get you in front of the net more consistently,” she said, kicking the toe of his shoe with hers.

A partygoer pushed by, bumping into Remi, causing her body to stumble closer to his. Her hands landed on his chest, keeping them from getting too close . They both played it safe and laughed it off before she took a step back, giving him his space. Only, he didn't want his space. He liked having her close.

The sky lit up around them as lightning struck in the distance. Everyone on the patio cheered and looked up towards the sky. Everyone except Max and Remi. He couldn't take his eyes off her, and she seemed to be on the same page because she didn't look away from him either.

“Are you scared?” she asked, another drunk partygoer pushing her towards him again, only this time she didn't move back. She stayed. A little too close, yet not close enough.

“Of lightning?” he asked, looking up at the storm rolling in.

“Of what a doctor might say. Jesus, Max, focus.” She laughed.

Thunder rolled, chasing the crash of the lightning.

“I think I’m more afraid of not knowing what’s wrong with me at this point,” Max said.

He didn't see it happen, but Remi’s hand found his. Their bodies pressed closer as the patio began to fill with people hoping to see more of the storm. Max thought he might kiss her, and when he looked into her eyes, he thought she might kiss him .

“Do you want to get out of here?” Remi offered calmly, as the partygoers around them rambunctiously pushed and shoved to get down to the water, which Max found to be stupid and unsafe, considering the lightning.

“Only if you do.”

“I think it might rain on the walk back,” she said looking up at the thick grey clouds above them.

“Well, it’s a good thing you're a jellyfish then.”

***

Remi popped open her jellyfish umbrella and hung it over her shoulder as she and Max walked up the beach trail that led back to her house. Max still had his cat ears on, and she wondered if he had forgotten, or if he was just invested at this point.

She looked around before taking a sip of the vodka she had brought along, scrunching up her nose as the aftertaste hit her. “You want?” she asked, holding it out to Max. “I don’t usually drink like this, but something about this storm is making me feel reckless.”

Max took the bottle and drank as well, something about Remi was making him feel reckless. She watched as he braved the taste of it, hardly making a face.

“Am I a bad influence?” she asked.

“No,” he said shyly.

“How are you feeling?” She giggled.

“Buzzed. You?” His cheeks grew more flushed with each shot of vodka.

“Buzzed,” she said, bumping her shoulder into him causing them both to stumble.

“Do you want to know something I’ve never told anyone?” he offered, and yes, fuck yes, she wanted to know all the secret things about Max Miller, the enigma.

“All the things, Max. I want to know them all,” she said, looking up at him eagerly.

He smiled, one of his rare smiles, and then looked away. “I’ve never been trick-or-treating,” he said.

Remi’s jaw dropped.

“What?”

“Yup. Never wore a costume until tonight.”

She stopped dead in her tracks and turned to face him. “Max, tell me you're joking.”

“Not joking. My mom didn’t like Halloween. She didn’t allow us candy either. She was… hard .”

“Max, we have to take you trick-or-treating. It’s a childhood staple.”

“I’m not a child though, I think that ship has sailed.”

“Well, we have to do it anyway,” she argued.

“When?”

She grabbed his hand and dragged him towards the row of beach houses.

“Now. I’m taking you trick-or-treating right now, Max Miller.”

He pulled back, hesitating. “I’m too old.”

“Not a thing. You’re never too old to trick-or-treat.”

“It’s late, no one’s going to answer,” he said, trying and failing to convince her to stop.

Remi knew he was right. Of course he was too old. And yeah, maybe showing up as adults to a stranger’s house slightly intoxicated asking for candy any other night of the year would be frowned upon and grounds for a phone call to the local police, but it was Halloween, someone had to have some candy left.

She stopped in front of a pink house with a white iron gate. “So, here's what you do, you just ring the doorbell, and when they answer you say, ‘trick or treat’ and smile.”

“I’m not doing that,” Max said, pulling his hand away and taking a step back.

“Max, this is a life event no one should be denied.”

“Remi. I can’t do this.”

She looked up at him and pleaded, “Please. I’ll even go with you.”

“What if they don’t answer?”

“Then we move on to the next house until someone answers and gives you candy.”

She watched as Max considered it. He looked down at the bottle in her hand.

“Oh, yeah, this . We should probably ditch it before we go to the door,” she said, but before she could throw it out, Max grabbed the bottle and took a long swig. Remi laughed as he winced at the taste of the vodka this time. “Liquid courage?” she asked.

“Something like that.”

He handed the bottle back and she downed the last of it. Her head was definitely spinning, and her heart was racing. She was happy, and didn’t realize it before, but she was a bit nervous too. “Okay, practice round. We walk up, knock, they answer, and you say?” she asked.

“Help, this crazy jellyfish dressed me up like a cat and is forcing me to beg for candy?” he said with a coy smile on his face that absolutely took her breath away.

She grabbed him by the hand and pulled him forward. “Close enough.”

***

They both held their hands up to the door and at the same time, gave it a knock. Max's heart hammered in his chest as he waited for someone to open it. It might have been the longest minute of his life, and just as he was about to walk away, the door swung open.

An old man with a small Yorkie in his arms greeted them, a confused look on his face. Max looked over at Remi, who was holding her jellyfish umbrella in place. She smiled up at him, encouraging him to go on.

Max felt the alcohol surging through his body. He felt euphoric and alive, and at the same time nervous and very aware of the cat ears on his head.

“Tri… trick or treat?” he said, more as a question, and the second he finished saying it Remi jumped up into his arms, hugging him and laughing.

“You did it! You have officially trick-or-treated,” she said, her voice booming with excitement.

Max tore his eyes away from her infectious joy and gave the older man a weak, apologetic smile.

“Son,” the old man said, “are you telling me you’ve never done this before?”

Max shook his head. “No, sir. This is my first time.”

The old man stroked the small dog's head and smiled at Max. “Well, I’ve seen better black cats tonight, but you might be the biggest, so I guess that counts for something.”

“I’m actually a ginger cat,” Max said, the drunkenness causing him to feel a little silly.

The old man burst out with laughter, scaring the tiny dog and sending it into fits of high-pitched barks. “Oh, stop that, Bella,” he said, setting her on the ground. “Give me a second to go see what I have left.”

Max looked at Remi and her smile was unreal, it nearly killed him.

“I’m proud of you.” She beamed with pride, her eyes a little drunk and wild.

“For trick-or-treating?”

“Yeah, that. But also, for telling me what you told me earlier. Even if you didn’t tell me what’s going on in-depth, I’m happy you found me safe enough to share.”

Max’s smile faltered but Remi's confidence in him did not, and the comfort that seemed to radiate from her brought him back to the moment. “Thank you for being safe. Now I need to work up the courage to actually talk to a doctor.”

The man reappeared, the small dog back in his arms. “I’m clean out of Halloween candy, but I like to keep these dinner mints on the kitchen table. I hope that works,” he said, opening the door to hand them both three red and white spiraled dinner mints.

“It’s perfect,” Remi said cheerfully, peeling off the wrapper and popping one of the mints into her mouth immediately.

Max smiled and took his first-ever Halloween bounty. “Happy Halloween, sir.”

The old man reached out and shook Max’s hand. “Happy Halloween, son, and good luck tomorrow at the game. Go Condors,” he said with a knowing wink.

They made their way back to Remi's house with mint candy in their mouths, smiles on their faces, alcohol in their veins, and a sense of something new brewing between them.

Their hands brushed together, her shoulder bumping against his arm as they walked on drunken feet, swaying and laughing as the ocean crashed violently close by. Every bump of their bodies, every graze of his knuckles against hers, only made him want more. And just when Max thought he couldn't get close enough to Remi without making it too obvious, the sky opened up and the rain began to pour.

Remi pulled him close, lifting her lit-up jellyfish umbrella above them. Now face to face, her breath heavy with drunken laughter, and something else. Max couldn't be sure, but he thought it might be anticipation. Anticipation for what? He didn’t know, and he wasn't a brave enough man to find out. No amount of liquor could summon the courage he needed to act on his feelings for this beautiful, wild, jellyfish of a girl.

She looked up at him under the colorful lights of the umbrella and he noticed one of the pink jewels above her eye was about to fall off. With gentle fingers, he plucked it from her face and before he realized what he was doing, he put it into his pocket for safekeeping.

“What do we do meow ?” she said jokingly as they stood in place while the rain beat down around them.

“Two options,” he said, loving the way the string lights she had attached to the umbrella lit up her already infectious smile, “we stand here until the rain stops, and only get wet from the waist down, or we run.”

Remi gave him a dubious grin, and before he saw it coming, she pulled the umbrella away, shut it, and took off in a sprint towards her house.