I.O.U.

Stacy could not believe she had promised her mother she would go trick or treating with her younger sister. 

She was eighteen now and had nearly begged her mother to allow her to go to Clive Owens Halloween party, but no, she had to accompany her little bratty sister on her trick or treating. 

Her mother had even dared to get her sister to bring along some friends while not allowing Stacy to spend time with hers. 

It would have been better if Grandmother would have still been there, she always took Stacy’s side. 

“Come on now Moira, let Stacy go to the party” She would have said and her mother would have sighed and let her go, but their grandmother had passed away and now she was trailing behind a bunch of eight-year-olds in their tacky Halloween costumes. 

Stacy’s sister, Lilli, wore a wonder woman costume, Lilli had recently gotten into Stacy’s wonder woman comic collection, she had thrown her sister out of her room from smudging up the pages, Her mother, like always, had sided with her sister, and told Stacy she should share her comics, but her mother did not know the comics were from grandma Ethel, who had been a fan of wonder woman since the first day and had told Stacy she could be a hero if she wanted too, Stacy so far had not wanted too. 

Stacy sat to the side of the room as the girls were chatting about the best houses for candy when the bell rang. “Ah great, they are here,” Her mother said as she got up from the kitchen table where she had been finalizing the jack-o-lantern that would hold the candy for the trick or treaters that came to their door. 

Stacy got up with a sigh as her mother opened the door. 

Stacy’s heart stopped as her mother opened the door. 

There he was, the new boy in school, Leo. 

Behind Leo, Holding his pant leg was a young girl with bright blue eyes and a large head of curly red hair. 

“Leo And Anna are also joining you for trick or treating,” Her mother said.

Stacy looked at her mother, almost like she was trying to see if her mother had actually said those words, Was she going to spend an evening with Leo?

Leo smiled as he looked inside the house, his hand rubbed over his sister's hair as he smiled. “Anna is always a little shy around… people” He said this with a smile on his lips as he looked around the room. 

“Are all of you girls ready to go?”He said. Stacy nodded her head, she tried to say something but she knew shed sound dumb so she said nothing as she walked passed Leo, who gave her a look and a smile as his sister dug her self even deeper into his pant leg, Stacy gave her a kind smile but sighed, the girl would be trouble if she wanted to talk to Leo, she just knew it.

The group of girls, all dressed in various costumes made their way onto the street and made their way to the first house. 

Stacy hung back a little, as she watched Leo make his way amongst the girls to the door to ring the doorbell. 

A loud orchestra of “Trick or treat” Was heard when the door opened to one of their neighbors opened the door. 

What followed was the Typical “Oh my what great costumes you have on” speech came. 

After the girls got their candy, they turned around and after the door closed let out a squeal of excitement at the candy they had gotten. Stacy let out a deep groan, was this going to happen at every house they went to? Leo passed her and threw her a smile that made her heart skip several beats. 

As she followed his gaze and tried to smile back without making her smile look stupid, she saw what she swore was her grandmothers Wonder woman cape turning the corner to the back of a house, the cape was from the original show her grandmother had always boasted about “This costume is the costume from episode 23” Stacy smiled as she remembered her grandmother always telling that story on Halloween. 

Stacy blinked and rubbed her eyes and shook her head, She must have seen it wrong, more people wore capes, it’s Halloween. 

The ritual of the girls shouting trick or treat and waiting for the door to close to discuss the candy they got continued with every house they went too and every time Stacy could swear she saw her grandmother somewhere. 

Sure she had heard that on this night the veil of "things" was thin and you could see departed relatives, who could even cross over to this world if they wanted too. But that was just old spooky story talk, she was sure of it. 

As the night got later and the girl's buckets got fuller, little Anna had slowly joined the group of girls and was also starting to talk with the girls. Still keeping an Eye Stacy, Did the girl know She like her Brother, was the girl looking at her because she was jealous? 

Stacy did not care really, she still had not had the guts to go up to Leo and say hi, but then again he had been so preoccupied with his little sister that she did not have the time to do it either. 

Another house another piece of candy judged by the little girls and another Sighting of grandmother.

Stacy had to know, she had seen glimpses the entire time and was getting annoyed by it. She looked at Leo “Going…look…cape” She said and before he could answer she darted around the corner of the house where the girls were. 

As she darted around the corner she saw Leo was already taking the girls to the next house, he would keep an eye on them. 

As she walked to the door to the backyard she saw no one, nor a way for someone like her grandmother to have gotten over the wooden fence. “Hello? Grandmother?” she said as she sighed” Talking to ghosts now Stacy?”

She shook her head and walked around the corner. 

Several screams were heard the moment she was close to the group again. Three boys on their bikes wee pulling at Lilli’s and Anna’s trick or treat buckets, Leo was shouting at them but with a quick push of their feet two of the boys got the buckets and sped off on their bikes. 

Leo looked at the girls. “Stay here,” he said as he rushed after the kids on their bike. Stacy knew who those kids were, Leo didn’t he was new in town, he did not know this group of boys hung out at the old skate park He would never catch them and Stacy would be blamed for it.  

She took a deep sigh “Yes stay here” She repeated Leo’s words and darted off into the direction of the skate park, “Time to be a hero Stacy” she said to herself as she ran down the street. 

She was out of breath when she reached the skate park. 

The three boys had placed the buckets on the table and were laughing. “You should have seen that new guys face, I bet he’s still looking for us.”

Stacy felt anger well up but before she could get any closer Leo darter past her.

“What's wrong with you? Stealing candy from a bunch of young girls.”He sounded angry as he approached the boys. One of them looked at him and dug his hand in one of the buckets, pulling out what looked like a peanut-shaped piece of gum. He put it in his mouth chewed on it and spat it out. “That's gross, we just saved those girls from some bad candy” One of the other boys dug his hand in the other bucket and took out a snack-sized candy bar. He opened the wrapper took a bit and dropped the rest to the ground. “This was dirty too” Stacy felt more anger well up inside her and stepped passed Leo closer to the boys. “Stop eating that candy,” She said angrily as she stopped in front of the table, and reached for the buckets, lifting them. 

The boys gasped. “What? not used to be told off by a girl” She said as she turned around and put the buckets into Leo’s hands.”Let's go to the girls they must be scared” She said as she stormed off. 

When she returned to the group the girls had sat down and been using plastic bags to divide the candy amongst each other. Stacy smiled. Leo returned with the buckets and placed them in front of Lilli and Anna, I got these back for you” He said smiling “I helped too” Stacy protested. 

Lilli’s eyes were still red as she had been crying. Leo smiled at her I saw a picture of you with another girl in your house, why don’t you tell me about her?” he asked as the girls kept putting the candy they had shared in the plastic bags, now mixed with the buckets Leo and Stacy had brought back. 

Lilli sniffed. “That's Stacy, she’s my sister…” Lilli’s eyes got tears in them. 

“She was supposed to go trick or treating with me tonight” Stacy felt angry.” But I am I have been here the entire” Before she could finish she felt a warm hand on her shoulder. 

“And why isn’t she?”Leo asked as Stacy looked back and let out a shriek. 

“She passed away after a car accident,” Lilli said as tears slowly ran down her cheeks. 

Stacy looked behind her and saw her grandmother's warm smile, She looked back at Lilli, no this… this was not, could not be true. 

“I dressed up as Wonder woman as Stacy really liked her, just like grandma who also passed away this year. “

Stacy shook her head again as she looked at her grandmother. “Did I tell you this costume is from the Original TV show.”

Leo placed a hand on Lilli’s shoulder.”That's so very nice of you to do for her”

Lilli shook her head, “But I wanted her and grandmother to see it too”

Stacy felt tears run down her face as her grandmother hugged her. “You did well my little hero” She whispered in her ear. 

Leo smiled and leaned closer to Lilli. “You know I think they did see it, and I am pretty sure she even helped me get your candy back” Leo smiled and looked at Stacy. “Come let's get going its getting late.”

The girls slowly stood up and walked closer, some of them hugging Lilli until only Leo and Anna remained. 

Anne looked at Stacy and smiled at her. “You would have been a great big sister” She replied making Leo smile. “Thanks for pointing me in the right direction Wonder Woman, he said looking at grandmother. Stacy looked back at him, Could they see them? “And Thank you for scaring the boys enough to get the candy back,” He said looking at Stacy. 

Anne waved at them and turned around making Leo smile. “See you next year” he turned around and followed his sister. 

With her grandmother still hugging her, Stacy turned around and looked at her grandmother. “Oh come on Stacy, dry your eyes, you have a party to go to.”