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spirits. Things seemed brighter already.

Chapter 7
     
    October 22 nd
     
    I was putting the finishing touches on my ensemble when I heard the crunch of gravel announcing Calvin’s arrival. Checking in the mirror I was pleased with the overall look. I had added white face powder to my already pale complexion and lots of black eyeliner to frame my eyes. I was wearing all black and my spider gourd was perched on my shoulder. I also had a little white pumpkin which I carved to look like a ghost. Before leaving for work my mom had threaded a black ribbon through two holes carved on the sides so I could carry it like a purse. A little battery votive candle flickered inside making its eyes shift back and forth. I felt ridiculously happy as I skipped down the stairs and out to Calvin’s truck.
    I climbed into the passenger seat careful not to jostle my spider. Cal looked at me quizzically, but then began to laugh.
    “Just when I start to worry about you Yuki, you do something to prove to me just how strong you are,” he said.
    “Strong?” I asked. “Don’t you mean silly, weird, wacky? I could go on.”
    “Nope, not silly,” Cal said. “Yesterday you seemed depressed and I was worried that everything going on was just too much, but seeing you today I’m impressed. You look so happy and it makes me happy. I don’t know how you do it. You amaze me.”
    You amaze me. With three little words Calvin could make me melt.
    “It’s the power of the gourds,” I said, giggling. “Pumpkin power.”
    “There’s a story there, isn’t there?” Cal asked.
    “I got the idea from one of the library books on spirit wards,” I answered. “Back in the day, like way old school, there was this custom to carve turnips with faces and light them with a candle to ward off harmful spirits on Samhain.”
    “Like jack-o’-lanterns?” Cal asked.
    “Yeah, that’s where the tradition came from,” I said. “Later they started carving gourds instead of turnips and pumpkins became popular here in America. But the belief was that carrying these lanterns would keep the evil spirits away.”
    “So that’s why you have a ghost gourd purse and spider gourd pet on your shoulder?” he asked.
    “Well, that and they’re totally cute,” I answered, batting my eyelashes.
    “On you, anything is cute,” Cal said, leaning in for a kiss.
    *****
    Not everyone in school agreed with Calvin. I received some nasty looks and stares as I walked the hall to class. I heard more than one cheerleader titter, “witch” and point at me. Whatever.
    “Bit early for Halloween isn’t it, witch?” asked Jared Zempter, sneering.
    Ugh! Just what I needed, the almighty J-team trying to ruin my day. Well, I wasn’t going let them spoil my good mood. Jared was a bully who was only nice to other jocks and cheerleader bimbettes. He had a nasty cruel streak and, oh yeah, he hated me. Jared, and his clone Jay Freeman, had been trying to make my life miserable ever since a ridiculous mishap in gym class freshman year. It didn’t matter that I had nothing to do with Jared falling on his face like an idiot. I tended to sit out when the jocks were getting all sweaty and had been sitting on a bench nearby when Jared tripped over his own shoelace. His friend Jay noticed the evil eye pendant I was wearing and so, naturally, blamed me. They’d been calling me a witch ever since. I so can’t wait for high school to be over.
    “You know you just have a nasty case of gourd envy,” I said confidently and continued to walk to class.
    Without his full entourage to explain to him what that meant he just fisted his hands in frustration and glared at me as I walked away. There is one good thing about the J-team. They are not very smart. Brains will win out over brawn every time baby.
    *****
    “Oh my gourd!” Emma exclaimed. “Those are so cute!”
    Oh no, the bad puns were contagious. “Thanks, I carved them this morning,” I said.
    “Have you named them yet?” she