Mark heard his doorbell ring.
The house was dark, and he had no decorations, no candy, nothing. He thought it was a pretty clear sign he didn’t want trick-or-treaters, so Mark rolled his eyes and ignored it, then went back to his show.
A few minutes later, the doorbell rang again.
“Persistent fucks,” he thought, getting annoyed.
Then it rang again, and again, the person tapping the button repeatedly.
“What the fuck,” Mark said to nobody in particular. He drained his beer, got up off the couch, cinched his robe tight and made his way to the entry.
The doorbell rang again.
“Alright already,” Mark yelled, “I’m coming.” He shuffled across the tile to the door.
Mark flicked on the porch light, unlocked the door, and slowly opened it.
“Trick or treat!”
“I’m not doing Halloween,” Mark said angrily, “I don’t have anything to give…” he trailed off, his frustration stalling.
It was Dani, his daughter Olivia’s nerdy best friend. And she was dressed as a cheerleader, a mischievous glint to her eyes, a sly twist to her grin. She cocked her head, and his reflection flashed across her glasses as her tongue teased her lips.