ISLA

I opened my laptop and began typing into the search box, How to ask a girl to semi formal I paused then added, When you are a girl.

I groaned at the number of unhelpful results and logged onto Pinterest. I typed into the search box lgbt prom-posals.

"Finally," I said. "Something useful."

"What's up?" Will asked, walking in.

"Trying to find a way to ask Mia to Semi," I replied, scrolling.

"Isn't Semi like three weeks away?"

I nodded.

"Dude you're so late," he said, sitting next to me. "Six girls have asked me to Semi, and eight have asked me to save them a dance."

I groaned. "Okay I'm screwed I get it."

"Just ask her soon," Will said. "Before she asks you."

The doorbell rang. "Will!" Our mom called.

I looked at Will. "The guys, Beth, Bea and Mia are here," he said. "We're going shopping for Halloween costumes."

"Right," I said, grabbing a brown leather jacket. "Halloween is next week." I took my phone and put it in my pocket. "So are we doing group costumes this year?" I asked as we ran down the stairs.

"We do group costumes every year," Will said.

I smiled. "True."

By the time we reached downstairs, my mom was no where to be found and Finnegan was holding the door wide open.

"Traveling with this many people is a stresser," I said as I looked at the line of cars parked in front of my house.

Mia took my hand and I brought her hand to my lips.

"Which cars are we taking?" Mia asked.

Will scanned the cars. "We can take Mcallister's car, because he's driving his mom's mini van," Will said.

"My car is in the shop what do you expect me to do?" Mcallister said as we all headed to the mini van.

"Shot gun!" O'Connor yelled, running to the car.

The mini van was perfect. It had just enough seats for all of us to fit it and head to Party City.

"Remember," Bea said. "Group costumes everyone has to know that we are a team."

"How about a team of superheroes?" Beth asked her twin. "Like the Avengers."

"Sounds great to me," Mia said.

Everyone agreed and we all headed towards the superhero costumes.

+

"Isla," my dad said. "I'm not going to be here for dinner I have to go to the office tonight."

I nodded.

"Hi Mia," he said.

"Hi Mr. Hawthorne," she replied.

He ducked out of the room, probably to tell Will, Anna, Emma and Matt.

Half an hour after my dad left my mom shouted. "I'm going out! Will watch your siblings!" And the front door slammed behind us.

"Hey," Mia said uncurling my fists. "It's fine."

"She's such a bitch to my dad," I said.

"I know."

"I wish she'd just tell him," I said. "She makes him look like a fucking idiot."

"Language," Will said, coming in.

"Where is everyone?" I asked.

"The twins are doing that thing where they pretend to be asleep so if dad finds out they won't have to tell him they knew all along," Will said. "Matt is in the living room. I thought we could watch Halloween Movies."

"Halloweentown?" I asked.

"Just the first three the way you like it," he said.

I took Mia's hand. "Let's go."

+

We were well into the second Halloweentown when Matt asked, "How do you impress girls?"

We all turned to him as the movie was paused.

"There's this girl, in my Science class," he said. "Her name's Clarke. Really hot, super smart don't know how to approach her."

"Why are you asking us?" Mia said.

"I'm asking my player brother, my lesbian sister and her equally lesbian girlfriend, for advice on girls," Matt said. "Did I choose wrong?"

"Not at all little man," Will said. "I'll give you a few tricks. Be confident but not cocky, be sweet but not a perfect gentleman, and be a bit rude but not an asshole."

"That was no help next?" Matt said.

"Be yourself," I said.

"Take a chance and just ask her," Mia said. "Just say 'Clarke do you want to go out?' and if she says no pretend like it doesn't faze you.

"But don't just randomly ask her, get close to her first," I said. "She'll fall for your personality."

"You're a freshman," Will said. "The fact that you still need help with girls might mean that there's an error in your personality."

Mia whacked Will upside the head. "Don't be an asshole," Mia said. "He's only fourteen."

"I'm fifteen in four months," Matt defended. "Fourteen makes me sound kinda like a baby."

"Exactly," Mia said. "He's a teenager like us. So stop being an asshole because he's just learning."

Mia saw me laughing and raised an eyebrow. "Want to be next?"

I shook my head and we went back to the movie.