Lola and Melissa were walking on the streets in town, passing stores and cafes and listening to the music playing on the speakers.
"Oh here, sweetheart, can you hold that?" Greta, the owner of the antique store, asked and handed a colorful light string to Melissa.
"Of course, Greta," she smiled and helped hold the string while Greta stood on the stepping stool and hung the lights across her windows.
Greta was much like everyone's grandmother in Wild Cliff and refused to be talked to as Mrs anything even though she'd been married for thirty-three years to her husband.
"Thanks, honey," Greta said and took the last string from Melissa's hands.
They walked past the street musicians who were studying music at the university, many of whom wanted to travel across the country.
Beautiful guitar-strung notes traveled with the wind over the festive town and tonight was the night of the harvest festival- which meant laughs in plenty and everyone coming together.
"I want to hear everything about Ed," Lola beamed as they took their coffee and continued walking.
"There's not much to say. We've been texting and talking on the phone but we haven't planned a date or anything," she sipped on the coffee and looked somberly down into the heart-shaped art the barista had crafted in the foam.
"Why don't you ask him out?" Lola asked.
"Because that's his job. I want to be wood and swept off my feet. Like in the fairytales when the prince stops at nothing- not a dragon or an evil stepmother to get to you. He raises his sword and charges to claim what it is his," she spoke dramatically as if reenacting a scene from a play.
"I can't help you with the dragon but I can lend you my evil mother-in-law," Lola said and her brows shot up in glee at the thought of being rid of her or Ed driving a sword through her chest. It was morbid but a harmless thought never hurt anyone.
"I'll pass but thanks." Melissa winced when the words peeled from her in nervous laughter.
They walked around the tables of knitted mittens and scarfs, one table was filled with pumpkin-spiced honey and many more were being set up. Lola remembered the first time she'd tried the honey when Melissa mixed it in a cup of tea with some chestnut biscuits on the side.
Many of the families had been setting up tables for the Harvest Moon festival for generations and everyone knew exactly what to expect.
The church bell would ring in a few hours, the mayor would turn the switch and the entire town square would be lit up in colorful lights.
A shrine was always decorated in the roundabout with specially carved pumpkins where, if you've lost someone, you light a candle for that person and hope to feel their presence.
"Ugh, all I want is someone to go to these things with. Especially the Christmas fair- the romance when the snow falls and the ice rink and the Christmas tree lighting," Melissa's head fell back as she romanticized the future.
"Don't write it off just yet, it can still happen," Lola said and stopped. Melissa scoffed and turned with a flick of her hair and rolled her disbelieving eyes.
"You may have magic blood but I doubt you can perform miracles," she sighed and hooked her arm in Lola's.
"I wasn't talking about me," Lola said and flicked her head over to the coffee cart. Ed grabbed his cup and put one hand into his coat pocket. He walked over with a proud stance and a glittering smile that grew the closer he got to Melissa.
"Oh my god he's coming over," Melissa whispered and squeezed Lola's arm.
"Be cool and watch the nails," Lola said, wrenching her arm free from the hold.
"Hi, I've been meaning to call you," Ed said. His blue eyes sparkled and he couldn't pull his lips down if he tried.
"Really?"
"I wanted to ask if you would come to the harvest festival with me tonight, like a date." He said.
Melissa stepped aside and Lola's arm fell to her side. The heartwarming smile on Melissa's face was genuinely joyful and innocently blinding.
"No," Melissa said. Both Ed and Lola looked inquisitively after the response they didn't anticipate.
"Mell?" Lola said and narrowed her eyes.
Melissa giggled and walked closer.
"I'm going with Lola, it's sort of tradition and afterward we drink cocoa and watch horror movies at my place."
"I see," Ed said and nodded. He chewed on his lip and smiled awkwardly.
Nobody spoke for a good minute until Ed lifted his head and angled his foot.
"I'm gonna go, I have a few errands I need to run but you girls have fun tonight." He said nodding his head.
They watched Ed walk away and when Lola turned to face Melissa her eyes had sunk and her lips pulled down.
"Why did you say no?"
"I- I don't know, I got scared," Melissa whispered. She turned her head, her eyes glistening with the build-up of crystal-clear tears.
"Sweetie that's okay, text him and tell him that you're free," Lola said.
"No, I mean I'm scared but it's not just that. Everything has changed in such a short amount of time. It's all too crazy to even think about and the thought of us losing the little piece of normal that we have left- our traditions- I can't." She said shaking her head.
More people were gathering in the town square, the streets filled with laughter and chatter, and the children jumped up on the pumpkin chariot that would slowly spin them around.
The sound of a branch cracking and quick steps moving toward them had the girls twisting around. Ed raised his finger in question and pinched the bridge of his nose. His feet moved back and forth as though he wasn't sure about where he was heading and his mouth opened and closed when he wasn't sure if he should speak.
"If I just happen to be here, tonight, and we see each other and maybe start talking... would that- would that be okay?" He asked.
Melissa stood back, it was a rare moment where she was at a loss for words.
"Yes, in fact, it would be appreciated. She can't wait to see you tonight," Lola said and smiled. Melissa pulled her shoulders up to her ears and smiled.
"Great, I'll see you tonight. Both of you," He said cheekily and nodded his head proudly as he walked off.
They waited and watched as he crossed the street and disappeared behind the houses.
"I have a date tonight!" Melissa squealed and jumped up and down clapping her hands.
The few clouds in the sky were casting a shadow as the sun slowly sunk.
"Girls if you're not busy how about you help out with the preparation!" Ms. Ava shouted from the top of a ladder.
"Coming Ms. Ava!" Melissa yelled. They walked across the grass field and helped set up the tables.
By the corner of the boutique, they saw Melissa's parents walk hand in hand toward the town square.
"How do you think they'll react to meeting Ed?" Lola asked.
"Oh I'm not planning on finding out," Melissa said with a hint of terror underlining her words.
Ms. Ava handed the girls wicker baskets and knitted table covers for them to set out. A group of girls were painting the makeshift benches and the guys were putting up ghosts in the tree branches to make it spooky.
Lola reached out and grabbed a glass jar to move it out of the way while they set everything up. The jar slipped from her fingers, the fresh honey and hours of work it took to make it would soon be wasted- smeared over her shoes and sticking to the ground.
Another hand reached out, quickly catching the jar of honey and putting it back on the table as though it was nothing.
Jax leaned in, smiled, and helped fix the red cloth and the wooden boxes that the jars would stand on.
"You're here," Lola said, unsure of whether she was happy or sad about the fact.
"Are you glad that I am?" He asked through a deep smirk.
"It depends, why are you here?"
Jax flicked his tongue and looked around at the many people who were gathered.
Some of them were human, others were werewolves but almost all of them were familiar faces that had lived here for a long time.
"It's dangerous, this many people, and at night," Jax said shaking his head.
"Right, you're here to keep me safe, not to have fun," Lola said.
She turned around to start on another table when Jax reached out and grabbed her waist.
"Who says it can't be both?" He asked.
Lola felt her lips tugging despite wanting to keep a coolness with him. Something about his dark eyes and the way that his eyebrows moved and his lips curled had her weakened each time.
She looked over his shoulder and saw Ed walking down, standing behind him leaning over a girl, and making eyes with her was Ash.
"Ash is here?" Lola asked.
"Better to be safe than sorry," Jax said.