I Ain't Scared of No Ghost (Chapter 1)

Madeline clicked on all of her friends' usernames on Skype and requested a video chat with them all at once. She sat her cotton candy pink laptop on top of her thighs as she sat down on her bed made for a royal princess. She looked into the web camera and fixed her blonde waves, waiting for her girlfriends to reply. Almost instantly within one minute, all of the girls answered, their faces popping up on small screens in the center of the application.
"Hey!" Lizzie was the first to say something.
"Hey!" Madeline responded.
The rest of girls greeted each other as well.
"Alright, guess what tomorrow is," Madeline demanded.
"New Jersey Day?" Lizzie guessed.
"Why would you think it's New Jersey Day?" asked Skye.
"I don't know. I was watching TV and New Jersey was mentioned so I thought, 'Oh, maybe tomorrow is New Jersey Day'."
"Well, it's not, Liz'," said Madeline.
"Oh."
"Tomorrow is Halloween."
"Oh, even better!"
"Any you guys have gotten your costumes yet?"
"Yeah," replied Andrea, "I got a leopard suit 'cause I'm going as a leopard. Meow!" She gestured like a cat.
"Nice. Very sexy."
"Didn't you go as a cat last year for Halloween?" asked Skye.
"Yes, but tomorrow's different," said Andrea. "I'm going as a leopard which is a type of cat."
"Yeah, like that's a difference."
"Well, what are you going as?"
"I'm going as the Bride of Frankenstein."
"I always wonder," shared Lizzie. "Why do they call her a bride? Did she never get married?"
"I don't know."
"Well, I think they couldn't have anyway. I think it's illegal for ministers to marry monsters."
"Okay."
"I actually like that idea, Skye," commented Madeline. "It reminds me of Cady from Mean Girls."
"You know what? I can go as something else."
"But I thought you wanted to be Frankenstein's bride," said Lizzie.
"Well, people change their minds."
"What are you going as, Debra?" asked Madeline.
"That's easy," said Debra in her calm voice. "I'm going as a golden sunflower, one of my favorite flowers of all."
"That's cute. What is Leroy going as?"
"Jesus. Black Jesus."
"There's a Black Jesus?" asked Lizzie.
"At my church, there is."
"Since Leroy is going as Jesus, does that mean he's going to behave?" asked Andrea.
"Of course. You have nothing to worry about."
"Are you sure?" Skye questioned. "He always looks at us like sandwiches."
"It's going to be fine. Don't worry."
"Okay 'cause I don't want to have to bring my pepper spray," mentioned Andrea.
"You are not going to pepper spray an eleven-year-old."
"Uh, you don't know. Plus, this is America."
"With laws, Andrea."
"Something she has never heard before," Skye commented softly.
"How bout this? So none of you have to worry about my brother's flirtation, how about I set him up with one of your sisters?" Debra asked Andrea.
"I am not going to come home one day to witness my sister playing 'Post Office' with your brother," she responded.
"What is 'Post Office'?" asked Lizzie.
"Look it up."
"Okay." The screen shows Lizzie putting her laptop down before attempting to get up.
"No, stay, Lizzie," ordered Madeline.
"It was just a suggestion," said Debra.
"Well, suggest that to someone else," said Andrea. "I don't want my sister coming home with a hickey."
"Ew!" uttered Lizzie.
"I can't think of pre-teenagers making out, man," shared Skye, rubbing her forehead. "What were we talking about before this?"
"Halloween costumes," reminded Madeline. "Lizzie, what are you going to be?"
"Well, my mom wants me to be a nun," answered Lizzie.
"Figures," Skye raised her eyebrows quickly.
"But under my nun-iform, I'm going to be a black cat. Me-ouch!"
"Hey, I'm going as a cat," said Andrea.
"I thought you said you were going to be a leopard," reminded Skye. "Different thing, remember?"
"Alright, you got me there."
"I just want to look good for DeMarcus," Lizzie confessed.
"I want to look good for any hottie with some money," Madeline shared. "I'm torn between Cinderella and Cher Horowitz but I'll figure it out at the end of the night.  I want us to be whatever we want but at the same time to not clash. I want all eyes on me at Kari's Halloween party."
"If you want everybody to look at you, just tuck your dress or skirt in the back of your pantyhose," Skye recommended.
"I want good eyes. Not bad eyes."
"Listen, we will all have our costumes planned out by tonight," promised Andrea. "I guarantee we'll be prepared for the party and be the hottest people there."
"I couldn't agree with that more," assented Debra.
Madeline giggled. "Alright. And remember: we all meet up at Debra's house."
"Got it," said Lizzie.
"Right there with you," Andrea added.
"I'm gonna find another costume that isn't related to Mean Girls," admitted Skye.
"Whatever floats your boat, Janis," said Madeline.
"I told you, don't call me that."