For years, my sisters in law and I have had a tradition of dressing up as witches and going out for dinner. This year, I got a group message saying, “We need to do our hocus pocus night. I volunteer to host it at our house, it currently has all the Halloween vibes.”
The location seemed a bit odd. We usually just dress up and go to a restaurant, but Jessica likes to throw parties and she has a youtube channel about decorating, etc, so maybe this year we were to be part of that. “But that’s a lot of party to take on just herself. A whole dinner?” I thought. I’ll offer to help.
Me: “Is there anything I can do or bring?”
Jessica: “If you want, you could bring a snack to share.”
A snack? Okay. “Let me know if there’s anything else.”
On the day of the party, I hefted the costume bin down, took inventory of what was there, and decided I should run by the thrift store for a new witchy dress. I found one that worked, even if it seemed a bit itchy. I pulled on my long black and white striped leggings, the itchy dress, witch hat, black corset, and long black velvet cloak. I had added some spiderweb makeup to my face earlier because Jessica usually goes all out on makeup and costumes and it’s more fun if your friends put in similar effort. (<— a foreshadowing thought that would come back to haunt me later.)
I skipped dinner with my family, so I could eat at the party, but took my cauldron of pumpkin cookies to the event. I figured a cauldron would add to the “spooky” decorations at her house. Guys, I was going ALL OUT here. Jessica loves this stuff. I didn’t want to look like a dummy.
I got to Jessica’s house before Brook. Jessica was running around trying to get her girls ready to go out with their dad. She wasn’t yet in her costume, which wasn’t unusual. She has four girls, so it’d be easier to get ready once they were gone. Eric seemed a bit too impressed with my costume, as it was nothing compared to any witch costume Jessica had ever donned. His reaction should have been a sign, but it wasn’t.
Jessica is still running around getting her girls ready. I’m commenting on her cute Halloween decor still wondering why I don’t smell dinner when Brook shows up. Brook is not in costume.
Brook is confused, “Is this supposed to be a dress-up party? You look great! I didn’t dress up!”
I’m confused. She’s confused. Jessica says, “I’m going to go get dressed. I’ll be back in a few.” And disappears into her bedroom.
I look to see the snack that Brook has brought. It is a giant bag of popcorn. She asks, “Have you seen this movie yet?”
Me: “What movie?”
Brook: “Hocus Pocus 2”
Me: “What.”
At this point it’s all starting to come together. Hocus Pocus Night* was referring to the movie, not the general “witchy sort of night” that we traditionally hold. I vaguely remember some sort of Hocus Pocus plans a year ago, but it’s clear down the Halloween festivities list in my brain, whereas at the top is Jessica’s all-time favorite tradition of dressing up as witches and going to dinner. We are NOT here to eat dinner. We are here to watch a movie. Hocus Pocus Night. I get it now. The pieces fall into place.
We are having a movie night and I am dressed up in THE most uncomfortable movie-watching attire I’ve ever worn. Jessica, always polite and never wanting anyone to be embarrassed, is now throwing together a last-minute costume deep in her bedroom and I can’t even tell her that’s it’s dawned on me that I’m the idiot, and she doesn’t need to bother with the costume.
I am dying. I start laughing as I relate all of my thought-process to Brook. Apparently, she and Jessica have been discussing the details of this movie night outside of the group chat, while unbeknownst to them, I was still oblivious to the realities of this party.
Jessica comes out several minutes later looking fabulous. I tell her my recent discovery and she still politely brushes aside my predicament with “Oh no, I love to dress up! I’m glad you dressed up!”
This whole scenario is made even more hilarious because Jessica is choosing whose face to save. In deciding to dress up, that means it looks like Brook was a killjoy, when really I had caused all this mayhem. It’s quite the conundrum. Jessica graciously let Brook borrow a witch hat for the photo.
Without any context, the photo we captured looks as if I knew what was happening all along. But if you’d known this was a movie night, then Brook is obviously the only one who came properly prepared.
After the photo, I watched a movie in a scratchy short dress, a corset, black spooky makeup, while eating popcorn and pumpkin cookies for dinner. Hahaha!
*Looking back through the group chat as I’m writing this, Jessica also posted a gif of the Sanderson Sisters. There were SO MANY CLUES to tip me off, but nope, full steam ahead on the first thing that pops in your head, Katie. It’s never failed you before.