"Why are we doing this again?" Howie asks for what it seems like a millionth time.  Avery annoys answer, "Because its fun and you owe to yourself to have some fun.  So, now quit wining and try another costume."  She says walking away leaving her boyfriend to deal with his best friend.  AJ says to Howie while he looks thru some medieval costume, "D, stop worrying about at least for tonight," "Yea, you are right but I can't, I have this new project.  It might go sour at any minute as it seems that everything its going a bit odd, since Johnny decide not to participate in this one."  Howie try to reason with AJ; so, he understood why he was so anal about being away from work at this time.  "Well, I guess you have no choice or you have to tell Elizabeth that you won't come to her Halloween/Birthday party because of work," AJ challenge him knowing full well that Howie have a soft spot for the sixteen year-old young woman.  As he saw her grow up, being AJ's little sister gave her free passage to everything from backstage, to private parties and not so accommodating moments but hilarious ones at that.  Yes, like, the time the group pull a prank on poor Nicky throwing him out into the hallway in his whities...there she was; but now, she is celebrating her sixteen birthday throwing a Halloween costume party.  She invited everyone which basically are all her closest friends and that include the Backstreet Boys.  However, the most important guy ever was, Howie.  She has a crush on Howie since she can remember.

 At the moment, Howie has tried what it seems to be like twenty costumes there and still haven't found the right one.  After a long half hour, he finally realize that he wasn't going to win; because he doesn't have the heart to say to his round cute pink cheeks-Elizabeth no.  Plus, he hasn't seen her since she was ten years old.  Since Denise stop coming along with the group on tour.  AJ pass by where he was, "Did you find something or still winning about it?" AJ ask smirking at him for the bee suit.  "Yo, D, you know that Eli loved bees, like when she was five but her taste has change; so, you know," AJ commented.  There Howie went to take off the head of the bee costume but somehow, for unknown reason power, he pulls on it but the head would not budge.  He stop pulling at it trying to maintain calm, he took three deep breaths and try again; however, when he did it again and didn't budge, there he started to panic and sweating heavily searching for help all around him. 

   Locating AJ at the far corner of the store looking thru a various skull masks, Howie took long and frantically strides towards him when he finally reach him, "AJ man-I'm stuck in this thing.  I can't get it off." Howie says frantically in a whisper, trying not to attract attention.  Though AJ thought he was kidding, so he rebutted, "Yea Ok. Say cheese Dorough," he continues saying as he took a candid picture with his cell phone.  "MAN, I'M REALLY STUCK AND I CAN'T GET OUT OF THIS DAMN SHIT HEAD," Howie says shouting at him, realizing his friend was in trouble, he tries to help Howie by pulling at it, "Man its really stuck, let me call someone," "No, I would not hear the end of it," rebutted Howie annoying just thinking about it.   However, when he couldn't, they call the owner.    Between all of them they kept pulling on it until, "Aaaawww," Howie yelp, and finally it budge showing deep red marks on his sweaty throat.  After everything and the owner was assure that e would note get suit by him, he went about to other customers and Howie and AJ walk out the store like nothing happen.

The scare was so big that Howie show up to the party without a costume.  At the party, Elizabeth finally has the opportunity to talk to Howie who was at the couch drinking a beer and talking to AJ.  "Hey, D," she greets him, "Hey birthday girl, cool party and by the way happy birthday."  Howie tells her with a big smile while gazing at how gorgeous young woman she has become.  "I'm glad you came after the scare you had..." "Awww, AJ you told." Howie burst out saying interrupting her, embarrass and ashamed for the scary episode. He sighs, knowing full well that his friend doesn't know how to keep a secret.  Meanwhile, AJ left the couple alone saying that he needed something munch on. "Yea, you know that he can't keep anything, a secret," she tells him with a sweet smile, "So you have been enjoying your party-you know you only turn sixteen once."  He says to her with a smile, while admiring her Tinkerbelle costume, taking in all of her beauty of her shapely legs.  ‘She definitively is turning to a stunning beautiful woman, woman?' He thought but stop in realization, ‘I got to stop this.' "Eli, I have to go, work is calling but have a great birthday," Howie tells her in a hurry as he get up from the couch, then giving to a very stun Eli a peck on her rosy cheeks.  He fails to see the sadness he caused as he says goodbye.  He was out of there fast, leaving behind a very stun young lady in his sudden departure.  On the other side of the room, AJ watch everything unfold and felt sorry for both as he knows what has transpired.  Poor Howie was so painfully obvious that he is lucky that no one else notice besides him. ‘Seriously, this two need help but I can't she is my baby sister and his my brother,' AJ thought sadly for the mishmash couple.

A single tear appear on her angelic face but she quickly wipe it out and begin to mingle with her other guest in her party.  Howie gets into his car and speed away while in his mind has a race of his own, ‘She is a kid-I watched her grow.  Grow to be a beautiful woman!'  Trying to escape his thoughts, he turns on the radio and the CD was playing;

‘... The best of friends / Like sister and brother / We understood / We'd never be / Alone.  Those days are gone /Now I want you so much / The night is long /And I need your touch /Don't know what to say / Never meant to feel this way /Don't wanna be alone tonight.

After listening to the song, he realizes that he has reached his home but more so, the epiphany that he just had, he was in love with Elizabeth. "No, it cannot be, she is a child remember that Dorough-a child."  He tries to reason with his feelings, his heart.  Not really want to be alone, especially when his mind wasn't into anything else than Eli.  He puts his car in gear and drives off again to the nearest bar.  At Volpes Bar, Howie walks in to the rowdy place, reaching an empty stool bar where he sits.  The bartender asks in heavy Italian accent, "What can I get you to drink?" Howie just stare at the man for a minute and say, "Don Q," as he looks around the place.  The bartender serve him the drink and Howie drinks it in one gulp and ask for another one, "Another one please and keep it coming," Howie tells the man who just nods.  He is on a mission, a mission to forget this ridiculous thoughts and feelings, ‘For heaven sake, she is a child.' He thought while he shakes his head and gulps another drink trying to drown the thought. 

At AJ and Eli's house, the party is winding down, AJ goes to Eli and asks her, "Everything ok?"  Eli try to play it off saying, "Yeah, the party was amazing." "Eli that's not what I meant," AJ commented where she replies, "Oh, yea everything is fine but ..." "You want to talk to him," AJ rebutted seeing his little sister sad and bit uneasy almost anxious for everything to be really over.  "Yes, AJ I do. I don't know what happen really.  I guess I mess up by bringing up the episode at the store of him getting stuck on a costume.  I just need to talk to him," she says almost pleading for help from her older brother.  "I do not want to call him because if he sees is me, he might not want to take the call," she continue saying when she see AJ is about to say something; but quickly closing it after hearing her comment and there she knew he was going to suggest a phone call.  "Can you bring me to his house?  If I do not do clear things up, I won't sleep tonight-PLEASE AJ BUNNY, pretty please," she pleads with him; as, he sees her eyes getting misty and he hates that.  Also she gives him the pout that never fails to help her get things she wants from her older brother.  Sighing in defeat he says, "Humm, ok-come on, but you got to be quick its really late and I have get up early, we have a group meeting; which, Howie is also due to be there," AJ warn her while walking to the black BMW.  "Oh, ok, I'll be quick," she replies excitedly.

Reaching at Howie's house, she notices that the house is dark and the only thing illuminating a bit the house is the light poles in the bare street as everyone might be already sleep except of AJ and Eli.  "Eli he is already sleeping, are you sure, it cannot wait until tomorrow?" AJ ask still facing the house, then gaze at her and notice the disappointment in his little sister eyes.  "I guess it can," she answers.  There AJ is a bout to suggest something as he put the car in gear and it's about to go; just then, it's when Howie's corvette pulls in the right side of them.  They watch as Howie struggles to get out of the car.  Eli gets out of the car, worry and helps him out.  "Howie are you ok?"  She asks frantically, where he slurs a, "Yes," while he looks up to see Eli, he stares at her for few seconds as she is the cause of his current state.  "Eli, go open the house door, I'll help him walk," AJ says while grabbing Howie's body and try to manage to walk toward the house.  AJ starts calling his name when Howie's body becomes limp, "Howie, Howie, walk body you are heavy for skinny bones here, so buddy walk."

Already inside, AJ help him to get to the sofa where Howie body is almost limp again plunge into to the sofa.  AJ look at his sister then at his brother and decides to give them privacy. So he went to make a very heavy black coffee for Howie.  However, Howie instead of talking to Eli or even acknowledge her, he close his eyes to avoid her completely; because, she still has on the Tinkerbelle costume. ‘Oh, how I want to be Peter Pan.'  He thought where he groans and shakes his head still with his eyes close.  But Eli is on a mission, so she sits next to him on the couch that he couldn't help but to growl.  "Howie, are you ok? Did I do something to offend you back at my party-I didn't mean to sorry."  She tries to explain, however Howie's eyes remain close.  Just trying to keep control, control on him self but she is making it really difficult.  Her nearness, her perfume intoxicating which was his fault because he gave it to her last Christmas-Red Door, her favorite and her voice is driving him insane.  ‘Its driving me insane, I go to go.  I can't listen to her voice now,' he thought. 

Trying to block her voice; although, the only thing he manages is to stumble hitting his head with the coffee table in the process. "OOCH!"   "Howie!" "Oh my God, are you ok?"  She asks in concern, with all the commotion AJ comes back to the living room to find Howie in the floor bleeding from the side of the right eyebrow and his little sister crying trying to assist him.  "What happen?" AJ asks coming to aid Eli as she struggle to get him off the floor while Howie holds to his bleeding eyebrow. Eli answer, "I don't know, I was talking to him and the next minute he got up wobbling talking to himself incoherent things; then he fell and hit his head with the coffee table." "Oh, well let's get him to bed," AJ suggest while looking between Eli and Howie but Howie intervene," "No!" "Ok, let's get you back to the couch then but don't move." AJ says next looking at Eli he says, "Eli get the first kit from the bathroom," while he inspected Howie and his laceration in his eye brow.  Eli enters Howie's master bedroom for the first time in her life and she is stun on how meticulous it is with elegance, just like him.  

However, soon she realizes why she was there and hurries herself to get the first kit.  Returning to the living room she notice they where talking in a hush voice while Howie drink his coffee and holding a white wash cloth to where the laceration would be.  She is terrify, when she notice that it already staring to have red and pink color dots; but, that's not the reason she felt terrify, its because as soon they notice she enter the room, the conversation stop making her a bit unsure if she should move or even speak.  "Here AJ," says Eli a bit uncomfortable handing the kit to him as realization hit her like tons of bricks, ‘He injure himself because he was... he wanted to get way from me,' she thought as she stare at Howie's wash cloth. A single tear came crashing down her face where she quickly wipes it away when AJ gives it back the kit to her saying, "You have cure him while I go get something for his throbbing pain.  So, kids be good," and with that AJ was gone.

Leaving them alone, she walks timidly toward the couch and sits in an Indian style in front of him in the floor; where, she begins to prepare, to cure the light cut by getting the bandages, antibiotics and alcohol packages to clean the area with all of that without a word.  Until, she has to apply the alcohol, "This is going to sting a little," she says in almost in a whisper and continue with the task; while, his ears perk up at the mere sound of her voice, ‘Velvety, sweet voice just like her' he thought then shutting his eyes tight to block the thought.  Eli thought it sting a bit too much.  As she turns her head to pick a bandage from the kit and turn to him find him that he has been staring her with those big hazel eyes of his.  "All done-Howie," she says while picking up the garbage left behind. 

Standing up she is about to walk away when Howie grabs her elbow to stop her; but in the meantime, a shock of electricity goes through them both.  ‘Oh God' they thought at the same time. "I think we need to talk that's why you are here, so let's talk."  Howie tells her in a soothing manner while staring at her like he has never done before, "I think is best that we don't.  I think you need your sleep," she replies a bit unsure. "OK, you don't want to but I want to, please leave this be and sit," Howie tells her, motioning for her to sit which she comply.  "Ok, nothing you said or done is the reason I left." "I thought you were mad at me," she interrupts him where he says to Eli who has become very quiet, "No.  I couldn't be mad at you."  She then says "God, I cannot bared if you were mad at me," she confess with a sighs of relieve while giving him a bear hug.  He inhale her sweetness as he hug her back, he closes his eyes savoring it all. 

All of sudden, she pulls back; her cute face has tears that he wipe them away.  "Don't cry, you are too beautiful to cry," he tells her while he caresses her face tenderly as she just stare stun at the tender action but loving it all, which made her smile.  In an instant the time has stop for them and came back in low motion.  Howie's glistening loving eyes says it all, while Eli has a mixture of excitement, love and bashfulness. ‘It's not my imagination it looks like he is going to kiss me, yes please do. I have dreamed of these plum lips touching mine for so long -please come true...' where Howie close the gap between them and gives her a sweet lingering kiss.  Then, he gives her another one; as he sees that she has her eyes are close and lips slightly parted, turning the moment passionate as their lips touch again. 

Wilts the bell ring is heard, stopping them in the right moment, at least for Howie.  Eli goes walking in a dreamy trance to the door while touching her lips.  She opens the door, finding her brother there, "I see you guys had a chance to talk."  AJ commented, "Why you say that?" She asks confuse, "Because you're smiling like the Cheshire cat.  That's why," AJ reply smirking at her, not knowing exactly what happen but happy to see her happy anyway.   "Well, yea we did and my birthday wish came true too." She says happily leaving two man confuse by her answer, "Care to tell?" AJ pry but not having much luck when she reply, "No, its my secret," leaving him looking at Howie for answers but when he sees the same confuse face that he must be having, he let it go and with that she bid goodnight to Howie where AJ follow suit.

 "I'm stuck, I can't get out and I do not think I want to.  Howie confess to no one; then, he says astonish in realization, "Peter Pan?!?"

Happy Halloween!