"I look stupid, don't I?" I asked Alyssa as she took a step back, mascara brush in hand. It would have been more accurate to say that I hoped I looked stupid.

Alyssa chuckled to herself but kept any answers to my question to herself. She was finding the whole thing, especially my delusion quite entertaining. She knew as much as I did that my androgynous face would take to makeup quite well.

She'd told me as much on previous occasions. Not that I needed her to tell me. Society did a good enough job of that on its own. It was anyone's guess how a random stranger would gender me on an average day but tonight, I glanced down at my painted nails, there was no question.

"Hold still" Alyssa returned holding a lipstick in Harley Quinn's famous dark red. I obeyed. I'd already agreed to this whole deal, there was no use fussing at this point. That ship had sailed long ago.

Alyssa made the gesture for me to press my lips together after applying a generous amount and I quietly followed her lead. She took a step back to admire her handiwork. All that was left to complete the costume was the dyed blonde wig with red and blue tips. The wig would be doing a lot of the heavy lifting to identify who I was going as for Halloween.

"How's it coming?" Cole pocked his head through Alyssa's open room door just as she was stepping into the bathroom causing me to jump in surprise. The last he'd seen me, I had been regular, boring old me. Now well I was very different, or at least I thought I was because I still hadn't seen what I looked like — Alyssa's orders.

"Fuck, you scared me" I managed after a deep breath.

"Ooh-wee," Cole howled, "we got this in the bag bro!"

"You think?" I asked self-consciously.

"Yeah are you kidding, you look amazing!"

I blushed in the face of his excitement.

Right, why was I doing this in the first place? A free PS5. It was a funny story actually. A couple of weeks ago, he'd told me how his girlfriend Katie, now ex was really into dressing up for Halloween and had wanted them to do the couples contest together. I'd almost immediately put it out of my mind, just how I treated any information about her.

Katie had made it clear she wasn't very fond of me, something to do with always hanging out with her boyfriend, but in truth, she'd been pissy towards me since the day we first met so I would put much trust in her given reason.

Not that I cared anyway. Cole was never with any girl long anyway so I knew she'd be gone soon and it'd be on to the next. In the end, she'd been the one to break up with him, unusual but not unheard of.

The thing was Cole really had his mind set on that $750 cash price for the couples contest. He figured that was his ticket to pre-order the upcoming PS5 Pro. He wanted the prize money, with or without Katie. Preferably without her since she'd most likely have them spend it on some activity Cole didn't even enjoy.

That's where I came in.

At first, he'd had the audacity to ask me without offering anything in return.

"Yeah Casey, just humiliate yourself for my benefit for nothing in return" That was my impression of how dumb he sounded.

Eventually, he'd had the good sense to offer me his current PS5 when he upgraded in exchange for helping him. My aging PS4 had been begging me to let it rest so I'd reluctantly agreed.

After all, it wasn't that strange for boys to dress up as girls for Halloween. I figured if anyone found out it was me under all this, I'd play it off as a joke. Between the breast forms, the perfectly done makeup, and my unfortunately pretty face, I wondered whether I'd be able to convince anyone this was a joke.

When we'd begun listing everything we'd need to pull this off, I'd wondered whether he'd even be making much profit but his sister had been super helpful. She'd offered her makeup kit and expertise on the condition that she could take pictures for her makeup page on Instagram.

She'd even supplied her old breast forms and joked that I could keep them on account of not needing them anymore.

The outfit and blonde wig though, Cole had had to buy. I thought it was dumb he was spending money when he didn't even know we were going to win but he seemed confident.

"People don't go all out for these things. Trust me, we'll be the only ones that look good" That wasn't an impression. That's exactly what he'd said in his defense. What did I care though, I was getting a free console regardless.

"Well," I said finally, "You look pretty cool too"

His version of Jared Leto's Joker was really good. Better than I had been expecting for sure. I hadn't noticed it before but he really did look exceptionally like the actor. The suit was nice, and the green slicked-back hair could have been his regular style, but it was how the Joker makeup complimented his strong features perfectly that convinced me he'd be a big hit at the party.

I just hoped I didn't look like a caricature by comparison. Regardless of my objections, I really did want us to win. I'd feel better taking his console if he was getting another.

"Right?" Cole let out a sinister smile before closing the distance between us. Without warning, he reached over and placed his finger beneath my chin, lifting my head slightly, "Would you die for me?" he asked in a gruff voice.

I cleared my throat uncomfortably.

"Would you live for me?" he asked again in that same voice. Of course, I knew which scene he was referencing. He'd made us watch the movie last night to get into the headspace of the characters.

"AH! AH! AH! AH!" he laughed in the same way Leto did in the movie.

I pulled my head back away from his finger, "Been practicing have you?"

"Yeah, you better have been as well," he said as he stepped back.

"That wasn't part of our deal" I protested.

"Come on, you're going to ruin the whole thing by speaking" he complained.

"I can sound like a girl if I want, relax"

"Yeah, you can but can you sound like Harley?"

I was about to give it a shot when Alyssa returned, "You. Out." she ordered him away.

"Oh come on, why?" Cole complained again. He was being awfully whiny tonight.

"I need to be in the right headspace when I work and your face ruins it" she commented as she walked over to where the wig hung waiting.

"I'll be quiet" he promised.

"No. Out," she said again.

Cole threw his head back in frustration, "Can you at least hurry? The party's started. I need to give everyone enough time to take in all of this"

I rolled my eyes when he gave a slow twirl to accompany his words.

I had to admit, he looked really good. The black pants were nice enough but the way the white dress shirt sat on his toned body was something else entirely. Living in the gym as much as he did was really starting to pay off.

"It's just the wig left then I'll take pictures"

Cole groaned, "You take a million pictures"

"Do you realize how much makeup I used on both of you? Should I send you a bill?"

"AH! AH! AH! AH!" he laughed on his way out of the room.

I chuckled as he closed the door slowly behind him. He was such a goof.

=^..^=

"Is that really me?" I stared in disbelief at the reflection in the mirror. She was the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen, if a bit crazy-looking.

I held my mouth open as I watched her follow my every move. She was me.

"Oh my God" I voiced. There was nothing unconvincing about me.

I heard the camera shutter and then saw the flash. Out of the scores of pictures that would follow with different expressions and poses, the one that displayed my shock would be our favorite by a mile.

The wig must have completed the look because even Cole was stunned when we met again in the living room. I stood shyly as he took me in. The costume was mostly perfect. The wig, the makeup, my features, and even the fake breasts were the perfect size for Harley's athletic figure. The only compromise was the short jean skirt we'd settled on after deciding I probably couldn't pull off the mini shorts Harley Quinn wore. Well, that and the fact that I didn't have a bat. Slightly out of budget.

"Casey I gotta tell you, we got this in the bag," Cole said to me with a big smile.

"I have to admit, we do look really good"

Cole walked up to me and placed both hands on my shoulders, "Pumpkin Pie, we look better than good"

"You look like a million bucks, Mr. J" I finally did the voice.

He paused, closed his eyes, and let out a satisfied breath, "That awakened something in me. Do it again"

"Do what, Mr. J?" I did it again.

"Oh sweet baby Jesus" he playfully bit his knuckle.

"One more for the road?" he came closer to me.

"Shut up" I finally returned to my normal voice and pushed him away for good measure.

"Ready to hit the streets, Harley-girl?"

"Ready as I'll ever be"

"Hold on, let me get one with the couple together" Alyssa rushed into the living room with my camera. She took one look at us together and sighed, "This is really some of my best work"

"Pretend couple" I felt the need to correct her.

"Yeah whatever, just scoot closer" Alyssa hurried us along.

I shuffled closer to him but admittedly stood like I was taking a class photo.

"What are we, the founding fathers? Bring it in" Cole complained once again and before he even allowed me a moment to ponder what he'd said, he held me by the waist and drew me in.

"Good, stay" Alyssa ordered and so I stayed despite my compromising position of leaning entirely into him with a hand on his chest.

Flash. Yep, I knew that picture was going to haunt me one way or another. I'd have to find a way to destroy it before he showed it at my wedding in a PowerPoint.

"Okay we gotta go before we miss the entire contest" I hurried him along before Alyssa got the chance to take any more damning photographs.

"You kids have fun" Alyssa called out to us as I pulled Cole out the front door, "Don't do anything I wouldn't do"

"That is a very short list!" Cole called back with a raised voice.

I quickly shushed him before he got all the neighbors looking out the window.

=^..^=

The night was so beautiful with the stars in the sky and the creepy decorations on damn near every house we passed. It was such a nice night out for a drive but my mind was in such turmoil.

For one, I'd suddenly realized just how mini this mini skirt was. What had Alyssa been thinking? What had I been thinking?

Second, Cole had opened my door for me which was close to doing my head in but I could rationalize that he was just staying in character. He was the Joker and I was Harley Quinn. We were a couple entering a couples contest and he was just taking it seriously. No big deal.

Third, I was on my way to a party dressed as a girl. What if someone recognized me? Wouldn't I just straight up die from embarrassment if that happened?

"Who are we going to say I am when people ask?" I turned to Cole who drove us in his ageing Bronco.

"What do you mean?" he asked without taking his eyes off the road.

"What do you mean what do I mean?" I turned my whole body to face him, "It's a couples thing. Everyone knows we're not a couple"

"It's a couples costume contest, not a 'couples' costume contest" he stressed the words to show the difference.

"No, I'm pretty sure it's a 'couples' costume content"

"What are they going to do, check? Are they going to have us kiss before we enter?"

The color almost immediately drained from my face, "Can they do that?"

"Casey no they can't" he turned to me briefly before turning his attention back to the road, "It's not that serious"

"Fuck, anyway I can't have anyone knowing it's me. I need a secret identity" I explained.

"Secret identity, are you a superhero now?"

"Cole, you're not taking this seriously. I swear if anyone finds out it's me, I'm actually going to kill you"

"Say that last part again but do it in the voice" I could just make out his pleased smile in the dark.

"Cole!"

"Fine! Okay. We can introduce you as Susan C. Anthony"

I gave him a tired look, "You're not funny, you know that right?"

"No, I don't know that because it's wrong," he said as he made a turn at the roundabout, "Fine what do you want?"

"I don't know--" I turned to look down at my sneakers, "I was thinking maybe Cassandra?"

"That's pretty" he turned to look at me for a brief moment, "Did you just come up with that?"

"Yeah," I shrugged quickly, "Why?"

"Nothing, it suits you"

Somehow, things grew awkward after that and neither of us said much the rest of the way to the hotel.

=^..^=

Imperial Hotel was a staple of the community. A lot of us kids had even gotten summer jobs at the hotel when they were usually the busiest.

Last year, they'd held their first-ever Halloween party and accompanying costume content. Kids were welcome but being a notoriously alcohol-free event, very few were interested and opted to run their own keggers.

Not us though, Cole had his eyes set on that PS5 Pro and so we were pulling into the driveway with the rest of the non-alcoholics.

"Welcome miss" The valet helped me open my door and I couldn't help but notice his gaze lingering extra long on me. I'd contemplated ignoring his offered hand for support but decided to keep from drawing any unwanted attention.

"Thank you," I said using my girl voice when my hands met his. I squirmed a bit when I felt him rub the back of my hands and let go as soon as my feet touched the floor.

"Take good care of her for me," Cole said after he came around to the passenger side and tossed the keys to the valet. "That's my baby right there"

He kissed his fingertips and pressed them on the hood of the car then mouthed the words, "I'll miss you"

"You're so embarrassing, oh my God" I turned away from him and made my way through the hotel doors.

"Oh you love me" I heard him say from behind me.

"Sure, about as much as I love as I love diarrhoea" I turned only long enough to say.

"That's nasty. Get help"

=^..^=

I wasn't prepared for just how many stares we would get when we stepped into the lobby. Even crazier because we weren't the only ones in costume.

"People are staring" I whispered to him and retreated behind him without thinking. Up till that point, I'd been protected by the darkness of the night and Cole's shenanigans had helped get my mind off things but now, I was faced with the fact that I was dressed as a girl and wearing a mini skirt no less.

"Well of course they're staring, have you seen yourself?" Cole whispered back, "Casey I don't know if you know this but you're kind of a babe"

I stared back at him with a face full of emotions, "I can't do this, I'm sorry. I need to leave"

I turned for the door but Cole was quicker, he had already wrapped his fingers around mine.

"Breathe" he looked me in the eyes.

I looked back into his.

"I mean it, breathe. In, out, chop chop" he followed up.

I was going to argue but didn't. I breathed in and out. We stood at the entrance arguably drawing more attention than if we'd just kept moving.

"Feel better?" he asked me.

"Not really" I confessed.

"Well, that's all I got--" he paused, "Nah I'm kidding. Okay, listen to me. We're not here okay? Casey and Cole are at home watching old episodes of Top Gear"

God I wish we were lying in bed watching old episodes of Top Gear right now.

"Standing here are Mr. J and Harley. Look around--" he urged me and I followed his lead, glancing around the room. They were still staring. "Everyone here is looking at the best-looking Joker ever and the second-best Harley just behind Margot Robbie"

I laughed.

"So let's go be Joker and Harley, okay?"

"Okay"

=^..^=

"Can't let you in with that costume" the doorman to the event hall dashed our dreams, "This is a family-friendly event. I'm afraid you're dressed too-- scantily"

"What?" I asked confused, "That's crazy"

"Let me handle this babe" Cole stepped up and so I crossed my hands and let him. I watched him lean closely toward the young man who looked only a couple of years older than us. "What do you say I scratch your back, you scratch mine?"

I looked at my friend, confused about where he was going with this.

"What if I were to, you know, make a donation? 10? Maybe 20?"

That idiot. I pulled him back to my side as quickly as I could manage.

"I'm so sorry, forgive my idiot boyfriend" I shot him an angry look, "He was dropped as a baby"

The doorman wasn't amused.

"Isn't there a way you could help us out? We have come a long way for this. I know it's a bit short but that's only in the interest of character accuracy"

He still wasn't amused.

"Come on dude, you don't really care, just let us in" I pleaded.

"Fine" he relented after relatively little pressure.

I squealed happily, "Thank you so much"

"I'll take the 20 though" he added, "Just you know, pull the skirt down a little bit"

I turned to look at Cole who only shrugged, reached into his pocket, and handed the guy a 20. As the exchange happened, all I could think of was how much we needed to win this thing to recoup our expenses.

"Enjoy the party" he eventually waved us through.

As we walked through the hall doors, Cole laughed at me, "Character accuracy? Are you serious?"

"I got us in, didn't I?"

"My 20 got us in" he laughed some more.

"After I loosened him up with my irresistible charm, sure" I argued.

"Whatever you say"

=^..^=

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Hiya, would love to hear what you think about this story so far. It's done in my head so just need to find time to put it on paper. Hope you'll stick around.