“There, I think we have everything. Food, drinks, clothes, I think we’ve got it covered,” Honey Wheeler dusted off her hands as she slammed the trunk door of her best friend Diana Lynch’s trusty purple VW bug.

“Time to go!” Trixie Belden, Honey’s other best friend bounced out of the house, followed closely by the Wheeler house manager, Margery Trask.

“All right, girls. Be careful and make good choices. I will be here all weekend, so if you need anything at all, do not hesitate to call,” Miss Trask said. She folded her arms as she watched the three girls settle in the car. The girls, all 17, were off to visit Trixie’s older brother and Honey’s cousin at their college house, often referred to as “The House of Good Times”. “You know I trust Mart, Dan, and Ben implicitly, but if they are not around and you need help, just call,” she added.

“We will!” the girls chorused as the car started to pull away.

“YOLO!!!” Trixie yelled out the window.

“Yolo? What?” Miss Trask called back but she was sure no one heard her.

Ding! Miss Trask looked at her cell phone. YOLO - You Only Live Once. It’s a phrase from several years ago. Trixie can be a bit behind! XO-Honey

“You only live once. That’s true,” mused Miss Trask. “17 seems so long ago.” Suddenly she started to chuckle. “Or maybe not that long ago!” Pausing, she remembered a night from another time, a long time ago.

****************************************************************************************

“Maggie, let’s go!!” Maggie Trask looked up, puzzled at the whisper at the door.  It was Friday the 13th, in October, and Maggie was settling in for a night of candy corn, hot chocolate, and a good Agatha Christie mystery.

“What?” Maggie looked at the open doorway but didn’t see anyone. “What? I didn’t hear you?” Again, silence answered back. With a sigh, Maggie roused herself from her cozy nest of blankets and crossed her dorm room. Peering out in the hallway, she was greeted with...no one. As she turned to go back into her room, a figure jumped out of a nearby alcove.

“Boo!” Gwen Palmer, dressed all in black, tried to smother her giggles at the startled look on Maggie’s face. “Come on, let’s go!”

“Wait, what? Where are we going?” Maggie retreated back into her room and flopped on the bed. “It’s almost 10pm. You know curfew is 11pm. Where exactly are we going this late?” Normally, Maggie would be up for an adventure, but she was already in cozy pants and a pullover and was not looking forward to changing her clothes.

“Maaagggiiiieee! Jeannie told you about this the other day. Beth turns 18 tomorrow so we are going out to enjoy her last Friday night as a kid. Here, put these on and be quiet about it! We don’t want the entire floor to know. Everyone would want to come and then we would be caught for sure.” Gwen tossed a dark pair of jeans and a dark sweatshirt to Maggie. “Hmm, do you have a hat? Your blond hair might be visible in the moonlight.”

Maggie started to change her clothes but stopped and turned to study Gwen. One of Maggie’s best friends, Gwen was petite, with dark curls and big brown eyes-eyes that she could use to wheedle pretty much whatever she wanted out of her hapless victims, which frequently included boys and teachers, and occasionally her Ambassador father.

“Quit using those puppy dog eyes on me. You know after 12 years of friendship I am immune to them. There. Am I acceptable?” Maggie presented herself to Gwen. Having pulled on the clothes Gwen had selected, Maggie tucked her hair under a dark baseball cap and her blue eyes sparkled with excitement.

“Yes. Now, let’s arrange your room.” Gwen got to work and a few quick fluffs later, Maggie’s bed looked like she was curled up for the night. “Oh, we have to do Jeannie’s bed too.” Gwen repeated the performance on the bed of Maggie’s roommate Jeannie Wilson. “And we’ll put your hot chocolate mug outside your door, as if you are done and ready for bed, turn off the lights and there, we are off.” Gwen clicked the light switch and started to pull the door closed. “Oh wait!” She darted in and back out of the room again. “We’ll need sustenance. Now, let’s go!” she said as she triumphantly held up Maggie’s bag of candy corn.

The two girls quietly scampered down the polished hallway, their footsteps muffled by the antique runners. They paused briefly to listen outside the room at the top of the stairs that was occupied by Miss Smith, their dorm mother. A very nice woman around 40, she could be a bit stuffy in her views and would be quick to question why the girls were leaving so close to curfew. As the boarding school was comprised of daughters of wealthy political figures, with a healthy dose of missionary kids, of which Maggie was one, propriety was a high priority.

The Julia Ward Howe School for Ladies, located in the quiet town of Charlestown, Rhode Island,  was home for Maggie and her friends Gwen, Jeannie, and Beth. All four girls had parents overseas and had been in school together since they were young. After Beth Crawford appeared at the school in second grade, the four became inseparable.

On her first day of school, Beth was the target of teasing from other classmates.  Maggie, Gwen, and Jeannie quickly jumped into action using their well-honed, individual talents to defend her. Maggie, practical even at a young age quickly strategized a plan, Gwen, using her charm, distracted the mean girls, and Jeannie used her athletic skills to offer protection. From that day forward, the four were fast friends. Sweet and kind, Beth’s cheerful demeanor rounded out what used to be a trio nicely.

“Safe!” Maggie and Gwen made it down the stairs and out the front door, where they hopped into a waiting car.

“Hi girls! Ready for some fun?” Jeannie eased the car down the driveway and onto the main road that led into the town square. Looking at Gwen, she added “You fixed my bed, right?”

Gwen nodded.

“What are we doing tonight?” asked Beth from the passenger side of the front seat.

“Up to you, birthday girl. What crazy antics do you want to do before you become legal? Candy corn?” Gwen grabbed a handful and passed the bag up to the front seat.

“Well, I don’t know,” Beth replied slowly, twisting a curl around her finger. Tall and willowy, her strawberry blond hair and green eyes were as well known in the school as was her ability to wax eloquently on french poetry.

“You do have an idea, I can hear it in you voice. Spill it,” Jeannie kept her eyes on the road but had her ears tuned into the hesitancy in Beth’s voice.

“Well, you guys know I spent a lot of time overseas when I was little. I guess I kind of idealized what I thought America was like. I pictured kids running around, playing tag, and riding bikes.” Beth popped a piece of candy corn into her mouth.

“Yes, that’s probably fairly accurate. At least where we lived when I was younger,” Jeannie replied encouragingly.

“Well….I always thought it would be kind of fun to t. p. someone’s house,” Beth ducked her head to avoid meeting everyone’s eyes.

“Teepee? Oh! Toilet paper someone’s house. You know, that could be a lot of fun. Who did you have in mind?” Gwen bounced up and down in the backseat in excitement.

“Hmm, I’m not sure.” said Jeannie. “Maybe some fries and milkshakes will inspire us. Plus, we would have to buy supplies,” she turned into the local diner, a favorite spot of the girls at the boarding school.

Not long after the final fry was eaten, the girls still had not decided whose house to toilet paper. Across the street, the local pharmacy flickered its lights, signaling their 15 minute warning prior to closing.

“We need to buy some toilet paper. I’ll go grab some,” Maggie slid out of the booth and darted out the door. She was back before the girls finished settling up the bill. “Success! Oh, and I think I know who our victim should be-Mr. Hopper.” Mr. Hopper was the cranky old man who owned the pharmacy.

“YES! He was so rude last week when I went in to buy erasers. ‘Well, Gwen Palmer, perhaps if you spend more time studying rather than galavanting, you wouldn’t need so many erasers’. I don’t think he quite gets the complexity of chemistry.” Gwen shook her head disgustedly.

“Wait, won’t he be suspicious that Maggie just bought a bunch of toilet paper and then his house was hit a few hours later?” Jeannie asked as she counted out change for a tip.

“It won’t be a problem. It wasn’t Mr. Hopper closing, it was some high school kid. I don’t think he likes Mr. Hopper any more than we do. Let’s go!” Maggie grabbed her hat off the table and led the way out the door.

“Does anyone know where Mr. Hopper lives?” asked Gwen.

“As a matter of fact, I do,” Jeannie replied with a twinkle in her eye. “I ran into his wife last week when I was picking up the groceries for Miss Smith. It was raining, she had a large bag of groceries, so I offered to give her a ride home. Good news ladies, he has several large lovely trees in his yard.” Giggling, the girls ran out the door and piled into the car.

A few minutes later, they glided to a stop in front of a pretty cape cod house. Warm lights glowed in the windows.

“Well, that’s a problem,” Gwen remarked with a sigh.

“Nah, it will be fine. We can’t toilet paper now anyways. It’s too early.” Jeannie said knowingly. “Too many people are still out and about. We need to wait until about one a.m. to make sure everyone is asleep and any late stragglers are home safe.”

“Okay, well, it’s 11:17. What are we going to do for 2 hours? And are we going to stay here, parked in front of his house?” Maggie asked.

“Strategize! And no, Jeannie, we will not be waiting here. Let’s go to the train station lot. We should be able to sit in the car there and not attract a lot of attention. Ooh, the candy corn!” Gwen popped a piece in her mouth as the car pulled away and headed down the street.

Two hours later, the girls returned the neighborhood where all the houses were still and dark.

“Where should we park? Does everyone know what they are doing? Do we have enough toilet paper? I should have gone to the bathroom!” Beth paused breathlessly. “Girls, I am so excited! And scared! What if we get caught?”

Maggie laughed. “Relax and enjoy yourself. It’s just a prank. If we get caught, we’ll have to clean it up and probably be grounded to campus for a Saturday or two. But we won’t, because we will be silent and stealthy. Here’s your cap,” she said handing Beth a dark purple knit cap. “Your pom pom is adorable,” Maggie flicked the pink and purple pom pom on the top of the cap.

Jeannie parked the car around the corner from the Hoppers. “All right girls, arm yourselves.”

With muffled giggles, the girls divided the toilet paper amongst themselves. Jeannie quietly shut the trunk and the girls turned and darted down the street.

“I see the target. It looks like the enemy is tucked in tight for the night. We are ready for lift off,” Gwen whispered as they stood in front of Mr. Hopper’s house. “Beth, as the birthday girl, you have the honors of the first shot. Whenever you are ready, let it fly!”

Beth set down her extra rolls, took a deep breath, and squared her shoulders. Solemnly, she approached the main tree, raised her arms, and let two rolls of toilet paper fly.

“Revenge is just so beautiful.” Maggie whispered.

“Yes, yes it is,” Gwen replied. The night was briefly still as the four girls watched the toilet paper float down the tree, cascades of white dancing softly in the breeze. “Time to get down to business!”

The girls quickly and methodically distributed the rest of the rolls throughout the trees and bushes in the Hopper yard.

When the last roll unfurled, the girls paused to critique their work. “Ladies, I think this is an outstanding effort,” Jeannie said softly.

“I agree. This is…” Gwen paused, tilting her head. “Girls, how long as that dog been barking?”

“I don’t know, maybe five, ten minutes? Why?” asked Beth distractedly as she admired their efforts.

“The longer the barking, the better the chances are that someone...yep...there it goes. RUN!” Maggie hissed as the lights in the Hopper house went on.

The four girls took off running. Several houses down, they threw themselves over the hedge at the edge of a driveway and waited, their breathes creating vapor plumes in the cool night air.

“What’s going on out there? What the heck!? Who did this? Who’s out there? When I find you!! Aw, shut up Cooper!” Mr Hopper jumped up and down in a fit of anger on his porch before yelling at the barking dog. He gave a final survey of the yard and went back inside, slamming the door behind him.

“Phew!” Gwen wiped her brow and started to giggle.

Beth, who had been covering her head with her arms, opened an eye. “Are we safe?” she whispered.

“I don’t know, are you?” a male voice spoke above them.

With trepidation, Maggie raised her head. “Wallace Crown, you scared us to death! Are we clear?” she asked as she shifted her weight.

“Yep, all clear. Let me help you,” Wallace leaned down and offered a hand.

As Maggie stood up, brushing the leaves off her knees. She saw three other guys on the driveway. “Oh, hi guys,” she smiled, greeting the group with Wallace, two of whom happened to be the boyfriends of Gwen and Beth.

“Was that your work?” asked Bill Percy as he leaned over to give Gwen a peck on the cheek. “Because that was an outstanding display of civil disobedience.”

“It was! My birthday wish!” squealed Beth as she gave her boyfriend Bob Snyder, who stood behind Wallace, a hug.

“Shh, we can’t be loud. Mr. Hopper’s probably still awake. Let’s get out of here!” Jeannie whispered as she led the group down the street towards her car.

“Okay guys, what’s next?” asked Beth as the group gathered on the corner.

“Not sure, but we better scatter quick. Jeannie’s right, Hopper’s lights are on, which means he probably called the cops. Let’s meet at the all night diner out by the highway,” said Leon Grant, the fourth guy of the group and the star wrestler at his school.

The girls piled into the car and quietly left the neighborhood. A few minutes later, the girls pulled into the diner parking lot. Through the window, they could see the boys had a table staked out.

“So, what were you guys doing in that neighborhood?” asked Jeannie. Now that they were inside the warm diner, the girls shed their jackets and sweatshirts and sank into chairs the guys had arranged.

Leon laughed. “My parents live on the street. Wallace and I are house sitting while my parents are in Florida. We were leaving to drop Bill and Bob back on campus and saw some dark figures skulking along the street and stopped to investigate. Why were you toilet papering the Hopper house?” Leon caught the eye of the waitress and she headed their way, armed with waters for the table.

After placing several orders of onion rings and brownie sundaes, Gwen answered. “Well, tonight is Beth’s last night of childhood, so we thought we would have some fun, do whatever she wanted. And she wanted to toilet paper someone.”

“Speaking as someone who grew up on the same street as Mr. Hopper,” Leon raised his glass. “On behalf of the neighborhood, I thank you. A toast, to the ladies who bested Old Man Hopper!” Everyone else raised a glass in laughter at Leon’s toast. The group passed the time in banter and jokes.

“What are you girls doing for the rest of the night?” asked Wallace as he finished off a basket of onion rings. 

“Um, I don’t know. Any suggestions?” Beth gave Bob a quick wink.

“Sorry, cutie.” Bob returned Beth’s wink. “ As much as I would like to stay out, I have an early shift at work, so Bill and I have to get back to campus. And soon?” He glanced at Wallace, the driver for the night.

“Yeah, we can head out. Ladies, if you are willing to hang out a bit, Leon and I can come back here. I might have a suggestion for your next adventure,” Wallace slipped into his jacket.

The girls shared a quick glance. “Well,” said Jeannie “Crime has made me very hungry. I could probably eat another brownie.”

“Me too!” Beth agreed with a smile.

“All right, we’ll be back soon!” The guys shot out the door and peeled out of the parking lot.

A remarkably short time later, Leon and Wallace appeared back at the diner. “Okay, ready to hear my suggestion?” Leon leaned over and snatched the final bite of brownie off a plate.

“Yep, spill it!” the girls said in unison.

“So….you know it’s Halloween soon, right? The stores have all started decorating, with pumpkins and bales of hay. We were thinking it might be fun to add some livestock to the displays, maybe in the form of some concrete geese? Want to help us?” Leon asked.

Maggie looked puzzled. “What do you mean? Where would you get them?”

“Oooh, I get it! We would ‘borrow’ them from some generous citizens and give them a tour of town,” Gwen’s eyes got big as she thought through the suggestion. “What do you think birthday girl?”

“I love those geese! They would be so cute sitting on the green! I think we should do it,” Beth wiggled in her seat.

“All right. Go team!” everyone scrambled for jackets, money, and a few darted to the bathroom. Shortly thereafter, the crew was outside.

“Okay, we are going to cruise down Pine, cut across Roosevelt, and come back up Mayflower. We will take one side, you guys take the other.” Wallace issued directions. “Wait, do you think you guys can lift a goose?”

“I will carry a goose if it’s the last thing I do,” Beth said, with resolve in her voice.

Maggie couldn’t contain the giggles that erupted from inside. Throwing her arms around Beth, she gave her a big hug. “Let’s go, birthday girl!”

A short time later, the cars crept slowly down the neighborhood streets. Maggie, Gwen, and Beth cheered silently when they found a house with a whole family of geese. The geese were quickly tucked into the car.

“Maybe we should label them or something. I would feel bad if they never made their way home again,” said Maggie, ever the practical one.

“Good point. I think I have some chalk in the back. Let’s tell the guys too,” Jeannie hopped out of the car to locate the chalk.

The collection of geese grew rapidly and soon the group headed back to town.

“Okay, we have 25 geese - five dressed as men, 12 as ladies, and the rest are ducklings. How do we want to spread these around? Decoration in not my strong suit. I can do the heavy lifting,” Leon started to pick up a few geese.

“Wait, how cute would it be to have a family of geese walking across the green?” Beth hopped up and down on one foot.

“Yes! So cute, let’s do it,” Jeannie grabbed a mom and several ducklings. Beth grabbed a dad and one more duckling and the duo took off down the street.

The rest of the group took turns scouting out good locations, distributing the geese, and keeping watch for any citizens or police. They quickly scattered the geese throughout the area.

“Guys, they look fantastic!” Gwen surveyed the displays. All across the town square, geese appeared in the Halloween decorations. Under scarecrows, next to pumpkins, and atop bales of hay, the geese had invaded the scenes. The final site was a row of geese that marched across the village green as a happy family.

In the distance, a truck rumbled. “Ladies, that’s our cue to go. I hear the produce truck for Spyn’s, which means it’s about 5am. We need to make ourselves scarce before someone sees us. See you guys around?” Leon and Wallace quickly hopped in their car.

“Yeah, bye guys. Thanks for the fun!” the girls waved as the boys pulled away.

“Anything left on your list, Beth?” Maggie asked as the girls piled in the car.

“Actually...yes. Since it’s so late, or rather so early, I secretly would love to watch the sun rise on the ocean. Is anyone willing?” she asked hopefully, peeking at the girls.

“Sure, the beach is only 15 minutes away. Let’s go!” Jeannie sped off down the street.

During the short ride, the girls chattered about the possible reactions from the shop owners when they saw their adjusted displays. They finished off the candy corn as car pulled into the vacant, sandy parking lot.

“Let’s go down to the dunes. Jeannie, can we take the blankets in the trunk? It’s not chilly enough to need them for warmth, but we could spread them out and watch at the stars until the sun comes up,” Maggie suggested as the group crossed the road and traipsed through the  scraggly field that led to the beach. “Plus, we will be out of sight of any pesky busybodies who might wonder why we are out and about.”

“I love stargazing. It makes me feel, so, in touch with the universe,” Gwen leaned back and tucked her hands behind her head as the group relaxed on the blankets.

“I’m excited to see the sun rise. I’ve never lived this close to the ocean and I’ve always wanted to see the sun rise over the ocean,” Beth sighed contentedly as she settled back onto the blanket.

“Really, you’ve never seen a sunrise?” asked Maggie, surprised.

“Oh no, I’ve seen plenty of sunrises - over the Swiss alps, over the Sahara desert, once even over an icefield in Norway, but never over the ocean. I always imagined I would have a small cottage on the shore where I could read, paint, or garden. I would, of course, have a tall, dark, and handsome gentleman and perhaps a cat to keep me company,” Beth’s gaze never left the dark ocean’s horizon.

“Really? No people? That sounds awful to me. Give me a concrete and steel building any day! What about you, ladies?” Jeannie glanced at Maggie and Gwen.

“I am a simple girl, with simple needs. A husband, some kids, a white picket fence, and the ubiquitous dog,” Gwen said. “Maggie, you’re up. What would your choice be?”

“I am a combo of you all. A small cottage, but not on the beach, more in the mountains, with plenty of paths for walking or for riding a horse. A handsome best friend, of course, who will go to shows or fights in the nearby city,” Maggie answered with a giggle.

The girls passed the time chatting about their various hopes and dreams.

“Gwendolyn Marie Palmer, was that a yawn I saw?!” Jeannie shifted to get a better view of Gwen’s face.

“I can’t help it. The blanket is so soft and warm and I’m so sleepy!” Gwen protested halfheartedly.

“Knock it off before I dump you in the ocean!” Maggie threatened. “Wait just a minute…is anyone thinking what I’m thinking?”

“Beds sound great?” Gwen asked.

“No. I think what she is thinking might be a bit colder.” Jeannie stood up and took off her sweatshirt.

“Wait, what?” Beth asked. “Do you mean skinnydip?!” she looked slightly terrified at the idea. “What if someone sees us?”

“That’s part of the risk. Last one in is a rotten egg!”

After stripping down, Maggie and Jeannie took off for the ocean with Beth and Gwen following closely behind. The four played in the water, taking turns riding the waves up onto the beach. They didn’t last long, as the cold water drove them out of the ocean. Under the brightening sky, the girls clambered back up the beach and pulled on their clothes. Once dressed, they huddled together under the blankets until they stopped shivering.

“That was exhilarating. And by far the best thing we have done all night. Thank you ladies for a fabulous last night of 17,” Beth beamed at her friends.

“Well, ‘you are 17 going on 18, you can count on us’ or something like that,” Gwen attempted to sing a line from The Sound of Music.

“That was terrible, but we get the idea,” Maggie laughed. “It’s almost showtime.”

The group fell silent as the sky lightened and a golden sphere peaked over the horizon. For a few minutes, the girls watched in wonder as the sky lit up with amber rays that pierced the few lines of clouds.

“Perfect!” Beth sighed as the sun settled above the horizon.

“Absolutely. A terrific end to a terrific night. I hesitate to ruin the moment, but if we don’t want to get caught, we have to leave now!” Maggie jumped up and started to gather up a blanket.

“Yikes, I agree! Let’s move,” Jeannie commanded.

Twenty three minutes later, the car glided to a stop back in Jeannie’s designated parking space on The Julia Ward Howe campus. The girls quietly hustled across the dew covered green and paused at the back door of their dormitory.

“Looks good. Let’s go.” Gwen whispered as she surveyed the empty room. Easing the back door shut, the girls scurried up the stairs, splitting at the top and darting into their respective rooms.

“Safe!” Maggie said she closed the door behind her and Jeannie.

“Good morning, Miss Crawford. Up early on this birthday morning.” Pressing their ears to the door, Jeannie and Maggie heard MIss Smith greet Beth as Beth left the bathroom on the way to her room.

“And not a moment too soon! Mission accomplished!” Jeannie replied with a smile and a high five.

****************************************************************************************

Miss Trask smiled at the memory. ‘YOLO indeed. Have fun girls’ she said to herself as she headed into the Manor House.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Author’s Notes

-Thank you to Chey and my Aunt Judy for reading, editing, and offering suggestions

-YOLO - popular phrase by young adults

-Agatha Christie - British mystery author

-Julia Ward Howe - the school is imaginary, but Julia is a historical figure from the 1800’s known for social activism and authorship of the ‘Battle Hymn of the Republic”

-T.P./Toilet Papering - teenaged prank where rolls of toilet paper are thrown over trees and bushes in neighborhood yards

-Candy corn - fall candy in the shape of corn kernels

-Concrete geese - popular household garden decoration in the shape of geese, frequently dressed in seasonal costumes

-The Sound of Music - 1965 Rodgers & Hammerstein movie musical