Give me a break. Snap. Give me a break. Snap. Break off a piece of that Kit Kat Bar. The Tv murmured in the background as I continued my homework.

“It’s almost Halloween!” piped my mom, “Any costume plans yet?”

“No,” I replied, “I’ll think of something eventually.”

…

Hues of orange and yellow brushed past the windows of the school bus as we chugged along the road. I sat silently, playing on my Nintendo, but I could hear peers conversing about the holiday over the beeps of Mario Kart.

Batman. A tennis player. A skeleton.

Too boy-ish. Too cold for a Wisconsin October. Too basic.

I started to wonder if I even wanted to dress up this year. Of course I wanted to still participate in Halloween! I wasn’t actively trying to be the Grinch-equivalent, but I just couldn’t hit the right target.

…

Like the falling leaves, my spirits fell. Again, I ran through options in my head. 

Barbie, doctor, princess. No, no, and no! I was never going to find the right option for me. My bedroom door creaked open, and in came my older sister, Katie.

“What’s cookin’, Court?”

“Katie, I’m never going to be able to participate in Halloween ever again! I can’t figure out what to wear. How am I supposed to have fun when I’m dressed up as boring old me?”

“Woah! No need to panic; you’re only in third grade! You’re not having an identity crisis…”

It hit me.

Identity crisis.

“Thank you, Katie! You’re the best big sister in the entire world!” I shouted, the words speeding out of my mouth like an Amtrack. A big squeeze followed, and then poof! I was gone.

…

“Alright, come down!” Katie called.

I tiptoed down the stairs, nervous about what she’d think.

“I’m an identity thief,” I elaborated, “I covered myself in nametag stickers, and then wrote down all of the things or people I could have otherwise been for Halloween.”

“It’s brilliant!” Katie exclaimed, scooping up my hand. “Let’s get going, I’m sure there’s tons of candy outside waiting for us.”