“We’ll just order a ride, or anyone who’s still sober by the end of the day can scrape our drunk asses off the ground and into the car and drive us back.” Katy shrugged.
“Maybe we should order one in advance, just to be safe.” Jade brought out her phone.
I didn’t know I’d been quiet until Katy glanced at me in the rearview mirror. “Are you okay?”
I smiled. “Why not?”
Nodding, she went back to looking outside the window and mouthing the song blasting in the car.
We pulled up to the party a few minutes later, the car rolling to a stop in front of a massive house. As we stepped out of the white sedan, we were immediately greeted by the heavy pulse of music, the bass vibrating through the ground beneath our feet. Fog clung to the air like a ghostly shroud, thick and eerie, swirling through the orange leaves scattered across the garden path.
The yard had been transformed into a haunted land. Strings of lights dangled from skeletal trees, casting flickers of shadow over the scene, while fake cobwebs glistened under the club lights. Ghosts hung from branches, swaying in the night breeze, their pale, tattered forms frightening in the dim light. Pumpkins with jagged grins lined the path, glowing with an orange hue.
The house itself was enormous, its tall windows alive with flashing lights from within. Music thumped from inside, loud and chaotic, and groups of people in costumes lingered out front, talking and laughing. A man in a full gladiator outfit raised his drink to us as we passed, and a woman dressed as a sultry Cleopatra caught our eyes with a wink.
The night was already wild. I couldn’t help but smile, despite the worry still tugging at me.
“Here we go,” Laura said with a wicked grin, swinging the blood-stained prop axe over her shoulder as she strode forward in her mismatched stockings. “Ms. Pennywise Nightmare is on the loose!” she shouted, making the people nearest us chuckle.
Behind her, the white Pennywise—Jade—grabbed her balloon, making her look like a princess who just stepped off a murder scene with the long, tiny streaks of fake blood Laura had splashed over her costume in the living room, while her balloon bounced with each step.
She had also dragged the blood over my chest where my heart was with her palm to give a horror vibe, and Katy had blood splattering the side of her face down to her neck.
We walked together, turning heads as we made our way towards the entrance. People shouted compliments about our costumes, their voices mixing with the music. I tugged down the hem of my lace skirt, the cool air kissing every inch of my exposed skin. My stilettos clicked against the pavement as my silver wig blew into my face, the heavy scent of the autumn night filling my lungs.
The door to the party swung open, and we were hit with the blast of noise, screams of laughter, and the deafening pound of bass as bodies swayed and rubbed together inside.
It was...chaos.
Laura turned back to us, already shouting over the noise. “Have fun, losers! I’m going to drink and fuck until I forget my name! See you in an hour!” She blew a kiss and disappeared into the crowd before any of us could stop her.
Jade laughed, rolling her eyes. “We won’t find her again.”
The inside of the house was even wilder than outside. Strobe lights flickered over the walls, illuminating flashes of glitter, blood, and a swirl of colours as people danced and drank. Agroup of zombies shuffled in one corner, fake blood dripping from their mouths as they bobbed their heads to the beat, while a girl dressed as a gothic bride screamed along to the music, her black veil flying behind her.
I made my way towards the bar, brushing past a guy dressed as a demon and a couple in vampire costumes. The bartender, shirtless with only a white mask over his face, caught my attention. His muscles flexed, his abs slick as he poured drinks with ease, looking like he belonged in a horror-themed photoshoot.
I leaned against the counter and ordered a drink, my voice barely loud enough to cut through the noise. As I waited, that familiar ache of fear twisted in my chest again. No matter how much I tried to lose myself in the chaos of the party, I couldn’t shake the thought of Theon off.
I was handed my drink, only to turn around and find Katy getting dragged by a girl I recognised from school. She pecked me and Jade goodbye, and the girl waved at me, seeming to forget the embarrassment Blake put me through at the get-together.
“I think it’s just me and you, Ja—”
Jade was staring at the shirtless bartender with admiration, and the masked guy seemed to be staring at her as he mixed drinks, flexing his breast for Jade’s hungry eyes.
Welp, that went my last company.
I sighed into my drink, the liquid leaving a sting in my throat as it went down. I tapped the glass cup with my nails as I searched the crowd, but then, I wouldn’t recognise in the sea of people wearing masks and costumes.
Worry clawed at me as I slipped my phone out again, checking the message. Still unanswered.Calm down, you just got here. Why would you want to leave?
I heaved, drinking away, and like that, thirty minutes passed. Still no sign of him. He wasn’t coming? I’d sent a message telling him I was at the party. Jade had left with the shirtless guy, and another shirtless person had replaced him.
“Queen of Hearts, why are you looking dull? Let’s dance.” A tall guy in a Michael Myers costume with his white mask hanging around his neck approached me, his scream loud enough for everyone around me to hear.
I shook my head. “No, thanks.”
He took my hand, dismissing my dismissive look. “Why’re you breaking your heart when you should be breaking hearts?”
