His parents had finally split up after he’d graduated, Dad relocating to his Chicago office and Mom spending her divorce settlement in New York, and he had no reason to come back to Cedar Lake anymore. He would’ve happily visited Jason over the holidays, but Jason had never asked, and Patrick didn’t want to torture himself by fishing for an invite. He was done pining for boys he couldn’t have.
Mikey was also attending college in the Boston area but had repeatedly ghosted Patrick’s texts. Patrick understood. College was a fresh start for Mikey, who’d been picked on in high school even after a late growth spurt that put him an inch taller than Jason. Mikey was probably afraid Patrick would accidentally reveal some of the more embarrassing episodes to his new MIT friends.
“We could’ve come to Boston since you and Mikey are already there. Or we could’ve had a fun weekend in Vegas,” Jason said.
“It’s not the same.” Patrick knew he sounded like a petulant toddler, but he didn’t care. The cabin was the only appropriate place for a Jumpscare Society reunion.
Jason turned to him, his words cracking like a whip. “When are you going to live in the present, Patrick?”
The intensity in Jason’s voice took Patrick aback. He cleared his throat and tried to focus on the winding road. “I don’t—”
“You’ve always been stuck in the past, or the future.”
“That’s not—”
But itwastrue. Patrick diligently planned for the future, because of what had happened in his past. “It’s always good to be prepared,” he said stubbornly.
Jason said nothing else, just turned away again. Patrick let out a small sigh. This reunion was getting off to a great start. Something was eating at Jason, and he wished he knew what it was and how he could help. Jason was on the outs with Tiffany yet again, which was why he was riding up with Patrick and Mikey. It was too much to hope they were broken up for good. Bad things happened when people thought Cedar Lake’s reigning young couple were over. Just look at Carrie Zhao.
There weren’t any signs along the highway directing tourists to the cabin, to discourage unsanctioned gawkers. The car’s GPS told Patrick to turn right on an innocuous dirt road, though he could’ve driven there in his sleep. This was his favorite part. The tall conifers seemed to part for them, the golden evening sun flashing through the branches like a magic lantern, and then all they could see was the sprawling cedar forest the town was named for. Mikey drummed his hands on Jason’s headrest. Jason ignored him, his head tilted toward the window like he was reading a message in the feathery cedar needles.
Something sparkled in the distance, the light at the end of the long tunnel of trees. The surface of Cedar Lake, catching the last rays of light. Patrick’s heart beat quicker. A few minutes later and the road fanned out into a clearing, the lake a shining backdrop behind their destination.
The cabin whereSlasherhad been filmed.
Patrick let out an exultant breath and parked the car on the patchy dirt driveway in front of the familiar structure, tucked within a copse of tall trees. A wooden veranda hugged a two-story cabin with a steeply pitched roof, looking like something out of—well, a movie.
He was amazed it appeared the same, cozy and ominous at the same time, its weathered log siding making it look like it had justsprouted out of the dirt as a respite for weary travelers. He didn’t know what he’d been expecting. It had been only four years since he’d last been here, after all. It just felt like a lifetime, now that they’d left high school behind.
Mikey shot out of the car, not bothering to close the door. His eyes goggled as he stared at the cabin. “Wow! I can’t believe you managed to get us in for the weekend. I thought there’d be a waiting list, since Slasher Summer starts next week and this is the last season they’re renting it out.”
Patrick climbed out of the driver’s seat and leaned against the roof of the car to take in the view. The familiar scent of pine and damp earth was a balm for his soul. “Anything for you guys. There was a last-minute cancellation and Jason’s mom called me right away.” Mrs. Ackerman worked in the rental office and had been happy to hear from Patrick when he’d first hatched his plan. Anything that brought her son home to visit was fine with her.
Mikey ran up to the front porch like a kid trick-or-treating for the first time, leaving Patrick standing awkwardly by the car with Jason. Jason’s face was closed as tight as a clam, and Patrick didn’t know if it was because of the breakup with Tiffany or his inexplicable disapproval of the choice of reunion site. He’d thought Jason also had good memories of this place.
Unless Jason was just as embarrassed as Patrick by what had happened the last time they’d been alone together. Four years ago, the last night the Jumpscare Society had convened on the cabin grounds, Jason had followed Patrick into the toolshed, expounding on the merits of the secondNightmare on Elm Street.Patrick had turned around and discovered Jason right in his path, their faces inches apart. Jason had stopped mid-sentence and they’d locked eyes, their breath rasping heavily in the charged silence. Jason’s glance had flicked to Patrick’s mouth and for three thunderous and sweaty heartbeats, Patrick had foolishly thought Jason was going to kiss him. Until Tiffany hollered from outside that Jen hadarrived with the beer, and Jason had ambled out of the shed as if he hadn’t just set Patrick’s heart—and body—on fire.
Patrick told himself not to be silly. Jason would’ve totally forgotten the incident. It was only wishful thinking on Patrick’s part that it had meant something.
Jason leaned against the side of the car with his arms crossed. “I do appreciate you organizing this,” he finally said, although he didn’t sound like he meant it.
He didn’t meet Patrick’s gaze, instead watching Mikey, who was peering excitedly through the cabin’s windows. Mikey wore his old Jumpscare Society T-shirt, which Jen had designed when they were in high school. Patrick had Jen to thank for coming up with the club’s name. He’d toyed with calling it the Cinebites as a nod toHellraiser,or the Losers Club, but Jen had pointed out that even if their classmates got the reference toIt,no one wanted to be called a loser. In the end, the name didn’t matter. The Jumpscare Society only ever had seven core members. Because Slasher Summer drew so many eager tourists, Cedar Lake teens thought horror movies were desperately uncool, and not even Jason and Tiffany’s popularity could get them to join.
Jason sighed reluctantly. “Just look how happy Mikey is.”
Patrick nodded, hiding his hurt that Jason wasn’t as enthused. But he wasn’t going to let Jason’s bad attitude ruin this weekend. Even though seeing him again was what Patrick had been looking forward to the most.
A honk interrupted his thoughts. Tiffany’s purple Jeep came rambling down the road to the cabin. Jason’s bland expression never wavered. He had a lot of practice at existing in the same space as Tiffany during their breakups.
The Jeep parked beside Patrick’s silver Audi. Jen and Tiffany spilled out, bickering over Tiffany’s driving skills. They were an unlikely pair, Tiffany bright and sunny, and Jen dark and scowling. They were that meme of the black beach house next to the pinkbeach house, although Jen had traded in the Hot Topic corsets for an oversize Siouxsie and the Banshees T-shirt and paint-spattered denim shorts over black fishnets. The kohl that rimmed her brown eyes had been applied with remarkable restraint.
“The native Cedar Lake goth displays her summer plumage,” Mikey said in a plummy David Attenborough voice. Patrick laughed. Mikey had always been good at imitations.
Jen rewarded Mikey with the finger. “Nice to see you too, Pipsqueak.”
Mikey was hardly a pipsqueak now. His Jumpscare Society T-shirt stretched across his chest, whereas in high school it had hung off his shoulders like a bedsheet. “I have a name,” he protested, hopping down the porch steps.
“Sorry. Nice to see you, too,Mikey.Great T-shirt.”
