Page 129 of When Darkness Calls

“Oh my god, no. Do not tell me I’m acting like him right now, I’ll throw up.”

The guys laugh, Grayson shakes his head and Keegan nudges me with his shoulder. “It’s not a bad thing, Dee. It just means you’re fucking smart.”

“And cunning,” Nick adds.

“And I would hate to get on your bad side,” Alex mumbles.

Grayson smirks watching me with his friends—hell, my friends, practically my extended brothers.

“Alright, sweet girl. Get ready. You and me.”

“Yeah?” I ask hopefully.

“Yeah. You get to play with my cameras.”

Alex groans, throwing a pillow over his face. “Can you guys please not do weird sexual innuendos when we’re here?”

thirty-eight

Grayson

It’s been a day like any other. Cade and I have been hanging out in his house, watching old horror movies with Dani. They’re currently arguing over some deep meaning shit in Frankenstein and I’m just watching. Always watching.

There is so much that one can learn about the human condition if they just…observe. Small tells, personal quirks, biases, it can all be read in a person’s body language.

Actions always speak louder than words, and a picture is worth a thousand of them.

Cade gives me so much shit for it, but it is the truth. Like right now, the way Dani has her arms crossed near her chest, thin creases between her brows, and a slight twitch of her fingers balled up on her arms tells me she is point five seconds away from blowing her shi—

“Can you just shut up for two fucking seconds and listen to what I am telling you? Or do you insist on hearing yourself speak because I ain’t listening to a goddamn word,” she bites.

I can’t help but smirk to myself, biting on the ring inside my lip.

Knew it. 1- Me 0- People

“Dee, you’re talking out of your ass. There isn’t some bullshit higher power meaning to any horror movies. They are literally just supposed to scare you,” Cade deadpans, shooting a bored look my way.

“Exactly, and why do you think they scare us so much? Huh? There is an unconscious understanding, Cay. Frankenstein is the fear of science, technology, warning against man playing God, the disconnect mothers feel toward their children, and so much more. If you don’t give that some consideration, then you’re completely missing the point.

“Everything in film has a purpose and a reason for being there. Why else would the monster be shown as compassionate and sympathetic? Childlike? When in the book he is way different?”

I have to give the girl some credit though. She makes a lot of good points.

“Is it because they want the audience to relate to it?” My brows furrow as she turns to me, a light in her eyes and a small smile on her lips.

Dani gives me a small nod, “Exactly.”

There is a lightness in my chest knowing that she approved of something I said. This strong-headed girl has always astounded me, but it’s small moments like this that reminds me how similar we can be. It feels good when we’re on the same page.

Cade snorts and she turns to him.

“What?” she snaps.

“You can’t seriously believe that the monsters and shit in the movies are relatable.” He smirks at her. With one side-eye thrown my way, I know he’s just fucking with her now. I rolled my eyes at him.

“I can and do, actually. Movies can tell us more about humanity than even the most righteous men. Besides, it’s quite easy to pick people and what monsters or characters they are like or they could relate to.”

“Oh, yeah?”