Eye Candy

We were a glitter-farting unicorn. Together.

I dissolved in laughter. Heather was right next to me. We both ended up on the floor, like we’d been all afternoon once we found the costume.

She sat up and panted, “Best damned costume ever!”

I nodded. I couldn’t talk. I was still laughing.

“Okay.” She tried to stop laughing. Her laughter was coming out as half-hiccups now. She grabbed for my arm. “Let’s get up. One drink, then we go?”

I glanced at the clock. We’d spent half the afternoon putting the costume together while answering the door for trick-or-treaters, but it was long past time for any more. The costume was done and the party had started a couple of hours ago. It was time to go. “Yeah. I’ll call Mason to pick us up.”

Heather pumped her fist in the air. “Score. That means another two drinks.”

My stomach rolled over. The hangover was still with me, but this was Halloween and Heather time. I was down for anything.

She mixed two Long Island iced teas for us, and I tucked my phone away after Mason replied. “He’s leaving now.”

She held one up for me. I took it, and she saluted me with hers. “To friendship.” Her eyes met mine.

A look passed between us, and I felt myself choking up. Then I pushed my button and glitter exploded in the air. My lip twitched and I raised my glass up. “Best friendship ever.”

After swallowing, she rested her glass on the counter. “For real, though. Thanks for this weekend. I needed it.”

“You’re probably going to get back together with Channing tonight.”

She shook her head, her eyes downcast. “No. Sex, maybe. Getting back together, no.” She closed her eyes a moment.

Breaking up sucked, even if it was the right thing to do. I’d been there. It hadn’t been long for Mason and me, but I remembered that time. I’d felt like I was dying. Literally. Heather had picked me up off the floor. I didn’t think I was doing the same for her now, but I was trying.

“One day at a time. You might not have faith, but I do. I know this breakup isn’t permanent. He’s going to be begging you to come back in no time.”

Nothing else made sense. Heather and Channing loved each other. They were almost as inseparable as Mason and I, and more so in some ways. They’d been best friends since third grade, and the relationship had never waned after she’d transferred to Fallen Crest in junior high.

“Here’s hoping, but God.” She groaned. “He’s already there. He texted me an hour ago.”

I patted her hand. “Let me know when you need to bail tonight, if you do. We could do a code word. You just say ‘llama,’ and I’ll know what you’re talking about. We’ll leave. We’ll do whatever you want. I’m your sidechick tonight.”

She snorted on her drink, spitting some of it out.

Mason pulled up into the driveway five minutes later, and we headed out. He only shook his head at our costume, but I saw a faint grin there. He was amused. I could tell.

I was pulling the door shut behind me when Heather frowned over her shoulder. “Did you ever call Taylor? Weren’t you wondering where she was before?”

“Oh.” I’d forgotten. “Yeah.”

Heather climbed into the back seat of Mason’s Escalade. I remained on the doorstep, pulling my phone out and dialing Taylor’s phone. I reached for the door handle again. I was going to close it, when I heard a ringing from upstairs.

I stopped, pulling the phone from my ear.

Rrrrring! Rrrr—

It stopped.

I rang her number again and held my breath, listening.

It was ringing on my end, but I didn’t hear anything from inside this time.

I stepped back into the living room. “Taylor? Are you up there?”

“Strattan!” Heather hollered from the vehicle. “My buzz is fading.”

I pressed my lips together. I thought I had heard her phone, but that didn’t make sense. If she was here, she’d be in Logan’s loft on the third floor. I wouldn’t be able to hear her phone all the way up there. No. I was just hearing things. That’s all it was.

I texted her:

Where are you? Call me.

Then I put the phone in my pocket and locked the door behind me.





Chapter 9


The house was insane.

People were lined up out on the front sidewalk, waiting to get in. There were tombstones on the lawn, with mechanical ghosts popping up from behind and screaming before going back down. As we pulled up, some girls who had just joined the line screamed and fell down after the first ghost. If I hadn’t been buzzed, I would’ve too.

Heather scrambled out. “That’s awesome.”

I raised my eyebrows at Mason as I climbed out. He was dropping us off, then parking somewhere else, and, knowing Mason, he’d be jumping over some backyard fences in a shortcut to the party.

He shrugged. “Don’t act like you don’t know him. He’s your brother too.”

“He was yours first.”

I shut the door and saw Heather’s raised eyebrows.

“What?” I moved around her. “Yes. I went there.”

“Not your best retort.” She started beside me.

A few people grumbled when they realized we were cutting, but my glare shut them up. No way was I waiting in line for Logan’s party. The three guys who were trying to keep some order started to hold up their hands to stop us. “Really?” I clipped out, and we were shown inside. They opened the doors and stepped aside.

The inside was just as impressive.

It was dark inside, with a single lit-up path leading down a hallway. The first room was covered in goo. I tried telling myself it was probably just pudding, but it felt disgusting. We went down the path and hands shot out from somewhere to grab our ankles. I screamed, then kicked out. A muffled curse came next, but I wasn’t grabbed again.

That didn’t last long.

We had to go past another set of rooms. I heard screaming, so I was ready ahead of time, but when we got there, there was no preparing. The lights on the path turned off, and we had to stand still. I grabbed on to Heather, and she held me back. Neither of us spoke. We both knew we had to just endure this.

Then suddenly a light flashed, and a body hurled toward us.

“AHH!” I screamed. I couldn’t hold this one in either, and I jumped on top of Heather.

“Oomph.” She caught me, but looked up. “Are you serious?”

“Carry me. Be my Mason.”

“Fuck that.” She tossed me off. “You got legs. Use ’em.”

What she was saying made sense, but my knees weren’t accepting it. They were knocking together and I was about to drop to the floor. I grabbed on to her, holding myself upright. “I’m going to kill Logan.”

“Me too.” But she held on to me and we moved forward, like two grannies looking for their dropped dentures somewhere.