Page 93 of The Golden Boys
I shoot her back a message then follow the rest of the team out onto the field.
‘Have fun. Just don’t almost kill her this time.’
* * *
@QweenPandora: Who’s ready for the annual Monster Bash? Time: 10:00 pm until the cops show up. Location: Nice try. You know I’ve been sworn to secrecy. Check back an hour before the soiree for an update. Until then, don your costumes, pile on a few layers of Mommy’s makeup, and meet me there! Can’t wait to count all the slutty devil costumes! Looking at you, Dance Squad.
Later, Peeps!
—P
* * *
Chapter 30
BLUE
Yep, she talked me into it. And here I am, in the middle of nowhere, walking uphill through the darkness to some centuries-old cemetery.
Condensed version: the whole thing is creepy AF.
“Dude, are you scared or something?” Lexi teases.
I peer up at her as we climb, seeing nothing but the moon’s reflection in her round, tinted glasses—the staple to her John Lennon costume.
“First of all, only a psychopathwouldn’tbe scared,” I point out. “But there’s also the fact that I’m doing all this walking in go-go boots and a minidress. Becausesomeoneinsisted that I come dressed as Yoko Ono tonight.”
Meanwhile, she’s sporting a white, bell-bottomed pantsuit with matching turtleneck sweater—looking very Lennon-esque. She sprung for wigs for us both, and I can’t remember a time I’ve ever been more uncomfortable in clothes.
“We lucked out with this weather, though, right?” she points out. “Otherwise, you’d be freezing your ass off.”
“Doesn’t change the fact that I’m trekking up a mountain in platforms.”
Laughing at my exaggeration, Lexi loops her arm through mine. “Come on, Yoko, I’ve got you,” she teases, helping me the rest of the way.
At the top of the hill, the scene has been set. As far as secret, teenage, Halloween parties go, it’s pretty decked out. Someone’s taken the time to set up and decorate snack tables, and a bunch of pumpkins have been carved with cartoon faces. Others are a bit more abstract. Like, the one of a penis, fully detailed with testicles.
Boys.
From what I can tell, there’s even designated security. Granted, those patrolling are merely underclassmen dressed in black t-shirts and jeans, but at least they’re keeping an eye on the food and drinks. I imagine this is the closest most of them will come to getting invited to a party like this any time soon. Basically, they’re likely elite hopefuls, vying for a spot within the ‘in crowd’.
Poor, disillusioned souls.
Dim lanterns hang on hooks near every other headstone. Most of the markers are aged and leaning to one side, which adds to the terrifying ambiance. Fake hands positioned on some of the graves give the appearance of the dead reaching out from the great beyond. It’s in poor taste, but creative, I guess.
Loud music blares from huge speakers at all four corners of the party space, and I refuse to scan for …him.
He’s definitely in my head, though.
Always.
“How’s your aim?”
I glance toward Lexi when she asks. “Fine, I guess. Why?”
Without further explanation, I’m dragged across the grass to a beer pong table. One with LED lights that blink to the bass pounding from the subwoofer beside it.
Lexi turns when I laugh. “It’s a little soon to start drinking, don’t you think?”