~Halloween Party~

Tonight all the monsters gonna dance
We're comin' to get you!
Tonight all the monsters gonna dance
We're comin' to get you!
•
China Anne McClain

•<>•

Hearing Ethan call my name just as I was about to greet Dalton was a surprise given our surroundings. There were still students packing up their belongings, and getting ready to leave while the hallway was roamed with people going to and fro.

When I heard him tell me that he had already marked my assignment and that he wanted us to go over the 'many mistakes I made' according to him, it made me wonder why it had to be done right there and then instead of later during class.

There was a shift in his demeanor not just for that day, and I don't know if it's because of my friendship with Dalton. He seems a bit bothered whenever he sees Dalton, and as much as I've been asking Dalton not to meet me here, it looks like he's gotten an interest in this place given how he prefers us meeting here most of the time for whatever reason I don't know about.

Other than that, I sometimes catch Ethan glancing, and sometimes gazing at me with admiration, and as soon as our eyes meet, he looks away and carries on with what he is doing. For somebody who looks at me like he wants to sweep me in his arms and kiss me, and yet he's distant toward me, he's really confusing — I honestly don't know where I stand with him.

Does he want me or does he not? Honestly, at this point, I can't tell.

Surprised by his unexpected request to review my assignment and clarify the mistakes I made, I shifted my gaze to Dalton, who was looking at Ethan with an impassive expression. Upon telling him that I'd meet him later along with the rest of the group, he dragged his Emerald eyes back to me and nodded with a fractionated smile — agreeing with my request.

When Dalton left, while some students were still lingering in the classroom, I stood beside Ethan who was in his seat looking for my said 'assignment' among a pile of other students' assignments, and when he finally found it after what felt like an eternity, he politely asked me to take a seat, so, I did as asked.

The tension between us felt strange and he was awkward for most of the part. He occasionally stumbled on his words and took deep breaths repeatedly it was hard to watch. Usually, I'm the one who acts that way around him, I'm the one who's often nervous around him, so to see that side of him was kind of cute, and yet hard to watch.

Is that how much a big ball of a mess I am around him? Is that how I look and sound when I'm all nervous around him?

Having reviewed my assignment and provided guidance on what to do and avoid in the future, we said our goodbyes, however, there was something about the way he said it that made me think that he didn't want me to leave yet, however, my project teammates, Dalton included were waiting for me and I couldn't keep them waiting any longer, so I left, even as his pleading gaze lingered.

                                •<<<>>>•

I run my fingers through my hair, exhaling sharply as I gaze at my reflection in the mirror. The sun has already ducked down and the sky is illuminated by the city lights and a big glimmering circle floating from afar in the dark sky.

Smoothing my hands over my costume, a smile creeps across my lips — reflecting my satisfaction with this Catwoman costume. The feel of the fabric hugging my body tight is quite contrary to how uncomfortable I thought I'd be in it. Finishing the look with a mask and a whip, I paint my lips bright red before heading out to meet Keyara and Autumn.

My jaw drops and my eyes widen as I stare between the two stunning ladies who are standing in front of me, completely mesmerized. I'm happy with the costumes we decided to wear at the last minute, even though our original plan to attend the party as Charlie's Angels was scrapped. With Autumn dressed as Harley Quinn and Keyara dressed as Lara Croft, I can say the girls look fierce and breathtaking.

After exchanging compliments, we leave the apartment with Autumn's witty remarks accompanying our journey. A burst of laughter escapes me as she jokingly suggests Key using her Lara Croft skills to hunt for treasure at the party. Playfully rolling her eyes, Key chuckles softly before responding.

"Yeah, I'll pass."

"C'mon," Autumn whines as she halts in front of us, "Tonight's party will be the perfect place for you to meet that special someone."

"I have no interest in meeting a special someone," Keyara responds, her shoulders slumping, "I just want to have fun and not worry about some thirsty guy breathing on my neck."

Understanding Keyara well, dating is the last thing on her mind, especially since she's locked her heart away and tossed the keys into the ocean. Having grown up with her, I've witnessed her burying her feelings whenever a love interest surfaces. In her perspective, they're merely distractions from the life she's striving to build. Considering all she's endured, I understand why she adopts this mindset — prioritizing success and dismissing any potential distractions that may cross her path.

Defeated, Autumn gives up, walking with slouched shoulders. "Fine," she says, not looking at us. "But just so you know, if someone expresses interest in you, I won't hesitate to play matchmaker."

                              •<<<>>>•

When we get there, there are a ton of happy students everywhere we look; the place is brightly lit with red lights, there are spiderwebs all over the staircase, and there are skeletons at almost every doorway and room corner.

Feeling overwhelmed, I take a deep breath and walk closely behind Key. While Autumn has branched off to meet Brandon who's dressed as the sexy Joker, Key and I decide to get some drinks.

After scooping a spoonful of the witch's brew Halloween punch into each of our glasses from the large bowl, Key and I join the dancing crowd. As we move to another room, my heart goes like a bat out of hell upon hearing the evil laugh of the skeleton just as we pass it.

Geez. That almost gave me a heart attack.

Resting my hand on my pulsating heart, I exhale to steady myself, eliciting a chuckle from Key as she takes a sip of her punch.

"You know what?" she speaks, "You picked the right costume. It fits you perfectly. Scaredy-cat."

Rolling my eyes at her, I continue walking, and she trails behind. As my favorite song kicks in, I begin to whip my hair and sway my hips to the rhythm, letting my body move in sync with the music pounding in my ears. With Key dancing alongside me, I unleash myself, dancing as if no one is watching, all while taking a sip of my drink.

I need to use the bathroom after this given the amount of drinks I've had.

Upon Autumn's arrival, the girls and I dance exuberantly, adding our own werewolf howls to the background music. China Anne MCclain's song Calling All The Monsters fills our ears, and we sing along, jumping, whipping our hair, and swaying our hips as if it's the last night of our lives.

After what seems like an eternity of rhythmic foot stamping, Key and I pause to catch our breath, while watching others having the time of their lives.

"Where did Autumn say she was going again?" Breathless, I ask Key about Autumn's whereabouts when I notice that she has disappeared again. I was so engrossed in the moment that I hardly heard what she had said to us, much less understood it.

"I don't know, she simply disappeared." Key looks around as if searching for her, then adds, "She must be with Brandon."

I nod in agreement with her before setting my drink down. Autumn's tendency to gravitate toward Brandon isn't new to us; we've grown accustomed to her branching off despite agreeing to stick together at parties. Her focus on him is a familiar pattern whenever we go out.

As hours pass, the party maintains its spooky and lively atmosphere from the moment we arrived. People remain energetic and excited, and the walls continue to vibrate with the pulse of the loud music.

Watching Autumn break through the crowd of euphoric students, rocking her blonde pigtails dyed with pink and blue at the bottom and walking with a spring in her step, Key and I exchange glances before reverting our gaze to her.

When she reaches us, she gulps down her drink before flipping her pigtails. After exhaling sharply through her lips, she starts to speak, "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, why do you ask?" I barely shrug.

"Cause you've been staring at me weirdly. Is there something on my face I should know about?" Worry sips into her voice as her eyebrows crease.

"Umm," Key replies with her bottom lip jutted out, "No, there's nothing wrong with your face besides your lipstick-smudged lips."

Touching her lips slightly, she chuckles softly, "Oh that, I'll take care of it later."

"Mmm hmm, no worries girl. We understand." Key playfully responds with a teasing smile directed at Autumn.

After looking behind her as if she's looking for someone, Autumn reverts her eyes to us, "Anyway, I came to get you," she smacks her lips as she fixes her eyes on Key.

Furrowing her brows, Key responds with a perplexed expression, both in tone and appearance.

"There's somebody that wants to talk to you," Autumn replies before looking over her shoulder again.

"Who? Why? Can't that somebody come to me if they want to talk to me?"

She lets her shoulders slump, exhaling a sharp breath as if fatigued and frustrated, before responding, "Just stop asking questions and follow me alright? You have nothing to worry about."

In an instant, Autumn grabs Key's hand, prompting her to follow. As Key looks at me with confusion, I mouth the words 'you'll be fine' and give her two thumbs up — reassuring her that there's nothing to worry about.

Knowing exactly where Autumn's taking her, I'm not confused or worried about it. When I saw the person that Autumn was repeatedly glancing at, I recalled seeing him glancing at Key from time to time earlier and I knew instantly what Autumn was up to.

Opting for another drink, I turn around, and as I do, I collide with someone. My costume is now covered in spilled drink, drawing attention from onlookers.

With my mouth agape, I fumble for words — staring in utter bewilderment at the unexpected turn of events.

"Sorry," the young man I collided with says nonchalantly as he walks past me, while the rest of the audience chuckles and returns to their praying mantis-like dancing.

A**holes.

Just as I'm about to head to the bathroom to clean up, a familiar voice prompts me to turn around and face him.

"You okay?" Dalton asks with a worried expression on his face.

"Yeah," I smile a little, "What are you doing here?" I follow my gaze across his carefree outfit, and despite the strangeness of the fact that he might be the only one not wearing a costume, I brush it off and raise my gaze to meet his.

"Umm, partying? Like everyone else?" Dalton gazes at me with narrowed eyes and a half-smile, his expression revealing just how absurd my question sounded.

"Sorry, that came out wrong," I quickly avert my gaze and return it to him. "What I meant to say is, you haven't been here all night, and you just popped out of nowhere when we're more than halfway through the party?"

Inhaling sharply through his teeth, he slides his hands into his pockets — shoulders rising in response. "Yeah, I was tied up with something. Are you sure you're okay? Maybe you should clean up."

"You saw that?" I raise my eyebrows, and I'm quite certain a hint of red is lingering on my cheeks. Given the recent awkward incident, I can't help but feel embarrassed.

"Yep. Unfortunately, that asshole vanished in the crowd. I would have given him a piece of my mind."

Softly chuckling, I raise my eyes to meet his, once again, I'm captivated by the sparkle in them, not to mention his southern charm. "No big deal. Luckily, I'm in black, so stains are the least of my worries. Although I'm a bit sticky, you might want to bring whatever you need to glue things down."

In response to my banter, he throws his head back laughing, and we exchange playful banter for a couple of minutes before stepping outside to get some fresh air.

"You look good, by the way," he compliments, and I respond immediately as we stroll side by side.

Once we're outside, we settle on a bench and embrace the quiet for a moment. Inhaling deeply with my eyes closed, I curve the corners of my lips into a smile, letting the wind howl through my hair and caress my face.

"It's nice out here," I say, and he responds immediately. The dimples in his cheeks deepen as he begins sharing stories about his life back home. Listening intently, a smile adorns my face as I immerse myself in his stories.

Throwing my head back in laughter, tears roll down from the corners of my eyes and I can't help but clutch my stomach — amused by his endless stories from when he was in high school.

"That week taught me a valuable lesson: never intentionally drink spoiled milk to fake an illness and skip school, or you might actually end up getting sick," he remarks with a soft chuckle.

"That's hilarious," I reply while attempting to regain composure. "I can't believe that happened to you. It sounds like something straight out of a movie."

"What can I say? My life's a movie," he replies as he rakes his fingers through his hair. "So," he pauses, and his eyes center on me, "Why the costume? You like Catwoman?"

I lift my eyes from my costume to meet his, and as I do, they twinkle and give off warmth and kindness. "I've never even seen the movie, but I like the costume," I say. "Crazy, right?" a soft chuckle escapes my lips.

"No, I think it's—" he pauses, and as I lift my head, I find him gazing at me with a serious expression in his emerald eyes. The dimples in his cheeks have vanished, yet he looks as handsome as ever. "I think it's cute," his Adam's apple bobs up and down, and his eyes traverse my face at a deliberate pace. "You look, beautiful," he says — his voice barely a whisper on the last part; he then shifts his gaze from my eyes to my lips and back.

Incapacitated, our eyes lock, and my breathing quickens. Despite my inability to move, my mind is in turmoil, my heart is pounding against my ribcage, and I'm rendered speechless.

We've stopped time, everything around us has vanished, and all I see is this amazing guy sitting next to me, looking for me to meet him halfway and his lips aching to touch mine. I should do something but at this moment, I'm nothing but brainless.

Oh, shoot...

                                   AN

✨I'd like to get to know you briefly but you can skip this question if you want to.

Have you watched Suicide Squad, Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey, Catwoman, or Tomb Raider before? Which of the characters do you love more? What about Charlie's angels? Have you seen it before? I've only watched three out of the all movies I've mentioned, maybe you can try to guess which ones they are😜?

Secondly, what's your Halloween preference? Is it staying at home, all curled up, or heading out for a crazy and fun night?

Lastly, this isn't a get-to-know-you type of question so here it goes, how do you feel about Ethan's excuse to talk to Mallory? And Keyara's disregard for having a romantic relationship? There's so much to unpack, and you'll get a look into Keyara's life sooner or later.✨

                                  ***
Thank you so much for getting this far, much appreciated. Don't forget to vote, comment and share. It'd be nice to hear from you and your honest opinions/thoughts about the story.
🧡🤎