Chapter Thirty-Six
Blake
A pparently, Adrian has a penchant for grumpy personality types because he and Jatin have fallen into an easy friendship. I’m sure it helps that they’re in the same program, though when I overheard them talking, it wasn’t about classes or animal medicine.
Margo, Meera, and I are standing in line, waiting to order apple cider. We only come for the haunted house, but every year the event seems to get better. Stanley Maddon—the owner of the construction company and hardware store—has started to include concession stands and extra displays. Like a makeshift pumpkin patch during the day, and a few showings of Halloween classics throughout the month of October.
The Maddon’s are nice, but I don’t know them as well as other people in town. So since I was little, I’ve always associated this time of the year with Stanley and his company.
“I don’t love the idea of a maze,” I admit. The line moves at a snail’s pace, but it’s typical for Halloween night.
Looking up at me from her phone, Meera nods and says, “Buddy system.”
“It’s not all a maze,” Margo insists.
That’s true, but a section of the large warehouse is a fake corn maze that requires a warning about how people have gotten stuck in there for up to thirty minutes and requires a waiver.
And sure, maybe , the thing requires a waiver every year; I’ve never given it much thought. Stanley’s good at what he does, but even I can handle walking from point A to point B with props jumping out.
The thought of being stuck somewhere? Alone and lost? That’s a big fucking no from me.
“I’ll wait with you, if you want,” Meera insists. Margo doesn’t say anything, but she’s looking at me over our friend’s head with soft, assessing eyes. I know she would skip the whole thing if I wanted to leave now.
There’s a big part of me that would love nothing more, but I’m also aware that we’re lucky to be able to continue some of our traditions this year. And it won’t always be like this. Tonight could be the last time things are really the same.
So, I pretend to pull on my big girl panties—which makes Margo fucking cackle—and demand, “ Buddy system .”
They nod emphatically, looking relieved and excited, but I squint at them in disbelief. They’re the best friends I could ever ask for, but sometimes they’re like trying to hold onto two ferrets in a public place.
I n true typical fashion, as soon as we moved into the corn maze section, the two of them were off in different directions. Neither with a fucking buddy.
Though, that could be because Jatin and Dev went their own ways without a look back too.
Once we got back in line, I was feeling more anxious after committing to the haunted house. Adrian didn’t ask, but he tucked me into his arm while we waited for our turns. And as expected, I was doing fine up until now.
Too nervous to take the first step in, I feel Adrian’s strong chest meet my back. “You good?” he murmurs behind me. Thankfully, they let the groups in at a staggered pace, so I have a couple of minutes before someone runs into us.
I start to nod and say yes when I hear someone scream, the noise echoing in the warehouse. I’m pretty sure it’s Margo, but it’s not even the sound that makes me flinch.
Looking up at Adrian in the low-lit room, I admit, “The idea of being stuck in here is making me panic.”
It’s a quiet confession, one I’m not even sure he can hear over the noise surrounding us. Before the last word leaves my lips, his hand slips around my waist and he pulls me into him.
“I’ll turn around right now and say I’m too scared to go through there,” Adrian insists, bending down to rest his chin on to my shoulder. “Or I’ll hold your hand the entire way and swear not to let go until we’re out of this room.”
His offer makes my heart melt, but all I say is, “This is important to them… me too.”
“Ready when you are, brave girl.” The variation on my nickname sends a new spark of resolution through me.
“Okay. I think I’d rather follow you though.”
Without a word, Adrian moves in front of me. One of his hands reaches behind and grabs one of mine. My other one tangles into the back of his shirt. “It can’t be that difficult.”
He sounds confident, and I hate to burst his bubble, blurting out, “You weren’t even in Boy Scout’s.”
With one final look over his shoulder, he teases, “It’s a good thing we aren’t really outside then, huh?”
Even though I want to chuckle, the best I can do is let out a huff of breath. We make a plan to walk straight, but either the room’s bigger than even I expected, or the actors are really good at their jobs. Probably both.
My emotions have been extremely turbulent since we walked into this portion. First, I was panicking at having to enter the maze, then for about ten minutes I actually had fun. Now it’s been about fifteen minutes since we were turned around by someone in a mask. I can hear people all around us, but I don’t see anyone.
About five minutes ago, it occurred to me that is probably exactly what the actors are told to do.
“The haunted house is always massive, but I don’t understand how they can build this .”
“Yeah, I’ve started to wonder that too,” Adrian admits. Turning around, he grabs my waist and pulls me into him. “Are you okay?”
“I’m better than I thought,” I admit. “But this isn’t my ideal situation at all.”
“I hear that.” He looks around only the fake corn stocks are taller than him, and my stupid hair. “We’re going straight, and I’ll shove a clown if I have to.”
With a grateful smile, I grab onto his shirt and hand again, nodding. “ Please .”
We do come across another actor except this time, Adrian tells the guys that he’s about to have a panic attack. I’m partially hidden behind his back, but with the calm tone he uses, the employee definitely knows I’m the one they should be worried about.
He doesn’t say anything, just moves to the side and points behind him. We only walk about ten more feet when there’s a small clearing and a door.
With his hand on the doorknob, he throws it open and pulls us through.
I take a deep breath and look up at him with a grateful smile.
One that quickly slips off my face when I realize I’m still in the haunted house and the three high-pitched giggles coming from behind Adrian are all too familiar.
Dipping my head to look around his back, I can’t help laughing at the sight of Mikey dressed as a mini-mad scientist pretending to saw off his brother’s head. Luke is strapped to the table with fake blood spewing out of him. And Shawn is giggling manically from his place on the right of them, set-up to look like a floating head in a jar.
Adrian turns around, instantly recognizing the boys too. Their performance seems to get even more exaggerated once they realize we’re their current audience. Grabbing his hand, I move toward the next door when something that’s taller than Adrian pops up in front of us.
Screaming, I fly backward into Adrian’s chest. He catches me before I twist my ankle again, not doing anything to protect me. Actually, when I look up, he’s laughing .
Turning, I catch all three of the boys as they break character and laugh at my expense too. But it’s Kevin Paulson’s deep chuckle that pulls my attention to the stupid fucking skeleton that he’s using as a jump scare.
“Oh my God ,” I mutter and clutch my chest.
“Got you! Again !” Mikey calls out from behind us. I just shake my head and try to catch my breath.
“I’m so sorry, Blake,” Kevin grins. He’s casual enough to make me assume we’re some of the last people in here. “The boys were just so excited to surprise you tonight.”
I huff out a dry laugh. “You guys succeeded,” I tell them and lean into Adrian as he wraps his arms around my waist. “This is the worst year ever .” That’s directed at Kevin.
Laughing, he claps his hands once. “Stanley will be so happy to hear that.”
“Bye now,” I step forward, giving the skeleton a wide berth.
Adrian shakes Kevin’s hand quickly and tells the boys, “See you guys later.”
After two more, slightly less scary rooms, we finally step out of the back. Immediately, two bodies crash around me.
“I’m so sorry,” Meera cries out around me. “You know I have the attention span of a chihuahua when I get excited.”
Laughing, I wrap my arms around them and move them out of the way. “I do know that. And I’m fine.”
Margo looks at me. “You’re sure? I didn’t think it would be that bad. It’s like a hundred square feet at most.”
“It wasn’t as bad as I imagined.” I’m not saying that just to make them feel better, but it’s not on my bucket list of things to give another try either. “How long were you in the corn maze?”
“Like ten minutes,” Meera admits with a triumphant grin.
“What?” I laugh.
“I just followed one of the actors until they got freaked out and led me to the door.”
Stunned for a second, I finally sigh, “You’re so weird.”
Looking at Margo, she rolls her eyes and says, “I think twenty-ish.”
“That makes me feel better, I guess.”
Dev walks up and wraps an arm around Margo’s shoulder. Jatin flicks it right off, before standing next to his sister.
“No luck this year,” Dev admits. Stanley confiscated his firecrackers before he was allowed into the event. Though I figured there was more chaos he could’ve come up with.
Meera rolls her eyes and turns toward us. “We better get going. My parents have a whole day planned for us tomorrow.”
Leaning down, I give her a hug, reveling in the mundane gesture.
“I’ll get a ride with them since it’s on the way.”
With a nod, I wrap my arms around Margo too. We have plans to spend one more night together tomorrow, so I’m not hurt by them heading off on their own.
Plus, I have a pretty good idea of what their true intentions are when they give me mischievous grins over their shoulders, as they follow Meera’s brothers.
Shaking my head at them, I turn around and look up at Adrian. He watches me for a second, then asks, “Want to get something to eat and watch a movie?”
Slipping my hand into his, I pull him forward with me. “That sounds good. I’m actually hungry tonight though.”
With a downright wicked smirk, he agrees, “Me too.”