Chapter 19
The rest of October blurs by in a flurry of homework, routine, and the occasional chaos that comes with living in a house full of boys.
Before I know it, it’s the Friday before Halloween, and the entire student body is practically vibrating with anticipation.
I’ve never been a huge fan of the holiday, and I haven’t dressed up since I was a kid, but even I can admit the buzz in the air is contagious.
“Are you going to the party at Caleb’s tonight?” Jessie asks, plopping down beside me at lunch.
“No,” I say at the exact same time Axel says, “Yes.”
I shoot him a dirty look. “Excuse you?”
He just shrugs, completely unbothered. “We’re going.”
“Who the hell is Caleb?”
“He’s on the football team,” Jessie chimes in. “His parents are out of town for some fancy Halloween gala. He’s invited the entire senior class. Zero parental supervision.” She raises her eyebrows meaningfully.
“You know what that means…” Rachel sing-songs from across the table.
“Booze and boobs!” she and Jessie yell in unison before collapsing into laughter.
I blink at them. “That sounds… horrifying.”
“It sounds like high school,” Axel says dryly, stealing a fry off my tray.
Frowning, I ask, “Maryanne and Ben are cool with this?”
“As long as we tell them where we’ll be and promise not to drink and drive, yeah. We're adults.” He gestures to himself. “Well, I am. You’re almost there.”
“When’s your birthday?” Nik asks, suddenly more interested in the conversation.
“January, I reply”
He hums thoughtfully. “Capricorn?”
“Yeah…”
Makes sense.”
I scrunch my nose. “What does that mean?”
“Broody. Introspective. Stubborn.” He smirks. “Hot.”
Fighting a smile, I turn back to Axel. “Still not sure I want to go.”
“Told you she was a party pooper,” Rachel mutters under her breath.
“Nooo, Lina, come on,” Nik whines dramatically.
“Yeah, comeee,” Jessie adds, mimicking him with a goofy grin. “You’ve never partied with us before. It’s basically a rite of passage.”
“I don’t even have a costume,” I argue weakly.
“That’s the easiest part,” Jessie says with a wave of her hand.
“How do you figure? It’s the day of. I’m not driving all the way to the mall after school, and all the local shops were picked over weeks ago.”
Jessie leans in like she’s about to deliver the wisdom of the ages. “We’re girls.”
I stare blankly.
Her eyes sparkle. “Throw on something skimpy, swipe on some eyeliner, and wear a hat. Bam! You’re a witch. Or a cat. Or a sexy librarian. We don’t do ‘accuracy.’ We do ‘hot.’”
“I don’t have a witch hat.”
“I do.” She grins wider. “You can borrow it.”
Crap. I’m running out of excuses.
“I don’t know…”
“You’re coming,” Axel says, no room for argument in his tone. “You’re not staying home on Halloween to study. You need to let loose and have some fun. We’re leaving at nine. I’m kidnapping you whether or not you’re ready.”
I narrow my eyes at him in a silent challenge. He doesn’t back down. Of course he doesn’t.
With a resigned sigh, I toss my hands in the air. “Fine. But if this ends with one of us puking, I’m holding you personally responsible.”