Chapter Twenty-Three
Star
Mom wasn’t in “Mac the Producer” mode right now.
She was definitely in mom mode.
I could tell because she was sitting too close to me and kept glancing up every time someone laughed too loud, like she was counting heads.
“If I never would have had you come work for the show,” she muttered suddenly, “this never would have happened.”
I turned my head toward her and laughed. “A little too late to change that.”
She sighed, rubbing her forehead. “Yeah.”
For a second, we just watched the TV in silence.
“Speaking of school,” Mom said, glancing at me sideways, “what are your plans when the semester starts in the fall?”
I knew what she was asking.
Not just school, everything that came with it.
I leaned back into the couch cushions and shrugged. “Same thing I did the last three fall semesters. Go to school.”
She blinked. “Really?”
I laughed. “Yes, mother. Cole and I already talked about it. I only have one year left. It would be stupid for me to drop out now.”
Her shoulders visibly relaxed. “Thank God,” she said, exhaling. “I don’t think I could’ve tried to talk sense into you if you’d said otherwise.”
Karmen shifted beside me, holding up a bowl. “You guys want some?”
“What is it?” Mom asked warily.
“Chips,” Karmen said cheerfully. “Carnie makes them homemade.”
Mom and I exchanged a look.
Then we both reached in at the same time.
“Of course she does,” Mom muttered, crunching into one. “I’m going to gain fifty pounds by the time this season is over.”
“They’re worth it,” I said, grabbing another.
We settled back into the cushions, chewing, half-watching the TV, half just…existing.
Five minutes later, everything went black.
The TV cut off mid-sentence.
The lights snapped out.
The hum of the clubhouse died all at once.
Pitch black.
Someone screamed.
Then someone else did.
“What the hell?” Alice shouted.
“Jesus!” Carnie yelped.
My heart leapt straight into my throat, not panic exactly, but pure surprise. The suddenness of it. The nothing.
“What just happened?” Mom asked, her hand finding my arm in the dark.
Before anyone could answer, two bright beams snapped on, flooding the room with white light.
Brinks stood near the doorway holding a flashlight like it was part of his arm.
Freak stood on the opposite side, another beam cutting across the couches.
The room froze.
“What the hell is going on?” Alice demanded.
“Yeah,” Karmen added calmly, tilting her head. “And how did you guys get those lights so fast?”
Brinks and Freak glanced at each other.
Then shrugged.
“We just like to be prepared,” Brinks said.
Karmen didn’t move. Didn’t jump. Didn’t even stop eating.
She popped another chip into her mouth, perfectly unbothered.
I leaned closer to her and lowered my voice. “Do you know what’s going on?”
She smiled, crumbs on her fingers, completely at ease. “I’m sure it’s just a scheduled power outage. They happen all the time.”
Mom stiffened beside me.
“Scheduled?” she repeated.
Karmen nodded. “Yep. I’d guess it’ll be back on in, oh… half an hour or so.”
My mom and I looked at each other.
We realized the same thing at the exact same time.
Plan B had just happened.