We enter the dance and the music is blaring from twenty speakers. The ballroom looks completely different. Skeletons, various spider webs, and ghosts hang from the ceiling, and orange and black accents drape the walls. The cobwebbed photo booth has a line at least twenty-five people long. Kids are laughing and dancing. It’s a scene right out of a corny scary teen movie. I’m just waiting for a big pail of pig’s blood to land on my head.
Colter spots Phillip on the other side of the dance floor and waves him over. I slink behind Colter, afraid to look Phillip in the eye. I’ve been avoiding him since the night we kissed. Phillip walks over and grabs Kirstyn on the way, and I huddle even farther behind Colter, wanting to be anywhere but here. Colter looks back at me like I’ve lost my mind and pulls me up next to him. I start to pace in place as Phillip and Kirstyn join us. Phillip’s dressed as Prince, complete with the pointed boots and shiny purple jumpsuit. If I weren’t so nervous, I’d be laughing my ass off at how he looks. Kirstyn’s dressed as Madonna. I’m not sure why I was worried there’d be no Madonnas. Everywhere I turn there’s blonde hair and cone-boobs. Kirstyn is sans cone-boobs, but she has tassels hanging from a makeshift bathing suit lined in gold. I spot Jackson and Janie on the other side of the room. They wave and gesture for me to come over to them. From far away they look like two of the Village People.
Phillip and Colter knock fists. “This is fuckin’ lame, dude,” Phillip says. “I didn’t know I’d have to come to this shit.”
“You’re dressed as Prince.” Colter laughs so loud I could hear it over the music. “You know you wanted to come just to wear that outfit.”
Phillip purses his lips and glares at Kirstyn.
“It’s all they had left,” she says, grabbing his arm and wrapping hers around it.
I cringe.
“Nice outfit, Ellery,” she says.
“Thanks,” I squeak out, even though I’m sure she doesn’t mean it.
Phillip looks at me once then turns his focus on Colter. “So, you guys a thing?” he asks.
My heart burrows into my stomach. I adjust my pink wig.
“You could say that,” Colter says, grabbing my hand.
My hand starts on fire at his touch and I want to be anywhere but here. “I’m going to meet up with Jackson and Janie,” I say, inching away from Colter. He looks down at me with a sympathetic expression. He knows I need to leave, so he slowly lets go of my hand and I sneak away, steadying my breath.
Jackson’s wearing chaps and a cowboy hat, and Janie is dressed as a sailor. Jackson wraps his arm around my shoulder. “Is that Phillip dressed as Prince?” he says through a laugh.
“Really? You’re dressed as a Village Person, and you’re making fun of him?”
“A Village Person?” He laughs and lets me go to sidle up next to Janie. “I’m a cowboy,” he says emphatically.
“And I’m a naval officer,” Janie says with a straight face, then cracks up quickly after. “Nice leather pants. Good luck getting those off.”
I scratch under the leather at my waist. They’ve been stuck to my skin like suction cups. “Let me remind you, these were your idea.”
She laughs and sips some punch. “The decorations turned out nice.”
“Better than I thought they would.” I search the room for Atticus and find him in the corner with Grace. He’s dressed as some punk guy with spiky hair and a chain wallet. Grace is Cyndi Lauper, complete with electric orange hair glowing in the lights. They’re huddled together, whispering and laughing.
“Uh oh, that doesn’t look good,” Jackson says, nudging his head to where Colter and Phillip are.
I turn to look and Colter and Phillip are glaring at each other.
Oh, God. I shouldn’t have left them all together. I say goodbye to Jackson and Janie and make my way toward Colter.
“She’s fucking nuts, Colt,” I hear Phillip say, his back turned to me.
Colter wipes his hands on his jeans with a confused, angry expression. “She’s not crazy.”
Mortified, I hide behind a pillar nearby. I can’t get in the middle of this.
“Did she tell you Jackson had to rescue her from the cemetery?” Kirstyn says. “I saw it. He had to carry her. She was freaking out.”
“Her sister died. She’s having a hard time, that’s all.”
“She said she wanted to kiss me. We kissed and she tossed me off her like I tried to fucking rape her,” Phillip says. “I’m telling you. Drop that bitch now before she fucks up your life.”
Colter’s hands form into fists. His face reddens and his eyes narrow.
You should show yourself. You can stop this.
“I mean . . .” Phillip says, obviously ignoring Colter’s closed fists, “. . . she might be a good lay. But—”
Colter cuts Phillip off with a punch to his face. Phillip flies back toward the pillar I’m behind. I jerk away and stand there, stunned and unable to move.
Phillip adjusts quickly, flies back to Colter and punches him in the stomach. Colter bends in half, then they’re on the ground.
Kirstyn sees me in the corner and starts yelling. “Happy? You did this!” she screams.
I hurry toward them and try unsuccessfully to grab Colter’s arm and pull him off Phillip. “Colter, stop it. He’s right. Stop!” I yell.
Colter looks up as Phillip connects one last time with his face, and they both stand up.