I Knew Her As August

seventeen: vampire

Conrad wasn't joking — Gus really did have quite the creative eye. The house had transformed into a devious nightmare with cobwebs, twisting shadows, and even a thick layer of fog that hovered above the floor. Nicki felt goosebumps crawl up her arms as she scanned over the haunting decorations.

"Nice job, Gus. It's completely terrifying," Nicki called out to him as he finished up hanging a thread of spiders along the living room ceiling.

"Thanks. I was going for utterly dreadful, but terrifying works too," he joked. He was dressed in blue jeans and a white t-shirt with his hair slicked back, the complete opposite vibe from the house.

"What're you supposed to be?" Nicki asked, unimpressed.

"James Dean. It makes more sense when I put the leather jacket on." Gus looked up and down Nicki's costume, his eyebrow arching.

"And you're...a roll of TP?" He teased.

Nicki punched him in the arm playfully. "No! I'm a mummy. Duh." Nicki smart-assed him.

A smirk tugged at his cheek.

"A mommy, maybe." He nodded to her pasty-covered breasts. Normally, Nicki would have felt the need to shy away her exposed skin, but she didn't now. She stood tall, feeling the need to impress him. She unfurled her wings quickly, the gust of hair tossing his neat hair around.

"How's that? More menacing?" Nicki cooed. Her white feathers reflected in his dark eyes.

"You're the image of complete perfection, so yes," he stated. Nicki gazed at him, not knowing how to respond to his unexpected remark.

"Gus! Stop being stupid and come help me," Conrad yelled from the other room. Gus rolled his eyes.

"Excuse me, the other mommy needs me." He touched Nicki's hip lightly as he passed. Nicki felt a fresh rush of goosebumps run up her back as his fingers touched her skin. She tucked her wings back in tightly.

The party came to life as the sun died down and disappeared behind the purple mountains. Strangers in costumes filed into the house until it was packed wall to wall with ghouls, goblins, and girls with hardly anything on. Nicki didn't feel so naked anymore.

Nobody was less dressed than Conrad, though. She'd paired the red leather harness with fake ears and heart shaped pasties, tying the outfit off with a fluffy tail and stilettos. Every party goer took their turn to appreciate her costume, making Nicki feel the need to stick close to her for protection.

Nicki tried to count the tattoos on Conrad's body, as there was nothing to hide them now. Her eyes scanned down Conrad's naked back, her heart fluttering at the tiny tattoo of a kiss mark on her right butt cheek.

"I think I wanna get a tattoo. Does it really hurt?" Nicki asked her, raising her voice so she could be heard over the thumping party music.

Conrad filled a red Solo cup from the punch bowl and handed it to Nicki. She'd mixed it with so many things that it was now a deep red color that resembled blood. It tasted sweet, though, and made her chest feel like it was full of bees.

"Some do and some don't. Depends on where you get it, really. What would you want to get?" Conrad replied, pouring herself a cup. Nicki sipped while she thought about it. She just wanted to start a conversation, she hadn't actually thought about what she would permanently put on her skin.

"Maybe a flower, or something. I like the flowers on your arm." Nicki touched the ink on Conrad's bicep, tracing the pedals softly.

"You know what, I have some temporary tattoos you can wear. I order some fake ones when I don't have enough money to get a real ink. Like a little bit of temporary happiness," Conrad said excitedly, grabbing Nicki's free hand and guiding her through the party to the empty bathroom.