STAY. ✓

𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍

CHAPTER THIRTEEN
[13]

edited 10.2.23

❥ "Come on, Ki! The party starts in like twenty minutes!" Tara hollered from her room as she finished pinning back her brunette hair.

Kira sighed as she finished applying some of her mascara. "I'm coming! Calm down, Tee!" She hollered back and closed the mascara before putting it back in her makeup bag.

She looked at herself once more in the mirror before smiling a little. "Pretty.." She told herself. Grabbing her bag from her bed, she walked over to her shelf, looking into the eyes of Wes' stuffed frog she had brought from the tree house in Woodsboro.

"Love you, Wes." She whispered before walking to the living room, everyone seemingly ready.

"Hey, baby." Chad walked over and kissed her deeply, rubbing her waist and smiling against her lips.

Kira grinned up at Chad, kissing back gently as she rubbed his shoulders before opening her eyes when she realized all she could feel was skin. "Uhm.. Babe?" She asked.

"Hm?" Chad smiled down at her, opening his eyes again and tilting his head at her.

"Why aren't you wearing a shirt?" Kira asked and rubbed his chest, enjoying the feeling of his skin. "I thought you were dressing up as a cowboy?"

"I am.. a stripper cowboy," Chad explained and flashed a pearly white smile. He truly believed he was slick.

Kira giggled and shook her head at the male. "You're something else." She mumbled before hearing someone clear their throat, looking over to see Ethan, Chad's dorm mate, staring at them awkwardly.

"Sorry," Chad mumbled to Ethan and smiled at Kira. "Is Tara ever going to come on?" He asked.

"I'll go get her in gear," Kira promised and pecked Chad's lips before walking down the hall to Tara's room. "Tee? You almost done?" She asked.

"I'm done." Tara opened the door and smiled. "Do you like?" She asked as she showed the girl her outfit.

"You look so hot." Kira hugged her gently and smiled. "The boys are going to drool over you—and or girls." She teased, earning a shy smile from the girl.

"Hey! Don't be taking my girl, Tara." Chad hollered from the living room playfully.

Kira giggled and shook her head. "Don't listen to him, he's no match compared to you." She joked, causing Tara to giggle and follow her to the living room.

Anika, Mindy's girlfriend, was looking cute in a pumpkin outfit while Mindy wore a nice t-shirt and pants. Chad was—as he had previously informed—a stripper cowboy. Tara was a pirate girl, Ethan was some horror movie guy and Kira was a cowgirl.

Everyone looked pretty cool—in her opinion.

"Alright, ready to go?" Chad clapped his hands together and stood up, opening the door. Everyone began to file out of the door, Kira last so she could walk with Chad and hold his hand.

"Are you sure Sam won't be too mad?" She asked the others as she walked with them down the sidewalk towards a frat house.

Normally, she hated parties—especially since the last real party she went to ended up with her and her friends almost dying. But, this was a Halloween party. She loved anything to do with Halloween, except the fact it was close to the day that her mother and twin brother were killed.

"She'll probably be mad at me, but isn't she always?" Tara shrugged her shoulders and walked with the group, bumping into a guy with long hair, who seemed frantic.

"Hey, Tara. You going to the party?" The boy asked, despite his fast pace as Tara smiled and nodded.

"Who was that?" Anika asked curiously as she walked beside Tara, brows furrowed in confusion.

"Oh, that's Jason. We have a few classes together this semester." Tara explained and shrugged her shoulders slightly. "You guys excited to get drunk?" She grinned.

"Tara you said we wouldn't get drunk.. just buzzed and have a little fun." Mindy reminded, crossing her arms.

Kira frowned as she watched her best friend closely. Tara had never fully dealt with what happened. Yeah, Kira wasn't one to talk considering she did nothing to help herself and instead found herself reliving both the attacks every night and talking to a stuffed frog as if her brother possessed it—but Tara was more than toxic to herself.

It worried everyone, but most of all it worried Sam.

"I said that but plans change, Mindy. Come on, we're only like four blocks from my apartment! Chad can carry me.. hell even Ethan could carry me. I'm not that heavy and I don't need permission to get drunk. I'm an adult now." Tara reminded them.

Kira looked up to Chad softly, sharing a frown with him before she looked to Tara. "How about we just see how the night goes, okay? Let your body be the judge of it." She told Tara.

Usually, that worked on the girl considering she listened to body language podcasts to help her sleep.

"Hm, yeah okay. Thanks, Ki." Tara said quietly and offered a small smile before walking up the steps to the frat house.

The others followed Tara inside as Chad reached over and gently grabbed Kira's arm. "Can we talk for a second?" He asked quietly, his eyes soft.

Kira stopped and stood with Chad, looking him over as she tried to read his emotions. "Sure.. is something wrong?" She asked worriedly.

"Nothing wrong.. I just—I wanted to give something to you." Chad admitted and smiled a little. It's almost been a year now.."

"Chad we talked about this, gifts are too expensive right now with college and apartments and dorms.." Kira started to explain.

None of them were rich by any means—except Gale Weathers, but that's mainly because she wrote a book about the trauma the group received in 22.

"I know baby but this isn't really something I bought okay? It just—it means a lot to me and I want you to have it because.. we never know when we might get separated." Chad said honestly, causing Kira to frown.

The girl furrowed her brows and stared at him. "Don't say that, Chad. We survived last year and we will survive again if it happens... what's this all about?" She asked and crossed her arms.

Chad reached into his pocket. "You know how I'm a part of that Alpha frat group? How they give you chains to wear?" He asked.

"Yeah." Kira nodded and watched him closely, raising a brow.

"Here." Chad showed her his chain and smiled, gently putting it around her neck. "We've been dating for about a year now and I just want to prove to you that I'm here forever—I'm not some slimy little boyfriend that leaves after college. I want to be with you for life and get married and grow old together—have kids and get pets." The male explained.

Kira looked at the chain before looking at him. "Chad.. you're not supposed to give your chain to anyone.." She whispered, glancing around as if worried a member of the frat would see.

"Fuck the rules." Chad grinned softly. "You're my girl and I'll be damned if some group of assholes tells me I can't spoil you." He admitted.

Kira smiled and threw her arms around the boy's neck, kissing him deeply. "I love you." She said happily.

"I love you more, baby." Chad smiled and kissed back before rubbing her sides, a lovesick look taking over his face.

"You promise?" Kira asked happily, rubbing his cheeks as she admired the boy. The boy she got to call hers. What a lucky girl she was.

"I promise. Now, let's go get you a drink, shall we?" Chad asked.

"We shall." Kira giggled and let the boy pick her up bridal style and carry her into the party.

Chad's words replayed in her head over and over..

'I'm here forever.' She truly hoped he was right.