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6

Pulling the black headband lower down on her forehead, Virginia wondered how she had gotten herself into this. Glancing over her shoulder, she watched Catherine lace up her black boots that matched her black tank top and black shorts. Virginia was dressed more or less the same, in black capri cargo pants and a black bandeau. Over top she wore a black and dark gray flannel, tied loosely just above her belly button.

"We look like we think we're going to go rob a bank," Virginia looked at herself in the full-length mirror.

"At least we're doing it in style," Catherine pulled up her hair into a high ponytail and tossed her voluptuous curls.

Virginia shook her head. She had tried to say no, but when Greyson had looked at her with those beautiful blue eyes, she had just melted.

"Don't worry. We know what we're doing," Greyson had promised her, referring to his and Quinn's past, vague exploits that he seemed to think made them trustworthy.

When Virginia had confessed to Catherine that she had said she would go with Greyson and Quinn out into the middle of the woods to see a haunted house, Catherine had shaken her head and given her a mother's disapproving gaze. Virginia had prepared herself for the speech about trespassing, about going out late at night, and with boys nonetheless, and on a school night too. But she didn't say any of that.

"Well I'm not letting you go out there with them alone," Catherine had said, and that was how both girls had ended up leaving campus at ten o'clock at night to visit an off-limits property.

Greyson had assured Virginia that no one ever checked the place; the government had cast it aside, happy to forget it even existed after everything that had happened there. As Virginia and Catherine walked out of the room and slowly down the steps, Virginia started to regret her decision. Catherine, on the other hand, seemed to be getting giddier by the second.

"Are you actually excited for this?" asked Virginia as they stepped outside.

Catherine shrugged. "I don't know. I've never been to anywhere that's actually haunted before. I went to the fake haunted houses on Halloween, but never anything like this. And Louisiana is just lousy with crazy tales of hauntings and black magic. We're in the area, might as well embrace the culture, right?"

"My thoughts exactly," Greyson's voice came before he appeared from around the corner of the building, Quinn on his heels.

"Hey," Virginia smiled, shifting her weight from one foot to the other.

"Sometime we'll take you guys into the city," Greyson said, glancing over at Quinn. "There's some fun to be had in Baton Rouge."

"Do you live around here?" asked Catherine rather abruptly.

"I've lived a lot of places," Greyson smiled coyly.

"I was just curious because you seem to know a lot about the area," Catherine tilted her head.

He just kept smiling. "I've been around here before. Besides, I pride myself on being aware of my surroundings."

Virginia could sense a biting remark from Catherine coming from a mile away, so she spoke first.

"So how far away is this place?"

Greyson's eyes flicked back to her. "Maybe fifteen minutes because we have to go around all the farms. My car is parked on the street."