buzzcut season

13.

"Is your sister here?" Mal asks.

"Why wouldn't she be? I thought she's who told Koda about this?" Phoenix looks confused.

Both girls are dressed up in their Halloween costumes. Mal is a creepy looking doll and Phoenix is an assassin of some sorts in all black clothing, skin tight. She's got chains hanging from her waste, a black choker all matched with red lipstick. She also has high boot heals that look more like combat boots yet with a heel.

"Oh, you never know these kinds of things with Myah," I say. "She probably invited me so that I'd bring Mal and she can stir up some drama."

"With who though?" Mal's brows furrow but I never get to answer her.

"Mal?" We all turn our attention to whoever called Mal.

It's Kate.

Kate's short brown hair is in two buns on her head along with devil horns. Her eye shadow is glittery red to match her red lip and red, skin tight, dress. She wears black heels and a lace choker.

Pretty hot.

Also pretty awkward once we make eye contact. At first it's like she looks to me with pity but then switches it out for a hard glare that says she doesn't care about me.

"Kate? The heck you doing here?"

"You know this is Catherine's party right?" Kate says. "As in my best friend Catherine."

"Then how was Myah invited?" Mal asks.

"That little bitch is here?"

I'm still stuck on the part that Catherine is Kate's best friend.

"Wait hold up," I say. "Catherine Blackwood?"

"Yes," Kate says impatiently.

"You two are friends?"

"Yes we've been for years now," she says it as if I'm supposed to know. "Now where is Myah. I've had some things I've wanted to tell her—"

"I'm not having your drunk ass get into a cat fight with Myah."

"I'm not drunk. And unlike you I respect our family name," she glares at me as she says this before marching off.

I don't fucking understand people! One day you're smiling and having fun and the next they ignore you and give you cold glares.

Maybe we're all the result of parenting done wrong.

A waiter stands in front of us holding a tray of shots. We all take one.

This place is about the size of my parents place. A hollow mansion. Big enough that you never had to see anyone else. And that's exactly what happened to me growing up. A place filled with so many people yet somehow feels so empty.

"Okay. I half convinced Luka to come a couple hours ago but he said he had no costume," Mal says. "So I'm going to go outside to call him and try and get him here."

"Why does it matter?" I ask.

I mean, I want him to come too but at this point isn't it too late? He doesn't have a costume nor a drive or anything.

"Because I want him to feel like it's the three of us again. Not us two and sometimes him."

I frown.

"But that's how it is. You and I are closer and it'll always be that way."

Mal doesn't reply for a moment.

"I'm calling him."

She then turns around to walk out the door. I turn to speak to Phoenix but thankfully she's already gone off somewhere, I'm not the greatest at small talk with people I don't care for.