Misfit Theater Company 2

9. Let's Get This Party Started

Fair warning: Drugs and alcohol are mentioned in this chapter.

When we pull up to Sean's house, a mid century modern home on Patti and Moth's side of town, there are already cars lining the street, so we park about a half a block down. His road doesn't have street lights and all of the houses are pretty well-spaced out, so the only glow I use to light my path out of Thatcher's jalopy comes from the huge glass windows from Sean's house.

Thatcher comes around to my side of the car with the stack of cones in his arms and he smiles. "Got them," he says.

I smile back. "I can see that. Ready?"

"Yep, let's go."

"Wait," I say. "Are we sure we want to go to a party with alcohol? What if the police come? Remember how my mom reacted last time?"

"As long as we aren't drinking, we will be okay. But if you're really uncomfortable, we can go back home. It's not that big of a deal to me, it means more to me that you aren't freaking out."

I take a deep breath. "No, we should get to know everyone."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," I say, dragging out the S-sound a little too long to sound convincing.

He laughs. "Sure?"

"Promise you'll stay with me the whole time?"

"I promise."

"Okay, then I am sure."

He smiles, walks toward me, and plants a kiss on the top of my head without letting the cones fall from his arms.

"After you, my Juliet."

The closer we get to Sean's house, the more clearly I can hear music coming from inside, and the more cones I see spotting his yard.

"Oh man, where will we put our cones?" Thatcher asks.

"How many do you have there?"

"Four."

"I have an idea," I say.

Thatcher follows my lead to leave two of the cones on his front porch beside the two large planters holding tall, ornamental grass, and before ringing the doorbell, we place the other two cones on our heads. We are going to reverse Trojan Horse these cones inside Sean's house.

From underneath the cones, I obviously can't see anything, but I hear the music become louder as someone opens the door, and then I hear Sean's voice say, "Yes, oh my goodness, yes. First people to show up with the cones on their person. One hundred points for Gryffindor."

"Excuse me sir, we are here to talk to you about your eternal soul. Have you considered the impending cone reckoning?" Thatcher asks from under his cone.

I tip the front of my cone up so I can see what's going on. Sean laughs his characteristically quiet laugh, the kind that people usually do when they've lost their breath, but that Sean does anytime he laughs.

"May we come in and discuss your immortal cone soul with you?" I ask, following Thatcher's lead.

"You two are perfect, yes. Come in," Sean finally says, and Thatcher and I remove the cones from our heads and leave them inside by the door and all the shoes.

"I know this is super strange," Sean says once we are inside, "because we are drinking and dancing and making a mess, but if you could take off your shoes before coming upstairs, my fam would appreciate it."