How To Ruin A City

Chapter Eight

Nic

Catalina was horrible when it came to picking out costumes, but then again, so was I. She just didn't know when to stop trying things on.

All the costumes we tried on matched, so I quickly figured out this was an informal way of saying we'd be spending Halloween together.

"We could wear these superhero costumes at that party they're having in the school gym," Catalina told me. "It'll be lame, but kind of ironic."

"Are you talking about that dance?" I questioned with a snort.

"No. The mixer." She sighed in disdain. "It's so lame they're outlawing blood and gore."

"Agreed. I guess we're buying multiple costumes, then?"

"Of course. We're getting Men In Black costumes. We can be Batman and Robin for the mixer, and finally Lilo and Stitch."

"I swear, if you try to make me Lilo-"

"You're going to be Lilo," Catalina declared. "In exchange, you get to be Batman and I'll be Robin."

I narrowed my eyes. "Fine. I'd rather wear a dress than tights anyway."

After trying on our costumes, and man was that Lilo costume not working for me, we checked out. Catalina paid for everything with her stolen money. In exchange, I was going to pay for our Fright Fest entry. Except I wasn't because I was going to sneak us inside.

We dropped off the clothes at Catalina's house, then headed to Six Flags. Sneaking in is a piece of cake, honestly. Well, easy if you have superpowers and your partner can phase through things.

As we walked passed the blood fountain, I glanced over at Catalina. The smoke and lighting effects were slightly disorienting, but I was more freaked out when I saw killer zombie clowns carrying machetes. "Are you going to the dance at school?"

Catalina shrugged. "Probably not."

I got distracted when a zombie snarled at a pair of girls beside us. The zombie roared in one's face before taking a bite out of a map of the park in her hands. She gave him a deadpan stare, looked down at her map, then over at her sister. The other girl was laughing so hard I wondered if she was lightheaded.

What in the fuck did I just witness?

I turned back to Catalina, trying to ignore the Fright Fest actors. "What if somebody asks you to go?"

Catalina snorted in response. "Who would ask me?"

"I don't know. Do you like anybody?" I felt the smallest flare of jealousy, though I didn't know why.

Well, I did, I'm just pretending I didn't.

Catalina stopped in her tracks and smirked. "Oh. I see what's happening here."

"I'm face to face with greatness and it's strange?"

Catalina facepalmed and looked up. "Wait. Did you just call me greatness?"

I rolled my eyes. "I was quoting Moana."

"Oh, really? Totally couldn't tell." She cleared her throat. "As I was saying, I see what's happening here. You think I have a crush on somebody and you're jealous."

I crossed my arms. "What gives you that impression?"

Catalina placed her hand on my shoulder, blue eyes glittering with amusement. "Nic, would you be jealous if I told you I liked somebody? Because I do."

I pushed her hand off my shoulder. "No."

Liar.

Ugh! I don't want to like her!