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A social klutz and certified bookworm, Autumn Lyne is content with having just books as companions--that is, until her extrovert of a sister drags her out to meet her band. But nobody has expected that this would mark the plot twis...
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When the new week arrived, everyone buzzed about the annual Halloween party, which was a charity event organized by the student council. I didn't share the same excitement with others because I could imagine how chaotic and stifling the gymnasium would be. But then, Clover and everyone else in the group was coming, and I would hate to miss out on the fun.
I spent the week tossing around costume ideas with Clover. One day, after school, she, Rose, and I went to the thrift stores to get some clothes and accessories. Rose wanted to dress up as an anime character, and she wanted to go all out, so our shopping took longer than expected. It was tiring, but it was fun. I felt like I was the same age as them.
The night of the Halloween party came around, and I was dressed up as a witch. Totally original, I know. But Rose had helped me pick my clothes and accessories that gave it a steampunk look.
When Clover and I stepped inside the gym, my stomach did multiple somersaults. As expected, the place was thronged with people in costumes, and the noise was so loud it was practically shaking the building. It was hard to tell who was who, so I had to hold onto Clover so I wouldn't get lost or, worse, get trampled on.
We met Rose and Clint at a table in a corner, drinking what I hoped was juice. Clint was wearing a cowboy suit, much to Clover's disbelief, as she was dressed up as a cowgirl bandit. This coincidence put Clint in a full-on-smiling state that I was sure would last all night long. Nate came later on in his '80s rock star outfit. We almost didn't recognize him because of the thick curly blond wig.
"Dude, you look like a rejected band member," Clint told him, and the group fell into stitches.
Too bad Michael wasn't there to share the fun. Since I got there, I had been craning my neck to look for him around. We hadn't seen each other that much at school. And we hadn't exchanged any text messages that week except for him asking if I was going to the party and me saying yes. He hadn't confirmed if he was also going, which kept me on my toes all day.
Later on, the host announced that they had set up a game where two to three people had to travel around the school building to look for specific items to win cash and free lunch meals for a week. The mention of the prizes built up excitement within the crowd.
Nate raised his hand, facing the group. "All right, free food. Who wants in?" he shouted over the music.
"No way! Do you know how haunted our school is?" Rose glowered at him. "According to history, this place was built on a cemetery in the 1900s, and a decade ago, someone jumped off the building and died on the spot."
"Oh, I know that story," Clover chimed in, holding Rose's arm as she looked at her. "Her name was Caroline. The janitor said he saw her ghost wandering the building every night, and she'd flick the lights on and off."
The boys stared at them as if they were crazy.
"What are guys smoking? Ghosts ain't real," Nate said.
