paranormal | book 1 ✓

Chapter Two

PARANORMAL,
CHAPTER TWO

SETTING UP WENT a lot faster than any of them expected it to. It still took a few hours though. They didn't have much to do, really, they just goofed off a lot. Seriously, it was damn near impossible to get those kids to be serious. Setting up typically consisted of bringing in extra lighting as well as mics and cameras that would be stable. ( They were always on in case they caught something cool. ) The live was back up and running. The group took turns with the main camera. That was about ninety percent of the problem in itself.

Unfortunately, it ended up in the hands of Scott. Luckily, he had good intentions this time. Mostly. He was introducing the other two boys who had finally arrived. "Our getaway drivers just arrived", he smirked.

"Ouch, is that all you see me as?" Hal faked hurt, placing a hand dramatically over his chest. Hal and Scott had been friends for... well, almost as long as Scott could remember. They'd even gone through their emo phase together. (Big yikes.) He'd even been around to help Scott edit his videos back in the day. Their friendship was different than his and Penny's. It was a constant that Scott craved. Not because his life was that messy, but because he found comfort in the other boy.

Plus, Hal kept Scott calm. He wasn't bouncing around the walls when Hal was there, which kept things running more smoothly.

Scott often called Hal an eboy. Was he actually an eboy? Who knows? But fuck your gender stereotypes and strict pronouns. Hal was Hal, period. If he wanted to wear eyeshadow one day, that would be his choice. If he decided to paint his nails one day? His prerogative. Let him have his chains and rings. Let him wear whatever he wanted. The brunette was confident enough in himself that he could take his pale ass out in a dress and have no regrets. It's not that he was actually doing those things at that exact moment, but it was the knowledge that he could that made him feel good. That being nonconformative would never make him any different. Labels, after all, were for clothes. The green eyed boy wanted to encourage others. But mostly, Hal just wanted to be free. Free to be whatever and love whoever. It was liberating to not care, but words hurt all the same. That was when his friends were there, cheering him on.

"Well, you do bring your car", Scott pointed out.

"Because I have the most seats", Hal scoffed.

"These two, I swear", Minhyuk groaned. Ahh Minhyuk, a ray of sunshine despite all he'd been through in life. "They're like an old married couple", he said flatly to the camera. "And calling us getaway drivers makes it sound like we're doing something highly illegal."

"Who says we're not doing something illegal?", Hal snorted.

Scott took this opportunity to turn to Hal and wiggle his brows. "What do you say, Hallie, wanna go get hitched?"

Usually Hal would have scolded his friend for that atrocious nickname, but this time he only snorted and rolled his eyes. It did earn Scott an elbow to the ribs, but it was more a brush than an actual jab. "Yeah, I want the biggest rock you can find." Joking or not, who could say no to Scott Reynolds? Look at his stupid face! (Hal was convinced from an early age that Scott must have had what they now called Glimmer. It was the ability to just be insanely beautiful and charming, something you just had to be born with. But, then again, his entire friend group was crazy attractive. It was weird. They had once run into a group of nymphs with the ability, and boy was that trouble. No one remembered what happened, just that they were a week behind schedule before they even knew it. It was like having the world's biggest hangover amplified.