Cobweb Head

t w e n t y - o n e

The party was supposed to be tonight, and Mae had slipped me a letter telling me where is was and when it started. I stared down at it as I sat at the desk, gulping down another cup of hot tea. The heat scalded my tongue.

"You're going to the party?" Leo asked from behind me, and I jumped at the sound of his voice.

I turned around in the chair. He was adjusting the sleeves of his silken shirt. "Why do you sound so surprised?"

"Well, I mean," he cleared his throat. "You're not exactly the party type."

I glowered at him. "I can party – I went to heaps of parties back at home." That was a complete lie. "Mae invited me, so it would be rude not to go."

He tilted his head. "Mae invited you? That's nice, you two getting along."

I almost laughed at him. "Sure," I stood up, gulping down the last of the brew. "I've got to go find Effie."

Effie never officially agreed to coming with me, but I thought it would do no harm to go check up on her. Maybe she was getting ready at this moment and had just forgotten to let me know. A guy can dream, can't he?

I took down the hall. Both apprehension and nervousness fluttered airily in my chest – I'd never gone to a high school party before, and as dumb as it sounded, I couldn't help but feel a little bit excited.

Oh god, I was feeling excited for a party? Leo really was rubbing off on me.

I took down the girls' dorm wing and stopped outside Effie's door, knocking three times across the wooden surface. A muffled sound came from inside.

"Effie?" I started. More rustling came from behind the door. "I'm going to the party, just wondering if you wanted to come with."

A small voice responded, followed by a light thud from inside. "Uh, no thank you. I don't like parties."

I frowned. "Is everything all good in there?"

"Yep, it's fine. I'm fine." She'd been saying that a lot lately. "Have fun partying."

I nodded even though no one was there to see. "Alright, I'll see you tomorrow then?"

Silence.

I walked off.

|||

I hated parties.

Fuck, I hated them. How could anyone be excited for this?

The night was dark, lit by the bonfires scattered throughout this small stretch of forest land, where students filled every crevice of space I could see. I grimaced down at the plastic cup in my hand.

I leaned back against a tree and moped, thinking of Effie. She would've been just as miserable as me if she had come. Maybe it was for the best. But something was off with her, something bad, something I couldn't quite place. I really wanted some more of Leo's tea. My head was throbbing and my face felt hot.

I visibly winced when Mae appeared in front of me. She smiled distastefully. "You seem more grouchy than usual."

"I've upped my game especially for this occasion." I took a sip of the drink – lemonade, probably laced with alcohol. Hopefully.

"Well lower it," she ripped the cup away from me. "And stop drinking."

I glowered at her as she walked off. Alright, I'd try this time. It'd most likely do no difference.

I wandered the grounds for a few long moments before spotting Leo sitting at one of the logs placed next to a fire. He was staring up at the ash flying up from orange flames, a plastic cup clasped in his hand.

I took a seat next to him. "This is boring."

He turned his head to look at me. "I thought you said you liked parties?"

"I never said I liked them. I said I've gone to a lot of them. There's a difference." I sighed sarcastically. "The struggles that come with being so popular."

"Right," he grinned. "You can always go back if you want? I'll walk you."

I turned to see the forest, stretching out further before me, the darkness shrouding wiry branches and cobwebs hidden inside every crack. I gulped down something cold. "Nah, I'll stay a little longer."

"Where's Effie? Didn't you say she was coming?" He seemed genuinely concerned – I couldn't help but smile at his creased brows and big doe-eyes.

"She doesn't like parties all that much. I think something's going on with her, she's distancing herself. And hanging out with Oliver no less." I raked back the hair that'd fallen across my face.

He laughed. "You really hate that guy."

"He's been a dick to me ever since I first got here!"

"He does have a smug face." The orange light from the fire played across the curve of his lips.

I felt a hand grip my shoulder, making me jump where I sat. Mae smiled. "Can I talk to you, Will?"

I looked at Leo for a short moment, whose eyes had narrowed, and then turned back to face the gremlin in front of me. I returned her a stale smile. "Yep."

She took my wrist in a sweaty grip, pulling me from where I sat, and soon we'd reached the shadowy edges of where the party grounds ended. She glared. "What are you doing?"

"I was talking to Leo, like you said."

"That's not talking, that's flirting." She jabbed a finger at my chest.

I could feel my cheeks burn, my face turning a deep shade of red. I played with the frayed hem of my sweater sleeve. "What – what are you talking about?"

"You have the social intelligence of a dung beetle, Will. A dung beetle." She pinched the bridge of her nose in two fingers. "I should just turn you in to the Frights right now."

She turned to leave, but I grasped at her wrist. A sour taste had formed inside my mouth. "What? You can't do that! I've been doing what you've asked."

An uncomfortable heat had started to form within the bones of my ribcage.

"And you've been doing it terribly." She curled her cherry red lips. "You're either doing nothing or you're making it worse. You're done – the Frights will have you by morning."

"This is insane, Mae." The rattling in my skull grew louder, blocking out all other noise. "You can't be serious."

"I'm very serious." She looked down at her wrist bitterly. "Now let go."

Bees, something spoke. I'm terrified of wasps and bees.

I tore away my hand, looking down to see a red mark form along her pale skin. She scowled at me, but I couldn't shake away the warmth that was rapidly filling my veins, dizzying my head.

The phobia rang again – bees, wasps, spiders.

I went to turn away as something rose up into my throat and caught sight of Mae's paling face again. Her mouth was open, but she wasn't talking, and her widened eyes were glazed over with a pearly fear.

I looked down at my hands. They were covered in bees and wasps, needling my skin with their legs before taking flight and buzzing around me. I cried out and went to shake them away, but something was blocking my voice from leaving my throat.

There was a scream.

And then another.