Mr and Mrs Nemesis✔️

Chapter Twenty One - A Scary Realisation

It's Halloween and today, nothing else matters apart from dressing up and falling down. After surplus alcohol consumption of course.

As usual, the girls get ready at mine, but we're joined by Seb and Collins too. It might sound great, but if they complain one more time about how long it's taking us to change into very little clothing, I'm going to shove my plastic machete up their back passage.

"Does my hair look alright?" I ask, doing a three sixty spin in my body length mirror. Seb groans.

"Who gives a shit? Your hair will be the last thing you care about after a couple of drinks." He retorts. I frown at him, placing a hand on my hip and throwing my hair over my shoulder.

"It's about the entrance Seb. All about the entrance." I turn back to my mirror, repositioning the shirt on my shoulders that has been strategically covered in fake blood. Beneath it, my lace bodysuit peaks out, paired with black hot pants, much to Nat's dismay. I look down to my feet, bouncing slightly on my lace up heels, trying to gage how much my feet are going to kill me in a couple of hours. However, beauty is pain, and me and my girls really look beautiful tonight. In a scary way. Obviously.

"Right. I think we're ready." Nat declares, turning to inspect her bum: tradition. "Yep. We're good." She repeats with a nod. The boys groan out relief, standing from my bed and funnelling out of my bedroom to go downstairs. Nat, Lena and I follow suit.

As with every year, my parents are waiting at the breakfast bar to score out outfits. This year, my brothers have joined, looking at us disapprovingly. Ezra looks me up and down and tsks. "You can't be serious; wearing that? It's like, minus two degree outside. You'll freeze." He tells me.

I grin and mock a strut, sashaying my hips before striking a pose. "Hypothermia for fashion baby!" I exclaim. "Now quiet, or I'll decapitate you with my machete." I warn, waving my weapon menacingly.

"It's plastic." He deadpans.

I shrug with a grin. "I'll make it work." He rolls his eyes at me and I laugh, turning to see my mum ready with her polaroid camera.

"Come on, come on. You know the drill guys." She tells us, ushering us together. We comply, engaging in group pictures, pictures of me and the girls, pictures with just Seb and I. He's into it too, posing seriously, which only has me in stitches, near crying and ruining my makeup. "Now, drink responsibly. I'm looking at you Charlotte." She says sternly.

I fire her an innocent smile and wrap an arm around Nat. "I can't help it Nancy. I have influences." I inform her. She tuts when Nat shrugs in acceptance of her role, a grin to match mine plastered on her face.

"She's right Nancy. I'm the ringleader of this cohort. If I jump, we all jump." Nat tells her. My mum chuckles, sitting herself beside my dad and placing a hand on his knee.

"Wait?" My mum says suddenly, her eyes scanning the five of us. "Where's the other one? Elijah." I grimace at the mention of his name and clench my jaw.

"Not invited." I retort blankly, spinning around to face my clan. "Let's call a taxi." I say, whipping out my phone. While I arrange transport, my friends go and collect the bags that sit on the kitchen side, filled with alcohol that I don't doubt will all be drunk tonight. It is the greatest party of the year, after all.

Then we wait for our ride, my mind ticking over to Elijah all thanks to the simple mention of him. The pair of us haven't really spoke since I soaked him and his little 'wrestle friend' with a puddle. I'm convinced it's because I'm furious he left Ellie with Tanya, but I don't know that it exactly validates me ignoring him for over a week. And I mean that literally; I don't speak to him when I pick up Ellie or when he comes over to pick her up from here. We haven't exchanged words, messages, even filthy looks have come to a standstill.