Idiots to Lovers (bxb)

37 | Baby You're A Haunted House

A/n: Chapter title refers to this cool song. I haven't added a chapter song in a while but this one just went well :)
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"Let's go in the haunted house!" Everett grabbed my hand and attempted dragging me in the general direction.

"I'm not really into those." My stomach churned at the thought, flipping over like the omelette I had this morning. It was turning into scrambled eggs now.

"What, why not?" He rested his chin on The Void's head. Or body really, it was just one shapeless lump.

"I don't want strangers jumping out at me and screaming in my face."

More than the fear, I think, is the awkwardness of interacting with the characters. How are you supposed to reply when someone asks if they can wear your skin? Yes? No? Maybe when I'm done using it?

"It'll be fun, I promise! And I'll hold your hand if you get too scared."

"Can't we just hold hands out here," I grumbled. "It not like we need an excuse to, we're boyfriends."

"What was that, sweetie?" Everett teased, weaving his fingers between mine. The twinkle in his eye told me that he had heard just fine.

I huffed. "Let's just go in the house." He knows this boyfriend thing is giving me anxiety. He is just cruel.

Spray painted cardboard gave the impression of a black, stone wall. Red paint dripped into letters, creating words of blood that read 'EnTer If YoU DaRe.' I disliked the way they chose to capitalize it.

We entered through a gaping mouth, complete with jagged, plastic teeth. A long empty corridor unfolded before us. Horrific wails filled the air. I could see a small speaker attempting to camouflage behind a mannequin hand.

"It doesn't make sense why there would be a mouth in a castle. They could have had a gate. Maybe a drawbridge."

Everett rolled his eyes. "Don't think too hard about it, it's supposed to be fun."

We turned a corner and makeshift cages lined the floor. Skeleton hands grasped at the bars, trying to get out. Wails turned into screams turned into cries for help. I could still hear the muffled sounds from the fair games outside.

"Save us!" A hand reached through the bars and grabbed Everett's leg.

Everett screamed, jumping back and crashing on me. I stumbled and almost fell. He gripped my arm so tight I thought I'd have bruises the next day.

"Hey calm down, it's just a woman dressed as a skeleton." I could clearly see the lines of paint on her hand. Some of it was smudged.

"It's so realistic!" he exclaimed, hugging his plushie closer to him. "Let's just find the exit."

Just as his breathing went back to normal, a man jumped out from behind the wall. "Boo!" he shouted at us, raising his bloody dagger. The paint was the wrong kind to put on plastic, and it was making little globs that looked very unlike blood.

Everett threw The Void on him and yelled, sprinting off down the hallway. So much for him holding my hand when I got scared.

"Er, sorry about him. He's...dumb," I explained to the man as he handed back the plushie.

He grinned, smile lines cracking up his face paint. "That's a'ight. Cheers mate."

The exit was right at the next turn. I squinted in the sunlight at I stepped outside. A short walk away, I found Everett collapsed on a bench.

"That was the most harrowing experience of my life." He gasped for air, a hand flung over his chest.

"It was a crappy cardboard house with bad deco," I said.

"Someone grabbed my ankle!"

"You were walking too close to the cages. I think you stepped on her hand."

"I did not! I would've heard the crunch!" Everett glared at me. "It was totally unprovoked."

"Why did you want to go in there so badly if you were scared?"

"I don't know! I thought you'd be more scared!"

I sighed, chucking the plushie at his face. "Oh Everett."