Nicer ways to go

FIFTEEN

WINTER

"Sean?" I turn around as my breath gets lodged in my throat, only to sigh when I see it's Shelby tapping against the glass, scrawling the words ARE YOU COMING? In jagged letters in the fog on the window, laughing when she realizes she's scared the shit out of both Sean and me. I may as well be in his lap shaking.

"Just a minute!" I tell her loudly and she walks off laughing, probably to terrorize Kiara who's just pulled up with Owen in her tiny car, dressed as a character from a manga book in bright clothes with the ends of her hair dyed electric blue. Penny is a massive sparkly cupcake and Owen is dressed as Princess Peach from Mario which makes me laugh and shake my head.

"So are we splitting up?" Sean asks me and I shake my head. Definitely not...

"No, we'll break away from the group at different times and meet up back by the car. Then we'll go inside to snoop, okay?"

He nods, his hair falling into his eyes as he says "Yep" and we both open our doors at the same time. As we walk towards our friends our arms brush together with each step and an odd warmth spreads through me, thoughts of our awkward... situation earlier filling my mind before I throw them away and focus on the task at hand. Act like my living hell (every social group together) is actually bringing joy to my life.

"Welcome, welcome, welcome!" Alexa bounds over to us, her platinum blond wig bouncing up and down with each fairy like step as she nears us. When I survey her costume I can see why Shelby does her half laugh and looks away with her cheeks puffed out. Alexa is Tinkerbell, or at least, the incredibly slutty looking version anyway, cleavage spilling out everywhere it can, thighs showing. Although I suppose I can't talk about the thigh thing... her shoes are green flats with pompoms sewn onto the toes. Her wig is ridiculous, at least, I think it's a wig until she gets closer and then I realize that it's dyed that color. Permanently. Jack and Spencer arrive together, Jack the Ripper and a victim with her clothes torn and limbs slashed everywhere. They make me chuckle and snort.

"Too soon?" Spence says when she stands beside me and I shake my head

"Perfect actually" I tell her and she grins, the dribble of dark fake blood down her chin tightening.

"Who are you two?" Alexa questions, looking at Sean and I and I glance at him before saying

"Well he's Sherlock Holmes, and I'm his Watson, just the ginger female version with a short skirt" I give her a wink and whack my ass playfully for an unknown reason before walking up the steps to her mansion sized house.

"What was that?" Sean mumbles when we're at the door and I shrug before the gate opens beside us and a crowd of people spew forth.

"If I lose you in the crowd" I get on my toes and speak with my lips by his ear "You do know how to whistle don't ya? You just put your lips together and blow".

He snorts out a laugh that blows a strand of my hair across my cheek and I laugh too as the others join us and we all make our way into the crowd. Oh God, help me now....

~

"I don't see how a weird ass bitch face could have so many friends" Owen says, swinging his legs back and forth from the veranda railing where he sits, his pink dress flowing down beyond his feet.

"They aren't her friends" Spencer says, sipping on her water "They're our year and the two above us" she raises her eyebrows at Jack as he drapes an arm around her middle and she laughs, brushing the action off. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out Jack's already busted out one too many beers for the night and it's only 10 PM.

"So what were you and Sean doing in the car earlier?" Shelby asks and I spit take my rum and coke on the ground, looking at her with wide eyes

"Shelby!" my voice comes out squeaky and high pitched, strained almost as she cackles a laugh and Kiara eyes me questioningly.