Rotted (On hold)

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Halloween's tonight, Rose," my mom said excitedly. She was on the couch, watching a new nature special, while my dad sat next to her, digging through the bowl of popcorn. "Are you doing anything?"

I scrunched up my nose. "No, we're all to old to go trick-or-treating year. I'll probably just sleep over at Olive's or something."

All my friends and I were seniors and we wanted to do something besides searching the neighborhood for candy. I still secretly wanted to go trick-or-treating, though. You're never too old for candy, at least that's what I thought, my friends didn't.

"That sounds fun, just check in with me before bed," Mom said without taking her eyes off the screen.

"Sure." I headed up the stairs and to my room. I jogging quickly up the stairs, taking them two at a time, and down the narrow hallway. My room was the first on the left, and the only other bedroom-besides my parent's-with a bathroom.

I spread out on the bed and stretched my muscles. My feet almost touched the bottom, only a few inches shy. Under my bed was a stash of books. I put my favorites there and reread them all the time. I pulled out an old, worn down copy and opened it; it's musky smell hit my nose and I breathed it in.

An hour passed and I faintly heard my dad call me for dinner, but I ignored him, too lost in my literature to care. I turned another page and prepared to read some more, but I was interrupted by a door banging open.

"Hello, everyone! Sorry I'm late, my brother swallowed a marble and my mom wasn't home." Olive thundered up the stairs and into my room.

"Hey, Ollie," I said and set down my book after marking my page. "Is Feddie okay?"

"Yeah, yeah." She waved her hand. "He's fine. I just don't know where he got the marble from. He cried non-stop for an hour and mom had a meeting at work."

I laughed lightly. "Do you know what we're doing tonight? I'm fine with a horror movie marathon."

"No way!" Olive said loudly. "We're doing something awesome this year. Since it's a holiday about ghost and witches and vampires, we're going to honor that."

I look at her curiously. "What?"

She put a finger to her lips. "It's a surprise, I can't tell you," she whispers with a grin. "You'll have to wait until later."

I frowned at her. "Come on! Just tell me."

Olive just shook her head with a smile.

"Fine, don't tell me." I cross my arms and frown. "Are Whitley and Hannah coming, too?"

"Yeah, we have to pick them up."

We drift into a comfortable silence. Olive looks through all the souvenirs lining my drawers. They aren't actually from vacations my family took. Most of the things in my room are random items I find all over; an old bottle cap off the street and a lost key I found on the bus.

I liked collecting things. They all seem like parts of a collection, my collection, and when I found something, I just knew it belonged here.

Chains of beads from vintage necklaces hang from my ceiling, acting as the door of my closet. It took months to built it, but it was worth it. Every morning they clink together we I get dressed and it became a familiar sound, comforting almost.

_Rotted_

"I can't wait!" Olive shouts over the radio. "This is gonna be awesome!"

I snort in the back seat. "Yeah, a great time."