Chasing Ashes

VI

THE HAUNTED HOUSE is horrifying. There are people in scary costumes loitering around the entrance, some girls walking around like zombies back and forth in a line. I hover right next to Ryder, my fear obvious.

    "Have you ever been to a haunted house?" He asks. I shake my head, too afraid to talk. Suddenly, a guy in a clown mask pops up out of nowhere, making me scream and almost fall over. Ryder grabs my wrist, stabling me on my feet.

    "Hey!" I scream at the giggling clown guy. He has blood dripping down his mask, covering his big shark teeth. The half yellow and white suit also has blood stains on it, big red balls of fluff jiggling on it as he runs away. Abby comes charging to my side, being the best friend she is.

    "Ever," she sighs. "What took you so long?"

    "Ryder had to get food," I give him a pointed look. He shrugs and starts to walk away, only I grab his arm. For some reason, I feel safer with him around.

    "Like a date?" Abby hisses in my ear. I give her a confused look and shake my head.

    "It was McDonald's."

    She rolls her eyes. Ryder comes back to us, his face an emotionless void. "Yeah?"

    I just look up at him meekly, making Abby speak up. "Can you stick with her?" Ryder's eyes look me up and down shortly before nodding, a smile spreading over his face.

    "Of course I can." My heart flutters. Ryder holds his arm out for me.

    "Chivalrous," Abby winks at me before running back to Mac. I watch her go, seeing the clown guy again. I inch closer to Ryder.

    "Don't be afraid. It's just people in masks. They cannot hurt you."

"Not physically, but mentally," I grimace as I see a woman with makeup on so it looks like she has a cleaver stuck in her head. I shiver against Ryder, allowing me to feel the slight rumbles flowing through his chest in laughter.

    "You're funny," he wraps his arm around my shoulder, warming me to my toes. I wonder for a moment if Ryder and I could ever be something more than friends if we even are friends right now. I would consider us acquaintances getting closer. We didn't really talk this much before, but now his arm is wrapped around my shoulders. It's such a boyfriend thing that I almost wrap my arm around his waist to be the girlfriend. Only I hold back, my arm poised to wrap around his lean abdomen. I put it down, it seeming like a line between us so our hips do not brush.

    I look around again, spying Richie and the rest of the group. Abby grins at me and raises her eyebrow when she sees what Ryder is doing.

    "I know!" I mouth back, barely containing my smile.

    "Ever," suddenly, Yasmine is in my face. Lucas remains beside her, lazily looking around. "Do you mind coming with me to the bathroom."

    "Uh, yeah, actually," I respond, looking around curiously. Why would she want me to go to the bathroom with her? I know she just wants me to walk with her so that she can yell at me for being with Ryder. As if she has some claim on him. "I don't really feel like walking over there." My eyes wander over to where the bathrooms are. As if to prove my point, the clown guy creepily waves at me, his athletic build obvious through the clothes. Lucas turns to look over as well and goes tense. I wonder if he doesn't like clowns.