Red Rum Inn ✯ h.s. ON HOLD

✯ twelve ✯

     TO SAY THAT people looked at us was a bit of an understatement. Trevor and Ben were wearing superhero/villain costumes, pulling off the Batman and Joker look overly well. Gloria had done Trevor's makeup, the obscene red smile and white face of the Joker a little creepy, but well done nonetheless. On the other hand, I had appreciated the smoky eye she did on me, my friends also having the same makeup. A lot of the other students were wearing costumes as well, but I had to admit that we looked the best.

Shrugging it off, Trevor wrapped his arm around me, Ben doing the same to Gloria and Denice. The five of us walked to the kitchen, the music pulsing around us. A couple of kids were playing beer pong, but I simply went to the keg, pouring my friends drinks that wanted them before grabbing a bottle of water for myself. I had never had alcohol before, and I wasn't going to even attempt to try it tonight. Alcohol was the reason my father had kicked me out of the house, and everything that my father did while under the influence turned me off from the horrible liquid. But I certainly wasn't going to stop my friends from having anything if they wanted. Especially since I knew they treated me well after having a few.

"Can we go in the Haunted House?" Trevor asked, sipping the beer in his hand while waiting for a response from us. "Huh, huh?"

"Sure, I'll go," I offered.

Gloria was petrified of Haunted Houses, so she stayed back. I felt bad when Denice and Ben said they wanted to go as well, offering to stay back, but Gloria said it was nonsense. She showed us out back, claiming that she knew someone on the deck anyway. We all double and triple checked that it was okay, and when she said it was fine every time, we made our way to the entrance of the Haunted House. Trevor was the first one to go in, Ben standing at the back. My hands grasped Trevor's waist, Denice holding onto mine. It was kind of funny when we first walked in because Trevor cursed, a person jumping out at us. Although on the next jump scare, they totally got me, my hands gripping Trevor's waist tightly. He laughed, holding onto my hands probably just as tight. Denice seemed about as scared as I was, her face digging into my shoulder after one particular scare. We continued inside for about twenty minutes before making it back outside.

At this point, we were all laughing because Trevor had scared one of the people running the Haunted House more than they had scared him. Giggling, I walked next to Denice, Trevor just now realizing he was missing his beer. Denice had given hers to Gloria, my water also having gone with her, while Ben was still holding his drink. We all laughed at Trevor before heading inside, the boy getting a new one. Gloria grinned, asking what was so funny. She and Trevor walked inside together as he explained, the three of us heading to the living room after we had gotten our drinks back.

"... and he totally pissed himself, I swear it," the host, Rylan, was speaking loudly. "Have you ever heard of something so funny? Ah, what a night, and it isn't even eleven."

He glanced our way, excusing himself to say hello, but mainly speaking to Denice. She was clearly confused, but went along with it, even following Rylan to the DJ booth in the other room. Ben and I shared looked, though we soon sat down on the sofa, the majority of people dancing.

"I wonder where Trevor and Gloria are?" I asked a little louder so Ben could hear me. "I thought they were just getting drinks."

"Maybe Trevor is finally going to admit his feelings," Ben laughed.

It had always been obvious that they liked each other, but I never understood why they didn't just go for it. Maybe they didn't want to ruin the friend group, but we were all annoyed by now with the amount of sexual tension that was constantly radiating off of the two of them. I mean, it got to the point that Ben, Denice, and myself would all want to leave the room and let them figure it out themselves. However, I knew it wasn't something we could necessarily force on two people. All I knew was that it was obscenely annoying to be around the two of them sometimes.

Denice was walking our way now, a look on her face that meant she had seen something shocking or something she wasn't supposed to. Sitting beside me, she leaned over, putting her hand up to my ear. I waited for her to say something, nearly freaking out myself when I heard her tell me the secret.

"I totally did not just see Gloria and Trevor making out in the hall bathroom."

Denice pulled away, Ben waiting for me to tell him what had happened. As I went to say the secret, though, Gloria and Trevor were walking back. The pair appeared flustered, glancing at Denice quickly. It was clear Gloria had wiped makeup off in a haste, Trevor's also looking slightly messed up. In my opinion, it was kind of funny that Ben and I had been talking about them right before Denice came over with the news, but suddenly Ben was grasping my hand, holding up his cup.

"Come get a drink with me," he said politely.

"I don't want to."

"Well I wish you would," he murmured.

Rolling my eyes, I excused myself from Gloria, Trevor, and Denice, glancing over my shoulder as we left the room. Gloria and Trevor looked nervous, the two speaking to Denice anxiously. She laughed at whatever they had to say, Ben and I making it to the kitchen before I could see anything else transpire between the three. He started refilling his cup when he turned to me, raising an eyebrow.

"Denice didn't totally catch them making out in the bathroom."

"No way! Yes, Trevor!"

I laughed, grinning at Ben. He finished refilling his drink, sipping it as we walked to the dining room. Ben started explaining how he had been talking to Trevor for over three months about, and I quote, "Just going for it," but who knows how long they had been doing this behind everyone's back. Not that it was much of a big deal, but still, I was kind of curious.

"You have a point," my friend agreed. "I mean, now that it's out, but we can't act like it's out, all the more reason to play games revolving around them kissing."

"Oh, so like that Friends episode? The one where Phoebe and Rachel totally know that Monica and Chandler kissed, but they acted like they didn't?"

"Yes, exactly!" Ben laughed.

My friend chuckled, grabbing a handful of chips. We headed back to the living room, Trevor, Gloria, and Denice on a sofa. They looked like they weren't nervous anymore. Although they said they wanted to go watch the beer pong game. Heading back to the kitchen, we waited so that Ben could join a side. Before it could happen, though, the music completely stopped. All movements ceased completely; Rylan's voice being heard from a different part of the house as he asked what was wrong. My entire body was stiff. I had always seen on television and in movies that if this happened at a party it meant something bad was about to take place. I just hoped someone tripped on a wire and simply pulled a plug on accident, but I was surely mistaken.

"Veronica Ellis, you know who this is. I advise you meet me by the front door... Now."