Not a Night for Clowning Around

𝕋𝕎𝔼𝕃𝕍𝔼

HALLOWEEN COULDN'T HAVE come any sooner. I was dreading the day, and couldn't wait for it to be over. I spent the day in bed, only getting up after Aaliyah spammed my phone with calls repeatedly for an hour, and got ready. My parents weren't thrilled about me going, but they preferred that over me being home alone. They were at work, but the cop assigned to watch my house was nice enough to drive me to Shawn's house where everyone was meeting up.

"Thanks again for the ride," I said as I got out.

He smiled at me. "Call me when it's done and I'll drive you back."

I waved goodbye as the police cruiser drove away before making my way to Shawn's front door. I rang the doorbell on his mansion of a house and was greeted by a tipsy Shawn.

"Carter!" he slurred, stumbling as he pulled me into a hug. "Long time no see!"

"You saw me yesterday, idiot." I pushed past him and went inside, where Aaliyah and Jake were sitting on the couches.

"Where's your costume?" she demanded.

I raised my eyebrows. "Where's yours?"

"Shawn didn't want to dress up, so I had to change," she said bitterly.

Jake rolled his eyes. "I think we're a little grown for that shit anyway." He looked at me concernedly. "How are you feeling?"

"I want to go home," I admitted.

"After we go to the carnival," he promised.

"Kellen's here!" Shawn exclaimed.

"I bring gifts," Kellen said as he joined us. He opened his backpack, pulling out two bottles of whiskey. "Stole them from my dad's liquor cabinet. Enjoy."

"Merry Christmas to me." Shawn grabbed a bottle, his eyes lighting up with joy.

Jake opened the other and took a sip before passing it to Aaliyah and then me. "No thanks," I said politely.

"You seem so tense," Kellen remarked. "Don't you want to loosen up a little?"

"One sip won't hurt," Jake added.

Succumbing to peer pressure, I took a swig, feeling its contents burn my throat. "Okay, no more for me."

Jake chuckled. "Shall we get a move on?"

~*~

The carnival was in full swing by the time we got there. It was packed with people, and looked a lot more appealing than when Jake and I first stumbled across it.

We waited in line to go in, and I was taken aback by how many people there were. Clearly this one night only carnival was a hit.

"Ten dollars for a ticket," the person in the ticket booth said.

Aaliyah handed him thirty dollars, getting a ticket for her, Shawn and Kellen. Jake handed the person the tickets we got for free.

The person glanced at the tickets weirdly. "It looks like you have the VIP tickets."

"Do we get free food?" Jake asked eagerly.

"You get free access to the funhouse."

Shawn frowned. "I wanna go to a funhouse."

"That'll be an extra ten dollars. Per person."

Aaliyah gawked at the worker. "Ten dollars for a stupid funhouse?"

The worker shrugged. "Take it or leave it."

Aaliyah grumbled choice words under her breath as she handed another thirty dollars. The worker swapped their tickets for ones that looked just like mine and Jake's.

"Enjoy your night. Next."

"What a ripoff," she scoffed as we entered the carnival.

"Lighten up, babe. We're gonna have fun tonight," Shawn promised.

"Where to first?" Jake asked.

"Cotton candy?" Aaliyah and I said in sync, resulting in us laughing.

Shawn swung his arm over his girlfriend's shoulders. "Looks like we're getting cotton candy for the ladies."

"I'm gonna go take a leak," Kellen spoke up. "I'll see you guys in a bit."

"I think the sight of all these couples is making him sick," I said stupidly without thinking.

Jake glanced at me. "Couples?"

"I mean...I, uh...you know..."

"Let's go get that cotton candy," he said with a chuckle, leaving me standing there like a blubbering idiot.

Trying to forget what I just said, I walked with the group to the nearest dessert stand. "One cotton candy please," Jake said to the worker. He took out his wallet and handed her a bill.

"Here you go." The worker handed him a stick of cotton candy.

Jake looked at me weirdly as I searched for my wallet to order. "What're you doing? I thought we'd share."

My heart rate accelerated tenfold, a smile tugging at my lips. Maybe tonight wouldn't be so bad.