Homecoming

Chapter 7: Welcome to Redmond's

I entered Redmond's, and music blasted from the speakers. They played some random party song that had people dancing in their places. People clad in different Halloween costumes surrounded the place, and I couldn't recognize anyone. Not that I would instantly know anyone in a busy city such as LA.

Halloween decorations were all over the place, and they weren't the tacky kind. I didn't even know that Halloween decorations could be classy. Plastic skeletons, pumpkin lanterns, fake cobwebs, creepy mummy and wooden coffin by the corner, and even felt spiders hung from the ceiling. The strobe lights were a mix of orange and red hues. It looked like we were inside a well-decorated haunted mansion. They really went all out with the festivities this year.

The strobe lights moved along the music, and the bass from the speakers brought uniformed thuds to my chest.

Erin tapped my shoulder, and when I glanced over her, she was completely different. If she didn't come to me first, I wouldn't even approach her. She had a skeleton painted on her face and flowers on her head. She looked spooky, but her costume was nothing short of spectacular. Or you know, spooktacular.

"What are you supposed to be?" I raised my voice to the loud music. It was impossible to hear anyone with this obnoxious party music.

"Day of the dead? La Calavera Catrina?" Erin supplied as if I would know what she referred to. It didn't ring a bell, but regardless, she looked amazing. Her eyes raced through my entire body, inspecting what I chose to wear tonight. She countered, "What are you supposed to be? Didn't I tell you not to wear your usual clothes?"

I ran a hand through my hair, suddenly conscious. Strands of my hair fell on my face as I looked down, checking what I wore. I chose a black pair of jeans, boots, a white shirt, and a leather jacket. Erin was right. This looked a lot like my usual clothes.

"This is my attempt to do Danny Zuko from Grease," I said, gesturing to my body. When Erin raised her eyebrows and crossed her arms, I resigned. "What? This is what I can come up with at the last minute, okay?"

"This isn't even remotely different to what you usually wear," Erin smacked a hand on my arm. "But I do like what I did with your hair."

"Thanks," I preened. I spent more than twenty minutes in front of the mirror in an attempt to tame my hair. "I think I haven't worn so much hair gel in my life. My hair is all sticky and wet."

Erin laughed as someone with a similar costume to hers wrapped their arms around her. I almost didn't recognize Brad with the makeup. He had the same skeleton painted on his face, but his clothes were different. He had a blazer with a bunch of flowers stuck on them. He definitely got roped into Erin's love for Halloween.

"Hey! I'm glad you showed up tonight," Brad said. His arm rested on Erin's shoulders.

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be here?" I asked.

Erin and Brad looked at each other, deciphering a message using acquainted glances.

"You didn't seem enthusiastic yesterday when I told you that I set you up with someone," Erin commented. "So we thought you'll bail on us."

Before I got the chance to reply, someone came in behind Brad to call out to Erin. It was an emergency on nachos of some sort. Of course, this was her party, and I expected her to manage things and be their boss.

Erin excused herself, resuming her mission, leaving Brad with a kiss and me with a hug. Before she left, Erin said that we need to talk about feelings and my halfhearted willingness to be here. I sighed and rolled my eyes. She was way too dramatic sometimes.