by Willow Rose
"Who are they?" Melanie whispered. She was standing next to Jayden. On the other side of him stood Robyn. She pulled out her hand of his when she spotted her mom in the crowd. Mrs. Jones was wearing one of her big hats and dark sunglasses.
"Just some locals who were in the park late at night," Robyn answered. "He had just proposed to her."
Jayden and Melanie looked at her.
"What? I heard someone talking about it in the back when we passed them," Robyn said.
Robyn's mom spotted them and pushed her way through the crowd. Robyn rolled her eyes.
"Here we go."
"Robyn, darling," her mother sang as she approached them. Someone didn't move away fast enough, and she accidentally touched his arm, then winced. "Uh, oh. Dirty jacket. You do realize that being poor doesn’t serve as an excuse for not washing your clothes, right? There are such things as laundromats. You'll find them around town. Now scootch, shush. I’m trying to get to my daughter over here."
Robyn's grandma came up right behind Robyn's mom and was pretending that she didn't know her daughter. She looked like a rock star in her leather pants and heavy jewelry. Robyn's mom was fighting to keep her high heels from sinking into the soft soil.
She leaned down and kissed the air around Robyn. "Honey, you really shouldn't be here in this awful place. All this worry…stop wrinkling your forehead, will you? It might get stuck."
Robyn sighed, sounding even more annoyed with her mother than usual. "What are you doing here? Outside?"
"Well, Jim and Carol came over and told us what was going on. We had to see what all the ruckus was about."
"My parents are here too?" Amy asked.
"Somewhere, yes," Robyn's mom said.
"Your mom too," she said addressed to Jayden. "Wearing some awful gym outfit or yoga pants that people seriously shouldn't be wearing outside. I don't know how people keep assuming it looks cute."
Jayden spotted his dad in with the police behind the tape, then waved. His dad saw him and came closer.
"You shouldn't be here," he said.
"What happened to them?" Jayden asked.
Jayden's dad scratched his head under his cap. "They were attacked. Looks like an animal."
Jayden swallowed. "You think…?"
His dad nodded. "Yeah, I do. I don't know what to think anymore, but this can't keep going on. We need to figure out who is behind all this."
Jayden turned to look at Jazmine, Amy, and Melanie. Robyn was still chatting with her mom, rolling her eyes after each sentence her mother finished. The girls all nodded, urging him to go on.
"Yeah, about that, Dad," he said. "We kind of have something to tell you. All of you."
Chapter Fifty-Two
"You did what???"
Robyn's mom's voice was loud and shrill. It rang through Jayden's house and made most of the kids wince.
They had told them everything. It was evening, and they had all gathered in Jayden's house, and Jazmine had been the one to tell the entire tale of how they had been attacked by Mr. Aran and then trapped him in the Yeti cup. They had also told their parents about what they had found out with the creature and how they believed it could be disguised as any one of them right now. Jayden's dad had especially listened carefully, his cheeks turning dark red when they told him how they also believed he had been one of the creature's victims. All the parents' eyes were staring at the children now, baffled, startled, and blown away by the story they had just heard, except for Robyn's mom, who had fire in her eyes and looked like she was about to explode.
"You mean to tell me you started all this?" she added, stepping closer to Jazmine. "You with your…little spell. You started the entire war? Do you know how many of our…kind we have lost in this? I lost my three nephews, Robyn's cousins. All because you used your powers when you weren't supposed to and then…then decided to get rid of Mr. Aran? And as if that wasn't enough, you decided you didn't have to tell us? We could have avoided the war had we known where he was."
"Camille, the war would have happened anyway," Jayden's dad said. "We all know that. The spiders were looking for trouble, looking for a reason to start it. If it hadn't been this, they would have found something else, another reason. The kids only did what they had to do to save their lives. Jazmine saved her friends, the way I see it."
Amy nodded. "She sure did."
"We decided to tell you now because we're kind of in over our heads," Jazmine said.
"The thing is," Amy took over. "The spiders aren't done yet. They'll be back, and this time, they'll strike us all down. Mr. Aran has escaped and is set on revenge."
"And they're planning to strike on the day of the Halloween party," Jazmine said.
Robyn's mom clasped her chest like someone had physically hurt her. "Ah. I can't believe this? Finally, we’re planning on having some fun around here, and now they're going to ruin that too?"
"I am sorry," Amy said.
"It's not your fault," her mom said.
"Well, she is the one who told them, isn't she?" Robyn's mom said, appalled. "When acting like the little spy."
"Camille," Amy's mom said and sent her a look to make her back down.
"This is not the time for a blame game," Jayden's mom said. "It is time for us to stick together."
They all nodded in agreement. Jayden's mom saw it and said, "I meant the parents. Not the kids. This is time for the parents to take over. You kids have been through enough."
"And caused enough trouble," Robyn's mom said, looking at each and every one of them.
"S-so, what are you going to do?" Amy asked.
"Well, first of all, we need to cancel the party," Jayden's mom said. "We can't risk it."
Robyn's mom looked pensive, then shook her head. "Oh, no. That's what they'll expect us to do. I say we don't let them dictate our lives. How about we just move it up a week? To this weekend?"
They all looked at one another, then back at her, nodding. "That could work," Jayden's mom said.
Robyn's mom rubbed her hands together in victory, then turned to look at the children, pointing her gloved finger at them.
"But none of you will attend. You're all grounded for what you did to Mr. Aran. Now, scootch. Go home and think about what you've done."
Chapter Fifty-Three
Saturday
One hour before the Halloween Block Party
Chapter Fifty-Four
Amy looked out the window and down at the street where four parents were setting up a pavilion in the cul-de-sac. Kipp came up behind her and put his head on her shoulder.
"Are you sad that you're not going?" he asked.
She shrugged. "Kind of. I was looking forward to going as a mermaid. I had bought the costume and everything. I like dressing up."
"I know. But there's always next year," he said.
"Plus, you're going."
"Well, my foster parents, the Browns, haven't exactly caught up on what has been going on lately and, frankly, they have no clue, so I’m the only kid around here who isn’t grounded," he said. "I hardly think you're going to miss out on anything."
"Yeah, you're right. None of my friends are going anyway," Amy said with a sigh. "It could have been fun if they did, though. It's been years since we last had a party on our street."
"There'll be others; I’m sure," Kipp said.
"Even Alice and the Tinfoil Man are going," she said. "My mom asked them to come. Since they've been living in our basement, she feels they too are a part of the neighborhood. They're dressing up as spiders, thinking it’s oh-so-funny. It's not fair, though."
"I have a feeling you'll survive."
"Look, there's an ice sculpture!" Amy said and pointed. "Ah. I can't believe they have an ice sculpture. I’m missing out on everything!"
Kipp stretched his neck to see. "That thing is massive. Who on earth ordered that?"
They spotted Mrs. Jones as she rushed into the street and directed the man carrying the massive sculpture, telling him to put i
t in one place, then changing her mind.
"Of course," Amy said. "Robyn's mom did. Aw. It's not fair. I love ice sculptures."
"You can look at it from up here."
"Very funny," Amy said with an exhale. "Will there be confetti? Because I also love confetti. And balloons. I have always loved balloons. I can never have too many balloons."
Kipp leaned over and kissed her. "I will bring you balloons for your birthday."
"And flowers?"
"And flowers."
"And an ice sculpture?"
He chuckled. "I don't know if I can afford that, but yes, if that is what you want, I will make sure there is one."
He looked at his watch. "I should get dressed. There's only an hour till it starts."
"And you're still going as the dragon?" Amy asked.
He nodded. "Even though it will be weird without you. I think it's a great costume. You know how much I love dragons."
"Cute," she said and poked his nose.
He kissed her again with a smirk, then looked into her eyes. "Try to be good, will you?"
She exhaled, thinking about how boring it was going to be sitting up there all alone. She had begged her mom to revoke the grounding, but her mom had told her it would remain in place. There had to be consequences for what they had done.
"I’m not making any promises."
Chapter Fifty-Five
"You can't do anything?"
Jayden's mom looked at his dad as he helped her get her mask on. Once in place, she looked exactly like Hillary Clinton in her pantsuit and everything. It amused Jayden. He was watching them get ready from the top of the stairs. Jayden's dad was in front of the mirror in the hallway, putting on his outfit as Bill Clinton. Jayden was glad he wasn’t going to the party. He liked parties but wasn't much into dressing up. Besides, he still wasn't completely himself after finding out that he had lost several weeks of his life. It was odd to wake up and find your life changed in so many ways.
He loved being with Robyn, but she wasn't really how she used to be. She seemed colder somehow, and he wasn't sure he really liked her that much anymore. In the beginning, he had been thrilled to be back with her, but lately, he wasn't so sure anymore. He couldn't really put a finger on exactly what it was, but she had changed somehow. She was different. He felt like she didn't really care about him or about being with him.
Maybe I’m the one who's different.
"I can't," his dad said. "And it is frustrating me immensely."
They were talking about Ruelle and about Jazmine's mom, Briana. Both were still in jail, waiting for their trials, accused of something they hadn't done. They all knew that they weren't responsible for those deaths; they knew it was that odd creature, but no one could prove it.
"As long as I don't have evidence to shut down their cases," his dad said. "They'll have to go through the court systems. And I don't. All I have is a story of some supernatural creature that no human will ever believe. Now, Jazmine hired an excellent attorney to represent her mom, so she might be able to make it, but Ruelle's parents can't afford one, they say."
"Can't we help them?" Jayden's mom said, putting on her pearls. Jayden's dad came up behind her and helped her close them.
"We don't have that kind of money," he said.
"But there must be something we can do. To help them."
Jayden's dad turned to look at his wife behind the mask. "We can catch the real killer."
Jayden's mom scoffed. "Why haven't we?"
"He's very good at hiding; you know that as well as I do."
She stroked his face gently. "I do know. It's surreal to know that I lived with that creature for months. I can't believe I didn't see that it wasn't you. I mean, I knew something was wrong with you. You weren't being yourself, and I was worried."
"No wonder, especially when I attacked you in the cul-de-sac. How come you never told people it was me? You must have known?"
"I thought you had gone rabid. I had known for some time that you were different and had changed somehow. It had been going on for quite some time. If I had known what I know now, I would have reacted differently. But I was so focused on you maybe being rabid. I was scared you had gotten sick. It happens, you know. I had an uncle who it happened to."
"But…I hurt you?"
She sighed. "I fully believed that you didn't know what you were doing. That you couldn't see it was me you were fighting. It scared me senseless, but then it seemed to go away. Suddenly, you asked me how I got my bruises, and I told you it was some other wolf that had attacked me. I didn't want you to worry. Because you genuinely couldn't remember attacking me and it would have killed you if I told you. I knew it would."
"Wow," he said. "I can't believe what you had to go through. All I remember is waking up on the lawn outside of the abandoned house and suddenly several months had passed. That must have been when the creature had met Briana somewhere and shifted into being her."
Jayden's mom nodded. "Making its way through the neighborhood, hiding in plain sight so no one would suspect it of being the killer. Clever."
Jayden's dad corrected his shirt and put on his suit jacket, then put on his mask. Hillary and Bill were now standing in the hallway, looking at themselves in the mirror.
"What if the kids are right?" Jayden's dad asked. "And the beast is still hiding in this neighborhood, still pretending to be someone here? He might be out there right now, joining the party, and we have no way of knowing."
Chapter Fifty-Six
"Are you sad that you're not going to the party?"
Veronika stood next to Robyn in the window while they looked down at the street, where people from the entire neighborhood had gathered.
Robyn shrugged. "Maybe."
Veronika squinted her eyes, then looked at the window. The place was soon crawling with people; most of them Veronika had never seen before. The door opened to her room, and Robyn's mother and grandmother came rushing inside. Robyn's grandmother was dressed as Wonder Woman, while her mom was Darth Vader, her face completely covered by the mask. She even sounded like him when speaking.
"You kids behave now," she said, with that deep, wheezing voice. "While the grown-ups have fun. Please don't get yourself in trouble."
Robyn turned and rolled her eyes at them. Her grandmother stared at her for a few seconds, scrutinizing her. Her mother was just wheezing while breathing behind the mask.
"Are you okay, Robyn?" her grandmother asked. "You seem a little…off lately."
Robyn shrugged. "I'm fine."
"She's just moping because she doesn’t get to go to the party," her mother said. "Pay no attention to her."
"You ready, Mrs. Jones?"
"Duncan?" Robyn said, startled as he entered behind them.
"Yes, Duncan is here and so is Caleb. I invited them and their families to the party."
"Robyn," Duncan said with a polite nod. He was dressed as a cat.
She hardly even looked at him. Caleb entered too, wearing another cat costume and suddenly Robyn smiled.
"Caleb!"
Caleb gave Duncan a smug look. "Guess who's popular now."
Robyn walked up to him, then grabbed his collar and pulled him into a kiss. Duncan hissed in the background.
"Whoa," Caleb said as she let go of him.
"Robyn!" her mother wheezed. "That's not how a lady behaves."
Robyn gave her mother a grin, then let go of Caleb with a low growl while touching his chest.
"See you later, stud," she said, while her grandmother sent her a look of concern.
"We should go," Mrs. Jones said, and they all turned to leave. Robyn was sending Caleb finger-kisses on his way.
"Something's different about her," her grandmother said on their way out. "Don't you think? She's off somehow."
"Puh," Robyn's mother wheezed. "She's a teenager. Don't let her fool you. She's just trying to get attention."
"I have a feeling it's a little more than that," her grandmother said. "And I
think you sense it too."
Camille scoffed. "Nonsense. Besides, tonight is a party. I want to have all the fun in the world and then worry about my teenage daughter tomorrow. It can wait."
Chapter Fifty-Seven
BamBam jumped into Jazmine's lap. She was sitting by the computer, trying to block out all the noise coming from the cul-de-sac. She didn't even want to look out the window and see them all down there having fun. She just wanted to forget everything and watch some Netflix.
She had been slightly out of it lately because of her mother. It was one thing to have a mother in jail if she had actually done the things she was accused of, but now that Jazmine knew she was innocent, it tortured her that she had to sit in there waiting for her trial. The judge had said he considered her a huge threat to her surroundings and set the bail so high there was no way Jazmine could get her mom out. All she could hope for was a fair trial where she would be acquitted.
Robyn had been a very good friend through all this. When Jazmine had told her that she wanted to use Caleb for her mother's case and that his only payment required was a date with Robyn, she had said yes, of course. She'd love to go out with him. He was yummy; she had said as much, to Jazmine's surprise. She had asked her if it would be a problem with Jayden, but Robyn had simply scoffed and said that he'd just have to live with it. He didn't own her.
Jazmine thought it was a little harsh but couldn't really object to it. All she worried about was getting her mother back home.
There was a light knock on the door, and her aunt peeked inside, dressed as a red Crayola Crayon. She and like five other women had agreed each to go as a color and make a pack. Amy's mom was green. Jazmine thought it was cute but a little pathetic.
"All right, baby girl. I’m going. Will you be all right here alone?"