by Kaila Glass
He looked around the door and saw Effie Rousseau right behind it dressed in a golden gown. Her brown hair cascaded down her bare shoulders.
Blake hoped that his face wasn’t as red as it felt.
Oh, don’t worry, said his Inner Critic. It is.
“Hi, Belle,” he answered.
Effie grinned and twirled on the spot, her gown swishing around her. “She’s my favorite Disney princess. Do you like it?”
Blake nodded. “You look exactly like her.”
“Thanks! I like yours, too. You’re a Hogwarts vampire, right?”
“Yeah, I’m a Gryffindor that was bitten by a vampire.”
“That’s so clever!”
Blake smiled. “Hey, you’re in Theater club, right?”
Effie dropped her gaze. “Oh… yeah.”
“Are you still in Art Club? I know you only started coming to our meetings a few weeks ago.”
“Yeah, I am.” Effie twirled her forefingers around each other. “I just thought… y’know… theater was cool, too, so I thought I’d do both.”
“That’s really cool, Belle.”
Effie brought her golden gloved fist to her mouth and cleared her throat. “Anyway, it’s Halloween and I haven’t found a beast yet.” She waited, blinking her large doe eyes.
“Nico Garcia’s dressed as a werewolf today. You could ask him to be your beast.”
Effie shook her head, smiling, and took a step forward. “I was thinking… y’know… maybe you could be my beast.”
“But I’m a vampire wizard. That wouldn’t work.”
Effie opened her mouth to respond but was cut off by another girl.
“Big Brother, you look so spooky!” Tess Blair appeared at Effie’s side dressed in a short green dress with four wings spreading from her back and a magic wand in hand. Her dirty blonde hair was pulled back into a high ponytail.
Blake leaned forward and placed his hands on his knees. “Peaches, you make such a cute Tinkerbell!”
Tess grinned and spun around in place. “You think so? It was just something I whipped up at the last minute.”
Blake petted her head. “Well, it looks amazing. Good job, Tinkerbell.”
“Trick-or-treating will be fun this year, but it’s too bad about MacKenzie Powell.”
Blake sighed and looked down at his sneakers. “Yeah. I can’t believe she got stomach flu. And right before Halloween, too.”
Tess took Blake’s hand. “It’s okay, you can trick-or-treat with me. My mom says Jamie Tru has to bring me with you guys this year.”
Blake smiled. “That’s great, Tink. I can’t wait.”
“Hey, isn’t it time for lunch? You’ll miss it if you don’t hurry, Big Brother!”
“Oh, you’re right. I’ll see you later, Tink.” Blake closed his locker and started down the hall, waving behind him.
Tess waved back, watching him disappear around the corner, before jabbing her wand into Effie’s chest. “Stay away from him, Effie.”
Effie stared. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me,” said Tess, looking up at Effie with her cold, green eyes. “I saw him first. He’s my Big Brother, not another one of your disposable toys.”
Effie pushed the wand away and folded her arms. “Why do you care? You already have a big brother.”
“Barely,” Tess pouted. “He hates me, treats me like I don’t exist. But not Blake, he’s different. He cares about me. And I won’t let some wannabe Disney princess floozy steal him away!”
Effie’s jaw dropped.
“You better keep your distance, if you know what’s good for you,” said Tess in a low voice. “You don’t wanna end up like poor MacKenzie Powell, do you?”
Effie paused. “That was you? No way, you can’t just… just give someone the stomach flu. That’s impossible.”
“Anything’s possible,” Tess assured. “All you need is a little faith, trust, and pixie dust.” She emphasized ‘pixie’ by tapping Effie’s nose with her wand. “And don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to. Joining Theater club just so you can spy on Big Brother and that MacKenzie girl? That’s low.”
Effie dropped her gaze and stared at the ruffles of her gown.
“Do yourself a favor and quit the Theater club.”
“Whatever,” Effie mumbled.
A broad smile spread across Tess’s face. “I’m glad we understand each other. Happy Halloween, Effie.” She sashayed down the hall, humming to herself and leaving a speechless Effie Rousseau rooted to the spot.
* * *
“Stomach flu, huh?” said Quen to Blake as he and the rest of Nerds, Inc. descended the school’s front steps. His costume was identical to Blake’s, except that he wore a scarf with blue and silver stripes. “That’s awful. I hope she gets well soon.”
“I wonder how she got sick?” asked Rodney. He wore a tattered white lab coat and black leather gloves that dripped with fake blood. His makeup artist had drawn heavy bags under his eyes. “Maybe it was the food in the cafeteria?”
“Are you as crazy as you look?” said Izzy, turning her zombified face to Rodney. With her intricate makeup, red leather jacket and matching pants, she looked about ready to start a dance routine with a horde of animated corpses. “Our kitchen is world class. There’s no way.”
Nerds, Inc. walked through the stone archway and climbed into the black SUV that waited at the side of the road.
“I bet it was TB,” Julio proclaimed once he’d settled himself in his seat. Though his skin was decomposed and there was a chunk of flesh missing from his cheek and neck, his soccer uniform remained clean and free of wrinkles.
“This again?” said Quen next to Julio. “Do you even have proof this time?”
“Don’t need any,” Julio replied. “Her precious Big Brother starts getting close to a girl other than her and said girl ends up sick right before her date with Big Brother? MacKenzie doesn’t have the stomach flu. She’s come down with a bad case of TB!”
“Julio’s right,” said Jamie Tru. He turned back in his seat to face his friends. Stitches had been drawn across his forehead. “I’m sorry Blake, but this was all an elaborate scheme to get you all to herself.”
Blake shook his head. “That’s insane. You can’t just give someone the stomach flu. It’s just a sad coincidence. And where is Peaches, anyway?”
“She’s meeting up with us later,” said Jamie Tru. “But let’s not talk about her anymore. It’s making me nauseous.”
“Yeah, and it’s bad enough Finn’s not trick-or-treating with us,” said Izzy. “He would’ve made such a cute little monster!”
“I wonder what kinda maniac he’ll turn out to be when his mom finally lets him out of the house,” Julio thought aloud.
“Let’s just focus on having a good Halloween, okay guys?” said Quen. “We can’t have fun if we’re moping the whole time.”
“Fair enough,” Jamie Tru agreed. “Let’s make tonight top last year. Are you with me?”
The members of Nerds, Inc. whooped their approval, waving their hands above their heads as the black SUV sped down the street.
* * *
Phoenix sat in the backseat of Fang’s van, the band’s equipment and instruments packed tight behind him. He stared at the road from his open window. He’d tied his hair in a loose, low bun to keep it from whipping his face.
Robbie sat in the passenger seat holding his smartphone up to his grinning face. “The Phoenix Kings’ first ever gig. This is historic. We are making history!”
“Historic?” Phoenix repeated. “Relax, Robbie. It’s just a gig.”
“Just a gig?” said Fang from the driver seat. “This is the biggest party of the year! The whole school’s gonna be there.”
“Not to mention the Lexington Express,” added Robbie. He mimicked pulling a train whistled and said, “Woot, woot!”
“Yeah,” Fang agreed. “I hope the line’s not too long. Catching a ride on that train is on my bucket list.”
“The Lexingtons
have a train at their house?” Phoenix asked.
Fang and Robbie snorted.
“The Lexington Express is Luke’s twin sister, Luxe,” said Robbie when he’d stopped laughing, turning back in his seat. “She used to date Seth Masters, said she was a real freak. Ever since they broke up a few weeks ago, she’s fucked half the guys at school. Poor thing’s got a hole in her heart that she’s trying to fill with dicks.”
“Fine by me,” said Fang. “My virginity’s like a chain that’s holding me back. She might just be my key to breaking that chain. You’ll give me pointers on how to talk to her, right Kami? Kami?”
I’m not the only one? Phoenix wondered. Should I be relieved or disgusted?
A few minutes later, the Phoenix Kings arrived at a large wrought iron gate and showed their IDs to a hefty security guard stationed in a small booth. It took several more minutes to drive up the long driveway, which led to the mother of all mansions known as the Lexington Estate. When Fang parked at the foot of the front steps, everyone hopped out of the van. They walked to the back and opened the back doors.
“Arizona!”
Randy? Phoenix wondered.
He, Fang and Robbie turned their heads. At the sight of the party host descending the stairs, flanked by a handful of burly servants, Phoenix rolled his eyes.
Oh, it’s just Luke, he thought.
Luke Lexington was dressed in a red suit and matching red dress shoes. Small red horns protruded from his neat, blonde hair and he wielded a large red pitch fork. He opened his arms wide in greeting, an arrogant smirk etched across his face. “Arizona, so glad you could make it.”
“For the millionth time,” said Phoenix through gritted teeth, “my name is Phoenix.”
Luke dismissed the band leader’s comment with a flick of his hand. “Yeah, yeah, tomato, tomato. Anyway, I brought some guys, thought maybe you’d need some help.” Luke snapped his fingers and the servants began pulling amps and guitars from the van and carrying them up the stairs.
“Thanks, man!” said Fang and Robbie together.
“My pleasure,” said Luke, flashing a perfect smile. “It’s the least I can do. Nice costumes, by the way. Those are sick! Let’s head inside. I wanna show you the stage.”
The Phoenix Kings followed the party host into his estate. The floor beneath Phoenix’s feet was made of marble. Tables with elegant, white tablecloths and servants clad in black tuxedoes abound. At the front of the room, where servants were depositing the band’s equipment, was the stage.
“The party doesn’t start for another hour,” said Luke as the Phoenix Kings ascended the stage from the stairs on the side, “so you’ve got at least three to warm up. Let me know when you get thirsty, okay?”
“Sure!” Fang and Robbie said in unison.
“Finally,” Phoenix scoffed when Luke walked away. He connected his guitar to an amp and put it over his shoulder. “I thought he’d never leave.”
“What’s your deal?” asked Robbie, a microphone in hand.
“Yeah, Luke is the coolest guy ever,” said Fang, placing a bass drum at his feet. “He lives in a castle and has, like, a million followers on Instagram and SnapChat.”
“He reminds me of someone I hate,” Phoenix answered.
“Who?” asked Fang and Robbie.
“An asshole from my hometown. They’re both blond, pretentious pricks. He even calls me Arizona the same way Randy did. It’s way too much of a coincidence. If God is real, he’s a total asshole.”
When everything was set up, the band tuned up their instruments and rehearsed a few songs. At the end of their final song, Luke approached the stage, clapping. “You sound great, boys. Why don’t you take a break before the show starts, grab a drink?”
“Sure,” said Fang, rising from his drum set.
Robbie pulled off his bass. “Yeah, why not?”
“No,” said Phoenix. “We’re not drinking tonight.”
“Uh, are you insane?” asked Luke. “This is the biggest party of the year and you wanna spend it sober?”
“We’re driving tonight. I don’t know about you, but I wanna live to play another gig. Right guys?”
“Right,” Fang and Robbie mumbled, each looking down at their boots.
Luke shrugged. A servant walked by with a silver platter topped with glasses of wine. He grabbed one and downed it in one gulp. “Suit yourself.”
“Whatever,” said Fang. “So long as I get to ride the Lexington Express, I’m happy.”
Phoenix rolled his eyes.
Over the next few hours, the room filled with costume-clad teens and their laughter. Everyone seemed to have a drink in one hand and a smartphone in the other. When the room had reached capacity, the lights dimmed, and the Phoenix Kings stood on stage shrouded in shadows.
Luke walked on stage, a single beam of light following him, and the crowd erupted. “Seven Hills, lemme here ya!” he said into his mic. The crowd whooped and applauded. “Welcome to Lexington Manor’s third annual Halloween bash. You know me, I always try to top last year. So, I brought the best band in Seven Hills for the biggest party of the damn year. Show them some love. I bring you, the Phoenix Kings!”
When the lights above shined down on the band and Luke stepped off the stage, the crowd went wild. They waved their arms above their heads, videotaping the stage with their smartphones.
Phoenix shielded his eyes with the back of his hand, squinting. “Jesus, that’s bright.” The audience laughed. Phoenix lowered his hand and blinked several times. “So… hi.” A few teens said ‘hi’ back and a handful of girls blew wolf whistles. “Calm down, we haven’t even played the first song yet.” There were a few more giggles from the crowd. “Anyway, as you can see, we’re dressed as the Scout Regiment tonight and—”
“Survey Corps!” Fang said into his mic from the back.
Phoenix rolled his eyes. “No one cares, Fang,” he answered, still facing the audience. “Nobody here reads anyway, right?” The audience hissed and booed. “Right. And since we’re dressed like Attack on Titan, I figured we may as well sing the theme song.” The teens roared their approval.
Fang counted them off by beating one drum stick against the other and they entered the song with a powerful guitar riff, courtesy of the lead guitarist.
I wanted to believe there was no,
No hell on Earth was that what we know.
But every day just seems to worsen.
We weren’t prepared at all…
Phoenix’s voice filled every nook and cranny of the room, maybe even the whole mansion. For a moment, he forgot where he was, lost in the music and cheers. Then, the song ended, and the cheers from the crowd threatened to rock the whole house. When the band started the second song, Phoenix watched as the audience swayed to the familiar tune.
There’s a stranger in my bed.
There’s a pounding in my head.
Glitter all over the room.
Pink flamingos in the pool…
Though Phoenix never liked Katy Perry, his lips curled into a smile. It felt strange, alien even, but he couldn’t help it. The way his classmates sang along, the flawless execution by his bandmates, the kickass guitar solo he played near the end… it was incredible. What color was this feeling? Did it have one?
They played nonstop for he didn’t know how long. After what felt like thirty minutes, it was time for the Phoenix Kings to call it a night.
Phoenix held up his hand as the lights in the room came on again. “Thank you!”
“That was so fucking cool!” said Fang as he unplugged his mic.
“Yeah, we were on fire,” Robbie agreed. “I can’t wait to meet our future groupies.”
“We can stay for another hour or two, but after that, we gotta go,” said Phoenix. “And no drinking. I mean it.”
When the trio had everything packed and the servants had carried their instruments and equipment back to the van, Fang and Robbie descended the stage, disappearing among the teens.
Phoenix followed his bandmates’ lead. A servant walked by him carrying a tray of glasses filled with brown liquid.
That smells like Cognac, your favorite, said his Inner Critic. Go grab a glass.
Phoenix flinched. No, that’s not a good idea.
You’re so boring when your sober.
He shook off the drunk girls that approached him, uninterested in “working” tonight. Instead, he resolved to find an empty room to himself where he could work on some music that he’d brought with him. He climbed the grand, spiral staircase and wandered the second floor. He felt as though he’d stepped into a brothel, because he could hear muffled moaning and creaking beds coming from every closed door he crossed.
Hmm, Phoenix thought. Teens are like human rabbits. I could use that phrase as lyrics for a song.
Phoenix stopped at a door that was ajar. He poked his head in, found that it was empty, and stepped inside. The room was plush and decorated with pictures of flowers.
Must be a girl’s room, he thought.
Then, the door closed behind him and a pair of arms wrapped around his middle.
“Finally,” giggled a voice from behind. “I’ve got you all to myself.”
20
Worth Living
Blake waited in the soccer field’s bleachers after school. He watched Julio and his team run up and down the field for a few hours, then met him outside the locker rooms when practice was over. They mounted their bikes from the foot of the school building and pedaled away, Blake trailing behind Julio. When they reached the wrought iron gate guarding the Cardoso residence, Julio punched in the code on the keypad and the gate swung forward. They biked up the driveway, passing the magnificent fountain at the fork, and parked their bikes on the porch.
“Manny?” Julio called out when he opened the front door. “I’m home!”
A kid with a head of dark curls walked around the corner and hugged Julio.
“Blake,” said Julio, when the two broke apart, “this is my little brother, Manny. Manny, this is my friend, Blake.”
Manny waved, his toothy grin exposing a handful of missing teeth. “Hi, Blake!”
Blake gave a small smile and waved. “Nice to meet you, Manny.”