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Maia shakes her head as we walk through the front lawn toward the sidewalk. It’s a little strange, only her and me, and not any of our friends around like usual. But hey, she looked like she wanted to be anywhere other than the party, and honestly, I wasn’t feeling it either.
Especially not after the text from my mom.
Mom: We need you home for winter break, Rhett. You’re a groomsman. No exceptions.
My brother Chuck asked his girlfriend to marry him over the summer. Now, two months later, they finally decided on a date, and it’s literally two days after Christmas. Which is less than two months from now. Understandably so, my mother is going batshit crazy.
My problem? I can’t afford to fly home. I don’t want to ask my parents for money nor do I want to take time off from my job as a surf instructor. Besides, is it really necessary? I doubt they’ll notice me missing.
“Earth to Rhett.” Maia’s waving her hands in front of my face. “Which way are we headed?”
“Shit, sorry. Got a lot on my mind. But fuck it, it’s Halloween, right? Let’s see what’s happening on the beach.”
“You want to talk about it?” Maia asks as we walk down the street and toward the shore.
“Nah, I’m good. By the way, your costume rocks.”
She smiles, and I’m not going to lie, it’s gorgeous. I always thought Maia was the prettiest girl in our friend group, the most down to earth and social. After she got with Alex, she kind of disappeared. “Thank you. I added the patches and jewels. Made some jewelry, too.”
“Get out, that’s really cool. Do you sell any of the jewelry you make?”
Maia laughs. “No. It’s not sellable, really. Just for my own collection, I guess.” She shrugs.
“Don’t sell yourself short. I bet you’d make a killing.”
“Maybe. It’s more of a fun hobby while I’m bingeing scary movies. Halloween or not, give me all the horror.”
I groan. “No, please, tell me I misheard you.”
“Wait, wait, wait,” Maia says between giggles. “Are you scared of them?” She elbows me playfully in the side.
“Ha! I’m not scared. Just don’t enjoy them.”
“That’s what everyone who’s scared says.”
“I’m not! Trust me. I’ve seen a few.” I shake my head. “Not enjoyable.”
“Okay, okay. I respect your opinion. There’s just one little problem.”
“Which is?”
“We can’t be friends.”
I laugh. “You mean to tell me it’s over between us?”
“I’m afraid so. Nice knowing you, Rhett.” Maia stops.
“Alright, that’s cool. You have a good rest of your night, okay? Me, I’m going to check out the party on the beach. Heard there was a pumpkin-carving contest, and if you didn’t know, I can carve a mean jack-o’-lantern. Maybe not as good as you, Miss Horror Queen herself, but I’ll put some money on it.”
While I might not know much about Maia, I do know how much she loves Halloween. It’s been apparent every year with her over-the-top costumes and the way she decorates the apartment. And who doesn’t like a fun challenge?
“You want to bet money? Are you sure about that? Because one thing a horror queen knows how to do is carve a damn pumpkin.”
“Let’s see it, then. I’ll even race you there.” I take off down the beach, laughing as I hear her yell behind me.
“Damn you! You have longer legs than me!”
“Excuses!” I yell over my shoulder.
