“You got me a devil costume?”
“A sexy devil costume,” Ezra corrects, leaning over me to pluck the tail from the bag. “With glitter. You’re welcome.”
Talia flops onto the bed, positioning herself against my pillows. “We figured you’d hesitate or wear something boring. So, we took creative liberty.”
I pull out the headband, the horns sparkling like pointy disco balls. They’re most definitely not to scale if my memory serves me right. I stare at them, then at the costume before tracking my eyes to my best friends who are lying together, practically vibrating with anticipation.
“You’re wearing it!” Ezra says with an exaggerated finger wag. “And you’re coming over to my house to pre-game. Your shift is covered.”
“You what?” I ask, plopping the outfit back into its bag.
“The manager owed me a favour,” Talia says sweetly, kicking her shoes off so she can get comfortable. “I cashed it in. You’re off the hook, sunshine.”
I open my mouth to protest, but—ugh. They’re right. I haven’t had fun in forever, and the idea of dressing up, dancing, and not having to go to work on a Saturday? It sounds magical. I sigh, but I can’t contain the smile that lights up across my face.
“Fine. I’ll wear the stupid costume.”
Ezra claps dramatically, springing to his feet so he can jump up and down on my bed. “The sun becomes a slutty devil. I love it!”
“I’m not wearing the freaking tail,” I cut in, narrowing my eyes.
“You say that now,” he grins, flopping back down on the bed, panting for air. He reaches for his tote and pulls out a bunch of eyeshadow pallets, spreading them out across the bed. “Just wait until you see what I have planned for you.”
He beckons me over, and I giggle as I plant myself on the bed by him whilst he opens each palette one by one, pointingat different shades of reds and pinks. I love listening to Ezra talk about makeup; his entire face just lights up whenever it’s the topic of conversation. He settles on a deep red and a sparkly black colour, claiming they’ll make my ‘ocean blue’s pop’. Whatever the hell that means. I look at my two incredible best friends and smile, thinking about the party. Gods help me, I think I’m actually excited.
Ezra’s bathroombecomes my transformation chamber.
I stare at myself in the mirror. Red corset. Fishnets. Horns tilted slightly. The tail dangles mockingly from the counter, because absolutely not. I look insane, in the best kind of way, but still insane. Like I fell out of a “Devils Who Slay” Pinterest board and landed straight in Hot Topic’s clearance aisle. And for some reason, that makes me laugh. Not a cute, ladylike laugh either. A full-bodied, wheezing, ugly-cry giggle that has my eyes watering and my stomach cramping. Just a few weeks ago, my soul was sold to a demon with a lethal face card. And now here I am, dressed up as a dollar-store version of a dominatrix from hell with dark red eyeshadow, lipstick to match, and winged eyeliner, ready for a frat party. It’s not funny… but it also kind of is. Because if I don’t laugh, I might cry, and I refuse to cry tonight. Because tonight, I’m going to have fun, I’m going to drink, and I’m going to dance until my thighs hurt.
When I finally calm down and step out of the bathroom, Ezra’s apartment is vibrating. Bass-heavy pop thunders through the speakers, the scent of setting spray, cheap vodka, and overly sweet perfume clings to the air. Talia’s lounging across the arm of the couch in a black leather catsuit so tight I’m pretty sure it’ll have to be surgically removed. Her chestnut-brown hair’sslicked back into a high ponytail, her cheekbones contoured so sharply she’s bordering on looking like Maleficent. She’s sipping pink tequila from a mason jar and scrolling through her texts, probably seeing who she’s going to hook up with tonight.
Ezra’s in a full vampire costume, with drag queen glam. We’re talking floor-length black velvet cape, red glitter eyeshadow, highlighter blindingly bright, and sharp little fangs that make his smile look even more adorable. His ginger curls are swept up into a half-up bun, with sparkling glitter dusted throughout. His boots are heeled, and his nails are a sparkly black. He looks like a freaking vision.
“There she is!” He yells when he sees me. “Miss Sin and Suffering herself.”
Talia lets out a wolf whistle. “Look at our little devil. Who knew damnation came with a pair of banging tits?”
I bark out a laugh and flop onto the couch beside her, adjusting the corset for the hundredth time. “I feel ridiculous.”
“You look hot,” Talia replies, bumping her shoulder into mine. “Like the kind of girl who could ruin a man’s life with just a wink.”
“Honestly?” Ezra says, handing me a solo cup filled with pink liquid. “If I were into boobs, I’d be worshipping yours right now.”
I giggle, shaking them at him for effect before sipping the drink. It tastes like melted candy with a strong after-burn. Perfect. We keep drinking, and Talia puts on Doja Cat, making us scream the lyrics into hairbrushes as we dance around the room. Ezra spins, his cape billowing around him as he lip syncs for his life, whilst I do my very best not to trip over in my heels. It’s nothing short of chaotic, and I’ve never felt so alive.
Talia swipes up Ezra’s phone, scrolling through his playlist with a smirk before putting on a track she knows is going to break us all. Sleep Token - Take Me Back to Eden. The roomstills for a breath, then the first haunting notes slide through the air. We don’t speak, we freaking belt. Every single lyric and crescendo. Talia clutches at her chest dramatically, and Ezra throws his head back, howling the bridge like it’s being torn from his soul. When it ends, we stand there panting from our efforts, and Ezra throws a handful of glitter into the air like confetti and yells, “TO THE FRAT!”
The Lambda houselooks like it’s been doused in the stuff that oozes from glowsticks, wrapped in fake cobwebs. Pumpkins line the stairs up to the door, fog machines pump out thick mist, and lights pulse red, purple, and eerie green through the windows.
Ezra spins as he steps into the foyer, his cape flapping around him. The party is buzzing. Bodies are everywhere—angels with glitter halos, cowboys in crop tops, there’s even a guy in a banana suit doing the worm. The music thumps through the walls, and I swipe a drink off a tray, downing it in one gulp alongside Talia and Ezra. We move straight to the middle of the main room, Ezra grinding on me like a horny teenager, and neither of us gives a damn. Talia’s surrounded by a flock of frat boys, every single one of them dressed as something shirtless. Ezra barks at them. Literally barks, to make them go away. One of the guys stumbles back, eyes wide. “Jesus!”
“I bite!” Ezra says as he barks again, and I burst into a fit of laughter.
Talia kisses his cheek as a thanks, then begins to vanish into the crowd with someone way too old to be in a college house. “Back later!” She calls with a wink.
Ezra turns to me, glancing over my shoulder with a sparkle in his eye. “Don’t let the frat goblins steal you. I’m off to seduce Batman.”
I turn to look over my shoulder and spot him across the room. Tall, blonde, definitely Ezra’s type. He’s wearing black eyeliner and cat ears.
