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“You want a piggyback ride?” Wrath offers, only half-serious, I think.
“I want to forget that whole night happened,” Carter groans.
“You’re coming with us to the clubhouse, right?” I ask.
He shrugs. “I don’t really have a costume.”
Wrath tugs at the sleeves of his flannel. “I’m going like this.” He glances down at me. “Except for Jiggy, I think only the girls are going in costume.”
“Teller wanted me to help at the house,” Carter offers.
Wrath yanks his phone out. “You’ve done enough work today.” He taps out a text. “Scribbles is riding with us to the party,” he reads as his thumbs move across the screen. “There. He won’t argue with me.”
“I have my car,” Carter says, waving his arm toward the parking lot.
“So, you’ll follow us,” Wrath says. “Come on. Rav wants you there.”
“He does?” Carter asks.
“Yeah.”
“Let’s go,” I urge. “I’m supposed to help Hope with her hair, Lilly with her makeup, and I need them to help me with something.” I grab Wrath’s hand and tug him toward the parking lot.
The ride to the new clubhouse isn’t far. I check my mirror to make sure Carter’s still following.
I tuck my Jeep into a spot by the side door. The new building feels somewhere between a dorm and a house. Not that I ever went to college and lived in a dorm. Just based off of television and movies.
Outside, Wrath joins me and takes my hand. It’s not quite dark yet but the twelve-foot Frankenstein and fake tombstones in front of the building are already lit up.
“They must’ve been busy decorating,” I say to Wrath.
“Rav really wants to prove himself to Rock,” he answers in a low voice. “To all of us, I guess.”
“Well, he did a stellar job.” I flick a tiny spider nestled in a cotton spiderweb as we enter the front door.
“Swan said it was a horror movie theme,” Carter says.
My gaze quickly scans the room. What I hope is a fake skull sits on a bed of orange maple leaves over the fireplace. Spooky fog rolls over the floor. Flashing lights, skeletons, monsters, coffins, bats, and all sorts of decorations surround us. “You mean every horror movie ever?” I ask.
Carter nods.
Swan—decked out in a sparkling black feather tutu—runs up and hugs me. “I’m so glad you’re here. How’d it go?”
“Great! We raised a lot of money.” I search the room again. Where the hell is Hope?
Swan and Carter disappear into the fog. Wrath tugs me to the side, out of the way of the front door. “I see Grinder and Serena,” he shouts over the opening notes of the theme song toThe Exorcist.
“Oh good. Lead us that way.”
Grinder and Rooster are deep in conversation while Serena’s sitting on the couch, touching up Shelby’s makeup.
“What the heck is Serena’s costume?” Wrath mutters to me.
“I don’t know. Be nice,” I warn him.
He peers down at me. “I’m always nice.”
Serena struggles to get off the couch when we approach. But Grinder’s right there to offer his assistance, gently easing her to her feet.
