Friday, I'm in Trouble

The remainder of the week was as uneventful as ever, my schedule the same as it was before Trevor and I had begun our secret tryst. Each day I woke to the sound of my favorite Manson tune, donned my black garb, wolfed down a bowl of Count Chocula and hitched a ride with Becky to school.

The only thing different was that I found myself spending a little more time in front of the mirror, carefully applying concealer to the growing galaxy of hickeys on my neck and across my collarbone.

We were getting reckless, our clandestine meetings becoming much more frequent and risky. Monday it had been his car, the empty classroom, and then Trevor had snuck into my room during the night. Tuesday I found myself coerced into the janitor's closet, Wednesday the teacher's restroom, and Thursday we couldn't even bother finding a place to hide, our excitement to just be together resulting with my back pressed against the lockers in an empty hallway where anyone could pass by and see us.

Today was Friday, and if Robert Smith had anything to say about it, it was the day to be in love.

"Friday, I'm in love," I sang cheerfully along with the radio, tapping my black painted fingers against my knee.

Becky glanced over, concerned. "You seem…happy."

Lately I'd forgotten that wasn't normal for me. "I just heard The Black Cats are going on tour and that Hipsterville is one of their stops," I improvised. It wasn't a lie; in fact I'd already purchased tickets, but it definitely wasn't the reason for my current shift in mood. I wasn't about to run through a field of sunflowers and jump for joy or anything, but smiling felt a little more natural and less like a chore.

"Are you going alone?"

I hesitated. "Well, I do have another ticket just in case you decide you can tolerate the sound."

Becky grimaced, unenthused. "I'm not sure my parents will give me permission."

I turned my face towards the window to spare her having to see me roll my eyes. "But they'll let you stay out 'til sunrise with Matt Wells because he's safe and normal, right?"

"You know they don't think of you that way," Becky bit back, defensive and a little annoyed. "My parents have always liked you. It's the crowd at those sorts of concerts."

"So it's not that they dislike you hanging around me, just people like me. That makes sense."

"Raven…"

I sighed, knowing there was no point arguing over nothing. "Sorry."

We continued to drive in silence, the only sound being the gust of wind against the windshield, the rev of the engine, the rush of passing cars. In all the years we'd been best friends, these silences had never been so frequent and long. I blamed Matt.

"How are things going with Mr. Soccer Star, anyway?"

Some color warmed Becky's freckled cheeks. Her frown lifted slightly, expression softening. "Really good."

I drummed my fingers against my thighs, eyes dropping to my black fishnets. "How far have you guys gone?"

The truck jolted as her foot slipped onto the break. "Raven!"

"What?" I questioned, defensive. "We're best friends, aren't we? You can tell me, I won't judge!"

It took a minute, but eventually Becky seemed to calm enough to resume steering steadily, the red in her cheeks still dark and blotchy. "We've kissed and that's all," she said resolutely, eyes glued to the road.

"You're lying," I said behind a knowing smile, causing her blush to deepen.

"Well what about you?" She challenged, turning her attention to me. "You're so nosy about my relationship, but you haven't shared a single thing about what's been going on with you and whoever it is that's been giving you those marks on your neck."

Immediately my hand moved to cover the sensitive skin beneath my ear, and it was with great determination that I held her gaze. I wasn't ashamed, just unwilling to spill my secret. No big deal. "A vampire gave them to me."

"Ugh, whatever," she griped, clearly frustrated. "Vampires don't leave hickeys, they leave punctures. Even I know that."

"I can't tell you who it is."

"Yes, I'm just your best friend. Why should you?" She agreed sourly. "I bet it's Trevor. You two have been acting really weird. Even Matt said so."

I grew quiet, my eyes moving to the dash where I began to nervously fiddle with the radio controls. "That's stupid," I denied, voice quiet and so transparently obvious. When I looked over, it was to find Becky looking at me as if she'd just witnessed something incredible.

"What?" The gawking continued. In all my years being treated as a freak show exhibit, this was the first time I sort of felt like one. Maybe Trevor and I weren't as inconspicuous as we thought. I frowned, dead serious. "You can't tell anyone. Not even Matt."

"Oh my gosh," she breathed, returning her attention to the road. "Oh my gosh!"

"Yes, it's crazy, I know. Believe me, I haven't even wrapped my head around it yet. It just sort of—" I searched for the right word to explain how years of fighting and being at each other's throats had developed into this intense magnetic pull between two people who had always been polar opposites, "—happened."

"Happened?" Becky repeated, voice thick with disbelief. "Raven, you don't just happen to start making out with your worst enemy."

"It's more than that," I admitted, face warming beneath white face powder.

"You're dating?!" She shrieked, veering a little into the wrong lane.

"Watch the road!" I exclaimed, heart in throat. "And keep your voice down. It's supposed to be a secret."

She shook her head. "How long?"

"Since the history project, I guess."

I could tell there were a million questions she wanted to ask after she could organize her thoughts, but we were already pulling into the school parking lot. It was crowded with students unwilling to step aside and Becky maneuvered carefully, pulling into a spot near the back of the lot.

Both of our eyes were on the same thing.

"Isn't that…?"

It was. Three empty spaces down stood Trevor, laughing causally at something Jennifer Warren was saying as she leaned against the hood of his car. Today she had made an effort to look especially flirty, her blond hair braided to one side to expose her long, tanned neck. She reached out to rub her hand against his arm, and he made no move to step away or reject the gesture.

An uncomfortable heaviness settled like a rock in my gut. I looked away. "Let's go or we'll be late."

"But Raven, he—"

I forcefully pulled the door closed, turning to Becky. "Promise me that you won't say anything to anyone. Not even Matt. No one can know about me and Trevor."

Her brow crinkled. "Why?"

"I'll explain later. Long story," I explained with a sigh, slipping out of her truck and slamming the door forcefully.

With my head held high I stormed past the two smiling blondes, not even bothering to look over. My plan was to march by unnoticed, get inside the building and find a quiet place to calm down before class started. Maybe, if there was time, I'd whip up a quick voodoo doll and stick a million pins in it. That would definitely wipe the lipgloss smile off Jennifer's stupid face.

Seemed like Trevor had other plans.

"Good morning, sunshine!" He called out, voice loud enough to carry across the entire parking lot.

"Shut up, Trevor," I replied coolly, only pausing to glare.

Jennifer was frowning, arms now crossed over her stomach, no doubt annoyed that my presence had interrupted her attempt at flirting with my boyfriend.

"You're looking especially gloomy today," he commented, eyes looking me over, expression hungry behind the teasing smirk. I tried not to smile at the compliment. "Did someone die?"

"Just my brain after having to listen to you," I bit back, heart leaping a little when he began to walk towards me.

Becky came to stand beside me, her sudden appearance giving Trevor reason to pause.

He smiled. "Good morning, Becky."

"Hi, Trevor." She glanced around. "Isn't Matt with you?"

"He went to speak to Coach about tonight's game." His green eyes flickered to me, smile growing, before forcing his attention back on Becky. I felt any second I might start blushing at all the understated attention. "You're still coming tonight, right?"

"Yes," she replied, glancing at me. "Me and Raven will swing by around six."

He looked so pleased. Too pleased. "I almost forgot about our little double date."

My eyes widened marginally. I looked over at Jennifer who stood within hearing distance, her glare almost as dangerous as mine. "It's not a date," I hissed with the venom of a cat that'd just had its tail stepped on.

It was a date. The truth was, neither of us had forgotten about it all week. In fact, I could think of little else. A bag with all the necessities for our ghost hunting adventure was prepared, my outfit for the night already laid out on my bed—tight black dress and black thigh-high stockings, as requested.

Off in the distance the bell rang, and Becky began to pull me away. "Come on, Raven, let's go. Just ignore him."

I smiled at her, grateful she knew how to play along and was smart enough to get me out of that situation. I could sense Jennifer preparing to pounce for my throat, and I wasn't in any mood to simply let her.

"You two are really obvious, by the way," Becky informed causally as we entered the building. "If you want to keep your relationship a secret, I'd suggest you stop giving each other those looks you think no one else notices."

"What looks?" I asked, a little concerned.

She shook her head, remaining quiet.

All day I sat in class with my hand glued to the side of my neck, conscious of the fact that my hair wasn't quite doing a great job of disguising the angry red marks poorly concealed under layers of makeup. At lunch, I ate with my hoodie pulled above my head. Everyone thought I was just being particularly dark and moody, and left me alone. When I saw that Trevor was eating lunch with half the cheerleading squad, I took my anger out on my poor, half-eaten turkey sandwich, stabbing it with a plastic knife.

I didn't see him again until history. For the last hour of the school day I did nothing but stare at the back of his head. His very pretty head. When the final bell rang I'd been thinking enough about his broad shoulders, strong arms and chiseled everything that I was way too eager for our little rendezvous by the time we finally had an opportunity to meet up inside an empty computer lab.

My black lips curled as soon as I entered, locking the door behind me.

Trevor was already seated in a rolling chair, halfway through a game of solitaire on the computer. He stopped playing as soon as the door opened, his smile even bigger than mine.

"Are you bored?" I asked, questioning why on earth anyone would play that awful card game.

"Not anymore," he said, closing out and reaching for my hand, pulling me over onto his lap.

The chair rolled backwards as I fell across his legs, my hands latching onto his shoulders for balance. I laughed, and I felt him chuckle against my neck.

"Wanna go for a ride, Monster Girl?"

"What kind of ride?" I asked dubiously, keen enough to sense an innuendo when I heard one, knowing full well that Trevor had a bad habit of using double entendre because he thought making me blush was hilarious.

With a push of his leg, the chair began to spin and he gripped me close so I didn't fall off, my black-clad legs curling away from all the expensive equipment as we twirled in place. We kept going until I had to shut my eyes to keep from getting too dizzy. He laughed as we came to a stop.

My face tucked against his neck, I inhaled the scent of expensive cologne and pricy fabric softener. "Don't call me sunshine ever again." I pulled away to meet his gaze.

"To be fair, I did say you looked gloomy, didn't I? Or is that not bleak and horrible enough for you?"

My eyes narrowed. "Just don't do it, okay? Even if you're just joking."

"You hate the sun that much?"

No. I hated Jennifer Warren and that when I think 'sunshine' I think her, all blonde hair and happy smiles. "It burns," I joked.

He sighed exaggeratedly, nose skimming my neck as he spoke. "Dating a vampire is tough work."

"Dating a guy with a crazy mother and a giant reputation is worse," I argued, meaning to be teasing but coming across as injured.

Trevor hesitated before pulling away to look at me, forest eyes meeting mine guardedly.

I didn't want to talk about it. The topic was tired and it wasn't like there was any immediate solution. So before he could ask me what was wrong, why I was upset, I brushed my mouth against his, distracting him and myself with what was quickly turning into my favorite pastime.

"That stuff tastes so gross," he complained when our mouths parted, licking at the smudges of black I'd left at the corners of his mouth.

"Get over it."

"Maybe I'll just get used to it instead," he suggested, recapturing my lip between his teeth and biting with just enough pressure to make it sting. His eyes lingered on my lip for a few quiet moments. "Are you into kinky stuff?"

I blinked, the question entirely—well, maybe not entirely—out of left field. "No," was my kneejerk response, a sudden blush pulsing in my cheeks. "I mean, I don't know. Are you?"

"I don't know, either," he replied, entirely honest. "I've never really tried it before. Everyone I've been with—" His expression turned apologetic when he saw me frown, his hand pressing soothingly against my back, "—has been so vanilla."

"Vanilla?" I repeated with a tiny laugh. "And what am I? Chocolate?"

"Rocky road," he answered immediately.

"Rocky road?"

"It's my favorite."

My face grew warmer. "Why are you asking me if I'm into kinky stuff?"

He shrugged. "You like biting and hair pulling, so it just got me wondering what else you might be into."

I thought about it. It wasn't like I had any sort of sexual experience under my studded belt to even know what I liked and didn't like, much less what I'd want to experiment with. However, there had been something I'd seen online once that sort of sparked my interest. "Blood play?"

Blond hair brushed against my collarbone as he shook his head, his laughter a quick breath against my skin. "God, you're so hot, Raven." His tongue dragged against my clavicle, wetting my skin. He blew on it and I shivered. "What about dressing up?"

I smiled proudly. "You're speaking to the queen of Halloween, Trevor. Dressing up is what I do."

His hips shifted, readjusting our position so I was closer towards his knees.

Remembering his reactions, I asked, "Should we even be talking about this now? We're still at school."

"I can't see you anywhere else," he complained, meeting my gaze just to show me his amplified pout.

"I can't believe you've already forgotten about our date tonight." I pretended to be insulted, causing him to smirk.

"I haven't," he denied smoothly, one hand moving to my leg, fingers splaying against my fishnet-covered thigh. "You'll wear those tights, right?"

"Yes, I'll wear them," I reassured, a shiver racing up my spine, fire blooming in my stomach. "I just can't let my parents see my outfit. They'll lock me up and never let me out."

Something about those words excited him, his arms moving to hold me closer, teeth nipping at my chin, lips skimming my throat.

"Trevor."

"Hm?"

"Becky knows."

He paused, but didn't pull away. "Did you tell her?"

I shook my head. "She figured it out. She saw the marks on my neck and just knew." His eyes studied those same marks, his fingers touching them curiously. "She said we look at each other too much and it's obvious."

"I'm not going to stop looking at you," he decided.

"You need to stop noticing me so often." He looked confused. "Like this morning, when you were talking to Jennifer. Don't ignore her so you can speak to me. She's going to get suspicious."

He sighed, forehead coming to rest against my shoulder. "And I'm going to die of boredom."

"Boo-hoo."

"You don't understand," he contested, "She's so boring. All morning she wouldn't shut up about a purse or something, and all during lunch I had to listen to her talk about the car she wants when she graduates." Sitting up, he gently knocked his forehead against mine, smirking. "Looking at you is the only thing that gets me through it. Just your face alone is more interesting than anything she has to say."

"I can't tell if that's a compliment or not. Ugly things can be very interesting."

"It's a compliment," he urged, our noses brushing shyly.

"She's pretty, though. And don't lie to me and say she isn't."

"She is," he agreed with another shrug. "But my type is a little darker."

"She really doesn't wear enough black," I granted playfully.

He laughed, right before his lips closed over mine. "Not near enough."

My hand moved over his mouth, halting him. His eyes met mine and they were frustrated. "I want you to tell Matt."

"He already knows," Trevor admitted once my hand was removed. "He's known for years."

"Years?" I repeated, voice quiet in amazement. "Exactly how long have you been crushing on me, Trevor Mitchell?"

His tanned cheeks darkened. "Whenever I started liking girls, probably. I can't really remember."

Despite the moment, the confession, annoyance made a nice comfortable nest in my brain and I frowned. "You could've just said something."

"That's bull and you know it." Something flickered in his eyes, and he dropped his gaze, fingers playing with the ends of my hair. "You were the only girl I wanted, and the only one that hated me so much."

"Because you're a jerk!" I exclaimed in defense, gently punching his shoulder. This wasn't what he wanted to hear, and that was obvious by his silence. I sighed. "I definitely wouldn't think you were serious. I'd probably test you for demonic possession or something."

He worked up a small smile, but I could still sense something was troubling him. Another one of his sporadic insecurities. "Does it bother you that we have nothing in common?"

"No," was my immediate answer.

Jade eyes met mine, uncertain.

"Have you forgotten who my best friend is?" I wasn't convincing him. "Does it bother you?"

"No." His thumb came up to brush my neck, eyes focused on my skin as he spoke. "I just always thought you were waiting for someone more like you. I mean, you hate who I hang out with, what I wear, my parents, probably what I listen to and watch—"

Guilt had me curling my black painted fingers into his shirt.

"—it just makes me wonder if you're with me because the guy you really want doesn't exist and you're forced to settle."

Never in my seventeen years of life had I ever been under the impression that Trevor Mitchell could be insecure. After all, he was gorgeous, rich, popular, and could have anything he wanted (except me, apparently). This was surprising and kind of hurtful that he thought I was just settling because my choices in Dullsville were limited, to say the least. "You think I'm just with you until my gothic vampire prince charming comes along, is that it?"

He stayed quiet for a moment, and I couldn't see his face because he'd buried it against my neck, his warm breath sending pinpricks of heat through my skin. "I just never thought this would be real."

"Me neither," I laughed, winding a pale hand in his hair. "You're so blond and tan—"

"And normal," he interrupted.

"No," I disagreed. "I don't think you're normal. You like me after all." My heart fluttered a little, but I willed myself past the nervousness. "And I like you. Khakis and everything."

I could feel him smile, his mouth flush with my skin. "You're making me blush, Raven Madison."

He wasn't the only one.

The only reason I managed to leave my house without either of my parents forcing me to change was because I was a master of disguise and had slipped on a pair of baggy black pants to hide the fact that my shirt was actually a very short dress. As soon as I was inside Becky's truck I shimmied my way out of them, revealing an outfit cute enough to be featured in Gothic Beauty magazine.

"You do know we're going to a soccer game, right?" Becky questioned as we pulled away from my house.

I rolled my eyes. "I'm also going on a date afterwards."

"To the movies."

I shrugged, shoving my pants in the backpack with my ghost hunting supplies and kicking it beneath the seat with a booted foot. "By the way, we better see something good. There's no way I'm sitting through True Love Story."

Becky sighed. "We were thinking about seeing A Love to Remember."

"You're telling me you'd rather see that mushy crap than watch Revenge of the Undead?"

"Yes," Becky replied firmly. "That is what I am saying."

"Ugh."

"You know, it doesn't have to be a double date. If you and Trevor want to be scared to death, go ahead and watch Revenge of the Undead. Matt and I won't mind."

"We can't. Somebody will see us and then the entire town will know we're dating."

By the time we'd reached Matt's house I'd managed to explain the situation to Becky, who just nodded quietly and listened, not saying anything until I was finished. She agreed with me fully that my situation sucked.

When I saw Matt and Trevor approaching the truck, both donned in their soccer uniforms, I volunteered to sit in the back so Matt could have the passenger seat beside his girlfriend. Trevor slipped into the seat next to me in the back, dropping his duffel bag in the space between us. His eyes immediately fell to my thighs peeking from the tops of my black thigh-highs, barely covered by my tight dress. He paused for a second, staring, before his eyes rose to meet mine. "Hey."

"Hi," I replied shortly, withholding a pleased smile.

He was unusually quiet during the ride, not even glancing over at me. Becky, on the other hand, couldn't stop peeking at us through the rear view mirror.

Trevor and Matt had a short conversation about the opposing team. I just half-listened as I stared out the window, only distracted when I felt a large, warm hand grip mine on the seat. Trevor acted as if he wasn't doing anything. I disguised a smile behind my dark hair.

The bleachers were a little more crowded than the last time I attended a school soccer game. The weather felt amazing. The air smelled like summer, rich with nature and mild against my skin. Becky and I sat together near the front corner of the bleachers, closest to our team's goal. My eyes kept wandering over to Trevor who was warming up with his team, his blond hair already slick against his forehead.

"You're doing it, you know?" Becky whispered so as not to be overheard.

"Doing what?"

"Staring."

My face warmed, but I couldn't help but to keep glancing over at Trevor. His eyes found mine and his hand lifted as if he was about to wave. He hesitated and lowered it, turning away.

I sighed.

Trevor's team—the school's team—was talented, and within the first few minutes of the game they'd scored enough points to tilt the entire match in their favor. The entire game my eyes were glued to Trevor, captivated with the skill in which he handled the ball and maneuvered across the field. I belatedly realized I'd never really bothered to notice how passionate he was about the sport. The fierce concentration in his eyes, the magnitude of his effort, the way he smiled encouragingly at his teammates; he was breathtaking. It was around the time Matt scored another point for the team when Becky picked up where she left off. "I wasn't being entirely honest with you the other day."

I looked over at her. "What day?"

"When I told you that I overheard Trevor telling Matt he still has a thing for you."

Cold washed over me. "Did you lie?" Despite everything, the kisses, the touching, the dates, a part of me still wondered if it was real or if Trevor was just pulling an elaborate prank. If that were the case, I'd murder him and everyone in on it.

"No," Becky said, eyes meeting mine. "I just withheld some major details."

My black brows creased. "Like what?"

Her eyes followed Trevor who'd just had the ball kicked towards him. "It's not just 'a thing'." She looked back at me, hesitating. "I don't want to say anything that will ruin this for you, but I can't not tell you."

Becky always had been hopeless when it came to keeping secrets. "Tell me," I implored.

"He used the 'L' word."

I stilled. "'L' word as in 'like'?"

She shook her head. "The big 'L' word."

"Love?" I gasped, my breath leaving in a quiet exhale.

I looked over at Trevor who was now running across the field, sweaty and beautiful and smiling and—

"Crap," I groaned, burying my face in my hands and pressing my forehead to my knees.

Becky's hand came to rest between my shoulder blades. "Oh, I knew I shouldn't have said anything."

I tried to shake my head, which was difficult in this position. "No, it's okay. It's just my heart is beating really fast, that's all." When I'd regained control of my brain a little, I sat back up, exhaling slowly. "Are you sure you didn't imagine it?"

Becky smiled a little. "No. I even asked Matt, and he said it was true, but not to say anything to you. Apparently Trevor is a little scared that you'll be freaked out."

Disbelief laced my tone. "Why the heck would I be freaked out?"

She shrugged. "It's a big deal, I guess. He's taking this really seriously." Her smile widened and she nudged me with her shoulder. "Matt said he's never seen Trevor so happy. He can't stop talking about you."

"No way," I breathed, stunned. I mean, I knew Trevor liked me, that he had a crush on me for years and whatever, but to think that he loves me? "He's stupid," I murmured, watching him pass the ball to a teammate, my heart doing a cartwheel as he laughed.

Becky giggled.

Our team won, which wasn't much of a surprise. The home team's side of the bleachers was definitely excited and ready to celebrate. I didn't really care about the scoreboard or the crowds or anything else. I just wanted to see Trevor. The frustrating part was that I couldn't. Ignoring the stares from people walking by, I waited with Becky outside the gym.

Matt and Trevor met up with us about a half hour later, both freshly showered and dressed in the latest from Ralph Lauren. Becky threw her arms around her boyfriend as soon as they were close enough, kissing him sweetly on the cheek and congratulating him.

I wanted so badly to just drag Trevor behind the shed used to store sports equipment and kiss him. I wanted to feel him hold me and press against me until our excitement was too much for either of us to tolerate. I wanted gripping and pulling and gasping and ugh! This whole secretly-dating-thing really sucked! Playing the part, I crossed my arms across my ribcage, forced a scowl, and looked as angry as possible.

"Hello Monster Girl," he greeted with a smile.

"Hello grass fairy."

He chuckled, glancing over his shoulder to make sure no one was close enough to overhear him. "Ready for this movie?"

"No," I answered honestly. "They want to see A Love to Remember."

Trevor made a disagreeable face. My heart warmed. "And I was hoping we'd be seeing Revenge of the Undead."

My hardened expression broke and I smiled. "Don't lie to me just to score some brownie points, Trevor Mitchell. I know you don't like scary movies."

"Sometimes I do," he replied, eyes again glancing over my outfit, gaze darkening. "And that one is shorter, which means we can leave faster."

"Are you that eager to go ghost hunting?"

"Ghost hunting," he repeated, close enough to brush his fingers against the back of my exposed white thigh. His eyes lifted to meet mine, hungry. "I guess you could call it that."

I wasn't naïve enough to miss what he was implying, anticipation coiling hot in my stomach. My fingers curled into my dress, resisting the urge to reach out for him and bury my face against his neck. It was scary realizing that the only thing stopping me from attacking Trevor, so to speak, was that I didn't want an audience. Otherwise I'm pretty sure I'd have no issue making out right here in the middle of the parking lot.

Hormones were a crazy, terrifying thing.

The movie was as awful as I thought it'd be, scene after scene of corny lines and fluttering lashes. Thankfully I had enough sour candy to entertain me. Beside me Trevor sat with his arms crossed, looking bored. We didn't touch, hold hands or even look at each other. It was just easier that way. The same couldn't be said for Matt and Becky, however. Between Becky's dreamy sighing and Matt's totally-not-quiet whispering in her ear, it was hard to say which was more stomach churning: the movie or the audience.

It was during a particularly gushy moment when Trevor whispered in my ear, "I'm going to go to the bathroom, and you follow after, okay? I can't take another second of this."

I nodded in agreement, nudging my backpack out from under the seat as he left. Minutes later I was excusing myself. "I'll be right back."

Becky didn't even bother to look at me, whispering a quiet, "Sure you will," with a tiny smile.

It was with an explosive heartbeat that I met Trevor in the lobby. It wasn't until we were both outside in the fresh night air that we acted like we knew each other, our hands immediately joining as I pulled him along the sidewalk behind the theater.

"Now exactly how far is Benson Hill?" He asked as we passed by a few convenience stores, heading towards the cemetery.

Too far, I thought, wishing I had the power to simply teleport us there. I wanted us to be alone, away from any chance someone might see us. I wanted to kiss him.

"You don't actually think it's haunted, do you?" Trevor asked when we reached the gate. He was staring up at the dark mansion and its boarded windows with a nervous glint in his eye. We snuck towards the back where I knew there was a tiny window that was conveniently broken which we could sneak through.

I shrugged. "I hope so." Taking out my flashlight, I handed it to him. "I brought this for you since you're afraid of the dark."

He scoffed, taking it anyway and switching it on. "I'm not afraid. It just makes things easier."

"Easy is boring," I argued, bending low and slipping my legs inside the window. My feet landed on a stacked pile of boxes. I glanced up at Trevor. "Shine that in here so I can see where I'm stepping."

He smirked, directing the beam downwards. "Thought bats could see in the dark?"

"Shut up."

Once we were both inside we looked around, discovering we were in some sort of basement stacked to the rafters with boxes and old, dusty furniture. The door on the other side of the room took a while to get to, both of us having to maneuver carefully around the sooty merchandise. The door opened into the main part of the house and we stepped inside, awed by the high ceilings, regal furniture, and expensive-looking paintings.

"Are you sure someone doesn't live here?" Trevor asked quietly, switching off the flashlight as the moon shining through the paned window in the foyer was giving off more than enough light.

"I've never seen anyone here," I said, moving further through the house towards the staircase. I paused on the topmost stair when I noticed him not following. "Are you not coming?"

He smirked up at me. "Just enjoying the view."

With a secret smile I continued on, pulling the hem of my dress lower. "Pervert."

The upstairs was just as vast and expensively furnished as the downstairs, and I peeked into each room expectantly, disappointed at each turn to find nothing but more and more dusty furniture. No ghosts. Reaching the end of the hall, I turned into the last bedroom, this one being the most spacious. A four-poster bed was pressed against the wall, a grandiose crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Trevor came to stand behind me, the heat from his body radiating, drawing me closer.

Entering the room, I sat on the edge of the bed, a cloud of dust rising from the crimson bedspread. Trevor remained standing in the doorway, hands buried in the pockets of his khakis.

"You know this is unfair, right?" He asked, eyes falling to my legs. "Unless you're trying to seduce me."

I grinned, leaning back on my hands and playfully crossing my legs. "Is it working?"

"No," he lied with a smirk.

I laughed, sliding off the bed and onto the floor, folding my legs in a way to keep my dress from riding too high. "I said we're going to speak to ghosts, and I meant it. Now come here."

"You didn't say anything about speaking to ghosts, you said we'd be hunting them," he clarified, a worried lilt in his silky voice. Despite the complaint, he sat down beside me and watched as I pulled from my backpack a Ouija board. Immediately, he paled. "Hell no, Raven. That stuff is insane."

I rolled my eyes, laying the board out on the floor in front of us before pulling out a thick white candle. Lighting it, I then set the planchette on the board and turned to Trevor. "It's nothing scary. Ghosts are harmless."

"How many ghosts have you spoken to?"

I pursed my lips. "Well, none yet."

He sighed, shaking his head. "If I do this, you owe me."

"And exactly what do I owe you?" I asked, suspicious.

He thought about it, green eyes cast towards the ceiling. "Next weekend, you'll go to the lake with me."

"No."

"Then I'm not playing this game."

I sighed. "You're being really cruel. I hate the sun, you know."

"It won't kill you. You're just a pretend vampire, not a real one." He smiled, his fingers brushing the back of my arm. "Besides, I don't think I've ever seen you in a swimsuit."

"And you won't," I declared with a huff. "I'll wear my dad's scuba gear just to spite you."

"Now who's being cruel?" His voice was low, teasing and velvety.

I glanced over, my face incredibly warm at the look he was giving me. "Focus, Trevor. The spirits aren't going to pay us any attention if you're not being serious."

Moving his hand away, he turned his attention to the board. "Fine."

"Okay, so place your fingers on the planchette," I ordered, pressing mine to the other side of the heart-shaped wood. Clearing my throat, I began. "Spirits, if you can hear me, make yourselves known. Tell us your names."

I watched the board, waited. The candle flickered and my heart leapt into my throat until I realized it was just Trevor trying hard not to laugh.

I tried again. "Spirits, tell us your names."

The wooden planchette began to move. I knew it was Trevor when the first three letters the pointer landed on were J-E-N. I smiled, despite myself. Moving the piece back to the center of the board, I asked, "Spirits, is it true that Trevor Mitchell doesn't have much of a brain?"

This time it was a battle as my fingers pressured the planchette towards the 'yes' and Trevor fought to push it towards the 'no'. Trevor won. Stupid, muscular jock.

"Brains and beauty. The devil himself just confirmed it, Rave."

"The devil has nothing to do with this," I corrected, ignoring the rest.

"But in that movie…?"

I looked up from the board because he sounded genuinely confused. "You're gonna have to be more specific, mister brains-and-beauty. I watch a lot of horror movies."

His lip curled. "With the demon. Y'know, the one that came out a few years back. There're like five of them. Supernatural something."

"Oh yeah, Supernatural Activity." I put on my best knowledgeable face. "But that's different. They were trying to speak to demons. We're not."

This information didn't seem to relax him one bit. "That's not true. They were trying to speak to ghosts but ended up inviting in the wrong thing because they didn't know what they were doing." The look he gave the Oujia board mirrored the look I gave my mom's eggplant lasagna—uncertain and unwilling. "Just like us."

"First of all, I know exactly what I'm doing," I lied, hoping the receipt for the Oujia board hadn't fallen out of my bag. It wasn't necessary for Trevor to know I'd just bought it yesterday. Irrelevant information, really. "Secondly, since when do you believe the things in scary movies?"

"I believe in the possibility, that's all," he contested with a forced shrug. "Besides, you believe in this stuff so why are you trying to make me feel like I'm nuts?"

"I'm not, I'm just…surprised." Our eyes met, my smile soft. "It's nice."

"It's nice that I'm freaked out?"

"It's nice to do this with someone that doesn't think it's all a huge joke," I amended. "Even if you're freaked out."

Not a second later he was smiling back as if receiving the best compliment ever. He really was way too good-looking. The kind of good-looking that if this were a horror movie, he'd be one of the first victims. Brains, beauty, talent and getting to live to see the credits? That just wasn't fair.

"Okay, we'll do this, but I get to ask the next question."

"Go right ahead," I acquiesced.

I should've known better. The question he asked was just so typically Trevor. "Spirits, did Raven Madison bring me here to seduce me?" I fought back a smile as he forced the planchette over the 'yes'.

I guess it wasn't untrue.

"Will she let me go to third base?"

Immediately, and with maybe a little too much force, I pressed the indicator over the 'no'.

"Second?"

My hands refused to move, my eyes lifting to meet his. I bit my lip, hesitating, heart thumping wildly in my chest.

"If it doesn't move, does that mean maybe?" He asked quietly.

I nodded, my throat dry. "I think so."

Suddenly interested, he returned his attention to the board. "Spirits, what color is Raven Madison's underwear?"

A thrill of excitement rushed through me, and I guided the wooden indicator over the letters B-L-A-C-K.

He smirked. "Figures."

"You're not going to ask them what kind of underwear I'm wearing?"

His eyes met mine, surprised. "Spirits, what kind of—"

"Too late," I teased, pulling the planchette back to the center. "Spirits, did Trevor Mitchell ever actually hate me?"

No.

"Does he definitely like me?"

Yes.

"How much?"

"A lot," Trevor replied.

A lot. Becky's words from earlier came flooding back, and as my eyes lifted to Trevor's, I searched for any hint that what she'd said was actually true. That Trevor Mitchell was in love with me.

I had no idea what I was even supposed to look for.

No one in my entire life had ever shown any romantic interest in me. All of my knowledge on the subject came from Hollywood and teen fiction, which as it turns out, isn't very accurate. The one thing those overdramatic portrayals did get right was the butterflies, though I preferred to think the tiny things fluttering in my stomach were bats.

A big, giant part of me wanted to confirm that he felt that way. To ask him. But bringing up the subject meant I'd have to confirm my feelings, and I wasn't even sure exactly what they were. After all, it hadn't even been a month yet.

So instead I chose to keep quiet and pretend I didn't know that the boy I'd grown up with, who I'd sworn multiple wars on and had planned to make a giant bonfire with his khakis, was now crazy in love with me.

The bats in my stomach squeaked with excitement. No, wait—that was just my stomach growling.

Trevor laughed. "Sour gummy worms weren't enough?"

Reaching for my pack, I dug through it, pulling out two candy bars and a bottle of grape soda. I handed one to Trevor who took it with a thankless grimace.

Biting into it, he said, "You know, when I pictured our first candlelit dinner, this wasn't what I had in mind."

A rush of satisfaction had me smiling that he'd even imagined us on a date at all. "Let me guess: expensive five-star restaurant, me in a dress from a department store catalog, sipping water out of champagne glasses, not sharing ghost stories."

"I like your ghost stories. I also like your dress."

"Then what are you complaining about?" I sighed, swallowing my candy.

"I'm not." He smiled as he took another bite. "This is way more fun than anything I would've thought up. Five-star restaurants get boring."

"Not enough ghosts."

"Exactly."

I bit back a smile. My chest felt warm. "I'd go if you asked—as long as you're paying," I clarified.

"Of course," he replied, pleased. "Sometimes it's healthy for you to leave your cave and get some fresh air, right?"

I threw my crumpled candy wrapper at him. "Shut up."

"Make me."

I was quick to recognize the challenge. With a playful smile I leaned across the Ouija board and blew out the candle. Darkness fell like a curtain across the room, shrouding everything once again in shadow and moonlight. The silvery light from the window caught against the bright ends of Trevor's hair, his long lashes, drawing me closer. Lithely I crawled onto his lap, folding my arms over his shoulders and tucking my legs around his hips. My dress rose high on my thighs and I let it.

Trevor momentarily tensed before pressing his palms to my thighs, his thumbs brushing the insides of my legs beneath the hem of my dress. "If you're not trying to seduce me, you suck at it," he said quietly, pressing each of his fingertips into my flesh as he spoke, his mouth against my shoulder.

"Maybe you're just easy to seduce," I suggested.

"Only around you."

"You know, you never said if you liked my outfit," I murmured, pressing my hips forward so I could feel his hands move further beneath my dress. His breath hitched where his mouth was still pressed to my shoulder. "What's so great about thigh-highs?"

"You really wanna know?"

"If you're not gonna tell me, then I'll just ask Casper," I teased with a smile.

Laughing, Trevor moved his hands beneath my thighs and gripped them firmly. With the strength only a practiced athlete could boast, he lifted us both off the ground and dropped me back onto the bed. Standing over me with his hands still banded around my legs, he pulled me down to the edge of the bed, his groin pressed between my parted legs. "You can tell Casper and his ghost friends to get the hell out."

"And why should I do that?"

"Because what I'm about to do to you is for my eyes only." The words were playful, but the way he was looking at me was anything but. Leonine sharp eyes held mine, his gaze warm velvet against my skin. His mouth felt the same when he pressed it to mine.

I sighed into the kiss, this being everything I wanted since Trevor climbed into the back of Becky's truck with me. His tongue slipped between my lips to caress mine when he pulled back a little, his laugh breathless and warm against my mouth. I looked at him questioningly.

"You taste like grape soda and chocolate," he explained, kissing me again to confirm it. Again. And again. He moaned like someone taking a bite of something scrumptious. "It's delicious."

I giggled into the kiss, which was becoming less sexy by the second. It was like being licked by a very large puppy. "Do you plan on eating me?"

Trevor paused. Moving back, he settled me with a contemplative gaze. "You know, I could say something very perverted right now."

I narrowed my eyes threateningly. "But you won't."

"I won't," he agreed, lowering his mouth to kiss beneath my ear, the hands he had banded around my thighs tightening and pulling me closer. "I'll save telling you that I would love to eat you out for next time."

"Trev—" But his mouth was on mine again, silencing my gasped scolding with the press of his tongue. My eyes nearly rolled into the back of my head as his tongue stroked lazily against mine, our mingled breath warm sugar. Behind my eyelids were images of his skillful mouth against places his hands haven't even touched yet. Flustered and hot, I clung to him.

When he pulled back to breathe, he was just as disheveled. His smile was heartbreakingly handsome. "Now you just taste like Raven."

Unsure why that sounded so naughty, I blushed. "Is that bad?"

"It's my favorite taste in the world," he murmured, lowering his mouth to softly suckle my bottom lip between his. He lingered there for a few moments, his lips sticky against my own. He seemed to hesitate before saying what he did next, his voice a cautious murmur. "I really can't wait to taste more of you."

The admission left me trembling. Between my thighs I was warm with arousal. I knew he could feel it being so closely pressed to me. With slightly shaky fingers, I reached for his hands against my legs and guided them further until I could feel his fingertips brush my hipbones. His gaze flickered downward and I never wanted it to leave. I liked his eyes on me. I liked him seeing me like this.

"What base is that?"

When he finally pulled his eyes back to mine, I could see him internally struggling with something. Whatever it was, when he figured it out he kissed me gently. "Doesn't matter. We're not doing that tonight."

I pouted. "I thought you said I was in charge of this?"

The laugh against my mouth was exasperated. "You are and just ten minutes ago you weren't even sure about going to second base."

"But that was ten minutes ago," I argued, wiggling my hips and urging his hands higher until my dress was bunched around his wrists and my bottom half was entirely exposed. Playfully, I flicked my tongue beneath his chin. "Right now, I'm ready for a home run."

"Says the girl who flipped out when I touched her boob the other day."

"T-that's cause we were in public," I disputed lamely.

"Sure," was his dubious reply right before I felt his hands slide beneath the stringy waistbands on my hips and tug downward.

With catlike reflex my hands immediately reached down to stop him. When our eyes met and I saw the smugness in his expression, I understood that this was all part of his plan.

"If you want to play major league, you gotta wear the uniform, princess." It wasn't annoyance that darkened his gaze as he lowered himself over me. Hips locked against mine, I could feel the hard press of him between my legs. As he spoke, his lips tickled the side of my jaw. "Well, I guess in this case, not wear it."

His thumbs drew my waistband away and released it with a snap that smarted against my skin. I jumped. "I hate you so much."

Trevor laughed, his smile pressed against my neck and his hands now at my waist where he rubbed his thumbs soothingly. "Yeah, I can tell."

When he rolled his hips forward to press the zipper of his jeans flush against me, I gasped. The pressure felt fantastic against my unsatisfied flesh and I grinded down for more, my breath catching when I finally felt his hardness. "Are you…?"

"Yeah." His breathing was unsteady against my collarbone, his voice almost shy. "If you're uncomfortable with it, tell me."

I was uncomfortable, but not for the reason he meant. It was such a strange sort of frustration to feel so good and so dissatisfied all at once. Everything felt too much and too little. It was nothing like I'd ever experienced alone, my own fingers and imagination never quite able to realize the sensation of this building pressure and the heat of another person. My body knew what it wanted, my hips impatient beneath his in search of more. More of that wonderful friction. More Trevor. Shyly, my fingers curled into his shirt as I lifted my legs higher around his hips, locking my ankles behind him and pulling him further against me. I sighed when I got what I wanted. "This feels good."

"Is it okay if I…?" Between us, he reached for the button of his jeans. "It's the zipper, it kinda hurts. I promise I'm not gonna do anything."

I swallowed, suddenly too embarrassed to tell him that I wanted him to do something. Instead I nodded my permission to his relief. Glancing between us, I watched him unfasten the front of his jeans. Unintentionally, his knuckles brushed against me when he unzipped himself. I jerked, a pathetic whimper falling from my mouth at the sudden pleasure. Our eyes caught, Trevor reading me for a moment before slowly doing it again, this time intentionally dragging the ridge of his knuckles up and down against me. When his touch pressed against my clit, my legs locked, another whimper slipping past the lip I was biting. Instead of continuing, his hand withdrew. I looked up to find him staring at me in a way that immediately made me think—Becky was right. My heart did a backflip and heat tingled behind my eyes.

However, what he did next had me second-guessing myself. Trevor pulled away, removing his hands from me and refastening his jeans. My legs untangled from around his hips and settled back onto the bed. Very tenderly, he pulled my dress back down to cover me. When I was decent, he offered me both his hands and pulled me into a sitting position.

"Stand up," he ordered.

I lifted a penciled brow. "Why?"

"We're gonna do something really sexy."

Doing as requested (mostly out of curiosity), I stood. "Isn't that what we were doing?"

He smirked. "Lift your arms like this," he said, lifting his own shoulder-height.

I lifted my arms, feeling silly. "This doesn't feel very sexy." I wanted to get back to the other thing; the Trevor's-hands-between-my-legs thing.

"Just you wait," he promised. "Now close your eyes."

Completely confused but too curious to see where this was headed, I closed my eyes for him. I opened them when he pulled me against him, his arms wrapping around my waist and his face buried in my hair. Trevor was hugging me. I frowned. "Why are you doing this?"

"Why am I hugging you?"

"You know what I mean." My arms dropped around his shoulders as I hugged him back.

"We were getting dangerously close to skipping second base."

"I already told you I don't care," I debated, choosing to forget the way I reacted when he pretended as if he were going to remove my underwear. So I was reluctant to be seen naked. That didn't mean I wasn't ready to go all the way. Nope. Not at all.

"I care."

"I don't need you policing my body."

"I'm not that kind of guy and you know it," he protested, not bothering to hide his offense. He was rigid with frustration. Eventually, it dwindled and he relaxed, holding me gently. His hand soothingly rubbed up and down my back. "I'm doing it for me, Rave."

The position made it difficult to shake my head, but I tried anyway. "I don't get it. I thought you wanted to—"

"I do," he assured vehemently. His hold tightened, his breath against my ear. "You know that."

"I don't understand, Trevor."

Long seconds went by where he didn't saying anything. And then, so quietly I could barely hear, he said, "You're gonna think it's stupid."

There it was again—that peculiar self-consciousness of his. Affectionately, I lifted my hand to play with the ends of his golden hair. Nudging his cheek with my nose, he eventually turned to meet my gaze. "You can tell me."

He gave a slight nod and released me so he could sit on the edge of the bed, both of his hands still holding mine. As he spoke, they swung playfully between us. "I…don't know what I'm doing."

"You're being dumb," I teased with a small smile, squeezing his hand in mine. "And cute."

"But mostly dumb," he agreed with an answering smile of his own. "My head is such a mess when I'm around you."

Not sure where this was headed, I muttered an apologetic, "Sorry."

Trevor shook his blond head contrarily. "For what? Making me the happiest I've been in my entire life?" As was his habit, he lifted one of my hands to lay a kiss against my fingers. "I don't even know how to explain it. I've never dated someone I actually cared about and it's you on top of that. It's just so unreal. I guess, I don't know, imagine if Count Dracula or Charles Manson—"

"Marilyn Manson," I corrected with a tiny laugh.

"—whatever. Imagine if the person you thought you could never have was finally yours and you could do pretty much anything you wanted with them. Would you even know what to do?"

I couldn't answer that question. As pathetic as it was, I'd never had much of a crush on anyone that wasn't a ghoulish movie character or an out-of-reach rock star. And even then, my feelings weren't anything substantial. The love I thought I felt for these fictional creatures and artists was nothing more than idolatry. Adoration for someone I found inspiring or similar to me was not the same kind of feeling Trevor was referring to. I knew that because I have never looked at anyone or anything the way Trevor looked at me. "I don't know."

He looked glad that I was starting to understand, perhaps not catching that I couldn't relate. "Right?" He looked to the corner of the room, his expression awkward. "I'm about to say some things that sound sorta mushy. I know you're gonna laugh, but try not to. I'm being serious and this isn't easy for me to say."

"I wouldn't laugh at this," I swore, certainty strong in my tone. Again, I squeezed his hand in mine to encourage him. I still wasn't sure how the conversation had steered to this and why this had anything to do with us not making out anymore, but I promised to be patient.

He nodded and released my hands to drop his nervously atop his knees. "I was talking about you to Matt the other day. I do that a lot, actually. He has good advice, I guess. I think that's 'cause he isn't like me. He's…a good guy."

"You're not a bad guy, Trevor."

"Yeah, but I'm kind of an asshole to people I don't like. I'm also really good at lying and manipulating people. Matt doesn't have a mean bone in his body."

"And nice people like Matt don't make best friends with horrible people," I amended, adding teasingly, "but you can be an asshole sometimes."

The look he gave me was soft. The bats in my stomach squeaked happily. "Anyway, he was talking about Becky and I guess he let it slip that they made-out for the first time last weekend."

I blinked. "I thought she was lying to me when she told me all they'd done was kiss."

"That's what I thought, too," Trevor agreed, running a hand through his hair. "But then I realized that they're normal. That's how it's supposed to be, y'know?"

Something about that didn't sit right with me. That way of thinking never had. "What's normal for one person isn't necessarily normal for everyone."

"I know," he granted with a smirk. "And Matt hasn't been mentally fucking Becky for the past however many years."

I blushed.

"So I'm not confused over why me and him are different when it comes to this. Matt and Becky still need to get to know each other, whereas you and I have already known each other almost our whole lives. I know how I feel about you," he said, emerald eyes holding mine. "And I've been so excited over finally getting to have you that I'm screwing everything up for myself."

My heart couldn't seem to decide what it wanted. One moment it was pounding my ribcage to dust, the next it was back-flipping and jumping into my throat. "I still don't get what you're trying to say."

"I wanna do all that cheesy first-love stuff with you. Not just 'cause I want you to have that, but I want it, too." Reaching out, he retook my hand and laced our fingers. "I've wanted this for so long and I want to do it right, Rave."

It took a second to absorb what he was saying. "You…want to romance me."

"Well, yeah. You're my girlfriend." Fascinated, I watched roses of pink bloom across the bridge of his nose. "Ah, god this is so embarrassing."

The bats in my stomach flew freely, their wingtips tickling the underneath of my pulsating heart. This too-beautiful-for-his-own-good boy was so painfully in love with me, it was borderline torturing him. To think that he'd worked himself up this badly over not holding my hand enough or taking me on more dates. It was the sweetest thing I'd ever seen. "You do know that this just makes me want to sleep with you even more, right?" I questioned, climbing onto his lap and straddling his thighs. I kissed him, expressing to him everything he was helping me feel the best way I knew how.

Trevor accepted my kiss gratefully, opening his mouth to welcome the hungry caress of my tongue. When we broke apart, his lips every now and then returned to mine to brush gently. "Rave, I don't want our first time to be in an abandoned house on some stranger's dusty bed."

I understood why he felt that way. But… "I can't go as slow as Matt and Becky."

"Yeah, me neither. There's no way I could wait that long," he assured me, dragging his lips along my jaw. His hands had regained confidence and moved from my hips to grip my ass. "I just want to do this the right way. I mean, I could fuck you anywhere, but just because we can and want to doesn't mean we should."

There was something about the vulgarity of that word that got me incredibly turned on. Trevor continuing to say it really wasn't helping matters or my self-control. "Then where…?"

"In my bed," he answered immediately, his voice throaty and hot beneath my ear. "Then the floor, the bathroom counter, the shower, and then my bed again if you can handle it."

"Nn, that sounds nice," I sighed, so impatient for it that I was ready to suggest we just go to his bedroom ASAP.

"It will be," he promised, suckling my neck and leaving my skin wet. "I'm gonna make it so good for you, Monster Girl. I—"

From just outside the bedroom door came a loud thud. Immediately Trevor and I stilled, fear and chill keeping us in place.

"It's a really old house. It's probably just sett—"

Another thud, this time louder and much closer. Immediately Trevor was urging me up. "Alright, I think that's our cue to get out of here."

"Really?" I asked, cocking my hip and watching him frantically gather our things. "A little bump in the night and you're ready to run?"

"I told you it was a stupid idea to use that thing," Trevor mumbled, ignoring my jab at his lack of bravery. "Now there's a demon after us."

I laughed. I just couldn't help it. "There's no—"

This time the thud was accompanied by a raucous crash, as if a cabinet of fine china had just fallen onto hardwood. Trevor looked to the entryway in sheer terror and I looked on in delighted anticipation. What was about to rear its monstrous head? A spectral spirit? A ravenous werewolf? A bloodthirsty vampire? I couldn't wait to find out!

I dashed past Trevor to peek around the doorway and into the dark hall. Either my eyes were playing mean tricks or I just saw something (or someone) slip into the room at the end of the hall. Both fear and adrenaline rushed through me. "Trevor, I think I just saw something!" I whispered urgently, ushering him over.

"And we're getting out of here." My hand waving in the air, it was too easy for him to grab. Being stronger than me, it was impossible not to be lead along by him as he dragged us both down the hall and down the staircase faster than my gym-absentee legs should've been capable.

"Trev, wait!" I hissed, digging my heels into ancient carpeting. It bunched beneath my shoes, but did little in ways of slowing us down. "I wanna check it out!"

"And I want a clean record," he clipped back. We'd reached the basement window and he'd just managed to throw my backpack out onto the lawn before turning back for me. "You first. I'm not leaving this place until I know you're not gonna do anything stupid."

Even in the dark I could clearly tell that he was terrified. For him, I did as asked and squeezed through the window. "Fine, killjoy. But I'm just gonna come back another time."

"Over my dead body," he muttered, pulling himself through the window after me.

"You know I love when you talk like that."

Out on the lawn and in the cooling late night air, the two of us ran hand-in-hand from a faceless monster and one of the most memorable dates in human (and inhuman) history.

Author's Note: Hello! It's been some time. I'm not sure what to say other than life.

I hope you guys enjoyed this update! It's definitely been a long time coming and I hope it was worth it. I really enjoy writing this story and I have a lot planned, so please look forward to it and subscribe/follow for notifications! And, as always, please review!

xoxo Merry