Trick or Treat Read online

  Because she knows what it’ll mean for you. I ignored the little niggle of doubt.

  “Devil’s Night Party down at the beach,” someone yelled and Principal Garth snatched the mic from Finn’s hand.

  “Right, well, thank you Finn for that riveting speech. And good luck to the Vipers for another excellent season. Please stay safe this weekend.” A collective ripple of groans filled the gym. “I am aware it’s Halloween and you’ll want to celebrate, but school is in session Monday. You have been warned. Any reports of anti-social behavior, teen recklessness, or underage drinking will be dealt with swiftly.”

  “He’s such a drag,” Madison snickered.

  “He’s just doing his job.” I shrugged. We all knew, come tonight, Principal Garth’s warning would be a forgotten whisper on the balmy sea breeze.

  Hell, even Garth knew that. He just felt, as our elder and principal, it was his moral and ethical obligation to say the right thing.

  The Devil’s Night party was a rite of passage, woven into the fabric of Bay View High for the last four decades. Of course, as the times changed, the dares got more daring, and the parties got wilder.

  But for one night a year, adults looked the other way and let their young experience Devil’s Night against the ominous backdrop of Travers House.

  Madison grabbed my hand and grinned at me. “Tonight is going to be so much fun.”

  And that right there, would always be the defining difference between us. Madison wanted the high school experience. She wanted to have an epic senior year, to make memories and be a little reckless.

  And me?

  I just wanted to survive.

  “Hey, sweetie,” Mom came into the kitchen, her hands full of grocery bags. “A little help.”

  “Sure thing.” I slid off the stool and began helping her unpack.

  “How was school?”

  “Oh you know, Principal Garth gave us a lesson in the importance of school spirit.”

  “Ooh, I know how you love those ones.” She chuckled, and I winked.

  “My favorite.”

  “Did you manage to finish your portfolio?”

  “Not yet. It’s still missing something. Madison wants me to go to the Devil’s Night thing. She thinks it’ll give me the shots I need.”

  “Calliope James, a party?” Her eyes twinkled. “Who are you and what have you done with my daughter?”

  “Oh, trust me, Mom. She’s still here. A party is the last place I want to go, but...” I trailed off.

  “You’re intrigued?”

  “I don’t know, it’s silly.” I turned away from her and started adding canned goods to the overhead cabinet.

  “It’s not silly to want to have a normal teenage experience, sweetheart. Who knows, you might actually enjoy it.”

  “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” Glancing back at her, I smiled. “Besides, we both know I don’t fit their mold.”

  “Who? Tilly and the Clones? Puh-lease.” A knowing smile tipped the corner of her mouth.

  And that’s why I loved my mom. She always had my back no matter what.

  “They won’t want me there.”

  “Which is exactly why you should go. Nobody, and I mean nobody, gets to tell you how to live your life, Calli.”

  “Thanks, Mom. You’re the best.”

  “So what are you going to wear?”

  “Jeans and a hoodie, I guess.” It wasn’t like I going to impress anyone.

  My eyes shuttered as his face popped into my head. You don’t care about Zach Messiah anymore, remember?

  “Calli?” My eyes opened to Mom’s concerned gaze. “What is it, baby?”

  “Nothing.” I carried on unpacking the groceries.

  “So you didn’t hear that a certain Messiah brother was in town for the weekend?”

  “You know?” My brows went up.

  “I ran into Julia at the store. She and Zach are visiting her cousin. She just had the baby.”

  “That’s nice.”

  “How do you feel… about seeing him again?” She pretended to be busy, but I felt her watching me.

  “I don’t care either way.”

  “Calli, come on. It’s Zach.” Mom thought she knew how badly he had hurt me, but she didn’t.

  No one did.

  Because Zach and I had secrets. The intimate kind. The kind you didn’t tell anyone because they were sacred.

  “We were kids, Mom.” I schooled my expression, refusing to give that boy even an ounce of power over me. “Things change.”

  “It’s a shame. The two of you shared a special bond and he was such a nice boy.”

  “That’s what they always say,” I murmured.

  I’d grown up listening to those words. Callum, my brother, was a social butterfly. People gravitated to him. He was popular but kind. Talented yet humble.

  Such a nice boy.

  Until he chose our dad in the separation. He picked a narcissistic, lying, cheating homewrecker over Mom.

  Over me.

  I couldn’t come to terms with that.

  “Well, who knows, maybe he’ll realize the error of his ways when he sees what a beautiful and interesting girl you’ve become.”

  Heat creeped into my cheeks. I didn’t get called beautiful often, and even if it was my mom, I wasn’t used to hearing the words.

  “I’m pretty sure I won’t even be on his radar, Mom.”

  “Maybe we should fix that, then?”

  “What do—”

  “Do you trust me?” A mischievous smirk spread across her face.

  “No, not with that look you’re wearing.” My eyes narrowed.

  “Don’t look so worried, baby. You know I will always support you and the choices you make, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been waiting a long time for the day you agreed to go to a party.”

  “What did you do, Mom?” Dread snaked through me.

  “Come on, it’s better I show you.”

  “What is that?” I blurted out as we stood in her bedroom.

  “It’s a dress, Calliope. I know you prefer jeans, but surely you—”

  “Very funny.” I shot her a scathing look. “I know what it is but why do you have it?”

  “I saw it last year in that boutique you like.”

  “Alara’s?” It was one of the few stores downtown I bought anything from. They had a thrift section but also stocked some cool one-off pieces, all handmade by the owner, Alara.

  She nodded. “I saw it and knew it had your name on it. You just needed a reason to wear it.”

  “The party isn’t dress up, Mom,” I teased.

  “I know that, I just thought... you hate it.” She let out a heavy sigh and her expression fell.

  “No, I don’t hate it.” Moving closer to her closet, I ghosted my fingers over the lace bodice. It had half-sleeves and a sweetheart neckline, and a thick leather band cinched in at the waist, flowing into a skirt. It had gothic appeal with a feminine edge.

  “I just can’t imagine myself in it,” I said.

  My closet consisted of jeans or pants and plain tees and sweaters. Most days, I wore tatty sneakers and mud-stained Chucks.

  A dress was just so not me.

  “Try it on,” Mom urged, a faint smile tugged at her mouth.

  “I don’t know...”

  “Don’t you ever just want to be a teenage girl for the night?”

  “No fair, Mom.”

  “A dress won’t change you, Calli.” She gave me a reassuring smile. “But maybe you could see it as a cloak or a mask. Maybe wearing the dress would let you step out of your comfort zone.”

  “So it is dress up?” My brow quirked, and she let out a hearty laugh.

  “Just put it on. Everyone can be a little wild and reckless on Devil’s Night.”

  She made it sound like a good thing.

  My gaze went back to the dress. It was beautiful without being too pretty or glitzy. It was something I could imagine the singers of my childhood wearing: A
pril Lavigne. Hayley Williams. P!nk. Gwen Stefani. Angsty female attitude had been the soundtrack of my youth, and this dress was fit for each and every one of them.

  “Okay.” I snatched the hanger off the closet door. “But I’m only trying it on.”

  “Oh. My. God.” Madison’s eyes bugged. “You look—”

  “Ridiculous?” I tugged at the hem of the skirt. It was shorter than I’d expected. I was almost certain you could see the curve of my ass, but Mom had insisted it looked great and ushered me out of the house before I’d had time to consider changing.

  “Calli, you look amazing. Your legs... I don’t think I’ve seen them since—”

  “You’ve seen my legs.”

  “Yeah, in gym class. Holy cow, Finn is going to freak.”

  “You do know I’m not the one secretly jonesing for him, right?”

  “I am not...” She pressed her lips together, smothering a small grin.

  “That’s what I thought.” I smirked, before looping my camera around my neck.

  “You brought the Canon?” Madison asked, flicking her gaze to the camera.

  “Yeah, I wasn’t going to risk the Nikon.” I’d worked my ass off for that thing and had still only been able to afford a used, cheaper model. I had my heart set on the crème de la crème of cameras one day, the Nikon D780, but that thing was way out of my price range.

  “Well, you look fucking hot. I’m thinking you should probably leave your camera at home and enjoy all the attention you’ll be getting.”

  My eyes dropped to the ground as I tucked a stray curl behind my ear. Mom had insisted on giving me the full works. The dress, hair, and makeup. I felt like a living breathing doll. She’d wanted me to go the whole hog and wear heels, but I’d drawn the line at that, opting for my black high-top Chucks.

  “Oh no you don’t, Calliope James. You will own tonight. No more hiding behind that lens of yours.”

  “Madi...”

  “Nope. No turning back. Do you have any idea how long I’ve waited for you to finally agree to come to a party with me?”

  “Technically,” I raised a finger in the air as we began walking toward the beach, “I didn’t say yes.”

  I just hadn’t said no either.

  “Well it’s too late to back out now.” She motioned toward the bonfire in the distance. Faceless figures huddled around it, music and laughter carrying on the fall breeze.

  I stopped, sliding my camera off my neck and looked through the viewfinder. Madison glanced back, throwing me a ‘really?’ look.

  “Keep walking,” I said, adjusting the lens to bring her into focus. I took a couple of shots, checking the lighting.

  “Does my ass look good?” She teased as I caught up to her.

  “Your ass always looks good. At least, Finn seems to think so.”

  The skintight catsuit molded to her curves and she’d drawn the cutest whiskers on her face.

  “Me and Finn are—”

  “So getting it on tonight.” I raised a brow, pausing to take another couple of shots. The bonfire made a great focal point, the reflection of the flames shimmering on the ocean’s surface in the distance.

  “I don’t know. He’s so...Finn.”

  “What does that even mean?”

  “We’ve been friends forever. Our moms used to have playdates when we were babies. I’ve seen him naked. It’s weird.”

  “It’s only weird if you let it be weird.” My chest constricted. Zach and I had been friends. Friends turned into more than just friends. It wasn’t weird—it had been the most natural thing in the world.

  Until it wasn’t.

  I pushed all thoughts of Zach out of my mind. It was bad enough he might be here tonight. I didn’t need to dredge up old memories of us before he decided I no longer fit into his life.

  We stopped on the edge of the sand. The party was in full swing, and I recognized most of our senior class, and some juniors too. Girls dressed as sexy vamps and wicked witches danced in small groups, rolling and popping their hips; trying to catch the eye of the guys standing in the shadows, drinking beer from Solo cups. Someone had even gone to the effort of carving pumpkins, lining the path up to Travers House with them.

  “Ladies,” a deep voice said, and Finn snagged his arm around Madison’s waist, lifting her in the air. Her shrieks of laughter rose over the music.

  “God, Finn, put me down.” She batted his chest playfully, the two of them already lost in their own little world.

  Great. I’d managed to become the third wheel in less than a minute.

  “I’ll be...” I thumbed to nowhere in particular and took off toward the water’s edge.

  “Is that Clickope?” Tilly’s voice rang out, making me pause. “What the hell is she wearing?”

  Laughter broke out, but I didn’t wait around to hear their other insults. My Chucks sank into the sand until it grew firmer where the gentle lap of the waves kissed the shore.

  It was a stupid idea to come here, to try to fit in when I never had before. But I was here now, leaving was not an option.

  I grabbed my camera and faced the bonfire, but this time I used Travers House as my point of reference. There was something intimate about watching life through a lens. Like a magnifying glass, it gave a rare glimpse beyond the surface. I would have liked to get some candids of my classmates, but I knew that would require their permission, so I kept to obscure shots only. As long as the subjects were unidentifiable, I would be able use them for my portfolio.

  I took shot after shot after shot, moving further along the beach to add a different perspective of the house. Time stopped when I had my camera in my hands, and nothing mattered except capturing that one perfect shot. Until a dark shadow filled the viewfinder, blotting out the fire.

  “What the—” I lowered the camera, ready for the onslaught of taunts from Tilly or one of her cheer friends.

  But my breath caught in my throat as I met eyes so dark they sent a shudder through me. “Zach?” His name spilled from my lips on a shaky breath.

  A beat passed as he continued to stare at me. He was taller than the last time I'd seen him, and from the way his skull print t-shirt molded to his broad shoulders and biceps, height wasn’t the only thing he’d gained.

  The air crackled between us as I watched him watch me, filled with the pain of our past, the betrayal. I’d always imagined what I would say to him if I ever saw him again, but now he was standing here, I had nothing.

  People talked about second chances, about getting closure and saying goodbye, but maybe some things were left buried where they belonged. Time changed you, it stitched over the bad memories. I didn’t want to rip open old wounds.

  But I’d underestimated the effect seeing him again would have on me.

  I went to say something, anything to break the suffocating silence. But his eyes narrowed, and his lips began to move. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

  His words hit me like a wrecking ball. It had been eighteen months since I saw him last, almost two years since he dropped me from his life, and that’s what he greeted me with. As if I was nothing more than dirt on the bottom of his sneaker.

  “Excuse me?” Anger skittered up my spine.

  “You heard me, James.”

  Not Calliope.

  James.

  I’d been reduced to my surname.

  Is that what we were to one another now?

  God, why did it hurt so much?

  Why, after all his betrayal, did I care about the way Zach Messiah talked to me?

  He hadn’t been anyone to me in so long. Yet, my heart—my foolish fickle heart—still hadn’t gotten the memo.

  “What?” he sneered. “Cat got your tongue?”

  “Who are you?” I whispered, tears burning my throat. But I wouldn’t cry.

  I was done crying over boys a long time ago.

  Instead the rush of emotion turned to anger. It coursed through me like wildfire, an inferno no apology would ever douse.

/>   Not that I expected one.

  “Me?” He stepped into my space, letting me get a good look at him. I had to crane my neck to see his face.

  Zachary Messiah.

  My best friend.

  Turned more.

  Turned nothing.

  Hatred swirled in his inky eyes, burning with contempt. “Oh, sweet pea, I think you know exactly who I am.” He leaned down, filling my space. I was paralyzed. Too entranced by his words, the nickname he’d called me so many times before. “I gotta wonder though,” his warm breath hit my skin and a shiver rolled through me, “do you still taste as sweet?”

  Zach pressed a single kiss to my neck and my heart stopped. I couldn’t move, couldn’t speak as his lips lingered on my skin. He had completely bewitched me with a few words and a kiss.

  This was bad.

  This was very fucking bad.

  “You’re shivering,” he added, in that low, seductive voice of his.

  “Calliope?” someone yelled, startling me. Zach jerked back as if he’d been physically slapped and glowered at me.

  “W- what?” I choked out, bringing a hand to where his lips had branded my skin.

  And then he said six little words that shattered whatever seed of hope I still might have carried, that, one day, my best friend would come back to me.

  “Stay the fuck away from me.”

  “He said that?” Madison asked as we sat around one of the smaller bonfires.

  I nodded, still numb after my run in with Zach.

  What the hell had happened?

  I still couldn’t process it.

  Zach wasn’t pleased to see me, that much was obvious, but when his lips had touched my skin, a stillness washed over us both.

  I shook the ridiculous thoughts from my head. It was just the past, wrapping her fingers around us and holding tight.

  There was nothing left between Zach and me.

  He’d broken my heart, betrayed my trust, and cast me aside like I was nothing. I’d spent an entire year watching as he'd grown into his newfound popularity.

  Once he’d dropped me, the kids at Bay View welcomed him with open arms. He’d dated the most popular girls, hung out with the most popular guys. He became everything we’d always promised each other we would never be.