Authors: Alivia Anders
"Oh?" Jayson opened the pizza box and grabbed the
largest slice, biting into it like a steak. "Who's hosting?"
"The Skripper kid, Leo," I said, the morning replaying in
"The Skripper kid, Leo," I said, the morning replaying in
my head. "Didn't mention any kegs, though."
"You know better," he got out between bites. "Any High
School party is going to have some kind of alcohol, be it from the
parent's cabinet or paying off the local brewer for a few sets. Isn't
that what they did in New York?"
I practicaly snorted. "Not even close." You didn't have to
bribe anyone to get your hands on a bottle of whiskey in the city.
Al you had to do was find a homeless guy looking for a couple
extra bucks and maybe a bottle or two of whatever you were
having. Unless you had an older friend in colege who'd take off
with half the supply from every party they hit coming to yours. That
was the easiest way to get a mix of everything.
I looked up from my homework to see Jayson thoughtfuly
chewing. Better to strike while the iron was stil hot. "What if I had
wanted to go?"
"Mmf fanfwer mmmf shhtil me fuf," he sputtered. I shook
my head until he swalowed and repeated. "The answer would stil
be no."
Of course not. It didn't matter if I was smart, neurotic, or
even mentaly insane, he wouldn't budge.
"It's for your own good, realy," he said in a low tone.
Another slice found its way for his mouth.
"Realy?" I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck rise,
the words jumping off my tongue, ready to condemn me on the
spot. "Because socializing with my peers isn't for my good, not at
al. Where'd you read that, Jayson? The back of a cereal box?"
"Actualy your grandparents," he snapped, bits of
"Actualy your grandparents," he snapped, bits of
mushroom sputtering from his lips. He forced another mouthful
down before he spoke. "Don't look so surprised. They told me al
about having to get you from a party a week after the in-"
I felt the color drain from my face. Shaking I stood up,
pushing my papers into a pile. Slick palms made it impossible.
"Great. Who the hel else knows, who? The principal, the shrink,
the whole damn student body?" No wonder I was avoided like the
plague, everyone was too busy swapping horror stories of my
mental breakdown behind my back.
"That's not what I meant, Essalie," he said. He placed a
hand on top of mine as I jerked back. "They just don't want to see
your hurt. You're in a difficult place, we get that. But I don't want
to have to come get you in the middle of the night because of some
unforeseen trigger."
"You're impossible," I snarled and shoved the chair into the
table. "Did you ever think al of this, this place, these people, the
ever-elusive House of Horrors, al of it is one giant trigger waiting
to happen?" I threw my hands in the air. "Maybe they should have
just locked me up. At least I wouldn't have to look at al of this
anymore."
"Essalie," Jayson rose from his chair, sorrow in his eyes.
"Please."
"No Jayson. You had your chance, just like Mom. We al
had our chance to be normal." I headed for the door, stopping only
to look over my shoulder. Jayson was stil standing there, watching,
waiting maybe for me to run back into his arms and become the
sister he wanted, become the siblings we should have been al
sister he wanted, become the siblings we should have been al
those years ago. "Guess I'm more than Mom than you knew, right
down to the asylum-worthy behavior."
Bedroom door shut and locked, I stared ahead at the far
wal from the door. The same peach colored wals with cream
molding trim and lace curtains stared back at me like they had al
those years ago. If I closed my eyes I could almost make out the
sane little girl I once was, hiding from a mother that had become
drasticaly unstable.
Lights came through the window over my desk, the faint
sound of an engine turning on hitting my ears. I walked across the
room and puled back the curtains watching Jayson pul out of the
driveway and leave. I bit my lip and reached for my cel phone, his
number third on speed dial. But what would I say to him? I'm sorry
I'm mentaly unstable? Sorry you got stuck with me because
someone tried using me as bait for an evil I can't point out without
being locked away?
I hit the first button. It picked up on the second ring.
"Essie? You in trouble?" The voice asked.
"Want to go to a party tonight?" I said. Turning to the
mirror I caught my reflection. A sparkle of mischief danced in my
eyes, my lips curving into a Chesershire smile.
The other line was quiet for a moment, but when the voice
answered there was a pleased tone about it. "Thought you'd never
ask," Abigail commented. "I'l be there in five."
F O U R
Across the smal town of Belfast, Maine sat the only
development of 'luxury' homes. House upon house of perfectly
decorated brick, stone, and wood gave the place an eerie
Stepford-wives feel. Leo's parents were two of the town's most
known socialites. One a high-profile TV face and the other a
former NFL player, they claimed the only way they could continue
to live in Belfast was to build a gated home in a complex
surrounded by others like themselves. Word had it his parents paid
for the whole complex, houses and al, just for the township to
approve it. The women I sat behind at church put it a little more
blunt: they bribed the town with enough money to make Bil Gates
blush.
By the time Abigail and I got there the party was in ful
swing. Kids sat half-past-drunk on the lawn, empty party cups
strewn everywhere. Strobe lights flashed from the windows of the
massive mansion, music blaring loud enough to spil out across the
lawn to the street. A quick peek inside showed kids altering
between body shots off the cheerleaders or chugging contests. Al
they needed was a back room with some alcohol IV bags ready to
go and no one would be left sober.
We stepped inside the house, crossing over a couple in the
midst of a sloppy make-out session. Beside me Abigail looked
almost fearful. "You sure you want to be here? Cops could show
up any minute," she half-screamed over the music.
up any minute," she half-screamed over the music.
I shook my head. "Cops don't crash a Skripper party, no
way, no how." A puddle at the end of the flickering hal looked like
water, or maybe vomit. "Come on, maybe there's more in the
back."
We took turns watching our step between the broken
objects, sloppy drunks, and weird pyramids of party cups
throughout the house. Three different living rooms, two accidental
walk-ins to bedrooms, and one broken lamp later, we were safely
behind the kitchen doors. Oddly enough the kitchen looked like the
only untouched room in the whole house. The music had dimmed
to a low background noise.
Abigail ran her fingers along the white marble countertops
as she walked to the fridge and puled out a bottle of water.
Popping the top off she asked, "Was that realy Ashley Jacobs
doing-"
I shuddered and sank into one of the wicker bar stools at
the island counter. "Yes, yes it was."
We busted out laughing. She paused between sips of water
to admire the bottle in her hands. "Good to know her gag reflex is
stil functioning, very wel too I may add." Her laugh turned into a
snicker. "Wait until Brady-boy finds out."
I blinked and stared. "You mean that wasn't her
boyfriend?"
She let out a cackle and shook her head. "Most definitely
not! Brad has a," she paused. The outside sliding door had
opened, Leo slipping inside. His green eyes widened in surprise as
he took in the sight of the Abigail, only to stop and stare at me.
he took in the sight of the Abigail, only to stop and stare at me.
"Ah, the host finaly shows!" Abby raised her water bottle.
"Cheers. You managed to get every student in Belfast High
sloshed."
He chuckled, sparing her a shake of the head. But his eyes
came back to rest on me. "Not my doing. Some other guys from
the team brought the booze. Ryan and his buddies bled their
parents' cabinets dry." He passed Abby and took a can of soda
from the fridge. "The remaining of us that are sober are at the
bonfire out back. You two going to join?"
Abigail and I exchanged glances. I had already came and
proved my point to Jayson that I wasn't nuts and going to split in
half on the turn of a dime. And so far the halucinations had been
keeping to themselves which was twice as nice. No harm in a little
fun.
"I came this far, might as wel go al the way," I grinned and
winked at the two of them, hopped off the stool and gave Leo a
stare. "Lead the way."
He nodded and opened the door but not before I caught
the twitch of a smile on his lips. We folowed him out into the inky
night, smal lanterns hanging on iron rods iluminating an endless
backdrop of meticulously manicured backyards. Cobblestone
paths spiraled and twisted every which way, leading to anything
from a personal sauna to an emergency bomb shelter compound,
Leo told us. I believed it.
Just over the hil a yelow-glow bled over the horizon line.
Leo led us closer until we reached the peak of the hil. Just below
Leo led us closer until we reached the peak of the hil. Just below
the slope a giant bonfire, chunks of wood as the size of ancient tree
trunks piled into the shape of a frame for an Indian tee-pee stood
ablaze. Streaks of red, orange, yelow and blue wrapped around
the wood like a vice, encasing it in its eternaly burning grasp.
Leo continued down the slope without us, reaching his
girlfriend and giving her a smal kiss on the cheek. Her eyes turned
to me and narrowed to slits almost instantly.
"What is your beef exactly with Ursula?" Abigail asked.
We joined the others in front of the fire, most preferring to avert
their eyes than greet us.
I shrugged. "I'm the social discrepancy intruding her perfect
little world." When Abigail stared back at me, I roled my eyes.
"I'm the bug in her bedroom hanging above her head. Duh."
As if she had sonic hearing, Ursula cleared her throat. "
So
surprised to see you here, Hanley. I thought the picture of a dead
cat on the front door would have left you screaming."
Snickers rebounded around the bonfire. My cheeks
flushed and I looked to Leo, who pointedly looked away. He
looked just as embarrassed as me.
Over the thrumming roar of the flames, I sharpened my
tongue. "Funny, Ursula. Get that off the box your tacky fashion-
sense came from? Or did your over-paid hairstylist tel you to say
that?" I gave a nonchalant shrug and stage whispered. "I'd consider
hiring a new one. She makes you look 30 with that crop cut."
Ursula pursed her lips, narrowing her eyes even further.
"Why did you run, Hanley? Afraid the teacher was going to use
you for dissection next?"
you for dissection next?"
"I'l give you a dissection," Abigail muttered, stepping
forward. I grasped one of her wrists and shook my head. It just
wasn't worth it. One look around the bonfire told me that everyone
else was with Ursula on this. My thoughts from before were true, I
didn't belong here. I was invading their space, their lives.
Al I wanted was for the kids to quit thinking I was a freak.
To include me in their circles, maybe not a friend, but not an
outcast. Heat spread through my skin, building in my fingertips and
cheeks. Just once, I wanted to fit in somewhere, wherever it would
be.
I puled my hands back and shouted. My fingertips were
tender and red, almost blistering. I must have had my hands too
close to the fire. I looked around, waiting to hear the bursts of
laughter for being the only one to scald myself on the fire, but it
seemed no one had even noticed.
"Hey, Essalie, did you need my notes for Biology?"
someone caled out from across the fire. A couple people stepped
aside as one of the girls, Emily Sanders I remembered, came over
with a shy smile on her face.
"Uhhh, you sure?" I looked at Abigail, who shrugged but
gave me the same raised eyebrow look. Emily was one of Ursula's
'clones', as we caled them privately. They matched in almost
everything, from clothing choices to taste in boys. I took a quick