Page 28 of Fractured

“Uh, let loose with Nick, huh?” She smirks.

“Oh, you know what I mean. It’s a party. Dance with him and stuff. I just wouldn’t want to be looking over my shoulder the whole night wondering if he was watching. God, I never should’ve gone out with him. I don’t know what I was thinking. It’s never good to date someone in your circle.”

“Well, what’s done is done. Let’s not worry about that until the time comes. We need to focus. I need you to help hang some of these cool Halloween decorations around the yard. There’s going to be two different bars set up, one over here under the tent and another in the back corner of the yard near the fire pit. I’ve got some decorations that need to go in the tent too.”

“Lord, Mel. I don’t even want to know what you guys spend on these parties every year. I feel like it gets bigger and bigger. A tent?”

“Oh, we’ve done it so long it isn’t that big of a deal anymore. We reuse most of the decorations. I just rented the tent at the last minute because they were calling for a chance of rain. And quite honestly, I thought it might muddle the sound from the DJ a bit, so we don’t get another visit from the police.”

“Well, considering you guys have invited half of the police officers to the party, I think you’ll be okay.” I laugh.

“Yeah, there’s always that. There’s no dance floor or anything, just the tent, but it’s one less thing I need to stress over.”

“I get it. Okay, let me get to work. You start tackling your list, and I’ll come to grab you if I get caught up.”

* * *

My stomach is growling. Looking to my watch, it’s 6:10 p.m. I can smell the barbeque and brisket as I walk in and out of the kitchen. Reaching over to steal a small sandwich, I look for Mel amongst the catering staff and firefighters offering last-minute assistance with party prep.

“Mel, when do we need to start getting ready?” I ask, my mouth watering around the bite of sandwich. “Man, these are good.”

Looking down at her watch, I see her wince. “Probably now. You go ahead and shower in the guest room and meet me in my room when you’re done. I’ll tell Jake to dress in Seth’s room. He got off easy this year, so it shouldn’t take him long.”

“Okay. Got it. I’ll meet you in your room in about thirty minutes.”

Walking into Mel’s bedroom, a towel wrapped around my body, I sit on the edge of her bed. I was able to blow out my hair and look up at Mel, who is leaning into the mirror, applying cat eyes with her eyeliner.

“Hey, Mel?”

“Yeah?”

“I think I want to wear my hair down.”

I hear a sharp gasp as she swings around facing me with a look like she’s just seen Santa come down the chimney.

“For real, Kat? I’ve been waiting for this for so long!” She claps.

I watch as she runs into her bathroom and returns with a small white box. “What’s that?” I ask hesitantly.

“Oh, don’t you worry. I’ve got this, Katarina Kelly. You’re going to be the sexiest damn kitten that boy has ever seen.”

Oh, Lord. What have I gotten myself into?

Nick

I park my car down the road from the address Jake provided, surprised at the sheer number of vehicles parked along the curb. This must be one big ass party. I feel more than a little conspicuous walking in my soccer gear, party or not. I guess I’ve watched too many movies, but I always fear walking in being the only person dressed in costume. As I stroll the length of Jake’s driveway, I see party-goers standing in the backyard holding beers and chatting. I relax, releasing the air I was holding as I notice all of the said attendees are wearing different outfits, some quite outlandish.

“Hey, stud,” I hear called in my direction. Looking over, I see Jake wearing a khaki outfit complete with a pith helmet, looking as if he’s about to trek an African safari.

“Very funny,” I reply, walking toward him as he’s carrying wood toward a fire pit.

“Grab a beer. Better yet, get over here and help me with this so I can grab a beer.” Laughing, I bend over to do just that. The yard is aglow in orange and white lights, occasional bursts of ornamental purple decorative bulbs displayed on several evergreens about the yard. There’s a tent that backs toward the deck with doors flapped open to reveal a bar, a DJ, and some small tables and chairs. About twenty people are dancing in the tent, enjoying the evening’s festivities.

“Man, you guys go all out.”

“Yeah, Mel loves it. It’s the one big thing we splurge on every year. She missed her calling. She should’ve been an event planner. But then again, she gets so stressed out by all of it, I probably couldn’t live with her if she did this full time. Make sure you get some food. The brisket is amazing.”

“Holy shit, brisket? That’s some party fare. So where is Mel?”

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