Page 60 of The Pawn

I shouldn't do any of this.

But it's not like I have anything to live for other than my revenge. If Holly finds out, nothing worse could happen to me than what I've already survived.

That's what I tell myself as I slip my phone, and the card, into my pocket. Then I flush the activation offer down the toilet, just in time to hear Holly come in the door with Mariana in tow.

My work here has almost come full circle now. I might as well finish it all off and get the final thing I want most—the truth.

Chapter 31

"So, I heard you wanted to talk about my SFX makeup skills." Mariana settles onto Holly's bed, and I jump up onto my bed opposite her, heart slamming fast against my rib cage. "I admit, I'm not usually a big Halloween girl—it's all so passé—but Holly said I should hear your pitch."

I glance over at Holly, who's backing up towards the door. "I'll let you do this all on your own, Brenna. Remember: the Rosalinds are counting on you!"

She leaves, no doubt to catch up with Cole or hang out with one of her other friends, which means it's just me and Mariana in the room.

I'm tempted to come right out and ask her what really happened that night, if she still has the video, and why she didn't step in and change the narrative when my brother was falsely accused of assaulting her.

But I don't know how she would react, and it would be unfair to drag her down bad memory lane just to appease my insatiable curiosity. I want to ease in to talking about that night once we've established a rapport.

"So, I took a look at your Instagram." I pull my phone out of my pocket, carefully pushing the credit card down so it doesn't fall out too. "And one thing I noticed is that you like doing very feminine outfits and scenes to go with your gore. There's a real juxtaposition there. I thought it might be nice for the Hallow's Eve Festival."

"Because you want to look sexy," she says, tossing her long, dark hair over one shoulder, her legs crossed in front of her. "That's the thing I hate about Halloween: girls are always afraid to go scary and wind up looking weird. It's like that scene inMean Girls.Everyone's in lingerie with little kitty ears on top of their heads."

I can't help smiling at her comparison, biting my lower lip and confessing, "I haven't seen that movie."

"Really? But it's a classic." She shakes her head at me. "You'll have to watch it."

"I was like, a baby when it was released. But I'll give it a try."

"Do. High school never changes, not really. Not for certain girls."

Her words make me even more curious about her, and I decide to really pitch this thing in earnest—not just to get close enough to find out the truth, but to be her friend. "I actually wasn't planning on doing sexy for the haunted house. I want to go all out and really make everything scary. I even have an infamous figure from history who I want to go as."

"Oh yeah? Who?"

This is the part I'm not sure will land well. "Martha Hayes."

"TheColeridgeMartha Hayes?" Her eyebrows raise sky high. "The one who burned to death on campus? The one who everyone says haunts Hayes Chapel?"

"Exactly."

"Bold choice." She's studying me. "But if we put a little bit of brown temporary hair dye wax in your hair, powdered you up a bit, put you in a 1960s school uniform and added some burns to your hands and face... it could work. You could be her ghost."

"I love that idea." Beaming at her, I add, "But I won't be able to do it without you."

Mariana is staring at me, considering. Then, with a nod, she concedes. "I'll work the haunted house with you. I'll even do SFX makeup on the other girls."

"Yes! Thanks so much."

Standing up, I hold out my hand—and she pulls me forward with a roll of her eyes, jumping off the bed and throwing her arm around me.

"Don't be so businesslike."

Pulling back, she stares down into my face, studying me. There's a little frown on her mouth like she sees something she doesn't like. My heart skips a beat as I wonder if maybe she recognizes Silas in me; Mom always said we look alike.

Then she looks away, and adds, "I should get going soon. It's a bit of a drive back to my apartment. Meet me Friday in the art tent after class. We'll do a test run of your makeup, see if we can really get the scare on. That way you'll haunt the shit out of the whole campus by playing the one ghost these kids actually believe in."

"Sounds great." I'm relieved when I realize she was just looking at my face to brainstorm her makeup. "They won't know what hit 'em when I come around the corner and sayboo."

---