Page 29 of Dark Things
“Haunt’s a better driver than I am, but don’t tell him I said that. He can be really annoying when he gets it in his head he’s better than me at anything.”
She laughs and leans back in her seat. “Pretty sure all men are like that. Give them one clue that they’re superior and it’s like their chests puff out automatically.”
A laugh passes my lips and I give her a genuine smile. “Boys are so dumb.”
“You’ll get no argument from me. But Haunt sounds like a good guy. Are you together?”
Her question is valid, but I’m not sure how to define what Haunt and I are. It’s not as simple as being a couple. We’re intertwined so extensively that I’m not sure I can put into words exactly what we are.
“Haunt and I have known each other for a long time. It’s hard to categorize what we are. He’s my other half. The person who knows me best. So technically you can say we’re together, but there’s more to it than that.”
She studies me for a moment, and I’m not sure what she’s looking for, but it makes me fidget in my seat.
“Well, I can’t say I’ve ever had that, so I’ll just take it as you guys are a thing and not get any ideas. Besides, Itend to drift toward women. Men are too much trouble.”
I glance over, and she’s got a sly smirk on her lips that says she knows exactly what I meant but understands I don’t want to go into it.
“Let’s turn up the music. Get in the mood to see a bunch of college assholes drink too much to remember where they are,” I say, turning the dial on the radio up.
Aslyn starts singing the song on the radio and I sit back, a little more comfortable with being with a new friend.
The party isat a frat house. I cringe a bit at the exterior. There are people everywhere, and red cups litter the grassy lawn. Couples are making out on the porch as we approach. I’ve never been to a frat party or any real college party, but I already know I’m going to have to be careful here. Before we make it to the front, I send Haunt a pin for my location.
“Xi Sigma’s parties are always a good time, just remember not to put your drink down anywhere and always go for the closed options—beer or a canned cocktail. While they usually have a bar, I wouldn’t trust anything I didn’t open myself,” Aslyn says as we walk in the front door.
I shouldn’t be surprised, but it’s always a shock to hear someone say it out loud. It sucks that we live in aworld where women can’t even trust their drinks would be safe if left somewhere.
“Thanks for looking out. Let’s stick together until Haunt gets here and then we can have a little more fun. He’ll watch out for us.”
I give her a reassuring smile and follow her through the crowd toward the back of the house. The crowd is thick with people dancing, talking, and just having a good time.
There’s a beer pong table and some other game that looks like it’s just for getting wasted. We ignore that side of the room and enter the kitchen.
A keg sits in a giant container with ice around it and next to it is a bucket of canned drinks. Aslyn leans in and takes out two cocktail mixes, a margarita and a dirty lemonade. I grab the margarita and crack the tab.
The first sip is a little sour, but the second isn’t so bad. She gestures for us to go out through the back, and I follow along. There’s so many people here, but I can still feel the stares. I’m the new girl, I get it. Interesting and a little mysterious.
“Hey, beautiful. Why don’t you come over here and hang out with us,” a guy says, intercepting us as we’re almost to the back door.
He holds out his hand to stop us, but I side step, not wanting him to touch me. He’s definitely drunk, his face all red and his hair disheveled.
“No thanks,” Aslyn says, trying to walk around him, but he’s not going to let us go that fast.
As he tries to grab Aslyn’s arm, I insert myself in between them and grab his wrist, putting pressure on the joint. He yelps and tries to pull his arm away, but I’ve locked on.
“When a woman says no, she’s not trying to be coy. It’s a short two letter word; a complete fucking sentence. Something you should have learned the meaning of in kindergarten,” I hiss, pushing him further back until he hits the wall next to the sliding glass doors.
His friends crowd around us, but none are trying to save him, at least not right now.
Now that his posse is surrounding us he decides he’s going to get in my face. I plant my feet steady on the ground and wait to see his next move.
“Get off me, bitch. I was trying to be friendly, and you’re being a cunt.”
I smile and shove him out of my space by letting go of his wrist. “That’s me, the cunt. But no is still no, so I’d remember that in the future if I was you.”
Frat boy’s eyes flash with anger, and I prepare to put him on his ass, but before I can see if he’s going to retaliate a large body steps in front of me.
“Get the fuck back, Chad. Stop embarrassing yourself.”
