Don't Scream (Complete)

Chapter 11

Jonah Whitley 

Jonah couldn't understand why Ponnie wanted to go to the party. 

To him, the idea of parties was...despicable, almost out-of-this-world. Fussing over what to wear, dancing in a crowd of sweaty, boisterous teens and playing silly confession games like Truth or Dare seemed to Jonah like a ridiculous way to spend the weekend. 

Head Cheerleader Iona Fortuna was hosting what she had called "The Best Party Ever" this Saturday night and somehow, Ponnie had managed to find out the time and location of said party. She wanted to go. And she wanted Jonah to come with her. 

At first, Jonah had adamantly declined out of surprise. He'd apologized for how blunt he was, but then Ponnie began to elaborate. 

"Being a member of the Photography Club, we ought to convey a message with the pictures we take, right Jonah?" Ponnie had asked. 

Jonah could only nod. 

Ponnie wiped her brow sub-consciously. "Well, most of the pictures we've taken so far don't showcase much of modern society. I think that going down to that party and taking pictures would be a great new addition to our album." 

At the word 'album', Ponnie patted the large folder lying next to her, stacked up with pictures of various scenes and situations. "Imagine it. Pictures of a typical high school party. We'll show the next generation what kids of our age used to do." 

The way Ponnie continued to describe it, Jonah imagined a party being carried out in secret, at night, like it was a drug smuggling operation instead. Blaring music and crazy dancing didn't sit well with Jonah. The very idea of sneaking out that late at night already made him nauseous with nervousness. 

Ponnie longed to go so badly though, that Jonah just couldn't refuse. He simply couldn't. He was too weak, too meek, to say the word 'no'. He just went along with it. 

* 

With the sky pitch black and dotted with a frenzy of dots that were the stars, Ponnie and Jonah made their way around the Fortuna Estate, using the moonlight as a guide to their path. 

This was where the party was being held. According to Ponnie, this 'Iona' girl made the party exclusive, meaning not everyone was invited. Ponnie saw what they were doing as gatecrashing; to Jonah, it was nothing short of crossing into a foreign country illegally. He half expected to be chased by security guards or be asked to present his passport. When he told Ponnie his worries, she didn't laugh, which was one reason why Jonah liked her so much. If he'd told anyone else, they'd either think he was mad, or joking, or just plain dumb. 

Ponnie clarified the situation with Jonah, telling him that it was just a party and that there would be no security guards or passports to be presented. She told him that he was overreacting and exaggerating far too much. But Jonah couldn't get rid of the pit in his stomach that told him this would not end well. 

* 

"Alright, this is a perfect vantage point." 

Jonah barely registered what Ponnie said. One thing he was absolutely afraid of: heights. Jonah could deal with any other form of fear. He didn't mind the dark, he didn't enclosed spaces, he didn't mind spiders or cockroaches or lizards. Back when Jonah actually had a social life, he'd gone through an entire horror movie marathon and gone to sleep without so much as a nightmare. But he was terrified, absolutely terrified, of heights. 

Yet, to take decent pictures, Ponnie and Jonah had to climb up a tall tree overlooking one of the windows in the house. This was the only way Ponnie could peek in and snap pictures of the party unnoticed. Jonah was not pleased.