Alive | Jasper Hale | Book 1

7. Halloween Bash

                                               7. Halloween Bash

The next couple weeks were hectic. At school, everyone was trying to get ready for the Bash while trying to juggle schoolwork. I was barely at home anymore, always spending my afternoons with Greyson at the Lodge. Grace didn’t seem phased by this, even when I asked her one night. She only urged me to hang out with Greyson and Cole more, saying it was good for me to be with people my age.

By the time Halloween came around, everyone was stoked and ready. Greyson had all the pieces to his costume and Cole had dyed her hair a dark brown days before the Bash (she told me she wanted to cool it down with the colorful hair dye for a while; plus, it looked good with her costume).

Two hours before Grace was dropping Cole and I at the school, Cole sat me down and curled my hair. All the while, she had me turned facing away from the mirror, so the reveal would be a surprise.

After applying a thin layer of foundation, Cole focused on the eyes, putting in a pair of generic contact lenses that would change the color of my eyes. Then, she started applying eyeshadow followed by eyeliner and mascara. It felt weird when, minutes later, I felt Cole’s eye-liner pencils brush against my skin—the area below my eyes, to be exact—in light, quick motions. Still, I kept my eyes and mouth shut, waiting until she was finished.

With my lips, she took a dark eyeliner pencil and lined them. She blended the dark lines of the pencil with a dark, magenta lipstick. I smacked my lips together like she instructed me to blend in the two colors.

“Hold still,” Cole said as she pursed her lips together, focusing on my face as she dabbed some gross-smelling liquid on the corners of my lips.

Only then did Cole turn me around, my eyes opening just in time.

My eyes fell on a figure in the mirror, a low gasp escaping my lips as I stared at her. The first thing that startled me were her bright, ruby red irises and the veins that seemed to stem from the bags under her eyes. Then, my eyes fell on the blood dripping from the corners of her mouth and her dark lips. The woman’s raven-black hair had been curled in beautiful ringlets, falling naturally against her pale ivory shoulder.

In all, she was a beautiful and monstrous-looking creature. One that could easily seduce men or scare them—whichever she preferred.

Gently, I touched my face, worried I might have ruined the whole thing with a single touch. This girl in the mirror was someone entirely unlike me, yet I enjoyed it so much. The dark, sadistic scenes that played in my head as I stared at the person in the mirror made me want to giggle. Giggle at the dark emotions I was capable of.

But then, Cole spoke.

“What do you think?”

Turning my head, I forgot about the person in the mirror and rushed towards her. Careful not the smudge the make-up, I threw my arms around her and hugged her tightly.

“Thank you so much,” I murmured into her neck.

“No problem,” she said, pulling away. “Now, come on. I’ve got to get ready and you’ve got to get dressed.”

Before I could say anything more, Cole took the bag containing her costume and disappeared into the bathroom. I turned to my closet, seeing the black, laced dress hanging up. Knowing there wasn’t much time until we left, I immediately discarded my current clothes and replaced them with the dress.

As I smoothed my hands over the lace fabric, I couldn’t help but feel as if tonight was going to be special. Inside, I was buzzing with excitement, waiting impatiently until it was time to leave. My stomach was flipping upside down, the butterflies restless now.