A Hater's Gamble (BxB)

FIFTEEN

"Why are you looking at me like that?," he asked, eyeing me briefly and returning his gaze on the road.

Keep it cool. Keep it cool. Keep it cool. Keep it—

"Thank you," I said simply, shrugging.

He smiled. "And what's that for?"

"For being the coolest," I said simply.

He rolled his eyes. "Really?"

In all seriousness, I replied, "I mean it."

The coolest? Liam would've snickered if he heard me. I had to resist the urge to strangle myself. Jake was the coolest, though. He never failed to smile, to make me smile. I wondered how he did it.

"We're here," Jake announced, pulling into a dirt driveway. Ahead, there were corn fields. Corn mazes. Tall, green ones. Perfect rows.

I unbuckled my seatbelt cautiously. "Please don't tell me there are clowns that are going to jump out and scare the shit out of us," I stated, warily looking at Jake.

He laughed. "Come on. Not just clowns, there's scarecrows too."

It was the middle of September, which meant that Halloween was next month, and a perfect time for the start of scaring festivities.

"Don't tell me you're scared," he snickered.

"Of course not," I stated, my voice a little too high.

He gave me a knowing look. "You can even hold onto me."

It was my turn to laugh. "We'll see about that."

As we trekked our way through the grass to get to the ticket booth, I pulled my hood up and shivered at the breeze that swept through the late afternoon air.

"Ready?," Jake asked, grinning down at me as we stood at the entrance of the horror maze.

"One rule first," I stated.

"Sure."

"If you scare me, I'm walking home," I said, pointing a finger at him.

Jake smirked. "Deal, Miles."

Apparently, Jake wasn't the only one with the brilliant idea to take a visit to the 'haunted' corn maze. A jumble of teenagers were ahead of us, laughing and shoving each other. A part of me was relieved that we weren't alone in this ridiculous jump-scare place.

As Jake and I turned the first corner of the corn maze, I noticed that a black tarp was draped over the maze, making it much, much darker. Now there were white flashing lights with the sound of loud—

"Are the chainsaw sounds really necessary?," I hushed to Jake, unconsciously sticking closer to him. Our arms were pressed together.

Jake grabbed my hand firmly and whispered, "On your right."

Before I could fully register his comment, I lashed my head to the right and let out the most lungful scream. I stumbled back from the masked pig-butcher man who's white apron was covered in blood. He rose his butcher knife up at me but didn't try to follow as Jake dragged me up ahead.