All Fucked Up//Jahren ff

Chapter 22

"Joel, where are you taking me?" Ahren asks, annoyed but happy at yet another one of Joel's surprises.

"I've told you once, and I'll tell you again, it's a secret, you'll see when we get there." Joel chuckles.

"Mmm, fine." Ahren rolls his eyes. "Can you at least tell me a hint?"

"Hmm... Well, I'm sure you've never been here before, somewhere I've been of course. It's somewhere I'm sure you'll hate me for taking you, but you'll have fun." He looks over at Ahren pouting. He knew that Ahren hated surprises, but he loved what came out of them. And the whole purpose of a good relationship is making each other annoyed, right?

"Then why are you taking me there if I'm gonna hate it?"

"Because if I'm having fun, so will you, now shut up before you make me spill anymore about the surprise." Joel continues driving down the highway at a reasonable speed, and of course there were people he thought were "way too fucking slow, move ya cunt!"

Ahren laughs, "Stop yelling at people who go too slow for you."

"Well, maybe they shouldn't be fucking driving if they can't hurry up." Joel smiles. "We're almost there anyway."

That's when Ahren saw the sign with glowing letters saying, "Brisbane Haunted House Next Right!"

"Joel you did not." Ahren slaps his shoulder.

"Oh yes I did." Joel laughs, knowing that Ahren hates anything scary.

"I'm not going in there. There's no way I'm going in there."

"Yes you are. They're just people in makeup and costumes, love."

"I know but I hate the jumpscares. What the hell is wrong with you? Remember when we tried watching the Exorcist?" Ahren recalls the past, he knew they had fun but he hated being scared.

Joel laughs. "Yeah, that was a fail. But it's time to experience it for real this time." He continues laughing while they park and walk up to the ticket line.

"Joel I really don't think this is a good idea." Ahren could practically see his breath as it came out of his mouth. The day was unusually cold, and of course it had to be cold on this day.

"Calm down, love, it's really not that bad." Joel wraps a hand around Ahren's side.

"Easy for you to say. You're a thrillseeker, I am not."

"You're gonna be with me, don't worry." Joel smiles and pays for two tickets.

Ahren sighs. "I don't know why you always insist on bringing me to surprises. And brace your ears 'cos I'm gonna scream in your fucking ear."

"It's worth it." They walk inside the haunted house, instantly being paraded by an actor who made Ahren jump.

They walk through twists and turns, getting scared by actors jumping out at them. Ahren screams at every single one, Joel having to hold his laugh in in order to not get yelled at by Ahren everytime Ahren screamed.

Of course tonight's main theme had to be clowns, Ahren's worst nightmare. Ahren hated clowns. He didn't trust them and he hated the creepy faces they made. He'd never seen the movie "It" because of that. Joel didn't think the movie was scary at all and thought Ahren was just over exaggerating about his fear of clowns, but once they entered the next house, he knew Ahren wasn't faking.

Ahren made Joel go in front of him to block anything from scaring him at first glance, but still somehow Ahren jumped at every little thing.

The next house they entered was filled with clowns, Ahren clinging to Joel's back, scared to death of the actors. Ahren realized that wasn't a good idea when the actors saw that Ahren was ghost white and stuck to Joel like glue.

Next thing they knew they were chased by a clown, Ahren took off running and pushing Joel in front of him.

As they finish the clown house, Ahren takes a long breath.

"See? That wasn't so bad, was it?" Joel laughs.

"No, it was horrible." Ahren wipes the sweat off his forehead. "Can we go home now?"

"Not yet. We've still got one more house left to go to." Joel grabs Ahren's hand and pulls him behind him.

"Ugh." Ahren says as he's dragged along by Joel into the next haunted house.

This house's theme was zombies. The eerie moans filled Ahren's ears, sending shivers down his spine. The actors looked so real, he was having a hard time believing what Joel said about them being real people.

He kept his head down the nearly the whole time, except when he looked up to make sure Joel didn't abandon him. Ahren squirmed as he felt hands reaching at his ankles and at his shoulders, pushing them off of him and yelling profanities at them.

They reach a part of the house that's pitch black, not one part of the maze that was illuminated so you had to feel your way around that part. All you could hear and feel was breath of the actors hidden in walls on you. Ahren held Joel's waist as Joel led them through that part. Ahren's hands shook as they wrapped around the taller boy's middle.

"You're so shaky." Joel says over the loud voices of actors groaning and heavy death metal in the background.

"No shit, I'm shaky. I'm scared to death." Ahren says, his voice lower so he could purposely move closer to Joel to repeat his words.

"It's almost over, baby." Joel shouts back to Ahren, Ahren relieved that he gets to leave soon.

Soon the dim, purple lights came back into vision and a light appeared at the end of the hallway and pushes past Joel to run out. The floor begins shaking as he runs and an alarm sounds, forcing Ahren to throw his hands over his ears. (this was part of the haunted house, nothing bad is happening)

He finally reaches the end and so does Joel shortly after him.

"Can we go home now?" Ahren asks for the millionth time.

"Yes, we can go home now." Joel takes Ahren's hand and walks out of the haunted house premises.

"Did you like it?" Joel asks.

"No, I hated it. Are you sure those were actors?" Ahren asks, his teeth still chattering.

"They're all actors. And if you can't tell them from real zombies, then that's how you know they're good."

"Let's just go home now."

They drive off back to their home, cozy up together, and fall asleep. Joel comforts Ahren as he sleeps, forgetting everything that scared him the night before.