"Make sure to write the date on your paper before leaving," my trigonometry teacher projected to the class.
November 3rd.
Today is the Day of the Dead party, and still no host was coming forth to accept recognition. I stopped expecting someone from claiming the party as their own since the day after I received a flyer. If the person wanted everyone to know who they were, they would've said it already.
"Come on, let's leave before your brother shows up," Alice says in urgency, shoving our papers into the hands of our teacher as we exited the class.
"And then what? Have me hide at your place until the party?" I laughed, amused at the thought.
"If it keeps you away from going with your brother than yes," she says, bobbing her head in agreement.
"Let's just all go together," I recommended.
"No way. He'll kill the party and suck the life out of us," she rejected the idea.
"Don't you think you're exaggerating?" I asked, as Alice dragged me with her through the big waves of students.
She turned to me with a humorless face, "Not in the slightest, why?" She questioned, still pulling me with her, to the doors that lead to the parking lot.
"Asher isn't the sucker of life," I flatly told her.
"He is when he's all 'protect Annalise, my baby sister' mode," she mocked, having a deep voice.
I couldn't argue with that, so I kept quiet. Asher did get all solemnly when it came down to defending people he cares about.
Alice finally released me from her grip on my wrist when we approached her 2015 edition Volkswagen.
Alice discontinued her steps abruptly, "How the hell did he know?"
I peeked up from my phone and captured the face of a confused, but also angry looking Alice, who was staring off into the distance.
I switched my view further to the location her eyes were peering at, and seen Asher leaning on Alice's grey car.
Well... no need to send the message I was writing to him.
I erased the unsent words and continued walking to him, this time dragging Alice along. We stopped as we stood an appropriate distance away, as in a distance where Alice couldn't strangle him.
"How did you know?" She exclaimed, blowing the strands of hair that fell to her face away.
"Because you're so predictable," he dourly answered, his arms crossed and his figure leaning on the side of her passenger door.
"Get off my car!" She barked, her cheeks becoming slightly red, due to her defensive side surfacing again.
He tore his eyes away from her and settled them on me, "I told you we were going to that party together."
"I know, but Alice wants me to go with her as well," I replied back.
"Too bad," he said looking at Alice.
His body stopped leaning on her car as he began to walk my way. "You're going with me. You're one and only brother."
"Well, I'm her one and only best friend!" Alice snapped at Asher, standing in front of me.
"I don't have time for this. I'm not a child," he insulted her.
Here comes the show.
"I'm not a child as well! Actually, I'm older than you, Asher!"
"By a fucking month!" He huffed, slowly softening from his serious manner.
"Still doesn't change the fact that you're younger than me," she grinned, placing her hands on her hips.
Asher took a deep breath in and opened his mouth before clamping it shut again, pursing his lips, he moved his head to the side more to get a better view of me.
"Alright let's go," Asher finally spoke.
"No! Annalise!" Alice whined, as she seen me stepping to the side to join my brother.
I looked into her wild forest green eyes, noticing that they were glossy and filled with guilting sadness.
Curse those eyes.
"No," I said to Asher, not looking directly at him.
"No?" He gazed at me with disbelief.
"I knew you loved me more," Alice excitedly burst out, flipping her hair to the side with her hand.
"Me and you aren't going either," I informed her, having a neutral tone.
She furrowed her dark blonde eyebrows at me, her lips parting as she attempted to think of what to say.
Asher, however, knew where I was going and let out a curt breath. "No. No. Did I mention no?" He said, in clear objection.
"We're all going to together!" I widely smiled, closing my eyes and shining my teeth at them.
Alice pouted her lips and shook her head in defiance, "No way."
"It's not happening, Annalise," Asher added in.
***
"You know if you're not going to be in The day of the Dead spirt than you shouldn't go," Alice suggested, as we headed towards Asher's car in the driveway of our house.
"Shut up," he simply shot back.
Alice rolls her eyes as she slips into the backseat of Asher's 2016 GMC pick up truck that our dad got him last year for his, our, birthday.
I chuckled at her, and also slipped into the backseat with Alice. Asher stood outside the door for a few seconds as he was typing away on his phone, his expression unreadable.
He pocketed his phone in his dark washed jeans and opened his door, sliding into the driver's seat. He slammed the door shut, making me and Alice jolt up in surprise at the amount of force he applied.
Me and Alice shared a quick look before she broke the silence, "Are you ok?" She stretched out her words, concern etching on her face and invading her usual attitude towards him.
Alice is like a second sister to Asher, they fight a lot like most normal siblings do, but that isn't the relationship me and Asher have, so I guess that's why they bicker a ton. Anyways, when push comes to shove they both care and would protect each other.
"I'm good," he responds shortly, roaring his car's engine to life.
I leaned into Alice and whispered, "I don't think he's good..."
She turns to me and gives me flat stare, "Obviously!" She whispers.
"I can still hear you guys, you act like I'm not a couple feet away from you, and there's no music even playing in the background," he points out, aggravation emerging from his words.
"He's so moody, do you think it's that time of the month?" Alice asked, the corner of her lips rising in a teasing smirk.
"Fuck sake, I should have let you guys take your own damn cars," he exasperated, harshly clicking on a radio station and turning the knob to give the music full volume.
"He's still letting his emotions dictate his actions?" Alice yells into my ear, but Asher couldn't possibly catch a word due to the deafening music.
I guess so, I answered to myself.
***
"Holy shit," Asher says.
"Omg, it looks like everyone from the high school came," Alice uttered, her widening eyes devouring the sight of a long line of parked cars on the road.
"No way," I said. "This has to be all the high schools in Bellton."
"You're right, Annalise. We all have to stick together tonight, too many people we don't know will be here," he asserts, leaving no room for us, mainly Alice, to argue with him.
"I agree," She pipes up, finally taking her eyes off the road.
"Damn, there's no parking here. I think I'm going to have to reverse and go park down with that line of cars," he said, cursing under his breath as he started reversing.
"Aye! Stop!" Alice cries out, in pure annoyance as he kept going further away from the party.
"What!?" He yells, turning his head to us.
"Leave us here. Did you forget the farther you go the farther me and Annalise have to walk in heels?" She reminds him, taking her clutch and mine as well.
"First thing first, Annalise went with her black flats and you're not going in without me," he foully smirks, before turning away from us and backing up more.
"ASHER!" She screams, startling me.
"No, Alice, you're not leaving without me," he insists.
"Omg! Asher, I'll be with Annalise and she'll be with me. We're big girls, we can handle ourselves," she reasons.
He stops the car and lets out a long breath, "Get out before I change my mind."
"Yes! Let's go, Annalise," she opens the handle door and rushed out of the car.
I opened the door and stepped onto the smooth road, taking in my surrounding, I realized we were into the far woods of Bellton.
"Walk on the side of the road, near the cars, since there aren't any sidewalks!" Asher shouts out his window, popping his head in as I gave him a small nod and smile.
Alice locked her hand into mine as we walked behind a group of teenagers. There was only a long road with big trees covering the moonlight, orange and reddish leaves littered the street, crunching under my flats.
I seen some kids from my school stepping out of their cars, examining their face, I realized they had skull face paint. I scanned my eyes to the people next to them, they too had skull face paint, but it wasn't black and white colors that you would expect, it was bright colors they used.
I hear Alice squeal right beside me, looking at her I see her eyes light up.
"This is going to be amazing!" She beams, rushing towards the mansion.
Whoa! Hugest I ever seen!
Hahaha, my inner voice snickers at a crude thought.
The area leading up to the mansion is cleared greatly, no trees or leaves, just a big pathway going to the mansion. It has two statue lions on each of the entrance, one lion roaring and having it's threatening teeth on display, the other not roaring and intently, almost viciously, watching.
"This mansion looks so modern considering it's built in the middle of the woods," Alice notes, and I nod my head in agreement.
Guys and girls are scattered in front of the mansion, their laughing, dancing, and so on. The music from inside easily meets my ears, it was blaring.
Good thing this place was in the middle of nowhere, because if it wasn't, I'm pretty sure the person's neighbor would strangle them to death.
Me and Alice bumped and occasionally for her, pushed our way into the mansion. I noticed that no guards were posted at the door, unlike the one's at Noah's place.
The warmth of the inside air blew at my face, a majority of the kids were smiling and drinking away life. Most of the girls and guys have colorful skull face paint on, some like me and Alice didn't.
I study the beautiful mansion, eyeing the two staircase on both sides of the wide room, leading up to a second floor. I glanced up at the shining chandelier from above, admiring all its intricate design.
"Jesus, it's packed as hell in here," Alice complains, locking her elbow with mine.
"I know!" I yelled over the music. "So many people from the surrounding schools are here."
Alice nods in response and roamed her eyes around the people flooding the area. White teeth, even yellow teeth, were on display on every person's face. All were laughing or giggling at each other and dancing crazily to Rockstar by Post Malone.
I felt my lips turning up into a small smile, "Let's do something fun!" I enthusiastically recommended, feeling thrilled with the energy around me.
"Over there! A group of people are playing truth or dare!" She shouts, dragging us in their direction.
Approaching the group, I realized there was two girls around my age on the laps of two guys with red eyes. The girl with a streak of pink in her black hair, wrapped an arm around the guy with an eyebrow piercing. The other girl who has burgundy diva curls, stared at her nails without a care for the guy she was sitting on.
Across from them was a girl with long brown straight hair, and sitting next to her was a guy with a cigarette in his mouth, his appearance gave away that he was older than me and even Alice, definitely out of high school.
"I dare you to give me a lap dance," the older guy said to the girl with diva curls, exaggerating the biting of his bottom lip.
"Shut up!" The girl hollers to him. "Another dare, asshole."
"Fine, I dare you to kiss him," the guy says, pointing his finger at the eyebrow piercing guy.
"What!" The girl with a pink streak in her hair shrieks.
"It'll just be a kiss," the one with diva curls shrugs, finding no concern for the girl's reaction.
"No way, he's my boyfriend and he doesn't want to kiss you," the girl crosses her arms.
"Yeah, dude, that dare is stupid," the guy protests, sitting straighter.
"Too bad, I'm not changing it," the older guy deadly stares into his eyes.
The girl with diva curls grins at the two beside her, she waves off the girl from her boyfriend, and she complies. The girl stands up and her eyes become hard, her face taut, hands clenched.
"Thank you, honey," the other girl says, climbing on the guy's lap.
The guy's jaw flexes, and I could tell he was gritting his teeth together. He glares at the girl and the next thing I knew she had her arms around his neck. She arrogantly smiles and smashes her lips to the guy's.
"Hope you girls are standing there cause you want to play, we're gonna need two more players after this," the older guy smirks at us, his eyes shamelessly raking over my body.
I started to fidget around, twiddling my thumbs and tucking a strand of my wavy hair behind my ear. I have no idea why he was looking at me like I was the last piece of chicken on earth.
It's not like I was wearing a nice dress or anything remotely exposing to get that kind of attention. I dressed myself, wearing a leather black mini skirt and a plain white top.
Don't got to wear anything exposing for someone to want your body, my deep inner self said, a breath of a whisper.
"Fucking tongue! Seriously!" The girl furiously vocalized, pushing the girl off a already disgusted guy.
"If I get STDs..." the guy mutters, while using the back of his hand to wipe his lips.
"You all suck," the girl snaps, leaving with her guy on trail.
The girl with diva curls dusts off her white dress, it has a slit at the side going all the way up to her thigh.
The guy she was sitting on when I came was now in a fit of laughter, his eyes were half open and it oddly smelled like skunk near him.
"Shut up!" The girl spats, plopping herself onto the empty space on the beige couch.
"Ayo, there's a couch for the both of ya right here," the older guy points out with his thumb.
"Thanks!" Alice smiles, not noticing the disturbing knots in my stomach.
She sits down onto the couch and pats the seat next to her, "Come on."
"Take a seat, I promise we don't bite. Well, I do, but not that hard," he winks, a devilish grin forming on his face.
Alice giggles at his comment, taking her hand and covering her mouth. I slowly take a seat next to her and give her a sideways glance.
What the what is wrong with her?
A lot, obviously.
"Truth or dare?" he questions, directly at me.
He engulfs in my appearance, studying my facial features sharply. I gulped and blinked too many times for him not to notice my anxiety.
"Tru-" I started but then got nudged by Alice's elbow. "Dare," I frowned, hating myself for changing my answer.
He deviously smiles at me as he hums like he's thinking of a question, "What's your name?" He asked, the smile falling off his face.
I awkwardly turned my head to Alice, who just gestured for me to open my mouth and respond. I shifted my eyes from hers to the girl who also has a intense gaze settled on me, the guy next to her, however, just stared off into space.
"It's Annalise," I say, a great feeling of a mistake being made hovering over me.
The older guy looks to the girl and raises an eyebrow, then turns back to me and looks me up and down. Shaking his head, he looks away, seeming to be lost in thought.
"Uhhh, truth or dare?" The girl asks Alice.
I gazed at the green bottled beer, which was on top of the elegantly made wooden table, water droplets sliding its way down from the tip of the bottle down to the table itself. One droplet, two droplets, and so on, created a little puddle.
In no time, my eyes grew fixated on the object, tilting my head, I continued to stair at the bottle, swirling all my thoughts together.
Where's Asher?
Who party is this?
Why does this guy seem a little off, no, this whole group of people?
Most importantly, why does it look like Tate and Kim are coming my way?
Wait what? Girl!!! Alice!
I snapped out of my mini trance and grabbed Alice's wrist, "Let's go."
"What? Why?" She frowns, forming a crease on her forehead and her lips parting out.
"For reasons!" I truthfully stated.
"Aye, don't go just yet," the older guy tells us.
Yeah, cause staying with creepy guys like you are the highlights of the party. My inner self brutally thinks.
I shake away the rude comments floating inside my mind and try to pull Alice away.
"Hey, room for two more?" A deep familiar voice questions.
Alice whips her head in the direction of a brown skinned guy with dreadlocks, holding hands with a light skinned girl with black curly hair and brown eyes.
Her eyes and his instantly connected.
"Tate," she growled.
"Sweet, sweet, Alice," he greeted.
He landed his eyes on me, "Annalise," he dryly addressed me.
Well, this just got interesting.
PLEASE: VOTE! COMMENT! SHARE!
This party is only the beginning of many troubles to come.
Who are these people around Annalise?
What kind of person do you think Tate, Alice's ex, is?
Most importantly, who's throwing the Day of the Dead party?