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I WAS GENUINELY SO surprised that my parents agreed to let me go to Allison's party.

"Are you guys screwing with me?" I asked in honest-to-god confusion.

"As long as you take your brother, you can go." Mom confirmed, as she and dad filled the candy bowl for the trick-or-treaters. She and dad were dressed like Adam and Barbara from Beetlejuice.

"Go get changed, Eds." I sighed, pointing towards his room. "And please hurry up I don't want to be late."

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Rolling up to a party with my little brother, dressed up as Scarlet Witch and a plague doctor, was definitely an unexpected twist to my night.

I knocked on the door of the Biddle house, before addressing Eddie. "No drinking for either of us, okay? Me, because I'm Designated Driver and you, because you're fifteen."

"Yeah, I'd rather not get mauled by mom for showing up drunk." He admitted with a shrug.

"Plus we have a deal, no alcohol until you're seventeen and have a sober DD." I reminded, as the door opened, revealing the mic drop kid from the pep rally.

"Hey, new girl! You're early, you know that right?" He laughed, letting us in.

"Yeah, I have a habit of helping set up parties and we brought sustenance." I joked, holding up the shopping bag containing spicy nacho doritos and puffy cheetos.

"Y'all are officially cool." He joked, before continuing. "I'm Isaiah, by the way. Not sure if Allison told you about the group."

"I'm Sue and this is my brother Eddie, he's my pass to actually be able to come to the party per our mom's orders."

"Hey, man." Eddie greeted, adjusting the plague mask to the top of his head.

"Hey, little dude." Isaiah nodded in greeting.

"What exactly are you supposed to be dressed as?" I asked in genuine confusion, motioning between the blonde wig and cargo shorts.

"I'm Thor!" He grinned holding up the construction hammer.

"In cargo shorts?" Eddie questioned in just as much confusion.

"That's what I said!" Allison exclaimed, as we joined her and a boy in a cat costume. "Thank you, random child!"

"Allison, this is my brother, Eddie." I introduced simply. "The only way our parents let me come to this thing is if Eddie tagged along."

"Baby brother is earning his training wheels in partying." Cat Kid commented, with an approving nod.

"Got to start them off young!" I joked, before pointing to my brother. "No alcohol for his starter party though, mom would kill me."

"Understood, I'm James by the way!" Cat Kid (now known as James) introduced.

"I'm Sue and this is Eddie." I stated, before joking. "Also known as Scarlet Witch and Plague Doctor for tonight."

"Iconic as hell, honestly." Allison praised, motioning to my fit. "Plus you can actually tell what Marvel character you are."

"Y'all are rude." Isaiah laughed, shaking his head.

I put the bags of chips on the table, adjusting the plastic headpiece that sat  on my red hair.

"Where'd that kid die again?" Allison asked as she and James set up the speaker.

Eddie and I shared an alarmed look, pausing our progress of setting up the snack table.

"The fuck you mean a kid died here?!" I exclaimed, wondering why we're throwing a party in a crime scene.

"He died in the basement." Isaiah said far too casually for my taste. "Caught on fire, and he got trapped inside."

"Just like my bagel this morning!" James joked, again, far too casually.

"Exactly." Isaiah quipped in response.

"This is some serious white people shit." Eddie muttered in horror.

"Okay, um, what if this place is actually haunted?" Allison asked, finally being the normal person amongst this friend group that I'd found myself interacting with.

"Thank you, logical human being!" I cheered, clapping encouragingly just to be extra.

"Then it is the perfect party house on Halloween!"

"More like the perfect horror movie scenario." Eddie countered, making me feel like I'd successfully done my job as a big sister.

The music burst from the speaker, making me jump, earning a laugh from James. I playfully glared at the boy, making him blow a raspberry at me.

Suddenly the power went out, making me sigh. "We're so going to die."

"Party's over." James stated, looking around at the now dark living room.

"No, probably a tripped breaker." Isaiah argued, probably not wanting to kill the vibe. "Easy fix if we can find the box."

As we all turned on our phone flashlights, a loud creaking caught each of our attentions. We all turned our head to the now open basement door.

"Oh, hell no." I groaned, sharing a startled look with James and Allison.

"Did you see that?"

"Seeing, still working on believing." Eddie commented, as I gently pushed him behind me.

"Oh, cool! Let's just walk towards the creepy sound!" James stated, as Allison and Isaiah started to make their way towards the basement. "I was being sarcastic! Hey! Yo!"

"I don't think they're listening, dude." Eddie told him, as we reluctantly started to follow.

"I bet the fuse box is down there." Isaiah commented, peering down the basement stairs.

A gruesome death probably is down there too.

"Yeah, probably just a few feet away from where that kid burned alive." James agreed halfheartedly.

"Hey!"

We all screamed out at the unexpected voice, only to find the source of the voice behind us.

"Margot, what the hell!" I exclaimed, my voice going up an octave.

"Why would you do that? Jesus Christ, man." Eddie asked in an unamused tone.

"What are you guys doing?"

"Reenacting a Scooby-Doo episode apparently." I groaned, placing a hand over my heart to try and calm my pulse.

"Margot?" Isaiah asked in shock, staring at the green eyed brunette.

"What are you doing here?"

I raised my brows at the sudden switch in attitude from Allison. Who the hell actively beefs with Margot? She's literally so nice!

"I was invited." Margot replied awkwardly, Allison's hostility still not letting up.

"By who?"

Wasn't everyone invited?

I was genuinely so lost at this point in the conversation that it wasn't even funny.

"Oh, me!" Isaiah chimed in cluelessly, as I started to slowly connect the dots.

"Me, yeah! I'm the one who invited Margot."  His girlfriend did not look happy at his reply.  "I mean everyone was invited right?"

"Are they always like this?" I whispered to James, keeping my eyes on the tense trio.

"Yup, I'll fill you in later." He said back, as we watched the interaction with interest.

"You're crushing this." James whispered sarcastically to Isaiah, Eddie and I giving the football player a thumbs up each.

"So, I thought the party started at eight. Where is everyone?"

"Everyone normally shows up an hour late. They usually know that."

"We didn't know that." Eddie chimed in awkwardly, pointing between the two of us.

"Jesus!" I muttered in surprise, when Allison sent us both an icy glare.

"Um, sorry if it wasn't more clear on your invite." She sassed, rolling her eyes at Margot.

Talk about a complete one-eighty attitude change.

"Is that politeness or condescension?" Margot countered with a smile, my eyes widening.

Okay, sis can dish it out too!

"You're funny!" Isaiah awkwardly laughed, trying to ease the tension. "Uh, look can we just get the lights back on?"

"Please!" I exclaimed, glad for the change in conversation.

If I'm going to be murdered, I at least want to see what's going on!