Page 165 of Devils' Day Party
That’s expected.
What isn’t expected is for me to climb out with them.
Masked faces turn to look at us, a sea of goblins and faeries, ogres and demons, devils and pixies alike. They watch as I approach the bonfire with an entourage of wickedly beautiful men in tow, pausing in their revelry and debauchery to stare at us.
“Well?” Calix snaps, getting that haughty air of superiority that I’m so used to. “What are you waiting for? This is supposed to be a fucking party.”
A moment of silence passes before all the still forms, the ones dressed in goddess-like shrouds or floor-length coats of velvet, they start moving again, as if some cosmic hand has just pressed play.
Luke appears out of the crowd, dressed in her sequin shirt and bow tie made of sticks and leaves. She’s got Sonja with her, both of them looking at me like I’ve sprouted horns.
“You …” My best friend squints her brown eyes behind the ugly façade of the goblin mask. I've managed to render her completely speechless. I’m going to miss you, Luke, I’m going to miss you so hard that no matter how many lives I live, you’ll always be my best friend.
“I'm here with three devils?” I ask, holding my hands out to either side, palms up, as if to say here's my harem, bitches, deal with it. “If that was your question, then yes, yes I am.”
If I can only have the boys for one more night, then so be it.
They’ll always be mine, whether there’s a tomorrow for me or not.
“Get used to it,” Raz sneers, sauntering over to the table laden with alcohol and grabbing an entire bottle of vodka for himself. It has bits of flower petals floating inside of it, just like the one we drank inside the school bus, the school bus that we painted filthy with our lascivious acts. “Your girl over there just asked us to treat her to an orgy this weekend. How could we possibly refuse?”
“It's not as bad as it first appears,” I murmur, snatching Luke's arm and dragging her away from the bulk of the Knight Crew. “Were you able to talk to Pearl today?”
“Look.” Luke points over to one of the logs where Pearl sits, draped in my dress and nursing a drink. April sits close by, one elbow on her knee, a smile on her face as the two of them talk in low murmurs. They’re both teen moms—well, one is a soon-to-be-mom—whose families want to take away their babies. I’m sure they have a lot to talk about. “I had April deliver your message since she’s in the same math class as Pearl; they’ve been thick as thieves all day.”
A smile takes over my lips, and I exhale, closing my eyes against the flickering orange fingers of the fire for a moment. When I open them, I find Luke staring at me strangely. She can’t know how hard all of this is for me, how fucked up it is that I’ve finally managed to master my environment—just like she said when I told her about the time loop—when everything has to come to an end later.
The universe does not allow things to be tied up in a pretty bow.
Everything is going right which means … something must go horribly wrong.
Balance.
Sacrifice.
I try not to be sad, but the pain clogs in my throat anyway, turning this night into a hazy dream, one that I know I’ll always remember. Whether I live another life, or I end up in heaven or hell, I’ll hold onto it, keep it close to my soul and cherish it forever.
“How did you know about me and Sonja though?” Luke asks, blinking rapidly before turning her attention back to the boys. Barron's flipped his sketchbook open, and this time, he doesn't bother pretending that he isn't drawing me. His tongue runs over his lower lip, making it really, really hard for me to look away. “They told you, didn't they?”
“They didn't, actually,” I tell her with a grin, pouring some cranberry juice into a plastic cup. I don't even have to grab the vodka; Raz turns his bottle over, filling my cup to the top.
“What are you two whispering about over here?” he asks, wrapping his arm around my waist and smirking at Luke. “You know your girl here confessed her love to me this morning?”
“She … what?” Luke chokes out, but then Sonja appears, throwing her own arm around Luke’s waist and kissing her on the mouth. “Sonja,” she grinds out, flashing a look of panic my way.
“I know you guys think you were subtle about your relationship, but I saw the way you looked at each other. I’m not surprised that you’ve been sleeping together.” I give Sonja a look. “But if you hurt her, I swear to god I will come for you.”
