AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You wanted him—you still want him, you still look up his videos, you watch the variety shows, you watch him like a hawk and deny him the one thing he wants. Freedom to be with you. All in a desperate attempt to protect him—but at the end of the day is it really him or your own heart?”
And now I’m talking to myself.
Sung-Bin pats my knee. “Are you good?”
I lie and stare down at my muddy heels. “Never been better.”
Chapter Twelve
Sookie
“All right!” Lucas claps his hands together once we get to the “haunted” school. The only fear that’s been revealed is Sookie, can you please take a minute and tell us why you’re afraid of clowns and apparently small, tiny, little pink bows?”
I can’t glare because my mask is finally off so I force a small smile that I’m sure gives him the idea I’m going to be punching him later.
I hate clowns because they’re always smiling and I find that to be terrifying, nobody is that happy all the time,” I tell him deadpan.
“And that’s the only reason why you fear them so much?” Lucas asks curiously.
”No, that’s not all. Once, when I was at a theme park, a clown came up to me and accidentally popped a balloon in my face. It looked like a bow, I was on Weverse live when I said something about it so apparently people remembered. I’m also scared of spiders and…” I play it up for the camera. “Snails set me back a bit too, they’re too slow.” I have a sudden vision of watching Monsters University where the snail never makes it to class and actually feel stressed, like I haven’t made it to dance practice in time. I mean, they can literally nap for up to three years. It’s a fact.
Grace grins, folding her arms across her black leather jacket. “And you’re fast?”
“Says the girl who taught me English.” I smirk when I realize it was only the bad words or things I shouldn’t say then realize I should probably thank her for all of that sometime. She helped me a lot. But first I need to build up enough nerve to tell her the story she asked about a year ago when I was texting at the kitchen counter, trying to make sure I looked fine when everything wasn’t, trying to keep my screen hidden when we both were going through the trauma of our lives. I’m sure she remembers that moment well.
Lucas clears his throat while Grace laughs. It’s endearing and I like watching them together. I like seeing them so happy. It reminds me that I have friends outside of the group, which then reminds me that at some point, if all went to hell, beyond them, I would have her. The girl I held hands with while taking her to the airport, while her heart was breaking over Lucas. Grace will always be my friend.
Maybe there can be a good ending after all even if it isn’t necessarily the one that I want, maybe it can be good., But Grace and Lucas are living proof of happily ever after—or at least on its way to being that. And right now I need to believe in those kind of miracles. I need proof that they do happen. That they’re fucking real, especially since I’m about to go inside the haunted school with a girl I don’t know, with my ex watching, and the girl I love most likely looking at the film while I go.
I couldn’t make this shit up if I tried.
I stop and look up at the giant clown face we have to walk through just to get into the school.
She pauses. “It’s just a face.”
I have to laugh, it escapes too hard through my teeth. “It’s just a lot of things.”
She reaches for my hand and grips hard, putting her fingers between mine in a reassuring way. And I appreciate the gesture. “Let’s win more money for charity, and then you can figure… things out.”
“Life.” I nod and grip her hand. “Right?”
She grips it back, “Well, Director Simon, I think we’re going in the clowns mouth.”
“And down the dark tunnel.” I add. I mean, no worries, no stress, just a dark tunnel full of who knows what while in a matching clown costume that I may be buried in.
Everyone around us laughs and cheers good luck to us, and as we cling to each other, I realize that for the first time in a really long time I feel like I have one other person on my side. It’s a nice feeling to know that my tribe just expanded even more., Somehow, I know she’s got my back… that is until we pass through the terrifying clown mouth and end up next to teeth that start chomping.
“Aghhhhhhhhhh!” She screams and lets go of my hand as she takes off for her life. “Run, run!”
She doesn’t have to tell me twice. Running sounds like the best option ever. Run away from all of it, but mainly the clowns.
We both run toward the throat, yeah that sounds safe, and then fall down a slide and go right into a murky swamp of mud full of weird looking demons that look real but I’m hoping aren’t. They’re dressed in all white with red faces, fangs dripping with blood, and horns protruding out of their foreheads. The horns are black, and their hands are folded in front of them like they’re about to either pray or attack us. This is like my worst nightmare come to life.
“Trainee days didn’t prepare us for this.” I wrap an arm around her back and pull her close not realizing what I’m doing.
She grabs my arm with her fingers, digging in with fear and relief that I’m touching her. She’s shaking so I at least know I’m not the only one a bit freaked out. “Let’s just move really, really, slow.”
“Or we make noise and scare the monsters before they scare us?”
