Eyes all turned to Kelly and me as we walked, almost dazed, to the entrance, heels clicking with each step. My costume was tight to my body and exposed me to everyone, but I made a last-minute decision to add a red masquerade mask to add an extra layer between me and them.

A hint of hiding the storm brewing.

Inside the party was alive. Laughs, drinks, and dancing galore. We moved through the foyer desperately seeking our first drink to take the edge off, to numb me just enough to pretend to be normal. Like they all pretended to be.

“What drinks you have back there?” I asked the literal joker manning the bar.

He made a flourishing movement with his hands and laughed maniacally. “A drink for everyone, my dear.”

“Eh, just give me something strong, Mister J.” I turned to Kelly as he hopped away to concoct something. “I feel like everyone is staring.”

A giggle escaped her bright red lips while she adjusted her horns. “It’s because you’re hot and mysterious, dear. Enjoy it for a while and let’s get your mind off of everything for just one night.”

Before I could respond, cheering began in the front room as a crowd formed. “Sharks! Sharks!” They yelled. We peered into the room to see what all the fuss was about, and a break in the crowd showed the baseball team.

Their uniforms were dirtied, covered in fake blood, while they each sported different kinds of masks. Half masks, full head silicone masks, and classic Halloween movie masks. A horror-fied baseball team.

And there goes the hoard of girls.

I rolled my eyes and accepted my drink from the clown behind the bar, taking a nice long swig of it to burn my throat—and jealousy.

“Remind me never to swoon over a male,” I offered my drink to Kelly.

She took a swig of it, hissing with the intensity of the burn. “Is this straight alcohol?”

“I told him to make it strong. He must have made me the Lucifer special,” I said, throwing the rest of the drink down and holding up my cup, signaling another round.

She eyed me up and down, crossing her arms and tapping her pitchfork to her shoulder. “Uh, did something happen that I don’t know about?”

Letting out a breath of frustration, I gave her a defeated look. “I’m just tired of feeling a hundred steps behind others. Getting kicked down the stairs to the reality of everything has been jarring. I learned some new info on our friend, Brent, and my trust levels are low. Being involved in certain things feels against my moral code.”