-1-

“Ugh, I  smell like a construction site.”

“No you don’t,” Sev reassures me.

She pulls the mascara wand from my eye  and holds me while I balance unsteadily on the shiny stilettos we’d found at Goodwill yesterday.  I check myself out in her full sized mirror and fully examine this Frankenstein of a costume.

“I look like a dork,” I decide.

“You look cute.“

Sev had  found the  gauzy silver mini dress before I’d even agreed to be apart of this costume and we’d spray painted the hems  with  the smelly silver glitter paint last night. Underneath I  had on a pair of silver tights I’d worn to a My Chemical Romance concert once and the finishing touch was a tinfoil headband and a shit ton of silver eyeshadow and eyeliner since I refused to let her paint my entire face.

Tin woman.

Sev is dressed in an impressively accurate Dorothy costume rental, but with the addition of glittering bright red 5 inch heels.

“You were the perfect person for this costume,” she says, pulling down my hemline a little.

“Because I’m a heartless bitch ?,”

“No,” she sighs. “Because you owned the tights.”

“But also the heartless bitch thing, right ?”

Sev rolls her eyes and picks her phone from her desk. The lens pushes us into the focus and blurs out all the crap in Sev’s room. I turn so we are chest to chest. Sev’s a few inches taller than me so she leans her head on my shoulder before clicking the photo. Despite the cheesiness, we both look kind of hot.

The second the phone snaps,  a horrified screams followed by male laughter come from our living room.

“Off to the yellow brick road,” Sev says skipping out the door and I follow behind.

Layla, the prodigal roommate is curled up in the couch with her Hello Kitty blanket over her head. Zain is hunched over her,  trying to pull the blanket off of her.

“It’s over.” he’s saying. “I promise.”

She lowers the blanket and he pulls her back by her wrist so she is nestled in a spot that comfortably fits with his body. I glance over to the screen where Naomi Watts is about to walk into the old barn.

“Actually, it’s not. Samara is about to go batshit, so I’d look away--”

“Okay, no more,” Layla stands up pulling The Ring DVD out of the player and tossing it to Sev. “I’m done.”

Layla got off easy with just lion face paint, her tan headcovering and fake lion ears. Zain is wearing overalls over a plaid shirt and Sev made him stuff pieces of straw into his chest and bestowed him with a straw hat that she claims to have just happened to see for practically nothing at the discount store.

I hadn’t hung out much with Zain and Layla. I’d normally judge a girl who spent as much time with her boyfriend as Layla did, but Zain was the hottest guy I had ever seen in real life. Dark eyelashes, cut cheekbones  and thick hair that he never had to style to be perfect.

Lucky for her, he only had eyes for Layla.  They’d been childhood friends in Lebanon, but his family moved to America 12 years ago and they reunited last summer when she came to Eastham.

“I just want to stay in and eat candy.” Layla says, reaching into the bag of candy the RA,  had left in each room.

“Come on, group shot,” Sev says and snaps a lens on to her iPad.

She opens the door and calls down the hall and a sexy Disney princess from Sev's trivia team comes in to take a photo of us all linking arms.

We make it halfway across campus, skipping with our arms linked before we get tired. Eastham is supposedly a dry campus, but seeing the people running around it was becoming clear to me things might get crazy.

“So, look you guys,” I say. “Americans get kind of crazy on Halloween. Let’s be careful.”

“I’ll protect you ladies,” Zain says, puffing his chest out.

“How ? You don’t have a brain.” Layla reminds him.

“Well, I can at least walk you all home,” he amends. “I’m serious.”

“Relax, Corinne.” Sev says.  “We’re going to a school event. Somehow I think we will all be fine.”

Sometimes I forget who I’m hanging out with. Layla and Zain don’t drink and Sev  only drinks with her friends. 

Last Halloween Phillip and I went to a party in Waverly that I have no memory of because I blacked out after taking shots with Batman. The next day Phillip drove me to a a Wal-Mart for six hours so I could  sleep off the hangover before going back to Ms. Elsie’s.  Then he had to take the bus back home.

I’d considered texting Phillip to see if he wanted to come out with us,  but he was probably doing his duty providing the high school kids of Waverly young  with all the weed they could need to egg people’s houses tonight. 

The Eastham Costume Party is being held at the Lasell Gymnasium  and there is a surprisingly long line to get in, it’s like the entire campus is here. Even some of the professors are into it-- I swear one of the Princess Leia’s is on the Business faculty. I wonder if Jonah was planning on showing up.

When we we're finally let in, Monster Mash is blaring from the speakers and I know it’s only a countdown until someone plays Thriller. I wanted to go to the dance floor, but Sev herds us over to get  a photo taken for the costume contest judges. After striking the linked arm pose once again, Zain and Layla go to check out the games and I take Sev to the dance floor.

 We barely get a few seconds into dancing before a blonde Fred Flintstone cuts in to dance with me. Sev gives me the head nod of approval and migrates to the floor to dance by herself. Between songs, Fred leans down and asks for my number, but I pretend not to hear him.

“Shouldn’t you be Barney ?,” I say instead.

He looks confused.

“Barney, because you’re blonde,” I clarify.

He shrugs and smiles.  We dance until a sexy nurse with a garter catches his attention and he bows out.

 I spot Sev by herself next to the  food table, balancing two cups of blood red punch, a red velvet cupcake and a mini bag of M & Ms. I come up behind her and take one of the cups drinking out of it.

“Hey, that wasn’t for you” Sev says, picking up another cup of punch and walking towards the back.

“Who is it for ? Bitch, are you cheating on me--,” I start, but don’t have to finish because I see her walking towards Matthew Saylor. He’s in the corner (not in costume), head swaying  and  tapping the white cane to the beat of Stevie Wonder’s Superstition.  It’s like he’s in a trance.

Sev had mentioned she got him to play at the open mic night she was planning, but I don’t think they’ve had a conversation beyond that.

“This is my roommate Corrine,” Sev says handing him the drink and candy.

“Thank you,” he says, opening the candy. “Oh,wait, Corrinne. Did we meet last weekend--”

“Yeah,” I say.

“Yeah, accounting major. You were with Jonah—You’re Jonah’s friend from last Saturday !” he continues. “What’s Jonah Morrow doing tonight anyway ?”

Sev raises her eyebrows at me in suspicion. I hadn’t been telling her I’d hung out with Jonah because then I’d have to explain how we were both either seeing a dead girl or having the most adorable shared hallucination ever.

“We’re not that close.” I say. “We were just  working on a group project that day and he was my ride.”

“Oh, well, anyway I’m here with some of the people in my jazz band--”

“I didn’t know you did jazz too,” Sev says.

“Yeah…I just started a few months ago. I play the bass guitar, we’re kind of new and stuff. I’m not really used to playing with people, but we’re pretty good.”

“You could bring them to the open mic night too,” Sev suggests.

“Nope, I’m not letting Jonah off that easily. I want to do a duet ..hey, um will one of you dance with me ? Nothing weird and anyway, my bandmates seemed to have ditched me.”

I nudge Sev over and they go out to the floor and I watch them until they get lost in the crowd.

The song switches to a slow song, It’s another song Phillip used to  talk about having the lyrics on his grave.

“All our times have come

Here but now they're gone”

 I wish I had Sev’s shoes so I could click my heels three times and go back to that summer intensive and just never talk to him in the cafeteria. I take a drink to clear my head, but one sip and I remember that I’m at a school function and cherry sorbet isn’t doing anything for me.

-2-

 I slip out the back door to get some fresh air and get away from the crowd before someone asks me to dance.  It’s chilly out here and I feel like an idiot for letting Sev talk me into not wearing my coat because it’d ruin the costume’s look.

 Some of Phillip’s stoner friends  hang around campus and I feel like I need something else coursing through my veins to get through the night.  Taking out my phone I go and sit on one of the benches outside and watch the clandestine parade of Halloween costumes.

“Spice Girl ?,” I hear Abigail ask.

I look up and she’s walking towards me and looks more casual than I’m used to seeing her in  jeans and a plain white t-shirt under a jacket. I hadn’t seen her since she decided to go off on her own.

“The Tinman, well The Tin Girl,” I clarify.

Abigail looks expressionless and for once she isn’t smiling,  which I take to mean she hadn’t found her grave.  It’s been nearly a week.

 “Today is my day, you know ? In Mexico they call it Day of The Dead.” She tells me sitting next to me. “Get it ? Because I’m dead.”

“You know, I’ve always liked how they can celebrate the dead,” I tell her.  “I wish we did that. I mean the only thing American’s honor on Halloween is acting like a jackass.”

“So honor me,” she says spreading  her arms. “No one else seems to want to.”

“Yes they do. We just haven’t found them yet.” I said.

“I guess I just hoping on tonight of all nights someone would float up and explain to me  why I’m  here and how I still exist. The more time I spend with the dead the more I wonder how I ended up back with the non-dead ?,”

“It’s still early….Maybe you’ll meet a sexy boy ghost tonight and he’ll tell you,” I joke.

She rolls her eyes.

“But, seriously  Corinne. I have a few theories. So, okay, Robert Lowell is quoted as saying the light  the end of the tunnel is an oncoming train. I mean I get he is being symbolic,” She smiles.  “But, maybe, like I acted quick enough to  dodge the train and that’s why I’m here.”

She rolls her eyes and I can tell not even she takes that seriously.

“Okay, what the hell.” I decide. “I feel bad for you tonight and since it’s the day to celebrate dead people, I’ll give you one poem. I know you want to.”

Her smile gets even bigger.

“Okay, well if we’re talking about death I could give you a million poems.  Do you know Emily Dickinson ?,” she asks me.

“Of course.” I tell her, but add. “Well, just the name.”

“I kind of love her, so one of her poems goes, Because I could not stop for Death , He kindly stopped for me. The carriage held but just ourselves and Immortality.” She recites. “Maybe that’s it, maybe I just have to wait and death will pick me up.”

“And I’m sure death has upgraded to a private jet by now”

She smiles.

“Well, I should go,” she says. “ People are having parties in all the open cemeteries, but I’ve decided  to try the retirement community ones for the hell of it. I guess you should go back to the party.”

“Are you sure ?,” I ask. “ I mean is there anything I can do ?,”

“No. I just need to do this on my own like I said. It’s fine--,”

“Abigail, we’ll figure it out. I’m not giving up on you.” I remind her

She smiles and stands up to walk away. It takes my eyes a minute to adjust to what I’m seeing as she walks under the streetlamp.

 For a second I just pause and stare. This could be just another dead end, another wild goose chase. I should let it go, it’s probably nothing but I can’t.

“Wait!,” I call after her. About 20 drunk students in costumes turn to look at me before deciding I am crazy.

Abigail pauses and I grab her arm.

“Yeah ?,” she says.

“I think I just figured out where you belong.”

 

***

We don’t even talk as we immediately race to my car and she gives me directions to Jonah’s house. I should call or text him, he may not even be home but I’m not thinking.

Jonah Morrow’s neighborhood is smaller than I imagined, it's a cutesy one story homes in beachy colors. The neighborhood is filled with kids and even parents in costume. I almost run over a Star Trek family.  I  park  across the street and walk to his driveway, coming behind a little Hershey kiss, princess and pirate. Jonah is leaning against the door with a large glass bowl of candy in jeans and a black t-shirt with the Rocky Horror Picture Show logo on it.

One of the brats demands extra candy and he gives it to her.

Pushover.

Before he can shut the door, I walk up.

“Trick or treat,” I say and he just does this crooked smile because he doesn’t recognize me at first. When he does, the polite smile reaches his eyes and turns into a laugh.

 “Space alien ?,” he says giving me a lollipop. He nods at Abigail who comes up behind me.

“I sure hope you don’t have plans.” I say breathlessly.

“Actually I’m about to go to the-,”

I pull Abigail over and taking off her jacket, I present it to him. He looks down at the material on the back, and then at Abigail.

“Abigail, where did you get this ? Better yet, where do you get any of your clothes ?”

She shrugs.

“I think It must have been mine. Or maybe I borrowed it from someone I knew-- ”

Jonah turns the track jacket  over again and examines the Delta Nu on the back again.

He smiles and takes out his phone.

 

***

-3-

I think Sev will be pleased when I tell her there is in fact a sexier version of Jonah who can  totally pick her up.

His name is Ethan Morrow.

He’s completely shirtless and wearing only a pair of tight baseball pants, sneakers and Red Sox cap. Some lucky girl had the pleasure of stenciling a bright red   number 12 on his ridiculously sculpted  chest.  He’s smoking a joint when he answers the door of the Delta Nu house--the sound of the  Greek-o-ween  rager blasts over us.  Ethan regards Jonah with a smirk, but when he sees me he immediately greets me with a hug.

“So, you’re the one,” Ethan says.

“Just Corinne.” I correct him, but he’s already turned his attention back to Jonah.

 “Thought you were going to the movies ?”

“Changed my mind. I’m still invited, right ?," Jonah mumbles.

“Always.”

Ethan holds out his hand to Jonah.

"Keys ?," he says.

"We're not staying. I didn't even drive," Jonah lies.

"Right. I'm not letting you go home completely shitfaced or I'll get blamed,"

Jonah rolls his eyes and hands him his keys, Ethan nods and  opens the door wider to let us in. I’ve been to my share of parties, but I’ve never seen a house this nice with this many people crammed in. I knew sorority houses existed, but I didn’t realize they were actually mansions. Everywhere there is a large mass of people in costume sitting around dancing and laughing.

And a lot of them are blonde.

Waving off the guy collecting money at the door, Ethan puts his  arm around my shoulders and pushes me forward, announcing me to a different group of guys and girls as he makes his way to the kitchen. I kind of feel death stares from some of the girls.

“Beer ?,” he asks, when there is finally a large red cooler in  sight.

“Oh, god yes, please.” I say. It's just what I needed.

He laughs and  hands me an ice cold bottle of some kind of expensive looking craft beer. He pulls a handful in his arms and is passing them out to the girls coming up to the coolers like their fucking water bottles. The base in the song playing drops and the girls start wooing and grinding with each other, much to the pleasure of the guys watching them.

“Need anything else?” Ethan says into my ear. His breath is smoky and addicting.

“Um, do you think I can take a hit ?,”  I venture

I expected a no, but he easily takes the joint out of his mouth and passes it to me.

“All yours,” he says.

I take the joint and put it between my teeth.

“Thanks. So, is just everyone in your family so nice ?,” I ask him.

A bunch of guys in the living room start shouting his name and banging on the couches to get his attention.

“Nah, I’m just in co-chair of these things with the Nus so I like to make sure all my guests have a good time--,”

The shouts from the living room have turned to drunk chants of “E—than, E—than, E—than”

“Hey, if you guys need a DD come find me.” He says as one of the chanters runs up pulls him into a full body guy handshake and drags him to the couch.

I take a sip of my fancy people beer and spin around looking for Jonah, I hadn’t meant to get pulled away from him. The moment alone gives me a moment clarity.

 I’m at a Greek party.

  I really wish Phillip and I were talking because only he would appreciate the irony of this. I think Greek life and everything it entails is a giant step back for society socially. It just seems like another way to reinforce cliques and social hierarchy we were supposed to leave in high school.

I spot Jonah and Abigail on the staircase and Jonah beckons me to follow him up. We meet among a crush of bodies on a second floor landing, he eyes the joint and I pass it to him, but he shakes his head and pushes open the door to a large second floor outdoor patio.

-4-

It’s  much quieter outside. Pop country music coming from an iPad fills a corner of the patio. The cold air snaps me back to attention about why we are really here.

Abigail.

I put the joint in my pocket and wrap my arms around myself as I follow Jonah towards a lone group of sorority girls wearing nothing but lingerie, wings and heels sitting around a pit fire. They are all swaying in odd unison to the cheesy love song, only pausing to take selfies.

Abigail stops short and just stares at the girls and I wonder if she recognizes any of them. When she notices me noticing her, she makes her face as stony as possible.

"What is it ?," I whisper to her.

"I don't know--nothing," Abigail replies.

“HOLA!,” the smallest, most petite blonde one says when she sees us and pops up from her spot by the fire. “Awwww.”

She gets on the tips of her barefeet to hug Jonah around the neck and then starts drunkenly listing of names of the girls sitting around the fire. There are 3 Ashleys.

“E said you never come out to these--”

“We’re not really here,” Jonah says as she pulls him towards the warm tent. “Jane, I know this is awkward, but I need to ask you something.”

She exchanges looks with her sorority sisters.

“Okay ?,” she says and asks at the same time. “Is this about Ethan and I ? Cause I just can’t--”

“No,no,no-,” he stutters. “Um, this is about one of your sorority sisters. See, I saw this jacket with your letters on it…”

“Well, yeah. Nus have a lot of jackets,” Jane says.

I pull Abigail over and turn her around so he is looking at the jacket.

“I need to know who owns this specific jacket. It's pink and it has your letters in like a blue pattern that’s kind of…busy and batik-- “

“Batik ?,” Jane repeats with an amused.

“It’s a Vera Bradely  pattern,” I fill in. “ And It’s more of a track jacket too and it also has an embroidered gold anchor, a crest on the front and--”

I notice something embroidered on the wrist, I grab Abigial’s wrist and look at the gold threads on the arm of the jacket.

“And the letters B A L on the sleeve. Wait, is that one of you ? BAL ?”

Jane looks like she is seeing me for the first time, which maybe she is.

“Jane,” Jonah says.

“Yeah, sorry, yeah I don’t think our chapter gave out that jacket ?,” she says turning to her sisters. “Right ? Do ya’ll have Vera track jackets?”

We’re met with annoyed looks or equally blank stares and a few whispers of Ethan's name.

“They sell those  at Spring Regional Conference,” a squeaky voiced brunette calls up standing up. “They go fast cause they make so few.”

“Who goes to the conference ? Who could have one, none of you are BAL ?” I repeat.

“Um, the entire New England region goes.” Jane says. “Okay, what the hell is going on ?”

“Nothing,” Jonah says. “We just need to find the girl the jacket belongs to. Do you have a listing of all the region members. We need to find BAL. Please, Jane. I know this is you’re party, but it will only take a second.”

Jonah Morrow is a hard guy to say no to.

Jane leads us off the patio and up the stairs where there are even more people, I glimpse Ethan setting up shots in front of some guys from my Freshman comp class. She pulls a key out of her bra and opens one of the bedroom doors. I’m assaulted first by the stark quiet and then by so much pink I think I’ve stumbled into Barbie’s dream house.

The bedroom walls are covered in pictures of smiling girls, and a large Delta Nu on the wall. Jane picks up her laptop and after typing a few keys she hands it to Jonah.

“That is the private Facebook Group for DN. Most of the sisters  are tagged in the photos, so if you see the girl with the  jacket you should see her name.”

“Can’t you just give us a list ?,” I say. “ It’s be way easier to find BAL--,”

“We don't have any B's in our chapter and I’d have to request it from the other chapters and you two seem to be in a rush--”

“This is fine. Thanks, Jane,” Jonah says. "Thank you so much."

 “If you leave, lock the door behind you.” She calls as she walks out closing the door.

Now it’s really quiet.

We make a space on the floor and Abigail and I sit on either side of Jonah. There are over 3,000 photos in the group.

“Shit, I think I need another beer,” I say.

“Maybe we shouldn’t do this tonight ?,” Abigail says. “I hate to ruin your night--”

“No, come on.” Jonah says. “This is a solid clue. BAL. There aren’t that many Nu’s this won’t take long.”

It’s like déjà vu  of the newspaper room, only worse.  My legs cramp from having to sit cross legged next to Jonah and the laptop and after only 30 minutes of scrolling through picture over picture of tanned, skinny girls with their hands on their knees I want to kill myself. Every time I hear the music change in the party I have to fight an overwhelming urge to go out and dance.

I’m surprised when Jonah takes the joint out of my mouth and takes a hit. At first I laugh when he puts it in his mouth but he smokes it in a way that makes me realize this isn’t his first time. He clicks his tongue so the smoke stays in the back of his throat.

“So you’re not a total dork.” I say

“Oh, right because only the cool kids smoke weed,” he says sarcastically.

“They do,” I smile. “I should know because I am a cool kid.”

“I don’t think cool kids put tin foil in their hair,” he remarks pulling out my headband.

“Atleast I wore a costume,” I retort. “I’m honestly surprised you aren’t dressed like Frodo the Elf--”

“Whoa, Frodo’s a hobbit,” he corrects me with what I think is mock offense, but it might be real. “You’re confusing him with Legolas who is an elf--”

“Hey, back to Earth--and not Middle Earth.” Abigail says. She is serious, but clearly couldn't resist the reference. “Come on you guys, we only have like 2,000 more photos to find my jacket."

"Right. Sorry." Ethan says. "Hey Abigail, do you know Elan Browning ?,"

"I've searched a million photographs to find my own eternity ?," she quotes and he smiles at her. "One of my favorite."

“Okay.” I say standing up, clapping my hands. “I’m just going to get one more beer and I’ll be totally focused. Want one, Frodo ?.”

He shakes his head.

I venture out to find a cooler I can sneak a beer from, I attempt to go back the way I came but the sorority house is so big I get lost. Ethan pushes past me in a half run, chanting with  a box over his head. I try to tap his shoulder to ask him where I can get another beer, but he doesn’t feel it. I follow after him as he heads down the hall.

“Jungle Juice, Jungle Juice, Jungle Juice !” he is shouting.

“JUNGLE JUICE, JUNGLE JUICE, JUNGLE JUICE--,” an even louder chant starts.

A large group has assembled in a small bathroom.

One of the Victoria Secret’s Angels  stands by the tub looking  annoyed as each of the frat boys pours different rum, juice and tequila into the tub all while keeping up with the chant. Ethan opens bottle of Everclear and pours it into the bathtub, his friends slap and pat him on his back as he opens the second bottle and pours it on. 

Holy shit, these frat boys know how to party.

One of the girls comes through with cups and I stick around to take two before slipping back into Janes’ room. Abigail has her head on Ethan’s shoulder and stares longingly at the screen.

“Jungle Juice ! Jungle Juice !,” I mimic the chant as I close the door. “This party is unreal.”

“Do I even want to know where they mixed this up this time ? The pool ?,” he asks, but takes the cup.

“Does it matter ?,” I remind him. “This shit has so much alcohol in it I think I could use it as an antibiotic.”

I take my seat back, wrap my legs underneath and stare at the screen.

***

-5-

At some point Abigail disappears and she takes our evidence with her since she  doesn’t seem to have control over what she wears and will be wearing a new outfit tomorrow. So far we’ve seen one owned by a girl named Rachel in Maine. In her picture she clearly has her embroidered R S G on the sleeve.

Jonah finishes my joint for me and we share a last cup of jungle juice while we finish looking for any sign of Abigail on the Facebook page. Despite being made in a bathtub it actually taste pretty good, Jonah was smart enough to dilute it with Sprite, so I don't go 0-2 in blacking out on Halloween.

We actually get to picture 3,000 and get so excited we do a  celebratory  hug.

And I kiss him

Or he kisses me.

It’s rum, tequila and Everclear induced. It’s sloppy. His soft lips are all over my overly glossed red ones.  His slow breath is warm and stings of lingering  alcohol. One moment I’m in shock and want to make a joke because....holy shit, Jonah Morrow is straight, but in the next breath I’m  fighting for space in his mouth. I lose my balance and he grabs my wrist so hard it makes me tingle. I right myself and   sit on top of him, my knees straddling his lap.

I don’t kiss like this but I can’t stop.

I open my mouth to say something, but I can’t form words. He's moving his hand along the side of my ear, pushing my hair back and it sends waves up my spine. My body is gyrating to the thumping  beat of the music outside, and when I notice he’s getting hard I stop moving.

 Our lips and faces meet and part, I keep my lashes down and don't look him in the eye because if I do I'm not sure what happens next. We roll over  on the pink rug and his body curves on top of  mine. I move my leg out the way and  I can feel my  little silver dress hiking up. I don’t want either of these kisses to be the last  and when he pulls away and makes an attempt to look my in the eye and start talking or something I get afraid. 

I move for his lips again.  He abandons any sensibility he was about to show and   cups his had at the very top of my thigh and I ache to touch more of him.  

I pull his shirt off and I see a tattoo in a foreign language on his shoulder.

When I point to it he kisses me harder.

 ------

A/N

So, I'm sure you all have some questions:

You: Hey, Shawna why does Jonah have a crooked smile when Corrine answers the door ? Isn't that so typical ?

Shawna: Mostly (and by mostly I mean soley) because of this GIF:

You: Hey Shawna, are you ever going to write a makeout scene that isn't substance fueled ?

Shawna: *looks at notes for future projects* ....Nope. (JK, though)

You: Hey, Shawna why do all the fraternity and sorority names sound familiar ?

Shawna: Because Shawna is once again unoriginal: The Delta Nus are the sorority from Legally Blonde and Ethan's fraternity, Sigma Tau Delta is the one from United Light.