Page 122 of Forbidden Game

There are too many things to remember. How anyone can keep track of every video game character or anime character seems impossible to me. I just make sure I keep up to date on what the boys play and leave everything else to the rest of Mathias’ team.

I’d try to go simple with my Halloween outfit until Deer bombarded me with an Alice in Wonderland outfit she’d bought for me. Apparently, after she found out my original idea was to dress up as a cat, she decided to take matters into her own hands. I was heavily outvoted as I sat in Lee’s bathroom getting ready earlier.

“We can hear you bickering all the way from the festival entrance.”

We all stop to look at the newcomers. Deanna, Stevie’s best friend, enters the fray with her girlfriend, Maya. They’re dressed as Daphne and Velma.

I haven’t hung out with Deanna much, but I know her girlfriend pretty well. Maya works for OMEN, one of the top Gods League esports teams. She’s at a lot of the same events that I bring The System to, and her hours are even worse than mine.

“Dee!” Stevie abandons her boyfriend and flings herself at her best friend.

Everyone begins chatting as we move up the line for the haunted mansion.

The Huntington Halloween Festival opened last year and is all anyone can talk about. It is located a few hours from our apartment, just outside Palm Springs on this massive, abandoned lot that had been completely renovated. In addition to the haunted mansion, there is a man-made corn maze, a house of mirrors, a bunch of those carnival games where you toss rings or shoot fake guns, and a Ferris wheel.

The food is amazing, too. We’d already spent an hour going through all the stores and gorging ourselves until we almost burst. They have some of the best spiced caramel apples I’ve ever tried, and everyone else raved about this spiked pumpkin spice drink that came in a mini pumpkin.

It is hard to believe we are even in California; it looks like we have been transported to some remote town in the Midwest.

There is hay strewn over the dirt ground, cobwebs line barren trees, and fog machines throughout the grounds add to the ambiance. There are even employees who are dressed up as skeletons and scaring people as they walk about.

Everything is creepily perfect.

The line to get in here was nuts, but I worked my PR magic and got us passes that bypassed it.

Parker has been on edge the entire time. I’m pretty sure the only reason he came is because he didn’t want to be left out. We flew back yesterday from Chicago from Parker’s third win. He has officially secured his place in the Divizion Championship Series, and I couldn’t be happier for him. I had certainly shown him how happy I was on the flight back.

Never had I been so thankful for a bedroom on a private jet before.

An ear-piercing scream rings out from inside the haunted mansion, and Parker blanches, turning as white as his outfit. Deer’s eyes, however, brighten, and she clasps her hands together.

“This is going to be so much fun!” She hops from one foot to the other, her pink hair swinging from its elaborate style. Sometimes it is easy to forget how much she loves this kind of stuff, given her kawaii aesthetic.

“Totally! I heard they hired some special effects dude from Hollywood to help this year,” Lee chimes in.

“Yeah, he’s one of the guys who works on Devil Nun. Should be sick.” Jackson grins, a gleam in his eye. If there’s one way to get Jackson pumped up, it’s horror movies.

“Not fucking Devil Nun,” Aleks groans.

“There is something wrong with all of you.” Parker glares at them.

“I think it’s going to be cool.” I smile. “Nothing like a good jump scare.”

Parker gapes at me. “Et tu, Brute?”

I roll my eyes and nudge him with my shoulder. I am excited for the haunted mansion even though I feel bad for Parker. I’m not as into this stuff as Jackson, Deer, and Lee, but it still speaks to the crime buff in me. There is something about the adrenaline that comes with being scared.

Plus, it is fall. Which is my favorite season.

“Have I told you how much I love this outfit?” Parker’s voice is low. “Blue always looks good on you.”

“You should see what’s underneath,” I tease.

“Oh?” Molten curiosity spreads as his gaze rakes up my body.

He slings an arm over me and tugs me to his chest. Heat sparks in my belly at the feeling of his bare chest against my arm. My hands twitch to run all over him, but I refrain, not wanting to be too obvious.

I doubt there will be anyone here who would outright recognize the guys, since it is Halloween, but they are also gaining more popularity every week, and this festival is one of the hottest places to be.

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