Page 5 of Trick or Treat

The warmth envelopes me from all sides as the flames crackle in the fireplace, with stockings festively hung from the mantle above. Hip-hop Christmas music flows through the surround sound, filling every room of the apartment, and I can’t help but sing along to the catchy Mariah Carey classic.

As I wrestle with another tangled roll of Christmas lights, I glance up to see Melanie struggling to pin strings of garland along the tops of the walls with a step stool that’s far too short for the task.

“Ugh, fuck this!” she exclaims, shoving everything back into the tote beside the tree and hopping off the stool. “Let’s take a break from decorating and go to the bar for a drink.” She flashes a smile, raising an arched brow in my direction while awaiting my answer.

I finally manage to untangle the lights and set them neatly on the cushion beside me, casting her a weary look as anxiety swirls in my mind.

Over the past few months, three additional murders have taken place, with no new leads or suspects in sight, and the uncertainty worries me deeply. A few weeks after the incident involving Carli’s boyfriend—who I still haven’t met—I made the decision to move out. I tried to stickit out with her, but more than once I found myself in situations where I wasn’t informed he was there alone with me—particularly at night. While he never bothered me during his visits, the unsettling feelings I experienced in his presence gnawed at me. And the fact that I had yet to be introduced to him only heightened my discomfort.

Melanie welcomed me with open arms, and when I recounted the whole story along with my interactions with him, she quickly agreed with me, acknowledging that something was seriously off about the entire situation. Like me, she was unable to put her finger on what exactly troubled her.

We see Carly less and less, but it’s not solely because she’s with her boyfriend. She confided in us that he’s been distant and busy lately, leaving her in a depression where all she wants is to be left alone.

“So what do you say, Scar? Wanna hit the bar for a drink?” Melanie asks again, her palms pressed together in front of her chest as if she’s praying.

“Fine, one drink,” I relent, not particularly keen on spending my night with the town drunks and obnoxious frat boys.

But since I promised Melanie I’d make more of an effort to spend time with her, I feel a sense of obligation to go.

“Three drinks,” she counters, lowering the music.

“Two, with the possibility of three, but two for sure,” I negotiate, groaning internally while trying to mask it with a light-hearted smile.

“Deal!” she squeals, grabbing my hand and pulling me up from the couch. “Now let’s get ready to go!”

The delicious minty taste from the crushed candy cane around the rim of my glass lingers on my tongue, also making my lips slightly tingly. My entire body is lighter than it’s been in months, and all my worries are drowning in liquor, allowing me to have a good time.

I’ve had way more than my agreed upon two—maybe three—drinks, and as I gulp the last sip down from the drink in my hand, I stumble over to the bar to grab another.

“I see you’re enjoying yourself,” Melanie yells into my ear over the loud, thumping music, looping her arm through mine.

“I am,” I yell back, nodding my head. “Thanks for pushing me to come out. I guess I needed it more than I thought.” I hop in an empty seat, propping my elbows onto the bartop, my eyes curiously following the bartender’s each step.

Not only has the shit with Carli and her boyfriend been stressing me out, but the pressure I’ve been under for each of my classes has too. But I didn’t know how bad it was until I started to feel myself loosening up after my first drink.

“You’re next,” the handsome bartender says to me as he stops to fill up a pitcher of beer with the tap, a flirtatious smile dancing along his double-pierced lip.

I nod, smiling back, feeling instant warmth rise to my cheeks.

“That’s River,” Melanie informs me as she sits down and he walks away, delivering the pitcher to a group sitting at the other end of the bar. “He’s cute, huh?”

“Oh, wicked cute,” I agree, sneaking subtle glances at him while he’s deep in conversation. “How do you know him?”

“He’s in a couple of my classes. I’m surprised he’s not in any of yours.”

“I’m not. I’m in advanced classes that are usually meant for juniors,” I laugh, shrugging it off. “There aren’t any cute boys in there either.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know you’re a fucking genius, Scarlett. But seriously, I think you and him would hit it off.” Melanie smirks, a glimmer of mischief swirling in her drunken eyes. “I can setyou up.”

Before I can answer, he comes back over, still with the same smile on his face—still as flirtatious as ever. He leans across the bar to give Melanie a hug, nodding as she whispers something in his ear. Pulling away, he smirks at me again, making me squirm in my seat as his eyes scan my body.

“What are you drinking, gorgeous?” he asks, flinging a cleaning rag over his shoulder.

“Whatever this candy cane drink is,” I tell him, completely blanking on the name, trapped under his intense gaze.

“Sure thing. They’re good, aren’t they?” He takes my empty glass, sets it in the sink under the bar, and grabs a new one from the stack behind him.

“They really are, and they’re festive too, which gets me even more in the Christmas spirit,” I laugh, playfully rolling my eyes, forgetting that Melanie is still sitting beside me.

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