Page 3 of Darkest Fantasies

Jenny speaks up. “That was so convincing, let me tell you.” I can hear her eyes roll at her sarcastic comment over the phone.

“This has something to do with that good-for-nothing, piece of shit, toad you call a boyfriend,” Melissa accuses.

I sigh, plopping onto the bed, putting my phone on speaker, and resting it on my stomach. “I have to meet his mom during Haunted Nights tonight. That alone is going to ruin my night. How the hell can I enjoy gawking at the Soul Reapers when I will have queen bitch staring at me and probably judging me at the same time.” I can’t make a mistake. It will cost me. His parents are constantly on trips around the world. They’re never here.

“Sweety, why are you still with him? He is such a tool,” Jenny says. They don’t even know half of it or how true that statement is. They have a long list of reasons why they hate him, but the main and number one reason is he doesn’t want me hanging out with them. At first, I didn’t listen to him, but by the third time, I had to cover a bruise because I hung out with them. I had no choice but to stop hanging out with them as often as I did.

“Wait, you’re not going to hang out with us at all tonight?” Melissa asks the disappointment in her voice, breaking my heart.

“No.”

“Seriously?” They ask at the same time.

“We know you hate going on opening day to Haunted Nights. That's why we didn’t make it a big deal this year when you told us you were going to skip opening day with us to go home and relax after having dinner with the hell-in-laws. We know your anxiety level will be going to be through the roof after having to deal with them. We would never force you to hang out with us at Haunted Nights knowing it would cause you even more stress but I refuse to accept you won’t hang out with us even for a little bit knowing you will already be there.” Melissa says, angry. I don’t know what to do. I’m torn. I really want to hang out with them but at the same time, I don’t want to make Matt angry.

“How about this: instead of arguing, we find a solution. What time do you have to meet Matt?” Jenny says, trying to defuse the situation like she always does. She is the mom of our group and always tries to stop Melissa and me from arguing.

“Six.”

She hums. “Alright, I have an idea. The park opens at four. Let’s meet up at that time, go inside a couple of haunted houses, and spend the rest of the time eating and enjoying the view.”

“That’s a good plan.” I agree, and so does Melissa. That solves one issue, but what about the clothes? I don’t want to tell them about the hideous dress Matt wants me to wear. They will lose their shit. They already say that he is too controlling, and I've lost my Catness. They don’t know how right they are. But it’s hard to be yourself when there’s someone who is beating you out of you. The only option is to do as he says, hoping the pain will end. Hoping that was the last punch, the last slap, the last shove. The messed up truth is that it will never be the last, and there’sno way for me to get out. I was forced into this situation months ago, and I have not been able to get myself out. It’s best to ride it out. Be a good girl until I leave. He hasn’t tried to force me to go to school with him; he hasn’t mentioned it since the day he told me he was going to Northwestern, and I told him I had a full ride to Penn State. It’s as if he doesn’t care what school I go to.

In fact, he doesn’t care what I do when I’m alone; he only seems to care when anyone can see me and if my best friends are around. He doesn’t call me or text me unless I need to go to a game of his or a party. We don’t spend too much time alone. We don’t act like a couple unless people are around. That thought has me sitting up in my bed abruptly, completely ignoring my friends as they talk about our plans and what they’re going to wear.

Matt is using me, but what for? It can’t be to make someone jealous. I’ve met his ex-girlfriend. She’s skinny, blonde, and on her last brain cell. All the chemicals they used to dye her hair burned them away.

I shake my head, pushing those thoughts out of my mind. It doesn’t really matter anyway. I just have to toughen it up for a few more weeks. Anyway, my stepmother will make my life hell if I end things. I’ve mentioned it before, and she flipped, getting my dad involved and grounding me. It was a terrible week of her making me miserable. Dad will do whatever she wants. I’m not sure he even has the strength to fight her. That’s what happens when you marry someone almost forty years younger.

“Cat?”

“Earth to Cat.”

I hear Jenny and Mellisa call out to me.

“Sorry, I got distracted.”

“Do you know what you’re going to wear?”

I glimpse over at the clothes. “Yes, I do.” A soft smile on my face. I’ll wear whatheleft out for me and then change into the hideous outfit Matt got for me. It’s a win-win situation.

Chapter 3

Draven

The best time of the year for me is Halloween. It’s the time when I feel most like myself. I’ve never fit in with most of the population in this town; I don’t pretend to enjoy going to church; I dress differently and listen to different music. The devil's music like some of the older generations love to say. I scoff at the thought. They are all sinners pretending to be saints. Preaching god's words by day, but by night, they’re abusers, adulterers, and hypocrites.

I stare down at my hand at the silver cracked mask embellished with metallic gold paint. This was not what I signed up for when I started working for this amusement park four years ago. My role has always been an actor inside the haunted houses. But this year is different. This year, I’m playing a very important role - a role I had a hand in orchestrating.

All for her.

The sound of the door opening snaps me back to reality. “Dude,” Adrien says, walking into the room, his boots squeaking on the floor. “Why aren’t you dressed yet?” he asks, resting his hand on my shoulder. The door opens again before I can say anything, and Theo strides in.

“We have to at least pretend to be working for an hour for everything to go without a hitch,” Theo says, putting on his mask.

“Okay, moms,” I snap at them. “I was planning to change now. But I was interrupted by you two outcasts.”

“That’s bullshit. When I came in here you looked like you were about to fuck that mask,” Adrien says, squeezing my shoulder before walking towards the fridge and grabbing a bottle of water from the employee fridge, twisting off the cap, and drinking half the bottle in one gulp.

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