Page 122 of Pride High

“Thanks,” Cameron said. “It belongs to my dad. I found it in the basement. He doesn’t dress this way anymore, but apparently, it’s the look that lured my mother in.”

“Can’t say that I blame her,” Ricky grinned.

“Stop,” Cameron said with a nervous chuckle. “Hey, I like how you glued the mask to your glasses. That’s clever.”

It was just a simple strip of cloth with two holes for the eyes, like cartoon burglars often wore. Had he known what Cameron was going to dress up as, he might have chosen to be a bank robber instead. They could have roleplayed him being arrested, which would inevitably result in lots of manhandling. “Are you dropping me off last at the end of the night?” he asked innocently.

“Who knows,” Cameron said, not picking up on the connotation since he was busy squinting at a piece of paper with directions written on it.

“I can help,” Ricky said, reaching for the address.

“Much appreciated,” Cameron said.

Together they navigated to the next stop to pick up two more passengers. Ricky already knew them both from journalism. Whitney wore a pair of bunny ears and had drawn-on whiskers and a painted pink nose on her face. Mindy was wearing a dress covered in blood stains.

“Carrie and the Easter Bunny,” Cameron murmured as they approached the car. “Sounds like one of the weird bands that Anthony listens to.”

“Oh my god,” Whitney said when she saw them. “You guys look ah-mazing!”

“Aw, shucks!” Cameron said in a folksy accent as he got out and went around to open the passenger-side door for them. He gestured with his head for Ricky to take the backseat, which he did, although he was soon joined by Whitney.

“I never ride up front,” she confided. “Even when I have a choice, because Ilovepretending I’m in a taxi.” She shook the seat in front of them. “Hurry up! My flight leaves in five minutes!”

“I’ll get you there right on time, ma’am,” Cameron drawled as they continued on their way.

They didn’t have far to go.

“Who lives here?” Ricky asked when they pulled up to a large Victorian-style house.

“Omar,” Mindy said with disdain.

“They didn’t dress up!” Whitney complained.

Although when it came to Anthony, it was hard to tell. He always looked a little Halloween. Everyone climbed out of the car to greet each other.

“That’sthedress, isn’t it?” Omar said while looking Mindy over.

“Yes,” she said. “We couldn’t get the ketchup stains out, so I thought it would make a good costume.”

“I’m really sorry,” Omar replied. “Let me buy you a new one. For real! I’ll even help you pick it out.”

“No thanks,” Mindy replied with a grimace. “It’s fine.”

“It’s better than fine,” Anthony said. “You look really cool.”

Mindy stood up a little straighter. “Thank you!”

“Time to load up the Pony Express!” Cameron declared with a southern twang. “Let’s get this rodeo started!”

“It’s going to be a long night of this, isn’t it?” Anthony asked with a sigh.

“I hope so,” Whitney said, “because I am loving it!”

Ricky called shotgun. Mindy slid in first, so she was sitting next to Cameron on the station wagon’s long continuous seat. Ricky was about to join her when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

“No way,” Anthony said. “I’m riding up front.”

“I called shotgun!”

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