Chapter 12 Happy

It was the high school dance all over again. Everyone was having a blast except me. My leg started to bounce as I watched Will make himself a sandwich. “You look incredible.” I turned my head, and my breath caught. In front of me stood a man dressed like a treasure chest. He also had a ton of ginormous, fake gold chains around his neck that looked to be made of plastic, and he wore a hat made of gold coins. I pressed my hands against my mouth, stifling a cry of relief that he hadn’t stood me up. Then I laughed. “Are you my hidden treasure?” Vincent shook his head. “It’s the other way around.” He held out his hand, and I took it. Vincent pulled me from the chair and led me to the food table. “I hope you don’t mind, but I skipped dinner in order to get ready on time, and I was still late.” My stomach rumbled. “No problem.” Vincent handed me a plate then turned to make another. We ended up sitting on the front steps eating while people came and went. “I meant what I said.” Vincent wiped at the side of my mouth. I let him, enjoying his attention. “You really do look great.” “And I absolutely love your costume.” I was touched that he’d gone through so much trouble to match my pirate costume. I finished my sandwich, chips, and the dessert Vincent had given me. I felt much better since I’d skipped dinner, too. “You wanna go see if the backyard is decorated too?” Vincent set aside his empty plate. “Maybe there’s a haunted forest.” He wiggled his brows. I laughed. “Just so you know, I’m a big chicken.” Vincent stood and pulled me to my feet. “I’ll protect you from the ghosts and goblins.” He wrapped his arms around me. I tilted my head back, and he kissed me. I was becoming quickly addicted to his lips. They were soft, and his breath smelled like the chocolate mint cookies he’d just eaten. “I could kiss you all night,” he said as he pulled away. “But we have some exploring to do.” My heart raced. Because of the thought of haunted woods, and because Vincent was holding my hand. I was embarrassed that my palm was so sweaty, but he didn’t seem to mind. I gasped when we entered the backyard. There were torches set apart from the trees, and skeletons hung from branches. A howl ripped through the night, and fog hung heavily in the air. “So spooky,” Vincent said with excitement. I, on the other hand, was terrified. “I’m not so sure about this anymore.” Vincent dragged me into the woods, and I wasn’t afraid to admit I turned into a little bitch. I clung to his arm as a plastic skeleton brushed against me.