I snaked my way across the floor of the decaying living room that had been overtaken by vines, leaves, and the senior class of Sycamore Falls High. Finally, I reached the other side where Lola chatted with Evelyn and Morgan after their beer pong match.

"Oh my God, at least we made three shots," Morgan said. I can't believe I spilled beer all over me. She pursed her lips and wrung the hem of her canary yellow dress. Looked like she'd managed to fit into it after all.

"Andy is really good," Evelyn said. "What did he get, four cups in a row?"

"Hopefully he won't spend all night on the table, right?" Morgan glanced to Lola.

"Whatever." Lola flipped her curly hair over her shoulder. "I don't care what Andy does."

"Nice game," I inserted myself in the conversation, sneaking up behind them.

Lola jumped, and Morgan spilled beer on her dress. Again.

"What the fuck? You can't just sneak up on people like that, Count Dracula!" Evelyn yelled.

"Please, just Dracula. The Count is my father."

Lola snorted a laugh, and beer came out through her nose. "Sorry." She wiped her face. "I think I must have sneezed."

"Then bless you," I said. I turned to the other girls. "Evelyn, your nails look nice."

"What?" She furrowed her brow, glancing down at her hands.

"Silver is a nice color on you."

"Umm...thanks?" She turned her gaze up, meeting mine for a second before looking away.

"You're welcome," I said.

Morgan leaned in to Lola and whispered something in her ear. Even though I couldn't hear her over the pounding house music, I didn't need to.

What is he doing here? I thought Andy wasn't inviting everyone at school.

"Oh, I wasn't invited, Morgan," I said. "Carter and I just decided to crash. I'm not a full fledged vampire yet, so I can still enter places without an invitation."

Morgan rolled her eyes and glanced into the crowd, like there was someone she was looking for, but I could tell she was just searching for a distraction. She was flustered that I'd "heard" her.

"I think I'm going to get a fresh drink," Morgan finally said when she didn't locate the nonexistent person she was pretending to look for.

"Same," Evelyn said. "Lola, wanna come?" She nudged her in the arm with her elbow.

"I'm going to stay here." Lola took a last sip from her red cup, her eyes meeting mine over the brim, almost like she wanted to talk to me.

Was I reading into it too much? Did she just flirt with everyone?

Before I could dwell on it any more, the moment passed. Lola finished her drink and held her empty cup out to Evelyn. "Can you get me another one, though?" she asked.

"Lola," Evelyn whined.

"Pretty please with whipped cream, rainbow sprinkles, and a cherry on top?" Lola batted her eyelashes. "I'll let you be top of the pyramid at the game next weekend."

Evelyn let out a huff through her nose. "Fine." She snatched Lola's cup, stomping off toward the table where the drinks were set out as Morgan tagged along behind.

"Whipped cream, rainbow sprinkles, and a cherry?" I asked. "I've never heard someone taking their beer that way."

Lola turned to face me, raising a perfectly sculpted eyebrow for a second before the confusion faded from her features. "Ha! Hopefully Evelyn will take the hint, then, and get me a piña colada instead."

"Well, I brought a cheap bottle of rum, so I can get you halfway there. Carter has it right now, though."

I glanced over my shoulder, checking the spot where I'd left him, but he wasn't there.

"I can't believe you managed to drag him out to a party," Lola said. "Carter getting drunk is something I'd like to see. Where is he?" She put a hand over her face and squinted as the flashing strobes blared in her eyes.

"That's what I'm trying to figure out. He's...somewhere around here." Finally, I spotted him talking with a group of girls I recognized from our English Literature Class. He turned to look at me, and I waved. He waved back.

Good. Glad he was having a nice time.

"Looks like he's having fun," Lola said.

I nodded. "Looks like it."

She crossed her arms over her chest, glancing past me in the direction Evelyn and Morgan had gone. I was losing her interest, and I hadn't even started to pry for answers. Time to kick it up a notch.

"Anyways," I began, because that was always a good way to start a sentence, "I came over here to see if you would play beer pong with me."

"Oh?" she raised her eyebrow again, and her face sort of lit up. Almost like a lightbulb, but one with the wires kinda crossed and slightly sputtering. "I don't play, sorry."

"Well, that's going to be an issue," I said, "because the thing is, I don't dance, and that's about the only other option of PG-13 rated activities I can think of for us to do together right now."

She smiled, putting her hand up to cover her mouth as a small laugh escaped her cherry-red lips.

A rush of heat burned through me, and I couldn't help but smile too. I hadn't expected talking to her to be so...easy. It felt comfortable and...fun...not knowing her every thought and feeling.

"Andy is pretty much the best at beer pong," Lola finally continued. "Hudson's not bad either. We wouldn't win."

"Oh, I'm not so sure about that. I happen to be pretty good at beer pong."

"Yeah?"

"Yup. All games, really," I said. "Well, the big four at least. Chess, checkers, beer pong, and...Hearts."

"Fine." She blew a strand of curly brown hair from her eyes and grinned. "I'll be your partner, but if you're bluffing and we don't win, then you have to do something for me."

"What's that?"

"I get to ask you three questions, and you have to answer all of them completely honestly."

"So what are the questions?" I asked.

"That," she said, "is for me to know, and for you to hopefully never have to find out."

I shook my head, smiling to myself. I simultaneously loved and hated the fact that I could not read this girl's mind.

"So just three questions? Sounds easy enough." How hard could it be?

"And you answer them honestly," Lola said, pointing a finger at me. "Don't forget that part. Trust me. I'll know if you're lying."

"Fine," I said. "But you have to promise not to throw the game then."

She extended her hand to me. "I promise."

I nodded, and we shook on it, sealing the deal.

"Hey!" she called over the music to where Andy and Hudson were searching for their next victims a few yards away. "Can I play next game?" She batted her enormous eyelashes at him, flipping her hair over her shoulders with both hands.

Andy came to her like a dog on a damn leash. "I thought you didn't play, Lola?" he said when he reached us.

"I've changed my mind," she said.

It took him longer than I'd expected to notice me standing next to her.

"What the fuck are you doing here, shithead?" he snarled.

"Nice place you've got here, Andy," I said. "I usually greet my guests a bit differently, but maybe being polite is overrated."

"Ha, ha," Andy said. "Very funny."

"Jay's going to be my partner." Lola grabbed me by the wrist, dragging me over to the end of the table.

Andy grumbled something under his breath, followed by a few half-formed thoughts about how he was going to destroy us in this game and do other moderately mean things. I did my best to tune him out. After we set up our ten cups in a triangle formation at each end of the table, the match began.

I hadn't lied. I was actually pretty good at this game. Lola and I gave Andy and Hudson a run for their money in the first few minutes, pulling ahead and sinking five cups while they'd only made two.

"So what happens if we win?" I inched closer to Lola as we waited for Andy and Hudson to take their shots. "What if I have a question I want to ask you?"

Lola's grin slipped for a second, her eyes darting to mine before she immediately turned her focus back to the game. "You can ask me a question anytime you like, Jay," she flashed her teeth in an almost forced smile as Hudson took a shot and missed.

The ball bounced off the table, and I caught it before it could hit the filthy floor.

An actual smile reached Lola's glistening hazel-green eyes as she met my gaze. "But that wasn't part of the deal, so I wouldn't have to answer it."

"Nice one!" Hudson shouted from the other side of the table, pulling our attention back to the game as Andy's shot went into one of our cups. The two cheered and high-fived.

I snatched the cup from the table, downing the beer in a single gulp. I needed to be more drunk right now, that was for sure.

"Here." I passed Lola one of the balls. She held out her hand, and I let my fingertips brush over hers for longer than necessary. Her fingers curled towards mine in response, but I pulled away before she could do anything else.

Andy's thoughts heated with frustration as he watched me flirt with her. I smirked at him before looking to Lola. A blush brightened her tan face, her eyes darting to Andy for a second as she bit down on her lower lip mischievously.

Was she enjoying making him jealous? I could work with that. It would get me closer to her, and that was what I needed.

"Do you ever feel like you're different?" I asked lowly after Lola had taken her next shot.

Her smile dropped for a second, but she quickly recovered. "Huh?"

"I don't know." I shrugged as I took my shot. "There's something about you..."

She forced a laugh. "Are you trying to flirt with me, Jay?"

"That depends," I said. "Is it working?

"Now where'd be the fun if I answered that?" she responded with a wink. She flipped her hair over her shoulder and turned back to the game, watching as Andy and Hudson took their turn.

I frowned. She was avoiding my question. She knew something. I just had to figure out a better way to get it out of her.

As the game went on, I planned what I would say next, but I couldn't come up with anything. We made it to the point where each team had only one cup left, and I bit my tongue. I was running out of time.

A chill crept through the air, and along with it, a hushed hum drummed in the back of my mind. The thoughts of everyone at the party clouded and blurred together. A whispered voice laced through the thoughts, but I couldn't place the source or the words. It was too distant.

Was it just the alcohol taking effect? Did being drunk muddle the thoughts, making them harder to deal with? I glanced around the room, swallowing the lump in my throat.

It looked like the party had thinned out since we'd gotten here, but that didn't make it any easier to place the source of the strange whisper.

"Is it just me, or is it getting cold in here?" Lola asked, rubbing her arms.

Across the table, Andy's face had gone pale. "I've got to take a piss," he muttered under his breath as he handed the ball to Hudson. "Do me a favor and win this game before I get back."

"Easily," Hudson replied as Andy darted off to wherever they kept the bathroom in this trash heap.

After another few minutes of failed attempts at shots from both sides, there was a tap on my shoulder.

"Hey, Jay," Leo, another one of Andy's friends, said. "Your boyfriend is out in the front yard puking."

Crap.

"You wanna go take care of him?"

"Shit," I said. "Lola, I'm sorry." I placed my hand on her shoulder. "I've got to go."

"Are you serious?" she grumbled. "We only have one cup to go." She grabbed me by the wrist and pulled me in. "You were the one who wanted to play this in the first place."

"I know, I'm sorry," I said. "But Carter's sick. I've gotta go take care of him."

I took off, dodging the dancers in the center of the room as I darted to the door. When I opened it, the cool, night air hit me with a blast of wind. It only took a second to spot Carter crouched at the side of the worn-down path. He rocked back and forth on his feet, gripping the overgrown strands of grass in front of him to keep himself from falling over.

I jogged over and squatted when I reached him. I placed one hand on his shoulder, holding him steady so he didn't tip over face first. "Hey, how are you doing, man?" I asked.

Carter didn't even turn to look at me. I searched his mind to see what he was thinking, but it was absolutely blank. There wasn't a single thought spinning around up there.

With a violent wretch, a slurry of vomit exploded from his mouth, splattering onto the grass in front of him. He panted a few times and wiped a string of drool from his mouth with the back of his hand. I held my breath, blocking out the vile smell of stomach acid mixed with rum and peanut butter.

"Oh fuck me," Carter said. "Fuck, I feel so sick. The world won't stop spinning."

"I know." I rubbed his back. "It's okay, just get it out. You'll feel better if you get it out."

"I hate puking!" he shouted. He yanked a tuft of grass from the ground and squeezed it in his fist. "Jay, I'm sorry. I've ruined this night. I'm..." He hiccupped, and then with a coughing gag, another round of vomit came up. "I'm too, too drunk."

"Yeah, you definitely are," I said. "But it's okay. I'm going to walk you home. Tomorrow morning you'll feel terrible, but then I'll make you some really greasy grilled cheese, scrambled eggs, and ibuprofen for breakfast and you'll feel better."

"I don't like grilled cheese," he mumbled.

"What's wrong with you, Carter? Everyone likes grilled cheese. Even vegans and lactose intolerant people. That's why they invented fake cheese."

"Can I have ketchup with it?" he asked.

"Of course."

He finally looked at me, but I still couldn't pick up on his thoughts. Was it just because he was so drunk? Was that it?

"I really am sorry. I ruined things, didn't I?"

"It's fine," I said. "You didn't ruin anything. This happens to everyone sometimes." I paused for a second. "It's my fault. I shouldn't have left you alone like that."

"I'm sorry," he muttered again, his voice quiet as he leaned forward, like he was about to lay down to take a nap.

"Nope!" I grabbed him by the upper arm and yanked him back. "You aren't falling asleep in your puke. That's gross."

A gust of wind beat past us, and I could feel him shivering and shaking with the cold. I took my jacket off and put it over his shoulders.

"Just don't vomit on it," I said. "Now, come on." I pulled at him, trying to get him to his feet. "Let's get home. We've got a long walk ahead of us, and if I don't get back to my coffin before sunrise, I'll burn right the fuck up."

With another heave, he finally rose to his feet next to me. I put my arm around his waist to help him walk down the grass path toward the street. With each step, the pulse of music echoing out of the green house faded until it was just a dull thrum in the back of my mind.

We reached the street, and the entire night descended into silence. I exhaled, and my breath crystalized in the icy air in front of me—a ghost frozen in time.

Then, something moved beneath me, like the entire Earth was shuddering. Or, maybe it came from inside me. The world was tipping over from the inside out. Gravity raked its slimy claws through my brain, tugging in every direction at once.

A scream pounded through my head—shrill—the screech of a banshee. Pain shot through me like I'd been jolted by electricity.

Sweat slicked the back of my neck even though it was nearly freezing out, and my entire body shook, my teeth chattering in my skull. Then, the scream blasted through my mind again.

"Carter, did you hear that?" My voice came out hollow, like I'd had the wind knocked out of me. I gasped, but the air was empty of oxygen. My mind spun.

Carter shook his head. "Hear what?"

"The scream."

"I didn't hear anything," he slurred.

The scream came again, and this time I understood. It wasn't a sound—it was a thought. Someone was screaming in their thoughts. I looked down the street in the direction it seemed to be coming from. In the distance, the outline of the Renson Factory towered into the night like a dark castle.

A dim glow of red light swelled from one of the small windows on the lowest floor, like a distant sun rising on the horizon at daybreak.

"What the fuck," I muttered to myself.

I looked at Carter. He'd already taken a seat in the grass, resting his head in his hands.

"Carter," I said, "I'll be right back. Stay here!"

Then, I took off in the direction of the light—the direction the scream had come from.