Devils' Day Party: A High School Bully Romance

by C. M. Stunich

  “In love with me?” I echo as Luke and April come over to stand beside us.

  “Calix, Barron,” Sonja adds, shrugging loosely, her dark purple skirt rolled up at the waistband, so that it sits much higher on her pale thighs than mine does. “For the life of me, I can't understand it, but you're a hot commodity, I guess.”

  She doesn't say Raz's name, but I suppose that's implied.

  “Karma,” Luke starts, looking between me and Raz with her brows raised. “We should probably talk.”

  “You two should probably talk? What about me?” April asks, looking at both Sonja and Raz with suspicion clear in her pale green eyes. “Sorry if I'm struggling to understand this, but … are you two both secretly fucking the people you hate?”

  “We haven't had sex yet,” I say as Raz looks back at me, his dirty blond hair mussed, his devilish face pinched, eyes narrowed. He smiles a bit at the word yet, but it's just another one of his defense mechanisms. The lie sticks to my tongue like ash, but I have no choice but to tell it.

  “Yet?” Luke echoes, cringing slightly. “Sorry, that came out wrong.”

  “Yet,” I repeat, reaching down to take Raz's hand. He leans back to look at me, his face breaking apart with confusion. He can't understand simple kindnesses, and that's sad. Just like Calix. Whenever I'm too nice to him, he rears back like I've kicked him in the balls.

  “Maybe we'll correct that at the party tonight?” Raz says with a snide little smirk, using my hand to drag me close. He puts his hands on my hips, like he's testing me. When he leans down for a kiss, I meet his mouth hungrily, our tongues twisting together like we're old hats at this. Luke lets out a little whistle as Sonja cackles and tosses her hair over her shoulder.

  “I have to say, I expected this morning to go quite differently,” she says as I pull away from Raz, noting the fire burning in his eyes. It's amazing. We think our actions have little effect on the world around us, but that isn't true. Just one person, one moment, one single word can change somebody else's world entirely.

  Was it okay for Raz to bully me because he didn't know how to express his feelings?

  Fuck no.

  But people are human, infallible creatures capable of beautiful destruction.

  We're also capable of selfless acts, acts of true love, acts of compassion.

  My hand squeezes Raz's. I have no idea if he's going to turn on me later today, if he thinks this is all bullshit. But I've seen what lies inside his heart, and it's worth it to me to try.

  The bell rings and we all glance toward the building reluctantly.

  “It's Devils' Day,” Raz says, flashing one of those razor-sharp grins of his. “Let's bail and go to town. Fuck, let's go to Eureka Springs or something. We could get some guns and set up a target during the party.” My mouth thins at the idea of garnering illegal weapons for a wild, wanton party filled with teenagers, weed, cocaine, and alcohol. Bad idea.

  “I have something I need to do today,” I say, thinking of Pearl. “Is it too late to buy something from the Devils' Day Committee?”

  “You can shop through first break,” Luke says, speaking up, her forehead dotted with beads of sweat. She pulls the goblin mask out from her blazer pocket and slips it on, offering up the sparkly pixie mask with the antennae to April.

  “You can get your Devils' Day shit tomorrow,” Raz says, yanking me toward him. There's a hint of suspicion in his gaze that says if I don't go with him, everything I've said to him this morning will unravel. “And you know, if you were thinking of buying me a dead bug on a chain, I'd rather have your ass in my lap.”

  A smile tilts my lips. The thing is, I know if I don't find a way to save Pearl, I can't feel okay with moving on. That is, if the universe gives a crap about how I feel. Presumably, I'm supposed to learn some lesson from all of this, right?

  “Alright, fine, fuck it, let's go.”

  “Can't use daddy's pity present,” Raz says, eyeing the car with a scowl on his lips. It's not really fair for him to look at a million-and-a-half-dollar car like that, but then, I don't know what his relationship with his father is really like. Everyone deserves to be loved. Well, except rapists and pedophiles; they can eat shit and die.

  “We can take my car,” Luke offers, holding up her keys and jangling them a bit. She keeps side-eyeing me, like I might very well take a bite out of her. But I'm not going to judge her, not anymore, not after what I've been through.

  “Marry me, Karma; let's get lost together.”

  Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck.

  How am I supposed to go on with my life, knowing those words, those wants and needs, are hiding inside of stone-cold Calix Knight with his dark eyes and lush mouth? That's why I went to Raz today. I can't bear to look at Calix. Or Barron, either, for that matter.

  Although, now that I'm standing here, and Raz is turning to look at me over his shoulder, I'm remembering our time at my aunt's cottage, and I'm wondering why I thought this would be easier, better.

  It's still hard.

  It still sucks.

  I just want to see tomorrow.

  “Wouldn't that be a sight?” Raz snickers, shaking his head and running his fingers through his dirty blond hair. “Crescent Prep's biggest losers cutting class and getting fucked-up with us today.”

  “You're calling me a loser?” I ask, standing my ground as Sonja chuckles evilly beside her bestie. “After I stood in front of Barron and Calix and admitted my feelings for you?”

  The sneer on Raz's face slides right off, and he frowns, like he didn't expect me to be so fucking honest.

  “Shit, okay, well …” He glances at April, and then shrugs his shoulders. “Never partied with a pregnant chick, but what the fuck ever.” Sonja pulls out a pack of cigarettes, handing one to Raz. He slips a lighter from his pocket and chuckles, talking around the cigarette tucked between his lips. “We're all sinners here, right?”

  “Not Karma,” Luke says, and everyone turns to look at me.

  My lips purse tight.

  They might not know I'm a sinner, but I am. I'm as steeped in the devil's deeds as anyone else here. Maybe more so. There must be a reason the universe chose me to suffer.

  “Not Karma,” Raz agrees, almost reluctantly, narrowing his red eyes.

  “Theodore Rasmus!” One of the administrators is standing on the front steps, his lips turned down in a sharp frown. Upon closer inspection, I can see that it's actually Mr. Aldrich, the teacher in charge of the Devils' Day Committee. “Are you smoking on school property?”

  “Me, smoking?” Raz asks, taking a long drag and blowing gray smoke into the cool, autumn air. “No way.”

  “Be a little more defiant, it suits you,” I say, starting toward the school. Raz snatches me by the upper arm, and I glance back at him, surprised to see such blatant fear of rejection in his sharp-lined face. “I'll be right back, promise.” At least I’m making I promise I can keep. My throat gets tight, but I can’t exactly blame the boys for not knowing they were making promises to a time traveler.

  He lets me go—reluctantly—and I swear, I can feel his eyes boring into my back as I make my way to Mr. Aldrich.

  “I'm going to write him up, mark my words,” he grumbles, but more to himself than to me it seems. We both know he isn't going to do shit to Raz Loveren. Raz’s daddy wants him to suffer, obviously, or he wouldn't have sent him all the way out here, but he also gifts him cars worth an average person's lifetime salary, so …

  “I'd like to send an anonymous Devils' Day gift,” I tell Mr. Aldrich, studying his brown bear mask with interest. It looks like it's made of real fur, but even if it is, I know Mr. Aldrich's opinions too well to think he hurt an animal to get it. Likely, it's an antique. A lot of families in this area pass down their Devils' Day masks from generation to generation. “Could you help me with that?”

  Mr. Aldrich drags his attention away from Raz to look down at me, blinking like he can't quite place me. I slide my mask up into my hair and smile at him, but my face still
doesn't seem to ring any bells.

  Even the staff forgets my name sometimes. How nice.

  But …

  I glance over my shoulder to see that Raz is still watching me.

  He never forgets me, not even for a second.

  “Of course,” Mr. Aldrich says, leading me inside and down the hall. He takes me to the classroom where the Devils' Day Committee has set up shop.

  They've pushed together several desks and covered them with glittery black tablecloths. A banner hangs across the front with the slogan Be Somebody's Little Devil, Send a Gift. According to the sign, all the profits are being donated to Ditch the Label, an anti-bullying charity.

  How … ironic.

  I mean, considering the cadre of people sitting behind those desks, hawking their wares. I don't know any of their names, but I recognize them—the demon-masked girls are there, along with the monster-masked boys who helped them lock me, April, and Luke in the cave. And then there’s that girl from the first day, with the raven hair and ice-blue eyes. What did Calix say her name was? Erina Cheney?

  He seemed to think she might be the one who posted the video.

  I gnaw on my lower lip in thought, hesitating in the doorway long enough that Erina looks up from behind her leaf-mask and catches me staring at her.

  “Can I help you?” she asks, her voice sharp enough to cut. I move forward, pausing in front of the makeshift table.

  The tablecloth is covered with treasures: quartz crystals, tourmaline bracelets, suncatchers strung with an entire rainbow's worth of gems. There are cupcakes on a separate desk, sitting beside containers with fresh biscuits and little tubs of chocolate gravy. Directly in front of me, I see an array of insects trapped in shadow boxes, sealed into resin coffins and strung with chains, or mounted on the ends of branches and tied together in macabre bouquets.

  I pick up the insect bouquet, marveling at the craftsmanship that must've gone into it.

  I'll admit: I'm impressed.

  “Do you know Calix Knight?” I ask casually, lifting my eyes up to meet Erina’s. The bouquet has real roses mixed in, and even though I'm burying my face in a sea of dead insects, I drop my nose to the flowers and breathe in their sweet scent.

  If this time loop crap has taught me anything, it's that I need to stop and smell the fucking roses. Literally. Even if—no, especially if—they’re surrounded by invasive pests.

  Erina scowls at me, but she can't really get around answering that question, now can she? I've seen her with Calix, even in the span of my repeated days. The last distinct memory I have is of her hanging off his arm, the night where I got drunk and Luke ended up … Well, never mind that bit.

  “Of course I know Calix Knight. Only an idiot would pretend they didn't. What do you care?”

  “I want you to send this to him,” I say, holding out the bouquet. It's the most interesting item on the table, and while I'm not sure he'll fully appreciate, I … My hand shakes as I hold onto the bouquet, my mind spiraling into despair as I remember how close I got to winning this thing, how I made Calix mine, how I saw the fucking sunrise. “And then I want one of these sent to Barron Farrar.” I drop the bouquet in front of Erina, so she can ring it up, and then add a necklace to my order. It might not be a Diana fritillary butterfly in there—just one of those awful gypsy moths—but it's the thought that counts.

  Erina's nostrils flare as she snatches an iPad from the table and starts punching in numbers. Mr. Aldrich sits behind her, sipping on a Styrofoam cup filled with coffee, and monitoring the proceedings with an expression stuck somewhere between pride and complete and total boredom.

  “And this.” I grab a beautiful stone cut into the shape of a heart. It's about the size of my palm, nice and cool, and made from beautiful teal amazonite. “This I want sent to Pearl Boehringer.”

  Erina actually stops typing to look up at me, narrowing her blue eyes in suspicion.

  “You want to send a heart to Pearl Boehringer?” she asks, like I'm the stupidest human being to ever live. “Why? Do you think that bitch likes you anymore than the Knight Crew does? Or is this your pathetic attempt at charity?”

  “Does it matter what I'm doing?” I ask, frowning hard and clenching my hands into fists at my sides. “Just put my order together and send everything anonymously.”

  “Anonymously?” Erina echoes, tilting her head to the side like a confused dog. “What's the fucking point in that?”

  “Erina …” Mr. Aldrich warns, but then he stands up and wanders over to the food table, picking himself out a red velvet cupcake.

  “Yes, anonymously,” I say, exhaling and waiting for Erina to type in all the recipient info. “Hey, by chance, do you happen to have a recording of Calix and me fucking at last year's Devils' Day Party?”

  I wish I could've recorded her face in that moment. If ever there was an admission of guilt, this is it.

  She sits there, stone-still, finger poised above the iPad. There's just something about blurting a dark secret into the bright light of day that chases away all the shadows. It isn't easy for most people to lie well enough to escape, even if it's only their body language that gives away their treachery.

  “Why on earth would you ask me that?” she purrs, her voice almost maniacal as she glances up at me, the vines on her mask caught on the shoulders of her academy-issued blazer. Suddenly I feel like I'm the insect in this scenario, and she's the masterful artisan covering me with clear resin, trapping me. Fuck, this girl is scary. Calix did refer to her as a stalker, and as much as I hate the guy … I've realized now that it's love-hate, which is a totally different thing.

  As far as I'm concerned … Calix is mine.

  Erina cannot have him. Nor can she post a video that will follow us both around for the rest of our lives.

  I lean down and put my palms on the table, looking her dead in the eyes.

  “If you post that video tonight, I will see to it that you suffer for it.”

  “How so?” Erina asks, her mouth curving up into a deviant smile. It's beyond absurd, the way that rictus grin stretches across her pretty face. “With your parents' money? Oh, wait, they don't have any. How about their considerable political influence? Nothing there either.” Erina stands up, the legs of her chair scraping across the floor with a screech. “You can't stop me from doing shit, Karma Sartain.”

  I close my eyes for a moment to gather my thoughts, opening them back up on Erina's creepily joyous face.

  “Why would you want to hurt Calix? Don't you like him?”

  “Like him?” Erina chokes, and the other students in the room glance our way. Luckily, they're all too busy trying to buy Devils' Day gifts before the first bell, so they don't pay us much attention. “He and I have been friends forever. When his dad sent him here, I followed.”

  “You came to Crescent Prep on purpose?” I ask, surprised that anyone besides, you know, me would be stupid enough to do that.

  “Calix and I have a future together,” Erina says, coming around the side of the table to get in my face. She fingers my tie, and I slap her hand away, narrowing my eyes as frustration and righteous anger bubble up inside of me. “And you are getting in our way. So, do I have a video? I don't know. I guess you'll have to wait until later to find out.” She wrinkles up her nose as she spits these last words, pushing the iPad up against my chest. “Your total is three hundred dollars. Cash or credit? We can take either.”

  “Three hundred dollars?” I snort and shake my head. “For three items?”

  “Check the price tags, sweetie,” Erina says, wrenching the iPad out of my hands. “But I'm guessing you don't have that kind of money?”

  “She might not, but I do,” a voice says from behind me. Erina and I both startle, turning to find Barron Farrar in the midst of the early morning buying frenzy. His charcoal-stained hands are tucked into his pockets, his dual-colored eyes resting on me. “Here.” He pulls his wallet out and then flicks a credit card at Erina. It hits her right in the tit, which I enjoy
more than I probably should. Then again, anyone that posts revenge porn—particularly when they barely know one of the people in it—is a total fucking asshat with no conscience and zero empathy. “Charge that, but don't give yourself a tip; you haven't earned it.”

  He turns to me, reaching down to grab my arm, and puts his lips up against my ear while Erina seethes and bends down to pick the card up from the floor.

  “You saw what was in my sketchbook,” he whispers, and I nod, turning toward him, so close that our lips nearly brush together.

  “I did. And I know that today, you're going to draw me many more times. In Thorncrown Chapel. In the treehouse cabin with Sonja and Luke. In that beautiful little butterfly cave you found out in the woods.” I turn back to Erina as Barron's eyes widen in surprise, watching as she runs the card and then throws it back at Barron's chest.

  He, however, has no problem catching it between two fingers.

  “What are you standing there staring for? Get back to work,” Barron says, his voice as cold and icy as the autumn wind outside. The way he looks at Erina, well, I'm not sure I'd want to be in her shoes right now.

  “I'd ask why you paid for my things, but then … I don't really need to,” I say as I turn and head for the door; Barron follows but then, I knew he'd do that, too.

  “Oh? How so?” he asks as I notice Calix standing at the end of the hallway, arms crossed over his chest, eyes narrowed. When he glances our way and sees me, he scowls and turns away.

  “I know you paid for those things because you're in love with me,” I tell him, pausing in front of the row of gray lockers and looking up into his eyes. He pushes the red devil mask away from his face and studies me with an intensity I'm well-familiar with. “I'm in love with you, too. But today, I'm going to skip class and spend time with Raz.” I shrug my shoulders, my heart thundering like crazy in my chest. This isn't an easy conversation to have, most especially not with him staring at me like that.

  And then there's Erina and the sex tape.

  Calix suspected her, and I'm pretty damn sure he's right.