Passionate Exchange

Chapter Forty

Penny tells us on the way to the party, "did you know Halloween is the day when spirits visit the living world?" She makes a sharp left turn and I grip my seatbelt tighter. Her eyes meet mine through the rear-view mirror, an apologetic smile on her face.

"I didn't know that."

"Well, now you do." She hums along to her Halloween playlist playing through the radio. "I'm confident I'm going to be the best dressed at the party." Did I mention that this was her favourite holiday?

"How could you when the best dressed is sitting right behind you?" Archer adds with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

I turn around so I can see him in the back, and he winks. "I hardly think you'll be the best dressed." I roll my eyes, trying my best not to inflate his ego. If I told him what I was actually thinking I wouldn't hear the end of it.

"And how would you know that?"

"You're wearing the same thing you wear every day just with red horns." I chuckle. Do you know how long it took me to convince him to wear the horns? Three days! It took me three days to convince him to go to the store and at least get something.

"Exactly, I'm the best dressed every day." He grins.

"I think Penny's costume is better than yours." I challenge him. His jaw hangs open causing me to laugh.

She's dressed as a pirate this year. She had this idea that she'd recreate one of her costumes from when she was younger after finding a photograph a couple of weeks back of little Penny in a pirate costume, pointing a sword at the camera.

"Thank you, at least someone has eyes." Her eyes narrow at Archer and he scoffs.

We pull up outside the house that the parties being held at. I'm glad it's not the same place as the last one we went to. I don't need a reminder of what happened that night. Archer's blank face, as he delivered punch after punch to Levi, is the last thing I want to think about right now.

We step out of the car and head towards the house. Of course, we still have to step over teenagers passed out on the grass and the red solo cups scattered everywhere. I'm beginning to learn that this is just a necessity when it comes to high school parties though.

When we enter the house, it's different this time. Last time I felt exposed and scared of the unknown but now, with Archer hovering behind me, I feel more at ease. I know I'm safe with him.

"Do you see their costumes?" Penny shouts over the obnoxiously loud music. Again, another necessity.

I follow her outstretched arm to see where she's pointing. There's a girl dressed as a police officer with a pair of silver handcuffs attached to her waistband and a boy with his arm around her wearing an orange jumpsuit, a prisoner. "They look awesome," Penny states.

I notice Tyler heading towards us from across the room. At least he has more of a Halloween spirit than Archer does. Then again, I don't think it's hard to achieve that. He's wearing a batman suit. He even has fake abs, a cape, and everything.

Archer sees him soon after and they do their classic handshake. I swear every time I see it gets more complicated. "A devil, it suits you." He teases. Archer jabs him gently in the stomach.

"I see your abs aren't as hard as they look." He shoots back.

Tyler turns to me after. "What are you supposed to be?"

I furrow my eyebrows. "You're kidding, right?" He shakes his head in response. "I'm Sharon from Once Upon a Time in Hollywood."

He looks me up and down blankly. "Who?"