VERA TWIRLS AROUND  the room, a blaze of orange and golden skin as she holds her hair brush to her mouth like a microphone. I laugh at her from where I sat at her desk and Penn quickly taps my chin, telling me to stay still. 

"Where were you in the morning baby?!" Vera sings along to the music as she collapses onto her roommate's bed. Vera had told us that her roommate had left a while ago to the social, dressed as a fairy princess with small pink wings. 

It was a really adorable outfit whereas we were wearing anything but. We were dressed in tight orange jumpsuits, thanks to the gang of girls I somehow joined in my Good Behaviour class, with fake handcuffs and guns. One of the girls had questioned quietly if I wanted real guns which she could obtain easily, but I assured her I just wanted fake guns. 

The legs on the jumpsuits weren't as long as I was hoping, as in they stopped just under my butt cheeks, but it was either this or old costumes from the drama department that reek of bad body odour. 

"Stop moving or your make up will smudge." Penn hisses at me, holding my chin tightly in her hand as her other applied lip gloss to my lips delicately. Penn was surprisingly amazing at make up and I only say surprisingly because she barely wears any herself. 

After she finishes, she screws the lid back onto the small glass tube and stares at her work covering my face with a small smile. She then nods, "And my job here is done." 

I grab Vera's circular mirror, admiring Penn's magnificent work at bringing me from a negative two to a solid eight-point-five. After a horrendous tidy up of the makeup products splattered across Vera's desk, we take a few pictures with each other before we finally leave Vera's dorm and head to the school gymnasium. 

It was in full swing by the time we arrived. There were students dancing to the seriously out-of-date music while bored teachers stood on the side with orange cupcakes and cups of punch. Most of the students there were freshman and sophomores, with a few seniors and juniors who either got caught trying to leave or had know clue of the parties in Madison at all. 

Vera squeezes between Penn and I, locking her arms around ours as she drags us off to an elderly lady holding a clipboard. 

"Names." She orders sounding like she didn't want to be here in the slightest. 

"Vera Miller, Penelope Owens and Hayden Jones." Vera announces for all three of us. The lady sighs before checking off our names. As we walk around the gym together, I couldn't see Noah, Levi or Chase anywhere. I wasn't that surprise that Chase wasn't here. He didn't strike me as the themed-party kinda guy. 

I was gravitating towards the snack table when Vera tugged on my arm and hauled me into the girl's bathroom. 

"Get out." Vera orders two freshman girls and they scatter out the door immediately, "Let's get to work girls." 

Vera, being the great actress that she is, decided to be the sick patient for this evening's entertainment. She brushes her hair back as Penn and I begin dabbing water onto her face to imitate sweat and trickle it down onto the orange material of her jumpsuit. After we have made it look like she just vomited up her stomach lining, Penn and I grab her waist and carry her out of the bathroom. 

"Oh, Mrs Baxter!" Penn calls over a teacher and she turns around, her smile fading to a worried frown as she spots Vera hanging from our shoulder. 

"Oh dear god, what has happened?" She questions as she hurries over to us. 

"Vera just vomited in the bathroom." I tell her as Vera groans, her eyes fluttering shut as he head rolls around fluidly.

Mrs Baxter taps her chin, "There is a bug going around at the moment. Take Miss Miller to her dorm and ty not to catch the bug as well girls." 

"Yes ma'am!" Penn shouts as we quickly carry Vera across the gym, collecting eyes as we weave through the crowds of costume-adorning students. 

The second we burst out of the doors into the cold night, we start giggling and Vera wipes off the excess water on her face. We cheer as we race across the dark parking lot and spot Noah waiting outside of an electric blue Jeep Wrangler. 

Students who were allowed could keep there cars on school campus, though they are only allowed access to their vehicles on the weekends and the student parking lot is locked and guarded by security guards during school days. 

"How did you get out?" I question as we reach Noah and I spot Levi sitting in the front passenger seat of Noah car, but no Chase though. I was somewhat disappointed but more excited to get to this damn party everyone has been quietly raving about all week. 

"Explosive diarrhoea." Noah admits proudly as we screw up our noses in disgust. I climb into the back after Vera as Noah pats the top of the vehicle and slides into the driver's seat excitedly. Noah starts the car and I glance around the parking lot that was still generally full of cars, giving away the idea that most people carpooled to lower suspicion. 

I lean forward through the gap between the front seats and hum, "I don't mean to be a Debby-Downer or anything but how exactly will we be getting past the security guard?" 

"Some of the students put slipping pills in his coffee so he's out cold." Noah explains gleefully as I nod, only slightly terrified at the brains that some of these rich troubled kids have. 

Vera cheers loudly as Noah pulls out of the school driveway, passing by the small booth in which the security guard was very much out cold. The car rolls slowly down the gravelled road, lined with large oak trees before hitting the main road a few yards outside the school. 

And then we were free. 

    ♤♤♤♤  

It was a good twenty minute drive from the school until we reached the welcome sign of Madison, and a extra ten minutes to arrive at the large stone manor that was apparently hosting the party. 

Noah finds a park a few doors down, pulling to the side of the curb and smoothly rolling to stop. We all clamber out with Vera basically frothing to get her hands on some cheap, crappy alcohol because according to her, that's the best kind of alcohol. 

Noah and Levi, dressed in camo gear and mossy green face paint, follow behind as us three girls make away to the house, shivering from the temperature difference between Noah's car and the surrounding night. We blended in with young trick-o-treaters who all looked adorable int heir costumes that were much more clever and authentic than ours. 

The party was in full swing with the boosted bass of the music seeping out into the street. A group of teens stumble down the side walk and greet us with loud lazy slurs as they pass us, their hands still attached to glass bottles of branded alcohol. 

The decorations of the house were impressive and this person, who obviously had a lot of money, had gone all out. We walk up the front steps and pass the two drunk girls who I hope knew were making out with a painted skeleton instead of an actual human. 

The lights were dim as we push our way into the crowded house and duck under over hanging black drapes, adding to the spooky mood. I was in the front, leading our small group and when I turn around, Vera was gone and I was staring at Penn's startled face. 

"Where did V go?" I question, shouting slightly over the loud music. 

Pen shrugs, "She was literally right in front of me two seconds ago." 

"Damnit." I groan, realising I would have to go find her. I then glance at Penn who seemed slightly uncomfortable and I grab her hand, "Hey, are you going to be alright?" 

I know how uncomfortable Penn feels about being near alcohol and apparently she gets really bad flashbacks when she sees it. She did constantly remind Vera and I that she would be totally fine here, but I was still worried. 

She nods as Noah places his hands on her shoulder and smiles, "I'll look after Penny, Hay." 

A sly grin stretches across my lips as I see Penn blush adorably and I squeeze her hand slightly in support and love. I nod and let it go, "I'll be back as soon as I find Crazy, okay?" 

"Go have fun Hay. Don't worry about me." Penn smiles genuinely as I wave at her before seeping into the ocean of sweaty costumed bodies. 

anyone else loves themed costume parties?

i fucking live for that shit which is why halloween is my favourite holiday.