Operation Beautiful

“Ready for this?” Emmaleigh asks. She has an enormous grin pasted on her face.

“Why do you look so happy with all this?” I ask, eyeing the large Tent of Doom nervously.

“Well, I’m pretty sure you’ll be more scared than I am,” she says. I take another step towards the entrance.

“Yeah, right.”

“Again?” asks the guy at the flap. “Weren’t you the guy who screamed two seconds in?” Emmaleigh starts laughing.

“Shut up,” I mumble, turning red. “We can handle it this time.”

“Oh really?” he smirks.

“Really,” I say, with more confidence than I feel. “You can pull out all the stops.”

“Then we will,” he says with a smirk. “Enjoy the tour.”

This time when we enter I only let out a hiss when the bats fall from the ceiling. Emmaleigh, on the other hand, clutches my arm.

“Uh, sorry,” she whispers, letting go. I start to laugh but get cut off by the same stupid Grim Reaper that freaked Emmaleigh out. This time she just jumps slightly. I, on the other hand, was caught completely offguard and let out a rather embarrassing squeal.

“You know, maybe moving away wasn’t the best idea,” I croak. Emmaleigh laughs but still keeps her distance. I wave my hand around until I smack into something.

“That’s my stomach,” she says.

“Ah...uh, sorry.” I keep waving my hand until I find her arm and attach myself to it. Suddenly, the darkness isn’t quite as scary anymore. Yes, I’m still terrified, but it’s like last time when I was watching Emmaleigh and Matt. I’m a bit distracted from everything now.

“I think this counts as you being more scared as I am,” Emmaleigh says, attempting to move my hand but failing.

“No. I’m just making sure you don’t get lost,” I insist.The already dim lights flicker and then go out completely.

“C-C-Corey?” Emmaleigh stammers.

“S-s-still here,” I stammer back. “Did this happen last time?”

“We speed walked through this last time. So...I guess there wasn’t time for this?” Suddenly, a single light glows from the floor, lighting up the face of Dracula, who is standing a good two inches from my nose.

“Shiitake mushrooms!” I yell, hugging Emmaleigh close and burying my head in her hair.

“Shiitake mushrooms?” Emmaleigh says, her voice shaking slightly in laughter.

“Would you prefer that I swear?”

“Are vee go-ying? I alvedy got ditched once tovay,” Dracula says. He peers closer at us. “By you guys. Let’s go, yes?” His fake accent is not much of a comfort.

“Let’s go,” says Emmaleigh, patting my head. I don’t move. Not necessarily because I’m scared but because...well...this is comfortable. And following Dracula through the rest of the haunted house is not comfortable. In fact, the very thought freaks me out.

I shut my eyes and take another deep breath. My arms are still locked around Emmaleigh’s slight frame, my nose still buried in her soft, lemon-scented hair.

“Eez your boyfriend com-ying?” Dracula asks.

“He’s not my boyfriend. But unless he wants to admit defeat, he’s definitely coming. And getting his nose out of my hair.”

“I will not lose!” I yell straightening up with a speed that makes Emmaleigh jump.

“Vat-evah. Let’s go, jah?”

“Jah is a German word,” Emmaleigh whispers to me as we follow Dracula. We both chuckle lightly at the mix-up.

“Velcome, to HELL,” Dracula announces, pushing us through a small door in the side of the corridor we’ve been walking through. Last time we just went straight through to the exit.

The door before us opens into a vast room. There’s a small, dimly lit pathway before us. And I think those are dead bodies lying there.

“Dracula?” He’s disappeared.

“H-he was just there a minute ago,” Emmaleigh whimpers, her hand slipping its way through my arm. It’s a lot more comforting when there’s someone nearby.

“Well, I mean he probably just-- AAH!” Someone pushes us from behind and shuts the door behind us. An evil laugh echoes from behind said door.

“We should probably keep going,” Emmaleigh says, edging her way down the path. Her hand slips away, so I quickly follow after her, trapping her fingers between my own. “What are you doing?” she asks. That’s right. She likes Matt, doesn’t she?

“I’m holding your hand. I’m kind of nervous. Not scared!” I interject before she can laugh at me. “But slightly nervous. And I promise I won’t let Matt see us, okay?” She lets out a sigh.

“Matt. He doesn’t seem that into me, does he?” I squeeze her hand.

“Sorry.” Matt did, after all, say he looked at her like a sister.

“It’s okay,” she says, squeezing back. “I’ll figure something out. If worse comes to worst I can just get over him, right?”

I think back to Haley.

“Yeah. I guess so. It’s hard at first, but really it’s just a matter of time.” Emmaleigh nods.

“I know,” she whispers quietly. We walk in silence for a bit, tensing as we see the disembodied hands and legs lying all bloodied on the sides of the path.

“What sicko came up with this?” I ask.

“I don’t really-- AHH!” We both let out an ear-peircing scream as two of the bloodied hands grasp our ankles.

Emmaleigh’s hand still clasped in my own, we run, the laugh of the ghouls around us echoing in our ears.

I run smack dab into someone’s chest, letting go of Emmaleigh’s hand in shock. I look up to find Trevor smirking down at me.

“Was that you screaming?” he asks.

“What are you doing here?” I move backwards and see Haley next to him.

“I thought I’d get some action in the haunted house,” Trevor says with a sigh. A small smile plays on his lips. “But Haley here was no fun at all.”

“Do I look like an imbecile to you?” she asks. “There’s nothing scary about a guy who can’t tell the difference between a Translvanian accent and a German one.” She nods at my flushed face. “If you want some action, why don’t you take Corey?” Emmaleigh starts giggling, causing Trevor to see her for the first time.

“Looks like Emma got some action,” he says winking at her. I try to salvage my manhood.

“Psh. She’s the one who started stuttering.”

“You’re the one who squealed like an eight year old girl.”

“You’re the one who grabbed my arm!”

“You’re the one who hugged me when that nation-confused vampire came along!”

“Woah, woah, woah, hugged you?” Trevor asks, that annoying smirk on his face. Emmaleigh looks proud of herself for winning.

“Yes. Like this.” She walks over to Haley and demonstrates.

“I did not hug you like that!” I insist.

“Yes, you did,” says Emmaleigh, her face still buried in Haley’s hair. “I can see why. It’s kinda comfy over here.” Haley gives me a look somewhere between flattered, confused, and kinda disgusted.

“Really?” asks Trevor, a mischievous glint in his eye. “Let me try.” Emmaleigh obligingly moves away and Trevor leans forward to grab his girlfriend.

“What are you doing?” Haley asks, her poker face on. “Trevor, you can let go.”

“No, this is kinda comfy,” he mutters, shutting his eyes. “I think I’ll just take a nap.” Haley tries to push him away, but he won’t budge.

“Trevor!” she complains. “We still have to go to the merry-go-round!”

“The merry-go-round?” Emmaleigh asks with a laugh. “Why?” I have to admit, neither of them look like merry-go-round types.

“Because I lost a bet,” Trevor says with a sigh, releasing her. “And now she gets to take embarrassing pictures of me on a merry-go-round.” He grabs her hand and they start to walk away. “Come with?” he asks over his shoulder.

“Sure!” Emmaleigh answers, and starts to follow. She turns around to look at me. “Should we wait for Jessica and Matt?” I shake my head and walk quickly to catch up.

“It’s fine, I’ll text him.” Sure, Jessica will be pissed, but its worth it, right? I think of Trevor’s bet and laugh. “A bet. How typical!”

“Typical?” Emmaleigh asks as I step into line with her. “What do you mean?”

“Their whole relationship,” I say, motioning to the two in front of us. “It started with a bet.”