Free Wraith by Angel Lawson Page B

It’s over in the lot by the park. We’ll just stay for a while at the tree lighting and then for refreshments. We’ll go right home after that.”
    Luckily my mother was asked a question by a customer, who took her off to another part of the store. I went to get my bag and whispered goodbye while she explained the details of the one-of-a-kind piece of artwork the woman was interested in.
    After stashing my bag in the car I retrieved my own stocking cap out of my purse and tugged on my gloves. It was cold, not freezing, but perfect for the tree lighting and working up some holiday spirit. We walked down to the tree and watched the children’s choirs sing carols and the mayor flipping the switch to ignite the hundreds of twinkling lights. Once they were lit, Julia asked, “Where should we go from here? Your house or over to Brennan’s?”
    Ava and I shared a look. Julia was definitely crushing on Brennan, a senior on the baseball team. Crushing hard.
    “Shut up,” she said, but a guilty smile twitched at her lip.
    “Let’s go to the party, things are winding down here anyway.” I rubbed my gloved hands together. “Plus my hands are freezing!”
    The three of us piled into Ava’s SUV and she cranked the heat. It only took us a couple of minutes to get to Brennan’s house.
    “Wow, he lives here?” I asked, peering out the window at the enormous historic home. It definitely qualified as a mansion. I knew some of my classmates came from wealthy families, but this was extreme. The house was a dark red brick, with a huge wraparound porch. The upper floor was framed by two rounded rooms that peaked at the top. Wreaths and an enormous tree filled every window.
    Julia began fixing her hair in the rear view mirror. “Yeah, it’s pretty amazing. His dad is like an internet genius or something. And his mom is some kind of author,” Ava said, pulling out her lip gloss and rolling it across her lips. She saw me watching and handed it over. “You can never be too prepared. Here.”
    “Unlikely.” But I accepted the thin pink and green tube anyway, and rubbed it across my lips. It tasted like mint. “Thanks.”
    “Ready?” Julia asked, opening her door. I followed, but fighting my nerves. I wondered what waited inside. Mean girls or cute boys? Keg stands and Jell-O shots? The possibilities were endless.
    Ava seemed to understand my apprehension. “Come on, I won’t leave your side, I promise.” She hooked her arm with mine and we navigated the imposing steps to the huge porch.
    Once inside, I forced myself not to over-analyze anyone’s reaction to our arrival. I convinced myself that if someone noticed me, it wasn’t in judgment. The scene was like every other high school party I’d been to at my old school or had even seen on television. Kids everywhere, trash strewn about. Boys were acting like dorks and girls eyeing them like they were prime material for possible dates to prom. Who were they to judge?
    I shuddered as I watched one kid in the kitchen actually attempt to drink an entire bottle of hot sauce and wash it down with beer. Some girl from my Spanish class was encouraging him and rubbing his back. “Yeah, he’s a keeper. Gross,” I said to Ava. The boy bent over the sink, on the verge of puking.
    We moved through the house and stood by the huge stone fireplace, away from the crowd in the kitchen, watching some kids play video games. Festive red plastic party cups in hand, we sipped the murky concoction that we’d found in a huge vat on the kitchen counter. It tasted like a disgusting mixture of fruit punch and cough syrup. At this point I didn’t really care. I just hoped to settle my nerves.
    “This stuff tastes horrible,” I said to Ava, after taking a gulp and wincing at the flavor.
    Julia ditched us the minute we got our drinks and was currently perched on the couch, watching the games. Her eyes were glued to Brennan.
    Ava gestured to Brennan. “Notice how he keeps talking to that guy,