“Hey, dude. What the hell, you’re like 20 minutes late,” Gabe says, pounding his fist with Cody’s other hand, and nodding at our hands with a smirk. Cody just rolls his eyes in response and lets go.

“Hey, you,” Gabe says, opening his arms wide to give me a hug, “so glad you decided you were up for this. You’re gonna love it; I promise.”

“Oooookkkayyyyy,” I say, looking around and taking in the screams coming from all directions. I’m not really much of a horror fan, and I’m a little nervous that I might cry in front of them all.

“Hey, this is Jessie,” Gabe says, directing me to Miss Purple-Hair. She’s managed to form a friendlier smile now, but I still notice the hesitation in her eyes as we shake hands.

“Hi, Jessie. I’m Charlie. It’s nice to meet you,” I say, using every last socialization skill I’ve learned from Trevor—firm shake, eye contact, follow-up question. Check. “So, how’d you and Gabe meet?”

She seems to like my directness, and I can feel her ice toward me melt, if only a little.

“I’ve known these dickheads since kindergarten,” she says, punching Cody in the arm—hard.

“Oww, bitch. What the hell?” Cody says, rubbing her target, and wincing while he shakes his arm out. I think he’s pissed at first, but then he pulls her in to his side for a tight squeeze.

“Yeah, we all grew up on the same block,” Cody says, winking at Jessie before letting her go. I start to feel jealousy creep in, but she’s back at Gabe’s side the second she leaves Cody, and it’s clear from the way she looks at Gabe that he’s her only interest.

We make our way to a makeshift ticket booth, and Gabe shells out $40. Cody tries to hand him a twenty, but Gabe punches him in the chest lightly and tells him to keep it. I love watching them interact—they truly love each other, like family.

The guys walk ahead as we enter a set of gates to the farm property, and I’m trailing behind with Jessie. I can feel her urge to question me, and I know she will. I can sense how protective she is over the two boys in front of us, so I’m less offended than I was at first, but it doesn’t mean I’m going to give her anything.

“So, I hear you’re dating Trevor?” she goes right in for the kill. I have to admire her for that; she has guts, and I wish I had a fraction of them.

I rub my hand on my cheek, almost as if she slapped me with her question. I nod yes before I speak, giving myself time to form a response, not that it helps.

“Yes, we’ve been dating a little more than a year,” I say, chewing on my tongue and forcing myself to stop.

She meets my eyes and squints a little. She pushes her lips together to form a tight line and then nods. “Right. Well, I’m glad you made friends with Cody. He’s a good guy,” she says, letting the last words linger slowly on her lips, to make sure I understand. And I do—probably more than I let on, or admit.

“Yes. He is,” I say, looking at him as he walks ahead of me now, his arm slung over his friend while he talks in his ear, telling him some dirty joke, or talking about the short skirt in front of them, I’m sure.

Jessie keeps her eyes on me, but she lets up her grilling for the time being. “Hey, douchebags. How about you spend some time with your dates?” she says, kicking at the back of Gabe’s shoes just enough to make him trip.

He turns around in seconds and scoops her up, racing with her to the line at the barn and swinging her around to make her dizzy. Her giggle fills the air—it’s such a foreign sound, her happiness. The way she laughs, so freely and honestly. Nothing rehearsed—just genuine life happening, in the moment.

I turn to Cody, and he smiles with tight lips, and holds his arm out once again, his hands stuffed in his pockets. I can tell he’s a little cold. “Hey, do you need this?” I ask, starting to pull my arms from the sleeves of his jacket. Cody stops me instantly and just pats my hand as he pushes it against his bicep and pulls me in close.

“I’m fine. I got that for you,” he says, looking down at me with a wanting expression. I look away quickly, knowing if I don’t, I’ll be lost.

The closer we get to the door, the more nervous I am. I can hear people screaming, and the strobe lights are giving me short glimpses of fake blood and gory faces inside, making my legs want to run. My heart is pounding, and for once, it’s not because Cody’s next to me. No, this is actual fear.

It’s our turn next, and Gabe and Jessie run in through the dark hall, screaming with laughter. I squeeze onto Cody’s arm tightly and reach up with my other hand to blot away the tear that’s forming in my eye. I’m pretty sure I’m terrified. I’m done trying to hide it—instincts have taken over, and when we push through the first curtain and a zombie jumps out at me, I clutch onto Cody’s chest with my nails digging in hard.