CHAPTER TWENTY TWO

Scarlet walked across the school grounds, treading through the grass on the chilly October night, sloping downhill towards the bonfire and the dance. Halloween had finally come, and she held her jacket tight around her shoulders as she went, unable to get warm.

As she walked by herself on the darkened grounds, the occasional group of kids sprinted past her dressed in costume, screaming, acting stupid. A group of boys brushed past her as they sprinted towards the bonfire and one of them shouted in her ear, acting stupid to impress his friends. She jumped, and tried to turn and shove him—but by the time she spun, he was already far ahead, racing towards the fire. She hated Halloween.

In the distance the soaring bonfire lit up the night, and it was the main source of light in the vast, open field. All around it, the school had strung up little lanterns, illuminating an area about half the size of a football field. She could already hear the music, muted, the base pulsing, and already se