Through the Park

It was chilly outside. Yes, October isn't supposed to be warm, but tonight was crisper than the last few nights had been. I grabbed a black shrug before I went out to start Mom's car. She had promised to drop me off before heading to her night shift at McDonald's. I skimmed my texts while I waited. Steve hadn't texted me since yesterday beyond a simple "yes"  when I asked if he was going to homecoming tonight. Well, he also told me his car was in the shop so his brother was going to drop him off. Otherwise, he would have picked me up.  

Homecoming was a big deal at my high school. We liked our outfits to have more cosplay theme to them, so much so that most of us kids cut to the chase and just called it the "Halloween Prom."

"Bet you're excited for tonight, huh?" Mom commented as she slid into the driver's seat.

"Uh-huh," I mumbled absently.

"I'm sure you and Steve will have fun," she said, as the car pulled onto the street. 

"We always do," I said, putting my phone down.

"Mmm-hmm."

Mom dropped me off at the park just across from the school. I pulled off my shrug before getting out of the car.

"Take the shrug, Jenna," she said. "Tonight's not going to get warmer."

"I'm gonna be inside, Mom," I said, reaching for my phone, "Besides, the shrug takes away from the dress."

"But you're not even cosplaying, sweetie."

"I don't need it."

Mom put up her hands in defeat. 

"Don't forget to eat. I wasn't able to prep something for later," she said.

"I'll get something, don't worry," I waved. "Have fun!"

She drove off, but I heard her laugh before the window shut. Turning my phone to vibrate, I walked the rest of the way to the gym. It's true I wasn't cosplaying. I had considered at least three different characters to do, but then I saw this dress online and fell completely in love with it. Sure, I had to save up for months to get it, but it was every cent worth it.

The strapless bodice contoured to my chest perfectly, it's lacy material curled into dozens of mini roses. I couldn't stop wondering if Steven would notice how my flared, high-low hem swooped down in the back. I liked the way it brushed against my ankles as I walked. The overall blood-red hue matched the Halloween spirit. I was sure he would notice that.

I came to the gym's heavy steel doors and pushed one open. Almost all my classmates were there. I took one look at their outfits, and my heart sank. Everyone was decked out in full Halloween decor. Witches, skeletons, mustard bottles—you name it, it was there. Not one regular suit nor dress could be found. Even the teachers were dressed up in cosplay-themed attire. I guess I should have anticipated that, but damn I felt a little out of place now.

Slipping inside, my eyes scanned for Steven. The dances had already started, but I knew he would be on the sidelines waiting for me. I checked by the food tables, but no luck. His cousin was there, though.

"Hi, Sylvie, do you know where Steve is?" I asked.

"I dunno, maybe in the bathroom," she shrugged, munching on a carrot stick covered in dip.

One of the Steve's friends bumped into me and I almost dropped my phone.

"Watch it!" I said.

He mumbled a lighthearted apology, hardly realizing he'd knocked against me. I rolled my eyes and put my phone down.

"Chase, have you seen Steve?" I asked. "Or should I text him?"

He jerked his thumb behind him then stumbled away, breaking into a slew of giggles. 

Curious, I looked where Chase pointed. I sensed something wasn't right, but I kept looking. There Steve was! Dressed up as the Joker. Seriously, Steve? Of all the costumes to choose—wait, he was already dancing?

I moved toward him, straining to see who the girl was. She was dressed up as the Corpse Bride. (Morbidly appropriate.) I didn't recognize her until her ragged wedding veil fell off and a blonde pixie-cut emerged.

"Cassie?! He's dancing with Cassie?! That glossy air-head!" 

How can I describe my disappointment? I felt like someone punched me in the stomach. As I watched, he noticed her veil had fallen off and they both laughed. 

Yep, she had that breathy tone. She was hooked. 

They continued their slow dance. I waited until Steve glanced over her shoulder and saw me. I shot him a look that said, "Hey! You do know I'm your date, right?" 

I know he caught my expression, because he smiled. Then Joker leaned in and the dancers shared a kiss. My stomach tied in a knot. My hands curled into fists. I was so mad, I couldn't move. 

That's why Chase was laughing, the prick! I thought to myself. 

I could tell "my boyfriend" was prolonging the kiss to rub it in. Oh, I could have punched that painted smile right off his smug face! However, I knew better than to make a scene. He wanted me to make a bid deal out of it. Determined not to give him that satisfaction, I turned on my black heels and walked back to the entrance. He was not going to enjoy dumping me in front of the whole school. Not at homecoming, anyway.

I pushed the large door open and a blast of autumn cold made me shiver. A thought about the shrug I didn't have crossed my mind, but it quickly disappeared. I was too angry to care and walked down the steps, my mind pounding with all the reasons why I was a better choice than Cassie. Not that any of my reasons would matter to Steven, and honestly, I wasn't surprised I got the pink slip. 

This was generally how my boyfriends moved on. A cutie who could afford any kind of blonde dye and expensive mascara was usually their choice over me. My budget was beyond slim. Heck, I'd been saving since March for this dress. That wasn't going to matter much now.

Disgusted, I crossed the street. I didn't need him. Beneath all my disappointment, I was kind of glad he made it obvious he didn't care anymore. I guess I had been ignoring the signs for a while. He stopped paying attention when I talked to him, laughed a little too quickly at my jokes, let his eyes drift...

As I reach the sidewalk, I noticed a familiar car parked on the curb. My blood boiled as I recognized it. 

"In the shop, my a$$!" I shouted, kicking one of the tires. "Liar!" I shouted at the gym. "Take her! I hope she screws you good, you bastard!"

I stared at the gym, hearing the echo of my yells die away. My anger began to cool off and disappointment took its place. I wandered back to the park. I had tried so hard! Dropped so many hints to Steven, begged Mom to drop me off early before her night shift— but I should have realized something was up when Steven didn't officially ask me out, when he suddenly couldn't pick me up. But no, I had to keep thinking, that no matter how many girls liked him, he was still my boyfriend. I walked right into disaster, and I could almost hear him laughing at my naiveté. 

Let him laugh! I told myself, flicking away the tear that escaped. I would keep my eyes out this time. Heck, I was only eighteen. I had plenty of time to find someone else, someone much better than that dreamy loser. Cassie didn't know who she was hanging out with. At least I had the higher ground now.

Spotting a lonely bench, I sat down. Now that I was resigned to the disappointment, a wave of loneliness came over me. Why couldn't I keep a boyfriend? I didn't feel like I was ugly. Ms. Schwartz always said I was very pretty, and my grades told me I wasn't stupid. But here Steven, my third boyfriend in the running, decided to humiliate me in front of the whole school! I sighed. Maybe teenage boys only wanted bland ditzes to obsess over. The ones in our literature certainly did. (No wonder Steve picked Cassie!) 

I shook my head, my thoughts a jumble of broken fragments. I knew I wasn't the type of girl to make herself appear stupid or shallow—but maybe that was my problem. Maybe I just wasn't the kind of girl that boys wanted. 

I didn't want to cry, but I couldn't keep the disappointment inside. A harsh breeze touched my bare shoulders and chest. The chill was kind of comforting. I felt it was lonely like me. It kicked up a clump of leaves before it passed me by. The lights along the footpath were on, dimly lighting up the park. Perhaps a walk would ease some of my dejection. Besides, Mom wasn't going to be picking me up anytime soon. 

I stood up and followed the curving path. The trees were mostly bare, but a few leaves still clung to their branches. They seemed scared to leave them. I touched the rough bark of an oak as I walked past. Its wood was dry and withered, but not cold. 

The park was full of rustling. No surprise there. The wind was restless, puffing a breeze every few minutes, and teased my hair. I stepped through the dark, but it seemed that the lights were getting brighter and farther apart from each other. I followed the guiding path for a time, then remembered I had a homework question for Ms. Schwartz. 

Part of me hesitated to go back, but another part wanted to have someone to unburden to. Ms. Schwartz was like an aunt to me and she'd understand how deep this cut. I turned around and retraced my steps, keeping a sharp lookout for the bench as my landmark. It wasn't far from the park entrance. After some time, I found it. It was past a small clump of trees. Ahead of me, the path curved out of sight. It seemed faster to cut through the woods and reach the bench that way.

I paused for breath. Then I ducked under a low branch and sprinted through the cluster of trees. Coming beside the bench, I turned in the school's direction and trudged on. 

The woods were getting thinner as I came to the edge of them. The school loomed ahead in the clearing. I faintly heard my soft footsteps give way to the harsh click-click of my heels, but I was too busy wondering why I had never noticed that odd room jutting out the east wing of the high school. It looked more like a turret or something related. I didn't think the school was quite that shape and height, but the building probably looked different because it was dark out. 

My heel snagged a crack on the sidewalk. I stumbled forward with a squeal, barely keeping my balance. Another crack was waiting for me a few feet away. As I recovered from this next encounter, I realized how strange the pavement sounded. I clicked my heel on the hard surface a few times. 

Clop, clop, clop!

"This doesn't sound like concrete, and the ground looks...uneven. Is this tiled or something? It feels thicker than tile..."

I continued on, noticing that the hedge bordering the school lot looked much taller and more professionally shaped. Even stranger, the front doors were not the hefty steel doors with slit windows, like I remembered. They seemed made out of something much more opaque. Most of the building's interior was dark, and the only windows with light were very tall. They looked more like ornamental windows, not school windows.

"Kinda like the ones I've seen in pictures of the White House," I thought, "Maybe a little fancier—and older." I sighed, "Oh, great. Am I lost? I guess I must be. This isn't the high school."

Where did I take a wrong turn? And what was this place doing in the middle of the park? I could see lights in some of the windows on the ground floor. Was someone here? They had to be to keep these lights on. But the decided lack of sound or activity made me unsure if this place was actually inhabited or if the Realtor just left security lights on to scare off burglars. I decided to circle the house. Clearly I found the wrong bench and had gotten disoriented. The school was probably not far beyond this...mansion? Manor? 

I came around to the back and found myself on a raised patio. There were steps leading down to a lower area. I couldn't get over how such a large house was built in the park. Seriously, the park administration wouldn't have—never mind. I just had to get back to the school. 

The path around the house seemed to continue down the stairs. I walked down them onto the grounds below. In the center stood a large stone fountain. Its cracked basin was bone dry, and vines hugged it. Along the garden's surrounding wall stood stone benches on the verge of collapse; and here and there old lantern posts peeked over the wall from the woods beyond. 

The ruins around me spoke to the loneliness I felt—but I didn't have time to listen. I walked around the fountain, hoping to find an exiting walkway beyond it. Unfortunately, though it had a wide perimeter, the surrounding wall had no openings. Well, it had no intended openings. There was a large crack that seemed big enough for me to squeeze through. 

Seeing as I had no other options--I wasn't interested in circling the other side of the house--I tried to fit between the rough stones. The edges kept catching on my dress, which slowed me down. In the midst of my struggle, my ankle got jammed between a vine and the bottom of the wall. Man, did it hurt! I squirmed and tried to pry it out, but it was no use. The harder I pulled and tugged, the more I bruised my ankle. I could feel the skin raked by the rough surfaces.

I started to panic. Nobody knew I was here. If I couldn't get out on my own, who knew how long I'd be stuck? I had to call someone. Maybe one of my teachers or the park service? I should have done that in the first place before wandering around. Forcing myself to stay calm, I reached for my phone. 

My hand searched the side of my dress but found no pocket. That's right, this dress didn't have pockets. But I remembered bringing my phone inside the school. A cold feeling froze my blood. I did bring the phone inside. It was still lying on the table back at the school. 

The panic returned. 

"Dammit!" I shouted out loud, "How could I forget to pick up my freaking phone!"

Without warning, the lanterns burst into flame.