“I'm into guys, so what?” I snap, because that's not a lie. “That doesn't mean I'm into you.” I go to knee him in the balls, when he puts a leg between mine, using his body to press me into the tree. I grit my teeth, but I can't stop my heart from racing, or my body aching. Do I like him touching me, really? I refuse to admit it.

“Is that why you've been such a jerk, huh?” he asks, breathing against my ear. “All the sneaking around, and the standoffish behavior?” I close my eyes, but I can still smell him, a trickle of sweat working its way down between my breasts. I need to get back and take the damn bindings off. Then again, if I wasn't in such a rush to get down here after school, I would've done it earlier, and then maybe Spencer would've noticed something by now. Lucky me.

“Leave. Me. Alone.” My voice comes out in a growl, and Spencer grins, releasing me so suddenly that I stumble and end up on my knees in the leaves.

“If you had a crush on me, all you had to do was say something,” he adds with a laugh, tucking the fingers of his right hand into the pocket of his blue academy blazer. “Seriously, Chuck. You haven't made any friends at this school, and that's your own fault. Nobody cares if you're gay: we only care if you're an asshole.” He turns back toward the direction of the bonfire and disappears, leaving me with sweaty palms and a pounding heart I can't explain.

I suddenly miss Cody with everything I have.

“Dumbass,” I grumble, but honestly, the whole gay thing is plausible. I may just roll with it. Then again, one of the main reasons I want to stay hidden is because I'd like to avoid being hit on. If I come out as gay, I might have a few suitors. Like, imagine Ross lusting after me? Gross.

Spencer seemed a bit excited by the idea, I think, cheeks flushing. Although how stupid is that? If he is gay, then he wouldn't actually be interested in me at all once he found out, now would he? Not that I want him to be interested. Not that I care.

Not one bit.

There's no curfew on Halloween, but it's also sort of a moot point for someone like me who doesn't have a car. While most of the other students pile in limos or fancy sports cars and take off, I'm left at the academy virtually by myself.

“Dad, please,” I beg, holding his keys in my hand. “Just let me go into town for a couple of hours.”

“So you can go to a party and get drunk?” he asks, standing in the kitchen with a single jack-o-lantern glowing in the window behind him. “Absolutely not. You don't know anyone here, and you have no friends to go with you.” Wow, Dad, way to rub it in. I frown, but he's nowhere near done with his lecture. “Besides that, you're still in hot water with the Student Council, and you haven't exactly behaved in a manner befitting someone who deserves a night out.”

“Seriously?” I ask, my mouth hanging open in shock. Sure, Dad was strict back home, too, but not like this. For Halloween last year, I went with Monica and Cody to this private beach party that her cousin was throwing. Yeah, we got drunk, but the worst thing we did was spray paint a giant dick on the lifeguard sign down the way. That, and Cody and I laid in the sand while the sun came up and made out. “You're going to make me hang out in this ghost town all by myself?”

“Charlotte, I've got work to do, and Halloween is just another day for me. I'm sorry if it means that much to you, but you should have thought of that before refusing to help Church with his project, or racking up so many detentions.”

I toss the keys onto the counter and throw my hands up in frustration, heading back outside and slamming the door behind me. I'm fuming mad now, totally and completely pissed off. Monica and Cody won't even answer their damn phones, leaving me to wonder what the hell they're getting up to tonight that I won't get to be a part of.

Red, orange, and gold leaves swirl around me, and I shiver, tugging my blazer closed a little tighter. It's so damn cold here, cold and crisp and with that bite in the air that says it's getting ready to snow again.

I miss California; I miss the beach; I miss my friends.

Scrubbing my hands down my face, I make my way back to the dorm, trying to ignore the eerie feeling I'm getting. It's Halloween, so it's understandable, and the jack-o-lanterns lining the path don't help much.

The academy is completely bereft of students and staff; I think the only other people who are here besides me and Dad are Nathan, the night watchman, and Eddie, the janitor. Literally, that's it. I'm the only person on campus under age fifty.

Sighing dramatically, I make my way back to my dorm, passing orange and black streamers in the common area and snatching a huge handful of candy from the giant bowl on the coffee table. Monster Mash is playing in the background, and before they all left for greener pastures, one of the boys set up a dry ice machine.

Faux fog swirls around my ankles as I head upstairs to grab my book, my phone, and my laptop before I return to the couch in the main sitting area. For obvious reasons, I never get to sit down here and enjoy the crackling fireplace or the pretty old woodwork on the mantle and walls. Tonight, I may as well take advantage of the big screen TV to watch horror movies.

I pick some generic teen slasher movie that starts off with a sixteen year old girl getting her throat slit, blood spraying everywhere. My nose wrinkles up and my lip curls, but that doesn't stop me from padding into the small kitchenette area and throwing a bag of microwaveable popcorn in. There are snacks and drinks stocked daily in the fridge and cabinets that are available to everyone. On the opposite side of the room, there are shelves filled with labelled goodies that belong to the other students. Taking something that isn't yours is worth a week's detention. I wouldn't even bother, even if I were tempted.

Instead, I make myself happy with about a hundred Reese's peanut butter cups, popcorn, and enough soda that I start to feel sick. Or maybe that's because I've just seen like ten teens get killed onscreen? It’s a lot creepier when you’re sitting alone in a big, dark room with fog crawling across the floor, and an owl hooting outside the window.

I take a break after the first movie to light a bunch of orange and black candles, and then sit back down to start up a supernatural horror fest with sexy werewolves who turn out to be not so sexy when they start eating people.

Fifteen minutes later, the power goes out.

“Oh, come on!” I snap, setting the candy bowl down and standing up. Peeking outside the front door, all I see are swirling leaves and darkness punctuated by a few flickering pumpkins and some of the solar lights that decorate the path. There's no storm, no reason for the power to be out.

I roll my eyes and head back inside, using my cell to call Dad.

“Yes, Chuck, I know that the power's out,” is how he answers the phone, and I roll my eyes. He sounds supremely irritated by something, but I won't ask because he'll never tell me. “Just hang tight, and I'll call you when I know more.”

“Fine.” I sigh, and he hangs up on me.

I close and lock the door, even though I'm not supposed to. I figure if I'm sitting here and someone shows up, I'll just get off the couch and unlock it. Somehow though, what wasn't creepy ten minutes ago is freaking me the hell out now: the fog machine, the ambient Halloween music coming from the dining room, the lack of other students.