5.

" T his is some party." Jacqueline looked around at the chaos of the night. Halloween decorations were strewn haphazardly around the room, spooky music was playing, and red plastic cups littered the counters and floors.

"Right?" Emma grinned. "I told you it would be fun."

"It reminds me of high school," Jacqueline said. She didn't want to think about how lonely she'd been during her high school days. With her parents' separation came years where she didn't fit in. Her parents each remarried, and they each started a new family. Jacqueline was a reminder of a failed life, and she had been treated that way.

"Me too," Emma said. Only, she didn't seem sad about this. Emma had always been popular. Even when they were teens, she'd been beloved. Jacqueline didn't understand how people could just be so wildly attracted to Emma. It was like she was a force, an attraction, that people just couldn't look away from.

"In what way?"

"You know, it's just casual. It's fun."

"Hey, hey!" A guy Jacqueline didn't recognize came up to the two of them. He leaned against Emma, slinging his arm over her shoulder and hanging on her.

"Chad. What's up?" Emma smiled brightly at him.

"Let's go to the living room. Kyle is in there, and he's about to do a crazy dance. Think 90s teen movie wild."

"Oh, I can't miss this."

Emma headed into the other room with Chad. She didn't look back to see if Jacqueline would follow. She already knew her friend was uncomfortable with situations like this.

Jacqueline chugged her drink, and then she headed to the backdoor of the house. She stepped outside into the cold October air, and she wrapped her arms around herself.

"Should I even be here?" Jacqueline whispered out loud.

"Probably," a deep voice said. She turned to see a handsome man in a pumpkin head mask. It was the type of mask that wrapped around his entire head.

"Cool costume," she said.

He was quiet. Jacqueline tried not to stare at his toned abs, and she really tried not to look at the fact that his black pants hung low on his hips. What a costume. She was used to seeing scary ghost costumes, and monster costumes, but she'd rarely seen fashion choices where the guy came across looking hot as hell instead of horrifying.

"You know Chad?"

"No."

"Kyle?"

"No."

"Who do you know, then?"

"I know lots of people." The man was staring at her, but Jacqueline didn't feel uncomfortable. "Who do you know here?"

"Literally just Emma," Jacqueline confessed. "That's my best friend."

"Doesn't seem like she's a very good friend if she just left you out here," he said.

"Yeah, well," Jacuqline shrugged. "What am I going to do about that?"

"You could ditch your friend and come with me."

"Come out with a stranger on Halloween? I don't even know your name."

"Z," he said.

"Like the letter of the alphabet?"

"Yep."

"You know I can't just call you Z, right?"

"Why not? Everyone does."

"Everyone?"

"Only the hottest of the girls," he said, leaning close. She caught a whiff of cologne. He smelled good. Plus, anyone with abs that toned had to be at least moderately handsome.

Right?

"I bet you say that to everyone," Jacqueline said. She tried not to bite her lip. It would make her look weird, she knew, but somehow, she found it so damn hard not to.

She wanted to bite her lip. She wanted to pretend like this was the night when she finally got her shit together. She was at a party, and while she wasn't having fun, maybe that was all about to change. He was here now, after all. He was here, and he could help her feel a little less alone.

"Just the very prettiest," he said.

"What a line."

"Do you mind?"

"Less than I should," she said.

"Then come with me."

"Where?"

"On an adventure."

Jacqueline looked back at the house. She should do it. Nobody would miss her while she was gone, so why shouldn't she do something crazy? Emma wouldn't be around for a few hours, at least, not if she had a chance to hook up. Jacqueline might as well have some fun with this guy. It was Halloween, after all.

"Okay," she said, and she took his hand.

Jacqueline couldn't be sure, but she thought he flinched just the slightest bit. Was he surprised she'd said yes?

"Let's go." He seemed ot recover from any surprise he felt very quickly, and he turned, leading her away from the house.

"Where are we going?"

"Anywhere," he said.

"Do you know any spooky places we could go talk?"

She wanted to kiss him, she realized. He was exciting, and he seemed mysterious, and she could use a little bit of excitement and mystery in her life. She'd been normal and well-behaved for far too long. She needed something new and interesting.

She needed whatever this was.

"Talk?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, darling, I want to do so much more than talk." Z stopped walking. He turned and just looked at her. Jacqueline had never felt so small, or so desired, or so damn sexy.

Why did she feel sexy with Z?

There was no real, rational explanation for it. She just felt hot .

She nodded.

"Okay," she said.

"I know a place where we can be alone," he told her.

"Where?"

"No, I'm not giving any clues." He shook his head, laughed, and took her hand once more. He led her through the town, past the bustling neighborhoods where kids were running around, and through the quieter spaces. Finally, they reached the older edge of town, and he guided her to an abandoned house. It was one she didn't recognize, but she was suddenly quite sure was haunted.

"What's this place?"

"An old house," he shrugged. She sensed there was more to the explanation than that. Z seemed smart. He wasn't the kind of person who was going to lead her astray like this. She was about to argue. She needed to let her "smart" side back in, so she could so back to Emma and...what? Be the third wheel again?

Thunder sounded at just that moment, though, and then a torrential rainpour began. Jacqueline screamed and ran toward the house. She was soaked by the time she reached the door, which was locked. She pressed her body against the house. The tiny roof ledge wasn't enough to protect her from the water. Z appeared beside her with a key in his hand.

"Where'd you get that?"

"Spotted it on the ground," he explained, which also felt like a lie. Was he going to murder her? All clues pointed to "yes," but somehow, Jacqueline didn't think that she was. She felt like...

Well, she felt like it was going to be okay.

He slid the key into the lock, and he pushed the door open. Together, the scurried inside and closed the door behind them.

"Safe from the rain," she said.

"Safe from the rain," he repeated, but when she looked up, Z was looking at her instead of at the door.

"What is it?"

"You're very beautiful, Jacqueline," he said.

She bit her lip.

"You can call me Jack."