"What are you—" I tried to speak, but he covered my mouth again with his hand, the other gesturing for me to stay silent.
"Shush..."
I stared at him above me, glancing toward the crack of the closet door. It was very dim, but not entirely dim enough to completely hide our faces, especially with me lying below him in this position. I could see his adam's apple move when he gulped. He sighed in relief after seeing the monster walk back to where it came from. Ruffling his hair, he leaned back, away from me.
"I didn't expect you to be bold enough to grab me and drag me into this tight space," he grinned teasingly his dimples appeared on his cheeks, making me pissed off just by the look on his face. I pushed him away, opened the closet door, and got out.
"Fuck off," I said, wiping the dust off my white Ralph Lauren polo.
"Is 'fuck off' all you ever say..?" he tilted his head as he also stepped out of the closet.
I ignored him and walked quickly toward the exit, leaving him behind inside the haunted house. As I got out, the others were already waiting for us outside, ready to call our numbers on their phones and as soon as they saw me at the exit Aviel and Caleb immediately rushed towards me.
"Gabriel, where the heck did you disappear to?!" Caleb grabbed my shoulders. "I was about to piss myself when that monster showed up, but the moment I got out, I realized you and Lucas were missing. I got so damn worried that I forgot that I almost peed!" He rambled on to me so fast, he was basically almost rapping.
I was touched for a moment by his worried look, until he kept going.
"I was worried you might finally kill Lucas inside, since you had the chance!" My fist clenched in anger and my touched expression turned into rage and I punched him right in the stomach.
"The one I'm gonna kill today is you..." I said, irritated.
Lucas came out of the haunted house right after, smiling at me, but I just scoffed in annoyance and flipped him off with a disgusted look.
"I wonder what that monster chasing us inside was...?" Aviel pondered aloud, curious.
"Was it part of the haunted house, or something even more creepy~?" Yelizaveta replied with a slightly excited expression that made Aviel light up.
"Right?? I'm also totally curious about it! The makeup and costume looked way too realistic!" she responded, walking over to Yelizaveta.
They seemed to be getting along now. I guess that's for the best, it's better than watching them walk on eggshells around each other due to the awkward tension me and Lucas is creating together.
We were now heading toward the stage to watch Klaus's concert since it was almost time. Caleb had mentioned something about Klaus texting him to look for Sevan if we saw him around, maybe he was invited but even now, sitting in the front-row VIP seats, I didn't see him anywhere. The empty seat next to me might've been meant for him. Too bad.
The entire area in front of the stage was packed with people, it's mostly fans of Orletz. If it weren't for the security guards and amusement park staff, there would've been a stampede by now. Aviel's bodyguard was even being put to good use in helping control the crowd. Poor guy, working nonstop all day.
The music started. The stage lights moved and changed color in sync with the beat of the music. When Klaus and his members finally came out from backstage, the crowd screamed like crazy. As usual, the band played incredibly well, enough to impress even some of the adults and elderly in the audience.
I heard they originally had two guitarists, as someone new had joined in exchange for the synthesizer who quit to focus on his studies. But I guess the new guy didn't perform today... And even without the synthesizer and the second guitarist, they totally made the grand opening feel like their own full-fledged concert. The crowd kept cheering for encores after every song, and the performance ended up lasting three hours instead of just one.
We were about to head backstage, but Lucas and the others had to leave ahead of us.
"I'd love to join you guys to go to the backstage, but I'm afraid we have to leave early." said Sevastyan.
"Seb's right. Unfortunately, Eli and Isaac have a curfew set by their parents, and Seb and I have something important to get to after this, I'm sorry." Lucas added apologetically.
"No, it's fine. We understand. You guys can head out first," Caleb replied playfully, putting an arm around Lucas's shoulder with a smile.
"Thanks for coming with us today. Let's hang out again sometime." He smiled and waved goodbye.
"Yeah sure." Lucas replied.
"You sure are annoying like a pest, Caleb," Aviel rolled her eyes. "Agreed." I nodded in response.
"Hmm.. What's that supposed to mean~?" he replied, resting his chin on top of her head.
"What..? You got a new piercing, Caleb..?" I asked, peering at his ear curiously.
"Yeah. Don't touch it, though. It's still freshly pierced. It'll hurt even if you nudge it softly." he said, tucking his hair back.
"I really don't get how you guys enjoy poking so many holes and needles in your ears like their some skewers..." Aviel muttered in disgust.
Caleb's way of coping with his bottled-up frustrations was always to get piercings. In middle school, I was shocked when he first showed me the one in his ear. Eventually, I got curious too. At first, he would get a new piercing every three months—usually after his mom visited. He and his mom live separately due to certain circumstances, and she visits him once every three months.
But as time passed, the intervals between piercings got shorter. He'd get a new one as soon as the previous one healed. Helix, Industrial, Conch, Tragus. He had them all. Even lip and eyebrow piercings.
"How about you try one out, Aviel..?" Caleb whispered, trying to convince her.
"No way. It looks hideous," she replied, brushing him off.
"You wouldn't know~ Once you have one, you'll start yearning have more" he grinned mischievously.
I bonked his head.
"Stop that," I sighed.
"I bet your mother wouldn't be too happy again if she finds out you have another one." She added, crossing her arms.
For a brief moment, Caleb's expression faltered, but he quickly masked it with his usual idiotic smile.
"She won't... and even if she does, it wouldn't even matter anymore."
He smiled softly. Aviel just shrugged and walked toward the backstage entrance.
A filial son must follow this, a good son must follow that. We were thought like that in each of our households.. Maybe the sole reason Caleb and I became friends so quickly is because we both understood and relate to each other...
The backstage area was crowded with staff cleaning and packing the equipments around, while the band members rested in the dressing room. By the time we walked in, we've already used to the sight of them lying around the couches like a pile of dead bodies.
"You're here..!" Klaus said with a slightly hoarse voice.
"Dang bro, Will you even be able to attend school tomorrow with that voice?" Aviel asked, sitting on the couch next to the lifeless band.
"I think so, if only I don't have to talk too much..." he replied, sipping from a water bottle.
"Did Sevan come..? I was too focused to notice you guys," he asked, sounding a bit hopeful.
But Caleb replied bluntly, "No, he didn't. I didn't see that glasses nerd anywhere in the amusement park or near the stage."
Klaus looked a little disappointed but still smiled.
"I see... I kind of figured that much." he chuckled softly.
Aviel let out a scoff at Klaus's response
She crossed her legs, and raised her eyebrow.
"Say, Klaus. What's really your relationship with Sevan..?" she asked sharply.