Chapter Text
Annie and Nicole were walking out the school gates, both engrossed in their conversation about what they were going to do over the weekend, neither having anything exciting going on, when Richard harshly hooked his arms over their shoulders, nearly knocking them over. His friend, Kenneth, was trailing behind him.
How these four were still friends was something their peers questioned. Both of the boys would antagonize the girls, and in return would end up getting chased around by one of them(it was Annie most of the time - Nicole may have acted annoyed but she really had the biggest crush on Kenneth, although if you asked her she would say you were insane). Their interests all clashed. Annie and Richard enjoyed the supernatural, while both Kenneth and Nicole spent their time playing sports. They had nothing in common and yet more often than not you would find at least two of them together.
"So," Richard began. "As I was saying before you two decided to cause a scene in the middle of class."
"WE caused a scene? You're the one who started talking to us!" Nicole protested. She pushed Richard's arm off her shoulder, looped her arm through Annie's and began to drag Annie away from the boys.
"Hey!" Richard called after them. He ran up in front of the two girls and faced them, walking backwards. Kenneth followed, walking just behind them.
"Okay maybe that was my fault," Richard said while raising his hands in defeat, "but I have something that I NEED to ask you guys."
Annie raised her eyebrows at this. Whenever Richard tried to ask them something, it was often something that would end with either them getting in some kind of trouble or someone getting hurt. Or both sometimes.
When neither Annie, Kenneth or Nicole protested, Richard continued, "Okay so, you know that old theater, the one that was shut down because some kid fell of the balcony and died?"
"Why are you bringing that place up?" Kenneth squeaked. He hated all things like that. He couldn't sit through a horror movie or scary story without getting scared.
"Well, I was thinking that we should go and check it out tomorrow." Richard replied.
"No way!" Nicole retorted. She was the voice of reason out of the four. Kenneth was too much of a scaredy-cat to stand up against others, and Annie enjoyed hearing Richard's crazy ideas. "There is no way you will drag us to that death trap!"
"Are you scared?"
"No." Kenneth lied unconvincingly. "I can't go tomorrow anyways, it's my brother's birthday." That was the truth. Kenneth had a younger brother who was five years old(turning six). His parents would've killed him if he went out and missed his brother's birthday.
"No," Nicole echoed, "but I'm also not an idiot."
"What about you Shan? Are you too scared to go there with me?" Richard teased, an annoying grin spread across his face. Somehow, the boy knew just how to press her buttons.
Annie was conflicted. While she knew that going there would cause her some sort of trouble in the end, she was also intrigued by the idea of going there. It was where the Cirque Du Freak had preformed the year before and even though she wasn't able to go see it, her older brother Darren and his friend Steve had gone. Annie had made Darren tell her all about it several times.
"I'll go with you." Annie answered after a few seconds of silence.
"Annie!" Nicole turned to faced Annie, her mouth hanging open. She grabbed Annie's shoulders and shook her. "Are you as mad as Richard?"
"I knew you would come with me Shan!" Richard whooped. "I come by your house at twelve." Richard sped off ahead of them.
The three lingered on the pavement, an awkward silence falling over them.
"Well..." Kenneth began as he walked around the two girls, "I've got to get home. See you two on Monday."
It was now just Annie and Nicole. A wave of guilt hit Annie as she stared at Nicole's face, which was twisted into a scowl. After a beat, Nicole began to walk away from Annie.
"Nicole!" Annie called after her. "I know it's stupid to go along with his plans, but they are fun most of the time."
"Yeah, well, it's your funeral." Nicole said as Annie caught up to her.
The two girls continued to walk home, the short argument quickly being forgotten as they talked.