The teen groaned, snuggling deeper into the blankets to escape the autumn chill. The heater wasn't working like it used to and he had taken to wearing fuzzy socks to bed. Unfortunately, they always fell off. Continuing to groan, Randy Cunningham threw off the covers before the last of his motivation crumbled.
He methodically took the steps on the bunk bed's ladder one at a time, brain not yet fully awake. Bare feet padded out the bedroom door, down the hall, and into the bathroom. Friday has begun.
Getting ready was a simple task, the routine actions required no thought. He rummaged through piles of unfolded clothes for something appropriate for the nippy bike ride to school.
Breakfast required more decision making than anything else. Today was a leftover container of something- he didn't care what. Randy didn't bother to sit down at the kitchen table, instead he leaned against the counter, watching the neighborhood come to life outside the window.
Leaves ripped away from their branches, landing underfoot of a jogger. Across the street, a car headed off to work. All the children were gone though. The bus was always long gone by the time he was ready, forcing Randy to find alternate means of transportation. He liked it that way.
Soon, he accepted his fate. Ignoring the bite of the wind, Randy firmly shut the front door and skirted around the hand-carved pumpkin on the front porch. Its toothy grin was the only one to wish him a good day.
A red bike stood next to the empty garage. Randy lived with his mother and she left earlier than him. Norrisville High was a good mile away, a ten minute ride on a day with less than favorable weather. Randy's previous school in East Speazleton had been three times the distance. In fact, that was one of the reasons for the move. He had had one friend there, but that was the other reason.
Norrisville was a new start, a new school. Literally- the city had grown since multi-millionaire Hannibal McFist set up shop. Norrisville was the epitome of progress: old establishments were either knocked down or remodeled. Maybe that's why the specters of the past no longer haunted him.
Randy tugged on the drawstrings of his hoodie. His head had been freezing since becoming part of the 'Mean Bros'. Their initiation required him to shave most his hair off, but the Mohawk was temporary until it could grow out again. Also, he went one step further and dyed it purple.
Today, of all days, it was easy for him to put on his mean bro persona. Rolling the front wheel into the bike rack, Randy didn't even bother to lock it. Anyone who messed with it knew the consequences. He curled his lip in disgust. Today is October 30th, a Friday. Kids of all ages wore their costumes to school.
Randy brushed past a witch and a princess, seething with hatred for the so called holiday. Halloween… people dressing up, decorating their yard, welcoming strangers to their doorstep and giving them candy… how could they be so foolish? So oblivious…
His scowl deepened and costumed classmates rushed to get out of his path. In fact, he was so annoyed that it distracted him from his locker combination. It took him twice as long to open it, further darkening his mood.
"Piece of junk," Randy muttered when it finally opened. A meaty hand from behind slammed it shut.
Randy whirled, "What do you think you're doing shoob?!"
A group of four laughed.
"Aw, did we scare you, shrimp?" Bash towered over him, hand still on the locker door. Randy was the smallest of the mean bros and thus earned the nickname 'shrimp'.
"Nah, I don't get scared." Randy brushed it off, crossing his arms.
Doug and Ethan snickered and winked. Randy missed their exchange, but noticed that all four were dressed for the occasion. Ethan was a skeleton, Doug was a wrestler, Mick wore a pair of devil horns, and Bash had a hockey mask pulled over his face. Together, they were the Mean Bros: bullies of Norrisville High.
"Good, because we have one final test for you."
"What?" Randy wondered how the eve of the worst day of the year actually got worse.
"No spoilers!" said Ethan.
"We'll pick you up before dark. Too bad you'll miss my Halloween party," Bash sneered. Despite that the holiday wasn't until the next day, most parties were held on the eve of to avoid clashing with trick-or-treating.
They left him quivering against his locker. Randy acted tough, but the unknown test tonight scared him to the core.
Bash and co were all juniors, Randy was a freshman. Randy had thought about finding a group his age, but the only ones who would take a loner were a group of misfits themselves. Theresa and the two other guys were alright; it was the leader, Julian, who deterred Randy. It was more than his goth getup, the fake fangs, there was something very wrong with Julian. So far, Julian was the only vaguely supernatural thing in the new town and Randy was keeping count.
Anyway, why hang with losers who get picked on when you could be safe hanging with the bullies? This is why. They can force you to do things. Randy would receive a lot more than a swirly if he refused to cooperate.
Randy opened his eyes without remembering when he had closed them. A few students were glancing his way as they passed.
"What are you looking at?!" Randy snapped, sending them on their way. "Gotta find Hensletter about my homework…"
Bucky Hensletter was where he always is before school- in the library. He was at a table, back turned to Randy. Randy forcefully spun Bucky's chair around, surprising the timid boy.
"Where's my essay?"
"Randy! Well… um, it isn't due until Monday so I thought-"
Randy's eyes flashed. "Do you have it or not?"
"I'm almost done," Bucky said hopefully.
"Do you realize what would happen if I turn in my essay in your handwriting? I'd fail the class! You don't want that do you?" The bully tilted the chair back so it was resting on only two legs.
"Of course not!" Bucky lied. "I'll give it to you at lunch."
"I'll hold you to it." Randy half considered releasing the chair and letting gravity do the rest, but opted against it.
"Thank you thank you it's nearly done, I'm sure-" Bucky rambled, relief flooding his body.
Randy pushed down a twinge of guilt, feeling this display made up for his moment of weakness. If the other Bros thought he was going soft he'd be out of the gang… and made a main target.
He hadn't always been like this. At first he just hovered on the edges, just watching Bash torment others, never helping. It became easier though. Making people scared of him kept them away.
The Bros avoided him for the rest of the day. Every time he tried to approach them in the halls, they went the opposite direction. At lunch they were nowhere to be found. Randy received his plate of food and sat alone at the table in the center of the cafeteria. A cookie in the shape of a ghost smiled, untouched, while he played a game on his phone.
As for the mysterious second trial of his initiation, Randy figured they would take him to the 'haunted' factory on the outskirts of town. He'd heard it was like a haunted house, but with more saws and conveyor belts. That still didn't explain the bit about missing the party. Bash wouldn't miss his own party.
"Uh, Randy… I finished the essay." Bucky interrupted.
"Hm? Just set it there," said Randy distractedly.
Bucky's hasty departure ushered in a more welcome sight.
"Ooo what's this?" A slender hand snatched up the paper before Randy could. "Got someone doing your homework? What a rebel."
"Give it back." Randy continued his game, already knowing who it was without looking. No one would be so casual around him… except Theresa.
She let it drift to the table, making him reach for it. Theresa sat a few seats away. "Our little secret I suppose?" she said with a laugh.
On the first day of school, she had said hello to him. Even though Randy didn't end up hanging out with them, he still had a soft spot for her.
"Mhm."
"No witty banter? You're in an even worse mood than usual. What gives?"
Randy finally glanced up. Like everyone else, she was dressed up. However, she was wearing a band geek uniform and a pair of shades.
"Just some trouble with my friends."
"As in they are causing trouble or you're in trouble?" Theresa said slyly.
Randy considered it for a moment. "Probably both."
She rolled her eyes. "You don't have to hang out with them you know."
"I know."
Theresa paused, as if making up her mind, then leaned closer to Randy.
"You're probably going to Bash's with all the other popular kids, but just hear me out," she said before he could interrupt. "Julian is inviting a few people over to play with an Ouija board he found and I wondered if you… might want to come with me?"
"Don't mess with those things!" Randy all but shouted.
Theresa flinched and prepared to leave the lunch table.
He spoke more calmly. "They're really dangerous. People should leave the dead alone, especially during this time of the year. Please don't-"
"See you later Randy." She walked back to her own table, upset.
Randy growled in frustration. Could nothing go right today? If anything, he should have agreed to go, to protect her. To protect all of them, even that creep Julian.
The end of the school day came more quickly than it usually seemed to. Anticipation of tonight's outing left Randy on edge. He had a bad feeling about the whole thing; unless they were taking him out for Charlie Clucker's, it was guaranteed he would not like the destination.
To his surprise, a car was in the garage when he arrived at home. Randy dumped his satchel just inside the front door and beelined to the kitchen without removing his shoes.
"Mom! What are you doing home early?"
The lady sorting through mail looked up with a smile. "I wanted to make sure you are doing alright. I know this time of the year is hard for you…"
"I'm fine. Really. In fact, I'm going out with some… friends later." He hoped she wouldn't inquire too much into it.
"Friends? You didn't tell me you made friends already! Sit, and tell me about them," she said airily. Mrs. Cunningham had been so worried her son would have a hard time adjusting to a new school and talking to real people.
"Umm, so you know McFist? I've been hanging out with his step-son." Randy pulled up a stool to the counter.
"See? I know the move was difficult, but things are already getting better." She ruffled her son's hair. "Do you really have to go out tonight? I'm not sure that's a good idea."
"It's alright, I'm prepared."
"If you're sure, I'll support your decision. Spaghetti and meatballs sound good?"
XX
Around seven, a car horn beeped in the driveway. Randy rushed out of his room, carefully tucking an object inside his jacket.
"They're here! I'll see you later," he called, hand on the doorknob.
"Wait a moment!" Mrs. Cunningham placed something around his neck.
"Moooom," Randy complained, fingering the gold necklace with a cross pendant.
"You never know. Now tell them not to be strangers and to come in next time."
Randy nodded, but disregarded her instruction. His home life and school life should never be mixed.
Strangely enough, a beat up old minivan was waiting. Bash wouldn't be caught dead driving a lowly car such as this. Having a rich step-dad meant he drove a sports car. However, Bash was not driving, Mick was.
"Ayyy Shrimp! Ready for some fun?" Ethan sat unbuckled it the seat behind the driver. Bash was shotgun and Doug was in the very back.
"You know it!" Randy chuckled weakly.
Mick backed into the road and drove away from the suburban home.
"Blindfold him." Bash commanded.
Randy was ambushed from behind, a burlap sack was thrust over his head and his hands bound.
"Hey, guys! What are you doing let me go!" Randy found the gesture highly unnecessary. He came with them, didn't he? What was the point in the kidnaping?
"We'll be there soon," Doug said.
The others laughed and turned on the radio. Randy recognized the melancholy tune of "Ghost Town" before Bash changed it to a song a song about sex and drugs.
A few minutes into the ride, it became obvious why they put the bag over his head. Every turn came as a surprise and without the seatbelt he might have fallen to the floor; Mick took corners fast. He felt hopelessly out of control of the situation. Furthermore, he had no idea where he was. There was a lot of Norrisville he hadn't explored so if they dumped him somewhere it would be hard to find home. They were trying to scare him. Plain and simple.
It was working.
The brakes squeaked as the van ground to a halt. Doors opened and closed and the van rocked with each exit. Two separate pairs of hands hoisted Randy by his armpits out of the van and guided him forward. Rusty metal whined.
Randy's first thought was that they were going to lock him in a cage. The truth wasn't too far off.
The sack was torn off and he was standing in front of the Norrisville cemetery. If not for the two juniors holding him, Randy would have dropped to his knees. Oh no.
"Haha very funny guys," Randy laughed from nervousness.
Mick and Doug dragged him through the black, wrought iron gates. Stone pillars connected by tall fencing surrounded the entire site and by the lamplight, Randy could just make out the city's name fashioned into the arch above the gates.
"So how about that Halloween bash over at Bash's, eh?" He always chose the worst time to make puns.
The two Mean Bros dumped him unceremoniously and ran back to their leader. Bash looped a chain around the closest bars of the gate and secured them with a lock.
"Here's the deal, spend the night here or Bash'll kick you out of the gang," he cracked his knuckles, "the hard way."
"No scaredy-babies allowed!" Ethan added.
Randy stood up with some difficulty. How much is the gang's 'protection' worth? Compared to a night with the dead, not much, but coming home beat up with a broken nose was going to raise some questions.
"I'll do it." One night in a cemetery just before Halloween- what could go wrong?
They cheered and Doug passed Mick a wad of bills. Randy brushed off the loosely tied binding around his wrists.
"Don't even think of escaping, we'll know if you do," Bash stated and turned to leave. The others made comments like "Good luck!" and "Don't let the zombies bite!" but Randy elected to ignore them.
Soon he was alone. Or as alone as one could be in a graveyard.
a/n: last half comes out tomorrow. half way through writing this story i started to hate it. I dunno is it's bc i reread it so many times, or if maybe ninjashow is kinda getting old since it ended. But i spent too much time working on it to not post it so whatever. Happy Halloween! Level 1 should be updating next week... maybe
