Best Friends
Estimated Reading Time:
Halloween night is a great time for parties. Three friends claim they’re the best at it. No night of fun is off limits for them, at least they thought so until they attend an underground exclusive gathering.
Best Friends is October’s flash fiction that’ll bring readers into a strange drama between three friends. Experience the story in written word, audio, artwork and soundscape.
Into the Macrocosm
Short Stories of the Dark Cosmic, Bizarre, and the Fantastic
This story is found within the collection.
Enter the expanding universe through the lives of 22 souls, as the Nameless One and their ghoulish companion attempt to unlock the mysterious past of how they died.
Order Today
Listen (original)
Read (edited)
Pre-Drink
We got our masks, accessories, and outfits together and moved to the front door. Our group was ready to head out for a night of debauchery and chaos. A couple of my friends stuffed the bottles of vodka and gin into plastic bags, carefully trying not to make them clang. It took us an abnormal ten minutes or so to get our shoes on. It probably didn’t help that we were swaying around from the five (?) rounds of shots we’d just done. Pre-drinking can get a little carried away when the three of us get together, which is all part of the fun. October also doubles the drinking mischievousness. Halloween season was our favourite time of the year. What better way to celebrate?
“You think Brandon is going to be there?” said a black-haired girl in a grey alien mask, better known as Emma.
I slipped my boots on and adjusted my plastic skeleton mask, shrugging at her.
“Why does it matter?” asked the second guy, Nick. His blue eyes stared at us from underneath the rubber mask of a man with a crown. He carefully stood up as the polyester material of his king outfit stretched tight against his skin. Working out sure could make you look good. Nick’s ass is proof of it. It’s impressive, but it also makes fitting into costumes difficult. They’re made for the average joe, not one that’s been jacked up.
Emma pulled out her vape and turned it on, saying casually, “I was just curious, that’s all.”
“It’s just because she is looking to bone him,” I said, grabbing the plastic bag of booze off the ground.
“And what if I was?” Emma asked.
“Go for it,” I said. “Just explaining it to Nick because he has had a crush on you for years.”
“Dude, shut up. I haven’t,” Nick said while scratching the back of his neck.
“Oh, Nick.” Emma rolled her eyes as I unlocked the front door, stepping out. Emma and Nick followed right behind me. I nudged Emma’s arm. “Unlike Nick, I want to chance my luck with an actual girl.”
“Sometimes you’re so stupid,” Emma said. “Where is this place, anyway?”
It was a pretty rude thing for me to say, but I had to give her a hard time and lighten the mood. I couldn’t stand the constant tension between Emma and Nick. Why didn’t they just plow already and get it over with? We’ve all been friends since junior high. We’re adults now. They can get their freak on if they want. That’s what adulthood is. You try new things. Sometimes it works out, and sometimes it doesn’t.
Moving On
I pulled out my phone and accessed my ride-sharing app, typing in the address. “I hear this party is pretty gnarly.”
“Party or club?” Nick asked, holding his ticket.
“Oh,” I said. “No, it’s a house party.”
“Really? A house party that takes tickets?” Nick said.
“It’s an exclusive masks-only party. From what I hear, it’s one of the crazier ones. It happens every year,” I said.
“Keep in mind they haven’t partied with us yet,” Emma says.
“Cheers to that,” I said.
“Why the masks?” Nick asked.
I shrugged. “They like to keep things anonymous, I guess. Glen gave me the invite this year,” I said. “Last year, I couldn’t even grab a ticket before they sold out.”
After calling a car through the ride-share app, I stuffed the phone in my pocket as we took the elevator down to the main floor. The three of us waited out in front of the apartment complex, staying huddled close to each other to avoid the winds. Even though it was still fall, the night temperature dropped intensely. That’s Canada’s weather for you. Nick pulled out a flask from his back pocket and took a chug of liquor. He passed the container to each of us so we could take a shot of whiskey. That marked the fourth type of hard liquor I’d had this evening.
A black car with a glowing ride-share company logo stuck to the windshield arrived—our ride to the house party. We scooched into the back of the car, with Nick and me on either side of Emma. I handed each of my friends their tickets, and we awaited our arrival. It didn’t take long for the driver to navigate us to the opposite end of town. The guy seemed to know the city well, taking side roads to cut through the traffic jams. This man would be tipped graciously for such excellency. He understands the drive-distance-to-intoxication levels. It’s a complex ratio of carefully balancing your vehicle speed to keep your passengers on that liquor buzz, and we rode it with no downs.
Party Time
Our ride arrived at an older, quiet neighbourhood of war-time homes, mostly single-levels and bungalows. Old homes means cheap rent, resulting in more party-minded folks. Hell yes.
“Here you are,” said the driver.
“Thanks,” I said as the three of us exited the car.
Nick spun around, looking at each house as our ride accelerated away. He scratched his head. “Which house is it?”
Emma pointed to the house directly in front of us. “See those lights?”
The house in front of us had a red glow inside. It was the only house that had any lights on. Duh.
“That obvious?” I said, marching up to the home.
The three of us reached the front door, each adjusting our costumes before I pulled open the screen door and knocked on the main solid entrance. A muffled bass rumbled from inside the house. Chances were they didn’t hear the knock. I reached for the knob as the door swung open, and a man in a PVC mask and undies stood in front of me. His hairless form was highlighted in the red glow behind him.
“Hey,” I said while pulling out my ticket.
The man reached for my ticket, looked at it, and then waved me in. I entered casually, trying to keep a calm appearance. The last thing I wanted to do was enter a party too abruptly. That doesn’t win you any cool points. Funny how we get fixated on convincing people we are cool in the most mundane situations. Then again, everyone accepts the strange facade; therefore, in return, it helps you get your grind on.
My mask made it next to impossible to see anything in my peripheral view. I could make out the main foyer, a hall, and the living room to my right. The entry was jammed at every corner with folks in wild costumes and masks. Some of the outfits were as minimal as the door greeter’s, and others were far more concealing. Each guest’s costume followed some sort of dark, artistic, or bondage theme. The sight made me realize that my friends and I had gotten the wrong idea when it came to a ‘masks-only’ party.
A hand gently brushed against my back, sending my skin tingling. I looked, expecting to see Emma. No. A girl in a black feathered bra, panties, and masquerade mask released her hand from me as she walked past, entering the hall. Maybe we weren’t so out of place as I first thought. My gaze was hooked on the girl’s exposed hips and rear moving side to side as she disappeared into the crowded hall.
A shoulder nudged my own. I turned to see Nick and Emma were now beside me.
“ . . . is classy A.F.,” Nick said. It was difficult to hear him through the pounding bass, but I managed to catch his point. This party rocked.
Emma leaned in to the two of us. “We are so out of place,” she said.
“No way,” I replied.
“Why?” Emma asked.
“Give me a shot of that whiskey,” I said.
Nick reached into his back pocket and handed me the flask. I snagged it and took a chug of the liquor before passing it back to him. “I’ll be back—gotta catch a birdie.”
Courtship
“What?” Nick said.
I ignored him and hurried through the small hallway, carefully avoiding people so I didn’t knock their drinks. My balance was slightly off-centre. That new shot of whiskey—not to mention the one outside the apartment—was mingling with the other liquors swirling around in my body. I needed to keep it together and find those hypnotic hips of the mysterious bird-feathered girl again. No, I’m not into animals or anything. It’s just sexy, with a bit of fun, you know?
I spotted bobbing feathers a good couple of metres ahead of me. Bingo. She hadn’t gotten too far. The girl moved through the hall, past the kitchen, and down the staircase leading to the basement. Not thinking twice, I followed her down the stairs. The basement had a blue glow to it and a new type of thumping bass music. This tune was faster, thicker, and grimier. All right!
The girl came to a stop near the centre of the unfinished basement den. She danced to the music, waving her arms and shaking to the rhythm. I’m not much of a dancer but seeing a girl I like with moves like that is precisely the type of encouragement that’ll make me indulge. I busted out my gnarliest moves and appeared in front of the girl. She didn’t seem surprised at all, as if she was expecting me. Okay, she was leading me on. Man, do I enjoy a good courtship dance.
My moves felt smooth as I swung to the tempo, in sync with her. I made sure I stayed close enough to her body to welcome her to me, but not so close that we touched. Teasing was all part of the game. The girl spun around, facing away from me for a portion of the track. She brushed against me with her ass, looking back with a playful smile. Holy . . . shit. She bumped against me a few more times until the DJ shifted the track to a new beat. The girl turned to face me, so close I could feel her heat and smell her girl-sweat-and-hairspray scent. She lifted her hand, revealing a palmful of small pills. Truthfully, I couldn’t have even guessed where she’d concealed them with the little amount of clothing that she wore.
“Want to have some fun?” she asked.
“I’m down,” I said, without processing her words. I should have—what was I thinking, grabbing one of her pills? But it was too late. She took one, too, and we popped them into our mouths.
Join In on the Fun
“Paul!” came a female voice.
A girl in a gray alien mask and a king appeared beside us. Right on, my friends had arrived just when I needed them. Now bird-girl would know I wasn’t some loser alone at a party. My friends would talk me up.
“Hey!” I said.
Emma punched my shoulder and leaned in to me. “What did you just take?”
“Just enjoying the party. Relax!” I said. Leaning closer to her, I added, “This girl is into me. Let’s keep this going.”
The bird girl began to dance to the beat, keeping her hand holding the remaining pills extended towards the three of us.
I nodded at them, saying, “I thought you said this crowd hadn’t partied until they partied with us.”
Emma stared at the pills for a moment before saying, “All right. You got me there.” She stepped up to the bird girl, snagged one of the pills, and popped it in her mouth.
“Whoa!” Nick said while taking the last one for himself. “We’re doing this, huh?”
“Let’s party!’ I said while patting Nick on the back.
“Who’s your new friend, anyway?” Emma asked.
I turned to face the bird girl. “Oh, this is . . . ”
“Victoria. Come dance!” she said, voice buttery-smooth, as she moved back into the crowd.
The three of us didn’t question our new companion and joined her. We weren’t exactly sure what we’d taken. It could have been anything. MDMA? Acid? Who knew? What we did know was that we were here for fun and had just showcased our dominance in the realm of partying. Not to mention I was on a conquest mission.
Usually, I had a good sense of my party supplies, but when the pill began to kick in, I didn’t realize it. The music amplified as the depth of the room drastically widened. My body heat intensified as other forms danced around me. The nearest body was lightly covered in a few feathers, the second was a man of royalty, and the third was a strange alien. More people had to have come down to the lower floor because the four of us were pushed pretty close together, grazing against one another. Yes, there’s a rabbit-man. Full-on PVC suits, gag masks, you name it, all dancing so close that bodies brushed against everyone else. The place was packed. It was all okay. I felt a deeper level of connection with them all; it was clearly the drugs.
The blue light from the ceiling brightened. Movements were fast. Colourful echoed versions of people’s bodies moved with the music in a slight delay. Skin and clothing felt welcoming. Smells were alluring. Sensations, overpowering. Body temperatures increased as limbs began to melt into one. How many of us were there?
Material slipped away until there was just skin. Only skin, panting, bodies against and inside one another with passionate grasps.
Was I sleeping? The drunken self I was once was now gone. My sense of self and the new collided into this melting pot of sexual sensation. Whatever it was, it was bliss.
Aftermath
A bright white light beamed directly over my face as my eyes slowly peeled open. The eyeballs were so dry that the lids scraped against them in dehydration. A throbbing headache pulsated all around my head—a typical hangover. My skin was quite warm and coated in dried sweat, which was abnormal. I felt numb, slightly depressed, and out of energy—very unusual for a night of drinking.
Sitting upright, I felt a small hand glide off my chest and onto my bare thigh. I hadn’t even noticed the arm before because it was as warm as me. Looking to the side, I saw a naked girl. Her black hair was spread all over the sheets. A grey alien mask was beside her.
Oh shit! I thought while scooching away, as naked as she was. Did Emma and I just . . . ?
As I backed up, my butt pressed against firmer skin. The sudden touch caused me to jump. I turned around to see a jacked man wearing a rubber mask of a bearded man with a crown. It was unmistakably Nick, and he was also as naked as Emma and I were. No way, this couldn’t be real.
“Fuck,” I groaned while brushing my hair from my face. The skeleton mask I’d had the night before was gone. That mattered little to me as I began to piece together what the three of us had done, bringing me here.
Glancing around the room, I spotted windows high above, indicating we were still in a basement. This had to be a guest room or something. The door was closed, our clothes were spread all over the floor, and the bird girl was gone. It was only the three of us. Victoria had to have vanished at some point in the night. The three of us probably got way too close together and freaked her out. What the hell were we doing? Those damn pills. I can handle my party supplies, but something about the bird girl’s drugs and our pre-drinking mixed with full-on horny tension was clearly not a good combination.
Friends since childhood, trying new things in adulthood. Who knows? Maybe it wasn’t all that bad. I’d ask these two once they got up so we could all stare at each other’s bare asses in embarrassment. At least they’d finally boned and gotten it over with. I don’t think any of us expected a third wheel to join in.
Into the Macrocosm
Short Stories of the Dark Cosmic, Bizarre, and the Fantastic
This story is found within the collection.
Enter the expanding universe through the lives of 22 souls, as the Nameless One and their ghoulish companion attempt to unlock the mysterious past of how they died.
Order Today
About Konn Lavery
Konn Lavery is a Canadian author whose work has been recognized by Edmonton’s top five bestseller charts and by reviewers such as Readers’ Favorite, and Literary Titan.
