"I'm tellin' you,
I don't want to go
."
"Well, you're comin', Chris. I went through a lot of trouble inviting every unattached girl in the bar last night. If you're not over here by eight. I'm sendin' Corry to come get you."
"Shit, Paul, you invited Corry?"
"
Yes
, I invited Corry."
"You know I can't stand that dick-wad, don't y'?"
"Yup."
"Now I'm really not coming."
Paul teased out his next words. "He's bringin'
Krissy
."
"Who the fuck cares? Corry's banging her."
"Dude, make a better offer."
"Yeah, Earth to Paul. It's me."
"I know, Dude. You're like the King of Halloween, or should be. Those costumes you make. What is that dweeb thing you do?"
"Drama"
"Yeah, that too. But what's thing where you run around and whack each other with swords?"
"SCA."
"Yeah, that! You're like super-dweeb. No girl wants to touch that. Not no normal girl at least. But right now, Halloween, you'll be the best dressed man and I'm tellin' y', the best dressed man's getting laid tonight."
"I don't want to get laid." A stirring of the one eyed serpent made a lie of that.
"Stop talking shit, Chris, and get over here."
"
Fine
."
"You're coming?"
"Yes, I said, 'yes.'"
"You're not coming as Sam Gamgee something dumb like that, are you?"
"I happen to like Sam."
"He's a lame duck. Not chick magnet material. Come as Aragon, the girls will dig that."
"I can't do Aragorn. Not built for it."
"Yeah, too small. But shit, you've got like a million costumes. Do something cool."
"I'll come as a knight or something."
"A knight?" A heartbeat pause where only static came over the line. "That's cool. Do that, you're getting laid tonight!"
There was a click and the phone went dead. Chris shoved his cell back in his pocket and looked about his apartment. He'd rented or lent out a good few of his costumes to other students so the standard clutter didn't press quite so close. He began rooting through what was left and . . .
Well, shit, I lent Zak my chainmail.
In the end, Chris settled on going as something between a foppish medieval lord and a minstrel. The period codpiece he selected was odious but proclaimed his lordly pride. At a quarter 'till eight Chris found himself knocking on Paul's door.
There was no answer, but that didn't stop a gaggle of students from plowing past him and letting themselves in. The thunder drums that pulsed from the portal when it opened explained the lack of response. Chris tipped-toed in behind the other students.
Strobe lights, mist and way too many people greeted Chris. There were wizards, 007 spies, musketeers, kingpins, barbarians, super-villains and pirate captains. And for every one of those, there were two witches, naughty nurses, French maids and Harley Quinns. The press was so tight Chris got stuck in the entry hall. That's where Paul found him.
"Damn, what is that?"
"It's a mandola." Chris had to shout just to hear himself.
"No, that!" Paul pointed at the brass codpiece.
"It's . . ." Chris blushed.
Paul hit Chris on the back. "Wait until the girls unwrap that prize. Damn, I never knew you were so hung."
"It's not like--"
"Let me show you around!" Paul elbowed between guests and dragged Chris in his wake. "We've got everything.
"Dancing" Paul pointed to the living-room. The alcohol fueled orgy that greeted the eye writhed with something might've been a beat. A trio of zombie bangers were clearly attempting to slam dance within the mess.
"Alcohol is there. Oh and there. There's a keg out back. Oh, and they're doing shots in the kitchen." He grabbed an IPA and shoved it at Chris.
"There's a whole truck load of bourbon beans in there too. Grab a girl and feed her those. How can you lose? Chocolate and alcohol."
"What's going on up there?" Chris looked up the narrow stairs to the second floor. He jerked his gaze away when he got an eyeful of a zombie's bloody panties.
"Tracy's telling fortunes in my room. Pete's renting out his room for some private banging. Kyle's manning the ouiga board in the basement. Makin' sure no one cheats."
"What happened to bobbing for apples?"
"Apples? Oh damn, your funny. We got something adult like, Dick or Teat."
"Dick or Teat? What the hell is that?"
"It's like this--" Paul swiped a red poker chip from the counter. Its face value was thirteen. "Some girl has a blue thirteen. You got to go find her and tweak her tit. Course, she'll blow your dick."
"You're fucking me."
Paul pasted a Joker grin across his face. He held if for three heartbeats before the laughter escaped. "Shit Dude, you should see your face. Yeah, I'm shitting you."
Chris made a disgusted noise.
"No, really--" Paul's face turned red with the effort of holding back his glee. "--you do. You find the girl with the blue thirteen. You place your poker chips on the ouige board and you ask if you are dicks or a teats. If she's a dick, she's got t' wear your boxers. If you're a teat, well, you get to wear her bra."
"I'm not wearin' some random girl's bra."
"Shit man, what's wrong with you. The ouige board is by the spare bed. Kyle checks your results and locks you in the room. You can't leave until you've changed. At the very least you'll see her tits and the way you're hung, she'll get an eyeful too."
"You know that's a costume."
"Shit Chris. Have some fun." Paul slapped Chris on the back and then dove back in the crowd.
Great.
Chris didn't recognize anyone in the crowd.
Just fuckin' great.
He tipped his IPA back while eyeballing his potential escape routes.
"Dick or teat?" a high pitched voice said. Someone pushed behind the little red-head nurse and slammed her breast to chest with Chris.
Startled, Chris gulped his IPA. He burped carbonation into his nasal cavity. "What did you say?" he said, when he recovered.
"Dick or teat?" the too close girl said. She hadn't stepped back.
"Huh?"
A sour look washed over the girl's face. "God, you're dumb." Her voice dropped from a happy squeal to a snide soprano. "What's the number on your chip?"
"Oh--" He double checked his chip. "--thirteen."
"Thank God." She pushed past him and made for the kitchen.
A moment later she knocked back a bourbon shot. She shivered violently which gave a pleasant shake to her tight rack of formula dispensers.
"Enjoying the view?"
Chris tore his gaze from the heavenly delight. "
Kris