“All right.” Heather stepped out from the bathroom. We’d gone slutty last night, so we were going funny tonight. Bypassing whatever costumes were left downstairs, we spent the afternoon downtown. What we went home with had us both in stitches.

I was holding back my laughter again. I clamped my mouth closed and nodded. “Mmmm hmmm.”

She was dressed in a white onesie, the opening around her face lined with pink hair. She reached up to grab a sparkling, pastel-colored rainbow horn. Heather’s face was dead serious. “Is my horn in the right spot?”

Another laugh bubbled up. I stifled it, swallowing it back down. “Looks good.”

She lifted up her hand and motioned in a circle. “Okay. Turn around. I’ll check your ass.”

Her voice hitched.

I bit down on my lip. No laughing. Not yet. I turned. I was dressed in the same white onesie. There was an opening for my face, but it was only lined with white cloth. My hands were normal—they weren’t supposed to have attention focused on them—and my feet ended in two large black hooves. Heather’s arms had the matching two front hooves, but the back of my costume was where the action was.

A long white tail extended from my costume, pink hair at the tip, and underneath the tail was another small hole. A contraption hung from it on the inside, with a cord running from it down my arm, to a button resting on the inside of my palm.

We turned to face the correct way. Heather was in front of me. I was behind her. She was the head. I was the ass.

She said, “Ready?”

My finger moved to the button. In the same monotone, I replied, “Ready.”

“Push it.”

She had a similar contraption on her costume, and we pushed our buttons together. A loud horsey neigh came from a small speaker attached near her face, nestled in her pink mane, and at the same time, the tail on my costume lifted and a burst of glitter exploded in the air.

We were a glitter-farting unicorn. Together.

I dissolved in laughter. Heather was right next to me. We both ended up on the floor, like we’d been all afternoon once we found the costume.

She sat up and panted, “Best damned costume ever!”

I nodded. I couldn’t talk. I was still laughing.

“Okay.” She tried to stop laughing. Her laughter was coming out as half-hiccups now. She grabbed for my arm. “Let’s get up. One drink, then we go?”

I glanced at the clock. We’d spent half the afternoon putting the costume together while answering the door for trick-or-treaters, but it was long past time for any more. The costume was done and the party had started a couple of hours ago. It was time to go. “Yeah. I’ll call Mason to pick us up.”

Heather pumped her fist in the air. “Score. That means another two drinks.”

My stomach rolled over. The hangover was still with me, but this was Halloween and Heather time. I was down for anything.

She mixed two Long Island iced teas for us, and I tucked my phone away after Mason replied. “He’s leaving now.”

She held one up for me. I took it, and she saluted me with hers. “To friendship.” Her eyes met mine.

A look passed between us, and I felt myself choking up. Then I pushed my button and glitter exploded in the air. My lip twitched and I raised my glass up. “Best friendship ever.”

After swallowing, she rested her glass on the counter. “For real, though. Thanks for this weekend. I needed it.”

“You’re probably going to get back together with Channing tonight.”

She shook her head, her eyes downcast. “No. Sex, maybe. Getting back together, no.” She closed her eyes a moment.

Breaking up sucked, even if it was the right thing to do. I’d been there. It hadn’t been long for Mason and me, but I remembered that time. I’d felt like I was dying. Literally. Heather had picked me up off the floor. I didn’t think I was doing the same for her now, but I was trying.

“One day at a time. You might not have faith, but I do. I know this breakup isn’t permanent. He’s going to be begging you to come back in no time.”

Nothing else made sense. Heather and Channing loved each other. They were almost as inseparable as Mason and I, and more so in some ways. They’d been best friends since third grade, and the relationship had never waned after she’d transferred to Fallen Crest in junior high.

“Here’s hoping, but God.” She groaned. “He’s already there. He texted me an hour ago.”

I patted her hand. “Let me know when you need to bail tonight, if you do. We could do a code word. You just say ‘llama,’ and I’ll know what you’re talking about. We’ll leave. We’ll do whatever you want. I’m your sidechick tonight.”

She snorted on her drink, spitting some of it out.

Mason pulled up into the driveway five minutes later, and we headed out. He only shook his head at our costume, but I saw a faint grin there. He was amused. I could tell.

I was pulling the door shut behind me when Heather frowned over her shoulder. “Did you ever call Taylor? Weren’t you wondering where she was before?”

“Oh.” I’d forgotten. “Yeah.”

Heather climbed into the back seat of Mason’s Escalade. I remained on the doorstep, pulling my phone out and dialing Taylor’s phone. I reached for the door handle again. I was going to close it, when I heard a ringing from upstairs.

I stopped, pulling the phone from my ear.

Rrrrring! Rrrr—

It stopped.

I rang her number again and held my breath, listening.

It was ringing on my end, but I didn’t hear anything from inside this time.

I stepped back into the living room. “Taylor? Are you up there?”

“Strattan!” Heather hollered from the vehicle. “My buzz is fading.”

I pressed my lips together. I thought I had heard her phone, but that didn’t make sense. If she was here, she’d be in Logan’s loft on the third floor. I wouldn’t be able to hear her phone all the way up there. No. I was just hearing things. That’s all it was.

I texted her:

Where are you? Call me.

Then I put the phone in my pocket and locked the door behind me.