Halloween Dance [2]

While the boys were getting their makeup done in one room, the girls were being prepped in another.

Devon, wearing a dark violet dress, turned to Tory and asked, "How did you meet him?"

"Who, Max?"

"He's the one who brought you here. Have you known him for a long time?"

Tory smiled faintly and shook her head. "Not at all. We met at a mall where he helped me out when some jerk was harassing me. Even if it seems like we're close friends, we've only just met."

Devon wasn't trying to interrogate Tory; she simply wanted to ensure that no shady girls, like Sam, were getting too close to her friend.

"Max is an amazing guy."

"He is. So consider me your friend at this dance; let's have fun." Devon didn't sense any bad vibes from Tory, so she decided she wasn't someone to worry about and began sharing more about herself.

...

It was late evening, and the sky was darkening. Outside Max's house, a black Hummer limousine was parked, ready to go.

Max and his friends, no more than six in total, were dressed in suits with their faces painted as stylish skeletons, each with unique designs. One by one, they climbed into the limousine.

"Let's get to that damn party!"

"I think I'm already drunk!"

Devon raised an eyebrow at the rowdy friends Miguel had brought along. "If anyone throws up on me, I swear I'll break their face."

"I'll back you up on that," Tory said with a broader smile than usual, watching the overly lively guys who'd had a bit too much to drink.

Miguel smiled nervously. He didn't quite know how or when his life had changed so dramatically. These friends had turned his once-boring existence upside down.

He no longer trained at Cobra Kai to fight off those who bullied him; now, he could say he stayed there because he'd made friendships he cherished deeply.

"Are you drinking?" Max handed a can of beer to Miguel, who had been quiet since getting into the limousine.

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"Well, we already have a few drunken soldiers, so one more won't make much of a difference." Max was the only one who hadn't drunk much—someone needed to stay sober to lead the group.

Ryan, who was no exception to the chaos, muttered, "They've only had a few cans, and it looks like they won't even be able to walk by the time we get to the dance."

"Just have them drink some energy drinks—they'll be good as new." Max knew a few tricks to help people recover quickly, and this was the most practical.

Eli, feeling more carefree than usual, chimed in, "I feel amazing. I don't need anything."

"I like this guy," Ryan said, pulling out more drinks.

The music was blasting at full volume. Ryan even opened the roof, shouting while raising bottles of alcohol in his hands.

Everyone was having fun, and they hadn't even arrived at the dance yet. Max, for the first time in a while, felt so relaxed that he even started drinking.

When they finally arrived, they got out, and all eyes were immediately on them.

Yasmine, dressed as a cheerleader, stood at a distance, watching Max and his group exit the limousine. "Who the hell are they?"

Moon, who recognized Ryan, replied, "That's Ryan. The guy next to him is Max. We've been to some of his parties, don't you remember?"

"Max's friend?" Sam, who had just arrived, looked at Max's group with mild annoyance.

"I'm not surprised. I did some digging, and they're both part of a fight club. Now, apparently, they're all in Cobra Kai," Moon added, being the one most connected to the girls who frequented Ryan's parties.

"Good thing you mentioned that. I was thinking about joining Cobra Kai, but now that I know this, I'll steer clear of those idiots," Kyler said, standing beside Sam and overhearing the conversation.

Moon gave Kyler a pointed look. "You better not let them hear you say that, or you'll be in serious trouble."

Sam glanced at Max, who was the calmest in the group, and then at the girls accompanying them, dressed to match the boys.

"Let's head inside; it's cold." She said.