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“I think this might have been a huge mistake.”
Eva looked up from rearranging the couch cushions, after Annleigh had again decided she didn’t like where they were. “Why?”
Annleigh spread her hands, as if to say isn’t it obvious? “Um. Last year’s sleepover?”
“Was a train wreck set on fire and tossed in a dumpster,” Eva agreed. “But you’re reasonably sane, right? You don’t have any homicidal tendencies?”
“I’m not sure you’re allowed to joke about that,” Kate mused, not looking up from her book.
“You all joke about it all the time. It’s rubbing off on me.”
Annleigh picked up a pillow and threw it at Eva. “I’m fine. But what if nobody comes?”
Kate raised a hand from where she sat on the floor, leaning against the couch. “Um, hi? Two whole attendees right here.”
“You don’t count.”
“What do you mean- hey!” Kate yelped as Eva dropped the pillow on her head. “Rude!”
“Annleigh, chill ,” Eva said, catching the pillow when Kate tried to throw it back at her and setting it down on the couch. “The bar is on the ground.”
“Six feet underground,” Kate muttered, then held up her book to block Eva trying to hit her. “Hey! You said no violence allowed!”
“That was so much darker than what I said,” Eva scolded. “You’re an awful influence.”
“Farrah would’ve thought it was funny.”
“She probably would’ve,” Annleigh agreed, sitting down on the couch and burying her face in her hands. “Ugh. I wonder what they would’ve thought about us still having the sleepover after what happened to them.”
“I got stabbed too, and I’m fine with it,” Kate offered, reaching for her bookmark.
“I know.” Annleigh lowered her hands and looked up at the ceiling. “I don’t know. This kind of sucks.”
“It majorly sucks,” Eva agreed, sitting next to her. Kate left her book on the coffee table and joined them on the couch, settling herself on Eva’s other side, leaning on her shoulder. “You’ve already done a great job as captain, though. You’re going to- you will be awesome tonight.”
“Were you going to say you’re going to kill it ?” Kate asked.
Eva winced. “Force of habit?”
Annleigh cracked a smile. “I’d rather kill the whole captain thing than follow in my predecessor’s footsteps.”
Kate pointed at Annleigh. “And Eva says I’m the bad influence.”
“You both are,” Eva decided. “Kate’s worse, though.”
“Am not. ”
“Six feet underground? Really?”
Kate started to give a snappy retort, but then seemed to realize she didn’t have one and fell silent, sulking.
Annleigh leaned her head on Eva’s shoulder and sighed. “You guys will tell me if I get too crazy and start ruining everything, right?”
“Of course we will,” Eva promised. “We’re both here to support and help you.”
“Yeah,” Kate agreed. “I really think it’s gonna be fine. Just let us all keep our phones and maybe keep us out of the basement. Also no truth or dare.”
“Absolutely no truth or dare,” Eva agreed. “We could watch a movie or something, though.”
“I suggested we watch a movie last year,” Kate pointed out. “Maybe things would’ve been fine if you guys had just listened to me then.”
“We can watch a movie tonight,” Annleigh told Kate, earning a little smile. “We’ll see what everyone wants to watch.”
“Don’t we have four new team members?” Eva asked. “With the three of us and Mattie, that’s a squad of eight. ”
“Which is twice as much as I thought we’d have,” Annleigh admitted.
“See?” Kate said. “You’re already a good captain. You recruited four people to join the murder squad and come to the first sleepover after the last one made headlines nationwide. You literally could not be doing better, considering the circumstances.”
“I can’t tell if you’re being helpful or not,” Eva commented.
“I think mostly helpful?” Annleigh said. “Sort of. You’re being Kate-helpful.”
“Which is helpful.”
“It’s Kate- helpful.”
“Which is, like, half-assed helpful,” Eva translated, putting an arm around Kate. “So, for you, very helpful.”
Kate squinted at her. “I think you’re making fun of me.”
“Maybe a little bit,” Eva admitted.
Kate hummed. “I’ll let it slide. ‘Cause you’re cute.”
“I’m right here,” Annleigh said, holding up her hand.
Kate tried to shove Annleigh’s head off of Eva’s shoulder, but Annleigh resisted being moved. “Gimme my girlfriend back.”
“Gimme my co-captain back,” Annleigh shot back.
“You guys are literally six year olds,” Eva said with a sigh.
Annleigh looked up just in time to see Kate stick her tongue out at her.
“Oh, my God,” Eva said, standing up despite the protests from both Kate and Annleigh. “It’s almost seven, they should start getting here soon.”
“Okay, but what else is there to do?” Kate leaned back on the couch, pulling one knee up to her chest. “Annleigh’s already arranged and rearranged the snack table, cleaned the entire house, locked the basement door, rearranged the couch cushions-”
“I’m being thorough, ” Annleigh claimed.
“You’re being nervous ,” Kate countered. “Calm down. All you gotta do is an icebreaker and then throw on a movie and wait for people to fall asleep. Super easy.”
“It’s really not gonna be a big deal, Annleigh,” Eva promised, stealing a carrot from the snack tray Annleigh had bought that morning. “And, like, worst comes to worst, send ‘em all home. Can’t be worse than pushing through with a bad sleepover.”
Annleigh started to respond, but was interrupted by the doorbell, and her heart jumped.
“Someone came!” she whisper-yelled as she got up to answer. Kate pantomimed her mind being blown, and Eva offered a thumbs up.
Annleigh closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then opened the door to let in the first sleepover attendees. Waiting there was Bella, a sophomore who Mattie said she was friends with, and Chloe, a junior who seemed hesitant but also smiled when Annleigh opened the door. Behind her, Annleigh saw Mattie getting out of her mom’s car, and another car appeared from around the corner, carrying Rosie and Abigail.
“Hey,” Bella said, hoisting her backpack up onto her shoulder. “We’re not too early, are we?”
Annleigh beamed. “Nope, I think you’re right on time.” She stepped to the side, holding an arm out towards the living room. Eva waved, and Kate grinned at the new arrivals. “Welcome, everyone!”