Devils' Day Party: A High School Bully Romance - C.M. Stunich Page 0,150

bell that the moms got on some trip to Cambodia or something before I was born. The walls are painted a soft heather and lined with original art. Sculptures fill every nook and cranny, and handmade jewelry decorates the glass cases that line the edges of the shop.

“Oh, Karma!” a young woman calls out, moving out from behind the counter.

“Hey, Jaymin,” I respond with a grin, trusting my moms' employee to keep my ditching school a secret—at least for now. The school sends out robo-calls when a student misses class, but the moms are likely in the studio with their phones on silent; they won't know until later. Even then, it is Devils' Day.

Jaymin gives me a tight hug, her tortoiseshell glasses and turquoise hair giving her a funky sort of look that fits in well with Eureka Springs.

“Who's your friend?”

“This is Pearl,” I say, nodding my chin in Pearl's direction. “We decided we'd rather go shopping than spend Devils' Day at school.”

“Girl, the things I did on Devils' Day …” Jaymin laughs, and shakes her head. “Yeah, no, I promised your moms I wouldn't tell you the shit I got into. You know, so you don't get any ideas.” Jaymin winks one of her brown eyes at me and then turns to Pearl with a smile. “So, do you two need something funky to take to the party? How about a six-foot statue of a glittery penis?” She gestures to the statue in question as Pearl's mouth drops open. She recovers her surprise fairly quickly and ends up running a hand over the head-sized … well, head.

“Your moms must be interesting people,” she says with a raised brow. “Lesbians who sell giant dicks in their store.”

“We have giant vaginas, too,” Jaymin offers, turning and pointing to yet another very fascinating statue in the store's opposite corner. “Take a look around and let me know if you see anything that catches your fancy. Family and friends get a special discount.” Jaymin winks again and then turns away as another customer comes in.

“We have masks here,” I tell Pearl, moving over to one of the glass cases and pointing down at the row of beautiful masks, each one a work of art in its own right. “If you want one, I'd be happy to get it for you.”

“Why though?” Pearl asks, glaring at me before dropping her gaze to the row of monstrously beautiful caricatures beneath the glass. The first mask is a pixie-like pink with translucent wings where the ears should be. The second is a metallic green with long antennae, reminiscent of the emerald ash borer beetle, that awful pest that's become a symbol of Devils' Day. There's a witch mask with a hooked nose, a lion with a glittering mane, and a pale faerie-like face with tiny horns wrapped in gold leaf.

“Because we'll look fierce as hell if we show up in one of these,” I say, moving behind the counter to snag the key for the case from the back wall. Jaymin is busy helping the other customer with the penis statue—believe me, a local artist makes those, and they sell like hotcakes—so I don't bother her, opening the case myself and handing pearl the fae mask with the horns.

She takes it from me, studying the price tag and raising her pale brows, before finally slipping it onto her face. I take the pixie mask and try that on.

“Too soft,” Pearl says as I glance in the round mirror on top of the counter. I agree with her and put the mask back, trying the green beetle one instead. Pearl slips the fae mask on, but it's clearly far too large for her fine-boned face.

“Try this one,” I suggest after I put the beetle mask back, grabbing a black mask with a twisted sneer and fangs. “It's terrifying. You'll scare the shit out of Raz.”

“Nothing scares the shit out of Raz,” Pearl says with a sneer, but she puts the mask on anyway and looks at herself in the mirror for a long, long time. I busy myself trying on masks and then decide to check the drawers underneath the case, where my moms put extra inventory. As soon as I open the drawer and spot the Diana fritillary mask I almost choke. It's blue and black, indicating a female of the species. The males are always orange and black, like the necklace Barron gave me. Or the tattoo on his chest.

“I'd rescue you; I'd be the