Suspicious Minds (Stranger Things Novels #1) - Gwenda Bond Page 0,33

a guy in clown makeup and a dress who sloshed liquid from a cup. “The diner?”

Alice suddenly remembered how Terry had ended up at the lab. She’d taken her roommate’s place.

“The experiment,” she said, quietly.

“How’s that going?” Stacey asked, the words slightly slurred. “Terry never talks about it.”

Hm. Only to Andrew and not to her roommate.

“You didn’t care for it?” Alice said in answer.

“It made me feel out of my brain, and not in the good way.” Stacey shook her head and snorted.

“About like that, then,” Alice said.

Stacey frowned, but Terry reappeared. “This way,” she said and tugged Alice along with her.

The opening guitar licks of the Beatles’ “With a Little Help from My Friends” rang out, and the assembled crowd of astronauts and witches and ghosts and superheroes cheered. When the lyrics started everyone began to sing along spontaneously, about getting by and getting high (louder on that part) with help from friends and needing someone to love.

Alice belted out the lyrics as loud as she could, and, beside her, Terry did the same. The mellow tune and the singing made Alice’s heart feel like it worked better, like the engine of her body was back in good running order for the first time in weeks. She laughed as the song finished, and Terry did too. Then she resumed leading Alice through the crowd. They emerged into a small communal backyard with a picnic table and a bonfire going. The night sky was clear, pinned stars on velvet.

Were parties always like this? Making you regret you’d come one second, then beyond glad that you had the next? Alice had whiplash. At least I’m wearing the right costume for it. Knievel was as famous for getting injured as he was for surviving his crazy stunts.

“Alice!” Ken got up from the picnic table. His hair flowed over his shoulders like normal. He hadn’t bothered to trim his beard in days. He had on a Zeppelin T-shirt and jeans.

“Are you dressed as yourself?” she asked, offended. The nerve of him, coming to a costume party without making any effort.

“It’s okay.” Terry trying to smooth it over, hearing that Alice was serious. It was strange and nice, being understood without having to explain.

“Oh no,” he said. “I’m supposed to be a narc.”

She squinted. “So you’re a narc in real life, then?”

“No.” Ken laughed, but she didn’t see why that was funny.

“You’re lazy is what you are,” she said.

But she moved past him when she saw Gloria rise from the table and throw out her arms for inspection.

“Now that is a costume!” Alice said, doing a full circle to admire Gloria’s note-perfect Catwoman. The Eartha Kitt version with a slinky, glittery black jumpsuit and a necklace with big gold circles, a belt to match. She had on the cat’s-eye mask and ears and everything.

“Back at you,” Gloria said, smiling at Alice.

Andrew came out to join them. “I hated how Lady Bird threw her under the bus.”

“All she did was speak her mind about the war,” Gloria agreed.

Alice nodded to Andrew. “I like you.”

Andrew handed her the beer can she didn’t want and clinked his against it. “I have a feeling you’re going to be like the little sister I never wanted.”

“No,” Alice said. “Not another brother! That’s the last thing I need.”

Terry put in, “Don’t forget, he has a Barracuda.”

Alice knew when she was beat. “I suppose I can have one more honorary brother.”

She sat down at the picnic table and Ken subtly reached over and slid away her drink. Surprised, she looked over to see his eyebrows raised in question. “Thanks,” she said.

“I’ll get you some water in a bit.”

She forgave him for not wearing a costume.

Terry and Andrew had to go back inside to play hosts, and Alice enjoyed being in the backyard with the only people she knew at the party. As long as she managed not to think about how they knew each other, it was fine.

Alice was surprised that Gloria did accept some kind of drink from Terry when she came back out with a real glass and presented it to her. “I’d never make you drink out of plastic, Catwoman.”

“Cheers,” Gloria said, taking it.

Terry clinked her beer to the glass before they each drank.

Other than a couple making out in the corner of the yard, their group was alone out here. Even Andrew was inside. Alice had work early the next day, and had planned to enjoy dressing up but leave early. Now she wanted to