It was Halloween. It was the day that he had Bentlee Mullins life in his hands. To say he was terrified was an understatement, who knew what they would do to him when he tried to stop them. Mika had already headed down to the school's Halloween party with Charlie to avoid interacting with Andreis so he had the room to himself for a few minutes. With a sigh he lay down on his bed for a moment and shut his eyes. Finally, he forced himself to change into his costume. He had decided to dress as simply as possible with only slightly enough effort to actually appear to be wearing a costume. He had gotten himself a white coat, a stethoscope and plastic gloves and decided he looked enough like a doctor for it to count. He lifted up his pillow now, simply staring at the item that lay there. Slowly be picked it up, unwrapping it to reveal the silver blade inside, then he tucked it into his coat. When he left his dorm and made his way into the school courtyard he became aware that not only was the event in full swing but boys at St.James took Halloween extremely seriously. Boys dressed in all kinds of expensive costumes crowded the fully decorated campus. A stage had been set up with orange and black streamers and balloons hung all around as monster mash played softly in the background. There was table containing an array of Halloween themed snacks, courtesy of the student council. Someone had set up a fog machine causing an occasional thin layer of mist to surround the boys. He caught sight of Charlie and Mika a little ways away from him. He was surprised that Mika had shown up to the party at all but not surprised that his roommate had decided to not even attempt to dress up. Next to him was Charlie who had definitely gone all out, he wore a top hat and long black coat and had fake blood all over his hands and the side of his face. He carried a long toy knife and Andreis was 100% sure he was supposed to be the Wakefield Ripper. Andries was suddenly startled by a light tap on his shoulder and he quickly spun around coming face to face with someone in a grim reaper hood. The reaper snickered, pulling his hood back to reveal it was Bentlee.

"Be careful Andreis, death could be coming for you next mwahaha," he said with a little giggle. Norman ran up to stand beside him now, the boy was carrying more chocolates and candies from the snack table than seemed humanly possible. Norman grinned at him.

"Halloween has got to be my favorite holiday of all time! When else would they just be giving away this many delicious sweets!"

"Hey Andreis. Enjoying the party?" Andreis simply smiled thinly.

"Yeah."

"I'm excited for Robert to start the costume contest even though I know Avery Miller is going to win. Did you see his costume yet? He has a full on functioning ironman suit, it's so badass!"

"Are the others here yet?" Bentlee nodded.

"Yeah, Robert's getting ready. Kian left to go somewhere a few minutes ago and Fitz and Eric are over there." Andreis glanced in the direction that Bentlee had pointed. Fitz appeared to be dressed as a vampire while a red suit clung to Eric's fall frame, two small red horns poking up from his light blonde hair. Eric was the devil...despite Eric's gentle demeanor is was surprisingly fitting. Kian must have already left to get in position to wait for Bentlee. Andreis took a deep breath, he could do this...he could save Bentlee Mullins tonight. He had been informed that he would be the third to leave for the woods so he could only spend about 20 more minutes here before he would have to go. The Halloween songs that had been playing in the background shut off suddenly and Raymond Keeley made his way onto the stage. Mister Keeley didn't even need to wear a costume to look like the zombie from Warm Bodies if someone had left him in a marsh to starve and suffer for a year. Mister Keeley grinned at the crowd.

"HelloooOOOoooOOo lovely students! I hope you are all having a spooktacular time at the party tonight." He laughed at his own pun, no one else did. "I would like now to welcome the host of this wonderful costume contest, your student council treasurer miiiiiiiister Robert Reed." Everyone clapped ecstatically when Robert came on stage. He was wearing his school uniform and a dark wig to cover his blue hair. He took the mic from Mister Keeley in one quick swoop.

"I think I speak for everyone here when I say thank you mister Keeley, now please get off the stage." The boys watching chuckled. Robert grinned, continuing to talk. "Now folks, I need to ask, there doesn't happen to be any ghosts in the audience are there?" A few boys cheered and Robert winked at them. "Good, could you all please tell the Wakefield ripper to stop killing people on our school grounds. And if he does, to please do it during finals week so we can get out of them. Now, you may be wondering...Robert? Just what are you dressed as. This is Halloween and you're the MC for the costume contest, why are you in a uniform? Well, let me tell you, I thought long and hard about what I wanted to go as and I finally decided I would go as the scariest thing to walk onto this campus." His grin grew wider. "Mika Barton." This brought a roar of laughter from the boys. Andreis looked to Mika who was standing in the back of the crowd. He saw Mika whisper something to Charlie before quickly turning and leaving as the laughter continued around him. Robert had gone back to his routine making some joke about the school administration. Without thinking Andreis dashed after Mika. After a few minutes he finally found him. Mika was sitting on the other side of the school, his back to the wall and his face buried in his hands. Andreis sat down next to him and Mika didn't say anything.

"Are you okay?"

"Leave me alone."

"I know what Robert said was kinda mean."

"I said leave me alone," Mika hissed.

"I'll go as soon as you tell me how you're really feeling right now." Mika lowered his hands slowly and tilted his head to the side slightly to glare at Andreis.

"Alright, fine. You want the real goodness to truth answer? This sucks! I spend my entire life trying not to catch the attention of anyone at this Goddamn school and I still become the laughing stock of it! Happy?" Andreis leaned back against the school wall now.

"I know how you're feeling."

"How could you? You're a fucking White Rose boy now. Go hang out with them and their fancy little tea parties of whatever fucking shit they do."

"I was bullied back at my old school...well schools plural, this is my third. It got so bad that I had to transfer out of them. I got continously shoved into lockers, humiliated in front of the school numerous ways, pushed down the stairs, once a group of boys took me behind the school and beat me to the point where I nearly lost consciousness. That was the latest one, I was only about a week into the school year and my mom was so upset about it she pulled me out. Every single time I thought...why me? Why did it have to be that wherever I went everyone seemed to hate me. If everyone else had reached the consensus that I was nothing but a loser whose only point was to be a punching bag then maybe the problem was with me...not them. Then, one day someone left a flyer for Saint James at my mother's door. She told me that my great grandfather had gone there and that she thought it might be a nice fit, the only reason they hadn't sent me there before was because my mom thought the idea of an all boys school was way too old fashioned but...she took the poster as a sign and the next week I was sent here. And here...I feel like I fit in, or at least I'm starting to." Mika arched a brow.

"Is there a point to this or did you just want to waste more of my time then the fucking Phantom Menace did telling me your life story."

"I don't...I was just trying to...I just want you to know that if people at this school are jerks to you that doesn't mean that there's something wrong with you as a person, it just means they're assholes."

"Thanks." Knowing Mika, Andreis had no idea if the boy was being sincere or sarcastic. He was startled by cheering coming from across campus. They must of announced the winner of the costume contest- SHIT HE NEEDED TO LEAVE. He stood up quickly.

"I need to go now...but I'm glad we got to talk. I miss it. Uh...I know you might not ever forgive me for joining the White Rose boys but if you could find at least a little part of you that might want us to still be friends then...please keep talking to me after tonight." Mika just shrugged, continuing to stare straight ahead and Andreis had no idea if that was a yes or no. Quickly Andreis turned making his way into the woods. Eric and Kian were already waiting there when he arrived. Kian glared at him,

"You're late."

"Sorry. Don't worry though, I wasn't at the party I was just talking with someone so if Fitz is about to get here it still won't look like we left together." As if on cue Fitz jogged up beside him.

"Hey guys, mission accomplished. I spilled a glass of punch all over Norman, he left to go get changed which means he should be completely out of the way when we stab Bentlee." Eric nodded slowly. The only person still missing before the 'guest of honor' was to arrive was Robert.

"Guys," Andreis said quickly. "Don't you think Robert's joke about Mika was a little too far?" Kian shrugged.

"I thought it was funny. The guy is an asshole." They stood in silence a minute, simply waiting. The anxiety and anticipation was killing him. How was he going to do this...should he simply yell run when they were about to go for Bentlee? Maybe he could push him out of the way? Finally Robert showed up. He was grinning,

"Did you guys see how I totally rocked that crowd tonight? I think I totally could have a career as a stand up comedian...haha except that my dad would totally kill me if I did it." He did a little fist bump in the air. "I was able to stay so motivated during the contest because I knew that the main event was coming after. Man, I am so pumped! The adrenalin is already starting to kick in. I wonder if this is what Ted Bundy felt like?" Kian glared at him.

"Don't compare us to Ted Bundy. We're not animals." Fitz rolled his eyes.

"I know you're both excited but you need to stop talking so loudly. What if Bentlee was walking by right now and heard you?"

"Right, right, good point." Robert was practically rocking back and forth on the souls of his feet. Kian seemed more excited then Andreis had ever seen him. They all fell silent when they heard the sound of someone moving through the underbrush. Out of the corner of his eye Andreis caught sight of the black hood of a grim reaper costume and then just like that it started. Before Andreis could even think to move Kian and Robert had both bounded forward, plunging their knives into the boy with Fitz close behind him. For a moment Andreis thought he was moving to stop them but before he could even think he realized his knife was in his hand and then...just like that he was plunging the knife into the figure and it felt...fuck...it felt disgustingly amazing. He felt like a God, all powerful, he was controlling the very life force of a human in his own hands. This life was his to take. He knew deep down it was wrong but then he was moving in again, the knife once more sinking through the black fabric and into the flesh beneath it. Blood had spurted everywhere, it dripped from Fitz's face and was streaked across Kian's cheek. Kian and Robert were both smiling and Andreis knew it was sick. This was wrong...so wrong...he had crossed a line he could never come back from and yet he still continued to lose himself in the red hot haze of taking a human life. Finally they drew back leaving only a crumpled up corpse on the ground, still covered with the hood of a reaper. Fitz ran a hand through his dark hair, breathing heavily and Robert let out a low laugh which was immediately cut short at the sound of a voice.

"Hey, guys sorry I'm late." They turned slowly to see Bentlee Mullins making his way towards them. The boys paled except for Eric who stood behind them in his usual quiet calm. Bentlee must have not been able to see the corpse or the blood dripping from his face in the darkness. "I would have gotten here sooner but someone spilled punch all over Norman. Speaking of Norman, I can't believe you guys forgot to tell him about the secret meeting! I lent him my reaper costume 'cause he had nothing else to wear and then just doubled back to go change myself." He did a little bow. Kian's face had turned ashen. "And thaaaaat is why I'm so late. Again sorry about that." And that's when Bentlee saw the body.