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"Enough with the dramatic pause Harley, what's your decision?" Reece smirked, daring to take a threatening step toward the boy who looked as if he was in anguish.

My heart cracked in half as I watched with wide eyes. Harley ran his hand angrily through his curls, inhaling sharply. He had such a twisted expression that made his facial features seem unattractive and his eyes were shut tight.

"I'll join you," Harley forced out through gritted teeth and my chest began to tighten. "But only to protect my sister."

Reece grinned madly, his eyes shining mischievously. "Wonderful choice. I can assure you that your sister's secret is safe."

His sister's secret? What on earth was Reece talking about? I suddenly felt saddened by the thought of Hadlee having to hide a secret, but what made me more upset was Harley agreeing to join Reece to protect it. Join Reece in what? I had no clue.

The way Reece's lips tugged into a sinister smile made me question his truthfulness. He had seemed so nice and confident when I'd met him my first day. Seeing him here, I felt as if he had drastically changed. Fear coursed through my veins with every word he spoke.

Harley mumbled a bit, opening his eyes as his expression slightly softened. "Saige can never find out."

The mention of my name had my entire body frozen in place. I was afraid to even breathe, as if somehow they would hear me. Though that was highly unlikely, the loud music in the background had the entire gym vibrating.

My eyes began to burn and whatever was left of my heart disappeared. Harley had been so kind to me and to see him like this somehow devastated me. His gentle smile replayed over and over in my mind. And here he was making a deal with a devil so I wouldn't find out some petty secret.

Harley, why would you do that?

My eyes widened when he suddenly whipped his head toward my direction, as if he had sensed my staring gaze. His blue eyes glowed in the darkness with such intensity that it made me forget what I had been doing.

"What are you staring at?" Nolan's dark voice made me realize one terrifying thing.

I had been spotted. With each passing second, my plan was beginning to fall into pieces. Harley's eyes bulged when he saw me standing there, eavesdropping on what sounded like an important conversation. One that no other person should know about.

"Shit, the girl probably heard everything." Reece hissed and I cringed at his vulgar language.

While Harley looked shocked, Reece and Nolan held very pissed off expressions. The both of them scowled at me and somewhere deep in my gut I knew that I hadn't been recognized yet. With a shaky step backward, I decided it was time to make my escape.

A loud gasp escaped my lips and I quickly turned on my heel to face the crowd of students dressed in cheesy costumes. With only slight hesitation, I picked up my dress and ran as fast as a girl could in heels toward the middle. The music got significantly louder.

"Harley! Nolan! Catch her!" Reece's angry voice boomed from behind and I suddenly felt a cold shiver run down my spine.

I pushed my way through some dancing students, desperately trying to find a safe spot to hide. One of them would surely find me and I would be caught in no time. This was certainly not a part of my plan. I have to find Carson—

This dead feeling settled in the pit of stomach. It weighed down my thoughts as I frantically searched the entire gymnasium for some sign of him. I couldn't go to him, he had been adamant about me not attending this stupid carnival.

I was about to exit the sea of obliviously dancing students when a cold hand suddenly gripped my exposed wrist. "Quick, come with me."

A familiar voice whispered in my ear and I found myself being pulled roughly through the maze this school called a gym. My throat became dry as I saw brown curls bounce in front of me. Harley maneuvered his way out of the middle and quickly toward the opposite side of gym.

Taking a brave glance, I looked over my shoulder to catch Nolan's dark hair making its way through the crowd. I gulped and felt like I was no longer in control of my body. The music became a buzz of only background noise again and I felt guilt begin to grow inside my gut.

"Who are you?" Harley's faint voice made my cheeks begin to burn.

Do I dare face him? His grip on my wrist suddenly felt toxic as I remembered how he had been avoiding for the past few days. Gaining a bit of confidence from my raging emotions, I pulled away from his touch. I lifted my head up, making eye contact with him.

Harley's eyes widened slightly as I stared into his orbs intensely. How could he play with me like that? I thought he was different, comforting me when Nolan had bared his fangs. Harley had been there, opening his arms to me for when I needed someone.

"Saige?" Harley suddenly called and his eyes softened.

I let out a small gasp, stunned that he had recognized me so easily. Maybe my disguise wasn't as good as I hoped it was. My confidence began to shred into little pieces and I felt my face burn with shame. I let my eyes wander to the suddenly very interesting wood floor.

Rough fingers touched my face, slowly lifting my chin upward. They left behind a trail of tingles on my warm skin and the pieces of my shattered heart suddenly felt too realistic. My knees began to feel like jelly as I made eye contact with Harley.

"How could you?" My voice was barely above a whisper with all the screams of delight from the other students who were actually enjoying the Hallow's Eve Carnival.

"I don't understand—" Harley began to stutter but that only made my insides boil with rage.

I fiercely stepped away from his cool touch. "You don't understand? How could you be so nice to me and then suddenly avoid me with no explanation? And now you're making deals and keeping secrets."

My words were laced with venom and I scoffed at how stupid I'd been. They were vampires for crying out loud. There was no way I could co-exist with them. Why did my mother have to leave me in this town?

The dim lights made it hard for me to see Harley's pained expression. It was only in the silence between us when I noticed what kind of costume he was wearing. It wasn't even a costume, just a shirt saying I'm my own costume. I internally giggled, feeling that it was hard to stay mad for a long period of time.

"Listen to me," Harley said and I glanced up. "I hate having to keep secrets from you. It's killing me on the inside, but you have to know I'm doing it to protect Hadlee."

He offered no explanation. I could see it in his eyes. The desire to spill every bit of information that was slowly killing him on the inside, but it wasn't enough to outweigh the need to protect his sister. It pained my beating heart, but he wasn't the only one keeping important secrets.

I nodded my head, showing that I understood his reasoning. In truth, I didn't want to believe there was no trust between us. Things should have turned out differently, I thought. Coming here was probably a mistake.

"Where the hell did curly hair go?" Reece's loud cry had me almost breaking my neck to glance toward the crowd of students.

Reece stalked toward our hiding area, an angry scowl plastered on his face. It was in the strobe lights that I saw what costume he was wearing.

He had red horns sticking up from atop of his head and he wore dark clothing with a large red cape. It was a devil costume.

The loud, obnoxious music suddenly turned to a melodic tune. The dancing and screams of the students reduced to a slow pace. A sudden cold hand gripped my wrist and I looked toward Harley, who had a small smile on his face.

"Dance with me." Harley said and I raised my eyebrow at him. "You know, before either Reece or Nolan find us."

Before I could protest, Harley pulled me toward the mass of students slow-dancing. He gently grabbed my other hand, forcing my body to face his. Within seconds, we were spinning at a steady pace. I blinked, unsure of how to completely match his rhythm.

Despite my clumsiness, Harley leisurely led our dance and we found ourselves in the center of gym. I have to admit, he looked rather out of place wearing his silly tee-shirt. My eyes found his and I blushed at how close we were. Our bodies were nearing touching and his hand was resting about the middle of my back.

Time seemed to slow and I suddenly forgot why I had been upset at Harley in the first place. Looking at him closely, I remembered that same goofy smile he had given to me on my first day. I bit my lip, trying to contain the rapid waves of emotions inside me.

"You know, technically that's not a costume." I said, unable to look away from the shirt he thought was a costume.

Harley grinned at me. "Of course it is. I dressed up as myself."

"That has to be the most laziest thing I've ever heard." I stated, trying to keep a blank face.

Which was rather difficult when Harley was looking down at me with a big grin. I couldn't help but let my lips form a smile. Maybe he had a good reason for keeping a secret from, after all it was to protect his sister. I wasn't even here to get answers from him.

A certain blonde attracted my full attention and my carefree mood was suddenly ruined. It was only a blur in my peripheral vision, but I had caught it nonetheless. He stood out to me from the other students, with his arms folded across his chest.

Carson was scanning over the crowd and that's when I made eye contact with him. There was absolutely no way he would have known it was me, but then I was reminded of how Harley had recognized me. He stood along the edge of the circle formed by the crowd.

Even from here, I saw his brown eyes gaze at me fully. A small flicker of silver had me looking down at my chest. Then and there, I cursed the entire universe and myself for being such an idiot. The necklace was swinging back and forth along with the rhythm of my dancing.

The small hope that Carson wouldn't recognize me went down the drain. I timidly looked up to see that he was no longer standing where he had just been a few seconds ago. Panic racked my body at the thought of Carson becoming enraged.

"Saige? Are you alright?" Harley brought my attention back to him.

The song ended and I took that as my cue to leave. Escaping from his hold on me, I mumbled out a quick apology. I turned my back, imagining how confused he must be. I tried to find the exit doors, but it was hard with the many taller students blocking my view.

Slightly shoving them out of the way, I was desperate to find the double gray doors that would lead me to my freedom. Carson can't find me or I'll become a vampire snack for sure. I disobeyed him and I definitely didn't want to pay the price.

No time to find Rowan or Zaylee, I guess I'll have to walk home in this dress. I could finally breathe as I made it out of the crowded circle. Searching the walls, I wanted to jump for joy when the large gray doors came into my sight. Taking giant steps, which was difficult in heels, I became so close to escape.

How foolish of me to think that Carson wasn't smart enough to wait by one of the exits. Within inches of reaching for the handle, I smacked straight into a solid chest that had an all too familiar scent. My heart pounded erratically and I suddenly found myself too stiff to move.

"I can't believe you came." Carson's masculine voice growled out.

Gulping, I raised my blushing face to meet his. He had his eyes narrowed at me and a frown that looked to be permanently stuck onto his face. I had been caught for the second time this night and by the one person who I was determined not to be noticed by.

"I'm sorry—" I quickly tried to apologize, but it was no use.

Carson grabbed my forearms, directing me away from my only chance at escape. His cold hands sending my nerves into overdrive and somehow my body began to heat up. I helplessly followed his lead, once again finding myself in one of the dark corners of the gym.

"I told you multiple times not to come tonight. What the hell are you doing here?" His words were harsh and I wanted to do nothing more than to cower at his words.

It was extremely difficult to look him straight in the eyes. His brown orbs showed raged, yet behind all that I saw a glimpse of worry and surprise. I couldn't help but think that he cared an awful lot about me.

Suddenly there was this boiling anger inside me, wanting to be let loose for all the trouble I've gone through.

"I came to find answers to all the damn questions I have, Carson!" I nearly screamed at him out of frustration.

He looked mildly surprise at my outburst. To be honest, I was too. With my mother leaving me all alone so suddenly and having deal with the drama of a vampire school, I just wanted to scream profanities at the person who dealt me this unfair card.

"That's no excuse for exposing yourself to danger, Saige!" Carson emitted the same frustration I had and stepped closer to me.

I scoffed, and glanced away from his threatening eyes. "What danger?"

He looked a bit taken back, as if his vague outburst wouldn't cause my suspicion level to raise up a notch. I studied his costume when he remained silent. He wore some sort of prince outfit, with dazzling jewels and colors that stood out against the medieval looking fabric.

"I can't tell you." Carson sighed, rubbing his hand against his face anxiously.

Of course he would say that. It seems to be a sentence that I hear quite often now. With my mother hiding secrets and now Harley, I've had enough. So much for finding answers, this silly plan of mine was a ticking time bomb waiting to backfire in my face.

I exhaled and looked away, defeated. Slowly, I turned away from Carson. The carnival was still in full swing as people threw food and solo cups into the air dramatically. My legs felt heavy as I dared to walk away from him.

"Saige!" Carson suddenly called and it took all my strength to not turn around.

Unless he was finally going to give me some answers, I wasn't going to turn around. Forcing myself to keep moving forward was one of the hardest things to do. Tears threatened to spill any second and I hoped this mask would keep those hidden too.

I should find Rowan or Zaylee and hope that I could get a ride home. If I stayed here any longer, I might become sick to my stomach. Right now, I'd rather be curled up in my bed wearing comfy pajamas. The sooner I get home, the better.

Glancing from left to right, I sighed when I couldn't spot a familiar witch or huntress. There were too many people dressed up in cheesy and generic costumes such as a ghost or Greek god.

Taking a guess, I began to circle the edge of the gym hoping to find them mingling on the outside. Maybe I shouldn't have been selfish and should've just listened to Carson.

My life was more important than finding stupid answers to even more stupid questions. The strobe lights and strong smell of sweat tried to distract me from my thoughts.

"Caught you, bitch." A sinister voice came from behind me.

Before I could react, my arm was painfully pulled backwards. A painful gasp escaped my lips and I stumbled from the sudden force. My eyes widened and I was shocked to see Nolan holding onto my arm with a tight grip. I stared in confusion when I saw the wolf ears atop his head.

Nolan was dressed as a wolf.

I was brought out my confusion when a strong throbbing pain ran along my arm. "Let me go!"

"What the hell did you hear while you were eavesdropping?" A figure came out from behind Nolan and I knew I was now royally screwed.

Reece stood, a smirk plastered onto his face. I watched with dread, knowing that I had now been caught for the third time tonight. He'll surely be the one to kill me. I glanced at Nolan, miraculously hoping that he would let go of my arm any second now.

"Aren't you going to answer? Or am I going to have to remove this mask?" Reece stepped closer.

My breath caught in my throat and I was afraid to say a word. When I didn't respond, Reece's hand reached forward. I felt movement on my mask and I squeezed my eyes shut, knowing that my face would be revealed. I had no way to stop him, since Nolan had a death grip on me.

When my mask began to lift, I decided that the only way I would be able to get out of this predicament was the let out a scream for help. I suddenly screamed, making Reece jump away from me. Nolan suddenly slapped his other hand across my mouth. I peeked open my eyes to see that barely any of the other students paid attention to us.

"You son of a bitch!" A fist came flying at Nolan's face.

I watched in horror as giant banana man punched Nolan in the face. His nails raked across my arm painfully and I winced. I bit my lip, trying to keep in my sobs. The giant banana man stood in front of me protectively and I couldn't have been more thankful.

The banana man turned back toward me and I should've expected Theo to be the one wearing this ridiculous costume. His eyes gave me a once over and he looked at me worriedly. I wanted to laugh, but the pain in my arm was very distracting. Theo saw me grip the scratch and his eyes burned with fire.

"I'm gonna kill you!" Theo growled and cracked his knuckles.

Nolan stood still, rubbing his jaw. He stared at Theo, distaste with what he saw evident on his face. I wanted to stop Theo, but the words didn't want to come out.

My body was shaking in fear and there was no way I would have been able to stop a fight between two vampires. Reece joined Nolan's side and hissed loudly. His fangs showing and eyes turning a deadly crimson color.

I gulped, the fear in my body beginning to increase. Someone stop them, I mentally pleaded. And someone did, just not who I was expecting to.

"I spent hours working on this carnival and I'm not going to allow any fighting inside the gymnasium." Waverly suddenly stepped into the spotlight. "You may take the fighting outside."

She appeared in between Nolan and Theo, wearing a white gown. A halo and wings were evident and it appeared to me that she was dressed as angel. How ironic, I thought. Her and Reece dressed up as the angel and the devil, where the two of them should both be devils.

Nolan growled and was about to lunge forward, despite Waverly's threat. Reece grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him, shaking his head. He looked relatively calmer than he did just a few seconds ago. Nolan grumbled and gave me a quick glare before turning around.

I watched as Reece and Nolan disappear to the other side of the gym, but not before I saw them grab a shocked Harley and drag him away. They vanished from my vision and I couldn't help but feel a sad feeling creep inside my head.

"You alright?" Someone's hand lightly touched my shoulder and I whipped my head around.