Only a Whole Car of Your Sister's Friends

When you turned to the car, you didn't expect to see anyone you knew--much less a carful of Sarah's friends. Cindy was the first you recognized, her blue eyes looking you up and down in disbelief.

“Those look like her costumes!” Another voice said from the back.

“I think they are!” Cindy said back, staring at you. You stood horrified, held still by the living clothing as your mouth hung open. “Adam?! That is you, right?”

“Uh...I, uh…” You scanned the car. Four friends of your sister. Bonnie, driving the car; Cindy staring at you from the passenger's side, Mia behind her, her black hair framing her tan face as she laughed uncontrollably at the sight...and Lacy--of course it was Lacy--the brunette you had a crush on, sitting in the back seat.

“Holy shit, it really is him,” Mia cried, brushing her dark bangs back. “Yo, Adam...what's with…” Mia looked back at the line of clothes behind you, then regarded the two filled-out but empty costumes. “Hey, how are you even doing all that?”

“They look weird, right? Is it just, like...riggings?” That purring voice from the back, coming through the other sounds of disbelief. Here you were, exposed to the world dressed in your sister's haunted clothes, and there was one of your main crushes--your sister's friend searching for an explanation as to why you were dressed up so pretty.

“How are they all standing behind you like that, Adam?” Mia asked again.

“It’s not me...it's--” Your lipstick smacked your mouth shut, and suddenly your body shifted to the side. The coat and the gloves spun you a half-turn while your boots kept you standing, and suddenly one of your long gloves drew up your arm behind you and made you smack yourself on the ass--through the coat.

A roar of laughter again from the car.

"Adam, I never took you to be such a show girl," Lacy said. You glanced at her as she looked you up and down, still giggling. "But seriously, how are all these things walking behind you? I really don't get it."

Bonnie pulled over the car and parked on the side of the road. Cindy was the first to jump out of the passenger seat, assessing the situation again as she stood up.

"Whoa, that is just really really weird." Cindy looked back and forth at the line of clothes, noticing that they seemed to bob and sway like real people. "Bon, you gotta shut it off and come see this."

Bonnie put her sedan into park and dropped the engine, pulling her keys out of the ignition. She looked over her shoulder to check the oncoming traffic and popped her door open. The other girls followed behind her.

She lifted her sunglasses and stared. Whatever was happening here—it didn’t look possible. Silly as Sarah’s brother looked, she couldn’t get past the clothing that was apparently escorting him down the street.

“Yo—seriously. What the fuck is this, Adam?”

You tried to answer. You must have looked like an idiot—unable to open your mouth. Your jaw worked—but your lips simply would not part. The makeup apparently had enough pull to virtually adhere them. What should have been words came out as a series of increasingly aggravated hums.

Mia was out next—and she wasn’t far from you. She gave you an odd look, then looked at the outfit in front of you. She backed away, nervous.

“Adam...say like, anything. This is weird enough.”

You heard the clothes speak to you—but it wasn’t audible, like it had been in the house. It was in you, coming through your thoughts. Apparently it wasn’t weird enough. And it wasn’t a conversation they were having with you this time.

No.

They were telling you what to say. It was like a wave of consciousness, smacking you at the exact same moment your lips just happened to work again.

“I’m their dolly,” You say, covering your mouth after you say it. Your glove only allows you to hold your hand there for so long before it removes itself and flourishes, motioning to the outfits behind you. “We’re headed to a friend’s house, and you’re all welcome to come along.” You try getting a look across to Mia, who’s closest to you, but your attempt at passing a signal of distress becomes a wink.

And now the fear has all but evaporated in Mia—which is basically the last thing you wanted. She’s giggling as she turns back to Bonnie.

Bonnie drops her sunglasses, shaking her head and draping her arms over her car.

“Are you fuckin’ serious, Adam? You’re not going to explain how you’re doing, like—any of this?” Bonnie starts around the front side of the car, toward the maid outfit. “It’s...Mia, it’s fucking floating, right?”

Mia blinks her eyes a couple times, giving Bonnie a stupid look and shrugging.

“Adam seems pretty comfortable keeping us in the dark.” Mia stared you down. “Like, meaning explain how you’re doing this.” Then, as if she’d been holding it back, she giggled as she looked you up and down. “and maybe what made you decide to get all pretty, too.”

“Yeah, I wanna hear that story,” Lacy said, sliding over on the back seat and getting out Mia’s door. She immediately looked back at the leggings, walking back toward the end of the line. “It’s uncanny. It’s really, really weird.” Lacy waved her hand over an empty v-necked tee and a pair of bright green leggings.

“We’re only headed a block away,” You say—compelled again. You try to sneak out a syllable, but your lips only let out the stream coming through your head. “If you wanna come to a party.”