Chapter 1: The Unwanted Invitation

Friday, October 28th

The crumbled pile of rubble started to shift slightly. Already making his departure with Aphordisia slung over his right shoulder, Colonel Calamity halted his stride. With a tilted head, the supervillain listened as the pieces of the fallen building began to shake. Turning around a little more, the underboss to a would-be world-conqueror glanced over his left shoulder to see the bent steel beams and broken drywall start to lift.

“Deal with that, Mosquitoid,” Colonel Calamity directed his mechanical lackey.

Continuing toward his shuttle, the field commander heard the synthesized voice threaten the fallen hero. Seconds later, the winged android flew past Colonel Calamity to slam into the side of the shuttle with a clank.

“Stop and unhand her, fiend!”

Sighing, the supervillain turned to face the bruised and battered superhero. The young powerhouse’s tattered costume only covered portions of his body while he stood protectively over his unconscious classmate, Sunny Sprout. Stepping forward to put himself between the threat and the brunette, Kid Astro wiped trickling blood from his lips before pointing at the man who faced him.

“This is your last warning, Colonel. Leave Aphrodisia, and you’ll be allowed to leave.”

“Who’s going to stop me? You? I think we already settled that,” the gloating supervillain stated, patting the tranquilized buxom blonde’s butt that lay next to his face. With a flick of a pinkie, the ground beneath Kid Astro and Sunny Sprout turned more unstable.

“I won’t have to for long. The rest of my friends are approaching. You’ll soon face justice for what you did to this city,” Kid Astro vowed, pulling his eyes away from Aphrodisia’s delectable rump.

“Bwahahahaha! I’m not afraid of student superheroes, especially someone as unspecial as you. You’ll too–Late! Elliot, you’re late! Wake up!” Colonel Calamity yelled, his voice morphing into the hero’s mother’s.

“Huh?” Elliot Keever muttered, waking from his dream as the window blinds raced up with a zipping sound. “Mom!”

“You overslept again. You have fifteen minutes to shower, change, and eat breakfast. Get a move on it,” Evie Keever warned, zipping up the blinds on a second window.

“Ah!” her son cried, using his hand to block the shining sunlight.

“You'd better move, or Kayla will walk over,” the final warning came before the brown-haired mother left the second-story bedroom door open a crack.

Rolling over to sit up on the edge of his bed, Elliot kept his sleepy eyes shut while he attempted to wake up. Then, he noticed the snoring. Forcing one eye open, the eighteen-year-old peeked over at the end of his queen-sized bed. A large black moose with brown around its face and a white belly sawed logs, clearly undisturbed by the wake-up call and sunlight.

“Thanks for the alarm, Marlowe,” Elliot complained, nudging his sleeping basset hound.

It took two tries for the tired teen to get out of bed and reach his dresser. He grabbed a pair of clean boxers and jeans, bypassing the closet and a shirt for now. Staggering into the attached bathroom, Elliot turned on the shower while he took a morning pee.

Damn, I shouldn’t have watched the rest of the season last night. What time did I go to bed? Elliot asked himself as hot water cascaded down his body in the shower. At least today is Friday. Just one more day until I can get away from everybody.

Several minutes later, Elliot wiped the fogged mirror while brushing his teeth. Spitting out the toothpaste, he caught his partial reflection. A pair of blue eyes took in his short, sandy-brown hair, which looked blah to him. Shaking his head at his appearance, the depressed high school senior began to mutter.

“Even in your dreams, you’re not special. Just the nice, bland guy that people nod hello to and swiftly forget about seeing.”

Exiting the bathroom, Elliot quickly threw on jeans, socks, and a plaid button-up shirt. Once again, a boring outfit in his mind. Less than a year until college. I need to develop a plan to stand out wherever I go. But it will be far away from River Ripple and everyone who knows me. That’s my only chance to change things up.

Going down the stairs, the teenager realized that Marlowe still hadn’t been sleeping in his room while he changed. Suddenly, a giggle floated through the air as Elliot reached the second-to-last stair. Oh, no! Not this. They’re probably plotting already.

Turning the corner, Elliot’s hopes sank upon seeing his mother hovering over a short, petite girl with light caramel brown hair, hazel eyes, and medium-to-large breasts that looked impressive on her short frame. She’d removed one shoe and ran her cute, red, sock-covered foot around Marlowe’s chest. Elliot shook his head at how much his dog loved his chest and ears being scratched.

“Oh, now you get up,” Elliot told his traitorous dog, who wagged his tail at his favorite neighbor’s attention.

“Here. You can eat and drink in the car,” Evie ordered her son, handing over a breakfast bar and a bottle of orange juice. “Kayla can’t be late today.”

Sizing up his neighbor from across the street, Eliliot noted the red-and-black cheerleader uniform and the matching ribbons in her hair. Well aware of Kayla Deam’s usual game look, her family friend knew she’d add ‘Go Rascals’ across one cheek before the game started.

“Another game?!” Elliot challenged.

“Honey, you’re in high school. Football games happen,” his mother pointed out, sighing in the direction of her friend’s daughter.

“And they mostly happen on Fridays. You used to know this,” Kayla reminded, patting Marlowe’s head before she put her shoe back on. “Your mom and I were talking–”

“No! I am not going to a stupid game tonight. I…I have plans,” Elliot insisted.

“Hanging out with Marlowe and watching movies is not a real plan,” Evie stated. “You can’t skulk around the house while wasting your youth.”

“I want to hang out as much as possible with him before I leave next year.”

“Your father doesn’t have to work late, and I have no homes to show. So, we’re planning a comfortable Friday night on the sofa. Marlowe can join us,” his mother declared. “You can finally snap out of your funk to live a little.”

“No, no, I can’t.”

“Ellie, it’s been six months.”

“Not yet!”

“It’s close enough,” Kayla calculated, rejoining the conversation. “Just because Haylee wasn’t the nicest girlfriend doesn’t mean you should give up on all girls.”

“I know you’re too polite and positive, so let me handle this,” Evie said to Kayla. “Yes, your girlfriend turned out to be a two-faced bitch. It happens. I was cheated on several times, and I didn’t let it ruin my life.”

“You were popular in school, and Haylee didn’t actually cheat on me. She did way worse,” Elliot grumbled, slamming his feet into his shoes. “C’mon. Let’s go.”

“No, we’re not leaving until you agree to attend the game. You’ve missed every single one so far, which is rude to your best friend,” Kayla proclaimed. Having stood up, she placed her hands on her hips with a rare mad expression that still came across as sweet.

“She’s absolutely correct. Think of how Diego must feel when you skip his games,” Evie piled on.

“Fine. I’ll skip school and stay home,” Elliot threatened, placing his backpack on the kitchen island.

“Well, I guess I can drive Kayla to school if you refuse to. On the way, she can give me a list of all the available girls at your school. Then, when I return, we can spend the day ranking each candidate for a date,” Evie suggested, watching the younger brunette’s eyes light up.

“You know, Reese Kersey loves to tease Elliot in class,” Kayla revealed.

“Does she now?”

“Reese can’t sit still in class, so she takes it out on me,” the embarrassed son clarified.

“Girls often tease a boy that they like,” Evie explained, using the voice she used when Elliot was about a dozen years younger.

“Dammit, Mom. Stop meddling in my life,” Elliot yelled, picking up his backpack. “I’ll go, I’ll go. But only this one time. Got it?”

Walking out the door, Elliot missed the fist bump between his mom and Kayla, yet he suspected it had happened. Thrilled to score a rare victory since last spring with her neighbor, Kayla practically bounced around the passenger seat, pressing for a winning streak.

“You know, if you really want to be sociable, I can still score you an invitation to Mercedes’s Halloween party tomorrow night. Consider it a perk for having such a wonderful friend,” Kayla remarked, sending him a beaming, bright smile.

“Why? I don’t think the school bitch even knows that I exist.”

“She knows!” Kayla insisted, although perhaps a bit too much. “And don’t call her that. Mercedes is…finicky.”

“Then, she doesn’t like me.”

“I’ve never heard her say a bad thing about you. That’s a good thing with her!” Kayla pointed out. “What’s with you this morning? You’ve gone from Eeyore to Chicken Little.”

“I’m not acting like the sky is falling. I’m tired from staying up to rewatch Power Prep,” Elliot remarked, stopping at the red light. Glancing around while taking a bite of his breakfast bar, he moaned at the thought of a bigger breakfast at Dash Dish, the popular diner to his right. “You’re just always too positive.”

“I have to be to cancel out your negativity,” Kayla chuckled.

“No. Your peppy positivity is god-like, if not cosmic-level. Only Graham Higbee can cancel you out to save the world,” Elliot remarked, referring to their classmate and his book club acquaintance.

“Poor Graham does seem scared of his own shadow,” Kayla agreed, frowning. “And I’ve tried.”

“Graham is frightened of any pretty girl. Don’t take it personally,” Elliot responded. He immediately regretted his words as the petite brunette shifted in her seat to face him, sitting cross-legged.

“Ooh! You think I’m pretty, do you?” Kayla teased, twirling her caramel-colored hair around a finger. “Should I warn Linus about you?”

“Shut up!” Elliot yelled, making his childhood friend burst into giggles.

After parking in the lot in front of the football stadium, the pair crossed the street to head toward Rapidside High School. As per the usual routine, Elliot received polite nods from classmates while everyone seemed to greet Kayla cheerfully. It wasn’t that the cheerleader didn’t encourage it. Peppy and bubbly, his family friend could launch a conversation for no reason, chatting with anyone around her. That friendliness, coupled with her slightly too-ample bosom for her frame, invited any stranger’s attention.

Suddenly, Elliot's world froze as another cheerleader, possibly with the largest bust in the school, raced over to them. The squad's surprising co-captain, Brielle Brye, might be the walking wet dream of every guy at Rapidside High. A golden blonde with long, wavy hair, mesmerizing blue eyes, a curvy ass, and a hypnotizing pair of very large breasts, Brielle briefly shot Elliot a smile that melted his heart. If the co-captain's appearance wasn't enough to strike lust, her reputation as a wild child with a high sex drive led to legendary bedroom tales.

Constantly uncomfortable around his crush, Elliot felt additionally squeamish as the buxom blonde had guest-starred in his dream last night, filling in for the actress who played Aphrodisia, one of the several sexy superpowered characters on Power Prep. The slight eye flicker toward Elliot as Brielle whispered to Kayla made him certain she somehow knew he’d dreamed of her last night.

“Something’s up with Mercedes,” Kayla explained after she said goodbye, and Elliot asked if everything was all right.

Shrugging off the usual drama with the spoiled rich girl, Elliot went about his day. His morning classes came and went without anything unusual. During fourth-period lunch, Elliot told Diego Ortega, his best friend, about his decision to attend tonight’s game. Immediately, the teen felt guilty at noticing the pleased expression on Diego’s face. Great. I’ve been a terrible friend for the past two months.

Exiting the lunchroom, Elliot wasn’t surprised to see Kayla heading toward him. The cheer squad all had their lunch during the fifth period. However, the peppy brunette wore a troubled expression as she headed straight for Elliot, not the lunchroom. And behind her came the school’s drama queen: Mercedes Raddatz.

The latest heir to the Raddatz fortune, Mercedes had bragged for years about taking over Raddatz & Padfield someday. A specialty jewelry company known worldwide for its luxurious products, it held a prominent position in the otherwise sleepy Midwestern city of River Ripple. Long celebrated in their hometown, the Raddatzes have had a range of shocking behavior and scandals over the last century.

The latest gem scion, Mercedes, turned heads without any fabled accessories. Her long, wavy, deep, dark red hair usually caught the eye first, then dropped to her large bosom. If the admirer raised their gaze, they’d notice piercing green eyes that sparkled with mind-blowing secrets. If they looked the other way, they’d likely lock onto the bubble butt that could move mountains. For whatever reason, Mercedes’s beauty captivated until her condescending, short-tempered attitude turned people away. Despite a well-earned reputation as a bossy bitch, Elliot knew she could be a loyal, kind friend to a small circle. While others doubted that hidden side, Elliot knew it had to be true for Kayla to tolerate, if not love, her friend.

“Ellie, read this,” Kayla ordered, nearly out of breath, which spoke volumes about her rush to find him.

Before he could read the paper, Elliot noticed the elaborate, flowery writing he recognized as the redhead’s.

“Kay thinks you can help,” Mercedes stated, her body language screaming that she doubted it.

“Cede thinks she copied it down precisely,” Kayla said, pronouncing the nickname like ‘say-dee’.

Malachi,

Ghosts and ghouls won’t be your only scare this Halloween. An unstoppable force will reach into your realm to claim those fabulous, ill-gotten trinkets that you produce for the undeserving. Know now that my presence will grace your celebration, and I will take what I desire.

Sincerely,
The Seeper“The Seeper?” Elliot repeated, glancing between Kayla and Mercedes. What maniac did Mal Raddatz piss off now?

“I told you that he wouldn’t know,” Mercedes declared. Attempting to snatch the paper back, she found Kayla slapping her hand away. “Hey!”

“Give him a minute. I told you that Ellie keeps up with current events and likes mysteries,” Kayla reminded.

“So if this is your handwriting, then where did you find the original copy?” Elliot queried.

“That’s none of your business if you can’t help,” Mercedes declared.

“Be nice,” Kayla hissed.

“So have you heard of this nutjob or what?”

“No, I’ve never heard of anyone called The Seeper,” Elliot admitted after mulling the name over. Of course, this set Mercedes off in a huff. “Hold your highness’s horses. I might know somebody who could know.”

“Who?” Kayla asked cheerfully.

“Who?!” Mercedes demanded, sounding like she wanted to hold an interrogation.

“Graham Higbee’s hobby is weird, unusual crimes and mysteries. If anyone at our school has heard of–”

“Where is Higbee? Does he have lunch this period?” Mercedes questioned, moving into Elliot’s personal space.

“I don’t know when he has lunch,” Elliot replied, glancing at Kayla for help.

“Easy. Just relax,” the brunette told her friend.

“Alright, I’m relaxed,” the redhead responded, backing up without sounding like she meant it. “Find your friend, and bring him to me in the commons after school ends.”

“I’m not really friends with Graham. He’s more like an acquaintance…” Elliot trailed off as Kayla started a mini-argument with Mercedes.

“You can’t meet them after the last period. We have the pep rally, and then Coach–”

“Fine! Whatever,” the bossy heiress stated before turning her attention back to Elliot.

“Bring your crime buddy to the game tonight. We’ll discuss what he knows there,” the redhead commanded. Then, as if she expected her orders to be followed, Mercedes turned on a dime to strut off.

“Sorry,” Kayla whispered before rushing after her upset friend.

“The hell?” Elliot muttered.

I don’t even want to go to the game. How am I going to get the most unsociable kid in school to go with me? I barely know Graham. We only talk in classes or at our book club. Shit!

The solution to Elliot’s dilemma didn’t surface until sixth period. Mr. Angwin, the prickly English teacher, decided to send his class to the library to do research. Of course, many of his students saw right through his reasoning.

“Why did the asshole even become a teacher if he hates teenagers?” Reese Kersey questioned, walking down the hallway toward the library.

“He just wants to hit on Miss Mifflin,” Simone Altice, Reese’s best friend, remarked.

“Can you blame Angry Arn? Mifflin is hot!” Quirke, the football team’s dimwitted linebacker, praised.

“He’s got a chance when pigs finally fly,” Reese declared.

Once inside the library on the high school’s second floor, Elliot waited for an opportunity to speak with the librarian in private. Laurel Mifflin would help him if she could. A family friend of the Keevers, the twenty-eight-year-old had long, dirty blonde hair, hazel eyes behind a pair of eyeglasses, medium-to-large breasts, and a firm behind. Extremely popular with students, Elliot could be considered in the running for her favorite student. And as the faculty advisor to the book club, she might know where he could find Graham.

Unfortunately, Miss Mifflin’s popularity meant that nearly every student in his class wanted her help for the class paper. Even Percy Pascoe, who wasn’t in their class, wandered in with a hall pass to drop off a book and stayed around to flirt with the young librarian.

“Laurel, I mean, Miss Mifflin is bringing up recruitment again,” Spencer Jepson informed Elliot.

He’d chosen to sit with his fellow book club member for any insight about Graham, but she didn’t have a clue about his class schedule. Instead of helping, the cinnamon-haired wallflower raised another issue with their club.

“Again? I don’t know if we can add anyone more.”

“She’s pushing to get to twelve, but I think ten will satisfy her for now,” the school actress disclosed.

A very talented actress who shared Elliot's love for books, Spencer was a wallflower most of the time before she seemed to come alive on stage. Besides Elliot and Graham, Spencer seemed to care about their book club more than anyone.

“Ten or twelve?! We barely have seven members, and I swear Nosy Nellie only shows up to see if Miss Mifflin or we know any good gossip,” Elliot pointed out.

“Nellie’s the only person who seems to have somebody in mind,” Spencer responded. “She’s going to ask Lyric.”

“Oh, gawd,” Elliot moaned. Lyric Lute, a talented artist, might be more eccentric than anyone at Rapidside. “Can’t you find anyone in the drama club?”

“I already brought in two people who didn’t last,” the wallflower admitted. “Can you ask Kayla? She’s a chatterbox who could bring in more members.”

“I don’t know if Kayla has ever read a book for fun,” Elliot admitted, sighing. “I guess I can ask her to ask Linus. However, he might have a conflict as basketball starts next month.”

“A friendly jock might placate Mifflin,” Spencer said, grinning.

“Well, I guess we can spend the weekend worrying about this.”

“I, uh, can’t. I’m going to, um, a drama camp this weekend over in Quaintville,” Spencer revealed.

“Great. I’ll see what I can do,” Elliot said, shaking his head.

“What’s wrong, my love? You look sad,” a person inquired, plopping down sideways across his lap.

A highly competitive swimmer and diver, Reese also had a hyperactive personality. Often bored in class, she’d long ago found a target to amuse her: the boy who frequently sat in front of or behind her because of their last names. With her hyper attitude and swimming stamina, Reese also had a reputation for being energetic in the bedroom. However, with Elliot, she was all bark and no bite.

A brunette with long, straight golden-brown hair, amber eyes, medium-to-large breasts, and a toned butt from constant exercise, Reese also loved to rub that tight tush on Elliot’s groin, as she did now. Rolling her eyes, Spencer attempted to save her fellow bookworm with a warning about Mr. Angwin.

“Quirke proved he can’t read or write English again, so Angry Arn’s about to have a coronary,” the mischievous athlete relayed. “Tell me what troubles you besides this tent forming?”

“We’re discussing our book club,” Elliot replied.

“Do you want to join? Miss Mifflin is an awesome advisor,” Spencer praised, hoping for a yes.

“We read mysteries and detective stories. You wouldn’t like it,” Elliot interjected, seeking to shoot down the possibility.

“Hmm, spending extra time with the key to my treasure box? Me likey!” Reese purred. “But only if you come to all my swim meets. I get super wound up after a race. I could use somebody to help let off steam in the showers afterward.”

“Dammit, Pascoe! You’re not even part of this class. Stop flirting with Simone!” Arn Angwin shouted from across the library, totally violating the no-loud-talking rule.

The fun-loving flirt with stylish blonde hair rolled his gray eyes as Angwin forced Simone to return to her table. Wondering what went wrong, he spotted a likely suspect.

“Thanks for snitching, Nosy Nellie,” Percy grumbled at the notorious gossip.

“I just walked in here!” Nellie Lampley screeched. The high-pitched denial sent Miss Mifflin scurrying over to calm the black-haired girl down. “Look at Veith. That bitch is always earning brownie points by kissing ass!”

“Percy!” Elliot exclaimed, slapping his forehead. Of course! Percy’s not entirely friends with Graham, but their parents are close friends. He can help me find and get Higbee to the game. Jumping up, he stopped halfway between his teacher and the librarian. Raising his voice, he offered his help, “I can escort Percy back to his class.”

“Really?” Laurel Mifflin asked.

“Yes, you do that, Keever, “ Mr. Angwin agreed. “Way to be a problem-solver. And make sure you stay with Pascoe until he’s locked inside his regularly scheduled classroom.”

Elliot checked the wall clock and saw he had plenty of time, so he left his bag on the table. Moving over toward the fidgety flirt, he motioned toward the door.

“What the hell, Keever?”

“Quiet! I need to talk to you.”

---

“I hit that. Haven’t had the pleasure yet. Carmen definitely rocked my world. Hmm, I made out with Uphoff…Wait, no, of course, I never did that. I was super drunk that night. Hahaha,” Percy laughed, forcing the fake laugh while he ran down the row of cheerleaders on the sideline. “I’d never touch your ex. What she did was so wrong.”

Elliot took a deep breath as Graham shifted uncomfortably between them on the bleachers. At least the unwelcome spectator had given up around halftime, asking why he’d been kidnapped and forced to attend the Rascals’ game. Percy only knew that Mercedes wanted to speak to his family friend, and he had even kept that tiny bit of information from the bored teen.

“Mercedes would have to be a hate fuck. Or at least I think we both hate each other,” Percy said, talking to himself more than anyone. “Of course, I’d never go after Kayla. I respect the dibs you have on her, Keever.”

“I don’t have dibs on Kayla. We’re only friends,” Elliot said, forcing himself to stay polite.

Percy’s horny hyperness reminded him too much of Reese. Yet, the impulsive flirt also acted like a dog whenever they spotted a squirrel. Only in Percy’s case, those squirrels that his attention jumped from one to another were girls and women. Surprisingly, the game had kept his attention until halftime, when the MILFs of River Ripple took over his brain before it shifted to the cheer squad at the start of the fourth quarter.

“Sure you are. Don’t think I haven’t noticed the signals between the two of you.”

Elliot wanted to point out that the peppy cheerleader checked in every fifteen to twenty minutes from the sideline to ensure that Graham hadn’t disappeared. Yet, he couldn’t tell Percy that without alerting Graham.

“Um, either you pissed off Mercedes, or she’s interested in Elliot. She keeps looking this way, too,” Graham noted.

“Don’t sell yourself short. Maybe she’s interested in you,” Percy said, nudging his family friend.

Why did you say that? Elliot screamed in his head as he noticed the classmate seated next to him stiffen.

A slightly chubby high school senior with messy dark brown hair and eyeglasses, Graham could discuss notorious crimes in creepy detail, but he also froze around pretty girls. At Rapidside High, the helpful classmate always seemed to have school friends in need of essay corrections or test answers. A quiet kid, Graham mostly kept to himself outside of school, or so Elliot imagined. He also thought it was kind of sad that people used Graham but never wanted to socialize with him.

“Ooh! Hard hit on Wesway!” Percy shouted, causing several Rascal fans to look over at his cheering of a brutal hit on the school’s wide receiver that caused a fumble. Unconcerned by the looks, he added a loud, “Good. I hope he’s hurt.”

“Really?” Elliot questioned.

“Dude, Zayn’s an asshole. Even you have to know that. He bullied Higbee here in junior high,” Percy revealed.

“He did?”

“Yeah, but Percy helped me,” Graham confirmed, wiping mist from his eyeglasses.

“Fucking tackle, asshole!” Reese shouted from two rows behind them as Quirke missed a tackle that caused a big play.

However, the next play sent the Rapidside crowd to their feet. It also confirmed that Elliot’s mom and Kayla had been right in forcing him to attend, as Diego picked off a pass from the end zone and returned it to the other end of the field for what proved to be the game-winning score.

“That was…exciting,” Graham acknowledged. “Can I go home now?”

“Not yet,” Percy said, throwing his arm around the chubby teen’s neck. “Let’s go celebrate with everyone else down there.”

Elliot nodded at the fellow conspirator for the suggestion. Hopefully, they could get this over with quickly. Unfortunately, Mercedes didn’t comply. Pointing over the fence that separated the bleachers and the field, she yelled Graham’s name.

Shooting up straight, the crime expert acted as if his end neared. Mumbling that she had been glaring at him during the game, Graham tried to escape. Fortunately, Percy anticipated the move in advance and grabbed his family friend.

“Easy. It will be okay, Graham. She just has a few questions for you,” Elliot explained, hoping to get him to relax. Instead, it did the opposite.

“Questions about what? I didn’t do anything to her!”

Spotting the commotion, Kayla left her boyfriend, Linus Nolin, behind and rushed over to intercept Mercedes before she could go through the fence’s gate.

“Look, go easy on him, Raddatz. It will be his first time,” Percy warned.

“What? Seriously, what is the matter with you, Pascoe? Wait, why are you even here?” the redhead challenged, turning her ire toward Elliot. “This fool better not know why I wanted Higbee here.”

“Hold on. You’re not planning to use him as your new boy toy? Wow, okay. This might be even more interesting,” Percy commented, causing Kayla to giggle at the picture he’d painted. Then, the flirt noticed Brielle join her friend. “Hello, there. I can have a room at the Downdrift ready and waiting. Just say yes.”

“Shut up!” Mercedes screamed, causing Graham to flinch. “Doesn’t he know why he’s here?”

Following the cheerleader’s gaze, Graham shot Elliot an expression as if he’d stabbed him in the back.

“No, I did not tell him. He’s already frightened to death of you, and can you blame him?” Elliot challenged, impressing Brielle.

“Fine!” the busty ginger responded, reaching inside her cheer top. The move nearly made Graham faint, while Percy dropped an “Oh, yeah.”

“Just read that,” Elliot directed as Mercedes shoved the paper at his fellow book club member.

“I want to know who this Seeper is, and why my father is worried. My dad is never worried, nor does he keep things from me. But he won’t tell me a thing about this. I only know because I checked the mail first yesterday,” Mercedes rattled off, sounding entirely unlike her usual self.

“The Seeper?” Graham repeated. Yet, unlike Elliot earlier in the day, his repeat of the name didn’t sound confused. “Yes, I’ve heard of him. Well, if it’s a man. Nobody knows for sure.”

“What do they know?” the worried redhead asked, sounding calmer with hope in front of her.

“Nobody knows for sure how long the Seeper has been operating. However, I don’t think it's been long. There was some mix-up or overlap with the Gatecrasher, as they seemed to operate in the same circles around the same time so far,” the crime expert explained, sounding far more confident than any of his classmates had ever heard him come across as.

“What’s with the weird name?” Percy inquired.

“After his third theft in Noble Knob last spring, the local police joked that this thief appeared to find the smallest hole to pour through to gain access to the premises. The Gotcha Gems went with that joke and assigned the Seeper name to the thief. I believe it’s a play on the Creeper name.”

“Who the hell are these Gems?” Mercedes demanded.

“The local mystery-solving group,” Graham clarified. “A fourth known theft occurred late in the summer outside of Los Angeles. Those are the only four confirmed cases for The Seeper. So far, he or she has stolen the Sapphire Snail Brooch, the Hades Earrings, the Emerald Woodpecker, and the Opal Ornament.”

“The Opal Ornament?!” Mercedes shrieked, glancing at her two close friends. “That belongs to Great Aunt Opal! Wait, all four of those items were created by Raddatz & Padfield.”

“Yes, I noted that with the first four thefts. I assumed it would only be a matter of time before the Seeper struck in River Ripple. Although the letter is new and unusual.”

“What do you mean? Has it sent letters before?” Mercedes questioned.

“No, and I don’t believe the Seeper has ever acknowledged the name given to him,” Graham replied, shrugging. “If you wish to read the Wanted: Uncatchables, I can either lend you my copy of The Wicked–”

“No! I want you and you at my party tomorrow night,” Mercedes interrupted before pointing at Graham and Elliot. “You’re my experts.”

“A party?” Graham asked, his confidence deflating.

“The Halloween Party? I don’t know,” Elliot began to argue until the redhead’s glare stopped him. “I guess I can throw together a costume.”

“Throw together? You’ll do no such thing! This is the biggest social event of autumn. It’s bigger than Homecoming. You will work from the list, and that’s final!” Mercedes proclaimed before walking away with Brielle.

“What the hell is this list?” Elliot asked Kayla, who remained behind.

“It’s a list of taken costumes. Cede doesn’t want any repeats, so getting a costume they like has been stressful for some people,” Kayla revealed, pausing to take a deep breath to blow out. “Yeah, finding you two costumes might be a problem.”