The house went quiet.
Everyone downstairs must've gone to bed, and with the lights out all over the street, I figured I might as well sleep too.
I tried.
It didn't work.
So, I got up and pulled on black sweats and a hoodie.
If something was going on…
I wasn't missing it.
The house was pitch black as I crept out of my room, moving slowly, listening.
I knew someone was still up.
I felt it.
Then—
There it was.
A window opening.
Seth's room.
I moved quickly but carefully, pressing myself against the wall as I reached his door. I waited a second, then pushed it open—
And tripped.
Hard.
Right over a shoe.
Landing face-first into the other one.
The smell hit instantly.
I gagged—hard.
But I had to stay quiet.
So instead, I dropped flat on the floor and started fake seizing like I was dying from it.
Because honestly?
I might've been.
Then I saw it.
A shadow.
Tall.
Standing in the doorway.
I froze.
Stopped breathing.
"Get up, Mae."
I exhaled sharply.
Zack.
"Did he go?" Zack asked, already moving past me, kicking my leg lightly. "Hurry."
"I could crush your skull right now," I whispered, punching his shoulder. "You scared me, you psycho."
He just grinned.
"Shhh."
He crouched near the window just as we heard movement down the hall.
We both rushed—
Trying to squeeze through the window at the same time.
Neither of us moving.
Both refusing to go first.
Typical.
Then suddenly—
We were yanked back.
Tori climbed right past us and slipped out the window first.
"Move," she whispered.
I went next.
Zack followed.
Of course.
We all knew what Seth was doing.
We climbed the tree outside, settling into our usual spying spots.
Below, Seth paced back and forth, clearly debating whether to go through with it.
Then he did.
He climbed up toward her window and knocked.
We waited.
Trying not to laugh.
The lamp flicked on.
Her window opened.
They talked quietly—
Then we saw it.
Seth handed her the hamburger.
She smirked.
Shook her head.
And smashed it right into his hair.
"I don't eat meat," she said. "If you really liked me, you'd know that. Besides… you're not even close to my type, meat boy."
She laughed.
Then slammed the window shut.
And screamed.
Loud.
Lights exploded on all over the house.
Her parents rushed outside.
The dog bolted through the door.
Tori's eyes lit up.
She dropped from the tree—
Straight onto the dog.
Tackled it.
Hard.
Seth didn't even notice.
He just saw the dog was gone and climbed down slowly… looking completely defeated.
It hurt to see.
I jumped down and walked straight to him, wrapping my arms around him in a tight hug.
He tried not to cry.
Failed a little.
"One down," I said softly. "Plenty more in the sea."
I tried to clean the mess out of his hair.
"You were watching?" he asked.
"For months," I said.
He dropped his head in embarrassment.
But honestly?
He didn't need to be.
He walked past me and climbed back through his window.
I waited for Tori and Zack.
And waited.
And waited.
Thirty minutes later, I finally heard footsteps.
Zack came back first.
"Sorry," he said casually. "Was talking to a friend."
A friend?
"At this time?" I thought.
"How did it go?" he asked.
I shook my head.
A few minutes later—
Tori came running up.
Laughing.
Holding a chunk of hair in her hand.
Zack froze.
"What did you do?" he asked.
"I snuck into her room," Tori said proudly. "Cut her hair off. No one trashes my brother like that."
I blinked.
She wasn't done.
"Oh—and I hung her dog up next to her window. Knocked out."
Zack and I burst out laughing.
Because honestly?
That was so Tori.
We started heading back home—
When a sound ripped through the night.
A roar.
Deep.
Loud.
Not normal.
Not anything I had ever heard before.
"Run!" Zack shouted.
Tori jumped, climbing the tree in seconds.
She reached her hand down to me.
I grabbed for it—
And then—
I saw it.
A Beast