Haunted Booth and Hidden Desires

Chapter​ ​1:​ ​Agreement 

 

"​Okay,​ ​let​'​s​ ​agree​ ​on​ ​this.​ ​For​ ​our​ ​class,​ ​we​ ​only​ ​have​ ​one​ ​food​ ​stall​ ​and​ ​a​ ​haunted​ ​house.​" 

When​ ​the​ ​class​ ​president​ ​finished​ ​speaking,​ ​the​ ​cheers​ ​of​ ​everyone​ ​echoed​ ​throughout​ ​the​ ​room.​ ​It​ ​was​ ​well​ ​known​ ​that​ ​if​ ​any​ ​class​ ​in​ ​the​ ​fourth​ ​year​ ​was​ ​assigned​ ​to​ ​build​ ​a​ ​haunted​ ​house​ ​booth,​ ​they​ ​would​ ​have​ ​to​ ​miss​ ​out​ ​on​ ​the​ ​fun​ ​of​ ​the​ ​university​'​s​ ​festival. 

The​ ​four​ ​or​ ​five​ ​villains​ ​in​ ​the​ ​room​ ​whispered​ ​to​ ​each​ ​other​ ​for​ ​a​ ​moment​ ​before​ ​turning​ ​to​ ​look​ ​at​ ​Bella,​ ​who​ ​was​ ​sitting​ ​with​ ​her​ ​female​ ​friends. 

"​We​ ​don​'​t​ ​mind​ ​selling​ ​food.​ ​We​ ​can​ ​take​ ​turns​ ​watching,​ ​and​ ​if​ ​it​ ​sells​ ​out,​ ​we​'​ll​ ​go​ ​our​ ​separate​ ​ways.​ ​But​ ​with​ ​the​ ​haunted​ ​house...​ ​I​ ​don​'​t​ ​think​ ​it​'​ll​ ​be​ ​difficult.​" 

"​What​ ​do​ ​you​ ​mean?​" 

Braxton,​ ​the​ ​class​ ​bully,​ ​gestured​ ​for​ ​everyone​ ​to​ ​look​ ​at​ ​a​ ​certain​ ​person​ ​-​ ​Bella​ ​-​ ​a​ ​quiet,​ ​shy​ ​classmate​ ​who​ ​didn​'​t​ ​speak​ ​much.​ ​She​ ​seemed​ ​like​ ​their​ ​target.​ ​A​ ​young​ ​man​ ​in​ ​the​ ​group,​ ​understanding​ ​his​ ​boss​'​s​ ​meaning,​ ​immediately​ ​shouted​ ​to​ ​the​ ​class​ ​president. 

"​Dean,​ ​I​ ​already​ ​know​ ​who​ ​you​'​re​ ​going​ ​to​ ​have​ ​watch​ ​the​ ​haunted​ ​house​!​" 

"​Uh...​ ​well,​ ​you​ ​suggest​ ​it,​ ​but​ ​that​ ​person​ ​has​ ​to​ ​volunteer​ ​too,​ ​you​ ​know​!​" 

"​I​'​d​ ​like​ ​to​ ​nominate​ ​Bella,​ ​the​ ​sweet​ ​girl​ ​from​ ​our​ ​class.​" 

The​ ​cheers​ ​of​ ​twenty​ ​other​ ​friends​ ​erupted​ ​when​ ​they​ ​heard​ ​this​ ​offer.​ ​Everyone​ ​turned​ ​to​ ​look​ ​at​ ​the​ ​young​ ​woman​ ​sitting​ ​still​ ​as​ ​a​ ​doll.​ ​She​ ​seemed​ ​genuinely​ ​quiet,​ ​almost​ ​innocent. 

"​And​ ​is​ ​Bella​ ​okay​ ​with​ ​doing​ ​this​ ​job?​"​ ​Dean​ ​asked​ ​with​ ​some​ ​hesitation.​ ​The​ ​young​ ​woman​ ​waved​ ​her​ ​hand​ ​slightly​ ​and​ ​replied​ ​in​ ​a​ ​cheerful​ ​tone. 

"​Oh,​ ​no​ ​problem.​ ​I​ ​don​'​t​ ​like​ ​walking​ ​around​ ​festivals​ ​anyway.​"​ ​Bella​ ​said. 

"​Okay,​ ​so​ ​it​'​s​ ​settled​ ​then.​ ​But​ ​who​ ​should​ ​stay​ ​with​ ​Bella?​"​ ​Braxton​ ​interjected​ ​immediately,​ ​fearing​ ​the​ ​woman​ ​might​ ​change​ ​her​ ​mind.​ ​However,​ ​when​ ​a​ ​new​ ​question​ ​arose,​ ​everyone​ ​murmured,​ ​afraid​ ​the​ ​unlucky​ ​draw​ ​would​ ​fall​ ​on​ ​them. 

"​How​ ​about...​ ​Grayson,​ ​guys?​"​ ​As​ ​soon​ ​as​ ​Dean​ ​spoke,​ ​everyone​ ​immediately​ ​fell​ ​silent.​ ​It​ ​wasn​'​t​ ​anything...​ ​This​ ​Grayson​ ​is​ ​the​ ​one​ ​who​ ​skips​ ​class​ ​the​ ​most.​ ​And​ ​today,​ ​he​'​s​ ​not​ ​here​ ​again. 

"​Oh​ ​yeah,​ ​it​ ​doesn​'​t​ ​really​ ​help​ ​with​ ​any​ ​activities,​ ​haha.​" 

In​ ​the​ ​end,​ ​the​ ​class​ ​decided​ ​that​ ​Bella​ ​and​ ​Grayson​ ​would​ ​be​ ​in​ ​charge​ ​of​ ​guarding​ ​the​ ​haunted​ ​room​ ​this​ ​year.​ ​It​'​s​ ​true​ ​that​ ​Grayson,​ ​a​ ​classmate,​ ​doesn​'​t​ ​come​ ​to​ ​school​ ​very​ ​often. 

...but​ ​that​ ​nerdy​ ​guy​ ​with​ ​glasses​ ​never​ ​dropped​ ​out​ ​of​ ​the​ ​top​ ​1-5​ ​in​ ​the​ ​class​ ​for​ ​a​ ​single​ ​semester...