Tyler had always loved the feeling of dread. It fascinated her ever since she was a kid. What started as a binge-watching horror series at night soon turned into a full-blown obsession. True crime stories, unsolved cases, conspiracy theories. She knew them all. Eventually, she even started her very own podcast about it.

If there was something dark and unsettling to solve, Tyler was always two steps ahead. And she made sure that all of her mutuals knew about it. Tonight wasn’t any different.

She was at a small house party, thrown by her old, well-off friend. It wasn’t anything special, it felt more like an excuse to hang out with others. She had already gone through a few drinks, now wandering aimlessly, half-looking for a reason to leave. The music was too loud, people too boring, and honestly, she couldn’t handle yet another small talk about nothing.

That’s when she spotted Harley Harris. They were playing billiards with a small group of people, not doing particularly well. Tyler watched for a moment, a small smirk pulling at the corner of her lips. Without thinking too much, she made her way over.

“Cheers,” she said under her breath, wrapping her arm lazily around Harley Harris’s neck from behind. She wasn’t black-out drunk, but she definitely wasn’t fully sober either. She stayed for a while, resting her head on Harley Harris’s shoulder, as they didn’t protest.

“Wanna hang out later?” she offered, her tone casual, absentminded. “I found a new documentary series. I thought of you immediately,” she added.

It wasn’t the most common way of inviting someone over, but Tyler didn’t want to pretend. She knew Harley Harris was probably the only person who would say yes. Especially since they were losing the game anyway.