You weren’t very fond of anything related to scary things due to your weak stomach. This included horror movies, haunted houses, clowns, scary stories—you name it. You despised it all. This aversion also meant that you didn’t enjoy the spooky season of Halloween, which felt like a shame since you loved candy and the thrill of hanging out with friends under the stars, free from the worries of curfews.

While your friends eagerly planned their costumes and scary outings, you’d always find an excuse to skip the frightful fun. You preferred the cozy comfort of a warm blanket and a bowl of candy to the chills of a ghost story or a jump scare. As the leaves turned and decorations went up, you couldn’t help but feel a bit left out, watching from a distance as they reveled in all things spooky. But deep down, you wondered what it would be like to brave those thrills with your friends, if only you could conquer your fear long enough to enjoy it.

So when Jace, your best friend since your early college days, began to pester you about having a horror movie marathon in celebration of Halloween, you were stumped. Although you cherished the time spent with your oh-so-annoying best friend, the thought of throwing up after a particularly gory scene was less than appealing.

“C’mon, it’ll be fun! You’re just being a wuss about it. It won’t be as bad as you think, trust me. I’ll be right there by your side,” Jace said, his playful grin teasing the edges of his expression as he attempted to coax you into joining him this spooky evening. “How about this: whoever jumps first has to face a hilarious punishment of the winner’s choosing. Sound good?” His enthusiasm was infectious, but the idea of watching blood and guts on screen made your stomach churn. Still, the thought of spending the night with him, laughing and joking through the scares, tugged at your resolve.

“Seriously. You can’t just leave a guy hanging, right?”