The Rockets' Red Scare

Phoebe Stone looked at the neon orange flyer with disgust. It had a headless horseman galloping into what appeared to be the moon with bold black letters declaring Sigma Chi was throwing a Halloween party. 

Phoebe looked at her friend Jimmi, crumpled the flyer into a ball and shoved it in her mouth. 

“Why in the hell did you do that, Phoebs? You could have just said no. Now spit that out before you choke.”

Phoebe grabbed Jimmi’s hand,  without breaking eye contact, and spit the mushy wad of paper onto it. 

Jimmi dropped it on his plate and said, “Come on, Phoebs! We’re never going to move up the social ladder if we keep skipping parties. Who knows, maybe we’ll both meet some cute guys!”

“If Springdale produced a good guy, we wouldn’t still be single. No. I hate Halloween and I hate parties even more. In fact, I’d rather gouge out my eyeballs and watch myself eat them than go to that party. I’m also pretty sure some pledge died the last time they threw a party.” Replied  Phoebe. 

“There’s my little firecracker. Always a bundle of joy.” He didn’t die because of the party, he died because of peer pressure. It was also not during a party, so we should be fine!” Phoebe replied with a horrified look making Jimmi back track, “Don’t look at me like that. The guy dying is awful, and I know all the wrong doers were punished, but that doesn’t mean they were all bad. This is their way of trying to start a new chapter.

Phoebe shook her head, “No. They are going to have way too many ways to intoxicate themself and someone is going to get hurt. Greek like is dumb. It’s just traumatized people passing that trauma onto others and thinking thats fine since it happened to them. Someone else is going to get hurt and I don’t want to reward them for it.”

Jimmi rubbed his face. “You make good points Phoebs but the whole world is like that. If we had a moral chip on a shoulder dictating what we can and can’t do because of some horrible thing someone did we wouldn’t have anything. We’re all shitty. So come on. The people who did wrong got punished. All the guys there now are law abiding citizens. I want to drink, dress slutty, and spend a night with my best friend. So will you please come?”

Phoebe rolled her eyes, “I guess you have a point, but you could dress slutty right now if you wanted. Why do you have to wait for Halloween?”

Sigh. “Because it’s wanted and expected on these nights. Come on Phoebe, live a little!”

“Can’t you go without me? I’m perfectly content staying in my dorm and catching up on my shows. Besides, you’ll ditch me as soon as some guy starts chatting you up.”

Jimmi placed his hand upon his chest and gasped, “I would never!” He then took Phoebe’s hands in his and added, “Phoebe, you’re my best friend. You make me laugh, you listen to me bitch, you helped me pass Psych 101 freshman year, and I genuinely love being around you, but you can be such a bore!”

Phoebe pulled her hands back, “it’s a good thing you aren’t a business major, because you aren’t selling me on this. Why would I want to go? We can always go to Paul’s Pizzeria and drown our sorrows in Coke and Mozzarella!”

Jimmi groaned, “I didn’t want to have to do this, but if you don’t come with me, I will rehome your secret dorm cat.”

“You wouldn’t! Shivers is the only thing that brings me joy.”

Jimmi gave Phoebe a hurt expression, “I’d like to think I bring you joy too, but now I am more sure than ever. If you don’t come, Shiver will be given to some snot-nosed kid who will never appreciate her like you do.”

“I won’t let you in to get her.”

“Please, I have enough charm to get anywhere. Just save me the trouble and just agree to go. Seeing people will do you good. It may even melt that pessimistic heart of yours long enough to find someone you like.”

Phoebe wasn’t sure what to say to that. She liked people fine, they just didn’t like her and liked to tell her that to her face. Sure she could be sarcastic and crass, but at least wait until she leaves to talk about how big of a bitch she is. Maybe he was right. Phoebe hated to admit that, but what would she gain staying in? She knew if she pressed hard enough Jimmi would drop it. He would never take Shiver, but threatening to do so was his way of showing her how much he wanted to do this. He never asked much from her. It was one of the things she loved about him. One night wouldn’t kill her, right? 

“Alright, I’ll go.  But I’m going for Shiver, not you.”

Jimmi drummed his hands on the table, “Let’s go! You won’t regret it, Phoebs! This is going to be the greatest night of our lives! I wouldn’t even be surprised if freshmen ten years from now will hear about the night we are going to have.”

“I’ll have to see it to believe it.” Phoebe gathered her bag, and added ”We can work out the details later.  I gotta get to class. Are you coming over to watch trash tv tonight?”

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

…

On the night of the party, Phoebe met Jimmi at the Dining Commons. She could tell it was him from a mile away. His pink cow print hat, jacket, and boots made it hard for anyone to miss him. When she got close enough to see the rest of his ensemble, she winced. White undershirt and pants were going to be tough to keep clean, but if anyone could do it, it would be Jimmi.  

“You’re awfully bright tonight, Jimmi.”

Jimmi did a few heel taps and dipped his hat towards Phoebe before saying, “Thank ya little lady. I see ya didn’t take ma advice at tall.”

“What?”

Jimmi sighed, “You dressed like Abraham Lincoln, Phoebe. He’s like, the least sluttiest president.”

In response, Phoebe rubbed her hands down her torso in a seductive way and said, “I’m Babebraham Lincoln. Babe is in the name. Pretty slutty if you ask me.”

“You are more covered up than a nun, honey, but I love you.” Locking his arm in hers he added, “Now let’s go have fun!”

The Sigma Chi house was on the outskirts of campus. It was an old brick building that had had one too many additions, so it looked more like a maze than a house. The lawn itself was decked out in both campy and terrifying decor, and students were everywhere. Phoebe was pretty sure there were more people there than actually went to the school. She would be shocked if the police weren’t called for a noise complaint. 

“Maybe we shouldn’t go, Jimmi, it looks pretty busy.”

“Oh no, you are not backing out on me now. We are here, we are young, and we are hot!” Jimmi looked over Phoebe again and then added, “well, I’m hot! And it isn’t too late for me to get Shiver.”

Phoebe rolled her eyes, “Fine, but let’s come up with a safe word in case it is as shitty as I think it’s going to be.”

“Fine, what should it be?”

“Shiver?”

Jimmi took Phoebe’s hand and pulled her inside the house, “You’re pathetic. Now let’s get crazy!”

Phoebe hated inside even more. The lights were strobing shades of purple and green, the music was so loud that she could feel the rhythm in her toes and her whole chest cavity rattled with the bass. It smelled so much of liquor, marijuana, and BO that her eyes were watering and she just wanted to go home.

She tried telling Jimmi “Shiver”, but it was too loud for him to hear, and he was ushering them into the organism that was this party. Their movements ebbed with the flow of the other party goers as they danced and feasted upon the provided provisions. It was all so much that Phoebe felt intoxicated.  Which was crazy because she hadn’t even taken a sip. 

Miraculously, a red solo cup appeared in her hand filled with some liquid she did not ask for. It was as if just thinking about getting drunk conjured the plastic cup. She didn’t even remember taking it, and she somehow lost Jimmi. It was all just too much. She needed some air. Now. 

She let the organism expel her out the back door. The music was still jumbled in her head, but at least the ringing of her damaged ear drums was bringing her back to the reality that existed outside of Kappa. 

A large bonfire was crackling out back,  and many students were conversing around it.  She was chilly,  but no amount of anything was going to convince her to join them, so she decided to join the only other individual at the party. An oak tree. 

The tree was on the edge of the fire’s light and when she got there, she placed a hand on the cool, hard bark and sighed. What a simple life you have. She thought. The party grew louder, and a chill went down her spine. She didn’t want to go back, so she climbed up into the tree’s branches and pushed her spine so close to its trunk that she could feel the crevices in her back. She took a sweet, shaky breath and let the chaos of what just happened release from her body. 

“Why do people like that?” She asked herself. 

Then something red exploded in the night sky. Followed by blue and  white explosive confetti. The canon sounds that normally followed were drowned out by the party, but she knew they were there. She could feel them in her gut as she watched the colored gunpowder cascade from the sky. 

“That’s weird.” She thought. “I have never seen fireworks on Halloween before.” Phoebe shrugged, “I guess it’s no different than any other night, but it still feels out of place. A night filled with monsters and ghouls and here she was staring at a symbol of patriotism. It made her more uneasy than the creatures below. Did something happen that was worth celebrating in such a fashion? She was also pretty positive that the explosions were getting closer because the distant ring of cannons was starting to rival the party’s music. The colored explosions were also getting bigger the closer they got. But before she could think any more of it, she heard a ruckus below. 

Some of the guys were fighting over some girl wearing a cat tail. The strange group reminded her that she hadn’t come alone. She checked her phone to find it blown up by texts from Jimmi asking where she went. She responded and said she would meet him by the bonfire. Climbing back down, she found her friend waiting for her with a goofy looking grin. 

“What happened to you?” Asked Phoebe

 “I just had seven minutes in heaven with the guy from our Bio class.” Replied

Jimmi. 

“THE guy!?”

Jimmi nodded. 

Phoebe hugged her friend, “That’s great, Jimmi! I told you he had a thing for you!”

“Yeah, yeah. You were right. Like always. Sorry I dragged you out here. I know it’s not your type of thing.” He took Phoebe’s hands in his and added, “But I really appreciate you coming with me.”

Phoebe smiled, “Of course! You’re my best friend, I couldn’t let you come here alone.” She then gave him a playful jab and added, “And I couldn’t let you take Shiver from me.”

“What the fuck is that!?” Asked Jimmi. 

“What, Shiver is…” Phoebe turned to see what Jimmi was referring to when a red streak whistled past her. A loud BANG followed and she was thrown onto the ground. Jimmi was covering her with his body and yelling something, but she couldn’t hear. The Sigma Chi house was engulfed in flames and more patriotic explosions lit the night sky. 

Phoebe’s jaw hurt, but she couldn’t tell why. It wasn’t until she watched her best friend charge into someone wearing an Uncle Sam costume that she figured out where the pain was coming from. Her ears had finally recovered from the explosion, and her scream was joining the Star Spangled Banner as it blared from the attacker’s portable speaker. . 

Uncle Sam was pelting Jimmi with a colorful barrage of attacks, but he was able to maneuver since it took a second for the firework to ignite. But this  meant that they came whistling in Phobe’s direction. She rolled over onto her stomach, and brought herself to her knees. She had no idea where to go. Did she help her friend? Did she help the people in Sigma Chi’s house? Did she run home?  Thoughts were spinning as the noise grew around her. More screams burst into the night sky, and Phobe became all too aware of the bodies of classmates around her. 

She didn’t even want to come to this party. 

Jimmi’s scream brought her back to the present. Her friend had managed to bring Uncle Sam to the ground, but Jimmi was too beat up to finish him off, so the costumed figure got on top of Jimmi and started choking him. This ignited something in Phoebe. She got up and sprinted towards the figure. His mask had splintered and she could see the real eye behind the mask. They looked as scared as she was but they only tightened their grip as Phoebe threw her whole body into him. Jimmi’s gasps told her she had bought her friend more time, but now the lunatic was focused on her. She crawled, trying to get away, but he was some sort of freak of nature. Uncle Sam rose and limped toward her. His arm raised, he then pointed at Phoebe and said, “I need you…”

Before the attacker got a chance to finish, some of the other party goers had tackled him to the ground, and the masked figure started crying. “Sigma Chi took him from us. You took him from us!!”

The police, and the fire department arrived shortly after. Phoebe found Jimmi and curled up next to him as one of the EMT's checked his vitals. 

“Shiver.” He said. 

Phoebe smiled, rested her head on Jimmi’s shoulder and said, “Shiver.”