GHOST HOUSE

You reluctantly turn the engine off, unbuckle yourself, and open your door.

VINCE

Mandy! It's been way too long, dude! Like, how have you been?

MANDY

(Not long enough, if you ask me...)

VINCE

What was that? Didn't catch that.

MANDY

Nothing. Hi, Vince. Um, it's nice to see you again.

VINCE

Hey, you too. How's your mom doing?

You grimace.

MANDY

She's, uh, dead. Too heartbroken over Laney to continue on, I... guess.

VINCE

...Oh.

He shuffles his feet and doesn't look at you.

VINCE

I'm sorry to hear it. She was really nice.

MANDY

Y-Yeah. Sorry, I didn't mean to be a downer.

VINCE

You're alright! C'mon, the others are waiting in the yard.

With that, he opens the gate, and the two of you walk up the broken old pavement to a gaggle of friends by a handful of cars parked on the brown grass in the front yard.

Seeing all these people makes you grit your teeth. You didn't exactly leave on happy terms with them all.