Krista & Becca Ritchie - Extra Bonus #102: Before Orange Noir on Halloween (Tom)

IMPORTANT: Please do not screenshot and post any part of this bonus scene to other sites or share with non-patrons. All of the Patreon content is exclusive to Patreon and for current patron's eyes only.  Thank you!! xoxo Krista & Becca

RESOURCES:  Check out this narrative timeline graphic to visually see when this bonus scene takes place.

MUSIC: We listened to "Head Over Heels" by Tears for Fears while writing this bonus scene.

SPOILER WARNING: This bonus scene takes place during SILVER SWEET and we highly recommend reading the book before reading this bonus. You will get spoiled.

I STARE AT THE TV and sink deeper into the couch cushions in the living room, my arms crossed as my favorite movie plays on low volume. I distinguish a young Jake Gyllenhaal through the dark tint of my Ray Bans.  

“You know what?” I nod to myself. “The world is cruel to me. You know I’ve spent twenty-one Halloweens single. Sure, I was a baby for some of those. Most of them, I was happily single—but that’s not the point. The point is this is Halloween number twenty-two, and for the first time, I’m not single. I’m very much in an actual relationship. I have a boyfriend who’s mind-bogglingly talented and so fucking hot that he should be physically in front of me.” 

My chest hurts at the next thought.  

“But where is he?” I say to my audience of one. “Not Hell’s Kitchen. He’s not even two hours away. An ocean separates us.” My throat tries to close. “Time zones are trying to rip us apart.” Still not letting them. “Fuck you, time zones.” I nod harder. “So yeah, the world is cruel. Because if the universe weren’t the equivalent of a pigeon shitting on me, the first time I have a boyfriend, we’d be dressing up together, partying together, doing everything together on one of the most fun days of the year. Instead, I have you.” 

The white cockatoo tips his head to the side, perched on my bent knee.  

“You don’t know what it’s like to be long-distance on Halloween with the guy you love. Just imagine you’re in deep with Monsieur Feathers and you flew away from him. You’d be miserable. So stay single.” 

I frown, staring off. “Or not…I mean…I wouldn’t choose to never have met Phoenix or fall for him…to love him and be loved back.” My eyes burn. “He was right when he said some feelings are worth the risk.”  

The flap of wings jerks me out of my dark stupor. Mister Feathers has spread them out wide like he’s about to take flight. So he doesn’t ditch me, I quickly dig my hand into a bag of almonds at my hip. “You’re the second-best listener.” I feed Ben and Harriet’s pet a nut or two. “The best being me, obviously.” 

He nibbles and tucks his wings back to his feathery body.  

I try to feed him a third one, and he leaps off my knee. “Dude.” I gawk at him as he hops on the floor, moseying around the sofa. I swivel and look backward as he heads toward my bedroom. Which, fine, is also his bedroom since it’s Ben’s bedroom. It really makes it our room.  

What isn’t fine is the fact that he just took two almonds from my very giving, very loving hand, and then scuttled away. “Bad manners, you MFer!” I shout. “No one likes a taker and a user!”  

I pop an almond in my mouth and crunch sadly with a heavy sigh. Then I rewind a good portion of Donnie Darko and watch as the therapist speaks to Donnie while he lounges on a couch.  

She asks, “Do you think the world is coming to an end?” 

“Yes,” I say. “Thanks for noticing.” 

Donnie stares directly at his therapist. “No,” he replies with a slight smile. “That’s stupid.”  

I huff. “Just you fucking wait, dude—” 

“Brother,” Eliot cuts in from somewhere behind me in our apartment. I don’t turn to look. “Are you watching this movie again?”  

It’s my second viewing of the day. “Favorite movie,” I remind him as he rounds the camel-colored sofa. “Perfect movie for Halloween.”  

Eliot towers in front of me, blocking the TV screen and sliding a hand through his styled slicked-back hair. He’s already outfitted in a gladiator costume: black leather skirt-tunic thing with a leather top, a royal blue cape, and strappy black sandals.  

All for Orange Noir. Beckett’s favorite club hosts the Halloween party every year, and Luna, Eliot, and I agreed it’s Pink Noir’s best event off the epic twenty-minutes we were there last year during a bar crawl. By epic, the fact that their playlist didn’t suck, and their specialty cocktails, like the gin goblin, was on theme and our favorite drink of the night. 

The bar was set pretty low after the first two clubs watered down their martinis and they kept playing “Spooky Scary Skeletons” in about seven different remixes. Only two were good. The others gave me a pulsing migraine, and this is coming from someone who listens to music as I fall to blissful sleep. 

The problem is Eliot is staring at me as if I’m not going out tonight with everyone. And by everyone, I mean all my brothers, Luna and Donnelly, Ben’s demonic girlfriend, and Xander and his roommate (and best friend) Easton. We’re all spending Halloween at Orange Noir. 

So there’s no reason for him to look at me like I’m dressed as a couch potato. 

I’m waiting on them. I’ve been ready for literal hours. “This isn’t depressing,” I tell him as I detect subtle hints of brotherly concern, even through my dark sunglasses. 

“I see no signs of depression,” he says seriously and encouragingly.  

“Thank you.” I point the remote at him. “Shift to the left.” 

Eliot takes a seat near my feet instead. The more the merrier. We watch the movie together, and I start growing a little concerned Ben might pop out and catch sight of this film. It’s surrealist sci-fi that deals with time travel in a very “butterfly effect” manner and poses questions about self-sacrifice. Like sacrificing yourself to stop the “end of the world” by saving your family and loved ones. Yeah, basically, the ending is something Ben tried to do in Alaska. So it’s not one I want him to watch…ever. I can’t remember ever pushing this movie on him, even if it’s my all-time favorite.  

I was always afraid the big freaky bunny named Frank would scare him as a kid.  

“Ben’s still downstairs?” I ask Eliot to be sure.  

“Last I heard, yes.” 

I nod, relaxing. Ben has been in Xander’s apartment on the eighteenth floor since they’re doing a group costume with Harriet and Easton. I could’ve been down there too, but I would’ve been in Luna’s apartment. 

She offered to get ready together, but that sounded depressing since she’s happily doing a couple costume with her boyfriend. Like I need greater reminder that mine is not dressing up with me. Not while he’s in Berlin slinging sound equipment backstage at a Nothing Personal concert.  

While we fixate on the movie, Donnie says, “I don’t want to die alone.” My jaw clenches a little bit, and I rewind it once to listen again, then twice. By the third time, Eliot steals the remote from me, and I’m smart enough not to exert energy that’ll be wasted in trying to reclaim it. He doesn’t have popcorn muscles. He’s real-world strong.  

I am too. Case in point, I’m in a long-distance relationship with the fucking love of my life. To get through this, I am so titanium strong, there should be books written about my mental fortitude. They’d fly off the shelves and help at minimum a billion people. 

I’m about to share all of this with Eliot, but he’s eyeing the subtitle frozen on the screen: I don’t want to die alone.  

So I tell my brother, “Donnie makes good points.”  

“That we’ve heard numerous times.” He rotates more to me and waves the remote at my face and chest. “What are you supposed to be?” 

I pick myself up against the armrest, coming out of a slouch. “You should be able to tell.” I motion a hand down my black tank top with leather bracelets on my wrists. 

Eliot blinks. “I’ve seen you wear that shirt and those same acid-wash jeans on a random Tuesday.” 

I peel off my Ray Bans so he can see the dark shadows I dusted under my eyes and above them.  

He opens his hand, not grinning like he should be. “A disturbed rock star.”  

“A dead rock star.”  

“Didn’t we say zombies were beneath us a few years ago?” 

“I’m not a zombie.” 

“So this is worse. You’re not undead. You’re just plain dead.” 

I groan into a grimace. “Eliot Alice. Don’t be Charlie.” I thread my fingers on my head, crashing backward again. “He’s given me enough shit this month for acting like my boyfriend sunk to the bottom of the ocean—which could be a possibility.” I extend my arms now. “Europe is surrounded by bodies of water.” 

“All I’m saying, brother, is that you have the option of being an immortal rock star, and you’re choosing dead rock star.” 

I see the issue.  

I’m worth immortal status. The Carraways won’t die. I won’t let our band perish. There is no doubt in my soul about this, so maybe I shouldn’t be cosplaying as the death of my dream. 

Still, I sink backward. “Let me fucking pout,” I mutter in such a childish manner that I roll my eyes at myself. “I’m not going to change. My costume is my greatest fear.”  

“Sinister,” he nods, more impressed. His grin begins to form.  

“Exactly.” I start to smile back. “On brand for the most sinister day of the year.” That I will not be partaking in with my boyfriend. My smile drops out. “Play the movie, Eliot.” 

Just as he presses play, the door whips open, and I spot Ben and hurry to say, “Shut it off, shut it off.”  

Ben makes a face of confusion at me. I blame Eliot’s slow reflexes. The TV screen goes black.  

Ben, Harriet, and Easton are in cut-off track shorts, knee-high socks, and ringer tees, reusing their summer camp counselor costumes from Friday the 13th from the year prior. Except, they’re splattered in blood like they’ve been slashed by Jason Voorhes.  

They all went ham with the scissors, looking like they were mauled in the woods. 

Last to enter and currently shutting the door is the murderer in a hockey mask and classic Jason getup: dark green long-sleeve shirt and gray dirtied pants with a plastic knife doused in fake blood. Just by the hair alone, I can tell it’s Xander.  

He has ridiculously good hair. It’s a fact among our families that he won the gene pool lottery for beauty, but seeing girls weep at the sight of him, I’m also very glad I did not come out with a W there. I am the second most beautiful among my family. 

Best place to be.  

I force a smile at my perplexed little brother. “Ben Pirrip, your feathery little son robbed me of several almonds.” I point at Harriet. “Bad parenting.” 

Harriet crosses her arms, standing in booty shorts and a ripped and bloodied crop top. “He knows who his enemies are.” 

I gape. “He clearly doesn’t since we’re allies.” I add quickly to clarify, “Me and my nephew. Not me and you.” 

She flips me off. “At least I didn’t half-ass a goth look.” 

I glare. Maybe it’s good Phoenix isn’t here. I think he’d laugh. “I’m not a goth. I’m a rock star.”  

“You look more like a poser.” 

Xander stifles a laugh behind his mask and ends up coughing as I glare at him. “Whose side are you on, Xander with No Middle Name?”  

He points at Harriet.  

She startles a little backward at the sudden display of loyalty from my cousin.  

Ben smiles warmly at his girlfriend.  

I grin more. I made Ben smile. I will give Harriet partial credit. I’m not a total asshole. 

Harriet should rub Xander’s allegiance to her in my face, but she’s already withdrawing from our back-and-forth and asking Easton if he wants something to drink.  

Eliot’s lips rise beside me, and I share this smile with him. There are no pranks to be had in the fridge, just in case that wasn’t obvious.  

For as much crap as I give Harriet, I like that she’s felt more comfortable at our apartment. Enough to do a simple thing like offering her friend a drink.  

She’s here so often that it’s her home too.  

Ben suddenly perches on my armrest. “Where’s Charlie and Beckett?”  

“Bedrooms, still getting ready,” Eliot answers.  

Ben nods. “What were you watching?” He motions to the TV.  

I mouth to Eliot, Do not tell him. I try to ease when Eliot replies, “Halloween horror, far too gruesome for your ears, brother.” 

Ben laughs lightly. “Movies don’t exactly scare me like they do Tom.” 

What? “Excuse me,” I snap, hand to my chest. “I’ve never been afraid of a movie. Ever.” 

Now Eliot is exchanging a knowing smile with Ben. What the fuck? I glare at Eliot. “Traitor.” 

Eliot squeezes my shoulder like he’s still wholly on my side. Which is good since I’m feeling rather vulnerable and lonely tonight. Then Eliot says, “It’s common knowledge Jurassic Park frightened you—” 

My groan cuts him off. “As a baby.” I spring to my feet, his hand sliding off my shoulder with the movement. “I was an infant. And I was a smart one who knew that people should be afraid of man-eating dinosaurs.” 

Ben’s smile is radiant. A clouds-parting-into-the-heavens kind of smile, so my irritation fades almost instantly. Even if he says, “I’m pretty sure you were a preteen.” 

I grimace. No. Was I? I push back my shaggy hair with a rough hand. Why does it even matter? “Whatever, it was one movie. I’ve never been afraid since.” I motion to Eliot to confirm.  

“All truths,” he says.  

Ben reaches for the remote, and before either me or Eliot can stop him, he’s turning the TV on and playing the movie.  

Fuck. I dart at him and steal the remote from his loose grip. I shut it off again, my pulse beating into my ears.  

Ben looks more baffled at the screen, then me. “That’s your favorite movie, right?” 

Of all-time. I shouldn’t be stunned that he remembered. He’s Ben. I try to downplay so he won’t want to watch the entire thing to appease me. “One of them, yeah. I mean…yeah.” I squint at his confusion that grows and begins to match mine. Holy shit, why am I so nervous? “You shouldn’t watch it,” I declare.  

Ben nods slowly, almost in realization. “I’ve already seen it.” 

A frown takes hold. “Like clips,” I assume. “On the internet.” 

“No, like front to back—I’ve seen this whole movie. I know what it’s about, Tom.” He raises his hands as if I’m the frightened one in need of calming. “It’s okay. I know it’s just a movie.” 

I ease, then hurt crosses my features out of nowhere. “Who the hell did you watch this with? Why wasn’t I with you? It’s my all-time favorite movie, dude.” 

Ben’s smile hasn’t waned. “I would’ve preferred it was with you, honestly. It was with this dick from high school. He talked during the whole thing. It was annoying.” He glances at the black screen of the TV again. “Maybe we could watch it at some point.” His voice is earnest. “You can tell me why it’s your favorite of all-time.” 

“Yeah,” I murmur in a soft breath, instantly loving Ben. 

He’s too good for this world.  

So the cruel world better never be cruel to him. I can take the pigeon shit from the universe. But Ben doesn’t deserve to be shit on by anything or anyone.  

I know Phoenix feels the same about his little brother. He’d take away everything hurting Birdie if he could.  

Thank you for reading the extra bonus this month! We are getting into the festive fall season with some fun Halloween bonuses coming your way. So this is just the first of the "Orange Noir" multi-pov bonuses you'll be getting. It was so much fun being back in Tom's head. He truly brings the humor even during dark times. We love him immensely. We hope you enjoyed this one!

That's it for the content this month, but there will be lots more in store for October as we're leading up to the release of Loathed Love. So you can expect some more first looks to drop as well as two more bonuses and two more podcasts. Thank you for being here with us on Patreon!

xoxo Krista & Becca

“Before Orange Noir on Halloween" Copyright 2026 by K.B. Ritchie