kept my eyes on hers, and watched her expression change from surprise to shock. Her cheeks blushed and so did mine.
“You can see her?” Rashanda spoke in a normal voice.
I still held Jessica’s gaze. “Yup.” I reached my hand out. “Hi, Jessica.” But she pulled back.
“I better not touch you. You don’t want me in your head, do you? I mean, it’s not like demon-possession, but, well . . .”
“It’s okay.” I dropped my hand, disappointed. “So, uh, what do we do? How do we make you strong enough to get you back into your body?”
Her cute little shoulders shrugged. I forgot that Rashanda was next to me. She elbowed me, hard, and said, “Tyler, get a grip. We have to do some research.”
“I saw Keith at school this morning. He brought me here,” Jessica said as she darted her eyes between us.
“I know,” I said. “He told me.”
“But I don’t know how he keeps getting back into his body. Maybe it’s the drugs in the IV line.” She shrugged her shoulders again, a quick little jerk. It made me smile.
“Prayer,” Rashanda said. I nodded in agreement though I rarely prayed. I kept my focus on Jessica.
Someone knocked on the door and Jessica looked over her shoulder as nonchalantly as if she were flesh and bones. I tensed, but maintained my focus, even when Rashanda gasped and exclaimed that Jessica was gone. She rose to open the door, stepping on those green toes without a thought. Crap. I pushed her off Jessica. I was probably too rough.
“It’s okay. I didn’t feel anything. She lost me, I guess,” Jessica said, giving me an unreadable smile.
Rashanda’s hand was on the door and she stopped short of swinging it wide as someone on the other side made a weak apology and left. “Why did you push me?” Rashanda growled back at me. “Oh, my gosh, you can still see her, can’t you?”
Jessica
Friday night
It’s more intense than I can take. I look away from Tyler, try not to think of that kiss, and stand up. Rashanda is blocking the door and I really want to leave.
All it takes is a thought, I guess. But why my escaping thought is to come here I totally don’t know.
I’m alone. The room is dark, naturally, but there are security lights on outside the building that give enough ambient light through the windows for me to read the bulletin board. English class. I’m in my seat at the back of the room. Quiet. Eerie.
It’s a good place to think. Several things are clear to me: only certain people can see and hear me and only once in a while; I can enter people’s heads when they’re in a dream-like state; I can travel distances in a blink of an eye. There are other things to think about too, like is this going to be permanent? Am I going to die? Am I going to be a vegetable?
If I get to choose, then I’ll pick vegetable as long as I can exist like this, floating outside of my body. I swallow the lump in my throat, try not to be scared, and make a decision: I will make the best of things. My mission will be to make people happy. That sounds pretty unselfish. Maybe I got that from being in Rashanda’s head and feeling her generous forgiveness. Yes, this is a good plan. This is my version of “hanging in there.” Maybe I can make Michael and Keith and Hannah feel my forgiveness in case they’re blaming themselves.
Rashanda
Friday night
The way Tyler’s face dropped when Jessica disappeared on him tugged at my heart—in a bad way. I told him I’d see him later, grabbed my purse, and rushed out of there. He probably thought I was crazy. I thought I was crazy. My mind was so messed up.
I phoned my mom as I headed to the recovery area. She was being awfully understanding about me spending so much time there, but she had her limits, and I knew I’d better check in and probably head home soon. Either drive Jessica’s car or have my mom pick me up. I needed to talk to Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell about that though I was sure they wouldn’t care. What I really
“You can see her?” Rashanda spoke in a normal voice.
I still held Jessica’s gaze. “Yup.” I reached my hand out. “Hi, Jessica.” But she pulled back.
“I better not touch you. You don’t want me in your head, do you? I mean, it’s not like demon-possession, but, well . . .”
“It’s okay.” I dropped my hand, disappointed. “So, uh, what do we do? How do we make you strong enough to get you back into your body?”
Her cute little shoulders shrugged. I forgot that Rashanda was next to me. She elbowed me, hard, and said, “Tyler, get a grip. We have to do some research.”
“I saw Keith at school this morning. He brought me here,” Jessica said as she darted her eyes between us.
“I know,” I said. “He told me.”
“But I don’t know how he keeps getting back into his body. Maybe it’s the drugs in the IV line.” She shrugged her shoulders again, a quick little jerk. It made me smile.
“Prayer,” Rashanda said. I nodded in agreement though I rarely prayed. I kept my focus on Jessica.
Someone knocked on the door and Jessica looked over her shoulder as nonchalantly as if she were flesh and bones. I tensed, but maintained my focus, even when Rashanda gasped and exclaimed that Jessica was gone. She rose to open the door, stepping on those green toes without a thought. Crap. I pushed her off Jessica. I was probably too rough.
“It’s okay. I didn’t feel anything. She lost me, I guess,” Jessica said, giving me an unreadable smile.
Rashanda’s hand was on the door and she stopped short of swinging it wide as someone on the other side made a weak apology and left. “Why did you push me?” Rashanda growled back at me. “Oh, my gosh, you can still see her, can’t you?”
Jessica
Friday night
It’s more intense than I can take. I look away from Tyler, try not to think of that kiss, and stand up. Rashanda is blocking the door and I really want to leave.
All it takes is a thought, I guess. But why my escaping thought is to come here I totally don’t know.
I’m alone. The room is dark, naturally, but there are security lights on outside the building that give enough ambient light through the windows for me to read the bulletin board. English class. I’m in my seat at the back of the room. Quiet. Eerie.
It’s a good place to think. Several things are clear to me: only certain people can see and hear me and only once in a while; I can enter people’s heads when they’re in a dream-like state; I can travel distances in a blink of an eye. There are other things to think about too, like is this going to be permanent? Am I going to die? Am I going to be a vegetable?
If I get to choose, then I’ll pick vegetable as long as I can exist like this, floating outside of my body. I swallow the lump in my throat, try not to be scared, and make a decision: I will make the best of things. My mission will be to make people happy. That sounds pretty unselfish. Maybe I got that from being in Rashanda’s head and feeling her generous forgiveness. Yes, this is a good plan. This is my version of “hanging in there.” Maybe I can make Michael and Keith and Hannah feel my forgiveness in case they’re blaming themselves.
Rashanda
Friday night
The way Tyler’s face dropped when Jessica disappeared on him tugged at my heart—in a bad way. I told him I’d see him later, grabbed my purse, and rushed out of there. He probably thought I was crazy. I thought I was crazy. My mind was so messed up.
I phoned my mom as I headed to the recovery area. She was being awfully understanding about me spending so much time there, but she had her limits, and I knew I’d better check in and probably head home soon. Either drive Jessica’s car or have my mom pick me up. I needed to talk to Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell about that though I was sure they wouldn’t care. What I really
Similar Books
