healthy, but she needed to let him have this. She'd been to school several times over in her lifetimes. Unless he took a similar path as her, he'd only get to do this once.
Ted continued to scribble down notes when the bell rang. By the time all the students had packed up their bags and left, Ted put the final period on the lecture. He looked around and squinted his eyes.
"Where did everybody go?"
Erica put her hand on his shoulder. "Even Ms. Adler left, Ted. It's time to move on."
He threw his pencil onto the ground and rubbed at his cheeks. "I'm not ready." He looked up at her. "Why'd the light souls have to pick me?"
Erica had gone through the same phase when she was a living soul. It just surprised her how long it took Ted to ask the same question she had.
Erica pulled up a chair next to him. "Because you're strong on the inside. Because you're a good person. I mean, look at what you've done already."
Erica could tell her words weren't reaching him. She opted to let him talk it out instead.
Ted scrunched up his face before relaxing his features. "I could've run away, you know. I had a chance to fake my death in Florida. Maybe I could've gone somewhere where nobody would know me."
Erica ignored the anger that bubbled up. Confronting him about this new piece of information wouldn't make the situation any better. She rubbed his back. "I'm glad you didn't."
Ted's voice broke. "I could make everyone forget. Just change everybody's brain so they don't know I'm a hero."
Erica felt a knot in her stomach. She leaned over and kissed Ted on the cheek. "I don't think that'd be a good idea."
Ted forced a smile and kissed Erica back. "I know." He took a deep breath and let it out. "I won't. It just all seems too unbearable sometimes."
Erica turned Ted's head toward her. "You can handle all of this, Ted. There'll be moments when it's too much, but if you can deal with it 90 percent of the time, you'll be better than any living soul there ever was."
Erica felt Ted's fingers brush against hers. She was divided right down the middle between wanting him to go and wanting him to curl up next to her in his bed.
Ted looked up as if he heard something through the silence. "Duty calls."
Erica narrowed her eyes as the loudspeaker interrupted her thoughts. "Ted Finley to the principal's office. Ted Finley to the principal's office."
Erica wondered how often Ted was using his new mind reading abilities on her. "They're here?"
Ted nodded. He offered his hand to her, and she took it. They walked down the hallway for what could be the last time in a long while. A few students, assuming Ted was in trouble, let out a few accusatory howls. Erica figured this wasn't the part of school he'd miss the most. Everything they had to convey to each other was done through the pressure of their joined hands. By the time they reached the office, Erica was squeezing Ted as hard as she could.
Agents Vott and Harding were sitting in the office when they arrived. Harding turned his head to the side, as if he didn't expect Erica to be there. She gave him an evil eye in response.
"Enough, you two." Vott took out a folder and passed it to Ted. "There's been another attack. This time in North Carolina. We're moving things–"
"I know." Ted squeezed Erica's hand back. "It's time to go."
"We'll give you two a minute." Vott nodded to Harding. "No flipped tables this time, okay?"
Erica wasn't sure if her eye could get much more evil. After the agents left, Erica wrapped her arms around Ted and pressed herself into him. He did the same and they stayed like that for over a minute.
She pulled back to look him in the eyes. "Call me when you get there."
He took a deep breath and smiled. "Yes, ma'am. I wish you could come."
"Don't worry." She kissed his neck. "You'll be back soon."
Erica wished she knew that statement was a certainty. Ted walked through the office doors, and before long he was gone.
The rest of the day was a blur. Erica didn't retain any
Ted continued to scribble down notes when the bell rang. By the time all the students had packed up their bags and left, Ted put the final period on the lecture. He looked around and squinted his eyes.
"Where did everybody go?"
Erica put her hand on his shoulder. "Even Ms. Adler left, Ted. It's time to move on."
He threw his pencil onto the ground and rubbed at his cheeks. "I'm not ready." He looked up at her. "Why'd the light souls have to pick me?"
Erica had gone through the same phase when she was a living soul. It just surprised her how long it took Ted to ask the same question she had.
Erica pulled up a chair next to him. "Because you're strong on the inside. Because you're a good person. I mean, look at what you've done already."
Erica could tell her words weren't reaching him. She opted to let him talk it out instead.
Ted scrunched up his face before relaxing his features. "I could've run away, you know. I had a chance to fake my death in Florida. Maybe I could've gone somewhere where nobody would know me."
Erica ignored the anger that bubbled up. Confronting him about this new piece of information wouldn't make the situation any better. She rubbed his back. "I'm glad you didn't."
Ted's voice broke. "I could make everyone forget. Just change everybody's brain so they don't know I'm a hero."
Erica felt a knot in her stomach. She leaned over and kissed Ted on the cheek. "I don't think that'd be a good idea."
Ted forced a smile and kissed Erica back. "I know." He took a deep breath and let it out. "I won't. It just all seems too unbearable sometimes."
Erica turned Ted's head toward her. "You can handle all of this, Ted. There'll be moments when it's too much, but if you can deal with it 90 percent of the time, you'll be better than any living soul there ever was."
Erica felt Ted's fingers brush against hers. She was divided right down the middle between wanting him to go and wanting him to curl up next to her in his bed.
Ted looked up as if he heard something through the silence. "Duty calls."
Erica narrowed her eyes as the loudspeaker interrupted her thoughts. "Ted Finley to the principal's office. Ted Finley to the principal's office."
Erica wondered how often Ted was using his new mind reading abilities on her. "They're here?"
Ted nodded. He offered his hand to her, and she took it. They walked down the hallway for what could be the last time in a long while. A few students, assuming Ted was in trouble, let out a few accusatory howls. Erica figured this wasn't the part of school he'd miss the most. Everything they had to convey to each other was done through the pressure of their joined hands. By the time they reached the office, Erica was squeezing Ted as hard as she could.
Agents Vott and Harding were sitting in the office when they arrived. Harding turned his head to the side, as if he didn't expect Erica to be there. She gave him an evil eye in response.
"Enough, you two." Vott took out a folder and passed it to Ted. "There's been another attack. This time in North Carolina. We're moving things–"
"I know." Ted squeezed Erica's hand back. "It's time to go."
"We'll give you two a minute." Vott nodded to Harding. "No flipped tables this time, okay?"
Erica wasn't sure if her eye could get much more evil. After the agents left, Erica wrapped her arms around Ted and pressed herself into him. He did the same and they stayed like that for over a minute.
She pulled back to look him in the eyes. "Call me when you get there."
He took a deep breath and smiled. "Yes, ma'am. I wish you could come."
"Don't worry." She kissed his neck. "You'll be back soon."
Erica wished she knew that statement was a certainty. Ted walked through the office doors, and before long he was gone.
The rest of the day was a blur. Erica didn't retain any
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