took me by surprise, I was embarrassed and I reacted by doing … that. She took some papers off her desk, and didn’t even acknowledge me naked inside the room. I thought … well, that it was odd. So I tested it again a couple more times and it worked every time. She never sees me when I’m in this … state. I don’t know what to call it. I don’t even know what it is that I’m doing!” he said excitedly.
“And then you guinea-pigged me too.”
“Well … yeah. But it didn’t work on you, though, so … I don’t get it.”
“Yeah, but it kind of feels weird, when you were doing it. I can see you but you’re kind of faded. Is it an ex-ghost special ability thing?”
“I really don’t know, Joey. I have never been an ex-ghost before, so this is all new territory for me.” He paused and looking thoughtfully at the ceiling.
“Maybe Miss Violet will know,” I pondered.
“Hmm, yeah, about that. I knew you’d say this. But, maybe she doesn’t have to know. Well, at least not right away. We’ll tell her later, okay?”
“Huh. All right, I suppose,” I said, standing up and walking to the door.
That boy sure liked having secrets!
“I’ll go finish packing, then. I still gotta go to school tomorrow, with or without your fading skill there. Let me know if you develop any more ‘special’ abilities any time soon.”
I was really glad his “thing” didn’t work on me. Otherwise I would be constantly on my guard, thinking he was playing tricks on me too!
Sunday started as gloomy and clouded as my mood. I knew I should feel excited about going to my new school, and that Tristan would be joining me soon, on the next weekend, but somehow I couldn’t manage to feel happy about it.
And the crappy day wasn’t helping either. There was a soft annoying rain falling on and off all day, which left everything damp, humid and freezing cold. The sky was filled with gray, ugly clouds and the streets with murky puddles of water.
I stood there at the bus platform, watching the driver stuff my luggage into the bag compartment.
“Are you sure you don’t mind going to your new school by bus all alone, honey?” my mom asked, all worried and guilty. The mechanic was holding her car hostage, apparently, and he would only release it on Tuesday. For a heavy ransom. The solution to my problem: bus transportation.
“It’s fine, Mom. I already told you that like a million times. Don’t worry, I know how to take a bus. It’s not rocket science, you know.”
“I know, I know, honey, but it’s your first day! At your new school! I wanted so much to be there with you!” she said, teary-eyed. Oh, dear. There went the water works.
“Mom, come on! Please, please, don’t start crying here!” I whispered, looking frantically around me. Tristan was chuckling behind her back.
“You laugh all you want now, pal, she’ll do the same with you too, you know?” I warned him. He stopped in mid-chuckle and kept a straight face then.
“Okay, Mom! I gotta go now, the bus is leaving. I’ll see you guys next weekend, right?” I said, hugging my mom.
“Yeah, that damn mechanic better have my car fixed by then, or I’ll give him hell! We’ll be there at the weekend and you can show me your new school, your new room, your room-mates!” She squealed in excitement.
“All right, all right, settle down,” I said, patting her shoulder and turning to Tristan.
He had both hands inside his pockets, his usual stance when he was nervous, as I’d learned to recognize by now. He glanced sideways at my mom. I guess he was embarrassed to say or do something in front of her. The fact that she was looking at us with googly eyes wasn’t helping either.
“Uh … well, have a safe trip to your school, Joe. I’ll see you soon,” he said, extending his hand to me formally.
I took his hand, a little embarrassed myself. “Thanks, Tristan. I’ll see you soon.”
We shared a brief handshake and I blushed at my mom watching us
“And then you guinea-pigged me too.”
“Well … yeah. But it didn’t work on you, though, so … I don’t get it.”
“Yeah, but it kind of feels weird, when you were doing it. I can see you but you’re kind of faded. Is it an ex-ghost special ability thing?”
“I really don’t know, Joey. I have never been an ex-ghost before, so this is all new territory for me.” He paused and looking thoughtfully at the ceiling.
“Maybe Miss Violet will know,” I pondered.
“Hmm, yeah, about that. I knew you’d say this. But, maybe she doesn’t have to know. Well, at least not right away. We’ll tell her later, okay?”
“Huh. All right, I suppose,” I said, standing up and walking to the door.
That boy sure liked having secrets!
“I’ll go finish packing, then. I still gotta go to school tomorrow, with or without your fading skill there. Let me know if you develop any more ‘special’ abilities any time soon.”
I was really glad his “thing” didn’t work on me. Otherwise I would be constantly on my guard, thinking he was playing tricks on me too!
Sunday started as gloomy and clouded as my mood. I knew I should feel excited about going to my new school, and that Tristan would be joining me soon, on the next weekend, but somehow I couldn’t manage to feel happy about it.
And the crappy day wasn’t helping either. There was a soft annoying rain falling on and off all day, which left everything damp, humid and freezing cold. The sky was filled with gray, ugly clouds and the streets with murky puddles of water.
I stood there at the bus platform, watching the driver stuff my luggage into the bag compartment.
“Are you sure you don’t mind going to your new school by bus all alone, honey?” my mom asked, all worried and guilty. The mechanic was holding her car hostage, apparently, and he would only release it on Tuesday. For a heavy ransom. The solution to my problem: bus transportation.
“It’s fine, Mom. I already told you that like a million times. Don’t worry, I know how to take a bus. It’s not rocket science, you know.”
“I know, I know, honey, but it’s your first day! At your new school! I wanted so much to be there with you!” she said, teary-eyed. Oh, dear. There went the water works.
“Mom, come on! Please, please, don’t start crying here!” I whispered, looking frantically around me. Tristan was chuckling behind her back.
“You laugh all you want now, pal, she’ll do the same with you too, you know?” I warned him. He stopped in mid-chuckle and kept a straight face then.
“Okay, Mom! I gotta go now, the bus is leaving. I’ll see you guys next weekend, right?” I said, hugging my mom.
“Yeah, that damn mechanic better have my car fixed by then, or I’ll give him hell! We’ll be there at the weekend and you can show me your new school, your new room, your room-mates!” She squealed in excitement.
“All right, all right, settle down,” I said, patting her shoulder and turning to Tristan.
He had both hands inside his pockets, his usual stance when he was nervous, as I’d learned to recognize by now. He glanced sideways at my mom. I guess he was embarrassed to say or do something in front of her. The fact that she was looking at us with googly eyes wasn’t helping either.
“Uh … well, have a safe trip to your school, Joe. I’ll see you soon,” he said, extending his hand to me formally.
I took his hand, a little embarrassed myself. “Thanks, Tristan. I’ll see you soon.”
We shared a brief handshake and I blushed at my mom watching us
Similar Books
