Existence(20)

“What did I miss?” Leif asked as he sat down beside me.

“Nothing,” I responded a little too quickly.

Wyatt nodded toward where Dank and Kendra sat at a table alone. “It appears Miranda thinks anyone would have been a better choice for the rock star than Kendra.” Leif nodded. “She’s probably right. But as long as he has stopped ogling my girl, I don’t care who he gives his attention to.”

Miranda raised her eyebrows at me in surprise. “Really, he’s been ogling you?”

I rolled my eyes. “No.” My quick response didn’t even sound believable to my own ears.

“Yes, he has,” Leif said, reaching for my hand under the table. He gave me a gentle squeeze as if to reassure me. I sighed and relaxed. No point arguing with him. I knew Dank watched me more often than anyone else. I hadn’t realized how possessive I felt toward him until I’d seen Kendra getting his attention. He could go sing Kendra to sleep with his guitar and hauntingly beautiful music. I heard a low chuckle and turned to look at both Leif and Wyatt whose mouths were full of food. I froze and glanced back at the table where Dank sat in a private conversation with Kendra.

His eyes left hers and gave me an amused glance before turning back to the perfect blond beside him.



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Chapter Six


“I do believe this is your first football game,” my mother said, grinning from the kitchen sink where she stood draining bow tie noodles.

I shrugged. “I guess.”

She glanced up at me. “And you’re going out with the quarterback when it’s over?” I started to answer her when a soul walked into the kitchen through the closed patio doors. I stiffened. It’d been a long time since a soul had wandered through our house. The soul appeared young. Her hair hung down her back in long, curly blond locks. It seemed to float around her waist. I started to do the standard and act like I didn’t see her, but she stopped directly in front of me and began studying me. Her eyes seemed translucent and her eyelashes were incredibly long but so blond they were almost undetectable. Her head tilted to one side as she walked closer to me, watching me as if I were some sort of science experiment that befuddled her.

“Honey?” My mom’s voice woke me up out of the trance.

I jerked my gaze away from the soul, which proved hard because she stood so close to me that I could reach out and touch her.

“Um, yes, sorry.” Mom no longer seemed amused.

She frowned at me with the colander of noodles held forgotten in her hands. “Are you okay, Pagan? Maybe you should stay home and rest. A whole week of school had to have been difficult after what you’ve been through.” I forced myself not to shiver when a cold hand touched my hair.

“It’s pretty.” The musical sound of the soul’s voice startled me. I jerked back from her.

“Pagan?” I took a deep, calming breath and forced a smile I hoped was normal.

“I’m fine, just a little nervous. I need to finish getting ready before Miranda and Wyatt get here.” Mom nodded and her smile returned. “Alright, then. I 61



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guess nerves are understandable when one is going on a date with such a hottie.” She winked and I held my fake smile before turning and fleeing the room. I closed my bedroom door and turned to watch and see if the soul followed me.

“Are you looking for me?” The musical voice came from behind me. I swung around in surprise and let out a startled yelp.

“What are you doing?” I asked, confused. Why had souls proceeded to start talking to me? She giggled and it sounded similar to a chime of bells.

“It is appointed,” she said simply and walked closer to me. I held out both hands as if it would hold her off.

“Don’t come any closer,” I said, realizing for the first time in my life I was completely terrified of a soul.

She frowned. “You’re not very friendly.” I let out a short laugh, “What? I’m not friendly to a ghost who floats into my house and starts touching me? Well, excuse my rudeness but this is a little disturbing.” Her frown seemed to take on an understanding expression. “Ah, yes. Well, I guess I just assumed you were used to us.”

So she knew I could see souls. “Who are you?” I asked again, wishing my voice at least sounded steady instead of unmistakably trembling. She didn’t answer, but went back to studying me silently. “I need to get ready to go before my friends get here. If you have no purpose for being here then could you just go find another house to wander through?” Her tinkling laughter filled my room again. “I do not wander through the homes of people,” she said as if I’d just said the silliest thing she’d ever heard. “It is appointed,” she said again, smiling brightly.

I started to ask her what she was referring to when, once again, I stood alone in my room. I turned around in a circle, expecting to see her drifting around but she was gone.

Needing to hear the normalcy of my mother’s off-key singing while she cooked dinner, I went and opened the door to my 62



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bedroom. I needed to see Dank. I wanted answers. Before Dank, souls didn’t talk to me. I had liked it that way. I would like to keep it that way. I did not like the idea of souls walking up to me and touching me and talking to me. I could deal with their presence but I preferred to ignore them and in return get treated like everyone else. I made one more quick sweep of my room and closed my door quietly. Putting some distance between me and the door, I walked to the other side of the room. The last thing I needed was for my mom to hear what I was about to do.