“Why did you let him use my car?” I glowered.
“He needs a way to get around today. Besides you’ll be in school.”
I grumbled under my breath, but Dad ignored me and instead, changed the subject to our upcoming investigation. He went on about Matt meeting us in Anchorage and driving down to Seward.
By the time we pulled up to the school, my mood hadn’t improved. My stomach flip-flopped with butterflies and nervous anticipation as I wondered what I’d say to Carsen. Then my mind drifted to Jefferson and my dad, and I hoped they wouldn’t go out to do any searching today.
“Have a good day, kiddo.” Dad leaned over to give me a kiss on the forehead. “Is something wrong?” He watched me intently as if sensing my unease.
“No, I’m fine, just getting excited about tomorrow.”
He frowned but didn’t pressure me any further. Launching myself from the truck like a torpedo, I ran to the school entrance. I pushed through the door with a sigh of relief, heading straight for my locker. Most of the lights were still off so I went down and sat in front of my locker.
I pulled out a book on Irish Folklore to pass the time, engrossing myself in stories about faeries, and faerie mounds and young people being stolen away. When other students started to fill the halls, I marked off my page then shoved my bag into my locker. I busied myself straightening my pictures, mirror, and books in an effort to prolong going to class. But mainly, I waited for Carsen to arrive.
The clock mesmerized me for the next fifteen minutes as I scoured the halls for any sign of my tall, athletic boyfriend. Then the first bell rang and my heart sank. He was avoiding me.
I trudged to class in defeat, slumping down in my desk. My stomach twisted in knots as I glanced around the room after the last bell signaled the start of the day. Carsen, Talon, and Ferren were missing. Maybe they were running late. Deep down though, I knew they wouldn’t show.
I bit back the urge to cry and focused on Mr. Cavanaugh or at least tried to focus on him. But most of the hour was spent replaying Saturday, and whether or not Carsen gave an indication he didn’t want to see me again. I mean, they couldn’t be absent every day. The thought should’ve made me feel better, but it made me more depressed thinking about Carsen being in the same school and never speaking to me again.
With each passing hour, my dread grew more intense. I fingered the polar bear necklace Carsen had given to me and closed my eyes. The ache in my chest didn’t go away, nor did the urge to cry. I floated to and from class like a ghost, barely paying attention. I was on the fringe of everything. An outsider. No friends, no one to talk to. I was just here.
Misery accompanied me for the whole day, making me recognize one important fact, that I was incomplete without Carsen. I’d lived sixteen years without him, but now that I’d had a taste of what love might be I didn’t think I’d be able to go back to my regular life. A life without friends.
When last hour gym ended, I rushed to my locker needing to get home and away from school. At least there, I wouldn’t have to deal with paying attention to teachers or pretending to smile when everything inside told me to scream.
Dad waited for me in his truck when I scrambled outside. I waved to a couple kids who walked by, but frowned because they weren’t Carsen.
“Hey sweetie, how was your day?”
“Okay.”
“Yeah, I can see that,” he said with a laugh. “You look about as happy as a grizzly bear with a toothache.”
“My friends were absent today so I didn’t have anyone to hang out with.”
“You’ll see them again Friday.”
“Maybe,” I whispered.
He ignored me, pulling away from the parking lot. When we got home, Jefferson greeted us at the door holding his backpack and a shopping bag from the native store. His eyes swept over Dad and me before he hurried down the hall to the guestroom, the whole while attempting to conceal his bag from me.
I was suspicious by his odd behavior but didn’t think too much of it when he came back into the living room holding two masks he’d bought.
“Look what I got today.” He handed one to me.
“It’s nice,” I said.
“Yeah, I thought I’d hang them up in my office when I get back to Los Angeles.”
He went on to tell us about his day exploring Old Town, shopping, and hiking with Dave. I tuned him out after the first five minutes though, his voice grated on my nerves like nails on a chalkboard.
“Why don’t I throw some steaks on,” Dad said, rummaging through the fridge.
“Sounds good. I think I’ll go do some reading for English Lit until they’re done,” I said.
There’s no way I’d spend an entire evening listening to Jefferson brag or belittle my dad. Already he was on Dad’s case about doing more investigating in town and even offered to stay with us for a while to help. Ugh! Make me barf. I’d sooner jump off a cliff than have him under our roof every day.
Sprawling across my bed, I stared at my phone, willing it to ring when Keetah came prancing in.
“Hey boy, are you trying to hide from Jefferson, too?”
He cocked his head to the side then let out a moan before covering his face with a paw.
I laughed at him. “Poor guy, you got stuck here all day with him didn’t you.”
He held up his paw as if he got hurt, making me snicker. Even my dog didn’t like the man, which said a lot because Keetah liked pretty much everyone.
I laid my head against my headboard. To call or not to call, that was the question. I didn’t want Carsen to think I was stalking him, but at the same time I didn’t want him to think I was giving up so easily.
At last, I jerked the phone off its cradle and dialed Carsen’s number. It rang seven times before the answering machine picked up.
“Hey Carsen, it’s Ima, I just wanted to call and say hi and let you know I missed you at school today. I’ll be gone for a few days but will be back by Friday. Anyway I wanted to tell you nothing’s changed as far as I’m concerned.”
I hung up wondering why I’d rambled that way. “What am I going to do Keetah?”
With a sigh of defeat, I sat on my bed reading until dinner. After the meal, we packed our equipment for the next day. The Berry S.I. crew would transport most of the tech stuff we needed in vans tomorrow, which meant less for us to worry about now.
Once I’d finished helping Dad, I packed my clothes to include some company sweatshirts, and t-shirts that we wore on our investigations. I threw in some jeans and one nicer outfit in case Dad decided to go some place fancy to eat. When I finished, I sat by my window, staring at the moon. I cracked my window open a hair and listened. I don’t know what I expected to hear but I found myself disappointed when I was met with silence.
“Goodbye Carsen,” I said to the night.
I wasn’t one to give up without a fight but the proof was before my eyes. He didn’t call, he skipped school, and he hadn’t shown his face since Saturday. How much more final could it get? At least I had Berry S.I. If nothing more, an investigation always raised my spirits, no pun intended.
Chapter Eleven
A Friend
The next morning we piled into the Jeep and headed to the airstrip, where we loaded into a bush plane for Kotzebue. I rested my head against the window and peered down. For a brief moment, I thought I saw someone watching us. Pressing my face closer, I tried to determine who it was. But the plane began to move, blocking my view.
A part of me hoped it was Carsen. But maybe it’d be easier if it wasn’t. Besides, I had an investigation I needed to worry about. Right. Focus on the ghost hunt and forget about boys all together. At least Matt would be there. I missed him. And it was hard to get used to not having one of my best friends around. Even if he did get all “big brother” on me at times.
Between our flights into Kotzebue then on to Anchorage we spent a few hours on the plane. By the time, we landed in Anchorage I was ready to be on the ground again. I mean I
got stuck next to Jefferson who only wanted to talk about the footprints I took pictures of; I attempted to change the subject, but each time we ended up back to the footprints.
I wanted to punch Dad in the face for telling him about them. All he’d managed to do was entice the man. Grabbing my carry on bag, I stepped into the aisle ahead of two elderly men needing to put some distance between Jefferson and me.
When I reached the gates, I waited for Dad and Keetah. The first person I saw though was Matt, at the arrival gate and relief flooded me.
“Matt,” I called, running to greet him.
I threw myself in his arms and wept. I cried for everything that’d happened in Point Hope, and I cried because I was happy to see him. Matt was someone constant in my life, a friend who knew all my crazy quirks but liked me in spite of them.
“Hey, Ima, don’t cry.” He rubbed my hair from my face. “What’s wrong?”
“No—nothing.” I hiccupped. “I just missed you.” Good grief, I sounded like a flipping cry baby. I just needed to get my head on straight. Besides, this wasn’t like me. I mean, I never cried. Mostly because I hung out with guys, and well, they weren’t into the weeping thing. Then again, I didn’t ever have much of a reason to cry. Until now.
He chuckled. “I missed you too and I’m glad you’re safe.”
I glanced at him, his ocean colored eyes were guarded but friendly. It was strange; I didn’t realize how much I needed him until I saw him standing here.
“Listen, about the other night,” I began.
“Don’t worry I haven’t mentioned it to your dad, and I don’t intend to.”
“Thanks.”
A few minutes later Dad spotted us and waved. He took our embrace in stride like it was a daily occurrence, which kind of made me mad after the stink he’d made over Carsen. I almost opened my mouth to say so, but decided it was a battle I didn’t want to undertake today.
“The crew is waiting in the vans for us,” Matt said, shaking Dad’s hand. “We’ve got a one hundred and twenty-six mile drive to Seward, so if you want to grab a quick bite to eat, we can.”
“Sounds good. Why don’t we get our stuff loaded up, and we’ll head out,” Dad said.
I leaned toward Matt. “You better have Jefferson in a different vehicle than I’m in.”
His lips twitched. “Already taken care of, you’re riding with me, along with your dad and Keetah.”
“I so owe you.”
He gave me a wink. “Yes you do and I plan to collect.”
My face burned and I glanced away. Yep, things were definitely back to normal between us, him teasing me, me blushing. Not that there were any romantic notions, Matt just liked to flirt. That was his thing. At least it would take my mind off everything else.
“Hey Lou, if you don’t mind I’d like to get mine and Ima’s meals to go so we can take Keetah over to the park for a few,” Matt said as we finished loading the gear.
“Good idea,” Dad said. “The last thing we need him to do is have an accident in the van.”
I raised a quizzical brow wondering what Matt was up to.
We got our food then Matt and I headed over to the park where I sat down on a picnic table, pulling my coat tight about my shoulders.
“How’s your mom doing?” I asked before taking a bite out of my hamburger.
He shifted from one foot to the other, his eyes darting everywhere but on me. Confusion played at his features and he cleared his throat. “She’s doing better. My dad’s home this week so he’ll take care of her.”
His response sounded the warning bells in my head. If I didn’t know any better I’d think he lied to me. I continued to watch him, when the strong scent of woodland wafted in the air between us, like I’d walked through a forest.
Stopping mid-bite, I stared at Matt. “Are you lying to me?”
Matt chuckled, tugging my hat down over my eyes. “No crazy girl. I have no reason to lie to you.”
I pushed his hands away and readjusted my hat so I could see again. “That isn’t going to work on me.” I scowled.
“What isn’t going to work?”
“Your—your flirting and charm!”
He grinned, revealing perfect white teeth that’d make the toothpaste models jealous. “I never knew you found me charming.”
I kicked his leg under the table. “See, you’re doing it again.”
He threw his hands in the air. “Why don’t you quit analyzing everything I do?”
I rolled my eyes but let it go, not because I thought he was right, but because I was too hungry to argue.
Silence fell over us while we ate, but as soon as Matt finished he began to talk.
“So what’s really going on with you? Why were you crying today?”
Okay, so now he chose to play detective and counselor. I should’ve known he’d guess something was wrong.
“I told you, I missed you.”
“Come on, Ima, this is me you’re talking to.”
I shoved the remainder of my fries away and peered into the distance. “I had a rough weekend, first Carsen then the whole apparition thing.”
“Carsen? What’d he do,” Matt said sliding closer to me, his fists clenched at his sides. He reached over, gripping my arm and forcing me to look at him.
“We had a fight, okay?” I shook his hand off and turned my back to him.
“Ima,” he said more softly.
“I know, I shouldn’t have fallen for him but I couldn’t help it. And now I’m not even sure if he likes me.”
Tears welled in my eyes and Matt came around the table to stand in front of me, tilting my chin so he could see my face.
“If he doesn’t realize what a perfect girl you are then he doesn’t deserve you.”
My shoulders shook, and I covered my face with my hands. Would I ever stop crying? I blamed hormones and first love—anything to keep me from sounding weak. He pulled me into his arms and cradled me until my sobs subsided.
“Sorry,” I mumbled against his chest.
“You’re fine.”
“Are you sure there’s nothing wrong with me?” I said.
Matt chuckled. “That’s debatable.”
I slugged him in the arm.
“I’m just kidding. There’s nothing wrong with you, you’re smart, pretty, funny.”
He thinks I’m pretty? My cheeks lit up like a Fourth of July fireworks display, but I admitted I felt much better.
Matt grasped my hand as we stood to throw away our trash, and he didn’t let go until we climbed into the vehicle, Keetah hot on our trail.
“I really will watch out for you, Ima. That’s why I’m here. I keep trying to tell you that no matter what’s going on in your life, I will always be there,” Matt said. His eyes held mine, like a promise.
So many questions reeled in my mind, but I decided not to ask them. Sometimes the less I knew the better off I was. Right now, the only thing I needed to be sure of was that I had one friend I could count on. Matt was it. Even in his most annoying moments, he always had my best interest at hand.
“I know,” I said with a smile. “So what do you say we go investigate us a haunted house?”
He laughed, nudging me with his shoulder. “Look out ghosts, here we come.”
Chapter Twelve
The Jesse Lee Home
The van pulled up to a chain link fence a couple hours later, and I stared in awe at the rambling, dilapidated house before me. The windows reminded me of tired eyes, rotting and drooping as they stared back at me. The roof sagged in a several spots and the white exterior was peeling away like dead skin after a sunburn.
Tall grass surrounded the land, with elongated, jagged trees poking up to the sky like skeletal fingers. I shivered, in spite of the heat radiating from the vents in the van.
“That must be Keava Wontsly,” Dad said, pointing to the older woman who stood near the fence.
Matt and I followed him as he slid from the van, ambling over to Keava.
She gave us big smile. “Welcome to the Jesse Lee home.” She shook each of our hands. “If you want I can give you a quick tour before locking you in for the night.”
“That’d be great,” Dad said.
As we stepped behind the gate, a strange sensation fell over me, like someone watched us. A movement in the second story window caught my eye and I blinked, nudging Matt’s arm.
“I thought I just saw a shadow go past the window,” I whispered, pointing toward the house.
“I don’t see anything,” he said.
Dad and Keava peered back at us, and we hurried to catch up. We were definitely in for a fun night. As Keava brought us into the house, everything seemed to fall into shadows.
The floorboards squeaked, groaning beneath us as we made our way down the long corridors. I listened to Keava tell us the history of the house.
“The orphanage moved to Seward in the nineteen twenties, and during the nineteen sixties, there was an earthquake that took dozens of kids’ lives, hence why many people believe the house to be haunted,” she said.
“Also, the child who designed the Alaskan flag was a resident at the Jesse Lee home in his youth,” Keava continued with a smile.
“So what types of experiences have people claimed to have here?” I said when she finished talking.
“People claim to hear children giggling, and running down the halls. Some even say they’ve heard kids jumping rope or feel like they’re being tugged on,” Keava said.
“What about apparitions or ghosts,” Dad asked. His eyes twinkled with excitement. Seriously, he was like a kid let loose in a toy store when it came to investigations.
“We’ve had several individuals see shadowy figures standing in the windows when no one else is here. And sometimes they see them going in and out of rooms.”
Matt stood beside me with a notebook, jotting down information as well as drawing up a diagram of places to put cameras. He glanced up and smiled at me when he noticed me scrutinizing his work. But I looked away not wanting to interrupt his progress.
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