Spirited

by J. A. Hunter

  "I am sure you two will find a way to get this done. Think of it as preparation for the real world. I work with people every day that I can't stand. This will be a good learning experience for you."

  "Yes sir." I frowned as I slumped my way out the door.

  I wasn't in the mood to go home- instead I wanted to see Reed. The curious side of me wanted to see Reed at the manor. The last time I was there we didn't really get much time to explore and I was curious about the others he was with- especially his relationship with Sarah.

  I knew he would be training with Paul and I wanted to watch.

  "Hey Heather, I have an errand to run, can you drop me off somewhere?" I asked as I approached the car.

  "Sure, where do you need to go?"

  "The east side of town."

  "East side? What do you need to do there?" She asked.

  "Just an errand."

  "Ok, but you'll be lucky if I slow down to let you out. You know I don't like that part of town. You shouldn't be there alone."

  "I'll be fine. I've been there before."

  "As long as you're sure." She shook her head.

  I bitched through the entire car ride, filling Heather's ears with disdain for Mr. Marenco. Each point of annoyance made her laugh even harder. I wasn't feeling any sympathy from her at all. That was probably because she would love to see me and Cory get together.

  She stopped long enough for me to jump out of the car before speeding off. She was always afraid of the homeless. I felt empathy more than fear.

  As I reached the manor I could hear laughing and cheering inside. The plywood barrier was still broken and I was able to crawl in. The front room was empty and I could see everyone gathered in the main living room. I learned from last time not to look at Gary in the corner and instead kept my stare fixated on the group of ghosts in front of me.

  "Ok Reed, give it a shot." I heard Paul's voice bellow.

  "You can do it!" Ronny cheered on.

  As I approached the group I could see Reed standing on one side of a piano and Sarah on the other. They were smirking at each other in fierce competition. As I watched the looks she gave him I felt the jealousy returning.

  I kept quiet, not to disturb them and was able to watch unnoticed. Reed held his arms out, Sarah followed suit. As Ronny counted down from 3 I held my breath. Once he reached zero, Reed lunged forward, gripping the piano and pushing it toward Sarah. Sarah pushed back, their hands almost pushing through the hard wood. I heard the piano squealing and snapping from the force of their pushes.

  It was like a reverse game of tug of war, each of them pushing as hard as they could, trying to get the other to fold. The legs of the piano began buckling as is screeched across the wood floor. Just before snapping into splinters, Sarah's hands fell through the piano, her body following, sending her straight toward Reed.

  He caught her before she hit the ground, causing him to fall back with her in his arms. I was stunned at how comfortable they looked together as they laughed together. I took in a loud breath, catching Sarah's attention.

  She glared through me before leaning in and pressing her lips to Reed's. Her eyes closed tightly as her fingers ran through his messy hair. I was blinded by the tears swelling in my eyes.

  As I gasped Reed looked up at me, pushing Sarah away from his lips.

  "Ally!" He called out to me, but I was halfway out the door.

  I began storming down the street when Reed appeared in front me.

  "Ally! Wait!" He begged.

  "No! Go back, get away from me!" I screamed, drawing the attention of everyone around.

  "It's not what it looked like. She kissed me!" He defended.

  "Yeah, right! You didn't seem to mind." I tried keeping my voice down.

  "She caught me off guard. I swear I would never do that to you!"

  "What does it matter? I can't give you that! I could never give you that!"

  "It's me who can't give it to you. I wish I could!" His eyes lost all sparkle.

  "What I really wish for is that I didn't love you so much!" I screamed.

  I could see his heart breaking but I was blinded by my anger and hurt to care. I was out for blood- if he had any blood in him.

  "Just leave me alone. I need to think." I demanded as he stopped following.

  My mind was a swirling abyss of emotions as I walked to the bus stop. I didn't even remember getting on the bus or how I noticed when it was my stop. I just remember the fury and hatred I felt as I walked up my driveway. My dad's car was parked in the driveway, earlier than normal. I stopped to calm myself before entering the house, wiping away the tears.

  "Hi Honey." My dad welcomed me as I walked in the house.

  "Hi Dad, what are you doing home so early?"

  "Fire drill at work, I snuck out." He laughed.

  "Are you going to get in trouble?"

  "Nah, they didn't need me this afternoon anyway."

  "Good." I set my bag down in the atrium.

  "A Cory called for you about 20 minutes ago."

  "Great." I sighed.

  "New boyfriend?"

  "Oh God no! Just someone I was paired with for a project."

  "He seemed nice on the phone." He commented.

  "Not everyone is as they seem." I held back more tears.

  "Are you ok? You look like you've been crying." He noticed.

  "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a bit tired. I think I'm going to lay down for a bit. I'll be down for dinner."

  "Ok sweetie, just feel better." He kissed my forehead and I went upstairs.

  I fell to my bed and lost the little bit of control I had downstairs. The tears fell to my pillow, soaking it in salty sorrow. I turned it over and closed my eyes. The images of Sarah and Reed flashed in front of my eyes and my heart broke each time. I couldn't believe I was so stupid. I trusted him completely, trusted him with my heart. I was broken.

  Even though I knew deep down Sarah was to blame, Reed wasn't innocent. He knew how I felt about her and he didn't stay away. He couldn't stop himself from being around her. He wanted to be near her.

  Eight

  I knew it would only be a matter of time before Reed or Sarah would pop into my room. I needed to keep them out until I was ready to face them. I needed to make a call.

  "Hello?" Cecelia answered.

  "Hi CC, it's Ally."

  "Well, I figured I would hear from you again. How is Reed?" I could hear her smile over the phone.

  "Fine I guess. I just have a question."

  "Sure, what can I help you with?"

  "Well…how can I keep ghosts out of my house?"

  "Oh! Trouble in paradise?" She laughed.

  "Yeah you can say that. So what can I do?"

  "First, are you absolutely sure you want him out of your life?"

  "Yes! Definitely! I just want to get back to how things were."

  "Ok, if you're sure, pour salt in the 4 corners of your room. That should keep them out."

  "Salt? Like table salt?"

  "Yeah, it doesn't have to be special salt, any salt will do."

  "Great! Ummm, what about when I'm not home? Anything I can do then?"

  "Yeah, just carry salt with you. That should keep him away."

  "Great! That sounds easy. Thanks a lot."

  "Good luck." She laughed as she hung up.

  I didn't hesitate, I ran downstairs to raid the kitchen for all the salt we had. I poured small piles in all 4 corners of my room as well as my closet. I placed a small amount on an empty perfume bottle and slid it in my pocket. I breathed a sigh of relief, I was ghost free.

  I knew it would still take a lot of time for me to get over him, to stop thinking about him if I could ever stop thinking about him. But keeping him away was going to make it a lot easier. I couldn't resist him when he was near- as if he drugged me each time he appeared. But apart I could withstand his charms.

  I went to school with a renewed sense of calm. It was easier to concentrate on classwork knowing Reed wouldn't just
manifest himself whenever he wanted. If Sarah wanted him that badly she can have him. I was starting to imagine a normal life again. A life full of possibilities that wasn't possible with Reed.

  I breezed through most of the day. Even Heather noticed my renewed sense of self during drama class. When I practiced my lines she said I sang louder, clearer and more beautifully. Sometimes she unknowingly reminds me why she was my best friend.

  I wasn't even bothered in Geometry class when I saw Cory staring at me. In a way it made me feel more normal than I felt since I met Reed. It was like everything was how it should be. And when the bell rang, I didn't even rush out of class to avoid him.

  "Hey Ally."

  "Hey Cory. Sorry I didn't return your call yesterday, I wasn't feeling well."

  "It's ok. I was just calling to see when we could get together for the project."

  "How about tonight? I don't have anything keeping me busy." I smiled at the thought of having the night without ghosts.

  "Sounds good. How about we meet at the café by Coxe Ave and Patton?" He suggested.

  "Sounds great, I love that place. Around 7?"

  "Yeah, perfect. I'll see you then." He smiled largely and almost galloped away.

  As I watched him leave I started to see why Heather thought we would make a good couple. He did have manners when he wanted to- even though he was a bit rough around the edges. He probably just needed the right girl to clean him up.

  Heather dropped me off at home, teasing me about my study date with Cory. I suddenly didn't mind, I even found myself looking forward to meeting him later. I never really took the time to get to know who he really was.

  I quickly ate dinner and went upstairs to shower. I laughed at myself when I realized who I was primping for. I never thought the day would come when I would make an effort to see Cory. But a sense of normality was what I needed and his pining was definitely normal.

  I stepped out of the shower and toweled off. I wrapped the towel tightly around me and went into my room. Just as I was about to drop the towel on the floor I felt a chill.

  "Hi Ally." His voice startled me and I screamed, wrapping the towel tighter around me.

  "I'm so sorry!" Reed jumped back and turned around, covering his eyes.

  "What are you doing here?" I demanded.

  "I needed to see you, I needed to explain." He started turning back around.

  "Don't look!" I screamed at him.

  "I'm sorry." He apologized again.

  "How are you able to get in here?" I quickly grabbed my clothes from my bed and slipped them on.

  "What do you mean?"

  "I put salt in the corners, you shouldn't be able to come in here." I explained.

  "Oh." He laughed.

  "What's so funny?'

  "Salt doesn't do anything. It’s a crutch. The real power is your desire for there to be no ghosts." He explained.

  "Well I desire for there to be no ghosts!"

  "You can say that, but deep down it's not true, or else I wouldn't be here." He turned and caught me in his gaze- I felt powerless again.

  "Where are you going?"

  "I have to meet Cory to work on a project, not that it's any of your business."

  "Oh. I guess you're still mad. I told you that she was the one who kissed me." He pleaded again.

  "I know. But you didn't stay away from her. You put yourself in a situation where she could kiss you."

  "I know. But I don't have a lot of places to go, ya know."

  "Still, it didn't seem like my feelings mattered to you." I accused.

  "Of course they matter."

  "Look, I don't have time to argue. I have to go." I started out the door.

  "Can I see you after? I want us to work this out."

  "Fine. I'll call you when I get home."

  I left him standing in my room, grabbed my bag from beside the door and left. I was furious to lose the normality of the night. I felt stupid for getting all dressed up just to have Reed pop back in. Now I was dreading meeting with Cory while thinking of the long talk Reed and I would have afterwards.

  "Wow, you look great." Cory commented as I walked into the café.

  "Thank you, that's sweet of you." I blushed.

  "Umm...I took the liberty of ordering you black tea. I hope that's ok."

  "Of course. I love their black tea."

  "Great. Me too. So should we get started?"

  "Yes of course." I pulled out my geometry book and the card I drew from the hat.

  "So what is our project?" He asked.

  "We have to draw a series of pictures without using parallel lines, and then write an essay on how the world would be affected if parallel lines didn't exist."

  "No parallel lines?"

  "Yep."

  "Well it would have been harder for me to drive here if there weren't any parallel lines on the road." He laughed.

  "Ok great, write that one down, we can use roads as an example for the essay."

  "Can I ask you a question?" He asked.

  "Sure."

  "Why do you always turn me down when I ask you out?"

  "Ummm, honestly, I don't know. I don't really know you." I tried to answer without sounding mean.

  "I know, but that would have changed over dinner." He defended.

  "Ok, I'll be honest. I've seen you with the cheerleaders and beauty queens at school. I just wasn't sure what your intentions were with me."

  "Intentions? You make me sound like a monster." He chuckled.

  "No! Not a monster, just kind of a player." I blushed.

  "Well there is a lot more to me than the girls I date." He frowned.

  "I know- I'm starting to see that."

  "What time is it?" He asked.

  "Almost 8, why?"

  "It's about to start."

  "What is?" I asked, but he was already turned around toward the large curtains behind him.

  The curtains were pulled open by the workers and the small stage was lit up. There was a microphone and a chair sitting center stage. The young woman working the counter stepped on stage and took the microphone.

  "Welcome everyone to open mic night!" The crowd cheered.

  "Our first performer is from Hendersonville- let's welcome Bobby Fraine to the stage."

  Everyone clapped as the young homely man sat in the chair and lowered the microphone stand. The large acoustic guitar in his lap almost hid his slender body. He gave a small welcome and started strumming.

  In Asheville folk music was popular. The town didn't have a shortage of talented musicians and poets. One after the other each entertainer left it all on stage, keeping the crowd in constant applause. I was jealous I didn't have such talent.

  "And last but not least, our last performer of the night, Cory Marshall!" The crowd clapped and I looked toward Cory confused, but offering a smile.

  "Wish me luck." He demanded as he stood.

  "Good luck." I started clapping as he made his way to the stage.

  He didn't sit like the others- he simply stood behind the microphone. The crowd's applause silenced as he began.

  "This is a small poem I wrote, inspired by a long time lust." He cleared his throat and began.

  His voice was mellow as he recited his poem of distant admiration. Each line poured from him like an admittance of love. His eyes stared across the crowd at me, his intense stare was different. It was like he wanted me to see him for the first time. To see the real him- he was exposing himself to me.

  I hung on every word- as if it were written for me. The entire poem rang familiar as he recited it. A tale of love from afar, watching, waiting, yearning for the day he would be noticed, accepted and embraced. There was loneliness, desire, and lust. He was unraveled and exposed- I was ashamed.

  All those years thinking he just wanted to get me in bed, he felt so deeply for me. I caused him so much pain, so much longing and never batted an eye to how he really felt. I couldn't stand to look at him, I wasn't worthy. My eyes fell to the floo
r and that's where they stay until the applause ended and he returned to the table.

  "What did you think?" He smiled.

  "I am so sorry." I apologized, holding back sobs.

  "For what?" He reached out, placing his hand on my shoulder.

  "For making you feel that way."

  "Don't feel bad, that wasn't about you." He lied.

  "Who was it about?"

  "Just everyone in general." He smirked.

  "Sounded like one person."

  "Well even if it was, it wasn't you. So please smile for me." His hand moved to my cheek, causing me to smile.

  "There it is." He smiled back.

  "It's getting kind of late- we should pick this up another night." He suggested.

  "You're right. I need to catch the last bus anyway."

  "Not this late you're not. I'll give you a ride." He offered.

  "Ok, thanks."

  The night was cool as we walked to his car and I wished I brought a jacket. The sleeveless halter top I was wearing wasn't enough to keep the chill off and I began to shiver.

  "Here." He wrapped his letterman's jacket around my shoulders before opening my door for me.

  "You really are a gentleman aren't you?" I giggled.

  "I have my moments."

  He ran to the driver's side and slid into his seat. The engine of his Mustang roared as he turned the key. We left the parking lot and started toward my house.

  "You know where I live?" I asked.

  "Of course. We've been in the same school since elementary school."

  "True. Which reminds me, where did you go last year?"

  "What do you mean?"

  "Well you used to be a year ahead of me, but you disappeared for a year, came back and was held back."

  "Oh,well, I went down south with my family to take care of my grandfather." He explained.