See Me

by Susan Hatler

  See Me

  by

  Susan Hatler

  See Me

  Copyright © 2014 by Susan Hatler

  All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the copyright owner of this book. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  License Notes

  This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author’s work.

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  Cover Design by Elaina Lee, For The Muse Designs

  www.forthemusedesign.com

  Titles by Susan Hatler

  An Unexpected Date

  Better Date than Never Series

  Love at First Date (Book #1)

  Truth or Date (Book #2)

  My Last Blind Date (Book #3)

  Save the Date (Book #4)

  A Twist of Date (Book #5)

  License to Date (Book #6)

  Driven to Date (Book #7)

  Up to Date (Book #8)

  Déjà Date (Book #9)

  Date and Dash (Book #10)

  Teen Novels

  Shaken

  See Me

  Praise

  “If you enjoy a YA Romance jam packed with adventure and the unknown. I would recommend this fantastic read.”

  — Tifferz Book Reviewz on Shaken

  “Susan Hatler has a knack for writing books that draw me in from the very first page!”

  — Books Are Sanity!!! on Love at First Date

  “Ms. Hatler has a way of writing witty dialogue that makes you laugh-out-loud throughout her stories.”

  — Night Owl Reviews on Truth or Date

  “Seriously you guys, you have to pick this one up if you are a romantic at heart. Deliciously sweet.”

  — Getting Your Read On Reviews on My Last Blind Date

  “An Unexpected Date is a wonderful and perfect release to a stressful or crazy day.”

  — Cafè of Dreams Book Reviews

  See Me

  by

  Susan Hatler

  Chapter One

  I’ve felt invisible for as long as I can remember. My dad, a freelance photographer who travels all over the world, only sends me a postcard a few times a year (if I’m lucky). My mom got remarried to my stepdad when I was six, then they had my little brother, who became the star of our household because he’s totally more adorable than me.

  In school my teachers stare right through me, so I’ve given up raising my hand in class—not that I’d been a huge hand-raiser, mind you. My best friend Brynne’s the good girl. My other best friend Nicole’s the pretty one. I’m the third friend nobody really notices. Until now.

  Alex Decker asked me out today.

  Hot, amazing, and popular Alex asked me on a date. He could have any girl in school and he chose me, Amy Love. It’s not like I have self-esteem issues, really, but there’s just nothing exciting about me. I’m a sixteen-year-old junior with average looks, pathetic grades, and a closet comic strip addiction.

  I mean everyone knows about my obsession for reading Maisy’s Meow comic strips, but I haven’t told anyone that I’ve been writing my own comic series. Or that I’d filled out an entry form yesterday for the contest hosted by Maisy’s Meow creator, Jacob Miller, to have the winner’s work reviewed by his publisher. Wowzers!

  Not that I’ve gotten up the nerve to mail my entry off. Yet.

  But I will, as soon as I think of a series title. Other than that, the form is completed and tucked safely in my sketch pad. I’m going to swing by the post office this week to mail it. And if I win, that means a lifetime of being invisible is about to change.

  My grades may suck, my mom and stepdad might think I’m wasting my potential, but it’s possible my two dreams could actually become reality: a publishing contract and a relationship with Alex Decker. Oh yeah, baby!

  I’d be ecstatic about the unexpected turn my life had just taken if only my best friend would stop stuffing tissue in my bra. . . .

  In my bedroom, where Brynne was bouncing with excitement on my bed—she’d come over to help me get ready for my date with Alex and had a few irritating ideas as to how I could look amazing—I gaped down at my lumpy chest in horror. “I invited you over to help me look amazing for my date. How exactly do you think this qualifies?”

  “Boobs are totally in, Amy.” As if to emphasize the point, Brynne pulled three more sheets out of the box, jumped to the floor, then shoved them into my B-cups. “It’s Friday night, it’s your first date with Alex, and I’m making you look extra hot.” She stepped back and eyed her handiwork (aka: my chest). “It might be worth the money to invest in a push-up bra. I’m just saying.”

  Frowning at my reflection in the mirror, I pushed my loose brown waves back over my shoulders then immediately slouched forward to counteract the busty effect. “No way. I can’t go out in public like this. Besides, don’t you think Alex would notice if they’ve grown since school today?”

  She widened her baby-blue eyes, then tucked her honey-blond hair behind her ear. “He’d have to be staring twenty-four seven to notice half a cup size. Alex doesn’t seem that tacky.”

  “Unlike the girl stuffing my bra,” I grumbled. Brynne may have that angelic look, but most of the time her brainiac mind was in the gutter. Like now. I yanked every last tissue out of my bra and then batted her hand away when she protested. “It’s time to end your obsession with tabloid magazines, girl. They’re messing with your head.”

  She threw her arms up in frustration. “Those magazines are my brain candy. My favorite frivolous indulgence. You know how stressful it is keeping up my GPA. If I don’t have an outlet from parental pressures, I’m going to crack.”

  “Your mom and dad need to chill.” Although at least they encouraged her unlike my mom, who lived to criticize me. She’d worked seven days a week to put herself through nursing school and expected me to work as hard in school when all I wanted to do with my free time was sketch comics. I’m sure she’d think I was wasting my time if I told her. I sighed, then handed Brynne back the tissues because there was no way I’d be using them. “I’m sorry, but I can’t change myself to impress a guy. Not even Alex Decker.”

  Brynne crossed her arms in a pout. “I was just trying to help.”

  “I know.” I gave her a reassuring smile, then smoothed my black halter top back in place and brushed off some lint from a tissue. “How do I look? Should I switch back to the red tank?”

  “No, I think—”

  “Check out what I brought, you guys.” Nicole, the most adventurous of our trio, sailed through my bedroom doorway carrying a wooden board high in the air. I’d asked her to come over to help me get ready for my date—she knew amazing tricks with eyeliner—but that didn’t seem to be a makeup bag she held in her hands. She kicked the door closed behind her with a gleam in her eye that said we needed privacy for whatever she had planned.

  This couldn’t be good.

  “What the . . .?” I gazed over at the game-like board, then an eerie feeling crept over me as I got a better look. An alphabet was etched across the center of the board in Old English font with the word “YES”
in the top left corner and the word “NO” in the top right corner and “GOODBYE” at the bottom of the board underneath the alphabet. Oh, no. “Is that a Ouija board?”

  “Those are freaky.” Brynne chucked the rejected tissues into the zebra striped garbage can under my desk and strode over to Nicole. “Where’d you get that?”

  “A relic from my thirteenth birthday party, remember?” Nicole dropped to her knees, her sleek dark bob bouncing against her chin as she set the Ouija board on the carpet. “Found it in the back of my closet today when I was searching, in vain, for my favorite black boots.”

  I pressed my lips together. Obviously Nicole had forgotten those boots were on loan to me, and I wasn’t about to remind her since I planned to wear them with a new outfit on Monday. “Why must you bring that creepy thing into my room tonight of all nights?”

  She traced her hands over the Ouija board as if examining a buried treasure. “Because we’re going to use it to find out about your future with Alex. Now, turn off the lights and gather around me.”

  My mouth dropped open. “You’re supposed to be helping me get ready for my date—not trying to summon the dead, which is wrong on so many levels.” I shook my head then glanced at my clock. “It’s almost seven o’clock, and Alex will be here in half an hour. We don’t have time for ghost talk.”

  First Brynne stuffing my bra and now Nicole with this crazy game. Didn’t my friends understand how important this date was to me? I’d been crushing on Alex for over a year and did not need anything spoiling this night.

  Liking Alex had gone on so long it actually became kind of a hobby— spotting him in the hall, assessing his outfits, speculating on which girls he was into. This fun, gaga-from-afar phase had gone on so long that I hadn’t expected anything to ever come of it. I mean, he’d never shown more than a friendly interest in me. Well, not before today. What had I done to catch his attention?

  “Relax.” Nicole threw me a wicked smile. “You look fabulous already. Playing this game will help you gear up for tonight in the best way. Trust me.”

  I crossed my arms. “How exactly—”

  “Don’t you want to ask the afterworld if Alex will kiss you goodnight?” Nicole’s voice held a sultry tone.

  I froze, picturing Alex’s mouth inches from mine. The image was enticing. Very enticing.

  Unable to resist temptation, I flipped off the lights. “I’m in.”

  Brynne sat down next to Nicole and crossed her long legs. “Shouldn’t we light a candle or something? For ambience? Even though everyone knows this is a bunch of bull.”

  Nicole tilted her head. “If it’s fake, then why do you look so nervous?”

  “I do not.” Brynne’s voice shook a little. “Whatever.”

  “I’ve got a candle.” I lifted the marshmallow-scented pillar off my desk, snatched some matches from the drawer, and pulled my blinds down so the room went pitch black. “I haven’t played with a Ouija board since back in the day when we were friends with Lindsay Sloan.”

  Nicole groaned. “Don’t remind me. That girl would eat her young if it would get her into the right university.”

  “For less than that,” I said, annoyed that Lindsay constantly kissed up to teachers, making her the star student in all of our classes. So annoying. I took a step, then cursed as I tripped over Nicole’s foot, accidentally kicking the Ouija board.

  “Careful,” she snapped. “Don’t mess with the board’s energy.”

  “Oh, please.” I squatted down on the floor next to Brynne, whose knee brushed mine as she shifted. “This had better be quick.”

  Nicole sighed dramatically. “I’m doing this for your benefit. It wouldn’t kill you to show a little gratitude.”

  “Thank you, my spiritual guru,” I joked, then struck the match, which hissed before it burned bright orange in the dark room. Seconds after I got the wick lit, the sugary-sweet marshmallow fragrance wafted up my nose. I squinted to read the bright red letters from the clock on my nightstand. “Twenty-seven minutes and counting.”

  “Assuming he’s not late.” Nicole raised her hands in the air and brought them together in prayer position. “We are talking about Alex Decker.”

  I frowned. “What? You don’t think he’s interested enough to show up on time?”

  Nicole took a deep breath then let it out audibly. “Let’s ask the spirit world.”

  Tingles skittered up my neck as I felt the dark room close around me, but I didn’t want my best friends to think I was chicken. I raised my chin. “Yeah. Let’s.”

  We all held hands, closed our eyes, and breathed in and out. Nicole inhaled again, so we followed her lead. Then, she did it a third time. I opened one eye and peeked at my friends’ shadowy faces. “Can we start before I pass out from over-oxygenation?”

  Brynne giggled.

  “Shh. This is serious.” Nicole kept her eyes closed, straightened her spine, and hummed in an eerie way. “Spirits who are here, we’ve gathered this evening to ask you important questions.” Her voice was low and she stretched out each word she spoke. “We respect that you’ve passed on and thank you in advance for your guidance.”

  A chill zipped through me and my other eye popped open when the candle flame wavered for no apparent reason. My mouth went dry and I swallowed the mass of fear creeping up my throat. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. . . .

  “Please use this Ouija board as a portal so that you, friendly spirits, may share your wisdom with us.” Nicole opened her eyes and gestured to the board. “Now, let’s place our fingers lightly on the planchette.”

  Brynne’s forehead wrinkled. “Huh?”

  “The pointer thingy,” I whispered, placing the tips of my fingers on the planchette, being careful not to touch the clear window that would cover the letter the alleged spirit wanted to convey. In middle school, I’d been the queen of moving the planchette around the board to freak people out at the slumber party with words like “I’m here” and “Help me.” But right now felt different. The air hummed around me and this suddenly felt all too real, making me shudder.

  “P-Planchette.” Brynne stuttered, then cleared her throat. “Oh, I didn’t know the pointer had a real name.”

  Looked like I wasn’t the only one who was spooked.

  “What should we ask first?” Shadows flickered over Nicole’s animated face as she glanced from Brynne to me.

  “Ask about Amy’s date with Alex, right?” Brynne shifted her fingers.

  Nicole nodded, then closed her eyes. “Friendly spirits, guide our fingers and let us know if Alex Decker will be on time for their date this evening.”

  The pointer glowed an eerie white in the dim candlelight. It didn’t move.

  We eyed each other in silence.

  Nicole took another deep breath. “Friendly spirits, enter and guide us to the answer. Will Alex show up on time?”

  The little pointer wiggled and slowly inched upward on top of the word “YES.”

  I gulped.

  “Thank you, friendly spirits.” Nicole rolled her shoulders and sucked in a breath. “Will Alex Decker kiss Amy Love after their date tonight?”

  A chill crawled up my spine, but my gaze fixated on the planchette—on the answer I hoped for.

  The pointer swooped to the center of the board, circled twice, and then slid upward to cover the word “YES.”

  I turned to Brynne, chin tucked into my chest. “Did you make it move to that word?”

  Her blue eyes widened and she slowly shook her head.

  I squinted at Nicole. “Do you swear on your black boots that you didn’t move the planchette?”

  “Don’t be so suspicious.” Nicole smiled and wiggled her eyebrows. “Thanks, friendly spirits. You’ve been very helpful. Now a final question. . . Amy, you ask something.”

  Was it possible the spirit world was really communicating with us? Could it see my future? Would I ever fit in the world as much as everyone else seemed to?

  My palms turned clammy and I
concentrated on touching the pointer as lightly as I could to ensure I wouldn’t subconsciously move it. “Um, friendly spirits? Can you tell me if . . .” My voice trailed off. I wanted to ask if I was kidding myself entering the Maisy’s Meow contest, but my friends didn’t know I’d been writing my own comics. What if they asked to see them? What if they thought I sucked? I bit my lip, my belly roiling. Better to go with my back-up question. “Is, uh, Alex Decker my true love?”

  My fingers twitched and I held my breath as the planchette swung in an arc toward the center of the board. The tension built, my heart thumping, as the pointer slid left then right and then. . . .

  A loud bang clattered from behind me. “Agh!”

  Brynne and Nicole and I simultaneously screamed at the top of our lungs as the pointer skidded off the board.

  Something banged against my door again, followed by the sounds of juvenile laughter.

  My face heated as I stood, flipped the lights on, then yanked my door open. “Jimmy, that better not have been you or so help me . . .”

  My freckle-faced brother grinned, showing his two missing front teeth. “Some dude is downstairs waiting for you. I bet he heard you scream. Ha!”

  “You are so busted.” I turned him around, then guided him toward the stairs. “Mom!”

  “Jimmy, come help Mommy in the kitchen.” My mother’s impatient voice drifted up the stairs.

  “Unbelievable.” I pushed my door closed, leaned back against it, and gaped at my friends, who were sitting motionless around the Ouija board. “Do you think Alex heard all that?”

  “Who cares?” Nicole jumped to her feet and pinched my cheeks. “We already know he’s going to kiss you goodnight. Better take along some breath mints.”

  A kiss was great, but I’d rather know if he was my true love, or if we’d break up like my parents had. My eyes automatically drifted to the Ouija board, where the pointer sat facing upward in the middle of the board.