Phantoms of Fall (The Haunting Ruby Series Book 2)

by Joy Elbel

  “Ruby, didn’t you get my texts?” Zach questioned.

  Texts? I was still so groggy when I woke up that checking texts was the last thing on my mind. “No, why?” “I’m sorry but I can’t meet you tonight. I was at the shelter longer than I expected and now Dad needs me to help him fix Mom’s car. If you want to come over here, you can. We won’t have any alone time, though. Sorry.”

  I was so disappointed I almost chucked my phone out the window. Time alone with Zach was the sole reason for meeting him tonight. But there was one other thing on my agenda. Maybe if Rachel was home, I could talk to her about Creepy Girl. I would probably get better answers from her anyway so I asked, “Is Rachel home?”

  “No, she’s out with Boone. Are you coming over anyway? I’d really like to see you.” We all have childish moments where we act like little brats when we don’t get our way and I decided that this was one of mine. “No, I’ll just wait until tomorrow.”

  “Oh…okay then. I love you.” Hearing his voice thick with disappointment, I almost changed my mind. Almost.

  “Love you, too.” And I hit the end button before I could change my mind. After beating the steering wheel in frustration, I turned the car around and went back home. Why didn’t I agree to go to his house? Because I loved him but sometimes he drove me a little bit crazy, that’s why. Our relationship was so damned scattered lately. Spare time together was disappearing at lightning speed but our relationship was still moving so slowly. I bet Rachel and Boone never had this problem. She probably had to fight him off until she finally decided to have sex with him. Zach should be the one willing to ignore everything else in an epic quest to get into my pants and not the other way around. Dodging all questions from Dad and Shelly, I went to bed early. I slept like a rock until the nightmare came.

  It started out in the hall leading to the cafeteria, the same as before. The lights were off and the hallway was dark. The only light I could see was a soft, shimmering glow spilling out of the cafeteria. As I walked, I could sense someone walking with me—the light tap of footsteps on the floor, the whispery sigh of a breath in my ear—but I couldn’t see anything. A faint hum of music floated through the air. With my invisible companion by my side, I stepped inside.

  Party decorations littered the floor and ghostly trails of crepe paper streamed down from the ceiling. Brushing them out of my face as I walked, I spotted a couple dancing in the corner. There was something so intimate about their embrace that I almost left them to their privacy. That is until I recognized them. It was Zach and Misty swaying to the music, both dressed in black and entwined so closely that it was hard to discern where he ended and she began.

  A hollow feeling grew in my chest as though my soul were being drained from my body by the very sight of them. It was a horrible vision but I couldn’t look away. I watched them from afar as they moved together in a slow circle. Zach’s eyes were closed, his face frozen in a moment of pure joy. As they turned, Misty’s face came into view. But it was no longer Misty—it was Creepy Girl and she didn’t look happy at all. She slid her hands up Zach’s back never breaking eye contact with me. And with a wicked smile, she locked her fingers around his neck and started to squeeze.

  Waking up in a cold sweat, I went into instant panic mode. The dream couldn’t possibly have any hidden meaning, could it? Sure, she was strange, but there was no way Creepy Girl could be trying to kill Zach. I mean, what reason could she possibly have? My overactive imagination—that’s all it was. However, I instantly felt bad for blowing Zach off earlier. He probably had no idea how I felt and by not telling him, I just made things worse. The last thing I ever wanted to do was hurt his feelings but that was exactly what I did. What if something bad did happen to him? I would always regret not being honest with him. Instead of festering over what was wrong with our relationship, I should have settled for enjoying what was right. I hugged my pillow and cried—not because of the dream but because of how childish I’d been.

  I woke up with a headache from all of my time spent crying. My stomach growled at me angrily, reminding me that essentially I didn’t eat at all yesterday. Chatting with Shelly while I buried my face in a large bowl of cereal, the day was at least starting out better than yesterday did. The only thing about today that was really going to suck was phys ed. Was I ready to undress in front of a bunch of girls I didn’t know? Absolutely not but it was going to happen anyway. Maybe I would get lucky and we wouldn’t have to wear our uniforms today.

  When I saw Zach’s car pull up out front, I felt the same sadness I felt after the dream. So the very second my butt hit the seat, I threw my arms around him and held on tight.

  “Please tell me what I did to deserve that so I can do it every day,” Zach whispered in my ear. Even though I couldn’t see his face, I knew that he was smiling and it just made me cling to him even tighter.

  “I love you, Zach. I’m sorry I didn’t come over last night. I just had such a rotten day yesterday….” There weren’t enough words to express just how sorry I was, or how much I loved him. So instead I kissed him as passionately as I could.

  And he responded. Boy, did he respond. When I started kissing him, I was practically in the driver’s seat with him but the second he felt my intensity, he drove me back into the passenger’s seat until he was nearly on top of me. I knew nothing could really happen but at least he was acting like he wanted it to. It was one of those moments of pure emotion where you didn’t care who might be watching.

  But just as quickly as it began, it ended. He pulled away and settled back into his seat with ruffled hair and a wrinkled shirt. “We have to go.”

  I pulled down the visor to check my hair and makeup in the mirror. They were a bit of a mess but I didn’t care. It was the most heat I’d ever felt from him and I took that as a good sign. Maybe I wouldn’t have to tell him how I felt after all—maybe it would just be easier for me to show him.

  We kissed again before going into the school. It wasn’t as fiery as before but there were quite a few onlookers this time including Misty. So far, today was much better than yesterday. And I would be able to ask Zach about Creepy Girl in homeroom. I was determined to end her reign of terror before it even got started. My confidence was through the roof.

  I should have realized that things were too good to be true. First of all, Creepy Girl wasn’t in home room. The only opportunity I had to ask Zach who she was and she wasn’t there. But of course, she sure seemed to follow me everywhere else. Literally. At any point during the day, if you saw me, you would see her within a five foot radius. Everywhere I went. Sitting behind me in class, following me in the hall, she even went to the restroom when I did. I couldn’t get a moment’s worth of peace—it was like she was my conjoined twin or something. By the time phys ed rolled around, I was mentally exhausted but ready to roll physically.

  Coach Hunter spent half of the period reading us the rules and the second half she asked us to run some laps. Under normal circumstances, I would have been mortified by the fact that Misty was in my phys ed class. But as it were, Creepy Girl took precedence. So when I got to the track, I wasn’t just running—I was running away. While everyone else moved at a leisurely jog, I opened up the engine and let her rip. There was only one other person who flew around the track with me. With hollow eyes and a menacing expression, she ran—matching me step for step. No matter how fast I ran, I just couldn’t seem to shake her.

  I was exhausted and relieved when Coach Hunter blew the whistle and ushered us all back toward the locker room. Since we only had a few minutes of class left, she told us to just change and skip the shower. Group showers— created in the fifth circle of Hell to torture insecure girls. We never had to take showers in Trinity—why was this town so backwards? While I was happy to get out of it today, I dreaded the classes yet to come. And Misty being in my class was the most awkward part of it all. I was too busy getting dressed and trying to think of a way to keep Misty from seeing me in my underwear that I didn’t even noti
ce that Creepy Girl was staring straight at me while I changed.

  At this point, I didn’t even care if she was involved in some twisted scheme with Misty—she overstepped her bounds. Adrenaline rushed through my veins as I prepared myself for the confrontation. I didn’t want to start a fight, but if that was it came down to, I was ready for it.

  I opened my mouth to speak—or shout, whichever came first—when Coach Hunter rounded the corner and called my name.

  “Ruby, can I see you in my office for a minute?” Thank God! Finally someone noticed that I was being silently harassed and was going to do something about it!! As I followed her, I ran down through the list of things Creepy Girl had done so I wouldn’t miss a single thing.

  “Have a seat, Ruby.”

  Gladly. I was just about to launch into the details of what was going on when Coach Hunter spoke, sucking more hope out of me with each and every word. “I just wanted to tell you I was impressed with what I saw out on the track today. You have a lot of talent—talent I’d like to develop. I’d like to see you do some training before track starts in the spring so I want to propose an idea.”

  I was never so crushed and disappointed by a compliment before in my life. All of my hopes of getting Creepy Girl off my back were gone. I suppose I could have just told Coach Hunter about it myself, but I didn’t want to sound like a baby. That’s exactly what Misty wanted me to do. No, I would wait until someone asked me about it before I complained.

  When I didn’t reply, Coach Hunter continued on. “I’m here for about an hour after school every day. If you want, I’ll give you permission to use the track while I’m here. With a little hard work, I think you could even beat Rachel.” She leaned against her desk and waited for my reply.

  I almost declined the offer but I paused and rethought. Zach would be at the shelter every day after school, so why not? Having something to take my mind off of things would be great. So I accepted with a thank you and I told her I would start Monday.

  When the day was finally over, Zach and I made plans to meet at The Hideout again at eight. I was anxious to rekindle the flame we ignited in the car this morning. And who knows—maybe even add a little kindling of my own. After showering, I broke out the Midnight Kiss perfume he loved so much and stepped into the skirt I wore on our first date at the drive in. This time around, I wouldn’t worry so much about how far it rode up my legs.

  Zach. Looked. Hot. As always. He was wearing a blue long sleeve tee shirt that was the exact same shade as his eyes, making them appear even more dazzling than usual. The night air was turning cool so instead of walking to the top, he motioned for me to get in his car. Gladly. Returning to the scene of this morning’s crime was exactly my intention.

  For once, we didn’t waste any time talking—we didn’t say a single word. Zach kissed me until I was at risk for spontaneous combustion. The windows in his car steamed up within minutes creating a filmy barrier between us and the world. It was all I needed to feel like we were alone in the universe. And apparently all he needed as well.

  As we kissed, I could feel his hand on the zipper of my hoodie, slowly tugging it downward. Once the zipper was released, he peeled the fabric back from my shoulders and down my arms until I was free of it. I kissed him while just wearing a tank before, but there was something about the fact that he was undressing me that made me feel naked—in a good way. It was the first time either of us removed any clothing while making out and I didn’t want it to end there.

  I didn’t want to seem too anxious so I waited a few minutes before I made my move. Shifting my hand around his back and toward his stomach, I slid it under his shirt in one swift yet subtle movement. When I came into contact with his hot flesh, I flattened my palm against his perfectly rippled muscles. If his car got hit by a meteorite at that very second, I would die a very happy girl!

  When he didn’t resist me immediately, I thought I was home free. Then he placed his hand on my thigh right below the hem of my skirt. My stomach was doing flip flops—I never wanted anyone the way I wanted him and I was convinced that I was about to get all of him. But just like every other night, he broke away from me and sat back in his seat staring at the roof of the car.

  “I have to go before I don’t go, Ruby. See you in the morning.” What? Just like that, he was going to basically kick me out of his car and go home? I sat firmly rooted to my seat trying to get up the nerve to ask for an explanation. When I didn’t move, he said it again.

  “I really need to go, Ruby,” he replied firmly, tacking on a quick “I love you” at the end. He wouldn’t even look at me when he said it. It felt like I got smacked across the face with a wet fish.

  “Yeah, me too.” I flung the words at him as I got out of the car and slammed the door behind me.

  “Ruby, wait!” he begged. “Please don’t be mad at me!” “I’m not mad—I have to go home,” I replied sarcastically. If he could use that as an excuse, then so could I. I got into my car without looking back and drove away. Besides, by then, I really did need to get home—so I could cry.

  And that’s exactly what I did. My phone rang about a thousand times but I let it go to voice mail. Finally, he gave up and sent me a one word text—“mwah”. I resisted the urge to reply. One night with Misty and he almost had sex with her. About a hundred nights with me and he wouldn’t do anything but kiss me. There was only one simple answer. He was attracted to her but not to me. I mean, he loved me—I knew that—but he wasn’t attracted to me. At least not in the way I wanted him to be, not in the way he should be. I lay on my bed wallowing in a pit of my own despair. Hugging my pillow tightly to my chest, I cried myself to sleep.

  When Zach came to pick me up in the morning there was a noticeable chill in the air and it had nothing to do with the weather. I mumbled a quick “good morning” but he didn’t answer me. We drove the whole way to school without any semblance of communication. He was definitely mad at me so I decided I was still mad at him, too. As we walked in together, I felt everyone’s eyes on us and I was certain our anger was obvious. Then Misty started whispering to one of her friends and I knew I was right. I couldn’t let her think there was trouble in paradise, so to speak. something quick to repair the damage. I had to do

  Just as I was about to link my arm through his, somebody bumped into me from behind and I stumbled into Zach. Someone’s hand reached out for my arm to stop me from falling over so I gladly accepted the offer. A cute boy I recognized as one of Ryan’s friends immediately started to apologize, but he didn’t get very far before Zach blew up like before.

  “What’s your problem? Keep your hands off of my girlfriend!” Zach knocked the boy’s hand away from me and positioned himself between me and the boy.

  “Seriously, Mason! I bumped into her and I was trying to keep her from falling. Chill out!” He gave Zach a cocky look and walked away.

  But it wasn’t over. Zach followed him down the hall and grabbed him by the shoulder, yanking him backward. “Get back here! I’m not done with you yet.”

  What was I supposed to do? What happened was an accident but I was afraid to say that to him when he was this out of control. I ran after him but someone else got to him first. Mr. Lascher—the principal. I just closed my eyes. He was going to be in so much trouble.

  “Mr. Mason, my office—NOW!” Zach released his grip on the boy immediately and hung his head. Principal Lascher escorted him down the hall and I was left to fend for myself.

  When I got to homeroom I slid into Zach’s seat instead of mine so I could talk to Rachel about what happened.

  The first words out of her mouth were, “Where’s Zach?” “The principal’s office. He got into another fight.” As mad as I was at him earlier, now my feelings were mixed. I was mad that he tried to start a fight but I was also worried about him. What was wrong with him? He got so pissed when another guy touched me, but he didn’t seem to want to touch me himself. Seriously, why did dating him have to be so complicated?

  “Who wa
s it this time?” She asked with a worried frown on her face. “Some friend of Ryan’s—I don’t know who he is. It all started because this kid bumped into me and grabbed my arm when I started to fall.”

  “That’s it? He tried to start a fight over that?” Rachel started to twirl her hair in her fingers. “Did you guys argue last night?”

  I sighed heavily. “Yeah, we fought. Then he called me like a thousand times and I ignored his calls. He hasn’t spoken to me all morning.” Instantly, I felt horrible. Maybe if I hadn’t argued with him, he wouldn’t have gotten himself into trouble.

  “What did you fight about? He acted really weird when he got home last night but he refused to talk about it.” Why did we fight? It was a good question but one I didn’t want to get into in homeroom, especially with Misty only a few feet away. “I don’t want to talk about it—not here anyway.”

  “Okay, but we should get together some night—you look like you have a lot on your mind lately.” Now that was an understatement. Not only did I have Zach’s strange behavior to worry about, but I also had a whole list of other things wrong with my life. Not to mention the fact that it was almost time to start applying to colleges. Zach and I planned to go to the same school, but if we kept fighting like this, I had doubts. If we broke up and I was forced to still see him around campus, it would absolutely kill me.

  “So are you guys going to the dance Friday night?”

  “Dance? What dance?” “The one after the game, silly. There’s a dance every Friday night through football season, except for Halloween weekend, of course.”

  “Oh, I didn’t know about it so I guess we’re not going.” I didn’t really want to go to some stupid school dance but I was upset because he didn’t ask me to go with him. It made me question our relationship—again. But I bit the bullet and dug for details because I was curious about what she just said to me.