The Spirit Seer

Chapter 7

That evening I stand in front of an old grungy-looking store. This is where Spencer told me to meet him to somehow get through to his brother. I really don't see how being at this run-down store is going to help.

"You ready for this?" Spencer asks.

"No" Mental sigh. I really don't want another scene like before. I'm not great at taking chances. I like things to be normal and simple. This whole thing is the furthest from normal or simple.

"Why here?

"Heath works here. You have to bond with him a little bit."

So, I'm stalking him now? Geez, this just keeps getting better and better.

"He has to pay some attention to you, it's his job. Just follow my lead and everything will be fine."

I take a deep breath to try and get into the headspace for this. Why did he always make it sound so easy when I know it won't be that easy?

"He seems so different than you."

He smiles. "He is, now, we were a lot alike when we were younger."

This is the first time Spencer and I are really just talking about his brother like this. It's kind of nice. "Was he a jock like you?"

"When we were younger we used to play all the same sports. He was good too. Better than me, but I always worked so hard to be as good as I was. Then he would barely practice at all and be just as good as me." He laughs softly. "It used to annoy me to no end. I would tell him over and over again that he had to practice if he wanted to be any good, and then he would prove me wrong every time."

Now I laugh. "It must have been fun to have a brother. I'm an only child, so I don't know what that's like."

He looks at me. "That must have been lonely."

"Not so much when I was little, but once I got older and..." I stop. Once I got older and stopped seeing the ghosts. When I had them, it wasn't the least bit lonely. They played with me and kept me company. I had more friends than anyone else my age back then. But then I pretended to stop seeing them and it all ended.

"We should probably do this before I lose my nerve," I say to change the subject.

I can't think about those things now. I’m not sure how to feel about all that and it makes me confused. I have a job to do and that needs to be where my focus is.

I walk into the store and have to stop for a second to take in the scene. It's different. It's sort of a dark rocker vibe inside. There are band posters on the walls and album covers. It's obviously a music store. It's not really a place I would go on my own, and I feel a little awkward being here. I look around the place, but I don't spot Heath.

"He's over there."

I look to where Spencer is pointing and notice him walking down the stairs from the second level.

My heart beats faster. I’m really nervous. After last time I am seriously dreading this encounter.

"Come over here and take this CD."

I don't necessarily trust Spencer, but he should know his brother better than I do, so I will take his advice on this.

"Why this CD?" I ask grabbing the CD. It looks like some type of heavy rock band. Not my kind of music at all. I’m much more of a pop girl myself.

"Just grab that one. Take it up to the counter and buy it."

Bossy much? I don't really get it, but he's supposed to know better than me. So, with a lot of trepidation, I take the CD up to the counter.

Heath is behind the counter looking through a magazine. He doesn't look up right away when I put my purchase down.

I start to get fidgety. I really want this to work. Finally, he glances at the counter.

"Good choice." He says as he scans the bar code.

"Thanks"

He finally looks at me as he hands me the bag. He seems surprised for a second to see me. I get it since normally I wouldn't be in a place like this, or buying a CD like that.

Well if he's surprised, maybe I can get the upper hand. "Is it good? I'm trying something new." I ask confidentially.

"It's awesome. I wouldn't have thought of you as someone to listen to this kind of music."

I'm not, but I need to intrigue him, so I can't just say that. "It isn't my typical type of music, but I'm trying something new. If you say it's good, then I will definitely have to listen to it." I smile.

He gives me a half smile back. It's kind of cute, only one side of his mouth lifts. "Good"

"I'll let you know if I like it." It opens things up for possible future discussions. I hold my breath waiting to see how he will respond.

He looks at me for a second. It makes me nervous. His eyes just sort of bore into me, it's nerve-racking for someone with so much to hide. Finally, he says "Ok"

I nod and turn to leave before I mess this up. He isn't my new bff or anything but it's a good start. After a few steps I turn back around and give him a quick wave before I walk out of the store.

"That went pretty well," Spencer says once we are outside.

"Yeah, it could have been worse. I think we made a pretty decent start." This is the first time that I think the plan could actually work. Maybe it won't be as bad as I thought.

~~~~~

Biology, I sit in class and try to pay attention to the lesson of the day. The teacher is reading from the book, and she has a droning voice. Can't she come up with a more fun way to teach us science?

My mind goes to Heath again. He's in this class. How did I never notice that before? He sits in the back and hunches into himself. He doesn't say much. We haven't talked since our "deep bonding" moment at his job. I honestly don't know what to do next, and Spencer hasn't seemed to come up with any great ideas. We may have to throw in the towel.

"Class before we leave today here is a project to work on over the next couple of weeks. I've randomly paired you up. Get together with your partner at some point and do the assignment. I will be giving you some class time to work on it, but most of it will have to be done on your own time. Now pass these back." She gives the pile of papers with the project on them to a girl in the front row and she takes one then passes them back.

I wonder who I'm going to get paired with. I hope it's someone smart and motivated. I don't want to have to do all the work.

She starts naming off the partner pairings and I pay close attention listening for my name. "...And Bailey Bennett will be paired with Heath Bell." She continues to name off the pairings, but I zone out.

I'm paired with Heath? How did that happen? That's when it hits me. I glance to the ghost in question and make eye contact. When I have his attention, I motion with my eyes for him to come over to me. When he does what I want him to, I make a finger movement for him to look at my paper, and then I ask.

Did you have anything to do with this?

He opens his mouth then closes it again. Finally, he says, "I might have possibly had something to do with it."

I knew it, the rotten ghost. Now I write. How?

"I may have messed with the electrical circuits in the computer until it paired you guys up…Only to move things along. You aren't the best at making new friends."

Seriously? The dead guy was judging my friendship etiquette? Oh, man, now I'm paired up with Heath and he doesn't care about his grades at all. This project is going to suck.

When the bell rings I take a deep breath, and walk over to Heath. Might as well get this over with, I don't think it's going to go very smoothly. He just doesn't seem like the type to care.

"I think we should meet up in the library after school to start working on our project."

He looks at me when I speak. "The library isn't the right place. It's too quiet. We have to be able to discuss the project."

That's true I suppose, "Then why don't we go to your house?" It's the best option since I can't have people to my house.

"My house is being remodeled, so I can't have people over at the moment. We'll do it at your place." I open my mouth to argue, but before I can he starts talking again.

"Ohhh look at that, it's the bell. Wouldn't want to be late for class. Be at your place tomorrow at 4, bye." He says before rushing off.

I'm left stunned. I had tried to argue with him, but he didn't let me get a word in. What am I supposed to do now? He can't come to my house. I don't have people over... ever.

"That went well. Now you can get closer to him, and get him to trust you."

I grab my phone so that I can talk to the ghost without looking crazy. I glare at him for good measure. "That did not go well at all. He's coming to my house. I don't have people over to my house."

"Why not?"

Ahhhh does it matter? I don't have people to my house and now Heath is coming over. "Because everybody thinks my mom talks to herself." I whisper into my phone.

"Why would they think that?"

"Because they can't see the ghosts."

Realization comes over his face. "Ohh"

"Yeah oh and now he's going to have a bunch of stuff to tell everybody at school and make me look like an idiot."

"He won't do that."

Yeah, he will. Anybody would kill to take the popular kids down a peg or two. "Why wouldn't he?"

He looks at me for a second, and then finally he says. "He won't tell because he has his own secrets to keep. I can't tell you what they are now, but if it looks like he's going to tell your secret then I'll tell you his."

It doesn't make me feel that much better. But honestly, I think it's the best I'm going to get. If I'm going to get Heath to trust me so I can tell him about Spencer, then maybe I have to let him in a little first. Isn't that a terrifying thought?