Vision of Shadows (21 page)

“When you get injured,” I clarified. “Like right here, when we met on your dirt bike? Or when Weeder shot you? Does it
hurt
?”

“Yes,” Payne answered. “Very much so. I heal quickly enough, but the pain is just as intense as it would be for anyone. Why?” he asked with a grin. “Concerned for me?”

“Just curious,” I said in a sweet and tender voice. “I guess I wanted to know if you would feel enough pain to make it worth my while to kick your ass.” 

Payne’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. Then amusement spread across his face. “You want to hurt me, Bristol?” 

I gave him a quick slant of the eyebrow. “I’m thinking about it. Why don’t you tell me why I shouldn’t?”

“Because you like me?” Payne said.

“Payne,” I yelled. “Where the hell have you been? I watched you get shot. Twice! And then you just disappear off the face of the earth.”

“I wanted to see you,” Payne insisted. “You have no idea how badly. My grandfather wouldn’t let me out of his sight. Took my cellphone. Kept having me go over that day with Weeder. It’s been driving him insane that you now know about me.
Grandpa says we’ve given our enemies a huge advantage.”

“Did you tell him?” I asked. “About me?”

“No,” he answered. “I’d never betray you. Did you think I would?”

“I didn’t want to,” I said. “But you disappeared. I had no idea what was happening. Then Jay said you’d told your family everything. After everything that’s happened, everything I dream
ed…I don’t want to believe it.”

“Who the hell is Jay?” he asked. “How would he know what I did or didn’t say
, anyway? There’s no one in my family named Jay.”

“Yeah, that much I got,” I said.

“So who is he?” Payne asked again, not in the least bit amused.

“Jay? He’s just some guy I know,” I answered. “Not anyone you’ve ever met I’m sure.”

“Well, this Jay is a liar,” Payne said. “I would never do that. I didn’t do that. Grandpa questioned me over and over again. He’s not like your uncle. He didn’t just accept my story. Your uncle, he knew we weren’t telling him everything. But he didn’t push. He let you keep your secret.”

“What did he do?” I asked. “Did he hurt you?’

“No,” Payne said. “Grandpa wouldn’t do that, but he made me repeat the story over and over again. Kept asking how you fit into everything. He was trying to see if I was lying. I managed to tell him the story where I wasn’t lying. I just omitted a few details.”

“Not that I don’t appreciate the subtle difference,” I interjected
. “But really that’s just semantics.”

Payne shrugged. “Yeah, I know it’s basically the same, but I think it worked. Forget about that. Who is this Jay? I thought I knew almost everyone in this cursed town.”

I sighed. “Jay is about our age. Tall, muscular. Blond. Very, very cute.”

“Cute?”

“
Very
cute,” I affirmed and watched Payne squirm. “Jay has a way with words, too. Poetic. He calls me darling. And he’s been warning me that you’re nothing but trouble.”

Payne got right in my face. “Is that what you think I am? Trouble?”

I smirked. “Definitely.”

Payne returned the smirk
, and I felt that hitch in my gut again. 

“Jay wants me to run away with him,” I added. “Says he can protect me.”

“Is that what you want, Bristol?” Payne asked. “You want to be protected? Do I scare you?”

“I don’t know what you do to me,” I replied. “Payne
, you drive me insane. I’m trying to figure it out, and it doesn’t help when Jay materializes out of nowhere and feeds my insecurities.”

“Materializes?
Jay’s a freaking ghost?”

“As a matter of fact,” I said, “yes he is. He’s a completely adorable ghost that wants to run away with me.”

Payne blinked rapidly. “You’re talking about running away with a ghost? Bristol, do you have any idea how crazy that sounds?” He took a step closer to me.

“It was his idea
,” I remarked, feeling a bit defensive now. “Besides, there might be a few advantages to being with a ghost.” I stepped back, trying to keep a little distance because the closer Payne got, the harder it was to think straight.

“A few advantages?” Payne repeated as he closed the distance between us again. “Like what? You don’t have to worry about him leaving the toilet seat up?” 

“There’s that.” I nodded. “Then there’s the fact he’d be totally devoted to me. I wouldn’t have to share him with his friends and family. He gets me.” I felt my back press up against a tree and realized I hadn’t anywhere else to go.

Payne took another step forward. “I can be devoted to you. Beyond anything you can imagine, Bristol. I would like to
share
my family and friends with you. McKnights aren’t all bad,” he said, his face less than an inch from mine. “And there are a few things where a living, breathing person might have an advantage over him.”

Thoughts of Payne touching me swa
m in my mind as he closed in on me.

“Ghosts can’t hurt me,” I said in a whisper so soft he would never have heard me if he hadn’t been this close. “I’ve never been afraid of ghosts.”

“Do I scare you?” he asked again.

“Payne, I told you I don’t know how I feel,” I said. “I don’t know
—”

“Bristol,” Payne interrupted. “Do. I. Scare. You?”

I nodded.

“Do you want me to go?”

I trembled. “No.”

“I know you’ve told me
you’ve never been afraid of the dead,” Payne said. “And the living can be a lot scarier. But Bristol, you’re alive. It’s time to live.”

Before I could respond,
his mouth crushed on mine, and his tongue gently explored the inside of my mouth. I felt the heat of his body against mine, and I could feel him react to the kiss.

The
n the flash came, and my world shifted. Payne’s hands removing my clothes. Me, on top of him as I cried out in ecstasy. The two of us together after a night of love making, holding each other as we slowly fell asleep in each other’s arms.

When the kiss ended, he looked me in my eyes
, and my legs turned into melted butter. 

“Still scared of me?”
he asked.

“Terrified,” I answered. Then I pulled his face to mine and kissed him again. 

After a few minutes, Payne looked at me and grinned. “So, let’s talk.”

Yeah, right,
I thought
.
Like I could even remember how to speak.

Believe it or not, we did talk a little, but I
don’ remember anything that was said. Payne also stayed for dinner. That was interesting, to say the least. Not only did Grandpa and Zack glare at Payne through the whole meal, but so did dozens of ghosts that walked through the dining room.

Finally, Payne went home and promised he’d call me the next day.

I called Maggie later that evening because I had promised her that I would and, let’s face it, I was a teenage girl. And when a teenage girl made out with the hottest boy in school in such a way that it seemed like the world had stopped spinning, she needed to share it with someone who could understand and appreciate it.

“Payne came by
, and we talked, and then he kissed me,” I said in one quick breath. On the other side of the line, there was nothing but silence. I wondered if I had lost the connection. “Maggie?
Maggs
?” 

“What. Did. You. Say?”

“Um,” I responded. “Payne came by, and we went for a walk, and we talked. And then he kissed me.” I repeated. Again I was met with several seconds of silence. 

“You had your first kiss?” Maggie
’s voice was calm and quiet. “With Payne McKnight?”

“Uh
, yeah. He’s a good kisser, but what do I know?” Once again, there was a long stretch of silence. “You there? Maggie?”

There were about five more seconds of utter silence. I was about to check if I lost the connection
when she squealed. I was forced to hold the phone away from my ear. As Maggie continued to shriek her approval, I heard someone knock on my door. Uncle Mark stuck his head in.

“Bristol?” he said as he looked around. “Is everything ok
ay? I thought I heard…”

“I’m fine,” I said. “I’m
talking to Maggie.” I held out the phone to him. By this time, Maggie had stopped squealing and started woo-wooing. Uncle Mark and I locked eyes, and in that moment, I knew we were sharing an image of Maggie dancing a jig, pumping her fists, and maybe even doing cartwheels. Uncle Mark just shook his head and closed the door with himself safely on the other side.

When Maggie calmed down, we did what teenage girls had done for centuries. I told her each and every detail, over and over again. 

Sometimes, it was just good to be a girl.

Don’t Lie To Hunter

I knew Monday
would be very weird. It was the first time I would be at school since the
kiss
. I still hadn’t figured out what my relationship was with Payne yet. We weren’t boyfriend and girlfriend. That’s just not me. We weren’t dating. We weren’t an item. We were just…
us
.

I asked Payne to meet me right by the front steps. I needed to speak to him about how we were going to handle this. Low key was important. I was going to emphasize that. I had already hinted at this to Payne over the phone, but he wasn’t catching on. And if he didn’t think I knew that his
not catching on
was on purpose, well I had news for him. I was on to him. I was prepared; I knew what I was going to say. And since I had a pretty good guess what he would say as I made my argument, I was prepared to match him, point for point. I had concerns, theories, and valid reasons. I was pretty sure that by the time I was done, he’d see this my way. I had practiced several times. Ricky had listened to me patiently. I was ready.

So was he.

Payne grabbed me, pulled me close, and kissed me. Right in front of the entire school. I could hear the hush of voices as everyone in the parking lot, everyone on the steps, everyone, everywhere stopped to stare. I could feel their eyes on us. Everyone was pointing, whispering. Everyone was seeing us together.

I was going to have to stop Payne. 

Any minute now. 

Oh, why bother.

When Payne pulled away, he wore that wolfish grin and had that devil’s glint in his eyes. “Hello,” he whispered.

I think I managed to mumble the word back to him, although it came out something like “hmm…
.”

Before I knew it, Payne had taken my hand and led me into school. We walked right past teachers, deans
, and school counselors. We were seen by McKnights, Blackburns, and tons of other students. I was so dazed from his morning kiss that I didn’t even realize how embarrassed I was. 

Payne took me right to my first period class and seemed to almost hand me off to Maggie
, who was grinning ear to ear and bouncing in place. I was mortified. I was completely out of my element.

Until a horrified gasp managed to break me out of my trance.

Pricilla glared at me, her eyes ablaze with hatred. One of her bimbets was whispering in her ear, no doubt informing Princess P of the major lip-lock that Payne planted on me in front of the school. The look of horror only magnified as she registered the information that she was being told. I was amazed someone hadn’t texted her pictures already.

Looking pretty and perfect, in her low
-cut pink top and very short skirt, Pricilla took a step toward me. Her itty-bitty brain was working overtime to attempt to find something to say. She eyed Payne like a piece of glittery jewelry that belonged on her and not me. When I looked at Payne, he seemed very happy to be watching me and wasn’t even paying attention to Princess P, which was good for him.

I grabbed Payne’s shirt and planted a kiss on his lips for all to see. If looks could kill, even Payne wouldn’t be able to survive what she was aiming at me.

With a huff, Pricilla and her princess herd flounced past us. I turned to Payne, who was grinning. “I suppose it’s a little late to ask you to keep us low key, huh?”

Before Payne could answer
, the bell rang. My teacher called out for any late arrivals to take their seat or be marked tardy. Payne had to run to get to his own class.

“We better go
, too,” Maggie said as she walked past me into the classroom. I went to follow, but I saw something at the end of the hallway that looked off to me. A student, not moving as everyone else scrambled for class. He just stood there allowing others to pass around him.

Or through him
. 

Jay.

I wanted to go to him. To try and soften any hurt feelings.

“Miss Blackburn,” my teacher said, “are you planning on joining us, or waiting for Mr. McKnight to return and pick up where the two of you left off?”

I glanced for a moment at Mr. Berger, and then back down the hallway. Jay was gone, but the anger he had been directing at me was still hanging in the air.

I tried to put Jay out of my mind as I took my seat. If he appeared to me again, I would try to soothe his ego, but there was a good chance he wouldn’t. It might be a bit self
-serving, but seeing me with Payne might be the motivation he needed to move on. I was used to ghosts that I’d grown attached to disappearing from my life, never to be heard from or seen again. Moving on would be best for Jay. I’d miss him, and I’d be sorry for not getting the chance to put things right between us. But if it was time for him to move on, there was little I could do.

* * * *

Friday came and Maggie and I were just getting out of class and heading for the stairs. Maggie was complaining because her parents were dragging her to see her grandparents that weekend. She was dressed in a pink-and-white ensemble that reminded me of those candies called Good-n-Plenty.

“I mean, it’s not that I don’t love them,” Maggie ranted as we pushed through the hallway
. “But they eat dinner at three thirty in the afternoon. That’s ridiculous. And they keep asking if I’m regular. They want me to eat prunes. Prunes? Does your grandfather ask you to eat prunes?”

“No,” I answered
. “But I sometimes think he might
be
part prune.”

Just as we reached the end of the hallway, I saw Jay, staring at me. Well, so much for him moving on to where he belongs. It was time to settle this.

“Maggs,” I said. “Why don’t you go home? I forgot something.”

“You sure?” Maggie asked. “I could go back with you. I’m sure it won’t take too long.”

“No, go ahead,” I insisted. “It’s fine.”

“I’ll see you Monday,
” Maggie said.

“You
, too. Don’t drink any Metamucil,” I responded.

Maggie made a gagging face and then disappeared down the stairwell. There were only a few people left
, and they were all heading out. Casually, I headed back down the hallway to where Jay stood. He still looked angry.

A
s I got about halfway to him, he headed for what looked like a janitor’s closet that’d been left open. Perfect, I needed to speak with him alone. 

After making sure no one was looking, I stepped inside. It was a big
, deep closet. There were shelves lining the walls, filled with cleaning supplies. Further on down were those buckets on wheels with mops stuck inside of them. At the end was a sink. That’s where I found Jay.

I waited for him to say something. Jay was usually ready with one of his perfect opening lines, but he just glared. 

“Jay,” I said. “We need to talk. I know you must feel betrayed, and I’m sorry for that. But you and I could never work together.”

“You should have listened to me,” Jay said. “You should have left with me.”

“Jay, I can’t just run away from my family. From my home.”

“From him, you mean,” Jay said, daring me to deny it.

“
Or
from him,” I admitted. “I don’t know yet what Payne and I will be for each other, but we deserve a chance to find out.”

Jay stepped forward
, and I felt forced to step back. “You should have listened to me.” 

A
chill passed me by as Jay disappeared. With it, I got a sense of what Jay was feeling. It couldn’t be described as just anger or resentment. Or even jealously. 

It was pure hatred. If it weren’t for the fact that I was dealing with a ghost, I would have been terrified. As it was, I was incredibly unsettled. What could have caused Jay to hate me so much? Was it just the fact that Payne and I were now
together? I couldn’t believe it was that simple. There had to be more. 

I heard the slam of the door. I turned and ran, tripping over the mops and buckets. “Hey! Ow!” I hit the floor and felt
, not only pain, but also the wetness from the soapy water. I struggled to my feet. 

“Hello,” I called. Waiting a moment, I listened.
I was sure there was someone out there who heard me. That door didn’t just close on its own. Reaching out my hands, I cautiously felt for the shelves and worked my way forward. I reached the door and grappled with the handle. It wouldn’t budge. I slammed my shoulder into it.
Man, that always
works in the movies.
I banged on the door and yelled for help. After several seconds, there was still no answer. I reached for my bag and pulled out my cellphone. No connection. Great, the girl who talks to ghosts is stuck in a closet in the middle of a dead zone.
I hate irony.

“Help, please help
,” I screamed, hoping somebody would hear. “Come on, this can’t be happening. I can’t be stuck in here all weekend. My uncle won’t go looking for me right away. C’mon! Somebody!

“Oh
, this just really bites,” I complained. “Why do these things happen to me? I gotta get out of here,” I whined. “I’m supposed to see Payne tonight. I promised I’d have dinner with him and his aunt tomorrow. I need to go home and change. I need to do my hair.” I was nearly in tears by this point. “I need to pee!”

“Bristol?” someone said. “Where are you?”

“Here,” I called. “Here I am. Hello? Can you hear me?”

“Hold on
,” they called back. The door rattled. “Someone has a broom stuck here.”

There was the sound of something wooden clattering on the floor. The door swung open. I launched myself at my sav
ior. “Oh thank you,” I said. 

I pulled back to see who had freed me.

“Sure, no problem,” Hunter said. “Why were you in there?”

“Ah well,” I said. I felt awkward now that I knew it was Hunter. For some reason I didn’t understand, she’d been avoiding me for the past two weeks. Still, I knew how important she was to Payne
, and she did just get me out of that damn closet. So I guess being nice to her wasn’t too much to ask. “It was open and I thought I saw someone go in there, but I guess I was wrong since I was alone.”

Hunter’s face grew cold as she took a step back. “Whatever. I’ll see you around.” She shook her head, turned on her heel
, and started to walk down the hall.

I watched her stalk away, shocked at her reaction. “What did I say
, Hunter? What’s your problem with me?”

Hunter stopped short and turned. “I don’t like being lied to.”

“Lied?” I responded. “I haven’t lied.”

“Yes,” she said
. “You did. Just now when I asked you about that closet.”

“I didn’t…” I started to deny what she said
and then realized I had indeed fibbed. How Hunter could have known was beyond me. “Maybe it’s something I don’t want to share?”

Hunter crossed her arms and frowned. “Then tell me it’s none of my business. Just don’t lie.”

“Look,” I said. “Somehow, I’ve upset you. You have been giving me the cold shoulder since Payne and I… well, for the last two weeks…”

“You mean since you and Payne started to date?” Hunter interjected. 

I winced. “I don’t date. I don’t know what Payne and I are but… look, that’s not the point.”

“What do you mean you don’t date?” Hunter asked. “Are you saying you’re too good to date a McKnight?”

“No,” I answered. “It’s just a hang up of mine. Let’s forget about that a moment. Why have you been so mad at me?”

“Because of you,”
she said, “Payne did something he’s never done before. He lied to me. And because I love him, I lied to my family, which I hate. He won’t be straight with me. I know he lied about what happened at Weeder’s, but he won’t tell me the truth, and it’s because of you.”

“Me?” I said. “Hunter, I never told Payne to lie to yo
u or your family. What is it you think he’s lying about?”

“How you cam
e to be by Weeder’s,” Hunter explained. “You arranged it to learn his secret, didn’t you?”

“He told you I know
about…”

“T
hat he heals from almost anything?” Hunter said. “Yeah, I know you know, but how did you find out?”

“Weeder shot him. I saw him heal.”

“Yes, I know,” Hunter said. “Why did you suspect him? If you’d been wrong…”

“I never imagined
Payne could do that,” I said. “I didn’t trick him into going there.”

Hunter watched me closely. “You’re telling me the truth.”

“Well thank you very much,” I remarked. “What are you, some sort of human lie detector?”

Hunter didn’t flinch at the absurdity of the question.

“Wait,” I said. “You can tell when someone is lying, can’t you?”

Hunter again didn’t answer me, which was an answer
in itself. It was such an outrageous idea that if she wasn’t denying it, it had to be true.