why?”
“You’re not answering your phone.”
“Then how come we’re talking right now?”
“You’re ignoring Ethan's calls. And Mandy's, too.”
But that was just because she had thought Ethan was using Mandy's phone. “So?”
“You two had some deal and you are not keeping to your end of the bargain.”
“I didn't promise him anything.”
“Call him.”
Why was Tyler taking Ethan's side? “You’re not his friend.”
“The last I checked you weren’t, either, but here he was, asking Mandy to call you because he couldn't reach you and you two had scheduled a date. So just call him. Okay?” Tyler said before he disconnected the line, the threat that he would get everything out of her later not spoken but understood.
A date? Did Ethan really have to call it that? Kate grimaced, hoping that she would be able to dodge Tyler's interrogation, and...why should she call Ethan? She slumped deeper into the couch and turned up the volume on the telly, but this time when her phone started to ring, she couldn't ignore it. What was so urgent that he had to use Mandy as a mediator? She grabbed the phone. “What?”
“We said we’d meet in the parking lot,” Ethan said.
“No, you said. I never agreed to come.”
“How are you going to improve your skills as a Soul Reaper with that attitude of yours?”
“I have no intention of improving my skills, I told you that before.”
“Why are you so stubborn?”
“I should ask you the same thing.”
“Aren't we a team? Shouldn't we work together?”
“Work together how? Doesn’t the Soul Reaper do all the work?” And it wasn't even that hard; all she had to do was wave her scythe and admire the lights. If she had known that, she would have never fought against it as she had...
Her eyes widened. The phone slipped out from her stiff fingers and bounced against the soft surface of the couch. If her mother saw ghosts as they really were -- beautiful like glittering fairies without wings -- she would stop being afraid of them, wouldn't she? And without fear... there would be no more charms hidden under the mattress, carpet, in the clothes and everywhere imaginable; no more salt and basil, and no more rampages when those were swept away. Why hadn’t she thought of that before? It would change everything. There might even be a possibility of her coming home -- she didn't dare to think of it, even though the hope was always there, but --
The ringing of the phone drew her out of her pondering and she stared in surprise at the device beside her. Frowning, she picked it up and answered.
“Did you do that on purpose?” Ethan asked.
She could detect irritation in his tone; that was a first, and it should have put a smile on her face, but it didn't. She leaned her elbows on her knees, rubbing her cheek while her eyes slid over the dark wood of the television stand and cabinets. “Could we talk later?”
“What happened?”
“Nothing.” She stood up, grabbed her cup of tea from the coffee table and strolled to the kitchen.
“Kate?”
“Nothing to do with you.” Why was he so persistent anyway? She put the cup into the sink.
“Do you need to talk? I can come over.”
She imagined she could hear concern in his voice. He was being nice again. With his pushy attitude, displays of care and his ‘tributes’ of food, she couldn't maintain as much distance as she liked. “Why would you do that?”
“Well, you know what a nice guy I am and... since I'm already here.”
“What?” She looked through the window, and there he was, leaning on the hood of the sleek black car, with a phone against his ear, looking at her house. “What are you doing here?”
“I was worried something had happened.” He pushed himself from the car and strolled toward the house, a paper bag in his left hand.
“Like what?”
“I don't know.”
When he disappeared from her sight she shifted left, resting her hand against the counter, trying to keep him in her line of
“You’re not answering your phone.”
“Then how come we’re talking right now?”
“You’re ignoring Ethan's calls. And Mandy's, too.”
But that was just because she had thought Ethan was using Mandy's phone. “So?”
“You two had some deal and you are not keeping to your end of the bargain.”
“I didn't promise him anything.”
“Call him.”
Why was Tyler taking Ethan's side? “You’re not his friend.”
“The last I checked you weren’t, either, but here he was, asking Mandy to call you because he couldn't reach you and you two had scheduled a date. So just call him. Okay?” Tyler said before he disconnected the line, the threat that he would get everything out of her later not spoken but understood.
A date? Did Ethan really have to call it that? Kate grimaced, hoping that she would be able to dodge Tyler's interrogation, and...why should she call Ethan? She slumped deeper into the couch and turned up the volume on the telly, but this time when her phone started to ring, she couldn't ignore it. What was so urgent that he had to use Mandy as a mediator? She grabbed the phone. “What?”
“We said we’d meet in the parking lot,” Ethan said.
“No, you said. I never agreed to come.”
“How are you going to improve your skills as a Soul Reaper with that attitude of yours?”
“I have no intention of improving my skills, I told you that before.”
“Why are you so stubborn?”
“I should ask you the same thing.”
“Aren't we a team? Shouldn't we work together?”
“Work together how? Doesn’t the Soul Reaper do all the work?” And it wasn't even that hard; all she had to do was wave her scythe and admire the lights. If she had known that, she would have never fought against it as she had...
Her eyes widened. The phone slipped out from her stiff fingers and bounced against the soft surface of the couch. If her mother saw ghosts as they really were -- beautiful like glittering fairies without wings -- she would stop being afraid of them, wouldn't she? And without fear... there would be no more charms hidden under the mattress, carpet, in the clothes and everywhere imaginable; no more salt and basil, and no more rampages when those were swept away. Why hadn’t she thought of that before? It would change everything. There might even be a possibility of her coming home -- she didn't dare to think of it, even though the hope was always there, but --
The ringing of the phone drew her out of her pondering and she stared in surprise at the device beside her. Frowning, she picked it up and answered.
“Did you do that on purpose?” Ethan asked.
She could detect irritation in his tone; that was a first, and it should have put a smile on her face, but it didn't. She leaned her elbows on her knees, rubbing her cheek while her eyes slid over the dark wood of the television stand and cabinets. “Could we talk later?”
“What happened?”
“Nothing.” She stood up, grabbed her cup of tea from the coffee table and strolled to the kitchen.
“Kate?”
“Nothing to do with you.” Why was he so persistent anyway? She put the cup into the sink.
“Do you need to talk? I can come over.”
She imagined she could hear concern in his voice. He was being nice again. With his pushy attitude, displays of care and his ‘tributes’ of food, she couldn't maintain as much distance as she liked. “Why would you do that?”
“Well, you know what a nice guy I am and... since I'm already here.”
“What?” She looked through the window, and there he was, leaning on the hood of the sleek black car, with a phone against his ear, looking at her house. “What are you doing here?”
“I was worried something had happened.” He pushed himself from the car and strolled toward the house, a paper bag in his left hand.
“Like what?”
“I don't know.”
When he disappeared from her sight she shifted left, resting her hand against the counter, trying to keep him in her line of
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