The Illusion of Separation

Carter pulled up right around the time my dad was throwing boxes out onto the front lawn.

He could tell something was up, considering that my dad really doesn't show any kind of emotion until something's wrong. You'd think he was a government android. He hadn't even looked like he was happy when Christofer died. Just went back to his room and left me to cry, which was pretty shitty of him, but I couldn't expect anything else. From what he showed me, this was how he was, no matter what. So when Carter saw my dad's face distorted with anger and the way he stalked into the house with a purpose and kept throwing boxes out onto the lawn, he knew something was up.

"Whoa whoa whoa, Mister Foster, what's going on?" he asked, getting out of the car. Usually Carter has this kind of sauntering way of walking, like he knows he'll get wherever he's going no matter how slow he walks, so he can just take his time and absorb the scenery, but right now he was walking quickly, with purpose. He almost ran to my dad, and you pretty much never see Carter run unless he's chasing Chris or something.

I just kind of stood there. I'd been so surprised when I came home to this that I'd frozen right on the lawn and couldn't make my legs work.

Carter kept trying to talk to my dad, unsuccessfully, since my dad kept ignoring him. Finally he looked over at me, questioning. I sighed and went over to him. "He's sick of me, or something. I think he knows about the stuff I did with Christofer. That's really the only reason he'd do this kind of thing. Otherwise he'd just ignore me."

"So, what, he's kickin' you out?"

"Looks like it."

"Fuck. First Christofer and now you. Looks like none of my friends can stay in their own houses. Well, alright..." He picked up a smaller box, probably filled with my technological stuff like my laptop and alarm clock and so on. "...let's get this stuff in the car and we'll figure out what we're gonna do with you and your ghost of a boyfriend."

Christofer kept flickering in and out of view. Last I saw him he was standing next to me, watching with wide eyes, about to go and tackle my dad or try to do anything he could to get him to stop. Chris knew what this was like, what it felt like knowin' your own parents didn't want you. Although it probably wasn't as serious as my case because his parents were about to kick him out for seriously considering dropping out of school. He'd been about to, and they'd let him know that he wouldn't be allowed in their house if he did. Not like it mattered to him. Houses didn't fit him anyway.

Anyway, he'd been about to go after my dad but right as he took the first step he vanished from sight completely. Nothing happened to my dad, so I could only assume he hadn't just turned invisible, he'd also disappeared for a few seconds. I was really worried until I saw him a few feet away, still flickering like bad TV service, and I knew he was staying here for now.

The psychic had given him this necklace that looked like a dream catcher, and Christofer was pretty much in love with the design. It was supposed to help stabilize him, but it had the complete opposite effect. Instead of staying visible and touchable like he'd been, he would appear and disappear with absolutely no warning. Carter and I weren't too impressed.

I took a deep breath and began bringing my boxes to Carter's car. He popped open the trunk, and I was pleased to see that it was one of those in-car trunks, which meant we'd be able to store more bigger boxes. I'd have to leave some stuff behind, but only the bed and furniture and so on. I could get that all somewhere else. Christofer tried to help, and I was horrified when I saw him lift a box. What would it look like to my dad? Would it just be a box floating in midair? And why weren't Christofer's hands sinking into the box like when he leaned against the counter?

My dad came out with more boxes and he froze, alright. His face lost color. But instead of saying something about the invisible force moving the box, he said, "I thought you were dead."

Christofer looked down at himself and then at my dad, like he was making sure that he was the one being addressed. When no one else answered, he cleared his throat and nodded. "Uh, yessir, I'm currently in a deceased state. Thanks very much for noticin'."

I rolled my eyes amidst the panic thumping in my heart. Typical Chris.

My dad shook his head to clear it. "I'm seein' ghosts," he muttered, and dumped the box he had on the lawn, going inside to get the last few.

Chris, Carter, and I all looked at each other.

"Did he just see you?" I asked.

"I'm thinkin' he did," Christofer answered.

Carter pinched the bridge of his nose like he always did when something was stressing him out. "I'm not even gonna say anything anymore. Just...just get the boxes, put 'em in the car, and let's get the hell outta here."

So we did. I didn't even look back as we pulled out of the driveway and coasted towards the main road that would take us to the highway, and from there, I didn't know. I don't think any of us knew. We were just biding time until we could figure out where it was our hearts were telling us to go, now that we had no reason to stay. And I couldn't say I was too sorry to see Missouri, the place where I'd been firmly cemented to the ground by people I didn't even like, disappear behind us.