Hello, Can You Please Stop Haunting Me?
vingt-trois.
“Hey Tyler,” Eliza greeted, returning his smile. “Where’s Zach?”
“Err,” he said, scratching the back of his neck. “Brooding. Zach is brooding. Maybe you should go see him,” he continued slowly, a playful glint sparkled in his eyes. “And don’t worry, I’ll take care of these two chimpanzees,” he said, his attention on the twin girls clinging on her bare legs. “Come on Ella, Emma. You’re freaking Eliza out.”
“No!” 6-year-old Emma, the one with her turquoise beanie almost covering her eyes said firmly, hugging on Eliza’s leg’s tighter. “We don’t want Uncle Tyler!” Ella screamed.
Eliza shrugged at Tyler’s hopeless expression. “Your fault for telling them horror stories.”
Tyler crouched down near the twins, clapping his hands together with a plastic smile plastered across his face. “I have candy?”
“CANDY!”
“Where is candy?!”
A moment later, the two of them trailed behind Tyler like baby ducks trailing after their mother. Footsteps were heard behind her before a deep voice whispered, “welcome to our whimsical family gatherings.”
“It’s an honor,” Eliza answered, laughing. He remembered listening to Zach ranting about his family gatherings that always took place at the end of autumn and early springs for one reason or another. He didn’t want to go through this one completely alone so out of the blue, he invited Eliza. Eliza didn’t mind – she didn’t want to impose on her mother’s romantic afternoon with James too. Hanging out with Zach was always a joy. At least she didn’t have to whisper in public all the time. And her friends can actually see Zach. Always a plus.
Brea saw Eliza snorting in laughter at some lame joke Jeremy cracked a couple of weeks ago. She had to make up a story about how she thought of something funny in the past and it just cracked her up. She wasn’t sure if Brea was convinced.
She met Jeremy before autumn, she thought a bit wistfully. Ever since then he became her confidant. Someone she could trust. After all, he was a ghost – who would he tell her rants and secrets to? Zach? Unlikely, considering that Jeremy was almost always by her side.
“The kids seem to be enjoying Jeremy’s company,” Zach said, nodding towards the group of kids chasing a very distressed Jeremy around. “And he seems to not be able to grasp the concept that no one can actually touch him.”
Eliza remembered the kiss they shared and blushed furiously. How was that night even possible?
Well, Jeremy was dead. And yet he was still lingering around. Zach and some of his family members could see and or hear ghosts. She wouldn’t be surprised if they suddenly had talking unicorns around.
Life worked in mysterious ways.
She saw Mia mingling with a couple of teenage girls on the barbecue area. Mia caught her eyes and she waved and grinned happily.
“What’s next, if there is a ‘next’ in the first place?”
Eliza knew what he meant.
“The guy in the car crash. Xavier.”
“After that?” Zach asked, his voice lowered. Eliza looked at the sky, unable to provide Zach with a definite answer.
“Fate,” she replied finally.
“Err,” he said, scratching the back of his neck. “Brooding. Zach is brooding. Maybe you should go see him,” he continued slowly, a playful glint sparkled in his eyes. “And don’t worry, I’ll take care of these two chimpanzees,” he said, his attention on the twin girls clinging on her bare legs. “Come on Ella, Emma. You’re freaking Eliza out.”
“No!” 6-year-old Emma, the one with her turquoise beanie almost covering her eyes said firmly, hugging on Eliza’s leg’s tighter. “We don’t want Uncle Tyler!” Ella screamed.
Eliza shrugged at Tyler’s hopeless expression. “Your fault for telling them horror stories.”
Tyler crouched down near the twins, clapping his hands together with a plastic smile plastered across his face. “I have candy?”
“CANDY!”
“Where is candy?!”
A moment later, the two of them trailed behind Tyler like baby ducks trailing after their mother. Footsteps were heard behind her before a deep voice whispered, “welcome to our whimsical family gatherings.”
“It’s an honor,” Eliza answered, laughing. He remembered listening to Zach ranting about his family gatherings that always took place at the end of autumn and early springs for one reason or another. He didn’t want to go through this one completely alone so out of the blue, he invited Eliza. Eliza didn’t mind – she didn’t want to impose on her mother’s romantic afternoon with James too. Hanging out with Zach was always a joy. At least she didn’t have to whisper in public all the time. And her friends can actually see Zach. Always a plus.
Brea saw Eliza snorting in laughter at some lame joke Jeremy cracked a couple of weeks ago. She had to make up a story about how she thought of something funny in the past and it just cracked her up. She wasn’t sure if Brea was convinced.
She met Jeremy before autumn, she thought a bit wistfully. Ever since then he became her confidant. Someone she could trust. After all, he was a ghost – who would he tell her rants and secrets to? Zach? Unlikely, considering that Jeremy was almost always by her side.
“The kids seem to be enjoying Jeremy’s company,” Zach said, nodding towards the group of kids chasing a very distressed Jeremy around. “And he seems to not be able to grasp the concept that no one can actually touch him.”
Eliza remembered the kiss they shared and blushed furiously. How was that night even possible?
Well, Jeremy was dead. And yet he was still lingering around. Zach and some of his family members could see and or hear ghosts. She wouldn’t be surprised if they suddenly had talking unicorns around.
Life worked in mysterious ways.
She saw Mia mingling with a couple of teenage girls on the barbecue area. Mia caught her eyes and she waved and grinned happily.
“What’s next, if there is a ‘next’ in the first place?”
Eliza knew what he meant.
“The guy in the car crash. Xavier.”
“After that?” Zach asked, his voice lowered. Eliza looked at the sky, unable to provide Zach with a definite answer.
“Fate,” she replied finally.
♠ ♠ ♠
"I'm tired, can't we just be Death Eaters?" ~ Draco Malfoy (AVPM/S) (Forgot which one, whoops).For some reason every time I'm tired nowadays, I'd utter that quote out loud. Oh boy.
Anyway, thank you for reading!! And the lovely, lovely comments that unfortunately, I've no time nor energy to reply personally :( I'll probably finish this story up soon. A couple or so chapters left, I suppose. So thank you, thank you, thank you in advance for STILL sticking with the story till now. You guys truly are awesome. Comments are always appreciated, subscriptions are always loved and I do hope you've enjoyed this little filler before...well, Eliza gonna meet Xavier. The last piece of the puzzle? ;)