Status: Complete
My House is NOT Haunted
Identity Theft
As it turns out, Whitney blabbed about the corpse and one of the snobby cheerleaders called the police because she thought that since we were from New York, we must be murderers. No wonder Whitney likes them. They’ve got the same IQ.
I ran up to my parents, Jason trailing behind me.
My dad saw me coming, and said, “They’re searching the house. It could take hours.”
“You guys could hang out at my place until they’re done,” Jason offered.
I silently pleaded my dad to say no, but it was pretty cold for September, and Whitney and I had homework. Which is probably why he said, “Sounds great.”
Which explains how fifteen minutes and two promises not to lock the door later, I was sitting with Jason on his bed and books sprawled out everywhere.
And then Layney appeared. She saw Jason and me, and a mischievous grin appeared on her face.
I gasped, surprised. Jason whipped around to see what I was looking. And then he went pale.
“Amber?” he whispered.
“Amber?” I said surprised.
She disappeared.
I looked at Jason and saw that he was looking at the spot she had just left. “Are you OK?”
“I…I…I don’t know. Didn’t that…that thing look like Amber?”
“Jason… I didn’t know Amber, remember?”
He shook his head like he had just realized I was there. “Right, sorry. So, do you need any help?”
“I’m fine.” I took another lemon-lime lollipop out of my bag and started sucking on it.
There was an awkward pause, and then Whitney barged in the room.
“Kel, can you come here for a second?” she panted. I guess she’d just done some pretty serious running up the steps.
“What’s up?” I asked when we were safely outside of Jason’s room.
“They found mold.”
“What are you talking about?”
“In our house. They found mold, and now we have to stay here. In Jason’s house.”
-----
“So, I’ve decided that you will stay here until the renovation is through,” Jason’s mom told us all in the living room later that night, “Jason and I will help you pack; Kelly and Whitney will share Chelsea’s old room, and Don and Ellie can have the guest room. Does that sound OK?”
Jason and I were speechless. I mean, I was still trying to figure out my feelings for him, and mow we were going to have to live in the same house?!?!
And because you’re wondering, Chelsea is Jason’s older sister. She’s in college.
-----
Friday rolled around pretty quickly. I honestly couldn’t tell if I was excited for my first date or not. I know, I’m weird.
Jason seemed pretty distant all week. Well, as distant as he could be while living in the same house. Whitney was having the time of her life. And my parents were too wrapped up in the whole finding-a-corpse-in-our-house thing to notice anything.
When the last bell rang, Brandon caught up to me in the hallway. He tapped me on the shoulder, and I turned around to face him.
“Hey, cutie,” he whispered in my ear. This sent chills down my spine. I wasn’t sure if this was good or bad. “You ready for tonight?”
I just nodded. “I have to go home and get ready. Oh, and call me at his number instead.” I handed him a piece of paper with Jason’s home phone number written on it. It wouldn’t be any use to call my house.
He took it, and stared at me for a moment. Out of habit, I wondered if there was something in my teeth.
“You know, you’re one of the prettiest girls at this school,” he said. I gawked at him. Wow. Forward much?
“Uh. Tha-”
He shut me up by putting a finger to my lips. “See you later.”
And he walked off. I would have stared after him for the rest of the night, but someone else tapped my shoulder. I whirled around, and came face to face with a disappointed-looking Jason.
He looked me in the eyes for a moment, and then stared at his feet. “Can you give me a ride home again? I forgot to fill up.”
I rolled my eyes and headed to my car. He followed.
The ride home was uncomfortably silent. I didn’t really expect any different. This was the closest he’d been to me all week.
-----
At home, I finally turned on my laptop that my parents had gotten me. Whitney had gotten the old one. I really missed my friends, even if they lived in Montana. I logged on, and saw that the three of them were, too. Before I had a chance to do anything, Lindsey IMed me.
Elliebird: Oh my God! You haven't been on in forever!
QueenK: Sorry. We moved, and everything’s just getting settled.
Elliebird:Really? Moved to where?
QueenK: I’ll tell you in a second. Invite Nina and Robert.
Elliebird: Okie dokie.
I smiled. Lindsey was really the only person who knew me well at all. We met earlier this summer, when my mother had forced me to go to a music camp, since she thinks I’m a good singer. She had been my roommate, along with Nina. They were best friends with Robert, so naturally we became friends, too. Though, I talked to them through Lindsey most of the time.
The computer dinged again and Rob and Nina came in to the chat room.
NinaBaby: Kelly!
sTaRwArS: Hey, Kel!
QueenK:Hey, guys.
Elliebird: Oh, my God. Kelly moved!
NinaBaby: Oh my God! Why?
sTaRwArS: Where? Why?
QueenK: Southern California. I don't know why, but I think it has something to do with my mom not being able to be reminded of my brother.
NinaBaby: California! *singing* Welcome to the hotel California…
Elliebird: So… any hot guys?
sTaRwArS: Uh oh. Not my topic. Talk to you later, Kel!
QueenK: Bye rob!
NinaBaby: Lindsey, your boyfriend is strange.
I laughed. Lindsey and Robert had started dating at camp this summer. They’re still going strong.
Elliebird: You didn’t answer my question, Kelly. Any hot guys?
QueenK: Duh.
NinaBaby: Yay! *claps* Do they live near you?
QueenK: Uh. Actually, one lives in the next room over.
Elliebird: What?
NinaBaby: Sweet!
I explained the whole situation to them, including the part about Brandon.
NinaBaby:Well if he tries anything, I’ll jump on a plane and come kick his California-
Elliebird: Nina!
QueenK: Sorry, guys. I got to go get ready for my date!
Elliebird: Congrats! Bye!
NinaBaby: Good luck!
I chuckled and logged off. As soon as I had shut the computer, I heard a knock at the door. I tilted my head. Whitney was at the bonfire, so it couldn’t be her. My parents were at my house, so it wasn’t them. Who was it?
“It’s open,” I called to whoever was there.
To my surprise, Jason walked in. He closed the door behind him, and just stood there for a minute. Just as the silence was getting awkward, he mumbled, “Hey.”
“Hey,” I responded. “What’s up?”
He continued to look at his feet. “I just… wanted to apologize about being on your case about the whole Brandon thing. I just… don’t want to see you get hurt. Ok?”
I looked up at him, shocked. “It’s ok. I guess I can understand where you’re coming from. But trust me, ok?”
He finally made eye contact with me, and nodded. “I trust you.”
I ran up to my parents, Jason trailing behind me.
My dad saw me coming, and said, “They’re searching the house. It could take hours.”
“You guys could hang out at my place until they’re done,” Jason offered.
I silently pleaded my dad to say no, but it was pretty cold for September, and Whitney and I had homework. Which is probably why he said, “Sounds great.”
Which explains how fifteen minutes and two promises not to lock the door later, I was sitting with Jason on his bed and books sprawled out everywhere.
And then Layney appeared. She saw Jason and me, and a mischievous grin appeared on her face.
I gasped, surprised. Jason whipped around to see what I was looking. And then he went pale.
“Amber?” he whispered.
“Amber?” I said surprised.
She disappeared.
I looked at Jason and saw that he was looking at the spot she had just left. “Are you OK?”
“I…I…I don’t know. Didn’t that…that thing look like Amber?”
“Jason… I didn’t know Amber, remember?”
He shook his head like he had just realized I was there. “Right, sorry. So, do you need any help?”
“I’m fine.” I took another lemon-lime lollipop out of my bag and started sucking on it.
There was an awkward pause, and then Whitney barged in the room.
“Kel, can you come here for a second?” she panted. I guess she’d just done some pretty serious running up the steps.
“What’s up?” I asked when we were safely outside of Jason’s room.
“They found mold.”
“What are you talking about?”
“In our house. They found mold, and now we have to stay here. In Jason’s house.”
-----
“So, I’ve decided that you will stay here until the renovation is through,” Jason’s mom told us all in the living room later that night, “Jason and I will help you pack; Kelly and Whitney will share Chelsea’s old room, and Don and Ellie can have the guest room. Does that sound OK?”
Jason and I were speechless. I mean, I was still trying to figure out my feelings for him, and mow we were going to have to live in the same house?!?!
And because you’re wondering, Chelsea is Jason’s older sister. She’s in college.
-----
Friday rolled around pretty quickly. I honestly couldn’t tell if I was excited for my first date or not. I know, I’m weird.
Jason seemed pretty distant all week. Well, as distant as he could be while living in the same house. Whitney was having the time of her life. And my parents were too wrapped up in the whole finding-a-corpse-in-our-house thing to notice anything.
When the last bell rang, Brandon caught up to me in the hallway. He tapped me on the shoulder, and I turned around to face him.
“Hey, cutie,” he whispered in my ear. This sent chills down my spine. I wasn’t sure if this was good or bad. “You ready for tonight?”
I just nodded. “I have to go home and get ready. Oh, and call me at his number instead.” I handed him a piece of paper with Jason’s home phone number written on it. It wouldn’t be any use to call my house.
He took it, and stared at me for a moment. Out of habit, I wondered if there was something in my teeth.
“You know, you’re one of the prettiest girls at this school,” he said. I gawked at him. Wow. Forward much?
“Uh. Tha-”
He shut me up by putting a finger to my lips. “See you later.”
And he walked off. I would have stared after him for the rest of the night, but someone else tapped my shoulder. I whirled around, and came face to face with a disappointed-looking Jason.
He looked me in the eyes for a moment, and then stared at his feet. “Can you give me a ride home again? I forgot to fill up.”
I rolled my eyes and headed to my car. He followed.
The ride home was uncomfortably silent. I didn’t really expect any different. This was the closest he’d been to me all week.
-----
At home, I finally turned on my laptop that my parents had gotten me. Whitney had gotten the old one. I really missed my friends, even if they lived in Montana. I logged on, and saw that the three of them were, too. Before I had a chance to do anything, Lindsey IMed me.
Elliebird: Oh my God! You haven't been on in forever!
QueenK: Sorry. We moved, and everything’s just getting settled.
Elliebird:Really? Moved to where?
QueenK: I’ll tell you in a second. Invite Nina and Robert.
Elliebird: Okie dokie.
I smiled. Lindsey was really the only person who knew me well at all. We met earlier this summer, when my mother had forced me to go to a music camp, since she thinks I’m a good singer. She had been my roommate, along with Nina. They were best friends with Robert, so naturally we became friends, too. Though, I talked to them through Lindsey most of the time.
The computer dinged again and Rob and Nina came in to the chat room.
NinaBaby: Kelly!
sTaRwArS: Hey, Kel!
QueenK:Hey, guys.
Elliebird: Oh, my God. Kelly moved!
NinaBaby: Oh my God! Why?
sTaRwArS: Where? Why?
QueenK: Southern California. I don't know why, but I think it has something to do with my mom not being able to be reminded of my brother.
NinaBaby: California! *singing* Welcome to the hotel California…
Elliebird: So… any hot guys?
sTaRwArS: Uh oh. Not my topic. Talk to you later, Kel!
QueenK: Bye rob!
NinaBaby: Lindsey, your boyfriend is strange.
I laughed. Lindsey and Robert had started dating at camp this summer. They’re still going strong.
Elliebird: You didn’t answer my question, Kelly. Any hot guys?
QueenK: Duh.
NinaBaby: Yay! *claps* Do they live near you?
QueenK: Uh. Actually, one lives in the next room over.
Elliebird: What?
NinaBaby: Sweet!
I explained the whole situation to them, including the part about Brandon.
NinaBaby:Well if he tries anything, I’ll jump on a plane and come kick his California-
Elliebird: Nina!
QueenK: Sorry, guys. I got to go get ready for my date!
Elliebird: Congrats! Bye!
NinaBaby: Good luck!
I chuckled and logged off. As soon as I had shut the computer, I heard a knock at the door. I tilted my head. Whitney was at the bonfire, so it couldn’t be her. My parents were at my house, so it wasn’t them. Who was it?
“It’s open,” I called to whoever was there.
To my surprise, Jason walked in. He closed the door behind him, and just stood there for a minute. Just as the silence was getting awkward, he mumbled, “Hey.”
“Hey,” I responded. “What’s up?”
He continued to look at his feet. “I just… wanted to apologize about being on your case about the whole Brandon thing. I just… don’t want to see you get hurt. Ok?”
I looked up at him, shocked. “It’s ok. I guess I can understand where you’re coming from. But trust me, ok?”
He finally made eye contact with me, and nodded. “I trust you.”