Jump When Ready

by David Pandolfe

  I had absolutely no idea what to do with that at all. I mean, come on! Again, I saw it happen but how was I supposed to just walk through another person like she was a shadow or something? At the same time, now I was standing in the hallway alone and Curtis was on the other side of that door. Without thinking about it anymore, I closed my eyes and plunged through her.

  A moment later, I opened my eyes again to find myself standing in Tommy’s room, not sure what to think. As I’d passed through Mrs. Balboa, I’d actually felt her impatience with her sleeping son.

  Curtis grinned. “I admit, that part is kind of weird. Takes a little getting used to.”

  I nodded. “Yeah, I guess.”

  Mrs. Balboa knocked again from her side of the door. “Tommy? Get up and in the shower!”

  We listened as her footsteps faded. Tommy was just waking up, sitting on the edge of his bed, yawning and stretching.

  “As I’m sure you’ve noticed by now, we can be around people on this side and not be seen. Or heard,” Curtis said. “Kind of cool, huh?”

  I thought back to my dreams about Bethany, thinking how strange it was that even in my dreams she’d been unable to hear or see me. Almost as if my brain had already started to accept the fact that I was now invisible to my family. I wasn’t convinced there was anything cool about it. But I just said, “Yeah, it’s definitely different.”

  “Unless, of course, we want to be seen or heard. Sometimes, that’s an option.”

  “Hang on,” I said. “How is that an option?”

  “Most of the time, it isn’t,” Curtis said. “Let’s not worry about that right now. So, this is the jerk who used to pick on you?”

  “That’s him.”

  We watched as Tommy got out of bed. He crossed the room and went to reach for his bathrobe, where it hung from a hook on the back of his door right next to us. Curtis plucked the bathrobe off the hook. He dangled it in the air, then dropped it to the floor.

  Tommy shook his head in disbelief. “What the—?”

  Curtis laughed and I did too.

  “Watch this.” When Tommy bent to pick up the robe, Curtis yanked it across the floor.

  Tommy jumped back and stood staring, wide-eyed. “No way.” He looked around the room, then back at the robe. “No freaking way.”

  This was too much fun. When Tommy reached for the robe again, I went to pull it away but my hand passed right through it. A moment later, Tommy held the robe out at arm’s length, staring at it with his head cocked to one side.

  Curtis burst out laughing, this time at me. “You are like nowhere near ready to go Manipulator yet.”

  I felt my face grow warm. “What does that mean?”

  “It means you can’t have any physical effect here. Not yet. Probably ever. Depends on what kind of talents you have, and there’s no guaranteeing you have any at all. Not to bum you out or anything but most don’t. Wait, there he goes.”

  Tommy had recovered from his shock enough to place the robe back on the hook. He stood staring at it for a moment, then opened the door and walked down the hall in his underwear.

  “Somebody please buy that dude some pajama’s,” Curtis said. “Too scary.”

  I couldn’t help laugh. It was just so weird watching Tommy Balboa walk around that way, having no idea we were there. “Okay, that was pretty cool.”

  “Like we’re done.” Curtis followed after Tommy, so I did too.

  “Tell me we’re not going into the bathroom,” I said.

  Curtis shrugged. “After he flushes, of course. What could be freakier than having ghosts in your bathroom?”

  Ghosts?

  For some strange reason, a chill went up my spine. But that creepy feeling made no sense now. After all, that’s what we were. Ghosts.

  Curtis didn’t leave me anymore time to think. “Come on.” He walked through the bathroom door.

  Tommy stood at the mirror, poking at the pimples on his face.

  Curtis flashed that grin of his again. “Okay, so Tommy here has already convinced himself that what he just experienced never happened. Check it out.”

  I watched Tommy gaze blankly into the mirror. He seemed completely fine now.

  “That’s how it usually goes at first,” Curtis said. “People—living people, that is—see what they choose to see. Like, who can wrap his brain around a bathrobe jumping all over the place? Can’t happen, right? So, it didn’t. Tommy is undoubtedly telling himself he was still half asleep, that he was probably just dreaming the whole deal. That’s why we have to make that extra little effort to make an impression.”

  Tommy reached for his toothbrush and Curtis flicked it across the counter. Tommy leaped back like he’d been shocked with a cattle prod.

  Curtis gave the toothbrush another nudge and it dropped to floor.

  Tommy’s face went pale. “Holy crap! This can’t be happening. I must have a fever or something.”

  Curtis grabbed a bar of soap and started writing on the mirror. Tommy watched, his eyes bugging as the soap floated before him and these words appeared on the glass: No fever. You’re just a total freak!

  Tommy ran from the bathroom, his footsteps soon clomping down the stairs, while we cracked up laughing. When we finally managed to stop, Curtis said, “I think our work here is done.” He winked and added, “For now.”

  “That was awesome,” I said.

  “Oh, wait.” Curtis grabbed a wet towel from the rack and wiped off the mirror. “After all, we wouldn’t want anyone to think Tommy’s sane, would we?”

  ~~~

  When we arrived back in our neighborhood, I was in a much better mood than I had been earlier. I was still kind of bothered by the whole “ghost” idea, but watching Tommy Balboa freak out had been hilarious. But my upbeat mood deflated as soon as we entered Halfway House. Jamie, Nikki, Naomi and Simon stood waiting in the front hall. I could tell at a glance they weren’t happy. Nikki glared, while both Simon and Naomi looked down at the floor. Jamie wouldn’t look me in the eye.

  I turned to Curtis. “We just did something wrong, didn’t we?”

  “Depends on who you ask,” Curtis said. He made his way past the crowd in the hallway and walked off into the house, whistling happily.

  5

  Total Darkness

  The newspapers would later say no one witnessed anything unusual on the night my sister went missing. The truth was, there had been no living witnesses. But I had learned at least one useful thing from Curtis. If not for that, I never would have been that witness.

  After that first time crossing over, I’d started checking in on my family. At any time of day, by simply concentrating on them, off I went. Although, it wasn’t always easy being around them, I have to admit. They didn’t laugh or smile anymore. Most of the time they barely talked. My parents sat staring at the TV. My brother lifted weights out in the garage. My sister mostly hung out in her room alone. Everything was different and it was like visiting a place where everyone felt sick while knowing you were the one who’d caused it. Still, I kept going back, telling myself as the days passed that they’d start to get better soon.

  Which is why I was there on that night. It was a Friday and we’d always spent those together—a family tradition, pizza and a movie. So, I figured I’d drop in and hang around for a while, maybe catch them at a time when they seemed happy again. But when I walked into the silent house, I knew immediately no one was home.

  At first, I wandered alone through the rooms as the sun set outside, casting shadows. Then I saw the note on the counter, written by my mother. B, Dad and I have our meeting tonight. John is going out with friends. We should be home around 9:00.

  I knew my parents were together for their meeting, whatever that was about. John was out with friends. So, I wondered about Bethany and where she might be. That’s all it took. I lifted off and floated through the kitchen ceiling, then the roof of the house. I found myself alongside birds coming home to their nests and bats heading out for dinner. I flew thro
ugh the sky, a very cool feeling, realizing this must be how we traveled when we weren’t sure where we were going. After a few minutes I spotted our old Volvo below, the car my parents had hung onto when my father got his new one. John was still working on getting his license so it had to be Bethany—the Volvo had been hers now for almost a year. I dropped through the roof, landing right where I meant to in the front passenger seat.

  I looked over at Bethany. “Hey, how’s it going?”

  Bethany seemed lost in thought, or possibly the music on the radio. But the funny thing was she did glance in my direction for just a second. It could have been a coincidence and I told myself it probably was.

  “Kind of muggy tonight,” I said. “I couldn’t help notice while I was flying through the air.” I waited a moment for effect. “Did you maybe hear what I just said? The part about me flying through the air?”

  Bethany reached for the radio and changed stations.

  “You should see where I’m hanging out these days. Never too hot, never too cold. Pretty much perfect all the time. Well, that’s not entirely true. I kind of made a bad first impression by bringing rain and fog. Didn’t exactly get me off to a good start.”

  Bethany started singing along with Lady Gaga as she drove onto the bridge to cross the river. It wasn’t easy but I glanced down at the water a few times, thinking at first I’d be scared. But it didn’t really bother me as much as I would have thought, I guess because drowning (as bad as it had been) hadn’t actually killed me. After all, there I was sitting next to my sister even if she didn’t know it.

  “You’d probably like the kids I’ve met,” I said. “Mostly, they all seem cool. There’s this guy named Jamie who I get along with pretty good so far. We might even be busting out the boards soon—he said they have a totally pro skate park there somewhere.”

  As Bethany continued to drive, I told her more about Jamie, Nikki, Naomi, Simon and Curtis, how we all seemed so different from each other. “I have no idea what we’re doing together,” I said. “I mean, why us? We’re all about the same age, give or take a little. Except Naomi—she’s pretty young. But think about how many people must die every day. Anyway, whatever, at least they’re okay to hang out with.”

  Bethany stopped singing while she crossed the bridge and it made me feel like she could almost hear me talking. It wasn’t long before she put her blinker on and pulled into a strip mall parking lot. She stopped in front of the Starbucks and checked her hair in the rearview mirror.

  “You know I didn’t commit suicide, right? Like everybody seems to think?”

  Bethany turned off the radio. She shook her head as if to chase off an unpleasant thought.

  I knew it had to be my imagination but it really seemed like she’d heard me.

  “I really need you guys to know that, okay? I totally did not commit suicide.”

  Bethany looked down and wiped her eyes. “Not suicide,” she whispered. “It wasn’t that. I just know.”

  I stared at her, stunned. “Bethany, did you just hear me?”

  Bethany glanced at herself again in the rearview, then looked out at the other cars. Something told me I had to think fast. What came to mind might seem totally random but I wondered if it would get through to her again.

  “Hey, Total B,” I said. “It’s me. I’m right here next to you.”

  Bethany stopped searching the parking lot. She cocked her head as if listening.

  She’d totally heard me. No doubt about it.

  Here’s the deal. ‘Total B’ was what I used to call Bethany when she got on my nerves. But the funny thing was Bethany kind of got a kick out of the nickname and after a while it became more of a joke between us.

  I tried another one. “Crapsicles!”

  Yeah, I know, kind of lame. But let me explain. Saying “crapsicles” was my way of swearing when I was like ten years old. But then Bethany and John started saying it too. It became sort of a family swear word I was proud of inventing.

  At that one, Bethany chuckled. Then suddenly her eyes went wide and she looked around inside the car. “Henry? Are you here with me?”

  “Yes, I’m right here!”

  Bethany shook her head. “God, I must be going insane.”

  “No, I’m right next to you! Can you see me?”

  Bethany didn’t see me—instead, she looked past me. She smiled and waved. A gray van had just parked next to us, one of those Toyota or Honda deals like someone’s mother would drive. The kind of car you’d never look at twice, but there was a guy behind the wheel and he smiled back at Bethany. Then he got out and came around to Bethany’s side as she opened her door. He had curly brown hair that fell nearly to his shoulders and a reddish-brown beard. I’d never seen him before but Bethany definitely knew him.

  “You made it!” she said. “Was the drive okay?”

  The guy shrugged and smiled again. “No problem. God, it’s so good to finally see you in person.”

  “You too,” Bethany’s eyes shined and her face blushed. She looked happy, when I’d started to wonder if she ever would again. To be honest, I wasn’t sure how to feel about that, not in that moment.

  The thing is—maybe it was because of my parents’ issues or maybe it was because he’d just made Bethany forget all about me—but I didn’t like Will right off the bat. And he didn’t look twenty-four either, not to me. Sure, it could have been the long hair and the beard but he seemed older.

  Will nodded at the Starbucks. “I guess we might as well grab a coffee.”

  “Might as well,” Bethany said.

  I watched, forgotten, as the two of them walked into Starbucks.

  Once they were inside, Will stopped and looked around. “It’s kind of crowded,” he said. “Why don’t you snag that table and I’ll get the drinks. What are you having?”

  “A latte sounds good. Non-fat, I guess.” Bethany went open her purse. “Here, I’ve got —”

  “No way,” Will said. “My treat.” He flashed Bethany a smile, then went to order drinks.

  I waited with Bethany at the table, trying a few more times to see if she could hear me. But I guess there was too much going on. Or maybe she was busy thinking about Will. I couldn’t tell. Either way, it wasn’t long before he came back and sat across from her.

  “So, how’s the summer class going?” Bethany said, stirring her latte.

  “Not bad,” Will said. “I think it will help next year to get it out of the way.”

  Bethany took a sip of her drink and set it down again. “Graduate school. God, that’s so cool. I’m still hoping to survive high school!”

  Will laughed. “You will. Before you know it, you’ll be heading off to college. Still thinking about UNC? I think you’d really like Chapel Hill.”

  Bethany looked away for a moment. “I’m kind of thinking about going to school in state now. You know, because of what happened. I’m not so sure about moving away from my family.”

  Will nodded. “Sure, that makes sense. Are things getting any better?”

  “Not really.”

  Will touched the back of her hand. “Sorry. I know you’ve been through a lot.”

  Bethany did her best to smile. “Thanks for being so understanding. It’s been great to be able to talk to you during all of this.”

  It felt so strange to realize that for the first time in Bethany’s life she’d looked to someone outside our family to help her through a tough time. In the past, we’d always been there for each other. But it looked like my death had changed that too.

  Will and Bethany talked for a while about people I’d never met and things they’d learned about each other online. After they finished their drinks, Will said, “Listen, I have an idea. How about we head into town? Maybe we could just kind of walk around for a while. What’s that place you told me about? You said there were cool shops, record stores, stuff like that.”

  “Cary Street. Yeah, that sounds good.” Bethany checked her watch. “As long as I’m back in a couple hours,
I mean. The last thing I need is my parents being worried.”

  “Sure, of course. We could stay here if you think it would be better.”

  Bethany shook her head, then smiled. “No, it’s fine.”

  I walked with them as they left. I got into the back seat of the van. I kept listening as he kept lying. I witnessed all of it.

  They’d only driven a mile or so when Will’s cell phone rang. He patted his pockets. “Damn, where is that thing?”

  The phone rang again.

  “I think it’s in the center console,” Bethany said. “Do you want me to get it for you?”

  “Thanks.”

  All of it was so well staged. Bethany never suspected anything. Neither did I.

  Will answered the phone. “Karen? I’m sorry. Who –” A moment passed while he listened. “Oh, God, I totally forgot. Yeah, I think it will be okay. I’m on my way into town now, actually. Probably like fifteen minutes or so.”

  Will tossed the phone back into the center console and sighed. “My roommate’s sister. I totally spaced it. Eric asked me to drop off some stuff. My roommate, I mean. Sorry. Eric’s my roommate and—”

  Bethany laughed. “Karen’s his sister. Got it. You need to drop something off.”

  Will laughed too. “Yeah, I said I would. Do you mind?”

  “Why would I mind?”

  Will kept driving, accelerating a little. “Well, you know. This is our time together. But it should take like two minutes. I told you my roommate’s from Richmond, right?”

  “Yeah, you mentioned it.” Bethany rolled her window down. She closed her eyes as the breeze blew over her face. “Does your roommate—Eric, I mean—like Chapel Hill too?”

  “Loves it,” Will said, accelerating just a bit more.

  ~~~

  Just on the outskirts of Richmond, Will drove into a neighborhood lined with old brick apartment buildings. He stopped in front of one of them, then dialed his phone. “Karen, it’s Will. I’m right out front. Okay, sure.” He turned to Bethany. “She’ll be right down.”

  Bethany’s eyes popped open. “Oh, my God, sorry.”