Zellie Wells Trilogy

by Stacey Wallace Benefiel

  My level of shock registered with Mom and she pulled the shower curtain closed and turned the faucet off. That enabled me to come out of my paralysis a little and I took a side step toward my bedroom door. Casting my gaze at the floor, I rested my hand on the door knob.

  “Hey,” Mom said. “You can really see Mike?”

  I opened the door. “Yes and the image is gonna be burned on my retinas for the rest of my life.”

  She finally, finally, stopped drying off and wrapped the towel around her as best she could, her belly poking out. “Well, that’s good isn’t it?” I shot her a glare. “I mean, not the burning your retinas or actually seeing him naked, but you saw him. Could you hear him too?”

  I nodded my head.

  Mr. Adams, dressed now, thank God, leaned his torso in through the door from the family room. “Uh, just wanted to let you know that I’m, uh, out here if you need me, Gracie.”

  Mom smiled at him. “I’m fine, thanks honey.” He disappeared back through the wall. She went to the vanity and started combing her hair, getting the comb caught on a knot.

  Despite my wanting to leave the room, I was more at ease knowing Mr. Adams was no longer in there. I went to Mom and took the comb from her hand. “Here, let me.” She held her towel closed with both hands and watched me in the mirror as I combed her hair.

  “How’re you doing, kiddo?”

  “I’m guessing you mean in general,” I said, a wry smirk pulling the corners of my mouth up.

  “Yes...” She studied my reflection.

  “What?”

  A broad smile spread across her face. “You’ve got more powers than Grandma now.”

  Holy Christ on a cracker. I saw my own eyes widen with realization as I looked over Mom’s shoulder into the mirror. It was true. Grandma was a much better Retroact. She was quick to figure out her visions and she could control her glimpses and see people’s dreams from farther away, but she could not, had never been able to see spirits without help. My smile matched Mom’s.

  She turned to me, leaning against the vanity. “I’m proud of you, Zellie. You know what you want and you make it happen. I wish I’d had as much determination at twenty-six as you do at sixteen. Then maybe Becky wouldn’t be so angry with me that she feels the need to punish you and Avery.”

  I stepped away from her. “It’s not too late, you know. You could stop going along with her plan.”

  “We’ll see.” Sadness came over her face, but then she recovered. “For now why don’t you two stick with passing notes?”

  “Did Grandma tell you?” Ben’s intuition had been right after all.

  “No, I actually haven’t heard from her in a while. What you’re forgetting, honey, is that I lived in a house with Aunt Hazel when I was your age. I practically invented hiding things from adults.” She winked at me and then walked past me into her bedroom.

  I went back into my room and sat on my bed with a pen and a notebook. I needed to write Avery and tell him that all of my practicing had worked! It was his night to have dinner at the cabin, so he’d even get the news in a timely manner. Also, since Mom knew about the notes, we could start leaving them in a more convenient place than the toilet tank, like on top of my chest of drawers. I was more than pleased about that. His note from two Thursdays ago had gotten completely soaked and I hadn’t been able to read it at all.

  I’d written “Dear Avery” when Mr. Adams cleared his throat loudly outside my door.

  “I can’t knock, Zellie. Is it okay if I come through?”

  I closed the notebook and stuck it under the pillow behind me. “Sure, come on in. I’m decent.”

  He walked through the door, looking sheepish. “Sorry about that. Won’t happen again.”

  I nodded. “Its fine, I’m sure I’ll get over it by the time I’m seventy–five.”

  Ignoring my comment, he gestured toward the bed. “May I sit down?”

  “Sure,” I said again, a curious thought coming to my mind. “Hey, do you need to sit down? Can you even get tired?”

  He sat down. “No, I don’t need to, I don’t get tired. It just seems strange to always be standing when other people aren’t.”

  “Huh, yeah, I guess that would be weird.”

  Mr. Adams looked down at the floor and then back up at me. “Zellie, I have a question for you and I need you to answer it truthfully, okay?” He didn’t exactly seem like he was angry with me, more like he was anticipating being angry with me. Great. I’d gotten to the point where I could see and hear him and all he wanted to do was chew me out.

  I sat up straighter. “Ask me anything.”

  He countered by sitting up taller as well. “Are you cheating on Avery?”

  “What? No!” I said, jumping up from the bed, indignant.

  Mr. Adams didn’t back down. “Are you sure that’s what you want to say?”

  What did he know? What had he seen to make him...oh. “You saw me with Ben?”

  “Yes.” He nodded his head and looked away from me.

  “How much did you see?”

  “I saw you kiss him. I left when he started unbuttoning your shirt.”

  Okay, this had to be the most awkward freaking conversation of my life. First I see him naked, and now I find out he’s been spying on me?

  “I wasn’t spying on you if that’s what you’re thinking.”

  I raised one eyebrow at him. “Then what were you doing in my room? And not that it’s any of your business, but the Ben thing--”

  “I sensed a strange energy coming from your room, so I stuck my head in to make sure you were okay,” he interrupted.

  “What kind of strange energy?” I sat back down on the bed. If he wasn’t yelling I was sitting.

  Mr. Adams took a deep breath and blew it out through his nose. “I’m basically energy now. The sound of my voice has more weight than my body does. Since I’ve been this way, since I died and became a ‘ghost baby daddy’ or whatever you and Avery call it, I’m aware of everyone’s specific energy. Does that make sense?”

  “Yeah, kinda,” I said, nodding my head slowly. “So you were familiar with Ben’s energy, but there was something different about it during that, uh, situation?”

  He gave me a disapproving look. “What alerted me and made me check on you was that one moment I could sense your energy and Ben’s and then the next yours was still there, but Ben’s was gone. His energy had been replaced by something...not sinister, that’s too strong a word, but something not quite right.”

  “And you’d never sensed this energy before?”

  “Actually, I had, on the day of my funeral. I felt it in the church.”

  “So it could have been anyone,” I said. “Half the town of Rosedell was at your funeral. You don’t remember who it was coming from?”

  He shook his head. “I was too new. I’d only been a spirit a few days. My main concern was for your mom, I wasn’t thinking too much about weird energy.”

  A theory about why the strange energy had attached itself to Ben while he was seducing me was developing in my mind, but I needed to have a Retro-to-Retro conversation with him to be sure I was on the right track. Unfortunately, Ben and Frank had taken a quick trip up to B.C. to visit some friends for a few days.

  “Well, thanks for giving me this information,” I said, hoping Mr. Adams would just leave and not bring up any more of this cheating nonsense.

  “So you haven’t told Avery what went on between you and Ben, I gather?” He remained seated, giving me the stare down.

  “No,” I said, “because that’s something I should tell him in person and all I can do is write it in a note and that’s just--”

  “You’ve got to tell him, Zellie. Or I will--”

  “Hey, wait a second; I don’t think it’s your place to be dropping information like that on him without me there to explain my side.” I stood up again, too agitated to sit.

  “I’ve got a fairly good idea what ‘your side’ of the story is and I’m letting you know
that the longer you let this go on, the worse it’s going to be when you tell him.”

  “I know that! But you don’t know my side. You don’t know what I felt like! I wasn’t in control of my actions.”

  “Zellie,” Mr. Adams said, sneering at me, “whatever you do, don’t tell him that, it’s a lousy excuse.”

  “It’s not an excuse! It’s an explanation.” My fists balled and I dug my fingernails into my palms to keep from taking a swing through his stupid face. “Why do you care so much anyways? I’d think you would be happy--”

  “I know my son and I know how I feel about your mom. Avery is never going to leave you.” He stood up and went toward the door. “Explain your side in that note you’re writing for him to read tonight, or I’m going to tell him. He has a right to know that the girl he’s been risking his life to be with hasn’t been true to him.”

  I pulled the notebook out from under the pillow and chucked it in the vicinity of Mr. Adams’ head. “Fine, I’ll tell him in the stupid note, but you’re wrong about me. I-I love Avery just as much as he loves me!”

  “I hope so,” he said, going through the door.

  Rushing over to the door, I opened it and watched him go to Mom. Her expression was full of disappointment, all aimed my way. She’d heard the whole discussion, I’m sure. Whatever. I knew the damn truth. I slammed the door just to make an awful, hateful, noise, picked up the notebook and resumed my note writing.

  Dear Avery,

  I hope you’ve had a nice week so far, I’ve been thinking about you nonstop. This past Sunday was a month since we saw each other at church, I didn’t know if you realized that or not. I really, really, really miss you and love you so much, please always know that, okay?

  There is something I need to tell you that you’re not going to like. I wanted to wait and tell you face to face, but, once again, I’ve been given an ultimatum by one of our parents. Actually, it was your dad, who I can see and hear now by the way.

  Crap, I’m just going to get it over with.

  Ben kissed me, plus a little bit more. I kissed him back, but didn’t do anything else.

  KEEP READING!!!!

  I know you are super pissed, but I have a theory as to why this occurred. I didn’t mean for the kiss to happen and I almost think that Ben didn’t either. After I talk to him about it, I can give you the full story. Don’t worry. Absolutely nothing has gone on between the two of us except for that one time and never will again. Please trust me. You know I would never intentionally hurt you.

  I love you so much. I wish there was a way for us to see each other!!

  Please don’t hate me.

  Love,

  Zellie

  P.S. If you need paper and pen to write me back a new note with, they’re on my bedside table.

  I folded the page and put it in an envelope, wrote Avery’s name on the front, and left it on top of my chest of drawers.

  Exchanging my pajama pants and duck slippers for jeans and tennis shoes, I grabbed my puffy coat from the closet and went out into the family room. Mom and Mr. Adams looked up from their places on the couch.

  “The note is on my chest of drawers. Will you guys tell him that’s the new spot?” I took a gray knit cap from my coat pocket and put it on, pulling it down over my ears.

  “On the chest of drawers. Got it,” Mom said.

  “Do you need anything?”I asked.

  “No honey, I’m good.”

  “Okay, well, I’m going for a walk. I’ll be back in an hour or so.”

  “See you in an hour, my sweet red headed--”

  I didn’t stick around to hear her finish the sentence. Pushing open the cabin door, I jumped off the steps and headed down the gravel road. I needed to think and be away from people - both alive and dead.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Press the snooze one too many times again, Pastor Morris?” Avery asked from his seat at the Youth Group table.

  Christopher glanced at the table and noticed the bibles had already been distributed. “Yes, I did. I can’t seem to wake up on time to save my life. Most likely a raging case of Seasonal Affective Disorder. Hey, thanks for putting the bibles out.”

  “No problem.” Avery bounced his leg up and down, his gaze fixed on the stairwell doorway.

  It occurred to Christopher that Avery was not supposed to be attending Youth Group anymore, what was the kid up to? “Didn’t we have a deal? I don’t think you’re supposed to be here...unless you’ve worked something out with your parents that I don’t know about?” Please don’t let that be it. He needed Zellie weak, especially now that it was obvious his own powers were failing. The night before, Wes had questioned if Christopher had learned anything new about Zellie or Ben over the past couple of weeks or had engaged in any interesting glimpses? Christopher had to confess that he had no new information and it was almost possible that he’d sleep through the rest of his diabolical plan and forget to kill Zellie and Ben. Almost.

  Avery gave him a sheepish grin. “I really, really need to talk to Zellie and I thought since you were so cool about everything last time...maybe you’d give us another five minutes?”

  Christopher returned Avery’s grin with a look of disapproval. “Are you seriously trying to bribe a pastor?”

  “Not so much bribe as convince, sir.”

  “Oh, God, I mean gosh...never call me that again. I’m not that much older than you.”

  “Uh, sorry,” Avery said, switching his fidgeting to his other leg. “It’s just that I couldn’t think what else to do. I tried to go see Zellie the other night but my mom caught me sneaking out of the house.”

  “Zellie’s not being sent away, is she?” Christopher asked with more interest than he should have.

  “No. I told Mom that I was going to meet up with Claire, but she made me stay at home.” Avery sighed. “And I can’t believe I just told you that I lied to my mom.”

  “It’s okay, but I think you should get going, Zellie and Melody are going to be here--”

  Melody entered the room, tagging the top of the door jamb on her way in. Zellie followed behind, looking like she hadn’t slept in a few days.

  “Oh, snap,” Melody said when she saw Avery, “showdown at the OK church basement. Yikers.” She turned to check on her sister, but Zellie was already rushing past her.

  Avery stood up and met Zellie in the middle of the room. He looked back at Christopher, his eyes pleading.

  “Fine,” Christopher said, “but Melody and I are not standing in the stairwell this time.” He wanted to assume that whatever Avery desperately needed to talk to Zellie about was really not that big of a deal, but you never knew with those two. Still, he couldn’t appear to care too much. He’d always played the part of the “cool” pastor and needed to keep that impression going. Five minutes wasn’t going to strengthen her powers a great deal. He and Melody sat down at the table, neither one pretending like they weren’t eavesdropping on Zellie and Avery’s conversation.

  “Have you talked to Ben and figured out what happened yet?” Avery said, huddling close to Zellie in an attempt at privacy.

  “No. He won’t be back until tomorrow night--”

  “I’d prefer you talk to him during the day.”

  “Don’t be like that.” Zellie said, casting her gaze at the floor.

  Avery touched the bullet pendant hanging around her neck. “I have a right to, don’t I?”

  She nodded her head. “Yes, but...as someone whose body does things without meaning to, I don’t want you to be mad at Ben if he wasn’t in control of his actions.”

  “That’s a pretty lame excuse, Zel. When your body does things you don’t mean for it to, your intentions are still behind your actions.”

  Christopher wondered what Ben had done to piss Avery off so much. Zellie and Ben were spending a lot of time together and she was influencing him, Christopher had glimpsed as much, but surely Zellie was keeping their relationship platonic, wasn’t she?

  “Look,�
�� Avery said, evening his tone, “I’m attempting not to be mad at you or him. I understand that you’re not trying to make a fool out of me, but I’m not so sure that he isn’t.”

  “He’s not. Ben is not like we thought he was,” Zellie said, taking his hand.

  “I wish you would stop defending him. It seems like you want to pretend that nothing happened, but a kiss and ‘a little bit more’ is something.” He slid his hand from her grasp.

  And a little bit more, huh? So, Zellie and Ben were getting close physically after all. Christopher wondered how he could use that to his advantage? First, he’d have to get Avery out of the picture completely, which should be easy enough, even with his weakened powers. Teenage boys’ emotions were pretty volatile to begin with. A wicked smile graced his mouth.

  “I’m so sorry. I promise you it will never happen again. Whatever Ben’s intentions are, whatever control he had over me, I won’t let it overtake me again. Okay? Please trust me,” Zellie begged.

  Narrowing his eyes, Christopher stared at the back of Avery’s head, amplifying the boy’s insecurities. She cheated on you. They laugh at you behind your back. They think you’re crazy like your mom is. Ben is more attractive than you are and a better kisser. Zellie doesn’t know why she’s with you anymore when she could be with someone powerful like she is. Ben is right for her and you’re not.

  Avery began pacing the floor, unable to harness his anxiety or his emotions any longer. After a moment he started raving in a loud voice. “I can’t trust you and you know what? I don’t know if I can even stop myself from being mad at you.” Zellie opened her mouth to speak, but Avery continued on. “Yeah, now that I think about it, I mean, it takes two to tango right? You may have felt like you had no control over what you were doing, but what about your intentions? Are you telling me you feel nothing for the guy?” He poked a finger at her chest, a look of disgust on his face. “You think I don’t notice how you and Claire and Mel all look at him? Like he’s some blonde hipster god?”