by Alicia Rades
“Really?” I asked, knowing full well the video was almost at the point where he came in. “This doesn’t look that bad?”
I turned the camera so that she could watch the video play back. I listened as Olivia’s memory replayed itself on the screen. I watched Kelli’s face fall as she stared at it.
“You better have a damned good excuse,” I heard Nate say on the speaker, but I was watching Kelli. Tears sprang to her eyes. Her bottom lip quivered as she watched. And then the sound of skin on skin, Nate slapping Kelli, came through the small speaker on the side of the camera, which only caused Kelli to fall to the ground. I wanted to pull the camera away, but when I looked toward Olivia for guidance, her eyes told me to keep the video playing. I didn’t drop the camera, and Kelli didn’t avert her gaze. She continued watching until the thud came, the one when Nate shoved Olivia into the wall.
“Okay, okay. Stop it!” she shouted in tears.
I felt awful, like I was the one torturing Kelli now. I turned the camera around and stopped the video. I removed the memory card and placed the camera back in the bag.
Kelli curled up on the floor, knees to her chest and face in her hands. Nobody said anything for a long time until Kelli’s croaked voice broke the silence. “I—I never thought it was that bad, but seeing it from a different angle . . . Oh my God. He hurt my friend, my best friend.”
“I know, Kelli.” I aimed for a comforting tone as I bent down to her level.
“I was going to destroy the video. When Justine said she had proof to help me, that she was going to get a video tonight, I knew the video she was talking about, only I didn’t think it still existed. I thought it’d burned in the fire.”
That explained why she was here now and why she was in costume. She must have just found out after we told Justine we were going to get the video now, only since we’d waited for Tammy to leave, Kelli got here first.
Kelli sobbed again. “I—I never intended to watch it, but . . . it’s just so horrible. I thought I loved him, you know. I mean, I do. I do love him, but he can just be horrible sometimes.”
“I know, Kelli. That’s why you have to turn him in. You shouldn’t have to live with this, and neither should your friends.” I took a gamble and rubbed her shoulder. To my surprise, she didn’t pull away.
“No, they shouldn’t, but what if he hurts me if I turn him in? He’ll come after me.” She looked up at me, her eyes glistening with tears. “I was lucky enough to get away from him tonight for the festival. He didn’t want to come. If I had ditched him there, he’d have my head on a silver platter. But it’d be my fault, you know. It always is. I shouldn’t be here without him.” Kelli started to get up. “I should go to him. We should destroy the video. That’s what Nate would want. ”
“Kelli,” I said kindly. “You can make your own choices. Nate doesn’t have to dictate everything you do.” I found myself repeating Justine’s words and feeling a deep sense of truth to them.
She shook her head. “You don’t understand.”
“There are people who can protect you, Kelli,” Emma said. “Besides, you have friends to help you.”
“I know. Nate is good to me most of the time, though.” She paused. “I have Justine, but Olivia was always my true best friend, and—and when she died, I was so screwed up. Nate was there for me through it, you know? How could I leave him then? And now—now how can I leave him?” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “I’ve been so terrified the past year that if I leave him, he’ll not just go after me, but he’ll go after my family and friends. I mean, look what he did to Olivia over something so stupid.”
She took a deep breath. “I thought about leaving him this summer,” she admitted. “I found out I was pregnant, only when I told him, he freaked. I lost the baby.”
Emma and I both drew in a quick breath. I was reminded about something Justine said. It’s like something happened between them last summer.
“I don’t know why I’m even telling you this. I never told anyone. But I can’t just leave him. I love him and hate him at the same time. You two wouldn’t understand.”
“Kelli,” I tried. “You’re not in this alone. You have to admit it to your family and friends, and they can help you. Maybe one of them will understand better than us.”
She nodded and sank to the floor again. After a few breaths, she looked at us. “How did you guys get roped into this? I mean, why didn’t Justine just do it herself?”
I exchanged a glance with Emma. “Justine doesn’t exactly know what happened yet,” I admitted.
“Then how do you?”
I contemplated this for a moment, wondering if I should tell her. I glanced back at Olivia on her perch, but she wasn’t there anymore. I turned my head back toward Kelli and nearly jumped out of my skin when I saw Olivia standing behind her. Olivia nodded as if to say it was okay to tell Kelli.
“I know because Olivia told me.”
“She told you? But you hardly ever talked to her.”
“You’re right. I didn’t really talk to her when she was alive.”
Kelli’s eyes skimmed over me. They still sparkled with tears. “What are you getting at?”
“Kelli, I’ve talked to Olivia recently. She’s the one who told me that the video was still here.”
“What?” she gasped. “Like, you talked to her ghost?”
I took a deep breath. “Yes, and she’s here right now.”
Kelli’s sorrow turned to rage. “Whatever sick joke you’re playing, it’s not funny. Olivia is dead.”
“I’m not joking,” I defended.
“Well, if she’s really here, then ask her what gift I got her the Christmas before she died.”
“She can hear you,” I assured her.
Olivia began speaking. I relayed the message to Kelli. “She says you made her a picture frame with shells glued on from your trip to Florida a few summers ago. She said she loved it so much because she collected shells. She loved the pictures of you two from when she went on your family’s vacation to California before that.”
Kelli’s jaw dropped in disbelief. “I don’t know how you knew that.”
“I told you, Olivia’s here.”
“Then ask her about our childhood,” she insisted. “When we were in sixth grade, what did we promise we would grow up together and do?”
“She says you wanted to write poetry and publish song lyrics and that your pen names would be your childhood nicknames for each other, Kel-Kel and Livie.”
She eyed me again like she still wasn’t sure what to believe. “What did we do on her 13th birthday that we never told anyone about?”
“You went to the movies to celebrate, but when you got there, you realized you’d dropped your money somewhere along the way. You snuck into the movie without paying.”
Kelli’s lips curled up to hold back her tears, and her brows came together in sorrow. “Olivia?” She turned her head toward the ceiling and closed her eyes. “Livie, you’re really here. God, I’ve missed you so much. I know you would have told me to stay away from Nate, to do something about it, and even though I had Justine by my side, I didn’t have you. I needed you so badly.” Her voice cracked. “There’s so much I wanted to say over the past year. I wish you would have been here.”
“She was,” I said, translating. This only made Kelli cry harder.
“Tell her about the candle,” Olivia said.
“What?” I replied, confused.
“Tell her I lit the candle to pray for her.”
I nodded and took a deep breath in preparation to translate. “Kelli, Olivia wants you to know that the candle she lit, it was for you. She was praying for you.”
With this, Kelli broke, sobbing uncontrollably and curling deeper into her ball.
I rubbed her arm for comfort again, continuing to relay Olivia’s message. “And she says she hopes that you’ll let your friends and family help you so that you can return to your old self. She doesn’t want to see Nate hurt you anymor
e.”
Kelli didn’t speak for a few moments. Then she nodded slowly. “Okay. I promise. You’ve been my best friend forever, Olivia, but can you promise me that he won’t hurt me anymore?”
“She says she’ll be watching over you, like a guardian angel.”
“Thank you,” Kelli said. I wasn’t sure if she was thanking me or Olivia.
I watched Olivia from behind Kelli. “Thank you so much for everything you’ve done, Crystal,” Olivia said.
“I’m glad I could help,” I replied out loud.
“Um, Crystal,” Emma said. “I think we should go. I have a weird feeling.”
“We will in a minute,” I promised. Put more faith in your friends. They might surprise you, a thought surfaced in the back of my mind. Is Emma being paranoid, or have her psychic exercises paid off? I wondered.
Olivia jerked her head and looked at something behind her that even I couldn’t see. “Emma’s right. You have to leave,” she told me. “Go. Go now. Tell Kelli I’ll always be watching.”
“I will,” I promised as she faded. “She’s gone.”
“Gone?” Kelli asked softly.
“She said she’d always be watching, but we have to leave.”
“Thank you,” Kelli said one last time, her eyes sparkling. “What do we do now?”
“We keep you safe,” Emma replied.
27
When we exited the Owen’s house, “safe” was not the first word that came to mind. Completely and utterly vulnerable was more like it. I nearly tumbled over a tall figure as I left the house. I stumbled backward in surprise.
“You,” the figure snarled accusingly.
“Nate,” I spat back.
He caught a glimpse of Kelli trailing behind me, and then his eyes fixated on me again. “I thought it was you I saw following Kelli here.” His voice was anything but friendly. “I told you this ain’t none of your business. I waited, but when you never came back, I came to make sure you weren’t filling my girl’s head with crazy ideas.”
“You—you followed me?” Kelli asked in disbelief.
“Of course I did. I didn’t want to go to that stupid festival, but I had to keep tabs on my girl.”
Kelli shied back.
Stand up to him, Kelli, I thought. Olivia once gave me courage. Let her do the same for you.
With that thought, my prayer was answered. Kelli’s posture changed, her eyes brightened, and she took a step forward. Kelli spoke in a tone that didn’t seem like her own. “Kelli is not your girl anymore. You don’t get to push people around like you do and expect something in return. You’re a meaningless piece of crap that doesn’t deserve someone as amazing as Kelli.”
Olivia? I thought.
Nate shrank back in surprise. He took a second to digest what she’d just said, and then he reached for her. “Come on. We’re leaving.”
Kelli pulled away. “I’m not going anywhere with you!” This time it sounded like she was speaking for herself.
“Come on.” The anger in his voice rose. “You can’t be serious.”
There were so many emotions thick in the air.
Kelli took a stand. “Oh, I am. Olivia showed me just how much of a jerk you are. If it wasn’t for you, she might still be alive!” Something in her tone told me this was the key to everything.
“Olivia?” he practically shouted in confusion.
With that, Olivia appeared again, only this time she seemed more solid, more real. When I heard a gasp from everyone around me, I knew I wasn’t the only one who could see her.
“What the—?” Nate’s eyes widened. He took a few steps back and tripped over his own feet. He laid on the ground in terror. “No. It can’t be. You’re . . . you’re . . . What the hell?”
Olivia advanced. A swirling wind consumed her, and I swore her eyes glowed red. “Leave my friend alone,” she warned.
Nate raised his hands to shield himself.
Olivia continued moving toward him. “If you so much as touch her again, I will make your life a living hell. Every step you take. Every corner you turn. I will be there waiting.”
Nate whimpered.
My mouth was open in awe. You go girl!
“You come near my friend again—any of my friends, and that includes Crystal—you will regret it. For. The. Rest. Of. Your. Life.”
Olivia’s apparition charged at him again. He didn’t waste another second. Nate scampered to his feet and ran off toward the street.
“Okay, okay,” I heard him yelling back. “I swear it. I’ll leave her alone.”
Olivia turned to us and laughed. “That was fun.”
Kelli’s eyes fixated on Olivia. “Is that really you?” she asked slowly.
Olivia nodded.
“But . . . how?” Kelli asked.
“I don’t know, to be honest. I’ve always been watching you, Kelli. I’ve always been here trying to help, but I think Crystal’s the one to thank. I wouldn’t be here like this without her here.” Her gaze turned to me. “You have a really unusual gift, Crystal.”
Tears sprung to Kelli’s eyes. “Thank you. Thank you both for everything.”
“My pleasure,” Olivia responded. Then she turned as if she saw something the rest of us couldn’t. “I think this is it for real this time.”
“You have to go?” Kelli asked sadly.
Olivia nodded. “I can finally see the light. I don’t think Nate is going to hurt you again. I think in all honesty he pissed his pants.”
We all gave a chuckle.
“Will I see you again?” Kelli asked.
“I’ll be here like always,” Olivia promised.
***
Kelli didn’t want to wait to go to the police station. She said she needed to talk about it while she still had the courage. I suggested that she bring someone with her, and because of how much I knew Justine cared, I convinced her to talk to Justine. She asked us to come along for the extra support, too.
I held onto the memory card on the way back to the park. There, we all went searched for Justine together.
I texted Derek.
We’re done. You’re off duty. We’ll explain what happened later.
When we got to the kissing booth, though, Justine wasn’t there. We walked up and down the rows of tents and booths looking for her.
“I’d text her,” Kelli said, “but I know her phone doesn’t fit in her costume.”
We continued searching. As I was looking around, I spotted my mom.
“Hey,” she waved. “I haven’t seen you girls all night. Where are your wigs?”
“Um, they got itchy,” Emma lied.
“Aren’t you supposed to be fortune telling?” I asked.
“I took a 15 minute break. Why don’t you come in, and I’ll tell your fortune?”
“That’s okay, Mom. Maybe another time.”
“I’d like my fortune read,” Kelli interjected, pushing her way past me toward my mom.
“Okay,” my mom said. “You can go wait by my booth, and I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
“Sounds good.” A small smile twitched at the edge of Kelli’s lips.
Emma and I followed Kelli to the booth just to make sure we didn’t lose each other in the throng of people. There was a “Back in 15 minutes” sign on the tent flap, so no one was waiting in line. My mom was back in a matter of minutes welcoming Kelli into the tent in a fake mystical voice.
In the bit of privacy we had, Emma’s excitement finally burst. “I saw a ghost. A real ghost! I know it wasn’t under the best of conditions, but it still happened.” She beamed as if it was the coolest thing in the world.
I was about to tell her to calm down when I heard a familiar voice calling out to us. I turned to see a Cat in the Hat hat bouncing above the crowd. “How’d it go?” Derek asked once he reached us.
“Not as expected,” I admitted.
“But pretty well,” Emma finished. “Justine told Kelli about the video and she showed up before us. I think we’ve
convinced her to move on, and we’re going to help her. Kelli’s getting a reading right now, though.” She gestured toward the tent.
“You know,” Derek lowered his voice. “I’ve been wondering. Is your mom’s fortune-telling booth, you know, real?”
Emma and I exchanged a glance. We giggled and nodded.
Derek raised his eyes. “Then I have some pretty good prospects for my future.”
“You got your fortune read?” I asked.
“Yep.”
“What’d she tell you?” I prodded curiously.
“You’re the psychic. Figure it out.”
I rolled my eyes at him. “It doesn’t—“
“Work that way,” he finished. “I know. I was just teasing.” He nudged me. I was happy to have my problems solved and be back with my best friends, although we still had to find Justine and make it to the police station.
“So what’d you find out?” Emma asked Derek again, curious about his fortune.
Derek shrugged. “Just some good things about my romantic future.”
Emma and I giggled together. “Your romantic future?” I asked. “You’ve never been romantic with anyone.”
“Maybe I’ve just been waiting around for the right girl,” he said, but he wouldn’t meet either of our eyes.
Emma started to say something, but before she could, Kelli emerged from the tent with a smile. “Your mom says everything is going to be okay. Thank you.”
To my surprise, Kelli pulled me into an embrace.
“No problem,” I said. “Now let’s go find Justine.”
“I just saw her over by the apple bobbing booth,” Derek announced, so we all took off together to look for her. Luckily, she’d stayed put since Derek last saw her. We waved her over from the end of the line.
She noticed Kelli first. “Kelli, are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m . . .” She paused in search of the right word. “Fine. We found it, and they helped me.” She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear nervously. “I’d like your support when I go to turn him in. You know, if you’re not super mad at me for pushing you away.”
Justine hugged Kelli. “That’s great. I don’t want to wait another minute. I’m so glad you’ve come to your senses.”