by Amy Sparling
"Margret," I try to say, but the second I open my mouth a big yawn slips out. "Yes, dear?" she says without looking up from her knitting. "Would you like me to make some coffee?"
"No, I'm afraid even your delicious coffee won't wake me up today."
She smiles. We both know the museum coffee sucks. "I'm sorry dear. The railroad industry isn't always as hopping as it used to be." The funny thing is, I'm not sure if she's joking or not. After another hour of soul-sucking boredom, Margret offers to teach me how to knit. I figure why the hell not, and borrow a pair of her knitting needles.
"You have to keep the yarn out to the side like this," she says, doing some maze of yarn between her fingers that I can't seem to imitate no matter how many ways I try.
"And then you just yarn over and loop like this." She does a yarn over, whatever that is, and a loop, and I watch her make the same mechanical motions for several stitches. I try it with my needles. It's an epic fail. "Ugh, I would never survive in the colonial times," I groan. Margret looks up at me from over her glasses. "What do you mean colonial times? Are you implying that I'm an old pioneer woman?"
We laugh. I try to yarn over and loop about five million more times, and the result becomes a scarf that would fit a Barbie doll. "You're doing good," Margret says, and it encourages me to continue even though I know she's lying through her teeth.
The door bells jingle and we simultaneously drop our knitting to appear like competent workers. I cringe when my needles fall out, leaving my Barbie scarf an unraveled heap of yarn on the floor.
"Hello ladies." Ugh, it's the voice from my daydreams. Okay, so I've wanted to see him all day, and the first thing I think when he walks in the door is ugh? What is wrong with me? I give him a casual smile that does not in any way imply that I've been thinking about him, and attempt to shove the needles back into my yarn work.
"Hello Raine," Margret says. "Would you like some coffee? I was just thinking of making some." He accepts the coffee offer and Margret scurries off to the back room to make it. I wonder if she does these things on purpose.
"Sup." Raine says, sliding his hands over the counter to where his index fingers poke my arms. Surprisingly, nothing is weird between us now that the I like you, oh yeah? I like you too bomb has been dropped on us. I think we both just pretend it didn't happen. Or maybe he's no longer interested in me after my Brendan freak out. Who wants a girl with baggage? I don't really blame him. I look up from my project. "Sup, yourself."
"What are you doing tonight?"
My needles slide into the last of the yarn loops. Success! "Looks like I'm going to finish this scarf," I say, proudly holding up my creation. He raises an eyebrow. "Scarf?"
"Well, you know. It's a Barbie doll scarf." I finish the last row and tie off the end.
He lowers his voice all seductively. "Do you still play with Barbies?"
"No." I keep my chin up, even if he is making fun of me. After all, I am now the owner of a knitted doll accessory. He had better check himself. "But I'm sure a little girl would like it. Does your sister play with Barbies?"
"She does."
I hold out my scarf between my fingers. "Will you give this to her? Tell her it's Barbie's favorite accessory for the winter."
"Why don't you come to my movie night and give it to her yourself?"
"Movie night?" What is this, junior high?
"Transformers one and two." He leans close to me and winks. "On Bluray."
'Wow, Bluray," I say, wiggling my fingers like it's some kind of magical creation.
"Is that a yes?"
Of course it's a yes. But before I can answer, memories of my life before Sterling come back to me. Movie nights were usually code for cool kids hooking up. I never was invited to those. "Who's all going?"
"Me, Anna and Pax." He picks up the scarf and runs it through his fingers. "Stormy will stay awake for the first movie but probably won't make it past the second hour or so. And my parents will be there and I can't guarantee they won't try to act like teenagers and join us." He mashes his hand to his forehead. "In fact, that's probably exactly what they are going to do."
I shrug. "Your parents are cool."
"You don't have to humor me."
"Should I bring a pizza or something?"
"I just ordered pizza." He counts on his fingers. "Cheese because Anna refuses to eat meat, pepperoni for Pax and Stormy who are boring and only eat pepperoni, a supreme and one with all six meats. So we're good on food."
"Hey pepperoni pizza isn't boring!" I throw a ball of yarn at him. He catches it right before it hits him in the nose. Margret tiptoes back to the counter, balancing three coffee mugs between her hands. "Isn't it a little too late in the afternoon for coffee?" I say, taking the pink mug for myself. Raine and Margret give me a look. "It's always the right time of day for coffee."
The door bell jingles right when Margret and Raine are debating with me about how many stitches constitutes a knitted scarf. We all turn at once to see the visitors—two girls about my age. My stomach drops to the floor.
These aren't girls like me, or even like Anna. They are the pretty girls, the privileged girls. Their daddies probably own big businesses, or at worst—they probably know who their dads are. I shrink back against the wall and let Margret deal with them.
"Hello ladies," she says with the sweet voice she uses when greeting everyone. "Have you been to the museum before? If not, I'd be happy to show you around."
"Um, yes," the taller one says. "We just stopped by because I thought I saw Raine Tsunami through the window." Raine turns around at the mention of his name. "Are you Raine?" she asks, walking forward to shake his hand. He shakes it back and then runs his hand through his hair. "That's me."
The other girl goes to shake his hand now. "We are really big fans," she says, all-star struck. I think I'm going to vomit if I have to listen to this anymore, but as much as I want to walk away, I don't.
"Thanks," Raine says, smiling his classic billboard smile. "Have you been on a tour?"
They nod furiously. "Yes, we've been on three, but we just never had the guts to come talk to you afterward."
He laughs. "Oh I'm not that bad," he says, as if he's unaware they are flirting with him. "I love talking to everyone after the tour." The tall girl gushes. "You are so brave. How do you go in all those scary places by yourself?"
Yes, this is where he'll tell these bimbos that he doesn't go alone because he brings me. He shrugs. "It's not so bad. I grew up doing it with my dad, and after a while you realize that ghosts can't hurt you. They can try scaring you, but that's all." The other girl says something but I don't hear it because I'm so confused. Why isn’t he telling them about me, his assistant? And I should probably jump in, introduce myself and let them know that I'm not just some random person standing next to Raine. But I don't. I know these kind of girls. They are pretty and popular and can tear someone like me into shreds with one properly placed comment.
"When is your next tour?" The girl asks. "We were hoping to go on one tonight but your website didn't say anything for tonight."
"Ah, sorry ladies. The next tour is tomorrow at nine." Her charming smile falls and curls into a puppy face. "Well I guess we'll have to wait," she says, letting her fingers sweep across Raine's arm.
And that's when I realize that—holy shit—I'm jealous.
Chapter 37
"She's so freaking hot," Pax says, turning the Blu-ray case over in his hands. I don't have to look at Anna to know she's scowling. "I think she's ugly," I say, snatching the case away from him. Anna slumps on the couch, huddling up in the corner. She starts playing a game on her cell phone, but I know she's steaming over her sort-of-relationship with Pax. It's a million times worse than when I had a sort-of-relationship with Brendan.
Brendan had kissed me. Yeah, he had a girlfriend at the time but he still kissed me. He still physically admitted to liking me. Pax still hasn't kissed Anna. There's a cute guy who goes on the ghost tours--I think his name is
Cameron. He stares at Anna constantly and always rushes to open doors for her and stuff, but she refuses to switch her sights from Pax to him. I think she likes the torture.
Was that how I felt about Brendan? Liking him more when he had a girlfriend? Trying to steal him away from her just to see if I could? Shit, I don't even know anymore.
"How's your pizza?" Raine asks, sliding up next to me at the kitchen bar.
"Good," I mumble as I take a bite. He waves his meat filled slice in front of my pepperoni one. "It would taste even better if it had five extra meats." He's smiling. I stare at the counter in front of me. It feels like I was just thinking about something important—really important. Only I can't remember what it was now that Raine's giving me that smile.
Raine's parents have gone out to dinner, leaving Stormy in our care—or as Stormy seems to think—in my care. She snuggles up next to me on the couch, wrapping her arm around mine. Within thirty minutes, she's asleep. I'm hooked on the movie when Raine steps in front of me, blocking the television from my view. "Go," I wave my arms at him, "AWAY."
He bends down and scoops up Stormy in his arms. "Come with me," he says. Okay, I know Stormy likes me and all, but she's asleep. She doesn't need me to accompany her to bed when she's not even awake to experience it. I stay on the couch. He gets to the stairs, turns back and mouths the words come here.
I glance at Anna and Pax. Anna is still in her corner of the couch, but Pax's arm is around her. They both look so content, I don't think they'll notice if I leave. I follow Raine up the stairs and stand in the doorway while he puts Stormy in her bed and covers her with her princess blanket. He flips on a night light and then closes her door.
The hallway in this old house is drafty. It sends a chill down my arms as we stand here facing each other. Raine's hands slide in his pockets as he rocks back on his heels. "Wanna hang out in my room for a bit?"
"What about Anna and Pax?"
He goes to his bedroom door and opens it. "What about them?" He gives me the smoldering billboard smile and now Anna and Pax are but a distant memory. I skip into his room and don't even think twice when he shuts the door behind us.
Raine leans back against his door and crosses his arms in front of him. My heart speeds up. I wonder if my breath smells like pizza. Why am I thinking things like this? "You gonna stare at me all night?" I ask like a smart ass.
Raine gives me an appraising look. "Do you know what your most amazing feature is?"
"My smokin' hot body?" I poke out my gut and pat it affectionately. With a grin, he reaches out and grabs my wrists. Slowly, he pulls me toward him. "It's the way I always feel comfortable around you. Even when I do something awkward like this—" He lifts my arms until they are around his neck, then he lets go and puts his hands around my waist. "It doesn't feel weird with you."
"I don't know, this feels kind of weird to me." I smile like a doofus with a capital freaking D. Ugh, he's going to push me away any second now and say he changed his mind about me.
But he doesn't. He brings his lips down to mine, and they smoosh together perfectly in what is sure to be the world's most epic kiss. It will go down in history as the greatest kiss known to man. We'll be famous.
Our lips break free, only to kiss again. And now, everything in the world that has ever mattered to me doesn't exist anymore. There is no pain or heartbreak or sadness. There is only me and Raine.
And we make a pretty awesome couple.
Chapter 38
Margret takes her sweet time hanging up the phone. This isn't a good sign. I smile at a couple of visitors as I rush past them to the front counter. "Well?" I ask, absentmindedly peeling a sticker off the brochure case. "What did they say?"
Margret swat my hand away and smoothes the FREE TAKE ONE sticker back in its place. "I'm sorry Taylor." She flips through the stack of business cards in her hand. "No one has any open positions right now. The Moody Mansion needs an accountant, but your mother doesn't have a degree in that."
"No, of course she doesn't." I reach out and smash the paper cup in front of me with one swift motion.
"I'm really sorry dear, I tried everyone I know."
"It's fine," I say quickly, trying to stop the worry lines on Margret's face from getting deeper. The woman acts like every problem is a personal crisis that she must fix. "I'm making a lot more money now with the tours, so I can probably pay the rent until Mom finds a job."
Although I should probably be focused on finding Mom a job, that all gets pushed to the back of my mind the moment Raine's picture pops up on my cell phone. "Hello?" I answer, smiling like a loser. It's been two days since out mini make out session, but I'm still bouncing off the walls like I'm five years old. "You've reached Raine Tsunami's assistant, how may I help you?"
"Forgive me," he says on the other end. "I'm looking for Taylor, not Raine's assistant. You see, I'm calling for personal matters."
I start laughing and can no longer pull off the pseudo-fake professional accent. "What's up?"
"Are you free tonight?"
"Well you're my boss, so you tell me." My stomach gets all tingly with anticipation of going on a new ghost hunt with Raine. Just when I think there are no more places to explore on this island, Raine always takes me somewhere new.
"That new zombie movie is out. You wanna go see it?" A zombie movie has nothing to do with finding ghosts in historic places, and for a moment I'm totally confused. "What for?"
"Because it's only the best movie of the summer, duh."
"Wait, you just want to see a movie? We aren't looking for ghosts or anything?" Two people visiting the museum turn and look at me when they hear the word ghost. I turn my back to them. Raine hesitates on the other end. "Raine Tsunami and his assistant don't always have to work you know. Because sometimes Raine the normal guy and Taylor, the normal girl need to hang out. Plus, I don't want to go with anyone else."
"What about Pax?"
"He's on a date with Anna."
I feel my cheeks get hot, and can't pretend to act like I don't want to go anymore. "What time should I get there?"
"I'll pick you up," he says. "At eight."
"Fine," I say, letting the feeling of being asked on a date sink in and make my heart go warm. "I guess I'll go."
The movie is two hours of blood, gore and brain-eating madness; a movie I would never consider watching on my own accord. But it's a comedy, so it isn't all grossness and there's even a zombie love scene that makes me tear up a little. Even with all its clichés and fake blood, sometimes certain aspects of a movie will make you forget all about its flaws. Like seeing it with your gorgeous boyfriend-slash-boss who didn't even fake a yawn when he put his arm around you.
"It's only ten-thirty," Raine says as we leave the theater and head back to his car. "We still have time to hang out, seeing as we're both insomniacs."
"Are there any new hauntings to check out?"
"Yeah," he says, beeping his keys to unlock the doors. "But not tonight."
"Ugh, why not? The weather is perfect for it," I whine. He shakes his head. "Because some days I just need a break. We don't have to ghost hunt all the time you know."
Something in the way he says it makes me feel like he's annoyed with me. "You can just take me home if you want, it's no big deal."
"No way," he says, slipping his arm around my waist. "I just figured out what we're going to do." He glances at me from under his bangs. "I hope you're not afraid of heights."
I shrug. "Not really."
He starts his car and says, "Or balls."
An overly friendly beach bum named Dave greets us at the Magic Carpet Bungee Jumping and Batting Cages- the most exciting place on the island! In all my driving around in the last few months, I had failed to notice this place sandwiched between a grocery store and a place to rent jet skis. Raine pokes me in the ribs as we say hello to Dave. "Yes?" Raine asks me. "Yes," I say, smiling from ear to ear. Before Sterling, I never did anything exciting. Now, the exciting stuff just seems to fin
d me.
Dave shoves a small marijuana pipe in the cargo pocket in his pants and says, "What'll it be, guys, batting cages or bungee?"
"Bungee," Raine says. "For now, at least."
"Good choice man, the bungee is the shit." Dave grabs two clipboards and asks us to sign a waiver. I scribble my signature without reading the paper. Two minutes later, Raine and I are strapped next to each other in a harness. We stand on a platform that's about ten stories high and overlooks the lake at the Jet Ski rental place. This isn't just a free-fall bungee like I've seen on TV. When we drop, we'll soar across the lake and back like a pendulum. Dave explains that although the bungee equipment is totally safe, if it ever did break, we'd land in the water and probably live. Go us.
"It's up to you guys now," Dave says. "Whenever you're ready, press this button and you'll fall.
Raine's hair whips in the wind and is so not straight and tidy anymore. I can only imagine what mine looks like. "Should we count to three?" I ask. He grins. "Nope."
Raine slams his hand over the button and we fall.
Chapter 39
We get snow cones, but neither one of us wants to eat it after our bungee jump. My stomach sits somewhere in my throat and hasn't moved in the five minutes that we've been walking around. Raine bumps me with his shoulder on purpose. "What should we do now?"
There's only one thing I'm used to doing with Raine. Ghost hunting. Lately all he wants to do is hang out like the couple that I guess we are now. But things that are normal to most teenagers are foreign to me. "We've been doing normal stuff a lot," I say, thinking aloud.
"What would you rather be doing?" A gust of gulf coast wind blows my hair all over my head and it settles the wrong way across my face. I swipe my hand across my forehead and peek at him through my hair. "I want to do our thing."