The Girl

Chapter 7: Jason Burrow - The Party

We were in front of my car – the four of us and one ghost.

“So?” I asked Oliver.

We’ve been explaining to him what’s going on. From the time I heard of Alex then I thought he’s my other personality, about I found out Rae can communicate with ghosts and that Reinn can too, about Alex, and the possibility that he’s from the ’70s, the most important thing was about how we’re going to help him to get his memory back. Pretty much everything.

He just stood there, alone, trying to swallow all weeks of information in less than an hour. Hard job, but he had to.

“I’m sorry Oli, I should’ve told you,” Reinn said as her tears filled her eyes again, waiting for him to react – to the fact. All cards were out now, it’s his decision whether he played the card or not.

He reached for her and held her closely in his arms. “I’m sorry, baby.” She pressed her pretty face in his chest.

Things had been straightened out now. We’re friends again. Rae held my hand and looked happy to see them.

I’m happy too, not because of seeing them together again, but I am happy for them. I’m happy mostly because of the kiss and because she was holding me like that.

“Where is he now? Alex?” Oli asked, looking at me.

“He’s there, beside Jazz,” Reinn explained about Alex's position.

“Tell him that I’m sorry to surprise him like that,” Alex said to me.

“He said he’s sorry that you’re so shocked,” I said, delivering the message – not exactly his words but had the same understanding.

“No! I’m sorry to have pre-judged before I understood,” his eyes were looking to an empty space beside me – to Alex. “And thank you. Thank you for saving Jazz,” he said, sincerely.

“Anytime,” he replied.

“You know, this kind of a little bit explained about the strange behavior you have lately,” Oli said to me, hesitantly. 

“Which is?” I asked, thinking what such strangeness I made lately that caught his attention. Apart from where my heart seemed unstable every time Rae was near me or the desire to kiss her lips, I’m fine. I’m normal.

“You sort of like to talk to yourself, like you have a mental problem.” He quickly raised his hands protecting his head, anticipating whether I would whack his head after hearing what he said about me. Instead, I was laughing, it’s a humor that I needed after a long time.

“Was that how it seemed? Like I’m having a mental problem?” I couldn’t stop laughing. “I thought the same way as you did, even though I have another personality in me. A noisy one, that likes to whine over things – over a lot of things.” I dried the tears from my eyes.

“I’m not like that!” Alex said, defending himself over my statement.

I turned my head to an empty space next to me. “Oh yes, you are! You’re one hell of a whiner.”

“I am not!”

“Almost every night in my room, you always talked and talked, and mostly you’re whining. I’m so exasperated, I kept thinking, does ghost ever sleep so you could just be silent for a while, that would be bliss.”

“I can’t sleep,” he said.

“That's why you haven’t stopped talking,” I said and turned my face away from him. “Ouch!” I grimaced in pain when I felt someone had whacked my head, I knew it’s not Rae because she stood beside Reinn now, in front of me. “Did he just?” I asked Rae. Both of them were laughing now.

“What just happened?” Oli asked, confused.

“Just a roommate quarrel, between Alex and Jazz. Alex whacked his head,” Rae explained. 

 Oli was now laughing with them. “You know I think I start to like this ghost, he can use whack in the head some time, one or two,” he pointed at me while his eyes were looking to where Alex likely stood.

I mumbled words that were quite not appropriate to say, but I just made them laugh even harder. 

“Are we okay now?” I asked Oli.

“This is not some sick joke, right? Some late April Mop over me?” He asked. I shook my head.

“As long no more secret,” his gaze fell to Reinn, in his arms. “Especially from you!”

She shook her head. “I promise no more secret.” She kissed his lips.

I looked at Rae, imagining that we’re kissing again.

“Don’t even think about it,” she said.

I blinked. Does her power grow? Can she read my mind now?

“Thinking of what? I don’t think of anything,” I lied.

“Let’s head off to Cody’s!” Oli said. 

We climbed into my car, heading to the party at Cody’s house.

They were already there – my other teammate. We’re the last one to arrive but you see; the star of tonight’s game always comes late.

Hah! Don’t mind what I’m saying. My legs were still not touching the ground.

“Hey, you guys!” Cody shouted from his house door. “You’re late! Come on in.”

People were cheering for us when we entered the room. Some greeted me and some gave me a high five.

“Awesome game, Burrow!” A boy with thick eyeglasses was smiling at me. I remembered his name was Rodriguez from the Math team. I smiled back.

There were not only athletes here in this party; half of the school almost filled the room. Cody’s house was bigger than mine, I’m not sure what his father does for a living, but all I know it involved stocks and shares.

His parents were in San Angeles, just like my parents. He has one big brother – who’s going to college in York this summer – and a little sister who’s living with his parents in Angeles.

“Rae you come!” Jean called for Rae, she’s so happy to see her. “Come here, I would like you to meet my other friends.” She took Rae away from me, leading her to the other cheerleading friends.

You see, after the accident in the cafeteria a few days ago, the cheerleader team broke into two groups. Jean’s and Claire’s. They were still rehearsing together but not hanging out together like they were used to. Jean’s friends were okay, nice bunch of girls, they accepted Rae and Reinn maybe because Jean was nice to them but then again, I’m happy to see her making friends.

Claire’s group was gathering beside the pool, in the back yards. She’s looking pretty – as always but not gorgeous compared to my girl. Hah! My girl…wasn’t that lovely to say. My girl. She was staring at me behind the glass door. I saw her coming inside the room and walking towards me.

“Hi Jazz,” she said, cheery.

“Hi,” I replied, thinking why she even came to me.

“I’m sorry for the…” she touched her own cheek referring to the slapping incident.

I even forgot about it, but then I nodded, “No sweat,” I said.

“Can we talk?”

I looked at her suspiciously. What does she want to say now? 

Anyway, I followed her back to the pool – still away from her friends.

“I saw you kissing her back in the game,” her eyes fixed on Rae, who’s talking with Jean and Cody inside.

“Yeah?” - So what??

“So you guys a couple now?”

Considering that I always picked her up in the morning, spent most of my time with her, and kissed her on the bench after the game. Yeah! I think we're a couple now. But I didn’t divulge it out to her, I just nodded.

She’s coming close to me - I could feel the warmth of her body on my skin. She played her fingers on my chest. Was she trying to tease me?

“I know that you are going out with her just to get even with me,” she said in my ear. She’s seducing me, I knew it for sure.

Her lips moved to my jaw and slowly to my lips. I pushed her off of me, gazing at her - dubiously.

“What Jazz?” She chuckled. “It’s too obvious that you do that just to make me jealous.”

Did I send her the wrong message? Or did she just playing dumb?

She blinked at me. “Don’t tell me you're really into her?” She asked me, disbelieving.

“I’m not into her,” I said and added, “I fall in love with her.”

She closed her mouth with her hand. “That little witch!” She cursed.

“Don’t mock her in front of me, Claire!” I growled at her.

“She put a spell on you Jazz, don't you see? That witch!” Her tone was raising an octave. Her fists clenched from anger.

I didn’t even care if she put a spell on me; she did actually, from the first time our eyes met in the hallway. Those big green eyes put a spell on me, and I fell right away. It’s like riding a roller coaster of emotions, and it felt so good, so you decided to stay on the roller coaster forever.

“Just come back to me, we can try to make things work again,” she said, almost begging.

“It’s too late Claire,” I said - I won’t fall to that trick again. “I’m with her now.”

Her eyes were furiously looking at me. Her teeth clenched together, and she was turning away from me. I grabbed her arms tight.

“Don’t cross off your line Claire or…”

“Or what?” She scoffed. “Are you going to slap me? Does she make you a coward Jazz?”

I was stunned - thinking. Despite how badly I wanted to slap her but I couldn’t do that to a girl, even how monstrous she was.

She pulled herself away from my grip and went inside. I followed her, trying to protect Rae from the worst heading to her.

Sometimes I thought that she’s the incarnation of Grendel’s Mom – the monster in Beowulf. She’s so pretty, so blonde, so seductive, and yet so venomous and so callous.

She stood in front of Rae – Jean was already between them, shielding Rae from Claire.

“Don’t do anything stupid Claire,” she warned her.

“Go back to where you came from, witch!” She snarled. Her fists hardened by her side.

“Why don’t you just go back to your corner!” Jean snapped.

“Away Jean!” Claire was trying to push her when Rae stepped towards her.

“What is your problem, Claire?” She asked, deeply glanced at her.

“You are my problem witch!” Her face was flushing red with anger. “Don’t you know that all these people you called friends were only nice because you’re a loner, a freakin’ pathetic loner.”

Rae stepped even closer to Claire, she stretched her body out, and it showed how tall she was – around two inches taller. Her eyes were deeply fixed on Claire’s, there’s neither anger nor rage shown in her eyes, just a deep calming wave, lifeless, no emotion, just empty gazed. Claire moved back a little bit, I knew that she could feel that Rae wasn’t intimidated by her screaming.

“And what is your problem if I’m such a freakin’ pathetic loner? At least I’m not just a pretty face with no attitude.”

Ouch! That’s elegantly harsh. 

Some laughed over it, just simply because what she said was true. I saw Claire’s mouth open in shock, she’s astounded to hear that.

“You…” Her hand raised in the air ready to slap Rae in the face when suddenly Rae caught it in one hand. She forcefully pushed her hand down and pulled her close to her. Face to face.

I was amazed to see her like that. I never knew how fierce she could be, and I took a note to myself: not to let myself deal with that part of her.

“No one ever laid their hand on my face Claire, I suggest you don’t think about it,” her voice was deep and forceful, showing her that she wasn’t joking.

“You’re a freak, so does your Mom!” She was glaring at her.

Reinn almost jumped over Claire if Oli didn’t wrap his arms around her waist to prevent a catfight. “Don’t you dare call my Mom a freak!” She echoed in Oli’s arms.

“She’s a witch just like you,” she pulled her hand from Rae’s grip. “You all should burn in a stick!”

Rae looked away from her face, she was breathing hard, trying to calm her emotion.

“What? No shouting back?!” Claire laughed.

“You got yourself an F in Trig’s last quiz?” Rae suddenly asked Claire.

I was stunned; this got nothing to do with Trig. Didn’t she just hear that Claire called her Mom a freak?

Rae was looking over Claire, her gaze was puzzled for a while, and then her mouth twisted a crooked smile. 

She looked back at Reinn who looked so shocked. “Oh my God!” Reinn said, covering her mouth with her hand.

“What’s so strange to get an F in Trig, almost everybody had once got themselves an F too,” Claire said, puzzled away to see Rae’s and Reinn’s expressions.

I must agree on that – with Claire. Not that I’ve ever got an F – almost every student but not me, I’m straight As.

“It’s not a thing that you should be ashamed of, but the reason behind it, it’s just…” Rae was hesitantly continuing her sentences.

“What?” Claire looked more puzzled now.

“You want me to tell these people why you got an F in Trig?”

“Yes!” Claire shouted.

Yes, just tell! I wanted to know now. What was the big ‘Oh-my-God’ thing?

“I bet you witches didn’t know!” Claire scoffed.

“Oh yes we do,” Reinn said and chuckled. “Tell her Rae!”

“You’re so good in Trig,” Rae said – and I nodded in reflex because she does. “You might not get an F if you’re studying for the quiz and yet…”

And yet what?

I almost screamed impatiently. I wanted to know, and not just me, all the people here were having their eyes on Rae, waiting impatiently like I was.

“And yet what? Can’t you foresee?” Claire laughed.

“And yet you’re busy making out with Mark Logan at your back seat,” Reinn said out of the blue, impatient just like me, but not that she’s waiting for her sister to say it but to burst it out herself.  

That’s too much information, the ‘Oh-my-God’ thing. I was amazed to hear that, I mean, get real, Mark Logan as in the Mark ‘Long neck’ Logan – I wasn’t the one who gave him that nickname, somebody else, but he has a long skinny neck. He was one of the kids who wore thick eyeglasses – It’s just me being nice, rather said clearly that he’s one of the nerds, not that I have something against the nerd. We’re okay. The nerds and me. 

I mean, really Claire with Mark Logan? Was she that desperate? Mark Logan as in Mark Logan’s who’s now standing in the corner of the room, 

“You’re a liar…” Claire screamed, her face was blushing. “It’s a lie! Don’t believe her!”

“Let’s just ask Mark,” Jean suddenly said, even though her face expressed disbelief. But just like the rest of us, we wanted to know the part of the story from Mark’s point of view.

Everybody turned around to see Mark Logan who’s fidgeting, alone, in the corner, holding a cup in his hand. He was sweating, and his hands were trembling. He looked at Claire who’s still blushing in anger, with some sort of should-I-tell-them look.

“So Mark, was it true? You’re making out with Claire?” One of the guys asked.

For kids like Mark, the fact could bring their level up in high school society - which they might have the same chances to score with one of the cheerleaders.

“I…” He said slowly, still fidgeting.

“You witch!” Claire flew over Reinn. Oli covered her with his body as her shield, but before she could reach Reinn, Rae already put Claire to a stop.

“Don’t you dare lay your hand on her,” she said, in big sister’s protective manner.

“You’re lying!” She yelled at her.

“I’m not lying, and you know that. If you have a problem with the truth, deal with it.”

“You a freakin’ witch!”

“It’s better to be a witch than a b***h like you!” Rae snapped.

Ouch! Again that’s harsh. But not like she didn’t deserve that.

“No wonder Jazz chose me over you!” She added.

I blinked. Did she just say that I chose her over Claire? Not that I’m not, but saying that statement was like declaring our relationship out in public, and not that I didn’t like that…I’m…I’m happy actually. So overly joyful.

Claire looked around and saw that we’re looking at her. Some girls in the back were giggling at her, to the fact that she’s making out with Mark Logan. For cheerleader, the fun fact wasn’t that fun, it’s social suicide.

She darted away from the room, out from the house. Mark Logan was running after her, he was calling her name over and over again but with no luck, because she already started her car and drove away.

People were beginning to buzz around, telling each other their part of the story even though they witnessed it together. I saw one of the kids in Math club even dared to come over to a bunch of cheerleaders.

Before he’s able to say anything, one of the cheerleaders raised her hand and said, “Don’t ever think about it.” So he turned around, back to his group with a broken heart.

I saw Rae standing beside the pool, gloomy. I wrapped my arms around her waist and kissed her cheek. She pushed my arms away, to free herself from me.

“What?” I pulled her hand gently, bringing her close to me again.

She was looking at the pool. “I shouldn’t have said that to her, I mean…It’s not nice, but she started it and I got carried away in my anger.”

I lifted her chin so I could see her face. “It wasn’t nice,” I said. She gently punched my chest and mumbled something – that I didn’t even care.

“But it was! I won’t lie to you,” I smiled. “But as you said, she started all and you got carried away, it’s normal to react that way.”

“Did you take psychology 101? Hear yourself, you sounded like a shrink,” she said and rolled her eyes over my words.

“I chose you over her…” I teased - she was blushing and looked away. I Laughed. “Hear yourself, don’t you’re so confident.”

“It’s just a burst of emotion, not that I meant what I said,” she glanced at me.

“But I do…” I pulled her slowly to me, wrapped my arms around her waist again. “I do choose you, a thousand times over Claire,” I softly whispered in her ear.

I could feel her body shiver, and she gave me a warm look. I moved my face closer to her - beginning to kiss her - when she suddenly turned her face away from me.

“What is it, Alex?” She asked.

Not again! I was this close. Damn you ghost! This was the second time you did this to me.

“You ghost! What is it this time?” I said, sarcastically.

“I don’t know…” Alex muttered.

“Really?!” I said. Rae elbowed me and gave me the give-him-a-break look. Should I give him a break?

“I just suddenly get this feeling…a hunch of something bad going to happen…” He paused a moment, to give much thought. “It’s like many invisible hands were reaching out to get me.”

“Since when you get that feeling?” Rae asked.

“Since Claire left the house,” he said, “This wasn’t the first time I felt it, It always came to me out of nowhere but this time the wave of emotion was too big to ignore.”

“Maybe you just felt sorry for her,” I said.

“No it’s not a pity…it’s more like…I don’t know the right word to describe it.”

“Ghosts are more sensitive than human, Jazz,” Rae explained. “They are more alert than us - human.”

“Maybe I should go and look around,” he said.

“Be careful,” I said to him, I really mean it. “If the feeling gets stronger just get back to my house and stay there until I come home.”

He chuckled, “yes Dad! Not to worry.” And then he’s gone, leaving us alone. The mood was gone now.

“Let’s get you home,” I looked over my watch, the time showed half an hour before midnight. “I promised your Mom to get you girls home before midnight.”

“Okay, but…” She suddenly stopped me.

“What?”

She pulled me close and kissed me on my lips, not in a gentle and soft kind of kiss, but a more passionate and deep kiss. I could feel the unknown heat creeping up from an unknown place of my desire.

“Hands Jazz! Hands!” She pushed me away and looked at me in disbelief.

I was so ashamed of what just happened. My hands were sort of moving on their own.

“I kissed you but that doesn’t mean you can grope me anywhere!” She punched my bicep so hard that it hurt.

“I’m sorry baby…” I said, apologized. “It's a reflex, you should blame the hormones not me,” I grinned.

“Boys and their hormones,” she rolled her eyes. “What’s with you with the groping things?”

I chuckled. I framed her face with my fingers and kissed her gently. “See! The hands not going anywhere this time,” I teased.

“Give it some time, it will,” she replied, cynically. I pulled my head back and laughed. 

“Let’s get you home before I won’t let you go anywhere,” I said and held her white slim hand in mine.

“You know, I'm still wondering how did you know that Claire was making out with Mark Logan?”

“Her Grandmother told me.”

I was perplexed. I knew that Claire’s Grandmother died of cancer a year ago - I was there at the funeral. I looked at her, being not able to say anything.

“Yes, her grandma’s ghost was attached to her,” she said like it wasn’t a big deal. Not for her. But for me it was.