“Ya know what they say, out with the old,” Gee piped up raising her eyebrows and glaring directly at him, “and in with the new and improved.”
Leif stiffened and I worried she’d pushed him too far. We were in the hall with a bunch of humans. Maybe it would be wise if we kept the evil spirit prince calm.
“A matter of opinion,” his voice was clipped and cold. Knowing Gee she’d get amusement from that and make this worse.
“Um, okay well, it was good to see you again Leif and I’ll, uh, see ya around,” I reached for Gee’s arm and held it firmly in mine tugging her with me as I stepped around Leif and walked as quickly as possible toward the girls’ restroom. I could hear Miranda’s heavy breathing as she ran behind us to keep up. Where was Wyatt when you needed him? Not that it would do much good. Miranda would pick gossip and drama over a make-out session with her boyfriend any day.
“Dang, Peggy Ann you’re running like the demons of Hell are on your tail,” Gee chuckled at her own joke. I didn’t find her one bit funny.
“Please be nice,” I shifted my focus off Gee and found Miranda watching us with a look of worry mixed with determination on her face. I realized she was prepared for Gee to lash out at me and she was mentally getting ready to come to my defense.
“I was being nice,” Gee drawled and jerked her arm out of my grasp. “Jeez, Pagan get a grip. Eat your chocolate and drink your soda. I think your sugar is low and it’s making you bitchy.”
Sighing, I leaned against the wall beside the sink and took a drink of the coke in my hand. I needed to talk with Gee alone but the protective stance Miranda had taken said she wasn’t going anywhere. So, instead I ate my candy bar and shot warning glares in Gee’s direction.
“When, uh, is uh, Dank gonna be back?” Miranda’s voice trembled. Gee seemed to find this entertaining.
“Not sure, he’ll probably call tonight.”
“You gonna tell him Leif is back?” she asked cautiously.
Of course I was as soon as I saw him. Better yet I could send Gee to tell him. I wasn’t sure I could convince her to leave me with Leif so close now but I was going to try my hardest.
“Sure, but it isn’t a big deal. Leif broke things off with me before he left. He’s just friendly. You know that.” I didn’t even sound remotely believable.
Miranda frowned and walked over to the mirror and began fixing a few of her curls that she thought were out of place. “Hmmm, well ex-boyfriends can be a problem. Even nice ones like Leif.”
She had no idea. “I think everything will be fine.”
Gee found this funny and I glowered in her direction which only caused her to cackle louder.
Miranda glanced back over her shoulder and frowned at Gee but didn’t say anything.
“Okay, I’m finished. My blood sugar should be fine now. Let’s get to class. We’re probably late.”
Chapter Ten
Dank
The soul standing beside me watched anxiously as the little boy standing over the soul’s former body cried loudly. I didn’t like situations like this. I needed a transporter immediately. However, I wasn’t going to leave until someone heard the boy’s cries and came running to check on him.
“Wake up Grandpa, come on wake up,” the boy chanted, shaking the empty body lying in the field. Dirty tears streamed down the kid’s face. Although he wanted to believe his grandfather was only sleeping he knew the truth. The sobs wracking his body were an indicator he’d already accepted the fact his grandpa had passed on.
I peered over at the soul whose face was tense with frustration. He didn’t like seeing the boy upset.
“He’ll be alright. You’ve had several years with him to make an impression on his life,” I told the soul and his eyes lifted to meet mine. Some peace drifted over him.
“Sorry I’m late, Dankmar,” Kitely apologized as she appeared to the right of the soul.
I nodded but didn’t say anymore. The transporter took the soul and left. But I waited. Leaving the boy out here alone with his dead grandfather wasn’t something I was comfortable with. Not that he would come to harm. His soul wasn’t marked to leave the earth. His life would be a long one. But leaving him to grieve alone was wrong. I watched him grab handfuls of the old man’s shirt and burry his face into the fabric. His sobs were growing quieter now. Acceptance always came easier to the young.
“COLBY!” A shrill female voice called out and I lifted my eyes to see a young woman with short red hair come running over the hill. The fear was etched on her face, her large brown eyes bright with anxiety from the cries of her child. She was worried about her son and didn’t realize yet her father was gone. I peered down at the boy once more as he lifted his head and called out to his mother. My work here was done. So I left them.
The house smelled of ammonia and vapor rub. It was a familiar smell. All the houses of the elderly I visited smelled the same. The old lady, tucked firmly into her bed under several homemade quilts that were a mixture of brightly colored patterns that I had no doubt she’d made herself, stared up at me through cloudy eyes. She’d lived a long one. This had been a good life for her. One hundred and five years on this earth was a gift very few were given. Only the best, most honored souls were given these lives.
“Well, it’s about time you got here,” she whispered in a weak voice.