What the hell was going on?
Another poltergeist?
But she’d never felt Ms. Maggie. Ms. Maggie wasn’t a solid shape. This thing had been a solid shape. Fear rose in the back of her throat.
“I’m going insane. I’m literally now going mental. I—”
“Ari, what are you doing?”
Spinning around, Ari’s eyes settled on Rachel, hanging out the driver’s side window of her car. “Rache?” she frowned.
Rachel grinned at her. “I saw you ditching and decided it looked like fun and it’s not like we can really get in trouble now, right? Come on, get in. I’ve already text Staci and A.J. to ditch and meet us at your house. I thought we’d go to the store, buy some snacks.”
Hanging out with her friends sounded wonderful to Ari. So relaxing. So normal. So real. No kissing dopeheads or invisible hands. Perfect. She grinned shakily and skipped over to the passenger side door.
Ari struggled to open the jar of pickles. She slammed the edge of the top off her black granite kitchen counter, knowing her dad would have killed her for that if he had been there. She tried again. “Crap,” she groaned, shaking out her reddening hand.
Rachel, who was leaning against the opposite counter munching on some Pringles , rolled her eyes. “Give it here.”
“You’re, like, half the size of me, if I can’t get it, you can’t.”
Her friend quirked a blond eyebrow. “I’ll have you know this tiny package is made of steel. Give it.”
To her amazement the lid popped open in Rachel’s hands. Ari eyed her suspiciously, taking a pickle out. “Have you been taking steroids?”
Again with the eye rolling. “Oh please, I leave the drug-taking to Charlie.”
Ari glared at her.
Rachel laughed sheepishly. “Sorry, cheap shot.”
“Mmmhmm.”
“Really, I am sorry. How are you anyway? You seemed so down yesterday.”
Not wanting to get into it with her, Ari shrugged. “I’m fine.”
Her friend exhaled wearily. “I’m not stupid, Ari. I know when something is up with you.”
God, how Ari wished she could talk to Rachel about college and how much she was freaking out, but Rachel, despite being her current best friend, was the last person Ari could discuss it with. Rachel had wanted to be a doctor since her cousin died of leukemia when they were eight. That kind of determination and single-minded focus was a huge part of her personality. Unfortunately she tended to think that people that lacked focus were flakes and unworthy of her time.
At her extended silence, Rachel grinned lasciviously. “I know what would help.”
Ari grimaced. “What?”
“You need to trade in your v-card.”
Nearly choking on her pickle, Ari watched as a rice packet flew out of one of the open cupboards and whacked Rachel across the head. She burst out laughing as her friend’s eyes popped open in shock.
“What the hell was that?”
Ari chuckled. “That was Ms. Maggie defending my virtue, you tramp.”
“Your frickin’ poltergeist?”
“Yup.”
“I thought you were kidding about that!”