“No way!” A.J. suddenly loped into the kitchen grinning. “Ms. Maggie totally took me out last time I was here when I cracked a joke about women ‘in the kitchen and in the bedroom’.”
“Good.” Staci strolled in at the back of him, Nick on her tail. Ari’s spirits dipped a little at the sight of Nick and she hoped her expression hadn’t said so when Staci explained, “Nick was in our class. We offered to rescue him.”
“Of course.” Ari forced a smile. “The more the merrier.”
He smiled back. “Thanks. I thought I was going to die of boredom back there.”
Ari nodded, trying her best to fake relaxation. “Can I get anyone a drink?”
“You got any beer?” A.J. asked, pulling the refrigerator open and taking out her dad’s beers before she could respond.
They settled in her living room, eating and joking around as they took turns on the PlayStation 3 . And by took turns Ari meant while the boys hogged the controllers. Hanging out with Nick was a little uncomfortable, but being with the group made it easier and soon he and A.J. were so engrossed in video games there was nothing to be uncomfortable about. Ari laughed as Staci made fun of the look of concentration on her boyfriend’s face.
“Oh God,” she mumbled to her girlfriends. “That’s his sex face.”
The three of them burst into loud laughter drawing the guys’ attention.
“Uh, what’s going on over there?” A.J. asked suddenly, looking worried.
“Nothing,” Staci teased. She tried to sober at his suspicious expression and avoided his gaze by turning to Nick. “So, Nick, you excited about playing college basketball?”
Just like that the conversation switched to college talk and for Ari the temperature in the room abruptly dropped. A cold sweat erupted across her skin and she excused herself, hurrying into the kitchen, thrusting open the window above the sink and gulping in huge wafts of fresh air. She stood in perfect peace for a couple of minutes before she felt the heat of someone’s gaze on her back. Craning her neck around, Ari’s eyes caught on Nick’s as he stood in the doorway.
“You OK?” he asked, his light blue eyes alight with concern.
She turned to face him as he walked further into the room. He lifted a hand, placing his empty beer bottle down on the counter. He had large hands. They reminded her of the invisible ones that had rescued her today from near death and another sheen of cold sweat broke out under her arms. “I’m fine,” she responded softly, clearing her throat as the last syllable came out a cracked whisper.
He smiled shyly, this crazy cute smile that should have made her knees weak but didn’t. “You know we’re only going to be a state away when we go to college. Maybe I could visit you sometime.”
Her heart fluttered in panic at the thought. “You’ll be way too busy to come visit me.”
Nick shook his head adamantly. “Not possible.”
Oh crap.
“I—”
“You looked beautiful at Prom, by the way,” he interrupted, grinning sweetly. “I never got a chance to say it to you that night.”
Ari frowned. “Probably a good thing since you had a date, Nick.”
“She was just a friend.”
Oh this conversation was going downhill fast.
“Ari! We need more chips!” Rachel shouted from the living room.
I love you, Rache . She shrugged, grabbing them up off the counter. “Duty calls.” She brushed past him, hurrying from the conversation as if the hounds of hell were nipping at her heels rather than a cute guy with a crush on her. What was wrong with her?
For the rest of the day Ari never made the mistake of being in a room unattended again. Nick gave her a hug when he left and she couldn’t stop herself from tensing in his arms. He noticed, shuffling back awkwardly from her and making her feel like the worst person alive. A.J. glared at her, the blow of that look softened by his girlfriend’s sympathetic smile and Rachel’s grimace that said ‘when will that dude take the hint?’ She was never so thankful to be left alone in her empty home. Well… almost empty.
“Ms. Maggie,” she called out, leaning against the front door. “You got a poltergeist friend who’s corporeal but invisible?”
Knowing the poltergeist was unable to answer only added to her frustration because she could not get what happened on that street out of her mind.
“Knock the phone off the side table if you do have a poltergeist friend who can touch me.”
Nothing.