I guess she’s giving me space. Space I don’t know if I want or need. I left her apartment pissed last night and I’m still pissed. My little sister wakes up in the middle of the night screaming because she believes there’s a ghost, and Veronica won’t do anything to help stop it. How can she be okay with that?
But I miss her.
I watch movies, TV, and see shows where teenagers date, go to movies, have fun. What I wouldn’t give right now for that to be my life. To not be responsible for anything other than homework due Monday and choosing which movie to see on a Friday night.
I’d love to pick Veronica up with flowers in hand, go grab a sandwich, and see a movie where we hold hands. Then when we arrive home for the night, I kiss her a little too much, for a little too long. To the point she’s happily breathless and my head is spinning.
My blood runs warm just with the idea of holding Veronica in my arms again. Peace settles in my soul at the idea of sitting next to her. It’s weird how quickly she’s become a part of my life—a part I don’t want to go without.
“We’re almost home, Luce,” I say, and Lucy looks up at me impassively and continues to play with her doll’s hair. “You know ghosts aren’t real, right?”
I glance at her in the rearview mirror, but she doesn’t react.
“There’s nothing to be scared of in the house. It’s your imagination. Once you accept ghosts are just stories, your nightmares will stop.”
In the mirror, I spot that Lucy lifts her gaze to me. “V said ghosts are real.”
“She’s wrong.” I pull up along the curb in front of the house, and Veronica’s on the front porch steps. She’s sexy in her red plaid skirt, knee-high striped socks and short denim jacket. She looks up, our eyes meet and I want to hold her, be with her, but at the same time … Lucy’s scared.
Lucy undoes the seat belt of her booster seat, hops out of the car and runs up the front walk to V. They hug and I take my time getting out of the car. Lucy’s a million words a minute as she tells Veronica about the movie, the zoo, and her soon-to-be baby brother. Veronica glances at me then, sympathy in her eyes.
I move one shoulder to let her know I’m fine, that I don’t care, yet I hurt all the same.
“What’s that?” Lucy points at something behind Veronica on the porch. She reaches for the items and in her hands is a large seashell and two huge sticks of something.
“This is sage,” Veronica says to Lucy, “and do you know what it does when we burn it?”
Lucy shakes her head, and I’ll admit I’m curious, too.
“It gets rid of unwanted negative energies. Like your monster.”
Lucy lights up. “So if we burn this, my monster will go away.”
Veronica nods, but then Lucy’s face falls. “If we burn this, does that mean your mo—”
“Everything will be okay.” She cuts off my sister and gives her a curt tip of her head. “Do you want to help me? That is if it’s okay with your brother.” Veronica glances up at me, hope and hesitancy mixed in her expression. She’s asking for me to forgive her.
“Will it work?” I ask, each word dripping with skepticism.
“Yes.” Veronica sounds sad with the answer. “Sage will drive away anything in the house we come in contact with.”
“Lucy, can you wait for me in the foyer?” I ask.
My sister looks at me then at Veronica then complies. She doesn’t close the door all the way, but instead leaves it open a crack.
“What happened with your mom last night?” Veronica asks.
I work my jaw as Mom’s explanation still bites at me. “It was a misunderstanding. She thought I was coming home earlier than I was.”
“So you knew you were supposed to be watching Lucy?”
No. Mom swears we had the conversation, but I wouldn’t forget something like that. Not when it comes to Lucy. I move my arms as the itch to jump becomes stronger. What if there’s something wrong with me? What if I’m the one losing my mind? “As I said, it was a misunderstanding. I appreciate you helping. Your dad, too. I promise I’ll do better next time.”
I promise. The phrase feels like a sledgehammer to the chest as I don’t feel like I should be