The Key To Ghost World Page 3

  "Whew! That startled me! Must be a little windy out there." She returned to writing the vocabulary words.

  Randy stood behind her reading the words out loud as she printed them. Every time she started a new word, Randy poked her in the back. Miss Ketcher would hesitate and then start writing the word.

  Jaedon was glad that he didn’t give her a wedgie. Miss Ketcher was Jaedon’s favorite teacher. She reminded him of a model. Not the swimming suit models in catalogs, but more like the models on T.V. that advertised aspirin.

  Today she was wearing a red dress with a black stripe running from her left shoulder to the right hem of her dress.

  Jaedon tapped his pencil on the desk. When Randy turned to grin at him, he glared.

  "Hey, Jaedon," Randy yelled. "This is fun!"

  Jaedon looked around hoping that no one could see or hear Randy call his name. No one was looking at him.

  Just pretend you don't see him, he told himself. Pretend you don't hear him.

  Randy seemed to get bored teasing Miss Ketcher and wandered out of the room, disappearing through the closed door as if it wasn't even there.

  Jaedon peeked towards the door to make sure that Randy was gone.

  Staring back at him through the glass was the fat man he had encountered on his way to the bus stop. The fat man peered through the glass at Jaedon. His puffy cheeks bulged with every breath he took. His beady eyes stared unblinkingly at Jaedon.

  Jaedon’s body shook. His heart pounded. He had to tell himself to breathe. He shuddered and slumped down in his seat.

  When he looked back at the door, the fat man was gone.

  A thunderstorm rolled in during lunch. Streaks of lightning lit the darkened sky. Thunder rattled the windows. Jaedon sat in the hall reading a book while most of his classmates played games in the classroom or in the gym. When Randy appeared next to him with a happy smile on his face, Jaedon ignored him.

  "I'm having a great time!" Randy said. "So many teachers to have fun with. I think I made old Mrs. Bloom pee her pants. I always hated her. She used to yell for no reason. She smacked my fingers with a ruler once. I'm going to teach her. Every time she gets mean to one of the kids, I am going to smack her fingers. This is great!"

  With a sigh, he slid down so that he was lying flat, and started to hum.

  Jaedon turned the page and bent his neck burying his nose deeper in his book.

  Chapter 6 - Hannah sees Randy

  "Who's your friend?" Hannah Scott stood in front of Jaedon.

  Hannah was the most beautiful girl that Jaedon had ever seen. Not that he was interested in beautiful girls. He just knew that she was beautiful and smart.

  She was tall. She had a thin nose, delicate cheekbones, long raven-black hair and clear blue eyes. She wore a white blouse and blue jeans, and striped keds on her feet.

  Now, she was standing in front of him; her slender hands on her hips. Jaedon felt his mouth go dry. Whenever he had to talk to her, his tongue got stuck to the top of his mouth and nothing came out right.

  "Huh?"

  "I asked you who your friend was." said Hannah.

  "What friend?"

  "That kid lying on the floor next to you. The same kid who was poking Miss Ketcher in class. The same kid who called your name in class." Hannah smiled, leaned against the lockers and slid down so she was sitting next to Jaedon.

  "You can see him?" Jaedon asked.

  "Of course I can see him. He's about your height. A little skinnier than you. He has brown hair. He’s wearing a Backstreet Boys t-shirt. His slacks are tan, and he is sticking his tongue out at you."

  Sure enough, Jaedon glanced at Randy to see him wagging his tongue. "His name is Randy," he muttered. “And he’s not my friend.”

  Hannah's eyebrows rose. "I remember you!" she said to Randy. "You were in my class a couple of years ago. You got hit by a car. Welcome back!"

  Jaedon tried to think, but his brain seemed to be made of oatmeal. This can't be happening! I am sitting in the hallway at school, with the prettiest girl in school, and we are both talking to someone that no one else can see.

  “I can’t believe you have your own ghost!” she exclaimed, crossing her ankles and wiggling her toes inside her shoes. “How long have you had him?”

  “I don’t have him.” Jaedon put the book he had been reading on the floor between them. “I don’t even want him. He just showed up. How come you can see him? No one else can.”

  “My whole family sees ghosts." Hannah explained. "We see them all the time. How often do you see them?”

  “What are you talking about? I’d never seen a ghost until yesterday, and it wasn’t my choice. I don’t want him. You take him.”

  “Hey!” Randy interrupted. “I’m right here. I can hear you.”

  “Then go away!” Jaedon demanded.

  With a pop and the familiar smell, Randy disappeared.

  “He chose you and he will stay with you,” Hannah explained, “but I hope you bring him back. I always liked him and I think it is really cool that he’s back. We can all have fun.”

  “He’s not mine!” Jaedon slammed his fist on the floor. “He’s a jerk. Always getting me in trouble. Ghosts are stupid!”

  Hannah’s eyes clouded. “I’m sorry I bothered you,” she said rising to her feet.

  “No wait!” Jaedon didn’t want her to leave. He scrambled to his feet. “I didn’t know you could see ghosts.”

  “Well, it isn’t something that you tell the world. Most people don’t believe in them. If we went around saying that we saw them, we wouldn’t have many friends.” Hannah said as if trying to explain something to a two-year-old.

  Jaedon shook his head as if trying to assemble thoughts. It didn’t work. His mind was a jumble of questions and possible answers.

  “So what am I supposed to do? He keeps showing up and I am the only one who can see him. My mom thinks I’m crazy. The bus driver thinks I’m a troublemaker.”

  “I’ll talk to my mom about it tonight. Maybe she can help you with Randy. Just hang in there. There’s the bell. I’ll talk to you tomorrow. I’ll pass you my phone number in class. Call me if I can help you with anything.”

  Jaedon couldn’t help but wonder if he would always remember the first time a pretty girl gave him her phone number.

  Chapter 7 - The Fat Man follows Jaedon

  When the final bell rang, Jaedon followed Alex to the bus. A honking horn caught their attention.

  “Hey,” Alex said, pointing to the line of cars. "Isn’t that your mom?”

  “Yep, I guess I’m not riding the bus today. Catch you tomorrow.” he called, running towards his mom’s car. He wondered what was going on. Mom never picked Jaedon up after school.

  ”What’s wrong?” he asked climbing in the backseat. “Where’s Sam?”

  “We’re going to get him now.” Samantha Thomas nervously eyed Jaedon through the rear view mirror. “I wanted to talk to you first.”

  Jaedon stared out the window. The rain had stopped and bright sun flooded the street, the rolling hills in the distance shimmered green and gold.

  “I know that you don’t care so much for John,” she continued. “He can be a jerk sometimes. Last night we made a decision – well, I made a decision. John has moved out. You and Sam will stay with me. I wanted to tell you first because I think that Sam might be a little upset about this. He will need you to help him feel better. Jaedon! Are you paying attention to what I am telling you?”

  “Yeah, Mom, I hear you.” He watched laughing kids run past the car and wished that he had pretended not to see her. If he had just gotten on the bus, he wouldn’t have to be listening to this.

  “Are you alright with this?”

  He turned his head to look at her. “Are you going to make Sam stay out of my room?”

  “Sam doesn’t go in your room. Stop avoiding the question.”

  “Yes, Mom, I’m OK with this and I will help Sam.”

  “Good. I knew I could count on you. N
ow, don’t say anything to Sam. We’ll go to Clown’s Pizza for supper, and then after we get home and you are doing your homework, I’ll sit down with Sam and talk to him.” She put the car in drive and followed the line of other cars leaving the school.

  As the car pulled out of the parking lot, Jaedon spotted the Fat Man standing on the corner. He was staring at the car. His hands were shoved deep into his pockets and his eyes seemed to burn into Jaedon.

  “Mom, do you know that man?” Jaedon pointed at the corner.

  “What man?”

  “That fat man standing on the corner.”

  “What fat man?”

  “Right there!” Jaedon pointed. “Look. He’s staring right at us.”

  Samantha stared past Jaedon’s finger. “I don’t see any fat man,” she declared.

  “Mom! You’re looking right at him.” Jaedon insisted.

  She slammed on the brakes causing the car behind them to swerve and honk. “Honestly, Jaedon. I don’t know what’s gotten into you boys. Sam swears he has a monster chasing him. Now you say you see a man that isn’t there. Stop playing games. I don’t want you scaring your brother any more.”

  Jaedon leaned back in his seat and stared at the headrest of the seat in front of him. When the car started moving again, he peered out the window. The Fat Man dissolved into the web of shadows cast by the trees that rose high above them. No one seemed to notice him.

  When they reached Sam’s school, he watched his mom walk through the school doors to pick up Sam. As she disappeared into the school, Randy appeared next to Jaedon in the back seat.

  “Hey! What’s up?” he grinned.

  “Mom and John are getting divorced. Sam is a big baby. You keep getting me in trouble. The Fat Man is following me around and my mom can’t see him – OR YOU. I guess that covers it.”

  “I’m sorry.” Randy hung his head. “I promise not to tease people around you again.”

  “You shouldn’t tease people at all. That’s just mean.”

  “You didn’t seem to mind it when I teased Sam. You seemed to enjoy that a lot.”

  “Well, that’s because Sam is a mean kid. He deserved it.”

  “So make up your mind. Is it OK to tease mean people?”

  The front car door opened and Sam climbed into the car, saving Jaedon from having to answer.

  Sam looked around. “What’s wrong with the car?” he asked. “It feels funny.”

  “It doesn’t feel funny, you moron.” Jaedon said.

  “Yes, it does! It feels small. You are the moron. Mom! Jaedon is calling me names!”

  “Jaedon!” his mom warned, starting the car and pulling away from the curb.

  Randy leaned forward and wiggled his finger near Sam’s ear. Sam brushed at the side of his head as if shooing a fly. Randy pretended to crack an egg on Sam’s head. Sam shook his head.

  Jaedon busied himself looking out the window trying not to laugh the rest of the way home. Sam deserved the teasing that Randy was giving him. Lord knows Sam had dished a lot more stuff out to Jaedon.

  Chapter 8 - Jaedons treasure goes missing

  Before the car came to a stop in the driveway, Randy disappeared, reappearing on the porch as the small family filed through the front door. “I want a front row seat for this,” he whispered as Jaedon walked past.

  “Holy crap!” cried Sam stopping inside the front door. “What happened to the TV? Dad’s chair is gone too! We’ve been robbed!”

  Entering the kitchen, he stopped short. “They took the microwave and the toaster. No! Not the soda machine! They took all the good stuff and left us crap. Call the cops, mom!”

  Their mother stood silent. Tears welled in her eyes.

  “Come on, Sam.” Jaedon grabbed his brother’s hand. “Mom told me that she’d been doing some cleaning. Let’s go play some video games in my room.”

  “Jaedon.” Mom warned.

  “I know. We are going to Clown’s Pizza. We won’t get dirty.” He knew the mention of Clown’s would get Sam’s attention.

  “I’m going to bring down my bedspread and wash it. It’s covered in jelly. Then I’ll play video games with Sam until we leave.”

  “Clown’s?” Sam had forgotten about the missing furniture already. “Will you play basketball with me when we get there?” he followed Jaedon up the stairs.

  Jaedon loaded a game into the Playstation. Pulling the jelly stained bedspread off the bed, he carried it down to the kitchen and loaded it into the washing machine.

  Back in his room, he knelt next to Sam and showed him how to get the most points in the game. Suddenly Sam turned and craned his neck to look behind them. Jaedon glanced back and saw Randy sitting on the bed.

  “Are there such things as monsters?” Sam asked, trembling.

  “Nah. There’s no monsters.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Pretty sure.”

  “Do you ever feel monsters? Do you ever feel shivery?”

  “Nope.”

  “I feel one right now.”

  “No you don’t. You’re probably coming down with a cold and your mind thinks the shivers are caused by monsters. It’s common in eight year olds.” Jaedon didn’t know why he said that. It sounded stupid, but it seemed to satisfy Sam.

  “Tell him his dad moved out.” said Randy flopping back on the bed.

  “I will.”

  “You will what?” Sam asked.

  “Nothing.” Jaedon said shooting Randy a dirty look.

  “Tell him his dad is gone. Tell him he moved out because Sam is such a jerk. All the crap he puts you through. Tell him.” Randy said.

  Jaedon ignored him. “Take the controller and kill that monster.” He said handing the controller to Sam. “The B button will make you roll. So use both the A and the B buttons to roll and stab. That’s how you kill the monster.”

  Sam killed the monster and threw the controller across the room. “THAT’S what I’m talking about! I’m the man!” He jumped up pumping his fists into the air above his head.

  From the bed, Randy said, “Tell him.”

  “Shut up.”

  “YOU shut up!” screamed Sam, his face turning red. “You shut up, you dork.”

  “I wasn’t even talking to you,” Jaedon said.

  “Well, who were you talking to?”

  “Him,” said Jaedon, pointing at Randy.

  “Who?”

  “Randy.”

  “Who’s Randy?”

  “My ghost.”

  “I’m telling dad that you are teasing me. He’ll kick your butt.”

  “No, Sam, you won’t tell your dad. Or, if you do, he won’t kick my butt anymore. Your dad moved out today.”

  “Liar!” screamed Sam. “You are a damned liar!” His voiced hitched and tears filled his eyes.

  Jaedon stared at him. His face stony. “So, where is the TV and John’s chair, and the microwave. They weren’t stolen. John took them. You heard mom and John fighting last night. You heard mom say that she was getting a divorce. John moved out today. I wish he had taken you with him.”

  “You stupid jerk.” screamed Sam. “He left because he hated you. He couldn’t stand you so he moved out. You made him move. I hate you!” Tears streamed down his face. Balling his fist, he punched Jaedon in the stomach.