The Key To Ghost World Page 7

  "Keep practicing” Jaedon laughed. “I don't need any help from you to get in trouble. I do a good job all by myself. So, did you find out where you go when you aren't with people?"

  "Kind of. I think we are still here, but we don’t use our energy to do things. When we aren’t using our energy, you can’t see us. Carolyn says that the more I practice, the better I will learn to use my energy. To think that I’ve been dead for two years and am just now learning how to be a ghost. I’m so glad you moved into my old house, Jaedon."

  “I am too”, said Hannah. “I think you are fun to play with.”

  Jaedon felt his face get hot. He studied the stain on his shoe. When the bell rang, he was happy to jump to his feet.

  Randy floated just off the ground. “Hey, I’ll see you tonight. I’m gonna go practice this ghost stuff. See ya, Hannah.”

  “Bye, Randy. Come on, Jaedon. You don’t want to be late for class. You’ve had enough excitement for one day.”

  Chapter 16 - Jaedon tells Alex about Randy

  Since the school year was almost over, they had no homework. Jaedon’s book bag was empty when he jumped off the bus behind Alex.

  “Want to come over and play Guitar Hero?” Alex asked.

  “I’ll see if it’s OK with mom. If she says it’s OK, I’ll be right over.”

  They parted ways and Jaedon swung his book bag in a circle above his head as he turned onto his street. Mom’s car was not in the driveway. He hoped the front door was unlocked or that his mom had hidden a key under the rock.

  The front door was locked but as Jaedon turned towards the back gate, the front door opened.

  “Your wish is my command.” Randy stood in the open doorway grinning.

  “Hey! Thanks!” laughed Jaedon. “I knew you were good for something.”

  “Your mom’s not home.” Randy said, handing him a piece of paper. “She left a note.”

  “Jaedon,” it read. “Will be a little late today. Have a job interview. Mrs. Johnson is picking up Sam. I’ll be home as soon as I can. Love you! Mom” .

  Jaedon pulled a pen out of the kitchen drawer and added his own note. “I went to Alex’s to play Guitar Hero.” he wrote. “I’ll be home by 5:00. Love, Jaedon”.

  “Aw man!” said Randy. “I wanted to show you my ghost moves.”

  “I’ll be home later.” said Jaedon. “But you could do something for me if you wanted.”

  “Sure. What do you need?”

  “I’ve looked all over for my gold watch. Could you use your ghostly powers to look for it? “

  “I’ll look for it, but I don’t have any powers. OK. Maybe I can look more places faster. If it’s here, I will find it.”

  Walking to Alex’s gave Jaedon time to reflect on having Randy around. At first he had found Randy to be annoying. Now he thought differently. Randy was funny and smart. If he weren’t a ghost, Jaedon thought that they would probably be best friends. Jaedon was sure that Alex would really like Randy too.

  Alex was practicing Guitar Hero when Jaedon knocked on the back door of the small ranch style home.

  “Dude! I rock!” he grinned.

  Jaedon grinned back. They both knew that Alex could not beat Jaedon. Even though Jaedon didn’t own the game, he was a natural. The songs flowed out of his fingers with ease. He never bragged and always remembered to tell Alex that he was doing really well. But they both knew that Alex would never be as good as Jaedon.

  “I’m sorry I got mad at you and called you a sissy boy today.” Alex offered.

  “It’s OK.” Jaedon answered. “I probably would have done the same thing if you had taken off with Hannah and ignored me.”

  “I don’t think so.” Alex said. “So what’s up with you anyway?”

  “What do you mean?”

  I mean what’s up with all the weird crap that happens when you are around.”

  “I don’t know what you are talking about.”

  “Yes you do.” Alex argued. “Like on the bus. You were playing with Emma’s hair. I don’t know how, but you were pulling it without touching it.”

  “I was not.” Jaedon hadn’t thought that Alex could see Randy pulling on Emma’s hair.

  “Well, someone was and it wasn’t me.” Alex declared. “And, at the bus stop you acted like there was someone else there. You weren’t even looking at me. And in class the other day, when Miss Ketcher was writing on the board and kept stopping. There was something going on. You knew what it was. I could tell by the look on your face.”

  “I don’t know what you are talking about.” Jaedon insisted.

  “I think you do. Are you one of those psychic guys that do things with their mind?”

  “No.” Jaedon replied looking at his feet.

  “Then what is it?”

  Jaedon scratched his arm. “It’s Randy.” He said finally.

  “Who’s Randy?”

  “A ghost.”

  Alex stared at Jaedon. “Whoa! Hold the phone, Aunty Em! You’re pooping on my nose! Right?”

  “Pooping on your nose? That’s just gross!”

  “I mean you are lying, right?” Alex laughed. He stared at Jaedon. “You aren’t lying, are you? This is so cool! Is he here? Is he here right now?”

  “No.” Jaedon said. “I left him home.”

  “You left him home? What! Is he like a bicycle or something that you just play with when you want to?”

  “No. He just gets me in trouble sometimes and I don’t like him to mess with me so I asked him to stay home.”

  “You can tell him what to do? Like a genie in a bottle?”

  Jaedon smiled for the first time. “Well, I can tell him what to do, but he doesn’t always listen.”

  “So who is he? Or should I ask ‘Who did he used to be’?

  “His name is Randy. He used to live in my house.”

  “Aw poop! I knew him! He was a jerk. Of all the ghosts in the world you have to get a jerk like him.”

  “He’s not a jerk. I like him.”

  “Yeah, well he never caused you the trouble that he caused me when he was alive.”

  “Wanna bet?” Jaedon smiled. “He’s caused me all kinds of trouble, but I still like him. He’s cool.”

  “Let’s go to your house and check him out.” suggested Alex.

  “I’m not supposed to have friends in the house when mom isn’t home.”

  “Then we’ll stay outside. Let’s go.” Alex was already heading for the door.

  Jaedon’s mom still wasn’t home when the two boys arrived at Jaedon’s house.

  “Stay here.” Jaedon told Alex pointing to the chairs on the front porch. “I’ll go get a couple of sodas and see if Randy is here.”

  The trip to the fridge netted a couple cokes. Randy appeared as Jaedon carried the cokes towards the front door.

  “Did you find my watch?” Jaedon asked.

  “No. I looked all over Sam’s room but didn’t find it.”

  “I don’t think he’d hide it in his room.” Jaedon said, opening the door and stepping onto the porch.

  “Hide what?” asked Alex.

  “Sam stole my gold watch. Randy was looking for it.”

  “So where is Randy?”

  “Standing next to me.”

  “I don’t see him.” Alex said reaching for the coke that Jaedon offered him.

  “Well, I’m sorry. He’s right here.”

  “You know. I think you might just be pooping on my nose.”

  Jaedon snapped his coke can open. “Think what you want. Randy is right here.”

  “Nope. I think you are full of crap.” Alex leaned back in his chair and took a gulp of the cold drink.

  “Stand up.” Jaedon said.

  “Why?”

  “Just stand up.”

  Alex set his coke on the white patio table and stood.

  “OK, Randy. Do what you do best.”

  Randy was already standing behind Alex. As he grabbed the back of Alex’s shorts, Alex squealed and jumped
off the porch. “What the heck!”

  “Watch the flowers!” Jaedon choked.

  Alex stood in the flower bed staring at Jaedon. “How did you do that?” he demanded. “You weren’t anywhere near me!”

  “But Randy was right behind you.” Jaedon laughed.

  “Where?” he demanded, looking around wildly. “Where is he now?”

  They both jumped as Hannah flew around the corner of the house on her bicycle.

  “Hi, guys.” she called as she jumped off letting the bike roll to a stop and fall to the ground. “What’s up?”

  “Jaedon is weird,” Alex offered. “He says that he has a ghost.”

  Hannah looked at Jaedon. “Really?”

  Jaedon was confused. He knew that Hannah could see Randy who was standing right next to her. Why was Hannah pretending not to see him?

  Randy began making faces at Hannah. He stuck his index fingers in the sides of his mouth and wiggled his tongue. He used one hand to scratch his head and the other to scratch his butt while jumping up and down. When he pretended to pick his nose and flick the booger at Alex, Hannah couldn’t hold her laughter in any longer.

  “I can’t believe you think you have a ghost. Silly boy,” she said covering up the real reason she was laughing. “What’s his name?”

  “Uhm. His name is Randy. He used to live here.” Jaedon offered. He too was trying not to laugh at Randy who was now hovering cross-legged, like a genie, a foot in front of Alex’s nose.

  “Cool. I came to see if you wanted to have supper at our house tonight.”

  “I don’t know. Mom’s not home so I can ask. She’d probably say ‘yes’. Are you having lasagna again?”

  “Mom never makes lasagna two nights in a row. I think she’s grilling a chicken tonight.”

  “That sounds good too. You want a coke?”

  “Sure. Then do you guys want to go for a bike ride?”

  “Not me,” said Alex. “I’m going home. See you guys later.”

  Chapter 17 - Jaedon figures out what the popping smell is

  As soon as Alex was gone, Jaedon turned to Hannah. “Why did you pretend not to see Randy?”

  Hannah shrugged. “It’s not a good thing to tell people you can see ghosts. People don’t understand. Pretty soon, they start thinking that you are weird and you won’t have any friends.”

  “Alex won’t think I’m weird just because I can see ghosts. He’ll still be my friend.”

  “Really? And then, when he goes home, he tells his mother. Later, she tells her friend that Alex’s friend thinks he can see ghosts. That friend tells her friend. Pretty soon the whole town knows that Jaedon thinks he can see ghosts. Not – Jaedon can see ghosts. But – Jaedon thinks he can see ghosts. It’s just not a good idea to tell anyone.”

  “I get it.” said Jaedon. He went into the house to get Hannah her coke. When he returned to the porch, Randy was sitting on the step picking at some weeds that were peeking out between cracks. “I am so sorry, Jaedon. It’s all my fault. Carolyn told me not to do anything that would make people look at you. I screwed up – again.”

  “It’s not your fault either,” Hannah offered. “This is new for both of you. You both have a lot to learn. Alex might go home and tell his mom, but if you don’t do anything that makes other people think you are weird, his mom will probably forget all about it.”

  Randy turned with a grin. “Look what I can do!” Without standing, he suddenly rose into the air and floated with his legs crossed Indian style. He rose higher and higher until his head touched the ceiling of the porch. Then he swooped back and forth in front of Hannah and Jaedon.

  When Jaedon’s mom pulled into the driveway, all she saw was Hannah and Jaedon sitting in the chairs laughing. She did not see Randy who had flipped himself upside down and was floating on his head.

  She thought that it was nice to see Jaedon having a good time. It had been a long time since he had enjoyed himself. She was glad that John had moved out. They could start being a real family now without John here to make Jaedon an outsider.

  “Hi, Jaedon. Hi, Hannah.” She called. Sam tumbled out of the back seat.

  “Hi, you guys. Can I play?”

  “We aren’t playing anything. We are just sitting here,” Jaedon said.

  “Well, can I sit with you?”

  “Sure.” Said Hannah. “You can have my chair. I can’t stay much longer. I told my mom that I was just going to run over and see if Jaedon could come to my house for supper. We’re grilling chicken.”

  Jaedon saw his mom’s look of indecision. “You were just there last night. You can’t eat over there every night,” she said.

  “Just tonight. Please. I’ll do Sam’s chores when I get home.”

  “You’ve done enough of Sam’s chores. Just do yours and remember – you can’t expect to eat over at Hannah’s every night. I’ll start thinking that you don’t like my cooking.”

  “What’s not to like about pizza?” Jaedon joked.

  “Watch it!” she warned, but her smiling eyes told the children that she wasn’t angry.

  “Can I ride my bike over?” Jaedon asked.

  “If you do, you will have to be home by dark.”

  “OK. We’re going to finish our cokes. I’ll come in and say ‘goodbye’ when we are ready to leave.”

  Sam held the door for their mom. As it closed behind them, Jaedon turned to Randy and belched. “Betcha can’t do that anymore.” he laughed.

  “Nope. I can do better now. See ya at Hannah’s.” With a pop, Randy disappeared.

  As Jaedon smelled the now familiar odor that always accompanied the pop, he suddenly knew what it was. Unfortunately he was in the middle of taking a drink when he realized Randy farted every time he popped! The thought of it made him laugh (and everyone knows that you can’t laugh while taking a drink of coke).

  Sprays of coke burned and stung his nose as he choked on his laughter.

  Hannah’s eyes grew wide. “Are you OK?”

  “He farts!” Jaedon chortled. “He farts every time he pops.”

  “What?”

  “Every time Randy pops, he farts! Didn’t you smell it?”

  “Well, I smelled something, but I thought you did it. I was being polite by not saying anything.”

  Jaedon couldn’t stop laughing. His body shook and his breath came in gasps. Every time he thought his laughing fit was under control, he would think about Randy popping and the laughter would overwhelm him again.

  From inside the house, his mother smiled. Asking John to leave was the best thing she ever did. She couldn’t remember the last time she had heard Jaedon laugh and now he was so full of laughter that it was contagious. Standing in the kitchen, she felt a warm glow and began to laugh herself.

  Chapter 18 - Jaedon's mom finds a job

  Hannah’s dad was on the deck grilling chicken when the children rode their bikes into the back yard.

  “Hi, Jaedon. Long time no see! Is Randy learning to be a responsible ghost and not get you in trouble?”

  “I’m not sure how responsible he is,” Jaedon replied. “but, I think he’s trying.”

  “Well then, come over here and let me show you my secret to grilling chicken while Hannah goes and helps her mom in the kitchen. We’ll be eating out here on the deck. Did Randy come with you?” Mark Newton asked as he turned a chicken leg. A small stream of smoke rose from the juice dripping onto the coals. Jaedon felt his mouth water and his stomach demanded a taste.

  “No, he said that he’d see us here so I guess he’ll show up.”

  “Carolyn said that he’s a sharp boy and he learns fast. I’m sure he didn’t mean to get you in trouble. Sometimes it’s just hard to know how to act whether you are a ghost or not.”