Glimpse (16 page)

“Maybe,” she said quickly. “I mean…Mrs. Wells? Okay, don’t spaz, but she can communicate with your dad’s spirit.”

Sure she could.  The only thing Mrs. Wells was capable of communicating with at this juncture was a box of Kleenex. “What the hell are you talking about, Claire?”

“She doesn’t know that she can do it, but she can.  You need to tell her to focus, to concentrate.  That seems to be the key with all of the abilities.”

“Yeah, I’m going back to bed now.” He should’ve known better than to answer the phone in the first place, she was dredging up feelings he wasn’t ready to deal with.

“No!  Avery, wait!” she yelled.

“What? Get to the point or I’m hanging up.”

“All right, all right!” She paused as if trying to decide what to tell him. “The most important thing I’ve learned is that Zellie didn’t do anything to your dad.”

“Really?” 

“Really. There is absolutely no way she can harm people with her powers.  What she
can
do, what she did do that day was heal us and save our lives. She’s freaking amazing, you idiot.”

For some reason, his heart leapt. He supposed he could hear the rest of what Claire had to say. “What else?”

“Yay! You believe!” she squealed.

“I wouldn’t go that far.  Just tell me what else you’ve learned.”

“So many, many things,” she teased. “Dude, your virginity for one.”

“My virginity?” Avery asked, an image of Zellie topless, leaning over him smiling, the street light making her hair glow like burning embers, popped into his head.

“Uh huh. I knew you’d wanna know about that one.  It seems you’re the one to blame for triggering Zellie’s visions.”

“Oh, how is that?” He kicked the covers off his feet.  He was sweating despite the air conditioning vent right above his bed.

“The visions are triggered by your one true love, the person you’re meant to be with forever.  And you, Avery, are Zellie’s trigger.”  She sighed dramatically.

“Okay, but what does that have to do with my virginity?”

“Duh,” Claire huffed, “it means you two are definitely going to do it, it’s
predestined
.”

Avery surprised himself and laughed. “Let me see if I understand what you’re saying.  Mrs. Wells can talk to my dad who Zellie didn’t kill and I’m the idiot virgin that started this whole thing in the first place.”

“Yup.” Claire swore. “Someone’s coming. I’ll call you back when I can.”

Avery set the phone in its cradle and tried to resume staring at the ceiling, but all he could see was Zellie. Her green eyes, her soft skin, the way she looked at him when he was about to kiss her, they way she’d looked at him when he’d called her a stupid freak. Damn. He felt his body hum with the electricity she caused every time he touched her. Damn. He
was
an idiot.

I walked out onto the porch and sat down next to Claire. “Purse bagel?” I handed her half a blueberry bagel with cream cheese.

She took it.  “Don’t mind if I do.”

“How’re your parents?”

“Fine.  Busy.” She tore off a chunk of bagel with her teeth. 

“Grandma’s going to teach me to see the future next.  Wanna watch your best freak forever get trance-y?”

Claire frowned at me. “I wish you’d stop calling yourself a freak.  He’s going to feel so bad when—”

“He’s not going to feel anything because he never wants to talk to me again.” I stood up. “Come back inside if you want.”

Upstairs, Aunt Hazel and Melody had already cracked the case.

“Friday, two days from now, they serve chicken and noodles at the First Unitarian Church in Southwest, from one to five.” Melody folded her arms across her chest. “I’m totally good at this.”

I hugged her. “Yes, you are.  You rock.” I turned to Grandma. “So, Friday, you think I can figure out how to rewind by then?”

“Definitely, we’ll have to try a few more good alleys I know of.” She grinned.

“My only choice is drunk people?  Really?  Can’t I rewind Melody?”

Claire came into the room shutting the front door behind her.  “You can practice on me if you want.”

I didn’t know if that was such a good idea.  I was getting weird vibes from my BFF. “Are you sure?  Is it safe, Grandma?” I said.

“Hey! What about my safety?” Melody slapped my shoulder.

“What? I was kinda kidding when I said I would practice on you. I didn’t know that you guys were actually an option.”

“It won’t hurt…although it’s not customary to practice on people we know.” Grandma shrugged. “You can give it a try.” She came over to stand next to me. “Claire, why don’t you…take your shoes off and we’ll see if Zellie can put them back on.”

Claire sat down on the couch.  With exaggerated movement she slipped her silver ballet flats from her feet and put them on the floor.

I put my hand out, fingers spread. I felt like a total dork. I stared at her forehead, burrowing my thoughts into her brain. Reach out.  Pick them up. I focused.  Claire leaned forward, picked up the shoes.  She crossed her right ankle over her left knee. I was
totally
good at this!  Claire slid one shoe on. Slid one shoe on.  Slid one shoe on.

“I think you’ve got her on repeat,” Melody said.

I dropped my hand down.  “Ugh.  I suck!”

Claire came to.  She looked at her feet. “Didn’t work, huh? Try again.  It’s like being on laughing gas at the dentist, no biggie.” She took both of her shoes off again and placed them next to her on the couch.

“I want to try something.” I’d been thinking a lot about The Rewind while I was falling asleep the night before. It wasn’t my favorite thing to think about, but if this ability was going to help anyone, I needed to pull out all the stops. I stood in front of Claire.  “I maybe have a theory.” I put my arm out, aimed it. “Now, talk to me about Avery. I think I need to be emotional to rewind.”

Claire grimaced.  “Okay…so…I think you need to call him and let him know that saying you’re a freak was a lame move.  You need to tell him that he is going to damn well talk to you and he better thank his lucky stars that he’s alive—”

Nothing. Wrong again. “It’s not working. I don’t want to say any of that stuff to him.” I started to put my hand down.

“Wait,” Claire said. “Pretend you’re in church, or sitting behind him in school.  I’ve watched you staring at the back of his head for years, Zellie.  You love him and he loved you too.  Don’t forget that.  Think about why you were…”

I saw him lean into me, rest his forehead on mine, heard him say, “I’m going to kiss you now.” I felt his soft lips, ached for his fingertips pressing into the small of my back.  Thigh touching thigh. My hands in his hair, sliding it through my fingers. His smell. His taste.

Claire froze for a second, and then she reached out and picked her shoes up off the couch.

“That’s the key, Zellie,” Grandma said.

 Putting on the right shoe, followed by the left, Claire looked straight ahead and placed both feet on the floor.

“Figures. Whatever, he’s still a buttwipe,” Melody said as she went into the kitchen.

I brought my hand down. Between getting up earlier than normal, the excitement of the day, and all of the rewinding, I could feel exhaustion coming on. I went over to the couch and collapsed next to Claire. “Phew! I don’t feel like I’m going to faint or anything, but I could use a nap.”

Melody came back into the room and handed me a large glass of water.

“I think we’ve made some great progress today, don’t you, Rachel?” Aunt Hazel said.

“I think my granddaughters did wonderfully…and Claire too of course.”

“I’ve got several errands to run.” Aunt Hazel went to the coat rack by the front door and retrieved her massive black purse.  She put her sunglasses on. “Melody, you’re welcome to tag along if you’d like.”

“Sure, why not?” Melody followed Aunt Hazel out the door, turning to wave as she left. “See you all later.”

“Bye.” We all waved back.

Grandma pulled me up from the couch.  “Let’s get this turned back into a bed and let you rest.” Claire helped her unfold it.

I fell onto the bed and snuggled with my pillow. I was so sleepy.  Damn it, Avery, my trigger, my key. He’d better apologize and fall madly in love with me again; it was for the greater good, really. I needed him whether he knew it or not.

It was dinner time before I woke up.  Aunt Hazel had ordered a pizza. She’d been too busy running errands to make anything from scratch like she normally did, which made her a way more normal person in my eyes.  My mouth watered, I was star-to-the-ving.  I grabbed a slice of pepperoni and perched on a kitchen chair, my legs tucked up to my chest.

“Want a pop, Zel?” Claire asked, taking a Coke from the fridge.

“Yes, please.” I took the can. “How are you feeling? I’m still kinda wiped.”  I chugged half the pop.

“I’m good.  You’re the one that exerted all the energy.” Claire sat down at the table, flopping two slices of pizza onto her paper plate and salting them.

“You’ll get used to it eventually,” Aunt Hazel said. “With Rachel it took about a month before she acclimated.” She leaned back against the kitchen counter.  She folded her pizza slice in half before she took a bite.

Grandma and Melody mopped the grease from their slices with napkins.  We all ate.  Claire’s cell phone rang in her pocket.  She took it out and flipped it open.

“It’s my mom, I better take this.” She dropped her pizza onto her plate and hurried out the front door.

Grandma raised one eyebrow, looking after her. That was strange.  Maybe she was getting weird vibes from Claire too.

“Twice in one day?” Melody snorted. “I don’t think they even talk to each other that much when they’re in the same town. Wonder when our parents are going to call?”

I stretched my legs out in front of me and looked at Grandma. “Well, I was thinking that I might try and see what they’re up to dream-wise?”

She nodded. “That would be okay.  It really is the easiest of the abilities to get the hang of. All you have to do is picture the person and concentrate.”

Melody took another piece of pizza from the box, she bypassed the grease mopping this time. “That’s great, but I would actually like to hear their voices.  Can we at least call Dad tomorrow?”

“We’ll see, Melody.” Aunt Hazel brushed crumbs from her hands into the sink. “Your grandma wants the timing to be just right with your mother.  She doesn’t want to hurt her anymore than she already has.  We also don’t want to risk your dad asking too many questions too soon or any of us giving too much away.”

Melody crossed her arms across her chest. “Fine.”

Grandma got up from the table and threw her paper plate away.  She rinsed her pop can and tossed it into the recycling bin under the sink. “Who’s up for some more Big Brother?  I do hope they get rid of that girl with the impossibly fake breasts, they’re so distracting.”

“Cool, Claire, thanks.  I’ll call you tomorrow and tell you what happened.  Wish me luck.”  Avery hung up the phone and went down the hall to the guest bedroom.  He knocked on the door. “Mrs. Wells?” She was crying.  She was always crying.

“What is it, honey?” She blew her nose.

“I’ve…I just got off the phone with Claire.  She’s been telling me all sorts of interesting…” He looked down at the list in his hand, a list full of impossible things. “Can I come in?  I’ve got something to show you.” He tried the knob.  It was locked.

“Hold on, I’ll be right there.” She shuffled to the door and opened it.

Mrs. Wells was wearing sweatpants and one of his dad’s old t-shirts. Her eyes and nose were red and raw. She’d been staying with him since Zellie and Melody went to Portland.  She said it was because he shouldn’t be alone, and that it was just until his mom came back, whenever that was going to be. Avery knew it had something to do with Pastor Paul not liking the way she was carrying on about his dad. 

Hell, even he was starting to feel better and the last time he’d talked to his dad they’d fought. Mrs. Wells was a wreck.  It would be great if she
could
talk to his dad.  Maybe he’d tell her to take a shower and eat something.  Go take a walk.  Leave the guest bedroom.

Avery handed her the list. “Like I said, I’ve been talking to Claire and there are some things you should know.”

She scanned the list and handed it back to him. “Avery, honey,” she said and her eyes filled with tears anew, “I would love nothing more than to see your dad again, but I think I know more about these abilities than Claire does.” She tried to shut the door, but Avery stuck his foot in the doorway, holding it open.

“Try, for me. Please? If you can see him and I hold you hand, I can see him too.” He’d be damned if he was going to let her give up that easily.

She stepped back and opened the door. They stood there for a moment and then sat on the end of the bed. She looked at him.  She blushed the same way Zellie did. A pang of regret hit him. He was the stupid freak.

“All I’m supposed to do is think about your dad and if he’s here I’ll be able to see him?”

“That’s what Claire said.”

“If it was that easy, don’t you think I would’ve felt him around me or something?  Don’t get your hopes up, okay?  I doubt this is going to work.” Mrs. Wells reclined on the bed and closed her eyes.

A minute later she sat up and grabbed Avery’s hand, squeezing her eyes closed tight and then opening them up again. “Do you see him?”

Avery gripped her hand to keep them both from trembling. “Yeah, I see him.” His dad was standing right in front of him. He looked different, sort of transparent? Yet he had the same clothes, same complexion, he didn’t look dead…he looked peaceful.  “Hi, Dad.”

“Hi, Son, how’s it going?”

“Uh, it’s going weird.” Still holding hands, Avery and Mrs. Wells scooted over, making room for him to sit down. “Where are you?  In heaven? Purgatory? He—”

“Hey now!” his dad chuckled, sitting down on the bed.  His weight didn’t register. He put a hand on Mrs. Wells knee. “I’ve been with her since I died. I think this confirms that I’m officially attached to you, Gracie.”