Bonded

Chapter Eight

It had been a few days since the incident, and things were pretty much normal between Seth and me. Isaac had been over a few more times, and Seth finally came to accept our friendship. He still seemed peeved though, and I noticed that whenever I got really emotional he became distant, as if my emotions scared him. I didn't want to think it was because he became upset like that first time whenever Isaac and I talked.

I scanned the picture of that girl into my computer and did a search, and the results intrigued me. Her name was Christy Kaizen, the owner of a website and unsuccessful business dealing with supernatural things, most specifically ghosts and demons. A few more printed pages about her and the business's goals sit on my dresser as I look at Seth. He's still in that transparent, almost human form.

"Hey."

"Yeah?" His voice sounded muffled, probably because he was lying face down on my bed. When I didn't answer, he looked down at me, bright eyes blinking away drowsiness, which he claimed also rushed back when we made contact. "Wait, why are you on the floor again?"

"It helps me think." It was true, and could be explained with a simple pun- I felt grounded into reality and could not get lost in thought as easily.

"Oh. Right."

"Anyways, I think we should go see your sister. There was an address on her site, and it's just a long bus ride away." His eyes widened and he sat up, floating a few inches above my sheets. He bit his lip, and I could tell he was thinking it over. We had both been thinking about when it would be the right time, but Seth kept pushing it away for some reason. It bothered me that he blocked the reason from my thoughts.

"Yeah, okay. Do... do you want to go today?"

"I don't really see a better time. Mom is away with Katrina and Rose, and dad took Johnny to his best friend's house. He won't be back for half an hour, and I could easily write up a cutesy note to make him let me off easy."

Seth floated over to the door. I noticed how he had been floating lately- I had asked him about it and he told me that it was a ghost thing.

Pfft. Sometimes he really got on my nerves.

"Yeah, we should leave a note," he sighed. "Wouldn't want your parents to worry. I don't want you to get in trouble, Diana."

"Feeling sentimental?"

He smiled sadly, but in a moment, it disappeared. So did the boy himself. I searched for his thoughts and found him, just a few feet away, though he was completely invisible. "Seth, what are you doing? I thought we were gonna leave?"

"Who's Seth?" I jumped and spun around, coming face to face with Isaac.

"GWAHH! Isaac don't do that!" Isaac laughed and sat down on my bed, still searching my room for the person I'd been talking to.

"So, just talking to yourself again? You do it a lot, actually. At least at school."

"How did you get in here?"

"You said I could come over today to help you with Algebra. The door was locked, so I came through the window. You know, like you did the other day with 'Seth'. So, you want to explain or can I go all detective on you?"

Oooh. The day before yesterday I had crawled through my window when I got home, because it had been late and my parents were in the living room watching TV, under the impression I was already home. Apparently, Isaac had seen me and heard me talk to Seth on my way in.

"Seth, you can show yourself. I guess." The moment the words came out of my mouth, Seth appeared right next to Isaac, putting his arm on Isaac's shoulder.

"Sup brah?"

"WHAT THE HELL?" He quickly shook Seth off him, and then fell on the floor, causing Seth to laugh. "This is Seth? But...."

"Isaac, do you believe in ghosts?" I looked him straight in the eyes, and then pointedly shifted my gaze to the boy sitting, well floating, on my bed. Isaac looked Seth over, and then closed his eyes and shook his head.

"I honestly don't know what to believe. This could all be a complicated Halloween trick you're pulling on me."

"A trick? Do I look like a trick?" Said Seth, who was now looking at his hand closely and squinting. "I'm not, I'm very real." His ghostly fist clenched. "Want me to prove it?"

"Seth," I groaned, "you aren't helping."

Isaac looked at me then, and then his eyes lit up. "I must be dreaming then! I've had weirder dreams than this before. So I don't freak out next time I see you, help me wake up? Because real you would probably give me this dirty look-"

So Seth knocked him out.

"Oh man that felt good." Seth was standing over Isaac, my copy of Violence is Not the Answer still in his hand. "I'm really starting to like this book, kid."

"I'm two years older than you! And what are we going to do with Isaac? Why the hell did you do that!?"

"He said to help him wake up. Can't we leave him in here? You would not like my other answer. I'd say just kick him into the ditch." I gave Seth an incredulous look, and he just shrugged, picking up the unconscious teen by the shoulders. "Fine, I'll go put him back in his house. You write that note."

So that's what happened. I wrote a note to my dad saying that I'd gone to Jamie's with Alyssa, and Seth returned Isaac to his house. After that, we left to find Christy, hoping that she would be able to help us.

Although, if you ask Seth about it, he will still say that he threw Isaac in the ditch.

(He didn't, I checked.)