Anima's Ghost: The Summer Before (Song Line Echoes, book 2)

Chapter 2: The Idea of Freedom

3 Months Later...

I hate weekends. Some days I'm lucky and I have to work at my fairly new job at the local movie theater. Most days, though, I'm stuck home alone all day with my dad. The hazard of being one of the few at work who don't go to school is it means weekend shifts go to those who do.

What are you up to?

The message pops up, distracting me from my latest post. Or what I'm trying to make of it, anyway. It's always hard for me to do anything when I know my dad's around watching every move I make and constantly looking at my computer screen through the reflection of the glass back door behind me. I save the post as a draft before responding to Spyro, figuring I might as well give up now instead of making myself miserable and frustrated by spending several hours struggling through it.

Nothing now

?

I was trying to write a new post. Can't concentrate. What are you doing?

Packing up

I check the date on my computer's calendar. Is it the end of the school year? Over the past few months, Spyro and I have talked a lot, about ghosts and many other things. Including that he and the other boys in the videos – and a fifth boy that only appears in some of the videos – go to a boarding school in Kentucky.

School's over?

Yeah, I had my last final this morning. Everyone else is gone

They left you all alone? That's so sad

I laugh, even before typing the message.

"What are you laughing at?" Dad asks as I hit send.

"Nothing," I resist the urge to sigh.

Don't you live in Virginia?

Yeah, why?

I can take the long way home and go through VA instead of WV. Maybe we can meet up

I glance over at my dad, thinking about that. It would be nice to finally meet Spyro. Over the past few months, we've talked so much, about so many things. It started out with just ghost stories, two nerds sharing a common obsession, but it didn't take long to grow into a friendship. For me, at least. I was always too scared to question it to him, but maybe him wanting to meet means that he thinks the same way.

Are you sure? I'm in Chesapeake

Practically the eastern most point of Virginia, I figure it's way too far out of the way. I'm sure he'll change his mind. But his message back surprises me and makes me smile.

I leave tomorrow. Meet on Monday?

perfect

"Hey, kiddo, can you stop that for a minute?" My dad asks. He doesn't seem to understand that just because a computer is in front of me doesn't mean I lose the capability to comprehend anything and everything else in the world. But I don't bother trying to explain to him the concept of multitasking, or that I'm not a mindless zombie when I'm in front of a computer. I just suppress a sigh and look over at him.

"What is it?" I ask, as pleasantly as I can manage.

"Work's sending me to San Diego for two months. You'll be here alone, but the neighbors will keep an eye on the house. My flight leaves Monday morning at 6am. A shuttle will pick me up at 4, so my truck will be in the driveway the whole time I'm gone."

The realization hits me fast and hard – I'll be able to do whatever I want for the next 2 months. For a split second, I'm too stunned to even be excited. Before I can get there though, another realization hits me.