The Ghost of Sander Jones

Chapter 18: Waiting

I hung out with Mark for a few hours after his and My dad's encounter and hung up all of my thoughts of Sander. We talked and learned more about each other. After he left I began to worry again about what was going to happen. Somewhere along the lines my thoughts began to drift back to this morning when I was dancing with Sander. I sighed pleasantly at the memory.

My mother had disappeared early in the day and I decided that I should help prepare dinner for Thanksgiving tomorrow while I waited on everyone's return. When most of everything was finished and dinner was eaten I retreated to my room telling my dad that I was going to go to bed early.

I opened my bedroom door and Sander was back and he was facing away from with bent over something. "Hey." I said trying to sound casual even though my heart was racing. He jumped and turned around hiding something behind his back. "Hey Elizabeth." He said smiling. "Did you find what you were looking for today?" I asked sitting down cross legged on the floor. Sander nodded. "I'd said a pretty successful search considering, though there were a few holes that needs to be filled." I nodded. "Well what happened with it?" I asked. Sander walked over to the bed sliding what ever he was holding under it. Then he walked over to me sitting down in front of me. "Apparently I am still in possession of my family's estate." His eyes lit up as he spoke.

I beamed. I was glad that he still had possession over what he use to have. "How are you going to claim it though? I mean since you were born in the seventeen hundreds..." I trailed off. "That's a good question. I guess I'd have to first get my body back and the, um, I guess you could say modernize. So I'd have to make up a story about how I still own the house. I guess I could say I'm a great-great grandson of Sander Jones. My father had the same name." He shrugged. "In due time I guess." I nodded.

"You'll get your body back, some how." I said. He didn't say anything and I sighed thinking of something else to say so we wouldn't lapse into awkward silence. I looked down at my hands. Sander spoke before I did. "So about this morning..." He started. I looked at him abruptly feeling a wave of heat going through me. "It's ok." I said quietly, folding my hands. "I'm sorry, I couldn't resist." He said pulling apart my hands to hold one of them in his. Sander studied me, watching me intently waiting for my reply.

"It's fine. I didn't mind." I said shakily. His mouth tilted up at the corners. I drew in a rugged breath. "Are you ok?" Sander asked. I nodded. "I'm fine. It's nothing." He didn't look convinced. "Are you sure?" I nodded again. "Nervous?" He asked. I looked up at him confused. "No it's just that..."

"Its just that you feel uneasy around me now. You've been blushing ever since you walked into the room and saw me." Maybe I did. Ok fine I've been blushing and I feel weird around you right now but its not like I've been kissed before, you should know that. "I know." He said answering my thoughts. I didn't say anything but just watched him. "It's just that I really like you." He continued. I looked down at my hand that Sander was holding. I flushed feeling flattered. "I like you too." I said sounding hoarse. I cleared my throat quietly.

A thought ran through my mind at that moment from when I first met Mark for my beginner lessons. "Is that what Mark was talking about when you two first met? I remember you wouldn't let him finish what ever he was trying to say." I looked into Sander's eyes waiting for his answer. He looked into my eyes reading something there and then continued. "It was. I just didn't want him to say it yet. I didn't want you to know right away. I guess I was a little scared to tell you though I shouldn't have been." Sander answered. I nodded thoughtfully not sure how to respond yet.

"That's nice to know." I managed to say. Sander grinned. "I guess it is. So, what have you been doing while I was gone?" He asked sounding casual. I made an effort to think back to earlier in the day. "Um, I invited Mark over to meet my dad to help ward off his suspicion of me now. Then after Mark left I helped with tomorrow's dinner." He nodded. "Right it's thanksgiving." He said. "Yeah it is." I sighed the added sarcastically, "How nice."

After I finished talking to Sander I prepared for bed. I couldn't pass the thoughts of our previous conversation though only a couple lines lingered longer in my mind. When I was finished I flopped down in my bed feeling my eyelids dropping. New thoughts and worries sprang to mind. Time was coming and going quickly and I was dreading my birthday's arrival. I sighed and drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

Thanksgiving passed slowly and I couldn't focus on anything that was happening around me. My parents had invited old friends over to celebrate with them and I pulled on the best façade I could. I didn't have one minute alone. Sander had stayed away and had kept his thoughts quiet. By the time the day had ended I had to drag myself up the stairs to my room. When I got there I collapsed onto the bed curling up closing my eyes. "Busy day?" Sander asked from a corner some where. I nodded feeling to lazy to actually answer.

"Mm-mm, I'll let you sleep then." He said. His voice sounded closer. I opened my a little to look. Sander was floating by the windows looking down at me. "I'm not going yet. I'm going to take a show then go." I sighed forcing myself into a sitting position. "Ok." He said and turned around closing the curtains. "We should really do something about you glow." I muttered walking to the bathroom. "Perhaps." Sander said. I shook my head and closed the door behind me.

I knew a spell that could give the looks of human appearances. Thinking back, I had tried that spell on Sander before although it didn't work. I was curious to see if it would work now knowing that I have a little more experience with casting spells. I shrugged and then took a shower. When I was done I went through the regular motions of getting dressed only I did it with much more haste so I could lie down. I walked out the bathroom yawning. Sander was holding an object that I quickly recognized as the thing he had slid under the bed earlier. "What's in the box?" I asked sitting on the bed.

Sander looked up startled. "Nothing." I raised my eyebrow. "If it's nothing then why were you making such an effort to hide it earlier?" I pressed. "Later." Was all he said. I sighed knowing that when he said later I wasn't going to get the answer I wanted, so I let it go climbing into bed. I sighed again and closed my eyes worrying again about how fast time was passing despite today dragging on for what seemed like eternity. "You're wrong. Time will pass slower." Sander said picking up on my mood. I shook my head. "Goodnight Sander." I said. I knew that the less and less I wanted time to speed that the faster it would go, but for the moment I believed him feeling too tired to come up with a counter argument.