Dead!

Chapter 29

Chapter 29

The day after the rally was my seventeenth birthday, or it would have been if I wasn't dead. I didn't really do much that day. Grandma had finally finished decorating my room on Saturday while I was gone, so I had plenty of time to admire that. She had painted the walls purple, and there was now a desk and a dresser in the room. Grandma had also added a bookshelf, and I put all of my books there. I had read about a third of them by this point. I liked some of them, but other ones weren't as good. I had discovered that I wasn't a huge science fiction fan. Realistic fiction was what I liked.

Maya knocked on my door during the middle of the day. "What is it?" I asked as I opened my door.

"I got you a present," Maya said. "You know, since it's your birthday and everything." She handed me a medium-sized box wrapped in bright blue wrapping paper. I took the box and began to unwrap it. It was a CD of The Black Parade. "Uh...thanks Maya," I said as I placed the CD on my dresser. "That was really thoughtful of you."

"You're welcome, Ivy!" Maya exclaimed. "I knew that you'd like it! Your grandma said that you wouldn't, but she was just being silly. Everyone likes The Black Parade!"

"Yeah, thanks Maya," I said. I took out my phone and saw that I had gotten a message on Angel Wings.

BlackhawksForTheWin: Ivy, meet us at Jack and Henri's house. We have a surprise for you.

MochaKitty5: Who r u?

BlackhawksForTheWin: Raj.

MochaKitty5: And where is Jenri's house?

MochaKitty5: Did I really just say Jenri? Maya is rubbing off on me. >:(

BlackhawksForTheWin: Yes, you did just say Jenri. Jack and Henri's house is literally next door to yours. I don't know how you don't know this.

MochaKitty5: Oh ok. I'll b there in 5 min or so.

I put away my phone and went into the living room, where Grandma was reading. "Hey Grandma," I said. "I'm heading next door. Henri, Jack, and Raj invited me over."

"Okay sweetie," Grandma said. "See you soon."

I opened the door and walked over to the house next door. It looked somewhat similar to ours, but there were a few subtle differences. I knocked on the door and waited for someone to open it.

A woman who appeared to be around forty came to the door. She was a few inches shorter than me, and she had dark brown hair and eyes that were the exact same shade of green as Jack's. "You must be Ivy," she said. "Come on in." I entered the house, and she said, "I'm Jack's mother, but you can call me Jodi."

"Nice to meet you Jodi," I said.

"The boys are in the basement," she said. "Let me know if you need anything."

I went downstairs into the basement, and I overheard Jack, Henri, and Raj talking from the staircase. "Hey Raj, did you text Maya yet?" I heard Jack ask. "She should come too."

"Not yet, but I don't want Ivy and Maya arguing," Raj said.

"Yeah, maybe we shouldn't invite Maya," Jack said.

"When is Ivy going to come?" Henri asked.

"She said that she was coming," Raj said. "Hopefully she'll be here soon."

"I'm here," I said as I went down into the basement. Henri and Jack were sitting on a couch near the TV, and Raj was leaning back in a dark blue recliner.