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Chapter Three

The characters danced around the screen, my eyes following them.

'This is getting boring'.

A finger rises.

'Wait. Rick hasn't died yet'.

'What, you WANT him to die?' I ask incredulously.

Flame shrugs me off.

Midnight.

Popcorn.

TV.

So that approximately makes

Vanessa + Flame= couch potatoes.

My mother STILL hasn't come back.

Her mother went to play Bingo......

So basically me and Flame Harper are having the time of our lives.

We decided that we would sleep in the basement, but the look on Flame's face was unconvincing.

We're watching the fourth episode of The Walking Dead, and trust me going to biology classes will be less frequent.

I still don't understand how that woman Lori stands her son.

Flame is waiting for the character to die.

The MAIN character to die, that is.

'The main character never dies, Flame'.

A slow shrug.

'You never know'.

I roll my eyes.

'Even if he DOES die, the season will come to an end. A dramatic, sad end'.

'Nice'.

'Or he will come back to life'.

'Charming'.

'And I'm gonna slap you across the face'.

'Not gonna happen'.

KILL ME NOW

I sigh and topple back.

When I tilt my head towards the window, I see the leaves, gracefully moving in the night.

A sudden whoosh startles me.

I blink twice, not quite sure if my eyes just deceived me.

'Ghosts don't exist, Nessa'

'What?'

'You look like you've just seen a ghost'.

I turn my attention to the window.

Not a thing.

'I swear I saw something move'.

'Well you're imagining things'.

'No I'm not. Flame........'

It was something.

'Vanessa, its 3:00 in the morning and you're drunk on soda. What do you expect? Black caped thieves? You saw nothing. Just some bats maybe'

Maybe.

That's a maybe.

My eyes meet hers.

'Flame Harper you are going to turn off this TV RIGHT NOW.'

She grins and throws her hands behind her head.

'You're hilarious.'

UGH.

I narrow my eyes at her.

'You're lame.'

'Figured that out now?'

Flame looks at me with ridiculous intensity.

'Stop staring'.

She 'innocently' shrugs.

'What? Your beauty radiates to me Nessa.'

My harsh response is cut off by the door bell.

We both exchange worried glances.

Then, Flame immediately gets up and turns off the TV, motioning me to remove the pop corn baskets.

I smooth down the blankets of the sofa, not exactly how it usually looks but now wasn't the time to make things look flawless.

Flame was busy in the kitchen, throwing the popcorn in the dustbin and setting everything.

I take one proper look around and tie up my hair in a messy bun.

I put my hand on the knob and when Flame comes into view, I whisper 'Bring our chemistry textbooks and pens. We'll pretend to study for an imaginary test tomorrow'.

She raises an eyebrow and giggles.

Rolling my eyes I open the door, and surprise knocks me like a bullet train.

There's nobody outside.

Nobody.

'Uh.....Flame?'

I hear her come near me, her breathing getting faster.

'What? There's no one at the door?'

'Apparently.'

'But......the door.......but the door bell.....it rang....'

I sigh loudly.

'I know. We both heard it.'

I shake my head.

'I told you I saw something. I TOLD YOU'.

Flame strokes her arm. 'Oh my god. What do we do now?'

I don't look at her. 'Wait.'

'For what?'

'For the bell to be rung again'.

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