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Chapter Thirteen

'I mean really? Helping a neighbor cutting his grass?'

'SORRY I WAS OUT OF IDEAS.'

'I mean cutting a neighbor's hedge would've made sense. Cutting his GRASS? Wow, you've got garden stamina.'

Flame slaps her forehead. 'Look, whenever I see someone besides you in your house, it just freaks me out, okay? My mind just went.....BLANK when I saw your sister.'

I could award you a medal of reality.

'I mean dissecting a chipmunk would've made sense to her. But cutting the grass? Wow.'

Flame rolls her eyes. 'Shut up, Nessa.'

I grin.

But it's fun teasing you.

'So....that was our last trip was it?'

Twinkling eyes meet mine. 'Hmm? Oh, yeah. That TOTALLY freaked me out.'

'Umm I don't think so. We're going there tomorrow after school.'

Flame pauses. It's as if I stopped the world with a time machine.

I snap my fingers to get her attention. 'Uh HELLOOO'

'Did....did you actually say.....THAT YOU WANT TO GO THERE......AGAIN....!?'

'Yup.'

Flame smiles. 'Mhmm no. I don't think so.'

'Oh yes.'

'Vanessa, it would've been NICER if you came up with the idea when I actually WANTED to go. You wanna go, go alone. I'm not going. That door scared the living daylights outta me.'

It would've been nicer if you came up with this MIRACULOUS idea when I actually DID NOT want to go.

'Flame, you're coming with me.'

'Nope.'

'Gosh, Flame, just THINK ABOUT IT MAN. Have you seriously forgotten everything? The voice? It was a woman, okay? She was there. I didn't see her, but I could feel it. And I know I wasn't dreaming. Because you were there too. You were the witness too.'

'Nessa, it could be any woman. Literally. Any woman could've just popped out and spoken. Now you think it's special because,' air quotes, 'there was a woman who seemed familiar.'

'But in that specific area? Flame, that area was WICKED! It was deserted! No one except Mr...'

'LOLLRUM.'

I pause midway. 'Uh, right, Mr. LOLLRUM. No one, except Mr. Lolli-LOLLRUM, sorry, Lollrum lives there.'

She sits back and pinches the bridge of her nose.

'I wanna know who that woman was.'

'Could be Mr. Lollrum's wife. Or his personal gardener.'

'Cut it out, Flame. This isn't funny.'

'Just thinking about realistic possibilities.'

I look out of the window. The sky is dark, but the clouds are white. They're circling around the full moon. It looks more like a werewolf night than a summer night.

'But she sounded so familiar. Right then, I thought I actually knew her. It's irritating me. I can't figure out anything.'

But what if I DO know her?

That strikes me. Hard on the head.

What if I know her...?

'Vanessa? You okay bud?'

I gradually avert my gaze to Flame. 'What if I do know her?'

Flame squints her eyes and hangs her head. 'Nessa, you've had enough for one day. Get some sleep. Freshen your memory; we'll talk about it in the morning.'

Flame leaves the room after taking one good glance at me.

Maybe I'm going crazy. Yeah, I'm going crazy.

I shake my head and collapse on the sofa. As soon my head touches the fur-coated pillow, I doze off, trying not to think of anything that happened with me today.

'Feelin' alright mate?'

'Uh...yeah. Right as rain.' I smile.

The chubby driver gives me a big thumbs-up and cranes his neck.

'Oh yeah. There's a seat just far away. Right besides de' old pal.'

I look at him awkwardly. 'Um...okay. Thanks, Starky.'

'Anytime, mate!'

The bus starts off with a jolt and I hold the bus to steady myself.

I blow a strand of my hair out of my face when the driver puts his feet on the brakes.

'Vanessa Galaxer? Why on the bus? You're usually on the car with your dad.'

I divert my gaze to a bronze-haired girl, her eyes hazel with a brilliant touch of sea green.

'Oh, hey Star. Uh, my dad was kinda busy, so he sent me on the bus. My first time, really.'

'Oh. Liking it?'

A paper ball emerges from behind and hits me on the head.

'Um, not really.'

Star laughs, and motions me to sit with her.

I return the laugh, and sit beside her with a grateful smile.

'So, how's life?'

God, I LOATHE that question.

I shrug my shoulders lazily. 'Huh, the usual. Boring.'

She chuckles. 'Haha. Yeah same here.'

'But you live in a mansion with forty dogs.'

I clasp my hand over my mouth.

Star's lips stretch into a thin line.

'Oh, Star, I'm so, so sorry. I....I'm just so goddamn stupid...'

'Nah, its okay. Its cool. To be honest I never understood why my father had to buy forty dogs. Forty-one, really. One came just today at eight o clock.'

Wowza.

Starla Jabbers is the daughter of a man who owns forty dogs. She finds the matter sensitive, really. Really sensitive. Most of them came in the summer, so she earned the name, 'hotdog'.

Trinity, Candace and Lanarda make fun of her every day. Of course I could stand by her, give those bullies a good mental spank session, but that thought changed ever since they began to threaten to squeeze tomato ketchup in my nose.

Now whenever someone mentions she has forty dogs, she remembers her title and she kind of breaks down.

'Um....okay. Yeah sure, I get that.'

Star shifts uneasily in her seat.

Oops.

'Heard about her break-down?'

'Uh....come again?'

'Oh, so you don't know.'

I sigh. 'Um....can you be more specific?'

Star changes her sitting position to face me.

'Flame Harper had an accident last night.'

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