Collide Invisible Lips (KELLIC)

Chapter 5

Three weeks later, I had yet to return to my own room downstairs. I slept in Vic's bed when I needed to, although he wasn't able to sleep at the same time. I was sleeping a little less as time went on, but I didn't mind having more time to spend with Vic. I'd even convinced him to come downstairs with me a few times to play games or talk with the others.

"Kells. Psst, Kells," Vic shook me awake softly one morning. He sometimes woke me up when he was bored and wanted to talk, which was actually annoying as hell, but I was too glad that he finally wanted to do something to complain about it.

"Hmm, what's up?" I asked groggily, running my fingers through my hair to look like slightly less of a mess. I didn't dream very often anymore, but when I did, it was always the same dream about my death. It left me stressed in the morning, but I shoved my discomfort aside to talk to Vic. He needed the interaction, and I was more than happy to help him feel better.

"Matty wants you to come downstairs. The family left for a trip today, so you don't have to worry about being seen," Vic explained. I sat up in bed, wiping the sleep from my eyes and nodding in agreement.

"Yeah, okay. Let's go down," I replied.

"Just you."

"What?"

"I don't want to go," Vic said bluntly.

"Oh, come on. We haven't been down in over a week, it'll be a good break from this room," I argued.

"I can go a hell of a lot longer without leaving," Vic pointed out.

"I know you can, but I don't want you to," I insisted. Vic groaned loudly, but nonetheless stood up. He'd become a lot more willing to compromise when I asked him to do something as we'd become better friends.

"Fine. Ten minutes, then I'm coming back up," he demanded. I smiled brightly.

"Thank you!" I half-squealed excitedly. Vic rolled his eyes at me, but I could've sworn that I saw the slightest hint of a smile playing on his lips.

"Hey, we haven't seen you in a while," Alysha commented when we made it to the parlor. The whole group except Matty was seated in their usual spots.

"I didn't want to push my luck with not being seen by the family, but Vic's been letting me hide out in the attic," I explained. They all looked up at Vic in surprise. He grunted non-descriptively before taking his seat. I claimed the one beside him that I had taken my very first evening in the house.

"Kellin! I can't believe you weren't going to tell us!" Matty crowed as he burst through the wall into the parlor. I looked up at his enthusiastic grin in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"It's your birthday!" Matty exclaimed in mild annoyance at my lack of excitement.

"It is?"

"Yes! How could you forget?"

"I don't know, I guess it's just easy to lose track of the days here," I said, a bit of a lame excuse but truthful nonetheless. I hadn't even realized it was already April.

"Wait a second. How did you know it was his birthday if he didn't even know?" Craig questioned.

"Because he was famous of course. Didn't you all even bother to look him up when he got here?" Matty asked with a somewhat pompous eye roll.

"Why does the guy born in the nineteenth century use the Internet more than we do?" Jenna inquired with sarcasm tainting her voice.

"Because I still care to be well-informed on modern affairs, thank you very much. Kellin was in quite a prominent, as they say, 'punk' band before he joined us here," Matty informed them. The other spirits looked at me for confirmation.