Nephilum

Chapter 2

"Lizzy!" I bent down to give my little brother a warm hug. He's only six, but he is tall for his age; the top of his head reaching to about my shoulder.

"Hey Little Man." I greeted. "What did you do today?"

"School. It was boring." He said it like it was obvious and I smiled at him. I loved him as much as a dog loves their owner; even more than. I walked past the kitchen on my way to my room and grabbed an apple. I took a bite and sighed. Nothing like a good apple after a day of your friend avoiding you.

I've been trying for the past two days to get Sam alone so I can confront her about why she hates that James' guy, but every time she sees me its like she just manages to disappear. It's actually very frustrating. I jumped as my phone dinged in my back pocket. I pull it out and look at it in surprise.

I read the text that was shockingly from Sam. It said to meet her at our favorite hang out spot in ten minutes. I shrugged and walked back out to the kitchen to throw away the core of my apple and to tell my mom where I'm going.

I found her in the living room typing up something furiously on her laptop. "Hey mom, I'm going to hang with Sam for a while."

She nodded, still distracted by whatever she was typing. I briefly felt bad for the computer because of how viciously she hit the keys. I rolled my eyes at her and gave Alex a quick hug, telling him quickly where I'm going.

I stepped into the warm summer air and smiled. Summer has always been my favorite season because obviously school is let out and the sun shines brightly almost everyday. I started the short walk to the café Sam and I hang out at. I would have taken the car, but it's a nice day and it's only a few minute walk from my house.

There were a few people on the street shoving past me like they were on some kind of mission. I sighed. I shivered despite the warm air and looked around my shoulder. For some reason I felt like someone was watching me. I tried to ignore it, but the feeling lingered, even after I arrived at the café.

I scanned the small café and my eyes landed on the booth in the back that Sam and I always share. Sure enough, she was there. I've always loved how the café looks. It's like one of those old disco restaurants with all the bright colors patterning the floor and walls.

The way she kept swirling the straw in her coffee was the first hint that she was nervous. The second was how she couldn't keep her eyes on one thing, they darted to everything around her.

"Finally care to share why you've been avoiding me lately?" I questioned, sliding into the seat across from her.

She gasped, probably because I scared her. Her big blue eyes looked into my brown ones and I could automatically tell that she was hiding something. She never was a good liar. Ethan is the one we rely on to do the lying because I am not quite good at it either.

"Lizzy, there's something that I haven't told you; something that I can't tell you. It's why I came here two years ago and it's why I freaked when I saw that James' guy." She paused, taking in a long breath. "I would tell you, but it's not really my secret to tell. But I promise, if I could tell you, you would be the first to know."

She looked like she was telling the truth and I have no reason to not believe her. She is my best friend after all.

"I believe you."

She looked confused at my sudden exclaimation.

"You do?"

"Of course I do. You're my best friend, therefore I'm required to believe and trust you no matter how insane you sound."

She smiled. "Let's go to the park. Maybe do some people watching."

I rose my eyebrows and rolled my eyes. Of course she wants to people watch. That's her favorite pass time, even though it's super nosy. "Yeah, people watching. Sounds great."

We arrived at the park in record time, given that it was only a few blocks away from the café. I still could not shake the uncomfortable feeling of being watched. I looked over my shoulder so much that day that even Sam noticed. She thought I was just being crazy, and maybe I was.

"Ooh, what about that guy?" I asked, pointing to a short, balding man carrying a briefcase. Glasses rested low on the bridge of his nose.

She pursed her lips before her face lit up. "His name is Robert and he is a history professor. He has a wife and one kid named Jerry. He looks like his father but has red hair instead of black.

I laughed at her made up backstory. We spent hours like this, talking and laughing together. My phone dinged and I looked down. It was a text from Ethan telling me to meet him at his house.

"Ethan wants me to go over to his house, wanna come?" I ask Sam.

She shook her head. "Nah, I told Carol I'd babysit the twins so her and Nate could celebrate her birthday." Sam lived with her adopted family ever since her parents died, two years ago.

"Tell her I said happy birthday." I called over my shoulder as we parted ways. I still felt someone's eyes on my back, but I ignored it. I fast walked down a few streets, anxious to get to Ethan's.

I cut through an alleyway. It probably isn't the safest way to get to my destination, but it's the fastest. I shivered as a rat scuttled past. I increased my pace.

Almost there. Almost there. Almost-

"Bam!"

I flew to the ground, scraping my hands. I hissed in pain and peeled myself off the cracked cement. I looked down to find the object that tripped me. Really, a beer can? I thought sarcastically.

Shaking my head, I raised my hands to inspect them for damage. I sighed in annoyance as I realized my left palm was bleeding slightly and the skin on my right palm was grazed.

I looked over my shoulder quickly to make sure that no one saw my embarrassing moment. I gasped in surprise as I caught a glimpse of something in the air.

What the heck? There, floating  about fifteen feet in the air behind me, was the one and only James. But that can't be real, people don't just fly around.

James rose an eyebrow, looking as surprised as I felt. He slowly floated to to the ground and walked over to me. I stared at him, wide eyed, mouth agape.

"You-I just-you just-" I stuttered, trying to form a coherent sentence. "That's just not possible."

He looked at me curiously, the surprised expression fading from his face. "You shouldn't be able to see me right now." It wasn't a question, but I felt like it needed an answer.

"Yes I can see you, I'm not blind. But how did you do that? Am I dreaming or something?" I muttered the last part, pinching my arm for good measure.

"I need to go."

I blinked and he was gone. Poof. It was like he just disappeared into thin air. He was there, and now he isn't. I stared at the spot he had been seconds before and shook my head. Maybe I am going crazy.

*Gasp* James can fly? He can vanish? Or is Lizzie just going crazy? Leave plenty of comments to let me know what I can improve and to give me some insight to your thoughts!