The Price of a Gift (The Price of Secrets Series) (5 page)

"Are you sure you guys don't need my help?"

He grabbed my shoulders and did his best action hero voice. "Go, hurry. Leave me behind, it's too late for me, my location has been compromised, there’s no help for me. Save yourself!"

I put my hands over my mouth and drew my knees up to my chest to hold in my laughter, because of the look in
my dad’s eyes when we heard the applause coming from behind him.

It was Mom. "And the award for best smart butt in a dramatic film goes to.....Avery Price."

"I would so love to stay and hear your acceptance speech", I said, "but I have a bed calling my name. And good luck, she has scissors."

After a few dreamless hours of sleep, I decided to get up and get dressed. It
was a beautiful day and I wanted to enjoy it. Mom and Dad were still packing. So I decided to walk down to the creek that borders our property. Since we're moving I won't get to do this much longer, and it's my favorite spot. In the winter I would come down here and sit on the bank to watch the snowflakes melt when they hit the water. Then in the summer time, like now, I like to put my feet into it. I just have to watch out for spiders and snakes. I sat down on a rock and took my sandals off. It was so peaceful listening to the water flowing downstream, and to the occasional bird or squirrel. It is very relaxing. I always pretend like I'm in the mountains without a soul around for miles.

"Hello." I had to stifle a scream. I turned around and there stood a living impaired. At first glance I thought he was alive because he looked solid. After the initial shock, I could see a little bit of transparency.

"Hi." I said, trying to calm down. Cause in reality, I'm more afraid of what living people are capable of more than dead people.

"I can't believe you can see me. It's been awhile since I've found someone who could. My name is Tommy." He had blonde, slicked back, shiny hair and was wearing a white t-shirt with blue jeans and black shoes. By the looks of him I would guess he died sometime in the 1950's.

"I'm Hannah. Do you need my help?" I asked.

"No, I was just passing through and I felt a pull to come here. At first I thought it was just the water, but I guess it was you too." Moving water can act as a portal in which spirits can come and go, like a conductor, leading them from one place to another. "Have you met many ghosts?" Tommy asked.

"Yes, I’ve met more than a few." I answered.

"Have any of them talked about what's on the other side?"

"I'm sorry but no. I have asked before, but never got a straight answer."

He was scared to pass on. "Do you believe in heaven and hell?"

I didn't even have to think about it. "Absolutely I do."

“What about forgiveness?" He asked.

"Yes, of course. I just don't know when would be too late to ask for it." I answered honestly.

"That's what I'm afraid of." He said sadly,
then just disappeared.

I don't even want to guess what he did while he was alive that would cause that much fear of moving on. So now I'm not so much feeling the whole being out here alone thing. So I put my sandals back on and headed toward the house. On the way back up the hill I started talking to myself. "This is what I get for sneaking out and not helping Mom and Dad with the packing. Other teenagers would just get grounded or fussed at, but no, not me. I get a
freakin ghost sicced on me."

Chapter 4

Oh for the love of God, who is calling me at 8 o'clock in the morning? My eyes wouldn’t even focus on my phone's screen.

"Hello!" I used my best threatening voice.

"Get your lazy ass up! I'm coming home!" Jaycee! Oh it's so good to hear her voice, even if it is early.

"I see being out to sea has given you a sailor's mouth."

"Girl, I could've got more from those sailors than just their mouth. Have you forgotten who you're talking to?" That's my girl.

"Nope, Miss Joanna Carol Mitchell."
She hates that.

"You better check yourself." See.

"I've missed you Jaycee. What time will you be home?"

"We just got off the ship. Then the drive from Charleston is about four or five hours. So I guess around one o'clock.
Two if we stop and eat. Then you can tell me about everything I've missed while I was gone."

"Well, it rained a few days ago." I said half joking, half serious.

"You're such a loser. It couldn't have been that bad. Have you heard from Josh?" Way to be a downer Jaycee.

"No, and I couldn't care less." Would she believe me?

"Liar." I guess not.

"Ok, the truth is I
kinda don't care. I think I just want him to call to ease my pride. Just so I can know he is missing me and that he was the one to call first." Once I said it, I realized it was true.

I was feeling pretty good about my growth and maturity when Jaycee busted my bubble. "Well I'm glad to hear it because I think he is
gonna ask you out again."

"What? How do you know that? You just got off a
freakin ship!"

"Don't get mad, but Phoebe sent me a message yesterday and I just got it right before I called you. And before you say anything, she didn't know how to tell you herself so she wanted me to."

Jaycee finally took a breath so I could get a question in. "How does she know? Did he say something to her?"

"Remember Jake, the guy Phoebe was
gonna set you up with?" She didn't give me time to answer. "Well when you said you weren't interested or wasn't ready or whatever excuse you gave her, she told him all about me. So, of course he is interested and wants to meet me. Anyways, while she was telling him that you just got out of a relationship and blah blah blah, he was like I know Josh. He was talking to a girl named Megan but told Jake she was a pain in the ass, sorry I meant butt, and he was wanting to get back with his ex-girlfriend. Which would be you."

I could barely form words but Jaycee was waiting for a response. "He was talking to Megan? Are you
freakin kidding me? After he told me she was a total snob for no reason because she doesn't even look half as good as she thinks she does. I knew it! I knew she was going try for him once that huge nose of hers got wind of our break up. You know what I should do? I should take his sorry butt back just so I could rub it in her face then break up with him all over again!" Seems like I was wrong, I formed several words and not very nice ones at that.

But Jaycee knew I was just running my mouth. I would never really do that to Josh or to anyone for that matter. It just felt good to let off some steam.

"Well it's good to know you're not bitter." Really, she's laughing? "Calm down. It's only normal for him to subconsciously talk to someone you don't like after the break up, to get back at you. And yes I know you both agreed to break up, but did he really want it or just went along with you to save his pride? Don't be shocked, I read Cosmo. The big question is what are you gonna do?"

"Well first of all, let me just say I'm impressed with your insight. Maybe my dad could give you a job. But back to me, I have no clue what I'm
gonna do. I really don't think I want to get back together with Josh. I don't want to be one of those girls that have to date someone just to have a boyfriend because they're too weak to be alone. I will have to wait and see how I feel when and if he asks me."

"Smart girl.
I love you bunches but Brandon is getting nosey on my conversation and I'm starting to lose you on this stupid phone. But I will call you as soon as I get home." She was right about both, her phone was going out on me and her little brother is nosey.

"Ok, love
ya bye."

I'm not going to be able to go back to sleep now. This is one of those times Dad said that a diary is good for; getting my
feelings, or in this case my frustration, down on paper. I don't have to get up and get it cause I left it in my nightstand. I really need to get back into the habit of keeping it in my hiding spot.

Dear Diary, I can't believe what just happened! Jaycee just called me. She is on her way home. Yay! She told me that Phoebe sent her message and...............

It's time for a break. Oh my gosh, it's almost 10 o'clock. I can't believe I have been writing that long. No wonder I was hungry. Heading toward the kitchen I realized how much I love having the house to myself. No one making me get up early cause I'm 'wasting the day away'. And no one is here to watch me eat this cold pizza in my room. I could watch some TV. See if Maury is on so I can hear him say 'you ARE the father'.

"Where is my remote?" I ask out loud, like it's
gonna say 'here I am'. Maybe it's under my...

"Hannah." I almost peed myself. It was Samantha. She was standing right beside my dresser. Same place she was last time I saw her. This time she was wearing some kind of white dress and she was soaking wet. To the point water was dripping off her dress and long blonde hair onto the hardwood floors. "Hannah I'm running out of time. You have to help me! Find me Hannah, please." Her aqua blue eyes held a deep dreadful fear, nothing like I've seen in her before. It made her look much younger than 16. "I have this feeling, if I don't find out who I am and how I died, I'm going to be trapped here forever as a lost soul. Please you must hurry."

"Samantha I....." She was gone, just vanished, along with all the water. "Samantha if you can hear me I need more to go on. If you could just send me something. I want to help you. I will help you, the best I can. I promise."

I have to write this down. This time she was showing me something and she didn't even realize it. I know the water is a key. Now I just have to find out what it means. I will probably have high
blood pressure and on Zoloft pills before I'm 20. And stomach ulcers, definitely stomach ulcers. However, I will take a visit from Samantha any day over whatever that shadow thing is.

I had just finished writing everything down when my phone rang. Crap
its Josh. I don't have time for him. Right now my petty guy trouble seems so shallow compared to what Samantha is going through. I didn't even know I was crying until I felt a tear land on my arm. My chest felt like an elephant was sitting on it and it was getting hard to breath. I think I might be having a panic attack. I'm not even sixteen yet. I should be worrying about clothes and boys and school, not about ghosts and demons and souls. And absolutely shouldn’t be worrying about the fact that Samantha thinks I'm the one who can save her. There goes my phone again, this time it's a text. It was from
Josh -Hey sorry I haven't called or text you, but I need to talk to you. Soon.

Wow, this day just keeps getting better and better. I need to go ahead and face Josh so I can focus on Samantha. I sat down and took very slow, deep breaths while trying to clear my head. It took several minutes to feel myself ag
ain. Grabbing my phone I
text -Don't worry about it. I've
been so busy I haven't noticed.
That is not called lying, it’s called surviving ex's. -
And sure, on the phone or do you want to meet up?

He replied back
. How bout we meet at our spot in 15 minutes.

I carefully typed out my response.
-Ummm you mean the swings at the park? Ok but give me 20
. Our spot? We don't have a spot anymore. We are not a 'we' anymore. Dangit, what if Phoebe and Jaycee are right, what if Josh asks me out? I guess I can figure it out on the way.

When I got to the park Josh was already on the swings waiting for me. He really is cute with his sandy blonde hair that's just a little too long and falls into his big brown eyes. There are girls at school that would love to be here with him right now. He is genuinely a great guy, and he was really good to me when we were dating. It would be easy to get together again and slide back into pace, like we never missed a step. No, that wouldn't be fair to him. We're just not meant to be.

"Hey stretch." I tried breaking the awkwardness by using his nickname from basketball season.

"Hey Hannah.
You look really good. I saved you a swing."

"Thanks, but maybe we can just walk around the track." I didn't want to swing like old times. Because being close to him, I didn't have to wonder what he wanted to talk about, I knew he is
gonna ask me out again. His emotions were all but vibrating off his body. As he matched his pace with mine, I saw him put his hands in his pocket. I knew this was so he wouldn't, maybe just out of habit, try to hold my hand. I needed to show him I’m just his friend, to let him know that it doesn't have to be weird between us. I broke the silence first. "So, how's your summer been?"

"It's ok. I've hung out with Nick and the guys a few times." Nick is Josh's best friend and the
guys consist of Mike, Chase, Jacob and Luke. "I haven't got to do a whole lot since I've been working for my dad. That kinda sucks, but I like having my own money." Josh's dad has his own landscaping business, and decided this year to expand that to pool cleaning service, so I'm sure he has been busy. "How's yours been?"