A New Beginning
As I hesitantly walked through the gate to the Washington's Lodge, I froze. I didn't understand why Josh wanted us to be back here, honestly. He's my best friend and all, but sometimes he didn't make any sense. Why here of all places, to forget? But, it's Josh's choice, after all. Whatever he chooses, I'll support him. Just as long as he is happy with the choice he makes.
"Hey Billy!" I heard a familiar voice call my name. I locked my focus on their face, and noticed it was... Jessica? What the hell did Jessica want with me?
"M-me?" I asked, confusingly and hesitantly walking towards her. "Well obviously silly!" Jess said while running over. She pulled me into a hug so tight that it could've literally smothered me to death. "Where were you? You weren't in any of my college classes and I never saw you at lunch. You're not like, invisible... right?" Jessica asked me as she and I got on the cable car going to the lodge.
"No." I laughed. Jess kind of looked down when I laughed. "Um... Is something wrong?" I asked.
"Oh nothing." Jess said. "You were saying?"
"Wait... I thought you, Mike, and basically everyone else didn't even like me?" I asked, confused on why she was even interested in the first place.
"What?! Where the heck did you get that from? Did Mike fucking tell you that?" Jess shook her head.
"No! Mike never said that! It's just... Whenever I would try to get into a conversation with you guys you would whisper something and then walk away from me." I admitted. I was ashamed of the way I felt. Maybe I was just imagining it. But when I was a little girl, everyone made fun of me... So I mean, it's typical of me to think things like this.
"Trust me, that's not why we whisper and walk away. We think you're awesome! The best part about you, is how nice and beautiful you are." Jessica blushed after saying that. "I think I'm weird and a nerd, but see any way you want!" I said. Why am I so clueless? Jessica laughed with her beautiful laugh that she always had. "I was being serious ya goofball!" Jess leaned in so close that I could here her heart beating. "You're beautiful." Jess whispered and quickly moved away as the cable car came to a stop.
"Well... There's Mike! Bye!" Jess said while jumping up and being cheerful as if that didn't just happen. Me, still stunned and crazy with shock, slowly walked out of the cable car and quietly greeted Mike. I literally ignored whatever Jessica said to me and just started to the lodge all alone. I jumped when I heard a screeching noise and saw flames. Damn there is some weird shit going on! I noticed Matt freaking out with Ashley as we met at the path.
"Oh hey Belany." I was stunned as Ashley said my real name. Considering my real name was so close to Beth's, everyone just called me Billy. It was short and easy. I guess it doesn't really matter anymore, considering she's... nevermind. "What's up with Matt?" I whispered to the ginger haired woman. "He saw Emily and Mike doing some... funny business." Ashley explained delicately. "Damn." That's all I could say. I was just so... disappointed.
As we walked to the front of the lodge, I saw that Chris, Josh and Sam were waiting at the front of the lodge.
"Hey Chris!" I exclaimed as I pulled him into a friendly hug. Josh and Sam said oooooooooh and awwwww. "Shut up." I said while teasingly rolling my eyes. I saw Chris whisper something to Josh.
"We are going to go find a way to get into the lodge. Good day pilgrims!" Josh said while impersonating an Indian on that last part. I think, anyways. At least a few minutes later I got impatient and started pacing back and forth. I started to go up to the door and saw Chris using spray on deodorant and a lighter to unfreeze the doorknob.
"Two words for you. Life. Saver." I said while pushing him aside and sighing as I walked in. I sat on the big, dusty couch that was in the middle of the drafty room and took off my coat. Jessica and Mike walked in and Jess looked at me. I looked back. Jessica and I locked eyes. I stared and she stared back. She winked at me and kissed Mike on the cheek. was this really happening? She sat really close next to me, I wanted to move away, but there was no place to move to. She put her hand on my leg subtly, so Mike couldn't see. My eyes widened in... terror I think? No... that couldn't be it. Matt got up. I knew where this was going.
"Take a load off. Have whatever you want. You just take whatever you want anyways, don't you Micheal?" Matt said as he got closer to Mike.
"Um... What's going on?" Jess whispered. "Don't ask me." I told her. She was still holding my leg, but tighter now. I was confused on why Jess was acting like this. I looked up and saw that Matt had a hold of Mike's head. I got up and grabbed Matt's jacket and pulled him away. Matt pushed me off and I hit my head on the corner of the fire place.
"BELANY!" I heard someone's voice scream. I heard another crying and freaking out. I heard Matt saying how sorry he was. I felt water get poured all over me. My vision cleared up and I saw Chris' face barely an inch from mouth opened to say something, but I couldn't speak.I felt my head and there was blood cascading down my scarred head.
"How-How long was I out for?" I asked as I got up. I saw no sign of Jess.
"Just a few minutes." Chris said as he helped me up. I started to walk, but I felt someone pick me up like a little baby and place me on the sofa.
"We don't want you getting more injured, now do we?" Mike asked me as he stretched out his arms.
"N-No... I guess not?" I said, still completely dazed.
"Jess went to go get the first aid k... there she is." Sam exclaimed.
Jessica moved my head and put my head on her lap. She sewed up my bloody scar and sat up. "Shouldn't she get out of her clothes? I mean we don't want her to get a cold on top of a possible concussion." Jessica suggested, which was the smartest thing I've heard in, like forever.
"Who can give her clothes?" Josh asked. The room fell silent. "Fine she can have some of mine." Josh said. "But who'll help her change? I'm sure that she is WAAAAAAAAAY too dazed to change on her own." Two people, no three people raised their hands. Jessica. Mike. And Chris. "Eh. Everyone help her change I don't care." Josh left the room. "You just wanna get in her pants!" Chris screamed at Mike. "She won't even have pants on! She'll be changing!" Mike said, trying to be smart. "Agh! You're such... UGH!" Chris got aggravated. "I'm a girl!" Jess said.
"Stop!" I tried to yell as loud as I could, but I basically just whispered it. "STOOOOP!" I was able to scream really loud that time. My head started to spin. "You guys, my head is spinning. Please stop arguing! I can change myself, alright?!" I started to walk upstairs. I went into Josh's room and saw some clothes laid out on the bed for me. I tried taking off my top, but that just ended in me knocking over a beautiful plant. I heard someone running up the stairs, so I quickly put on my shirt. It was Jessica.
"Listen, I'm fine!" I exclaimed.
"No, you're not." She said calmly and I sighed. "I'll be in the hall." Jess said as she walked out. I quickly put on the clothes that Josh gave me that were falling off me.
"Done!" I said as I opened the door. My pants fell half-way before I could put them back on.
"Um... You need a belt?" Jess asked.
"Pffft. Josh and belt in the same sentence? Nuh-Uh." I said as I walked down stairs. One hand holding my pants up, the other holding the shirt up.
Chris looked at me and ran over."Those are too big aren't they?" Chris asked me, not expecting a truthful response.
"Noooooooo!" I said while moving my arms, which resulted in my pants falling off. "Oh jeez." Chris reached down and pulled them up before anyone could see.
"You were saying?" Chris said while helping me down the stairs.
"I stand extremely corrected." I admitted.
Josh threw Mike and Jessica the key to the guest cabin. "Go knock yourselves out."
"Here's my belt. Not like I need it." Chris gave it to me and I struggled to put it on. I put on my coat and stepped outside to take a breath.
I heard someone come outside. "Crazy how fast things can happen, huh?" Chris asked.
I chuckled. "Yeah. Maybe it's happening... a little too fast? Ya know? I wish I could stop time. Life is passing me by. It's passing all of us by. We're passing by with it. Soon we'll all be married. Have kids. Our kids'll have kids. Then we'll die. It's like we're following these orders. But what if I don't want to?" I tried to explain the way I felt, but I felt stupid.
"Belany, I understand."He said."I think we should go back inside." As we got inside, I saw that Matt and Em were gone. So was Sam.
"Hey, so I have a spirit board down stairs. You guys wanna use it?" Josh suggested.
"Um... No?" I was still a wimp. "But I guess since I have to."
"Okay. Ashley, Chris, you guys go find the board. Billy, I guess you stay here." Josh made a plan.
"Hey Josh! No hot water is kind of a MAJOR oversight, don't ya think?" Sam said.
"Oh yeah. Come on Sammy. I guess you really are alone, Billy." Josh said.
"Bye!" I said.
"Bye." They said back.
I walked outside to find Jessica and Micheal. I saw them out on the trail. "Hey!" I yelled. They looked back.
"What are you doing outside?!" They asked me. "You'll catch a cold." Jess said alone.
"I just... They left me behind to get something and I feel like I'm being watched." I sounded crazy, I know, But it's true.
"Oh... Mike?" Jess pulled on his long-sleeved shirt.
"Yeah hon?" Mike asked.
"Should we go back with her?" Jess asked.
"Nah. She'll be fine." Mike said while starting to walk. Jess waited until he was far. "I'm so so sorry Billy. Rules." She ran to catch up with him.
"Damn it!" I probably screamed it louder than I should've.
I walked back to the lodge in a hurry and got there in 5 minutes. I waited for a while and the two pairs finally came back up.
"Now I'm going to my bath. Have a fun one!" Sam bolted upstairs.
"Is everyone ready?" Josh asked.
"Yup!" I said while shaking my head no.
"So it says here: 'to communicate with the spirit world you must free your mind of all preconceptions, drop all inhibitions, and generally give yourself over entirely to the will of others, sublimating your every desire to the whims of the Spirit-master," which is me-" Chris said. "It doesn't say that!-" Ashley shook her head. "...And all present must remove their garments at my sole discretion."
"Objection!" I called out.
"Come on Chris, this is serious!" Josh sighed.
"Oh, ho, ho I'm deadly serious!" Chris jokingly said.
"Oh shush it, let's try this." Ashley said while all four of us placed our hands on the cold counter.
"Okay then, Ashley, since you're a recent convert, why don't you be our medium for today?" Chris suggested.
"Okay... Uhhhh... Is anyone there...? Helloo...? Pick up the phone... Spirits... spirit-phone? Abracadabra?" Ashley said, being flippant.
"Ashley, cut it out." I said, getting impatient with her idiotic behavior she was displaying.
"Okay... If anyone's there, give us a sign." Ashley gave in. "Yeah, like a peace sign... or a stop sign...?" Chris said.
"If you guys aren't going to take this seriously..." Josh shook his head at Chris.
"Okay... Is anyone there? Wherever... 'there' is?" Ashley asked and the counter started to move.
"Wait a minute..." Josh was skeptical.
"Did you guys do this?! I swear! This isn't funny!" I started to get hot-headed.
"Billy, I promise we didn't..." Chris explained and looked at me.
"It's moving again!" Ashley exclaimed and watched it as it moved from letter to letter.
"H-" I said.
"What's it spelling?" Josh asked me.
"Are you guys doing this?" I asked them.
"I swear it's just moving!" Ashley basically cried for us to forgive her or something.
"Help?" I asked.
"How can we help you?"