A/N: Thank God for half days!! I finally get to type up what is most definitely my favorite chapter in this story to date. So, voila! I give you chapter four!! And, yes, I'm inserting the song lyrics he's listening to, so sue me.

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The next day, Sunday, I feigned sickness so Ida would leave me at home. Once she was gone, I snuck out to the barn.

Nichael had refused to eat anything last night. Not that he ever eats with us, but Ida came back from the barn with his full plate and a shocked look on her face. He didn't eat breakfast, either.

I grabbed a plate and some food before going out. I made my way quickly up to the loft and knocked on his door. I could hear loud music coming from inside. I recognized it after a moment as Hawk Nelson's "The One Thing I Have Left". I knocked louder, hoping he'd hear this time.

Will someone please radio for help

'Cause I think I'm allergic to myself

And they think they can throw us all away

We gotta stop it before it's all too late

He didn't.

"Nichael?" I called as I rapped on the door again. "Nichael, open up! I..I wanna talk to you."

The music was lowered, and I could hear footsteps coming to the door. He opened it just wide enough to peek out at me. "What?" he grumbled.

There's got to be a better way

They dissect everything we say

To try to make us feel this way

"I—I brought you a snack." I held up the plate as a sort of peace offering. I mean, I guess it really was, since I was trying to make at least temporary peace with the guy!

"I'm not hungry," he said bluntly, glaring.

He was about to close the door, but I pushed my foot up against it. "Please, just… listen to what I have to say."

And you can take the one thing I have left

I'd give it all away for so much less

Could even take the heart inside my chest

Whoa-Whoa

He stared at me for a few moments, sizing me up. "…Fine." He opened up the door and motioned for me to come inside.

There wasn't much in his room. It seemed he was working on painting the walls black with some paints Grampa had left from when it had been his art studio. Only one picture was in the room, and it was of some forest with animals everywhere. A small boom box was plugged into the only outlet in the room. His bed stuck out from the wall, the stereo on the stand next to it.

He walked over and turned the volume back up some. I had to admit, for such a small thing, it sure was loud!

When I finally adjusted to the noise, I noticed he was looking at me oddly. "What?" I asked, blinking.

And you can take the one thing I have left

Beat me to the ground and take my breath(no)

But you can't take who I am

Whoa-Whoa

"You were spacin' out. Didn' even hear me ask…."

"Ask what?"

"…What my mom told you."

"Oh…that…." How was I supposed to answer that? I couldn't just tell him his answer to her forgiveness had sent her sobbing home! Or to whatever place ghosts call home. "She…she said you did deserve forgiveness, but you didn't know it."

And I swear we were born to let you down

We scream but never make a sound

We point but don't know which direction

We are America right now

He nodded and sighed. "Mom got…sick. I wasn' at home, so I—I couldn' help her. She died while I was gone, and I've only been able to see her once since then. That's why… why—"

"Why you were freaking out."

"Yeah…." He shook his head. "Did she say anythin' else?"

"Something about her preferring if you'd been somewhere other than where you were, but I couldn't follow very well."

"That sounds like her. I—I'm… sorry that I ran off like that. I was… nervous, I guess."

Gasp, had he actually apologized? For something that probably was really my fault? Wow.

"It's…it's okay. I understand. I mean, I'd've been freaked out, too. Well, especially 'cause, last I heard, Mom wasn't dead."

His still-husky voice laughed. It sounded almost…haunting, the way he chuckled. Yet it was also enchanting.

Because it was a real laugh.

There's got to be a better way

They dissect everything we say

To try to make us feel this way

All I'd seen from Nichael since he got here had been sarcasm or biting remarks. Never once did he show his true self. Yet here we were, laughing together.

Wouldn't Ida be proud?

When he'd finally stopped laughing, Nichael studied me again. "What?" I asked, not nearly as harsh now.

"Ida said you'd outgrown it."

I gaped. "W—What?" The only thing that I remember saying I outgrew was—

"You're still psychic. Why won' you tell Ida that?"

I thought through my answer. Something told me he wouldn't just accept "Because!"

And you can take the one thing I have left

I'd give it all away for so much less

Could even take the heart inside my chest

Whoa-Whoa

"Well?"

"I wanna be normal," I muttered. There, I'd admitted it. Now what?

"You coulda told Ida that."

"Yeah, but then she'd be really disappointed."

"Still, it's better than a lie."

The sad part was, he was right. And I knew it.

And you can take the one thing I have left

Beat me to the ground and take my breath(no)

But you can't take who I am

Whoa-Whoa

A thought jumped into my head just then/ "Wait, why'd Ida tell you—?"

" 'Cause you 'weren' psychic anymore'. Don' worry, though, I'm the only one she told."

"Either way, she shouldn't have told you!" And there goes our happy moment.

"Well, she did, so get over it!"

"Why'd she have to tell you? You're just some jerk who works here!"

"Just because I work here doesn't mean you can make fun of me!"

"Well, I think it does, so get over it!"

How can I be (the same)

How can I take (the blame)

How come I am so tired of all these charades?

How can I be (the one)

How can I hold (the gun)

How can I see if everyone else is to blame

He chuckled scathingly. "Exactly what a princess like you would say. I bet the world revolves around you, huh?"

Erg, he ticks me off so much!

I scoffed. "Only an idiot would believe that!"

"Wow, don' insult yourself so much. I thought that was my job."

Hey! hey!

Don't want to be the

Hey! hey!

Don't want to see the

Hey! hey!

I screamed. "You are so… so—"

"Don' hurt yourself, thinkin' that hard."

"—SO ANNOYING!"

"Right, I'm the annoying one. Then that makes you insanely immature."

"The only one here who's immature is you. AND TURN OFF THAT STUPID MUSIC!"

'Cause we point the finger

Think everyone else is to blame, blame—

The music shut off immediately, plunging us into silence. Now, the only sound was Nichael's ragged breathing. Confused, I turned to him.

"Damn," he muttered. "Damn, damn, damn, damn, damn!" The last thing I saw was him staring at me in panic before the lights turned off.

There was a clatter, a hissed four-letter word, and a bang. Light flooded back into the room as the window shade was snapped up. Nichael was illuminated by the light, his bright hair blinding as he struggled with someone below him.

"What the—?" I gasped. The two rolled over, and now light shone on his attacker.

It was a man in his late thirties, early forties. He had brown hair and looked pale. He had grey eyes that were tinged red and almost glowed.

He was a ghost.

"Nichael?" I tried cautiously. The ghost above him laughed.

"Nichael?" he mocked, sneering down at his captive. Nichael tried to punch him, but he pinned his arms down. Painfully.

Nichael cried out, trying and failing to twist out of the ghost's hold.

"Nichael?" the ghost chuckled. "Seriously? You're actually going by Nichael?"

"Shove off, Ian," he spat, kicking up and managing to roll over on top of the ghost. His arms pulled free, and he hit the ghost—Ian—in the face. Ian's head rolled, and he groaned. "I don' need you comin' back to haunt me!"

Ian laughed. "Oh, that's where you're wrong, Nicky."

Nichael twitched. "Oh, yeah? How?"

"I'm not the one coming back to haunt you."

Nichael gaped in surprise. "Wha—What?"

His shock gave the ghost a chance to spin them again. He shoved his forearm into Nichael's throat. Nichael coughed. Ian leaned his head down to whisper something to Nichael that caused his eyes to widen in panic.

"No…" he hissed. "You can' be… that's not possible!"

"Oh, it is, Nicky, and you know it." Ian let up slightly on his throat. "That's why you came back, remember?" He pushed down harshly one last time before disappearing. The music suddenly turned back on, playing out the last bit of the song.

Everyone else is to blame

Nichael panted on the ground as I shut off the music again. I just stared, confused and lost with no idea what to do.

After what seemed like forever, he stood, turned, and stared me down.

"Tha' never happened," he said, voice more ragged than I'd ever heard it. "Never, got it?"

"Wh—What? How can you expect me to pretend I didn't see that?"

"I don' know, I just do!" he snarled.

"How could he hurt you?" I continued. "He's a—"

"—a ghost? Not exactly. Tha' righ' there was a vengeful spirit. I'll let you guess who his vengeance is aimed at."

"You."

"Wow, right in one. You're smarter than I expected, princess."

"Why do you insult me like that?"

"I dunno, why do you?"

I paused. "Because you're invading my home" didn't seem like the right answer. "I don't know. I guess 'cause you were jerkish to me when you pulled me out of the bathroom last week."

"I'd had a bad day. It happens."

Oh. Well, duh.

"Well, you didn't have to be mean back!"

"Oh, yes, because you woulda trusted me completely if I'da said 'Hi, I'm Nichael. Your gramma hired me and decided not ta tell ya. By the way, would ya like ta pet my falcon?'"

"Screw you," I said bitterly. "I'd rather you'd never come here."

"That makes two of us." He sighed. "But I had nowhere else to go, and home was definitely not an option."

"What? Why?"

He turned to me and smiled grimly. "They think I'm dead."

"…Yeah, that'd be a bit awkward…."

"I mean, Mom's the only one I've seen since the… that, and I've only seen her once."

Geez, what the heck was I supposed to say to that?

"You're mother was very pretty." Wow, sympathetic, aren't I? Yeah, sympathetic. Minus the sym.

"Yeah…. I just… she shouldn' have died. She only died 'cause… 'cause I wasn' able to help her."

"It sounded like there was nothing anyone could do, let alone you yourself."

"Oh, trust me, there was." The grim smile was back full-force. "I just never got a chance…."

"But you love her, and she knows that. And, as weird as it seems to me, she actually loves you, too."

"Thanks," he replied, only half-sarcastic as he rolled his eyes. But his smile now was true. "I guess you'll have ta put up with me for a while longer, huh? Me, and whatever other vengeful spirits feel the need ta come after me?"

I sighed. "I guess…." Inside, though, I felt a rush of joy.

He was opening up.

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A/N: And now you see why it's my fave chappy! Anywayz, I'll try to work on the next one soon, but in the meantime, I've got another Hawk Nelson one-shot song-fic on the way! Watch out for Zero! BYEZ!