CHAPTER TWELVE

I kept staring at my hand the next day that I didn't notice Mrs. Jensen handing everybody out a little spade, shovel, and rake. All I could think of was the strange warmth I felt when Austin held my hand. Well that was until I received my little spade, shovel, and rake. I looked at it curiously.

"What are these for?" I asked Amelia who was beside me.

"Planting."

"Well yeah, obviously but why do we have—"

"Because we're going planting."

My jaw dropped. "We're going what?"

Amelia rolled her eyes.

"You have planting in Biology?" I said in disbelief, all my lovey-dovey daydreams history.

"Unfortunately, Pasadena Institute is really into flowers."

It was nightmare, I tell you. Having to dig up a meter long, at least fifty centimeters deep hole using a little spade. It doesn't count how many huge rocks are on the ground I was digging on. I felt like I was mining. And it was just to plant daisies or whatever it was called. Oh, don't get me wrong. I love mother nature It's just that I don't to be digging some hole without even knowing what sort of vegetation is growing all around you. What if there were poison oak that my mother told me repeatedly to avoid? What if by chance there would be a few of them in the place I was supposed to dig? My mother would kill me. I wasn't even wearing any gloves or anything.

Other girls were panting like I was. Others were just standing over a corner swooning over the guys who were planting. Others squealed when they see big, fat earthworms from the hole they dug. God forbid, I hope that doesn't happen to me.

"Isn't this fun?" Amelia commented beside me.

"Oh yeah," I said sarcastically, grunting as I took another chunk of soil out. "This is just thrilling."

"The flowers we're going to plant are Lily of the Valley." Amelia told me.

As if I cared what they were called. As if they were ever going to live In my care.

"Oh look!" Amelia exclaimed and to my horror, lifted an earthworm off her plot.

I swallowed. "Er, neat."

I tried all my might not to think about the earthworm and thought of my shoes instead. They were white ballet shoes my mom brought from Ana Sui and right now, it wasn't so white anymore.

I tried not to think hard about it and dug my miniscule spade and took out soil. When I looked at my plot again, I nearly trampled in horror. A big, fat, pink earthworm was wiggling its way out of the soil. Amelia happened to see the worm and she laughed at my frozen, if not disgusted, expression. Looks like I had gotten my Gain-A-Worm-In-Your-Plot Award.

"Oh, you got one too!" Amelia said and took the worm out. She placed it on her hand. Without gloves, god. I shivered.

"Amelia, that's not hygienic." I said.

Amelia winked at me. "Wait a sec, I'll show this to Mrs. Jensen." She stood and off she went.

My horror, not having fully subsided yet, made me throw the soil that was on my spade in front of me without thinking.

"Oi hija!"

I looked up in surprise and saw a glowing human being brushing soil off his pants. I sucked in a breath.

"Oh my goodness! Didn't see you there, sorry." I said.

The ghost grumbled. "It's okay."

I made a pile of extra soil on my right and reminded myself to put the excess soil I had there. The ghost, I noticed, was now frowning at me.

"Look," I said. "If this is your garden, sorry for digging it up. The teacher told us to."

The ghost raised his eyebrows. "It's alright hija. Just do make sure you do it neatly."

"Who are you anyway?"

The ghost huffed. "Antonio de Cataluna." He said haughtily.

His name was pretty familiar. I'm sure I've read it somewhere. Spanish and all.

"1890's principal aren't you?" I said. I've read this guy's name in the handbook my brother had. Mr. de Cataluna was the school's very first principal when it was constructed during the 1890's.

Mr. de Cataluna nodded. "Sí."

"Oh." I looked down and continued digging. "You've been around for a long time."

"Oh yes. That's correct."

"You have no intentions of moving on?"

"I'm completely comfortable here, thank you." He said indignantly.

"Okay then." He didn't need my help. Hey, not my problem. I nearly finished my plot when Mr. de Cataluna realized something important.

"Wait, why is it that you can see me?"

I stood up as I finished my plot and then looked at Mr. de Cataluna.

"Well, I'm a mediator." I said.

Mr. de Cataluna scowled. "Oh…those kind of people."

I was feeling kinda awkward already so I just nodded. What if someone sees me talking to thin air? Mrs. Jensen eventually approached me though after seeing that I was done.

"Very good, Ms. de Silva," Mrs. Jensen praised. I felt good. She did that so rarely. She handed me a pack of flower seeds. "Here you go, plant them according to instruction at the back. I'll see you again later if you're done." And then she went to another kid. Amelia appeared wearing gloves. She handed a pair to me. I wore them hesitantly.

"This is fun isn't it?" She said as she started to plant her seeds.

"Er. Yeah. Kinda." I said. I looked at Mr. de Cataluna and I realized he was looking at me intently. I raised my eyebrows.

"What's wrong?" I whispered. He said nothing. I frowned and continued my work. A few moments later, he was still looking at me intently. When Amelia stood up to get spare seeds, I took my chance.

"Why are you looking at me funny?" I asked Mr. de Cataluna.

"Your name." He said.

"What's with it?"

"Say it."

"Eh?"

"Say your name."

I raised an eyebrow. "Um, Tina."

Mr. de Cataluna shook his head impatiently. "No, no, your full name."

I was afraid rocks would start flying so I went, "Ok, ok! I'm Christina de Silva ok? What's with—"

Mr. de Cataluna was clearly not listening anymore. He paced back and forth.

"Your name…could it be? Hmm, I don't think so…" He was murmuring.

Right. So a ghost now recognizes my name. Lovely.

Amelia came back and saw me staring confused at nothing.

"Tina?" Amelia asked. I looked at her. "Something wrong?"

I looked at her, raised my eyebrows and faked a laugh. "What? Oh, oh, nothing. I'm good."

Mr. de Cataluna started speaking. "You know, hija, I married a De Silva. Maybe she's related to you?"

I looked at Mr. de Cataluna again.

"Tina, what's wrong with that bush?" Amelia asked me.

I tried to think straight. "There's a…a…caterpillar."

"Tina. It's pine. Caterpillars eat pine?"

I shrugged. Amelia chuckled and rolled her eyes. I looked at Amelia and when I looked at Mr. de Cataluna again, he was gone.