Justin hauled the door open and gestured for Harper to go inside, timidly she walked into the lounge only to find that it still looked the same. Harper gradually took in her surroundings but despite that she knew she was back in her home, the Russo family home, to her it felt like an outer body experience. She felt like a ghost, like she wasn't really there, like this wasn't really happening. She felt her blood run cold and felt a new pain that she could endure, she closed her eyes and held back the tears. She'd swore to herself she'd never come back here.
"This is weird," she stated.
"Tell me about it," Justin mumbled launching his keys on the side table and collapsing on the couch.
"Mom and Dad have gone to the bank," Max announced, "something to do with taxes but they've got some errands to run after as well so basically they'll be gone for a while, which gives us time to talk…"
Justin looked to Harper and snarled, "do you have time to talk or are you going to run out on us again?"
"I didn't run out on anyone! I had to do what was best for me and that's not being here, not without her…"
"Harper we're all hurting," Justin began leaning forwards towards her, "but that doesn't mean we should all runaway. We're a family, we should stick together, it's what Alex would have done."
"Yeah, and now look we're all here!" Max exclaimed, "so let's not fight and just talk like we agreed, okay?"
Both Max and Harper took a seat and quickly an awkward silence followed, Justin repeatedly glanced in Harper's direction, but she rejected any opportunity to strike a conversation. Eventually Max cleared his throat, "so Harper how've you been? We've missed you."
"I've missed you guys too, and I can't pretend it's been easy but I think I'm getting there…"
"Didn't look like it to me," Justin scoffed.
"Dude," Max glared at his brother, silently scolding him.
"What it's true, besides from what Max told me about when her saw you at the party the other night doesn't really give me the vibe that you're getting there Harper. The old Harper would have never run away from us, the old Harper always said we should stick together."
"And I still think you should, but I'm not the old Harper anymore, she died with Alex. Look, Alex was the only reason you guys let me live here, so I figured since she was gone…"
"What Harper don't be crazy, you're our sister just as much as Alex was!" Max blurted out engulfing Harper in a bone crushing hug.
As Harper relaxed into the hug she felt the sting of tears burn her eyes, Max's warm embrace soothed her yet her heart ached when she thought of the pain she was causing and the family she was missing out on and craved so desperately.
She rested her forehead on to Max's firm shoulder and mumbled, "I just don't know what to do without her."
Harper felt her body press further into Max as a warm pressure enveloped itself around her, she peered over her shoulder only to see Justin joining in with the embrace. Years ago she would have been overjoyed by this, Justin Russo was willingly hugging her but instead of joy she felt nothing but pain and sadness. As Justin squeezed her tightly Harper felt the hot trail of his tears dripping on to her neck whilst his body trembled as he quietly sobbed. Harper could take no pleasure from his pain, if anything she became riddled with even more guilt, she knew she shouldn't have cut the Russo's out of her life like that, but she had to do what was best for her. Then again, after the past few months she'd had she wasn't even sure if that was the right thing anymore…
"I'm sorry," Harper whispered, "I didn't mean to hurt you."
Justin and Max released Harper from their grip and each took one of her frail hands, her icy skin tingled as her jittering hands warmed in their clasp. "Sorry for being a jerk," Justin croaked, "let's start again. I missed you Harper…"
"I missed you too…"
"So, fill us in on everything. What's been happening with you?"
"Where do I start…"
As Harper relayed the events of the last few months to the Russo brothers time passed by quickly, redness evaporated across the sky as dusk settled in before the moon peered through the thickening grey clouds and the darkness took over. The three friends laughed and talked just like it was the old times, it wasn't until Harper's phone buzzed and she noticed the time that she came to a sudden halt.
"I should go…" she said regretfully.
"So soon? But it's not that late, it's only nine," Justin looked disappointed and tenderly he grabbed Harper's hand, "stay for another drink, please?"
"I probably shouldn't, your parents will be home soon and I'm just not ready to face them just yet…"
"Harper, you can't go." Max stated, "I think you guys have forgot why we come to talk in the first place."
Harper glanced over at the orange wooden desk residing next to the front door, it was covered in scattered piles of paperwork, junk food wrappers and Mr. Russo's football memorabilia but concealed behind the disconnected football phone in a lime green frame Harper spotted her beaming smile.
Alex's frizzy dark curls, which her silver butterfly clip clung to, exploded from her head. Her pearly white teeth shone against her olive skin and her dimples protruded as she held herself in a fit of laughter, Harper smiled to herself, even back then Alex was mischievous and still she never got in trouble for it. Though she would pay for it many years later…
"It's still so weird without her here," Harper stated, "she was my first friend. I remember the first day of kindergarten I was on my own crying at recess, and she came over and asked if I wanted to help her poke a dead bird with a stick."
"Classic Alex…" Smirked Justin.
"I'd do anything to have her back here, it'd be just like the old days."
"Well apparently she is," scoffed Max, "I mean all three of us saw her last night."
"You've got a point Max, three sightings in one night, pretty busy for a dead girl."
"She didn't just appear last night," Harper began, "something's been in my apartment for weeks. I think it was her, I think she's been following me around too."
"That was the first time I saw her and I hope it'll be the last," Max shuddered, "god I never thought I'd say that."
"So, what do we do about it?"
Harper saw the struggle within as she turned to the two brothers, the impending stress, the change in eye contact, posture and tone. Justin's speech began to alter, not for the words, but for how he sounded showing Harper current emotions. It was clear he was scared, Justin never seemed scared but as Harper listened to his mumble his words, she could only compare him to a frightened child.
"Do we need to do anything? It's not like she's hurting anyone."
"Well not yet," Harper began, "but she seemed really angry Justin, I was so scared…"
"And I can't go on listening to her cry all the time," Max interjected, "it's torture. I just want her to be at peace."
"Your right," Justin said, beginning to make eye contact again, "we need to fix this. But how will we find her?"
"Maybe there's something in a spell book?" Harper suggested.
"Probably not," Justin began tiredly, "they're primarily for spells, hence the name spell book. A book of magic or supernatural yes but not a spell book."
"Ok then Professor know it all, could you find something in a magic book?"
"Yes! I just said I could!" Justin groaned, "but I have no idea where to start, I mean ghosts are perfectly normal. It's just the way Alex's ghost is acting isn't…"
"So we've all seen three different sides to her, can't we use that as a start? Surely not many people see the same ghost in three different places at once?"
"Possibly, we just need to find out if Alex has visited anybody else first or whatever we plan to do might not work if she's still running around somewhere."
"She can't have been to Mom or Dad," Max stated, "they would have said."
"I can think of someone…"
All three of them glanced nervously to each other and sighed, "Mason."
I'm so sorry it's been so long! I've had a really busy few months and really bad writers block but I hoped you enjoyed this chapter!
Please let me know what you think, if you have any ideas or what you think is going to happen next. I love to read your feedback and thanks so much for reading my story!
