CHAPTER 4

"Hey", Troy said as he looked at me. "What's wrong?".
"Wait a minute", Ethan said, looking from me to Troy. "What's going on here?".
"Okay, before I get into further details", I said, acting as if everything was fine, which so wasn't. "Ethan, I'm a Mediator". Quick, simple and direct which should've made him look surprised, but he wasn't. He just looked at me with his eyebrow raised, way up.
"I know that", Ethan said quickly, which made me feel bummed. "But how come he's not gone?".
"Wait", I said, looking confused. "You're a Mediator?".
"Yeah", Ethan said, glancing at me and then back to staring at Troy. "Why haven't you mediated him?".

I glanced at Troy who was glaring at Ethan's outcome and said, "Just who do you think you are? What were you doing with Cassie?". Oh this is just great, this is so not what I expected.
"Who do I think I am?", Ethan scoffed. "I'm a Mediator if you hadn't noticed and your in the wrong place, ghost boy". I noticed Troy's hands clenched into fists which were ready to hit someone in particular.
"Ethan!", I hissed. "Chill, just let me explain. Troy is… my boyfriend". Blunt I know, but it was the only answer that I could come up with in the situation but it was true.

I looked at Ethan who just started laughing, "Your boyfriend? Cassie, are you telling me, that your dating a ghost? How can you even do that? You're a Mediator, we're both Mediators".
"I know", I said through my gritted teeth. "But obviously, this is something you don't understand".
"Understand?", Ethan scoffed, again and pointed at Troy. "He's suppose to be going to his afterlife or wherever ghosts go". I couldn't reply then because Troy grabbed Ethan's arm and twisted it to his back.

"Who cares where I have to go?", Troy said from behind Ethan's head. "It's not your choice to decide my fate". A girl could get use to this but this is just not my day.
"Unfortunately… ghost boy", Ethan struggled with the words as he spoke because Troy still had Ethan's arm behind his back and to the people around us, they seemed freaked out by this. Reason being is, that no one could see the person strangling with Ethan's arm around his back but they could see Ethan looking like he was mental, which, I couldn't blame them for noticing. "It is my job".

"Troy", I said. "Please stop, I think he got the message". Troy glanced at me then back at Ethan then let loose. "Thanks".
"I can't believe my luck", Ethan mumbled as he rubbed his arm. "I run into a cute chick who just so happens to be a Mediator, oh and it doesn't stop there, she has a boyfriend… who is dead". I knew Troy was going to pounce on him again but I took his hands into mine.
"Hey, I'll be fine. I'll deal with him", I said, looking up at him. "Thanks for coming, I'll see you later".
"Your sure?", Troy asked, giving Ethan a quick death glare then back at me as I nodded. "Okay, please be careful".
"I will", I smiled and kissed him on the cheek and then he dematerialized.

"You know", Ethan sighed. "I'm beginning to wonder why a pretty girl like you, ended up as a Mediator". I rolled my eyes and just couldn't think properly, this Ethan guy is a Mediator! Not only that, he just so happens to have appeared in my dream, about to kill me. Though I'm still wondering on that bit myself, whether it was actually me that he was going to kill.

"I'm beginning to wonder the same thing", I said as I sat down on the sand, watching the tides rolling in and gliding away. "Only, I wonder why someone like you, is a Mediator". I didn't want to mention him as a hottie in that particular sentence.
"That's easy", he replied sitting alongside me. "I'm just good looking". Damn it.
"You are so full of yourself", I muttered. "But seriously… I didn't expect to find another Mediator, not that I was thinking that I was the only one, it's just that I haven't met any others".
"Yeah, I know what you mean", he said and started tracing the sand with his finger. "So, how long have you been with ghost boy?".
I sighed. "His name is Troy and it's none of your business".

"Tell you what", he said, looking at me abruptly. "I'll mediate him for you, make it more easier for you, since you can't do it". My heart must've skipped a beat but before I could protest, Joe came back.

"Hey guys", Joe said, breathing and out. "Everything okay?".
"Yeah man", Ethan said as he got up and offered his hand to me. "Everything is fine, right Cassie?". He winked at me as he took his hand.
"How was the game?", I asked Joe ignoring Ethan's question.
"Great", Joe said with a smile. "Ready to go?".
"Sure", I said quickly.

"I'll see you sometime, Cass", Ethan said as I left with Joe. As if, I thought, but I could almost sense that he was smiling and that behind that sweet smile was something that could involve someone I love so much to go away.

On the way back home (thank God), Joe did most of the talking about the game and more about his school. Hmph, I doubt that I'll end up attending that school. Just my luck, it's only my second day in California and already, I have someone on my nerves.

I was too busy lost in my own thoughts about Ethan, him being a Mediator, I mean. I didn't realize Joe had stopped and parked across from… - insert scary music here - … the abandoned house. I immediately felt a chill run down my spine when I turned my head to the house.
"Um, what are we doing here?", I asked, nervously. "I thought we were going home".
"Thought I'd take you on a tour of the house, Cass", Joe said. "Besides, you wanted to know about the house". Yeah, but not up close and personal.
"Oh, but…", I said, trying to find a way out of it. "Isn't there some security stuff that protects the house or something?".
"Yeah", he nodded. "But there's way to get inside without getting caught and the aura I mentioned yesterday, only protects the house from being destroyed but unfortunately, no one seems to be able to get past the aura to go inside the house. Let's go". Before I could protest, he was already out of the door.

Oh this day just keeps getting better. Not, I thought. I got out of the car and even though I should be feeling hot since it's summer and it is California, I felt the exact opposite. I looked at the house as I stood on the footpath across from it. Who knows how long this house has been standing, it's practically just looking down at me, as if it's going to eat me. My knees felt wobbly and I must've looked weird again, because I was folding my arms and breathing in and out slowly.

"Cass", Joe said as he put his hand behind my back. "You okay? You've got that weird look again". Argh, I just couldn't take it anymore! Deep down, I wanted to find out why I'm connected to the house but part of me doesn't want to find out.
"I-I'm fine", I said, glancing at him. "Let's go". Well, so much for not wanting to find out.

As we walked across the street, the more nervous I felt, like, literally. I looked up at the two story house and saw the window which gave me a quick flashback of my dream. That's where I was looking out from, I thought, feeling queasy. With Joe's way of getting past the security gates, we managed to get close to the house.

"Check this out", Joe said, pointing at the holes on house. "Bullet holes, even though I've seen it how many times, it still amazes me". I examined them closely and decided to touch them, but, as soon as I touched the bullet holes of the house, I had a vision in my head that made me gasp. My eyes were shut and my head was spinning with all these images in my head. I know, it was freaking me out.

"Cass!", Joe gasped and held onto me. "Hey, what's wrong? What happened?".
"I… I just have a headache", I replied, I know, I lied again but would you seriously tell your cousin, you had a vision of people in your head that you've never seen before and your connected to an abandoned house that you've never even seen or lived in before? Oh and let's not forget that you can see ghosts.

"You should've said something about it, Cass", Joe sighed as he helped me back to his car. There was even something else that was lingering in my head, it was the feeling that someone was watching us, or to say the least, me.