CHAPTER 10

When we got out and made our way into Ethan's car all out of breath, breathing and panting. I mean like, for him to lean on me was quite hard, sort of. It felt uncomfortable when he was breathing near my face and the feel of his muscles against my body, was just… err, yeah.

When I waited for him to get his composure back, he said, "That was… un-expected".

"What was it?", I asked.

"I'm not sure", he sighed, slowly. The rips on his shirt showed a bit of skin, though he wasn't bleeding, anywhere. Which seemed sort of strange, even though he got a few hits, there was no blood anywhere on him. "Are… you okay?".

"Yeah, I'm fine", he replied, glancing at me. "Whoever or whatever it was, sure didn't hit hard enough to make me bleed. It was like it was holding back".

I wondered if that thing was, Christian. But then, why did I feel like someone was watching me from in the room? A lot of things are so not making sense. I looked at Ethan and his shirt was already off and changing into a new shirt.

"Ugh! Do you mind?", I asked acidly turning away.

"Erm, not really", he replied. "I don't mind you looking".

"Oh you are so full of yourself", I muttered, so instead I stared up at the house.

I looked up at the window of the room I was in and I didn't know if I was hallucinating or seeing things because it looked like someone was watching us and swiftly disappeared. It sent a chill down my spine and Ethan must've noticed me shivering when he rubbed my back.

"Get your hand off my back", I warned. I turned back around slowly so that I could be prepared to turn back around if he still hasn't changed. "There's one thing I don't get...".

"And what's that?", he smirked.

"I called for Troy but he didn't show up", I replied, looking down at my hands on my lap. "He said he'd be there for me if I was in trouble".

"You called ghost boy?", he asked with his eyebrow raised. "What would he do anyways? You didn't need to call him when I'm with you".

"That's different", I snapped.

"Exactly", he nodded. "It's a huge difference".

I shook my head an thought of Troy. "Troy", I called out.

"What are you doing?", Ethan hissed.

Just then, Troy materialized at the back of us and he was already glaring at Ethan. "You didn't touch her, did you?", he asked, coldly. I half turned my body around to look at him in the back seat.

"Troy", I said. "Where were you?". When he calmed down and turned to me he gave me a puzzled look. "I called for you but you didn't show up, what happened?".

"Disconnected?", Ethan joked.

"Shut up", both me and Troy snapped at him.

"Cassie, I… didn't feel or hear you calling for me", Troy replied. "I was waiting back at the house but I didn't hear you calling, I don't know why. You know I'd never abandon you like that".

"A-hem", Ethan coughed. "Before you guys tell me to zip it. May I make a suggestion that maybe the aura, blocks out ghosts and that's why ghost boy here". He narrowed his eyes at Troy but ignored Troy's glare. "Wasn't able to come to your rescue even though… I was there".

"Anyways, you didn't get much damage but a few scratches but no blood", I mentioned. "You said yourself, that it was probably holding back but we don't know why".

"It's so good to have a beautiful smart sidekick", Ethan sighed with a grin but ended his satisfaction when Troy smacked him on the head. "Ow! … Jeez".

"Take her home", Troy snapped at him. "Now".

"We haven't even started our date", Ethan muttered as he entered the pin code to start the car.

"Would you shut up about that?", I rolled my eyes.

He chuckled and glanced at the mirror where he could see Troy sitting with his arms crossed. "You know, you could just… magically disappear back to the house".

"I'm making sure you don't make a move on her or go anywhere else", Troy informed him.

"Well, that was offensive", Ethan sighed and let the car do it's work.

The next day, I was able to get some decent sleep though thinking about whatever it was going through the door was something just scared the heck out of me. Okay, besides a ghost going through walls and all but this was something different, it was no ghost. It was something alive.

It was sunny outside and quite hot but I've been through a lot these past few days that I haven't been able to feel the heat but shivers that keep running down my spine. I decided to have a morning shower, oh how I love my body wash I had packed. Herbal Essence Body Wash: Honey & Milk . It's just the smell of it that grabbed my attention and even though most girls would rather get something that could make them smell like flowers, I thought I'd be a bit different.

God, I remember the first year I started high school back in Brooklyn and Scott Hampton, football captain, came up to me and started saying how I stood out and how I smelt so good. Though, at least the scent radiating from me was good but the thing was, he got the scent of it wrong. Most of the boys that had come up to me and tried to flirt with me told me how good I looked but never got the right scent I had on.

The only answers they came up with was: Roses, Freesia, Daisies, etc. The weirdest and most embarrassing answers were: Wheat and oats. How the heck do I smell like porridge?! Seriously, boys can't even just stop trying so hard to get with a girl.

I couldn't exactly ask Troy how I smelt because he's already seen the body wash bottle and so, there was no point in asking him. After I had decided to wear a pale green spaghetti strapped singlet that looked like a baby doll dress but a bit shorter and to add, I wore my denim black shorts that was just above my knees. I walked downstairs and saw that Joe was going again to the library, I told him that I would stay home for today.

I already had plans of my own to attend to. After breakfast, I looked around for my Grandma when she was just outside doing the gardening. Seriously, she could just turn on the sprinklers to do the work or turn on the cutters to cut the grass.

"Grandma, I'm just going to go for a walk" I said. "I'll be back soon".

"Do you know your way back?", she asked, looking up at me. I nodded in response. "Be back in time for lunch, alright? Take care". I thanked her and kissed her on the cheek.

Now, to tell Troy where I would be going.

"Are you out of your mind?!", he shouted at me. "You can't go back there when I can't even get to you! It's dangerous and I don't want you going there". Bad idea, I thought.

"I'll be fine, it's daylight!", I protested. "The sun is out and I'm sure the light will shine through into the house and going with Ethan is a pain in the butt is just the same as going at night".

I looked at him as I sat on my bed. He was pacing back and forth, furious about my idea. It was sort of weird looking at a ghost making a fuss about something. Especially about someone who isn't even dead, as in, me.

Apparently he had stopped pacing and walked towards my bed and sat down. "Cassie, I'll let you go there but just be back before dark", he said with a sigh. "I'm trying to understand your situation but it's putting you in danger and it makes me worry. A guy like me can't even protect you when I'm… like this". I felt like crying so I crawled towards him and wrapped my arms around him.

"Hey you", I whispered. "Don't feel bad, I'll be okay as long as I get out before dark".

With that said and done, I put on my second pair of slip on shoes which were black with white lines and made my way out the door and to the abandoned house.