Realm of Renee

Chapter 27

11th July 2019

NOAH

I didn't let Renee come to the Realm for the past three weeks, since she had her final exams going on, and I didn't want to exhaust her with all the Spirit stuff. Besides, I was taking all this time to catch up at work and make Claudius think I was the obedient little Spirit Guide he always knew.

And Claudius finally softened enough to give me a whole day off.

"Noah, I have a bad feeling about this," Renee told me anxiously when I conveyed the great news. "What if he's trying to catch us in the Realm?"

"Renee, you worry too much," I said. "It's my well earned day off, and technically they're not supposed to care where I disappear off to," I explained calmly.

"Well, I'm still scared," she admitted in a small voice.

"Would you be less scared if we called it a date?" I asked her, popping in the million-dollar question that had been on my mind for the past few days.

"A date?" Renee laughed. "Noah Stark, did you just ask me out?"

"Yeah, I did," I smiled. "Will you go out with me, Ren?"

"Yes! I would be glad to!" Renee said happily.

And that's how I became the first Spirit guy in history to land on a date with a human girl.

*****

14th July 2019

"I'm never drinking again," Shay said, sitting cross-legged on my bed. "They say it's really bad for the liver."

"Shay, we're Spirits. We don't have a liver," I said, as I dug through my closet, trying to pick out clothes for my date today. Since Renee didn't really like my leather jacket, I had to opt for other, less flashy options.

"Well, we don't have lives either, but who cares," Shay spat out. "Just let me make a good decision, Noah."

"Jeez, fine," I raised my hands in mock surrender, only to notice that she didn't look grumpy like always. Something about the way she was smiling to herself, and twirling her hair...

Like she was fourteen again.

"Shay, are you alright?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at her.

"Who? Me?" She asked like she'd woken up from a daze. "I'm fine, Noah. More than fine."

When I continued to look at her questioningly, she spoke up.

"Let's just say that I've found something better than alcohol," She giggled. "And it's great at relieving my pain."

Better than alcohol? I racked my brains for an answer, and the one I found was unsettling.

"Have you been... doing drugs?" I asked hesitantly, hoping that wasn't the case.

"Drugs?" She laughed. "If Spirits are drugs, then yes, I'm doing drugs."

It took me a moment to get what she was implying, and once I did, I nearly gasped.

"What about Isaac?" I asked her in horror.

"What about him?" Shay deadpanned, giving me a twisted smile.

"I thought you had a hard time getting over him, but now if you're seeing someone else..." I paused unable to decipher the look she was giving me.

"Noah, don't leave poor Renee waiting at the Realm," Shay sang, patting my hair down, and straightening out my dark blue shirt. "Especially since you've been planning this day for three weeks."