REFLECTIONS (A Tate Langdon Fan Fic)

Chapter 5

~~TATE

I turned to see what Leah was looking at but I could see the ghost lock eyes with mine, it vanished the moment it saw my eyes.

        “Is there something behind me?” I asked trying to be sure she didn’t know what was going on.

        “Sorry I tend to gaze out when I have a headache. Anyway about you?” she wondered where I knew something was up but I continued to play off that it was nothing.

        “Not much to know, I’m your typical seventeen year old boy. I like music, movies, read and play games. I’m the loner type people say and I keep to myself a lot. Like I said there’s not much about me that’s interesting.” I exclaimed hearing muffled conversations upstairs caught both of our attentions; they were heading down near us. Leah jumped to her feet and I stood up next to her disappearing into the shadows where I watched her father appear in the distance. I saw her journal she held, I grabbed it holding it close to my chest.

        “Who were you talking to?” he asked drinking a glass filled with a brown liquid, the smell of alcohol reeked on him. Leah looked around to see if I was still there but there was no sign of me even in the room.

        “Myself like always father, it’s not like I can have friends in this life.” She replied where I saw the look of anger hit his face. I couldn’t stand by anymore I revealed myself from the shadows startling him.

        “Hey Leah, you dropped this in my yard.” I exclaimed handing her the journal hoping this would cause her father to back off. “Hello, Mr. Hale. I’m Tate Langdon; I live in the house next door.”

        “Well Tate, I see you know my daughter?” he asked seeming not to be convinced that I randomly knew her, I came up with a quick thought to save us both.

        “Yes sir, I met her last night while she was in the backyard. I welcomed her to the neighborhood and she asked me about the school here. After a while she had to go back in and accidently dropped this. I figured I return it to her; it’s nice to meet you Mr. Hale, I read your latest book cool stuff.” I explained seeing his expression change when I complimented his book to him; Leah took the journal from my hands giving me a relieved smile.

        “Thanks Tate, well dad if you don’t mind. Tate and I are going to talk upstairs, I’ll see you tonight.” She replied clutching my hand with hers pulling me along with hers, I passed by her father seeing the hatred was still fuming in his eyes when we left. We made it up the basement stairs where I saw Moira was making dinner for the group; she glared over at me almost like she was warning me. I continued to follow Leah to the living room before she stopped pulling me, I could see the tension was still inside her. “Well you were right about your father, not a people person.”

        “I’m surprised you just noticed that of everything.” She replied plopping onto the couch rubbing her eyes from the stress I guessed.

        “I did notice the alcohol smell all over him, I just didn’t want to mention it or offend you in any way.” I answered seeing a slight smile on her face like she was happy to hear that from me.

        “You should be going, I have a busy night tonight and I rather not have you here to get my father’s heart rate up. Maybe we can talk tonight after he goes to bed. He clocks out around two in the morning so if you want to sneak back in here like you normally do.” She exclaimed which I stood up opening the front door looking back at her giving a smile and leaving the house. I quickly dematerialized myself so it looked like I disappeared and felt myself appear into the crawlspaces. I could see the ghosts of the Montgomery’s, the gay couple and of course of my pathetic father. I was angry to see Leah dealt with her alcoholic abusive father alone, I wish I could have done something but I was left to watch in the holes in the walls. I had to listen to the whispers from the fellow ghosts I was stuck living with, I wish there was something else I could have done to bypass time but there wasn’t much to do when you are dead.