You in Real Life

Chapter 4

My parents glanced at each other, then looked back at Kayla before they began to contradict each other.

"It's been our dream for a long time," my mother stated.

My father's answer, layered over my mom's, didn't exactly match up. "We just did it on a whim. Life's an adventure, right?"

"Huh..." Kayla wrote in her notebook. "That says something about you two, all right. Next question. What kind of business plan do you have? And do you know what a business plan is?"

Mom jumped on this one. "Of course. She took a binder out of the sleeve of her laptop case and handed it to Kayla. "Take a look. What do you think?"

My parents leaned in towards her as she read over their plan.

After a few moments, Kayla placed the binder on the table and closed it. "I can work with this. Last question. Where do you see yourselves in five years?"

Dad answered this time. "Running one of the most popular restaurants in town."

Kayla looked up at me. "What about you?"

"Me?" My cheeks flushed. "Anywhere but running the most popular restaurant in Dorn, hopefully."

She stood up and pushed her chair in. "You and me both. But for the remaining years I'm stuck here enduring institutionalized education, I'm going to give this place a go."

She shook my parents' hands like she was an executive giving her underlings their Christmas bonuses. "Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Rivera. You're in a much better position now that I'm on board. I'll see you tomorrow, so we can discuss the grand opening. Mazie..." She bobbed her head in my way as she walked towards the front door. "I'll see you in the hallowed halls of Dorn High. Bu-bye."

My parents stood on either side of me as we watched her get into her car and drive away.

"At least you'll know one person in town when you start school," Mom said.

I already knew someone, I thought to myself, but she had a point. Kayla was a living, breathing person who hopefully wouldn't up and disappear with no warning. And she didn't seem to hate me. It was a start.

#

We arrived home from the restaurant earlier than originally anticipated. Cut off from my phone all day due to my parents' misguided belief that I needed regular cyber breaks, all I wanted was to message Chelsea and tell her about Kayla and the cherubs. My phone was where I'd left it, on the nightstand next to my bed, and next to my nightstand, was Jack.

"Oh my God, Jack. You're back! I thought maybe you'd already been reborn as a kangaroo or were singing with a heavenly choir or something."

Jack, as he so often did, gave me a confused, doleful look. "I know I've been gone, but I can't remember anything about it." He walked over to the window and gazed out at the world beyond it. "I don't understand what's happening to me. It sucks being dead. I'd caution you against it."

"Being dead? Pretty sure it's an unavoidable situation in the end."

"You know what I mean."

I stood shoulder to spectral shoulder with him. "There has to be a reason you're here haunting me and not some other person in some other house. Maybe I'm meant to be the one who figures out who you are and why you're trapped here.

He kept his gaze on the road. "Maybe."

"Oh, and you know what? I can introduce you to my parents. They'll see that I'm not crazy and they'll know how to help you. Well, probably not that second part. That's going to be me all the way. But they can assist me." I headed towards my door. "Stay here. Whatever you do, do not go buzzing away again. I'll be right back."