CHAPTER 16: "Lilah, please open up."

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I yawn as I sit in English Literature while listening to my teacher drone on about Hamlet. I already finished the play, questions and essay, leaving me to complete boredom.

I figured that I'll catch up on my schoolwork and finish some ahead of time, to make sure that if a supernatural emergency does pop up, that my academics won't fall behind.

It's been a week since the whole Catherine incident. I still didn't talk to anyone, except Zayn and Adam about what happened. I avoided Granny Rose and Mom. I just need time to thoroughly plan everything. If aunt Shelby is what Catherine said she is, she'll be smart and see something coming from a mile away. Therefore I have to be smarter and plan around that. Once I have an ironclad plan, I'll go to Granny Rose, build my strength, confront my parents and then face Shelby. This way is much safer for everyone involved. It beats me acting irrationally and doing something stupid without having to think it through.

And besides, I have Adam and Zayn. They'll definitely keep me grounded.

After realising that I have much more power than Granny Rose let me believe, I tried figuring out what exactly I can do. So far all I've discovered is three things:

One, if I concentrate enough, I can actually move things. Not much or really as excessive like demolishing a building or something, but small to medium sized objects. But that takes some toll on me and really tires me out, so I avoid that.

Two: since seeing Catherine's vision, I realised that I managed to let my emotions influence the weather. Still, I cannot conjure up an entire tornado, but what I can do is maybe cause a wind if I manage my emotions. Still, everything is so new.

Three: Zayn was actually the one who introduced me to this. After brainstorming with him for a while, we came to the conclusion that my hold in the spirit world is much stronger than I thought. Apart from seeing and occasionally touching ghosts, I can enter the spirit plain. This basically means that I see exactly what they see, which isn't much. It's exactly like our living side, except eerily quiet and foggy. I think its the limbo that ghosts like Zayn is trapped in. I can freely walk around there, but I went out as soon as I could, since I don't know exactly what will happen if I stay there too long.

Now that I'm kind of more clued up with my own abilities, Zayn and Adam think that it's time to talk to Granny Rose. I however, still believe that I need to wait a while, but that's still under debate.

Catherine also didn't contact me again. She kept silent this past week, but my gut feeling is telling me that she's hiding. Probably from whatever "spies" aunt Shelby put on me.

The bell cuts me off from my thoughts and I gather my books and binders in my bag. I get up and Lilah falls into step with me. She looks awfully pale and I narrow my eyes at her.

"Lilly, are you okay?" I ask softly eyeing her with care.

"Uh, y-yeah, I'm fine. Just tired." She mutters, obviously lying, but I don't push her. I just nod and we walk in silence to the cafeteria.

When we reach there, I sit down next to Becca and she frowns as she looks at Lilah. I simply shrug and pull out my chicken sandwich.

Oliver sits down next to Lilah and puts a comforting arm around her chair and shakes his head at my and Becca's questioning looks. Brad plops down in front of me and starts rambling about the football team, not seeing Lilah's odd mood. Adam texted me this morning that he took the day off since he feels a bit under the weather, so it's just us.

"So, I told coach Donovan that Matt is better at playing defense than offense, but no." He complains further.

A part of me feels content. Minus Lilah's weird mood; everything is sort of normal. This is what I truly needed, a day without ghost dramas, creepy aunts, supernatural problems, just a normal day where everything goes-

"Could you shut up, Brad!" Lilah yells jumping up and sending Brad death glares.

Brad freezes and watches her with shocked eyes with his mouth parted.

I think Brad is representing us all, since that's probably how all of us are looking at Lilah.

"There is bigger problems in the world than football!" She continues in a loud voice, just as Matt passes by. He mutters something along the line of 'psycho', causing Lilah to turn towards him with a vicious glare.

"Oh, and Matt, Brad here thinks that you're incapable of playing offense, so maybe go work on that instead of calling me a psycho!" She yells and I can't help but snigger at Brad's deer caught in headlights face.

The entire cafeteria is looking at us and Lilah bolts up and angrily walks out, shutting the doors behind her, leaving everyone in a death like silence.

What do I have to do for a day to go right?

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"Lilah, please open up." Becca coaxes again as we're standing outside of her bedroom door.

After the cafeteria incident, she went home and we came after school to find out what's wrong. Her parents weren't home, so we knocked but the front door was open so we walked in. Lilah is in her room since we can hear her sobbing.

"Leave me alone!" She yells and I run a hand through my hair. I look at Becca exhausted and she shrugs and bangs on the door.

"I swear Lilah if you don't let us in, I'll break this damn door down!" Becca shouts back, rolling her eyes.

Jeez, what happened to calming Becca I witnessed moments ago.

"Lilly, please." I plead and try the doorknob again. It stubbornly stays locked, when a thought crossed my mind.

"Becca, go get her some water and some kind of snack, maybe that will get her out." I say, hoping Becca will buy it.

She looks at me like I'm crazy, but shrugs and nods and walks down the stairs. I take a deep breath and focus on the locked door.

I picture the door unlocking and opening and focus all my senses on it. I open my eyes, prepared to meet failure. I jiggle the doorknob once again and then it opens. I refrain from jumping in victory and walk inside.

Lilah sits up and looks at me with narrowed eyes. Shit, I didn't think it'll work. Now I need an explanation.

"It open after I jiggled it a few times." I say, hoping she'd buy it. She just shakes her head and tries to tame her appearance.

Her normal pitch black hair is tied in a messy bun, her makeup is streaked over her face and she honestly looks like hell.

I carefully sit next to her on the bed and just bite the bullet.

"Lilly, please, talk to me." I say softly and her hardened exterior cracks. She buries herself into my shoulder and cries. Becca walks in, places the snacks down and joins our group hug.

After a few minutes she pulls away, dries her eyes and looks at us

"I'm pregnant." She says and my eyes widen.

"W-what?" I stutter.

"Does Oliver know?" Becca asks softly..

"No, he just thinks its family drama. I can't tell him, I don't know what to do." She says and cries again.

Not knowing what to do or say to our best friend, we only hug her tightly, offering our comfort and support.

"It's okay, Lilah. We're here for you." I whisper, rubbing her back.

"Yeah, always, cause that's what friends are for." Becca says determinedly.

In this moment I wish that I can tell them about everything. Lilah trusted us enough to let us in on her secret and for that I am grateful, but that isn't something I can do. Not because I don't trust my friends, because I do, but because I can't put them in that kind of danger.

It's bad enough that Adam is involved, so involving all of my friends isn't something I can do.

I have to keep them safe, especially now that two of them will become parents.

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