Secretly known

03

Elli's POV

After school I slump on our couch with my IPad. I need to find more information about ghosts. To be fair, I already know pretty much everything you need to know, but I just need to keep looking. Better safe than sorry. 

Dad is looking at pictures he took this morning. He even asked me to help him with choosing them, but I told him I didn't want to get into that and I still don't. There is no need to support this whole moving thing. The more time he needs equals more time to spend in this house.

Though I am sorry he has to do it. I know he doesn't want to move either. He's never said that out loud because he probably doesn't want Julie to feel guilty. You can see it in the way he talks and just everything he is doing lately. He seems emotionally exhausted. I wish I could help him. If only I know how...

A bit later Julie joins us. "Hey, Dad. What'cha working on?"

"Well, now that the house is on the market, we need to add some photos to the website. Help me pick some good ones. Elli didn't want to help."

Sorry not sorry, Dad. Like I said, this is just something I can't help you with because I want to stay in this house. Not that I would say that out loud. I wouldn't want to be a liability.

My mind zooms back to the articels I was reading online. Should I just go to my room? I don't want to have to listen to this. It's draining me.

"Kinda look like orbs, right?" THIS. This was my chance and I'm not about to let it slip. I need to find proof that Julie and I aren't crazy. I also want to catch her off guard. As much as I love her, there is nothing better than teasing her.

I jump up from the couch I was lying on. "Orbs?" I ask acting excited. Maybe it isn't that much acting. "I've seen some freaky stuff about those on YouTube" That's not even a lie "People say they're ghosts. What do you think, Julie?" She stooped crouching down, looking stressfuly at me. Yes. I totally caught her off guard.

"What? No. There is no such thing as ghosts. Sounds like someone's spending too much time on the Internet", she improvises. My Dad just noods his head. Well that totally backfired. I hate how she always wins at things like this.

"You can just trash those", she then continued. No. Don't trash those. I wanna see them. I need those. I need to collect all the proof I can find.

After saying that, Julie completely changes the subject. Well, coming to  think about it, not really, but kind of. We were, and kind of are, talking about pictures who have something to do with moving. So, technically she doesn't change the subject at all. It just shocks me, I guess.

"I was thinking, if we're just moving 'cause of me, and you and Elli wanna stay, I'm fine with that", she says with a little smile forming on her lips.

Before anyone is able to say anything else, I yelp out "I vote we stay!" and silently continue with "I don't wanna have to clean under my bed."

"Noted", my Dad takes notice of my comment.

Is this really happening? Are we staying? Like actually staying? Am I dreaming? What changed Julie's mind? Does this have anything to do with the boys? Why am I freaking out? Am I outwardly  freaking out? I hope not. So many questions...

Dad must be reading my mind or something "What made you have second thoughts?"

Julie answers his question in an instant "I don't know. I guess a combination of things" she chuckels lightly "I know tía says that moving is moving on, but I don't think that's the answer."

Agreed. You can't move on without dealing with your problems. You can try and avoid them, but never truly move on without it.

"I totally agree with you on that. I mean, I think... I think moving on has to come from the inside. And one of us took a huge step this morning", Dad tells her while I watch the conversation continue, not really knowing how to participate in it.

"All our memories of Mom are here, and we should be too" my sister adds as I give our Dad a pleading look "Can we stay?". Julie says my thoughts from the last couple of days out loud. 

There is a little nerve-wrecking pause before Dad happily informs us "All votes are in. Yes! Yes. Yes! Thank you" he chuckles. Yes, thank you Julie. I really really appreciate it. 

I'm happy.

Dad pulls both of us in a group hug. To be honest I don't exactly like the idea of hugging, but once in the while I need it. Right now is one of those moments and I am enjoying every single second of it.

He and Julie then go to the kitchen to call the real estate agent. This is my change.

I sit myself at his laptop and take the deleted pictures out of the trash files. There they are. Three yellowish bright spots. Those have to be the boys. 

My first real proof to prove they really exist.

My first real proof to prove that Julie and I aren't going insane.

***

A/N

Hey! 

Here is the third chapter. I hope you are enjoying it so far. 

Don't worry, more and more things are going to change up in the next couple of chapters. For example, the next chapter won't be Elli's POV.

Whose could it be?

I hope I can upload the next chapter soon in the next two days, but I'm not sure because I have a couple of exams coming up.

Anyway...

Let's get this party started.