A Girl Between Read Free Page B

refreshments.  I stayed downstairs with them for as long as
I felt I should, and then I crept up to my room.  I was so tired.  They
wouldn't miss me if I just lay down on my bed for a few minutes.  I just needed
to take a break.
    I was startled awake when I felt someone sit on my bed.  I
looked over.  Why is Frank sitting there, staring at me?  Is this another Frank
nightmare?  Am I still sleeping?  He’s scaring me.  Isn’t he dead?  I put out
my hand to see if I could touch him, but I only felt air.  He’s still there,
though.  I can see him.  He had a really horrible look in his eye, like he
wanted to hurt me, so I finally spoke to him.  "Frank, what are you doing
here?  What do you want?"
    "Why did you want me to die?" Frank growled.
    "What are you talking about?" I asked.
    "The reason I'm here is because of you."  Frank
moved in close to frighten me.  It was working.
    "That makes no sense, Frank.  I didn't do anything to
you."
    He moved to within an inch of my face and stared at me.  He
didn't look right.  He frequently got mad, but this was very different.  His
eyes had a wild look about them, like he was angry and petrified at the same
time.  "You started things up.  Once you got things rolling, my time
came."
    "What are you talking about?  You died in a car
accident.  That had nothing to do with me."
    "It had everything to do with you!" He screamed
hoarsely at me.
    “You’re crazy.  You’re just in my dream anyway,” I pushed
back, trying to convince myself.
    He pointed to my eyes and glared at me, “You have the ‘Sight’,
because you’re one of them.  I knew it the first time I saw you.  It was strong
then.  I kept you close, so you wouldn’t use it, but it’s in you.  You used it
against me.  I didn’t see this coming.”  Frank’s face started to look blurry.
    “What sight are you talking about Frank?  Don’t go away.  Please
tell me,” I pleaded.
    He was shrinking and fading before my eyes, but he croaked,
“They’re watching you now.  I’m warning you!”
    Frank looked terrified.  “Please, NOOOO.  I must go now.  They
want me now.  Ohhh, no, NO, Please, please. . . . ,” Frank’s voice ended in a
whispery shriek.
    Suddenly, I could hear a knocking sound.  I looked around.  Was
I sleeping?  Was that a dream?  It was my aunt knocking on the door, "Tessie,
your Great Aunt Sandy and Uncle Jimmy are leaving.  Can you come out and say
goodbye to them?"
    After everyone left our house, I finally had a chance to think
about the dream.  It wasn’t like dreams usually are, kind of fuzzy and distant.
 With dreams, you forget most of the details after a short period of time.  This
dream was so real, however.  I could recall every detail.  I also experienced
the same feeling I always got when around Frank; a combination of panic and
loathing.  I could even detect Frank’s scent in the dream.  He always smelled
of lava soap and car grease.  Then I noticed something that really creeped me
out.  I had ironed a silk blouse and left it on the edge of my bed.  I decided
not to wear it to the funeral.  It was still there, nice and smooth, when I lay
down to take my nap.  After I got up, it wasn’t flat anymore.  It looked like
someone had sat there, right on top of it.

4.  Change
    Things were really quiet around here, for the first week or so
after Frank’s funeral.  We were all shaken up for different reasons, so we
coped by returning to our daily routine of school, homework and chores.  However,
it was only a matter of time before that changed.  It began to dawn on me and
my cousins that we were no longer banned from the world of high school.  Aunt
Amy set up some rules, but they were nothing like the house arrest that Frank
had imposed on us.  So, we jumped right in, joining different sports and
activities, and having some friends over to the house.  Annie also got herself
a job in a local real estate office.  By that time, I had put