The End or Something Like That Read Free

her feel better.”
    That was true.
    We sat on Kim’s bedroom floor and, before she opened the box, she said this, she said, “Promise me you won’t laugh.”
    We were supposed to be studying for biology, and I looked at her.
    â€œWhat?”
    She cleared her throat. “I’m serious about this, Em. Promise me you won’t laugh.”
    I sat on my hands so she wouldn’t see that I was starting to shake.
    â€œPromise me,” she said again.
    Kim never got like this.
    â€œOkay,” I said.
    â€œPromise.”
    â€œI promise,” I said.
    She pulled the books out of the box.
    â€œThis one,” she said, holding up Reunions , “this one was on the Today Show. ”
    â€œSo?”
    â€œSo. It’s legit.”
    She turned it over and showed me the picture of the lady on the back. She had silver hair and yellow teeth and she was wearing a tiara.
    Kim read the bio out loud: “‘Tennesa Green, medium to the stars, shows readers in eloquent and insightful prose how easy it can be to communicate with their loved ones. Miss Green lives in Bowling Green, North Carolina, with her three cats, Prince, Princess, and Pea.’”
    â€œPrince, Princess, and Pea?”
    â€œI told you not to laugh,” she said.
    â€œI’m not laughing.”
    â€œGood because it’s not funny.”
    â€œI know,” I said. “It’s not funny at all.”
    â€œIf I had three cats that’s what I would name them.”
    â€œI know,” I said. “Totally.”
    â€œTotally,” she said, and then we both started laughing.
    â€¢
    She assigned me two books: Hello from Heaven and Talking to Heaven: A Medium’s Message of Life After Death.
    I was supposed to read them, take notes, and then report back.
    When I got home, I put them in my underwear drawer and sat in the closet.
    â€¢
    We didn’t talk about the books again, and I thought it was over.
    I hoped it was over. Most of the time I liked to pretend like nothing was wrong.
    She was fine.
    But then, a month later she called me and said this: “I found a real live medium trainer.”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œI found a guy.”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œCome over.”
    I sat on the phone for a second, trying to figure out what she was saying. She was talking fast and what?
    â€œCome over.”
    It was ten on a school night.
    â€œI can’t.”
    â€œOf course you can.”
    â€œHow?”
    â€œTell Joe to bring you.”
    I hesitated. Joe wouldn’t drive me over there and really, I didn’t want to go. The whole thing made me feel sick.
    â€œEmmy?”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œTell Joe. It’s important.”
    I walked across the hall to Joe’s room. He was playing video games.
    â€œCan you take me to Kim’s?”
    â€œNo,” he said.
    â€œPlease?”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œWhy not?”
    â€œBecause I don’t want to.”
    I stood there. “He won’t take me,” I said into the phone.
    â€œLet me talk to him.”
    I gave the phone to Joe and he said, “What?”
    Kim said something to him and he turned red. “Shut up,” he said.
    Then he started laughing.
    â€œFine,” he said. Then he handed the phone back to me.
    â€œOkay,” she said.
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œHe’ll bring you.”
    I looked at him. He was back into his game, sniping guys in the water.
    â€œWhat did you say to him?”
    â€œWho cares?”
    So Joe took me to Kim’s apartment, and while he went to get some sunflower seeds at Smiths, I found out about Dr. Ted Farnsworth.
    â€œWho?”
    â€œDr. Ted Farnsworth.”
    I sat on her bed and she scrolled down on the page.
    â€œHe’s from Texas.”
    â€œSo?”
    â€œSo my dad was from Texas.”
    I blew out some air. Trish told us that once. That Kim’s dad was from Texas and he drove a Corvette. Blah blah blah.
    Kim kept