Owen

Lainey flips the sun visor down with a huff, "Watch my cheek bruise." She glares at me. "If it does I'm so getting you back."

I groan, "Lane, you will be fine. I hit you with a pillow."

There's that nickname slipping out again.
I internally cringe.

This morning, I happened to wake up before Lainey. While she was curled up on her side I took my pillow and hit her in the face. Which awoke her.

Well, let me be more specific, I awoke The Kraken, The Beast, The Devil himself.

To say she attacked me with her pillow would be putting it gently. I definitely could tell she grew up with two brothers.

"You hit me pretty damn hard with a pillow," Lainey grumbles.

I park the car on the side of the road in front of Maize's house, "Are you sure she's going to be home?"

Lainey unbuckles her seat belt, "It's a Saturday during spring break and her best friend is in the hospital." Before she gets out of the car, she looks at me with a glare, "I am pretty fucking sure she's home."

I let out a long breath and followed her up Maize's driveway. "It seems someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed," I say as we walk up the steps to Maize's front porch.

I low sound comes from Lainey, that almost sounds like a growl, "Let's see how much you like it when I hit you in the face with a damn pillow at six-thirty in the morning."

Okay, she is being dramatic it wasn't six-thirty.

It was six-forty-five.

Lainey reaches out to ring Maize's doorbell and her hand passes through it, causing her to let out an annoyed hiss.

"Oh my gosh, it's like you're a... ghost," I say dryly.

Lainey gives me a humorless smile and shoves me towards the door. I silently ring the doorbell and a few moments later footsteps sound on the other side.

An older woman opens the door and silently gasps as her face morphs into a look of shock. "You're not Trey," She says.

"Nope," I reply.

I almost say, "What gave it away? The muscles, the lack of freckles, and flame-colored hair?" But I didn't want to come off as a smart ass.

Lainey pinches my side, "I'm Owen."

The woman nods. "Tell her you have to help Maize with a school project," Lainey blurts.

"I'm here to help Maize with a school project," I say through gritted teeth.

Maize's mom just stares at me. "Maize someone is here to see you," She yells.

"Great," I whisper. There is no way this is going to work; Maize is never going to let me in her home.

There are more sounds of footsteps and Maize takes her mother's place. When she sees me her eyes narrow, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to help you work on the project," I say with raised eyebrows, hoping she goes along with the lie since her mom is most likely listening on the other side.

"Tell her it's the freestyle project and you want to do it on Taylor Swift's life," Lainey blurts.

My head whips in her direction and I have to bite my tongue to keep from asking her what the hell she means by that. I have to remember that I'm the only one who can see her.

Looking to my left and yelling, "What the hell do you want me to say," Would make me look crazy.

I give Maize a look that I hope conveys, Please help me out here and go along with the lie.

"I'm here for the group freestyle project, I was thinking we could do it on Taylor Swift's life."

Maize gives me a skeptical look, "Oh yeah I forgot about that."

So that must have been so type of code thing between them.

She lets me in and Lainey slips in behind us. I grab her arm as we walk up the stairs behind Mazie, "You can't just talk to me while I'm trying to talk to someone."

Lainey just sticks her tongue out.

Maize opens her bedroom door and puts a stuffed cat in front of the door, I glance at it and Lainey smiles. "Her dad makes her use that when she has a male in her room, it's to make sure the door doesn't shut."

I roll my eyes and Maize points at her desk chair as she sits on her bed, Lainey sits down on a bean bag chair in the corner.

"So what brings you to my front doorstep, Huntley," Maise asks coldly.

I sigh and Lainey waves her hand as if signaling me to answer.

She owes me big time.

"Well Miss, Maize St. James I just so happen to be one damn lucky fellow because I can see your best friend that should be laying in a hospital."

~~~~

"What did you just say?" Maize exclaims.

"I can see Lainey," I say slowly, drawing out each word.

"Yeah, so can anyone else that visits her at the hospital," Maize snaps.

I sigh, "No, I can see her all the time like she's not in a coma." I reply.

Maize rolls her eyes, "Let me guess she's in here right now."

I nod and Maize's eyes darken.

"Owen, I'm not going to fall for some stupid prank you're trying to pull," Maize says coldly. "If you don't have anything important to talk about then you can leave."

I put my head in my hands, and I hear Lainey hum as if in thought. "Tell her about the time in freshmen year when she had a huge crush on Steve from Stranger Things, and she swore she saw him at the mall. She then went up to this random guy and asked for his autograph and a picture."

A small smile dances on my lips as I relay the message to Maize.

"What are you trying to do? Do you think telling me secrets about myself will make me believe you?" Maize says with her arms crossed.

I glance at Lainey as she rubs her chin, "Tell her about the time she laughed so hard watching How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days that she peed her pants."

My smile spreads as I tell Maise what Lainey said.

Maize's face flushes red and she clears her throat. "You could have gotten that from anyone."

I look back to Lainey for more information.
A smirk starts to form on her face as she thinks of another secret. "Tell her you know about the crush she has on Trey. She'll believe you because no one knows but me."

My mouth drops open in shock as I turn back to Maize. I've never would have thought she would ever have a crush on him. "I know you have a huge crush on Trey," I say with an evil smirk.

Maize's face pales as she gasps, "You really can see Lainey."

"Wow, no shit," I snap.

Maize starts frantically looking around, "Where is she?"

I point to the bean bag chair that's in the corner and Maize's eyes tear up. "Are you okay?"

Lainey nods and gently wipes her eyes. "She says she's okay," I say in translation.

Maize takes a deep breath and says, "What happened, why is Owen Huntley able to see you and I can't?"

"Lainey thinks a wish she made on her birthday is the reason why I am the only one who can see her."

As soon as that sentence leaves my mouth Lainey's face pales and she waves her arms. "Owen why did you tell her that!" Lainey yells.

I shrug, "I thought that was part of our plan!"

Lainey groans and Maize stares at me with an unreadable look. "Did Lainey just yell at you?"

I nod. "Yeah, she does that a lot."

Lainey simply flips me off.

Maize tilts her head, "Is there any way I can communicate with her without you having to translate."

I give her a dead look, "No Maize, I don't think so."

Lainey stands up and places both of her hands on Maize's shoulders. Maize freezes, "Is she touching my shoulders."

"Yep," I say with a voice laced with boredom.

Lainey glances at me, "What if I text Maize from your phone."

I glare at her, "How is that going to work?"

Maize then glares at me. "What did she say."

I ignore Maize. "We can try it and see," Lainey argues.

I cross my arms, "Why can't I just translate?"

Lainey narrows her eyes at me and Maize groans, "For the love of god, Owen, what did she say!"

I throw my arms up, "I can't talk to two people at once so can you wait a damn minute!"

Both women glared at me.

I sigh, there is no winning. I pull out my phone and hand it to Maize, "Put your freaking number in it so y'all can talk about whatever crap Lainey has to keep so damn private."

Lainey's mouth drops open. "Is it so hard for you to think about someone other than yourself for once."

"What the hell do you think I'm doing here?" I shout back.

Maize just continues typing her number into my phone as if I'm not yelling at a wall.

"You know how hard it is the have to share everything with someone I hardly know and just a few days ago despised?" Lainey throws back. "So forgive me if I would like to talk to my best friend in fucking private," She adds coldly.

Despite everything shes said before, that hurts more than I let on. "Fine, I'll leave you two girls alone."

Before either of them can say a word I get up and walk out.

If she wants damn privacy then I'll give it to her.

I thought we were going to work together not her having Maize help her.

It shouldn't bother me that she doesn't trust me.

It shouldn't bother me that she wants Maize to help her with something.

But I would be lying if I said it didn't.