CHAPTER 19

THE INVISIBLE BOYFRIEND

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As I kept pondering, I went boketto looking out the window. I knew there was a colossal likelihood that I might ruin the friendship if I confronted him. I didn't know where that would leave Irsia and Aiden as well.

"Margo, you alright?" Aiden asked me, handing the cup of tea to Verena. 

"Did you scare her?" he asked Verena.

"Why don't you ask her?" Verena took a sip, eyeing me ever so nonchalantly as if she hadn't thrown a grenade.

"I am fine," I muttered, not wanting to look at him.

"So, Margo, you may be in danger. But the good news is, you can thwart the threat if you block the thoughts." She paused for another sip. "I can only give you one piece of advice on this. If you follow that, you'd be invulnerable."

"What is it?" Aiden and I asked simultaneously.

"You know what Aiden? Let me ask her the questions." I snapped in a prodigal incense prompted by her nonchalance.

"Fine. Chill."

Verena put the cup down on the table and sighed. "I know how hard things are for you." She patted me.

"Don't do that. Don't patronize me," I growled. "Just tell me what you want to say. The piece of advice, I mean."

"Well, that... since you can block your thoughts, I think you can block your emotions too."
I didn't answer her. I looked straight at her, not afraid to show the vagueness of where I stood with her explanation.

She continued, "I mean, you were probably scared of what you saw in that house." She pointed her hand in the direction of Auroville Villa. "But you can block your scary thoughts. If you do that, the ghost can't manipulate you or possess you. Manipulating you will be the first step if it ever decides to act on the connection that it had established over you. Your stand on cold feet, you are a step closer to giving your body to her."

"That is not terrifying at all."

"That is the exact emotion that I want you to block," she declared as she stood up. She was about to leave. I wanted to ask her something about Aiden, but I couldn't since he was hovering.

"So Verns, you were completely useless today." Why did boys always give nicknames?

I sat still thinking about how to ask her about the Aiden stuff.

"Can I have your phone number?" I came up with this brilliant idea. "You know, just in case I have any doubts." Writing down her number, I felt relieved. When I went home and went over the details, if at all, I wanted to make something clear, I could call her from my mom's phone. I stood up as she marched to the threshold of the room.

"And oh, Aiden..." She turned toward us near the door. "I wasn't completely useless. And as for Margo, now that I've told you what I know, you better decide for yourself what thoughts to block and what not to block. Hope you understand."

"Wait. Hold on." Aiden stopped her. "Is he with you?" he asked her in a hushed voice, and he looked around as if he was searching for someone invisible. A moment of realization washed over me. Did she bring her ghost friend with her?

She laughed aloud. "Yes, he is. And Aiden, even if you look hard; you can't find him. He is hiding." She was all chirpy now.

"So, you two are officially a thing?" he asked her in a teasing tone giving his head a jesting tilt.

Officially a thing? My inner self was hyperventilating.

Now was the time to panic. She had brought a ghost with her. Her boyfriend was a ghost? Oh! God!

"We are." A bright smile crossed her face.

"Too bad I couldn't shake his hand." What? How could you shake hands with someone who is not from your realm and not made of the same matter as you?

"I'll go send her off." He walked her down the stairs.

I sat there, rummaging through my cloudy brain for a lame excuse to tell Aiden to go home immediately. Elec and Irsia would have finished the essay by now. To be honest, I needed a nap. I was so tired from thinking about a lot of things. This was what happened when I blocked my thoughts.

Blocking thoughts was like stuffing the thoughts in a small container when you know it won't fit, but you stuff it in a small container anyway. When you accidentally open or when you are forced to open the container, the thoughts just break the container and pop out. In this case, the container was some part of my brain. It broke and my thoughts were all over the place. I didn't know if I could dump it all in and block them sooner. It might take quite some hours or a few days. As I heard Aiden's footsteps, I colored my face normal or that's what I thought I did.

"She left?" I asked in the most innocent voice I could muster. I really didn't have the energy to comprehend why I felt guilty.

"Yeah." He slid into his chair. "Margo, you can block your thoughts and emotions? Like she said?"

"I guess."

"Try that."

"Did she bring her ghost boyfriend with her?" I couldn't stop myself from asking him that.

He laughed briefly. "They are so cute."

I couldn't make sense of that sentence that he uttered. "Cute?" I scoffed. "Really?" I raised my eyebrow. "Did you see them holding hands and walking into the sunset or something?"

"They are. Trust me. He is the reason that she has changed so much. If you hadn't noticed Margo, she isn't socially awkward like she used to be. He also trained her to use her powers."

Oh! I noticed her change, alright. It was all too much for me to take in. I asked him for a glass of water. He walked up to the bedside table, poured water from the jug, and brought me the ornate glass. 

"Can I ask you a favor?" He handed me the glass and suddenly I was very cautious about getting the glass without brushing his fingers with mine. Oh! For God's sake!

"Sure," I finally answered after making sure of my finger placement. "What is it?" I gulped down the water in swigs.

"Can you write a poem about love?"

I laughed. I almost spat the water out. Good Lord! I hard swallowed the last gulp of water and handed him the glass.

"Don't joke around while I'm drinking water." I coughed. I laughed. I shrugged. I was doing everything for him not to notice what I was trying to dodge. I placed a fist on my mouth.

"I didn't know it was funny. I am serious," he said, walking toward that bedside table to place the glass back in its place. I then knew why his room looked so tidy. If it were me, I would just leave the glass at the table where I was sitting, thinking I'd put it back later and then I'd abandon the glass.

"It is funny." I still had my fist on my mouth.

"Are you okay?" He walked back.

"Yeah." I shrugged and I moved my fist off my mouth.

I looked at my big toe and admired the cobalt blue nail polish. I was doing just about anything to avoid looking at him. It was awfully dumb. I took a deep breath and I then looked at him. He was right next to me. He was so tall. Did he always have hair like this? Long enough touching his nape and bouncy. He had a face that any girl would fall for him. Well, he had everything that any girl would fall for him. I didn't know why he always hung around with us when he could actually go out with anyone given the popularity of him. Well, he now was with Fiona Raddix. The odds of that was steep.

"Can you write a poem about love?"

It was never a problem for me to talk to him. Today it was. I couldn't pull words from my mouth. I was wondering if he could tell that I was acting weird. Actually, extra weird today.

"Yeah, I can." I cleared my throat. "But it'd be a sour one." I rubbed my throat as if it was sore or something.

"I don't mind a sour one."

"Okay, sure. But why?"

"Just write me one and I'll tell you why, when the reason hits me."

"You are bizarre today." I blamed him for being bizarre just to clear myself off the bizarre zone.

"I know. Just write one. I don't care if it's short or long, or if it has metaphors or if it rhymes."

I sighed... "Well, you have hit Kyle..." I dragged. And my lips dragged itself to the sides forming an involuntary smile.

He frowned. "Is that a yes?"

"Uh huh..."

I asked him for an umbrella just in case it rained when I walked to Elec's car or when I walked to my home from Elec's garage. I didn't want to get drenched. I was so determined in defeating the rain. There wasn't much of dark clouds, but there wasn't much of sun either. I was not going to take any chances. He brought me a black umbrella with a pointy metal on top of it. Old school but a classic. I loved it.

"I'm sorry to say this but you still look like you saw a PSB," he said as I stepped out of his house.

"That's because I need to tell my friends about what happened here." I paused, and I turned around to finish the sentence, because if I walked and talked holding my bag and the umbrella, there was a huge chance that I'd land on my face given the fact that his garden had big fancy stones. "And they are already angry because you didn't tell them about her."

"Makes sense." He nodded; leaning on the door frame with his hands crossed, and I was already walking toward the gate, waving my hand without turning again.

A sudden thought hit me that had never occurred to me before. Did Elec and Irsia know about Aiden's proclivity for me? Because Irsia would have guessed and Elec would have smelled it. Especially, if there was a photo of Aiden and me in the school page. Was that why Elec had hated Aiden always? Was that why she mentioned to me that she felt that he might come between Elec and I? How was I supposed to tell them about what happened between Aiden and Kyle last night? This could have been so much easier if I knew what I felt about him. I was not sure of my own feelings or was I living in denial? I didn't realize that I pressed on the calling bell as I was so lost in thoughts. It was Irsia who opened the door.

"Margo??? You look like you've seen a ghost," she said, looking straight at my pale face.

"I'm alright. Shut up," I groused.

"Uh... no you are not." Came Elec's voice from behind Irsia, who was stuffing her mouth with a slice of orange.

"Is that an orange? I need one." I felt lightheaded with so much information wafting in my brain.

"Get in and please don't faint." Irsia said with her hands in prayer position.

"Shhhhhhut up."

"Whose umbrella is that?" Elec accused me.

"Aiden's. In case it rains," I explained, ignoring her accusatory tone.

I walked in thinking where to begin and I pictured myself telling them the truth about Verena and I pictured it going well. I sat in Irsia's bed and Irsia near me. Elec sat at the brown doyle arm chair and handed me a slice of orange. Irsia's window was closed. I was glad that she had shut down that dangerous curiosity in her.

"Sorry, that was the last orange." She smiled mischievously showing her teeth for a split second.

"Ummm... I have something to tell you," I said, chewing. Struggling to be casual.

"We know." Unison.

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