RILEY

Valerie spends her first full day of suspension with me. She books a visiting time for us to go to Herper's college the following day, but in the meantime, she'd wanted to continue to research ghosts, while sitting outside on the grass.

However, about two hours in, she throws one of the books at a tree, causing me to immediately pause in graffitiing the front of the caravan. I glance over at her, and she is pacing up and down the grass, biting her thumb nail again. I walk over to her cautiously.

"That was a library book you just threw, right?"

She stops pacing midway.

"What's wrong?" I ask her. She spins around to look at me and gestures toward the pile of books near her.

"All these books. And I don't understand anything they're talking about. It feels like you already have to be experienced to read stuff like that. They're going on about apparitions and medium levels and the worst part? None of it seems to apply to you. To us."

"Okay. Well, let's just think for a moment-"

"You think that's not what I'm doing?"

"Well you don't have to get all worked up about it."

Valerie's jaw sets, and she folds her arms, glancing away from me. "I don't understand any of it. I hate not understanding things. I need a clear idea of this situation so that I know what to do..."

"Valerie, relax. We're in no hurry. I'm in no hurry to go, alright? In fact, if anything, I want us to take as much time as possible, so I can spend more time with you." I tell her, feeling relieved when her tense shoulders relax, and she exhales.

"Right." She unfolds her arms and stretches, before nodding over to the caravan. "What you doing over there?"

"Testing out the new colours from the cans in the box. I found some graffiti pens too." I take one of the cans out of my pocket and throw it to her. She just about catches it. "Why don't we do some of that practising now? It could do you some good."

Valerie glances down at the can and then nods, before following me to the front of the van, where random colours have been sprayed all over it. "Now," I shake the can in my hand, "before anything just know that you shouldn't underestimate graffiti. It may look pretty easy, but it takes practise like everything else."

Valerie nods again, and I can see her eyes are now sparked with curiosity. She shakes her own can, mimicking my actions, and then says, "Now what? I just spray it on?"

"You have to learn the basics. So can control. You create different strokes with different techniques and different caps. I've given you a standard cap on your can to make it easy to try out different ones. So hold it like this." I put my forefinger on the cap, and she copies me. Pointing it toward the van, I spray a long, blue stripe down the front. "Depending on how far you're aiming it, the stroke would be thick or dusty."

"I don't know what the hell that means." Valerie replies, baffled. She sprays a clumsy, messy line that causes me to wince. She looks at me and shrugs.

"Not like that. If you hold it far it ends up with that dusty look which you don't want unless you're deliberately trying to get a dusty look."

"You're not making sense." Valerie comments dryly, causing me to get irritated. She snickers when she notices my annoyance, and I turn back to the van, spraying another three strokes.

"This stroke is bolder, see? Because I'm holding it at the right length. This one is all drippy and liquidy because it was too close, and this one looks dried out because it's too far. Make sense now?"

"I suppose so. Let me try again."

I spend the rest of the afternoon teaching Valerie basic skills with the spray can, and showing her the different sized caps and colours to try out. As I watch how she clumsily attempts each technique, basic things I've found so easy to do, I'm reminded of back when I started to get into graffiti. I'd always been a bit of an art fanatic, so Mum sent me to the art club at my school where I first met Macey, and I'd later convinced Ash to join. The first time we started graffiti, we tried it on newspapers at first. Then we started experimenting on clothes and other things. I was clumsy with the can too, at first. Macey was the one who taught me, with much yelling and impatience, how to do it properly.

I can't wait to see him.

Valerie is definitely in a better mood by the time she's finally worn out from all the practising. She has spray paint all over her sweater too, but she doesn't seem to mind. "That was actually pretty fun." She says, as she helps me put the cans back into the box, and then carries them into the van. "You know, it's pretty convenient you can still use these."

"I know right? I don't know what I'd do without them." I follow her into the van. "I can't wait for us to start getting to the good stuff. You'll love it."

Once everything is inside, Valerie fishes some biscuits and a flask out of her rucksack, and then sits on the step at the entrance of the caravan. She really seems to feel at home here already. I'm happy about that. This place is feeling more like home to me too. But then my face falls, when I realise Valerie's expression has gone serious again. I place my hands into my jacket pocket, and frown.

"Aww, man. You're telling me you're already in a mood again?"

"Not in a mood. Just thinking."

" 'Bout what?"

Valerie munches on her chocolate chip cookie for a moment, before saying. "Just thinking about how much I could benefit from someone more experienced teaching me a thing or two about spirits and ghosts."

I roll my eyes. "How are you more caught up on that than me?"

She glances up at me. "Because."

"Because what?"

"I dunno. Just because it's something to do?"

"I find that hard to believe."

She shrugs. "Well, then. I don't really know why I'm so determined. Anyway, my point is I think I know someone who could help. But they're kind of the last person I want to talk to right now."

It takes me a moment to realise she's probably talking about Fraya. She has mentioned before that Fraya was into a lot of spiritual stuff. However, I don't speak my thoughts. But could she really be considering going to ask her for help?

Valerie sips whatever drink is in her flask, and then lets out a sigh. "I don't know. I just don't know how that would turn out."

Valerie puts her flask down, and then rests her head in her hands. "I...um. Me and Fraya used to go out. We didn't exactly end on amazing terms."

I'd thought about that. It's easy to see, with the way she talks about her. I feel a pang of disappointment though. But I don't think I'd have a chance with her either way. I sit on the grass in front of her. "Was it so bad that she wouldn't help you out on something like this?"

"It's not even that. She spoke to me recently, but there was still a lot of tension. I just feel like she keeps wanting to mess with me. So I left her in a mood," she groans. "I just know that if I go back to ask her for anything, she'll start messing with me again. I can't deal with that right now."

I nod. "I get that. We can always find another way."

"I don't even think there is another way at this point."

"Valerie...you're trying to get things done way too fast. Just think about things for a while. I don't want you to make this like it's some kind of strict mission. Please just chill for a bit longer, alright? It's enough that we're going to see Macey tomorrow. Trust me." When she takes her hands from her face to look up at me, I smile at her. "You really trying to get rid of me that fast?"

"NO. You know it's not that."

"Well, you never exactly gave me a valid reason why you were so determined, so it's up to our interpretation, right? My guess is you just don't want me around so you get more space in the caravan."

Valerie laughs. "Don't be stupid. What space can you even take up? You're not solid."

"I'm just telling you my interpretation." I grin at her, and she rolls her eyes.

"If I could, I'd push you right now."

"If I could, I'd just push you back."

"Shut up, Riley." She hides her smile in her scarf.

*******************************************

When Valerie meets me at the park the next day from restocking at her house, she's freshened up and looks just as excited as I feel about what is about to happen.

I'm going to see Macey. I'm actually going to see him after all this time. A million different thoughts swarm through my head, a mix of good and bad and worry: What would he think when he sees me? Would he want to see me? Would he be able to see me? How much has he grown or changed? What would I even say to him?

The questions are never ending, as me and Valerie head to the train station together, Valerie keeping her head down and trying to avoid the stares from passersbys. I look around at them, wondering why they have so much hate for her. Is it really her parents? Was she really that big of a problem child? I wish I could know the whole story.

I already know what Macey would say about all this. You fool, why would you hang out with someone who has such a bad reputation? That's such a huge red flag. He was obsessed with talking about red flags. Everyone seemed to have one, according to him. But Valerie...whatever she has done or has gone through, all I care about at this moment is that she has been good to me. She's done something that I don't think a lot of people would have offered to do. And I don't think it's simply because she's got nothing else to do.

The train station is just at the edge of town, which isn't that far from the woods, so we don't have to walk for that long. Valerie definitely seems to relax as we approach more grassland, the houses and buildings staying behind us, as well as the hustle of the streets and the roars of cars. I rarely ever went out of town, as was the case for most people in BridgeTown , and so it feels strange leaving it behind me, even if I'm not going that far.

"Do you go out of town much?" I ask Valerie.

"Nope. No idea where to go, and I'm usually broke, so."

"Oh."

We continue through a tunnel of small trees that bend over and shield us from the grey sky, blankets of red and yellow leaves falling from them. There are some leaves that fall on Valerie's shoulders and in her hair, but she doesn't seem to care. She has been pretty quiet for most of the walk, but I realise now that during these long periods of silence are just her living in her deep thoughts. I wish she spoke more what she felt.

"How you feeling?" I ask her, and she snickers.

"I should be asking you that question. But if I'm honest, I'm kinda nervous. I think it's gonna be awkward too, since he doesn't know me and all."

So this is what she's worried about. She should stop beating herself up."That's fine. I can just explain things to him, I'm sure he won't have a problem."

"Bruh...You're gonna have a lot of explaining to do." Valerie chuckles, and I purse my lips. I really would have a lot to explain to Macey. But to be honest, the fact that I can see him again is more than enough.

Things are already starting to look up. Maybe it really is possible for me to be at peace.

When the train station is in sight, and we are approaching the end of the tunnel, Valerie checks her phone for the time. "We should try to hurry up. It'll be here any minute." We quicken our pace, and I notice Valerie stealing several quick glances at me as we approach the station.

"Okay, spill. What's with the weird silences and the looks?" I ask her, frustrated from trying to suppress the questions.

"Nothing." Valerie turns away from me when she pays for her ticket at the machine, and walks toward the platform, just as the train slows to a halt on the tracks. People file out of the opened automatic doors, bustling and chatting, as the robotic voice echoes across the station from the speaker.

...BridgeTown to Herpers. Please mind the gap between the platform and the train.

It feels like a completely different environment already, and I already feel like I've stepped out of the comfort of the village-like feel of BridgeTown. I follow Valerie onto the train, and we find a pair of seats. "Hopefully no one sits here." I mutter when I sit down next to her.

Valerie plumps her bag on the seat I'm on, and I feel quite uncomfortable about it,but she doesn't seem to notice. "Hopefully they won't be doing that now." Well, I suppose that's one way to do it.

When the train starts moving, it's only then that things start to really sink in. We're going to see him. We're going to see my best friend. And very soon, maybe all three of us could be together again.