HAUNTED PRINCE by DENIS DANIEL (children's ebooks free online txt) 📕

“What if we make a little trade? You tell me what upset you and I tell you my new secret.”

“No,” she almost sounded convincing but I knew her better than that.

“Are you sure?” I asked with a doubtful face,

“Fine, do you know Dick, of course you know him. He asked me to go to Chloe’s party with him.”

“Chloe one of your friends, what exactly is so upsetting about that?”

“He is one of the biggest douche in school. He thought because he is in the football team he can go with me.”

There, I found my chance and I didn’t waste it, “I think you should go, not with him of course but you should go.”

“Since when do you support parties?” she looked at me suspiciously as if she knew something was coming up with that sentence.

“I don’t, in fact I hate them. But in another life I would’ve loved to go to a party and get drunk like everybody else. In this life I can’t and that shouldn’t stop you from experiencing it, at least for me. Do you remember when we talked about living your life to the fullest? You can start with that party tonight.” I wasn’t sure if I convinced her but I was relieved I did,

“So let’s just say I agree to go. What about mom? She won’t let us go just like that. And if you are thinking of sneaking out don’t bother because we won’t take one step out the door before she catch us. You know how hyper sensitive she is, don’t you?”

“If we talk to her together, she will let us go.”

“What am I supposed to say to her exactly?”

“What else will you say to her?”

“So, you are saying I should just say I want to go to a party, and she will agree just like that!”

“I was hoping you will say in a more convincing way at least.”

“And what way would that be?” she was being a little bit too skeptical and therefore making me quite nervous about this whole thing. But I knew I had to do it, for it could be my only way to find out the truth no matter how slight the possibility was.

“Let’s just get home and we will know what to say to mom.”

“Okay.” She finally stopped asking questions at least I thought she did,

“One more thing, why are you so hooked up about this party if you won’t be there? Except if you are planning to go too.”

“You know I can’t do that, or I will risk the party ending too soon or in tragic.”

“You don’t know that.” She opposed,

“That’s the problem, I know exactly what will happen. Ashley I’m not normal, you and I know death follows me. Anyone who tries to get close to me dies, and if that wasn’t the case people hate me they would walk out the second I step on the doorstep. And that won’t change.” Suddenly I was angry and also realized that I was senseless. I shouldn’t have said that to her. She hated it when I talked like that about myself, because she put too much faith in me. If only she knew what kind of person I turned on these couple weeks.

She was speechless, I didn’t know if she was angry with me or maybe she ran out of words to say this time. Those words were harsh and cold but they were also the truth. Because that was the only explanation of what was happening to me.

We were close to home and Ashley was still pretty quiet. But that wasn’t my concern at that time, my concern was what I would do to make mom let us go. Ashley was right too sneaking out was totally a no, no. Mom wasn’t like other mothers, she was hyper sensitive as Ashley said.

We would be caught before we even take two steps to the garage. The only option was to do whatever necessary to make her understand that the party was completely harmless. It was a good thing I didn’t have much details about it either. So that I could add my own words, to make it more of a family diner than a juicy teenagers party.

By that time I was parking at the garage and Ashley was on Grimm mode still. I needed to know if she was still on with the plans or she wanted out.

“You still want to go, right?”

“Yes, you can do whatever you want with your life and believe whatever you want. I’m gonna live mine.” Then she got out and slammed the door behind her. This was not how I wanted things to go. Damn if I could just shut up for once.

When I got inside mom was already at the kitchen making dinner. She gave me a worried look which said Ashley didn’t conceal her anger this time. I had a feeling things were escalating or about to end. I didn’t know how I was going to handle them either.

I went my room and sat down trying to figure out a way to fix the situation. And during dinner was the only time I could tell mom about it and be able to talk. Because it wouldn’t be easy once she buries herself to her work, since that is what she always did after dinner. I was never good with speech, Ashley was. But now she was angry with me which meant she wasn’t going to do anything.

Before I knew it mom called us down for dinner and I had nothing that I could say. I almost felt like I already failed and I would apologize to Lexi on Monday.

I sat by the table quietly trying to arrange words, because one wrong word and I could set mom off. But the problem was, I could write better than speaking to people maybe it was the side effect of avoiding people. Looking at Ashley, her expression didn’t change and I could tell she was angrier instead.

Everyone was quiet and words could not get out of my mouth. I’d never done this before, begging mom for something that I knew she would clearly disapprove in a heartbeat. I was super nervous. It was a good thing mom was more concerned with Ashley and her temper. She never liked to see her upset, actually she never liked seeing us upset.

So she was trying to understand what was wrong with her. At first she stopped herself from saying anything hoping Ashley would eventually open up.

“Ashley, what is wrong honey?” she couldn’t wait anymore,

“It’s nothing mom.”

“Your face doesn’t say nothing.”

“Steven was right you won’t let me anyway.” Mom looked at me for more information, but I was in the dark just like her.

“Tell me first and I will see what I can do.” Mom said and now I started to get Ashley’s point,

“My friend was having a birthday party tonight, but Steve won’t take me because you won’t give us permission.”

“You know how I feel about these parties without supervision.”

“I’m sure there will be an adult to watch over us.”

“Since you seem like you really want to go, I’ll let you go only if you agree to be back by ten sharp not a minute late.”

“Thanks mom.” She said excitedly and hugged mom where she sat, “I’m gonna get ready,” then she rushed upstairs.

“I guess I need to get ready as well.” I said.

“Go ahead.” Mom agreed with a smile, though it shortly disappeared.

Either way just like that my mission was a go, I was going to meet with Lexi. Mom was uneasy about the whole thing but as long as it made us happy, she was willing to bend her rules.

It wasn’t like I was actually going to attend that party anyway. But nevertheless I was going to meet with someone and she was going to take me somewhere. I didn’t want to look too inappropriate in front of her. Fifteen minutes later Ashley was banging my door yelling it was time to go.

Honestly speaking, Ashley looked amazing with the blue tank top and light blue shorts, shorts she wore and stripes heels, totally looked like a party girl. Mom was never a person who complained about her dresses even though she was a person who wore suits all the time. Maybe she remembered she used to wear same clothes when she was younger.

“Bye mom.” Ashley followed mom to her study and kissed her on the cheek,

“Bye and be careful, don’t try anything stupid.” Mom told her, “watch over your sister.” She told me,

“I will mom.” I said.

“Let’s go.” Ashley said happily.

We went to the garage and drove off to the party. Chloe’s house was couple streets from ours on the south side of the town. It wasn’t that far because it was only a ten minutes’ drive to get there.

“Thank you,” I said,

“For what?”

“For helping me with mom, you know I could never make her let us go.”

“You know I will do anything for you, even when you are a total jerk.”

“I’m sorry about earlier too. I think I was just upset.”

“Hey it’s your life. If that is how you feel about it that’s up to you.”

“So you are you icing up on me now?”

“Never, even if I want to I can’t. That’s why I knew you coming with me was more than just taking me there because you can’t get in.”

“Ash…”

“It’s fine you do what you need to do as long as it doesn’t get you in trouble.”

‘That’s what I hope for’, I couldn’t say it out loud. “Thank you, have I ever told you that you are the best?”

“No, you haven’t.” she said with a mischievous look,

“Look at you, how you love applause.”

“Well, I can’t help it.”

Then the conversation died and we drove the rest of the time quietly. I kept wondering what would happen after I meet with Lexi. Would she take me to some hidden bunker or something like in the movies! Introduce me to some gang as a new recruit, and what would I do exactly? As far as I know I wasn’t good at anything except studying and get good grades. Maybe she would use me as a researcher or something.

Suddenly Ashley told me to stop because we already arrived, and it was true since the house was glittering with lights everywhere. But there was no many people as I thought there would be and that made me ask,

“So it’s a real birthday party?”

“Of course not, I used that so that mom wouldn’t ask too many questions.”

“Then it’s a very small party.” I wondered,

“Its six thirty Steve, people say parties start around eight. I wanted to come early so that I could see how they get things ready.”

“Okay, I’m gonna park couple blocks from here.”

“Why?”

“Come on, you know why.”

“Oh, okay. If you get bored you can go home and I’ll ask one of my friends to take me.”

“No, we came together, we go home together. I’ll pick you up at ten sharp.”

“Okay bye.” She kissed me on the cheek and got out.

I waved goodbye to her and she disappeared to the house. From what I could see, her friend was happy to see her because she welcomed her with a hug