Everyone laughs at Matt's joke.
"Maybe some trucker kidnapped her and she's locked in the back with a trailer load of livestock." Amber giggles.
"Why would that be funny?" My voice punches out in harsh syllables.
"Maybe she's on a bus to New York. Hashtag, Nicole makes a break for it." Penny smiles.
"Penny, not you too. I haven't run away." I throw my bag on the table. "You guys!"
"Maybe she's dead." The table goes silent at Lauren's casual statement. They all look at her then at each other... then all start cracking up.
"Why are you guys laughing? I'm not dead. I'M NOT DEAD." I scream.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see a head pop up from a book and look around the room as if he just heard something.
"I'm not dead." I yell across the room.
He flinches, lowers his book and looks straight at me.
I wince.
Dale Finnigan.
Un-freaking-believable.
CHAPTER SIX
Of all the people.
I lick my lips and take a step towards his table. He's still scanning this section of the library, looking jittery.
I wave my arms and jump up and down. Dale frowns then looks back down at his book. Okay, so maybe he can't see me.
"I'm not dead." I call across the room again.
His eyebrows pucker and he's obviously making a concerted effort to keep reading.
Grabbing my bag, I weave around the tables and squat down next to him. I wave my hand in front of his face, but he doesn't move. His eyes keep scanning the pages of text as if nothing is trying to block them.
Holding my breath, I slowly stand and lean down so my lips are right next to his ear.
"Can you hear me?" I whisper.
The book drops onto the table with a loud bang. Dale looks as though he's about to go into cardiac arrest. Everyone in the library looks his way. The librarian frowns and shushes him, while my table of friends all start to snicker.
I want to crumple to the floor with relief. Who cares if it's Dale? Someone can hear me.
"Dale, I-" Tears make my voice shake.
He stands up and with shaking hands gathers up his things.
"Dale?"
He doesn't even bother to pack his stuff away properly, just shoves it in his bag as he makes a beeline for the exit.
I follow him and manage to squeeze through the door before it closes on me.
"Where are you going?" I have to run to keep up with him.
He keeps walking, gripping the shoulder strap of his bag as if it's a lifeline.
"Dale, please stop. I can't keep up with you."
We speed down the corridor and turn another corner. Why won't he listen to me? I know he can hear me. Does he really hate me that much?
His pace is getting faster and I finally have to stop. Leaning over, I let out a little scream and stamp my foot.
"Damn it, Dale. STOP!"
His pace slows. I draw in a couple of deep breaths and keep walking towards him.
"Look, if this is about the Scarface comment, I'm sorry. Okay? I'm sorry! I didn't mean to say it and I felt really bad afterwards."
I can see his shoulders heaving as he goes to turn the next corner.
I raise my voice even higher as I run to catch up to him.
"I know I should have said it months ago, but it's not like you've given me any chances."
He shakes his head. I know what he's thinking, even if I had had the chance I probably wouldn't have. I hate that he's right.
Desperation floods my system as he strides around the next corner, I stop in my tracks and am on the verge of tears. Slumping to the floor, I wrap my arms around myself.
"Define irony," I mutter. "Someone can actually hear me, but they don't want to listen."
I shake my head and sniff. Liquid burns my eyes and I know if I shut my lids, big fat tears will soon be rolling down my cheeks.
This isn't fair.
"Nicole?"
I glance up at Dale's whisper. His face is pale and he looks pretty edgy, but he is walking down the corridor... back towards me.
Rising from the floor, I brush off my jeans and clear my throat.
His eyes dart my way and he starts speaking to the locker just right of me.
"It's not about the comment," he looks over his shoulder before stopping a few feet from me, still facing the lockers. "It's about the-"
"I'm standing to your left."
He turns his head, obviously annoyed at the interruption, but at least he's facing me now... pretty much. Two slow breaths rush in and out of his nose then he swallows. "This isn't real."
"It is. I swear I'm not messing with you. I don't know why you can hear me, but you seem to be the only person who can. Please, I need-"
He suddenly laughs, not a happy sounding laugh, but one of those verging on hysteria ones.
"I'm talking to a ghost, right? You're a ghost or something?"
"I'm not dead."
"I heard. What are you? Why can I hear you?" He points to his head with a shaky finger.
"I don't know."
He shakes his head and turns to leave.
"Please, Dale, I'm not dead, but I will be if someone doesn't help me."
My loud outburst is followed by a stony silence. He hitches his bag higher onto his shoulder and lifts his chin. I can sense him gearing up to stride away again, but then his shoulders slump. He lets out a heavy sigh.
I wait in agitated silence, my boot tapping out a nervous staccato on the corridor floor... not that anyone can hear it.
Moving in painfully slow motion, Dale spins back around to face me. I can't read his expression; there is a depth to his eyes that's unfathomable. His whole demeanor has changed, his laughter has scuttled away and I feel like I'm staring at a seventeen year old... man.
Dropping his bag to the floor, Dale whispers, "What's happened to you?"
"I'm not sure. I mean, my mind is here, but my body..." my voice starts to quiver, "I'm lost in the forest somewhere and I don't know how I got there. I can't remember anything."
"What's the last thing you do remember?"
"Amber was driving me to study group... at Matt's house."
Okay, that was new. Images of Matt's huge log cabin home flutter through my brain. Loud music floated down to the lake where we were all standing. Drue and Nixon were throwing stones into the water; Trent had his arm around my shoulders and was drinking a Corona. Matt was standing way too close to Penny while she giggled at Lauren's joke... and Amber was sitting on a log, making out with... Charlie Watson! Ewww! The greasy haired skinny guy from her Biology class? I thought she hated him. The memory evaporates in my brain. I try to search for more intel, but it's gone.
Dale snorts in disgust.
"Study group? Don't you mean the party?"
I nod, still a little dazed from images of Amber and Charlie playing tongue twister.
"Nicole? Am I right?"
I'm about to snap at him for making me answer twice, when I remember he can't see me. I clear my throat.
"Yeah, the party... whatever you want to call it."
He looks serious as he nods and tucks a curl behind his ear. "Okay, so you left Matt's house and..."
"I don't remember leaving Matt's house." I squeeze my eyes shut. "My head hurts... and I can't remember."
Dale's features flash with concern.