The door to the canteen opens and Hayley and Eloise exit with their bags in hand. "What happened?" They both say at the same time.

"Jinx." Eloise laughs and slaps her hand over Hayley's mouth. "Need a hand?"

"I've got it." I look at the huge bulk of bags on each of my arms. "I just miscalculated the distance between this side and the ladder."

"Lucky n.o.body was on it," she mutters and looks at her friend, who still has her mouth clamped shut after being jinxed. "I'm helping."

"No..." I try, but she's already grabbing bags off my right arm and is carrying them towards the staff room. "Okay then."

Hayley hums and pats me on the arm before pointing to her mouth. I know she's asking me to free her of the childish prank, but in all honesty... "I don't know your whole name, so I can't help."

She huffs and follows Eloise, who's only a few steps ahead.

"Where's the plucky kid with the list?" I ask as we walk through the dark and quiet hallway.

"He'll be here tomorrow to arrange everything." Eloise responds and yawns into her arm since her hands are full of bags that contain costumes.

"You're overworking yourself." I tell her when she yawns twice in a row.

"Probably, but it'll be so worth it."

I frown at her smile and shake my head in annoyance. "It doesn't matter. We can handle it. I've hardly done anything."

"You picked up the costumes and tomorrow you're coming in to supervise."

I am? "I am?"

"Well, you did just volunteer yourself." She sn.i.g.g.e.rs with Hayley and pushes the staffroom door open. "Just put the bags in the corner. Aiden can handle the tagging. He'll have them all organised in a third of the time it'd take us." Hayley growls through her closed lips, her eyes demanding her release. Eloise brushes her off and drops her bags in the corner. "It's nice to have quiet. I'll let you out of it when my ears stop bleeding." At this I laugh. You can tell they've been friends for a long time because, even though Hayley acts insulted, the way she looks at her friend says she cares for her a lot and finds her insult amusing.

"Are you both ready for the scare night?" I deposit my bags on the ground and smooth my shirt down.

"Stop poking me," Eloise snaps at Hayley, who only starts to do it more, aiming for her friend's shoulder, cheek and pretty much anywhere that looks soft and sensitive. "Umm... I guess. There's so much to take care of. Mrs Carey is working on the scripts and music; pretty much every teacher in school is involved. We have to get the decor done as soon as possible so we can start practising." She slaps at her friends hands and soon enough both of them are slapping at the air between them like a couple of cats. I keep walking as it's probably best to stay out of this one. "Fine, fine! Hayley Georgia Westbrook. Happy?"

Hayley flexes her jaw and nods excitedly. "Yes, but now I don't know what to say."

"Good." Eloise pokes her friend and turns back to me. "Are you sure you're okay with your role?"

Am I? "Do I have a choice?"

"Nope."

"Then I guess I'll have to be."

She nudges Hayley and laughs. "Why can't everybody be as easily accepting as he is?"

"I'm still not being the ghost girl."

"I already found a better candidate to play ghost girl! I told you that yesterday."

"Oh..."

Eloise yawns again and stops for a second. "I am so tired. I swear to G.o.d, I could just sleep right here."

"Maybe you should go home?" I suggest and instantly regret it when her eyes, blazing with determination, burn me to ash on the ground. "Or not. It's your choice."

"I'm fine. I'm allowed to moan about being tired, because I am tired, but that doesn't mean I'm about to give up."

"I could kill for a bacon sandwich right now," Hayley puts in randomly and rubs her stomach. "With ketchup and b.u.t.ter and it has to be on one of those crusty rolls. You know? The ones that crunch when you bite into them."

Great, now I'm hungry.

"Go have your lunch. I need to get back to the hall." Eloise pushes her friend towards the exit. "Call me later."

"Remember to plan something for your birthday!" Hayley calls as she walks backwards away from us.

"Okay," Eloise responds flippantly as her thumbs scroll over her phone screen. We walk in silence for a few steps before she stops and curses. "Sorry, I just closed something I needed open." I stand and wait and realise there's no reason I should be standing and waiting.

But I am.

Why?

"I should go."

Eloise looks at me and tilts her head, seemingly confused at what I just said.

"Unless you need something?"

"No, I just forgot what I wanted to ask you." Well that explains the confusion.

"You wanted to ask me something?" Now I'm interested.

She scratches her neck and looks around as if willing the answer to appear. "Yeah, it couldn't have been important." She shakes her head and starts walking, her eyes on her phone once more. "Speak to you later, Mr Price."

My body goes tense and my heart beats painfully for a few seconds. I can't decipher the pain or why I'm feeling it. "Speak to you later, Miss Blackburn."

She waves a hand at me as she saunters away, her mind in another place.

I watch her vanish through the double doors of the hall and that pain returns. It's sharp and irritating. It's something I've never felt before.

I should start eating healthier; it feels like it could be my heart.

Chapter Thirteen.

Eloise "Eloise, would you please be a dear and warm my tea up for me? I'm afraid it's gone cold during our engaging conversation." Mrs Price, who insists I call her by her actual name, Judith, says and holds her mug out to me.

I smile, happy to help, and take the mug into the kitchen.

Mr Price Senior asked me if I'd come and keep his wife company whilst he supervised the installation of a bunch of equipment that I don't recognise at all. I know it's for Judith and her illness, but not what it's for exactly.

Isaac would have been here to keep his mother company, but he is currently running through a script and helping everybody prepare for the scare night which, as expected, is the talk of the town. My nerves on this subject are way above the danger level.

I feel badly for Mr Price Senior. He's got so much going on and I wonder if he ever gets the chance to have a break, although I'm not sure if he'd take it if he did. You can see he loves his wife dearly and I can only hope I find that kind of love one day.

When the kettle boils and I've made Judith a fresh drink, I take it back into the room on a tray, with a few biscuits stolen from the tin on the side, and place it on her lap.

"What is that racket in the dining room?" She gasps, her hand to her chest as the sound of a hammer hitting the wall shakes the house.

Even though I've only visited a few times, I've figured out it's better to not point out Judith's memory mistakes and instead to just repeat yourself. She gets upset otherwise, knowing she's forgotten something. I'm not sure if it's the healthiest manner in which to treat her, but for now it's the only way I know.

"It's your husband, setting up some new equipment to make things easier for you."

"Oh." She blinks, clearly shocked. "Easier for me how?"

I shrug and laugh as I answer. "I genuinely don't have a clue. I haven't asked, but I'm sure Mr Price will tell you later."

"Well I hope it doesn't last much longer. My head is pounding."

"If it's not finished by tomorrow afternoon, let me know and I'll take you out in your chair. We can go for coffee at Crystal's and eat those chocolate twist pastries that you love."

She nods, finally appeased. "That would be delightful, wouldn't it?"

"Definitely."

"b.l.o.o.d.y h.e.l.l!" Mr Price yells from the next room and I hear two of the work men start laughing.

When he comes through with dust and plaster in his hair, I laugh with them.

Apparently I'm in detention for the rest of the year. I've let his wife rob his wallet time and time again and now I'm laughing at his expense.

He's all talk.

I hope.

Isaac I enter my father's home with Katherine, both of us exhausted and ready for our promised meal. My mother sits patiently in the living room with her legs up on the foot rest.

Katherine follows me into the room and waits as I kiss Mum on the cheek. "Did Dad cook?" I motion to the plate of food on her lap, taking note of the sliced lamb, sitting on a bed of potatoes and aubergines. It smells divine.

"My dearest Eloise made dinner before leaving. It's wonderful. A shame you just missed her, but I'm certain she left you some. She said it's in the pot on the stove." Mum takes a bite of her dinner and nods slowly. "It's extremely good."

"Eloise?" Katherine whispers, her brow furrowed.

"She visits my mum sometimes." I brush past her and head into the dining room where my dad is sweeping the dust from the wooden floor. "Still not finished?"

"Tomorrow, definitely." My dad taps the gla.s.s box that vanishes into the ceiling. "They only need to wire it up correctly and perform a few checks."

The newly installed elevator, which is small in comparison to a normal elevator, stands in the corner of the room but takes up most of it. "Looks good."

"It's a b.l.o.o.d.y sight for sore eyes!" My father hisses angrily, throwing the gathered dust from the dustpan into an open bin bag. "I just hope she doesn't hate it entirely."

"She'll be fine." I back out of the room. "Have you eaten?"

"No, Eloise left us something on the stove. There's bread in the oven too."

"I'll make you a plate."

My dad notices Katherine and gives her a polite nod before returning to his work. I make my way into the kitchen and set about serving up the concoction that sits in the metal ca.s.serole dish.

"She comes often?" Katherine pulls the bread baguettes from the oven and starts slicing them on the cutting board by the sink.

"Sometimes. My mum enjoys her company."

"I imagine your mum gets plenty of visitors? I hope Eloise isn't bothering her."

The hairs on the back of my neck stand up. "n.o.body visits because n.o.body gives a d.a.m.n. It shows a lot about the character of such a young girl when she takes time out of her busy schedule to visit a terminally ill woman. Don't you think?"

Katherine bristles and quickly tries to excuse herself. "I could visit... I have plenty of time on my hands."

I don't respond. I don't know why, but her offer annoys me. I don't want her to visit just because she feels obliged or threatened by a seventeen year old girl. It's petty and I won't have my mother being an object in said pettiness.

"This is actually really good," Katherine grumbles, seemingly displeased at the fact said seventeen year old girl can cook.

When I take my first bite I can't help but agree with her. It is exceptionally good and the bread dipped in the juice is beyond words.

We sit in the living room with my mother and eat with simple chatter.

It doesn't take Katherine long to make her play. "I'd be honoured to visit tomorrow, if you don't have any plans, Judith?"

My mother smiles warmly at Katherine. "That would be wonderful, but I've already made plans. Young Eloise promised to take me out in my chair to Crystal's cafe. We're going to eat those fabulous chocolate twists she makes."

I smirk but manage to hide it from Katherine's view. "I'd join you, but I'm at the school supervising again."

"That's okay. It's mostly to get me away from the noise. My head has been pounding."

Katherine's jaw clenches. "I bet. Well, you have my number. Call me when you're free."

"I'll make sure to do that." My mum responds cordially, her eyes once again on the TV. "How are the preparations coming along Isaac?"

"Brilliantly. You should see it; it actually looks really good. The students have invested a lot of their time preparing it."

"It was an excellent idea."