Chapter 5 - Cat

Cat by name, Cat by nature...

Cat

My life sucks. No, scrap that… it really sucks. My mum’s dead, my brother jumped off a cliff, my dad’s a drunk and I’m in foster care… Yeah. It’s that bad. It was my 12^th birthday yesterday. Aunty Gertrude, my foster ‘mum’, gave me a hanky…. No kidding, a hanky!! Uncle Fred, my foster ‘dad’, gave me a card saying ‘Happy 21^st!’ Did I mention that my life really sucks, because it does… big time. I’ve just got home from school. Uncle Fred is asleep on the couch. Aunty Gertrude is at ‘work’. I’m making myself a jam and pickle sandwich in the kitchen when there’s a light tap on the door, as though the person knocking is unsure of what they are doing. I tiptoe through the living room, so as not to wake Fred, close the door behind me then open the front door. A girl’s standing there. She looks about 15… maybe 16. Her dark brown hair is twisting in the wind. She looks extremely sheepish. As soon as I open the door she jumps, as if startled by something.

“Excuse me… are you Cat?” she asks. I don’t think I’ve seen her before but I nod… slowly.

“Can I… come in?” I hesitate.

“Umm… not really.” I say “What do you want?” She glances to her left, I think she murmurs something, but so low I can’t hear. I see her lips move though.

“It’s about your brother.” She glances to her left again before looking back at me

“What’s he got to do with anything?” I’m surprised at my tone of voice. She is too by the looks of it and looks startled.

“Please” she says “Can I just come inside?” I shake my head and turn to close the door. Her foot slides into the crack just before I shut it.

“It’s important”

‘What the hell’ I think ‘What do I have to lose?’

 

Net’s park is a dump. Everything has been vandalised. Everything is broken. Everything is dead. That’s why I like it. I’m sitting on some grass in the big field. The brown haired girl is opposite me. She takes a deep breath.

“I’m Jessica” She says

“Explains all” I mutter. She looks strained “You said it’s about my… brother. Well c’mon then. I haven’t got all day!” She takes another deep breath.

“He’s... I...” I hear her swallow “Look… this is going to be pretty hard to believe but he’s a ghost. He’s sitting here” She gestures to her left. I start to laugh. It’s humourless.

“Yeeeeeeah, okay” I say “Okay. Sure. Whatever you say.” She turns to her left and starts muttering furiously, as though she is having an argument.

“What are you doing?” I ask. She stops and turns to look at me.

“Ask me a question that only he would know the answer to.” Oh so cliché! Well if that’s the way she wants to play it.

“Who’s Jay?” I ask. Jessica turns to her left and stays like that for about thirty seconds before smirking slightly.

“The teddy bear that you have hidden under your bed. He said that he used to tease you about having a teddy bear so you hid it under your bed. He found it one day while vacuuming the house and left it there with a note saying ‘Charlie was here’.”

I’m speechless. I bet my face is a picture right now. I try and compose myself. Ghosts don’t exist. I tell Jessica that. She turns to her left; I can tell that she’s rolling her eyes.

“I told you this was a bad idea!” She’s saying “I told you!” She paused then, “Don’t blame me! Blame her!” She paused again “Yes I dare!” She suddenly falls back as though someone had pushed her. “Leave me alone Charlie!” she’s getting up now “I didn’t have to come here! I didn’t have to help you find your sister.” She’s starting to walk away.

“WAIT!” I scream. She turns around. “Where is he now?” She points directly to my right. I turn around. “Here?”

“Yeah.”

“Hmm…” I say “Why the hell did you jump off a cliff you stupid twit!” Jessica’s gaping at me.

“You…. You believe me?” I nod, a sly grin creeping onto my face

“Only my brother could be that rude.” She starts to laugh, I join in too. It’s the first time in months.

“He’s looking daggers at you” Jessica says. I giggle again. The giggle turns to tears. Tears are streaming down my face. I collapse onto the ground sobbing. I haven’t cried since… since mum died. Jessica’s arms are around me, holding me, keeping me safe.

“He’s right next to you” she murmurs “Here” she takes my hand and passes it to my right. I swear my hand went cold.

“That’s his chest… his arms… his hair…” she passes my hand around the nothingness. I begin to imagine my brother kneeling next to me, a concerned look on his face. I sigh, back to normality now, back to reality.

“I better go” I say though I don’t want to. Jessica starts talking to Charlie again.

“He says that he loves you… very, very much and to call me” she presses a bit of paper with her number scrawled on it “Anytime that you need to” I nod and thank her then I hesitate…

“I love you too big brother”

“He’s smiling” she says. I nod. I really had better go.

Author's Note

I think this one still needs work but I'm putting it up so that I can get on with the next chapter :)

Reviews

[(:]

Hehe, foster parents stink. :]
I like it, though, if I was in Cat's place, I probably wouldn't give that girl the time of day. :P

[Ellen Hammond]

Nice sequel! I like it and am moving right along to the next chapter. You have a great talent for this kind of write, my friend.