Chapter Fifteen

*Edited*

Chapter Fifteen

“Emery?” I spoke into the phone. Wow, didn’t see that one coming.

“Yeah?” Emery asks.

“What do you want? And how did you get my number?” I say a little harsher then I meant to.

“A little rude are we? I just wanted to call my good friend Athena and see how she was doing.” Emery replies. I roll my eyes at him even though he can’t see me.

“What do you really want Emery?” Emery just can’t just call me and shrug it off.

“What are you wearing?”

“Emery!” I yell.

“I’m kidding. Look outside your window.” Emery says. Why would he want me to look outside my window? I walk over to my window and look out to see Emery standing four stories down from my room.

“Emery what are you doing at my house? How do even know where I live?” I question. It was a little weird that he knows my number and where I live.

“Stop asking questions and let me in.” Emery says.

“Um, how ‘bout no. My mom and Miles are going to be home soon and plus, I don’t like you.” I respond, rejecting him.

“I don’t think your Mum is going to be a problem. Actually, I think she encourages me to hang around you. I’m a good influence.” Emery was so persistent. I clench my teeth. “Why are you here?”

“I want to talk…” He trailed off. Annoying me even more.

“About what?” I ask rudely.

“Stuff.” Was Emery’s answer. I roll my eyes vigorously.

“Fine, I’ll let you in, jerk.” I say then I run down the stairs and open the front door. Emery is just standing there smiling. Jerk.

“What do you want to talk about?” I say through my clench teeth. They start ache.

Emery just walks into my house like he freaking owns the place. He smiles wider and then looks back at me.

“Let’s talk, my love.” Emery says. There he goes with the whole ‘my love’ thing again. Seriously, British people, seriously. Couldn’t they have come up with another phrase?

“My name is Athena, so call me Athena.” Emery just rolls his eyes.

“Whatever, come on.” He says than grabs my arm, pulling it towards the stairs.

“Emery! What are you doing? You can’t just grab me and start pulling me around!” I almost yell. Emery just rolls his eyes again and sighs.

“I want to talk in private and I can’t do that if your mom and your brother is home, obviously.” Emery says as if it was the easiest thing in the world to understand. And as if on cue, the front door opens and in came mom and Miles. Awesome.

When mom saw me, or more like Emery and I, she smiles widely. Miles just glares at both of us. “Hey Emery! I’m glad you’re here! I haven’t seen you in a couple days. What brings you here?” My mom brightens. Wow mom, why don’t you just marry him. She didn’t even look mad like most parents would if their daughter had a teenage boy in her house alone.

Emery smiles at her happiness. “Athena and I were just about to go up to her room and study.” Emery says. Pulling me closer to the stairs.

“Oh great! You guys go ahead, I’ll make snacks!” She beams gleefully. Emery nods and then proceeds to drag me upstairs. I didn’t fight him, it was no use. He was stronger than me. I learned this lesson last time Emery was in my house.

As he drags me to my room, I thought about what he wanted to talk about. He wouldn’t just show up at my door.

“Athena, I need to talk to you.” Emery says nervously.

“Well obviously.” I huff. Emery just smiles and chuckles as he sits down on my couch.

“I need to talk to you about Jesse.” Emery says seriously. He looks me dead in the eye when he says this. For the first time in a while, I felt intimated.

“What about Jesse?” I ask as I take a seat next to him.

Emery sighs and looks away from my eyes.

“I think Jesse is…bad for you.” Emery says looking everywhere but my eyes. I snort; seriously this guy was too funny.

“And why do you think that, Emery?” Emery sighs again and finally looks into my eyes.

“I just have a feeling that he’s bad news.” He answers. I roll my eyes.

“Really, Emery. Really? You know what; I think you’re bad news. I have this feeling that you’re bad. So how about you keep your opinions about my friends to yourself.” I say coolly. Emery stands up and glares at me.

“How much do you really know about Jesse, Athena? What do you know about him? Because I think that you really don’t know anything but his first and last name. At least you know more about me then you do about him.” Emery says through clench teeth. He was definitely angry. But he does have a point; what do I really know about Jesse Swift? I know that he sees ghost like me but that’s about it.

“What does it even matter? Who cares if you think that Jesse is bad news?” I ask my voice getting higher. I don’t like being talk down to.

“I care because I care about you, Athena! I don’t want you hanging around Jesse because I am afraid that you’ll get hurt!” He says, almost yelling. I was in shock that Emery actually says that he cares. No one has ever says that to me before. Okay, maybe Jesse, but still.

I didn’t know what to say. So Emery did the strangest thing ever—he hugs me. Like a full on bear hug. I haven’t had a hug like that in a while. It was actually nice. Kind of.

So I do something way out of my league—I hug him back. I don’t know why I did it, but I did it. I seem to be having a lot of those moments lately.

I hear someone clear their voice from my doorway. I pull out of Emery’s embrace and look to see who it is.

Miles was standing in my doorway with annoyance expression on his face. “Mom told me to tell you that your snack is ready.” He says in a rude voice and then left.

Emery laughs. “Looks like someone doesn’t like his sister hanging around boys.” Emery states. I was confused on why he would say that. Miles doesn’t care about me and what I do…

“Miles is totally mad that you were just hugging me. He doesn’t hate you like you think Athena.” Emery says and then walks out my room. What just happened?

“I’m so glad that Athena is actually making friends!” My mom beams when Emery, Mom, and I were sitting at the dinner table eating pizza rolls.

“Mom!” I raise my voice. She was so annoying when we had company. Emery just laughs.

“I don’t see why she doesn’t have more friends; she is just so charming.” He says with fake confusion. I almost laugh because of the tone of his voice.

“Well, Athena at times can be very…stubborn.” My mom says with disappointment. She didn’t even catch on to Emery’s sarcasms. It was just too funny.

“And I am so glad that she has finally got a friend that is a good influence on her. She has lately been hanging out with this boy Jeremy or Jacob—“

“Mom, it’s Jesse.” I inform her.

“Whatever the hell his name is, he is still a bad influence on you. I don’t like you hanging around him.” She says seriously. Was she really saying this?

“Mom!” I raise my voice again.

“I’m just saying, Athena. I don’t like him.” She says back, her voice level. I close my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose in frustration.

“As fun as this was, I really go to go home. My mom is probably starting to get worried.” Emery interrupts thankfully.

“Okay, sweetie. Come back whenever you like.” My mom says sweetly. Emery gets up from his seat. “Athena, walk Emery out.” She demands. I don’t even fight her, I’m just too tired. I walk Emery to the door and then walk outside.

“I saw Jesse leave your house earlier.” Emery says when we were both outside. I furrow my brows.

“How?” I ask.

“I moved into the house next door, remember?” Emery answers. I didn’t remember that.

“Anyway, what was he doing at your house?” Emery asks. Nosey much?

“Um, we were talking.” I say. It was the first thing that came to my head.

“Okay, well just be careful around him, Athena.” He says and then walks to his house. I don’t think he believes me.

I walk back in the house and sigh. I was really tired now.

“Athena, can I talk to you for a minute.” My mom asks, coming out of the kitchen. I sigh, why can’t people just let me sleep?

“Yeah sure.” I say tiredly and then yawn.

“I really think that you should stop hanging around Jesse. He is not a good influence on you.” My mom says sternly. I really want to roll my eyes, but I was too tired to.

“Mom, I’ve went through years of not having friends and all of a sudden when I get a new friend, you don’t like him?”

“Honey, it’s not that. I understand that you want to make friends; it’s just that I think you are making the wrong kind of friends. Just understand that I just want you to be safe.” She says kindly. I really didn’t care what my mom says; I was still going to hang out with Jesse. Not because I want to per se, just to figure out this ghost mess.

“Okay mom, I’m going to bed.” I walk up the stairs and to my room. I flop down on my bed and close my eyes. Finally I can go to asleep.

RINGGGGGGGG!!!My phone screams. Ugh! Why can’t people just leave me alone? I grab my phone and answer the call.

“Who are you and what do you want?” I so nicely greet the person on the other end.

“Listen to your mom, kid.” Then the line went dead.