Audrey Claire - Libby Grace 01 - How to be a Ghost Read Online Free PDF Page B

trouble expressing himself.
    I floated closer to him and tried to touch his hand, but my fingers phased through his. He shivered. I bit my lip and ventured, “Jake? Can you hear me?”
    “There’s that buzzing,” he said, “like a bee.”
    My hope fell away.
    Monica finished his hair and straightened to view her handiwork. “I declare you gorgeous. All those second grade girls are going to fall all over you.”
    Jake looked horrified at the prospect, and I couldn’t hold back a smile. He finished his cereal and took the bowl to the sink, rinsed it as I had taught him, and left the kitchen. I floated along behind him and watched as he gathered books into his backpack. Most of them had nothing to do with academics, unless you counted his insatiable thirst for anything on American or European history. I was proud of my son, who read on a fifth grade level. Any word he didn’t understand he either looked up or asked me. I had broadened my own vocabulary helping him with his.
    Jake slung his backpack over his shoulder, grabbed the baseball sitting on his dresser, and headed toward the front door. He hesitated once there and glanced over his shoulder. For a moment, I could swear he saw me, but he turned around and lowered his head staring at the floor.
    “What’s wrong, baby?” Monica asked. “Forget something?”
    She stood behind him, jiggling keys in her hand and waiting for him to open the door. My heart constricted in my chest because I knew what Jake waited for. Ever since he reached the age of five, he refused to let me kiss him in public. He hated for me even to kiss him goodnight, stating in emphatic terms that he was not a baby. However, just before we left the house in the morning, Jake always paused to let me get in a good hug and kiss. I didn’t know how long even this would last, so I took advantage of it. Today, my fingers phased through the silky curls at his nape, feeling nothing. I couldn’t draw him into my arms. I couldn’t feel him or even smell my precious little boy, and it killed me—or re-killed me.
    Jake juggled the baseball in his hand. He often tried to take it with him to school, and I usually reminded him it would be there when he got home. I waited to see if he would obey my rule even in my absence. Jake heaved his shoulders, twisted around to unzip his backpack, and stuffed the ball inside. Well, so much for that. At least he had washed his cereal bowl, I reminded myself.
    Monica and Jake left the house, and soon the sound of her car receded as she disappeared around the bend toward Summit’s Edge Elementary School. I was left alone to ponder my nonexistence and not a little sorry for myself.

Chapter Three
     
    After I had a nice long pity party with no attendees except me, I headed over to Ian’s house. At least there was one living person who knew of my existence, and maybe since he had helped me before, Ian could shed light on why I was invisible and how I could reverse it.
    I drew up to his door but not too close. I had come to the conclusion—with no evidence whatsoever—that the barrier around Ian’s house must be either a figment of my imagination, or a temporary unexplainable phenomenon. Yes, total denial was going on, but I didn’t care. At least I wasn’t sticking my head in the sand pretending I wasn’t a ghost, or hiding out in my house afraid to face the world.
    With eyes screwed shut and bottom lip between my teeth, I extended a hand toward Ian’s door. When next I opened my eyes, I stared up at the blue sky, puffy white clouds drifting by as if all was right in the world. Great. No form but able to be knocked on my butt by a spell.
    I blinked at the thought. Could that be it? Ian had cast a spell to keep me away? My throat dried, and tears pricked my eyes. If Ian wouldn’t help me, I was alone in the world. Life would go on around me, and I would be stuck viewing it all and unable to participate. Another pity party took firm hold. I thought about going back to