Deadly Kisses (7 page)

I clasped onto her wrist and swung her around until her back hit the bottom of the gondola. I now hovered on top of her. My body blocked out all the light.

The boat swayed and hit the rocks at the edge of the river with violent force. Her head lay next to the sharp blade. I sat on top of her. “Good try, but I don’t like you prying into my life pretending to want to know me. You’re going to die and there is no trying to change my mind. Since you’re so eager for death, let’s just get it over with now.” I had to go back to mean Aiden to keep from kissing her. Seeing Sabrina’s necklace helped. She had wanted that necklace forever, but it was expensive. I had played at ten gigs before I earned enough to buy it for her.

Bee’s familiar smell seeped into my nose. I brought my face over Bee’s and moved mere inches from her red lips. The cold swirled in frantic motion, my lips warmed remembering hers. She didn’t move even though she could feel my cold breath on her face.

“Go ahead and kiss me. I’m not scared of you.” She closed her eyes.

She rolled her eyes. “I’m not. You’re making me want to kiss you with your tricks.” Her boot slipped on the rock and she fell into my arms. I eased her up.

“I don’t have tricks.” I let go with reluctance. “Be careful.” I should have never let her enter the crypt to find me. I should never have allowed my soul to seek her out.

“I know you’re a new Grim Reaper.” She put her finger to her mouth. “That would make sense because you messed up. I should be dead already.”

I growled, but that didn’t deter her. I picked up my scythe.

“Come on, lighten up.”

“It’s not funny.” I scowled. I took her by the arm and led her onto the steps of the crypt. I felt her shudder when she went by the stone sarcophagus.

“How long have you been dead? A year, two, three? Come on, no more than five. Do I know you?”

I stumbled forward and gripped my scythe. “How about I ask the questions?” We walked down the stairs. Beads of rain stuck to her black hair, making it glisten.

“Sure.” She shrugged. “Let’s go down the other path. I haven’t walked by the river since I went fishing with Sabrina and Aiden.”

I remembered that. Her brother hadn’t picked her up at the mall, so I did. She was crying because the mall closed. I drove her to Sabrina’s house, slept over, and the next day we woke up early to fish. I put the worms on the hooks for them, but we never caught anything.

The path narrowed as we moved deeper into the forest. It wove through pines and ran along the Cold River. She looked to the trees and birds that flew overhead.

“Tell me what happened the night Sabrina died?” I asked her. I had never heard the story of my death before. Maybe if I did the flashbacks would go away.

Bee stopped and I walked right into her. “Watch out where you put that blade. Are you trying to cut my head off?” Her soul trembled as she buttoned up her sweater and tucked her hands into the pockets.

“I was the one who stopped Sabrina’s reaping in science, during a test. I bought her three more days. Sabrina had wanted to go see Mad Dogs, like forever. I surprised her and got her two tickets.” She laughed under her breath and wrapped her arms around herself. “I thought she was going to take me, but she took Aiden. On the way home the bridge collapsed because of the heavy rain and Aiden didn’t see it. They drove off the bridge into the river . . .then got caught in a flash flood. A tree collapsed, going through the windshield killing Aiden. Sabrina fell into the water, drowning. But it should have been me that died that night, not Aiden.” She watched the ground, not looking at me.

I clutched my chest. I felt her pain in every word she spoke. A dull ache came from her soul. I managed to keep the flashback under control, but it was on the brink of overtaking me. “You will see that same show tonight?”

“Yes. They were Sabrina’s favorite group. Aiden used to be the cover band.” The flashback dissipated. Talking about music always had a way of soothing me.

“Was he any good?”

Her soul ignited in molten fire and weaved into me. She didn’t notice as I moved closer to be near her to capture the heat. She could feel the regret wash over us both, which lowered my temperature to lukewarm.

“Oh yes. He was an amazing guitarist and wrote the most hypnotic songs. I could listen to him forever. I miss him, the way he looked at me, like I was the only girl on the planet. Sometimes I imagined he would write a song just for me, but we didn’t hang out much because I was in middle school and he was in high school. I wish I had thanked him for always watching out for me.”

The path ended and we exited the woods. She jumped over the stone wall into the backyard, the chickens clucked inside the coop as we passed.

“Let’s go get you ready for the show. It could be your last night, I can’t promise you what tomorrow will bring.”

Her hand went to open the door. “Can anyone make promises about tomorrow?”

I followed into her room were her brother sat on the bed watching Lucky, the rescued bird.

“Get ready to go. I have it covered with Mom if we can get back no later than midnight.” Jaleb turned on her radio and started strumming an air guitar while walking out of the room.

She poked her head out the door. “Jaleb, don’t forget, I want to borrow that t-shirt.”

“Halloween is not for a couple of days, sis.”

I didn’t want to ruin her night. “We need to find out more about why you can see Grim Reapers, Bee.”

“Yes, I promise. I’ll help you in the morning.” She closed the door and twisted the lock until it clicked into place.

The music played and I tapped my foot to the beat. She turned to me and smiled.

She took off her shirt, revealing a black tank top.

“Are you trying to kill me a second time, girl?”

“Didn’t I tell you not to call me girl again? Turn around so I can change.”

“Turned,” I said.

“Are you coming with us to see Mad Dogs? I promise you’ll love them. Please tell me you’re not an Elvis type because I couldn’t deal with that. Okay, done dressing.”

I turned back around. Bee had replaced her jeans for black tights and a leather skirt. It was hard to look her in the eyes when she had on that tank top.

“You hear me? Do you know that band?” She slipped into black leather boots, zipping them up.

“Huh. Oh . . . um, yup. I know the Mad Dogs.” It gave her a hint that I had died recently. I gritted my teeth. She had tricked me into telling her.

“I can’t believe they scored a gig at Dirty Phil’s. It’s a little place out in Manchester. This was my Halloween costume last year. Do you think the bandana is too much?” Bee was holding a blue and purple one, biting her bottom lip.

“Just a bit, but the skirt is hot,” I replied. “Say, what happened to the cover band after . . . you know?”

She put the bandanas back into the drawer. “I’m not really sure. You want to hear a song from them? I think I have the only copy in existence, but it’s only music, and there’s no one singing.”

Bee went to the shelf and took a CD, putting it in the stereo. “I really have to convert it to an mp3 file.”

The music started and my mouth hung open. I would have lurched up food if I ate, but I was technically dead and didn’t have to eat anymore unless I wanted to.

“Bee . . . um . . . nothing.”

“You okay? Looks like you’re ready to faint. Take off the hood and I’ll feel your forehead.”

“No, I’m fine! The hood stays on. Besides, I can’t get sick. I’m dead, remember?”

I put my head between my knees as the acoustics started. I had never played that song on stage and there were no words to it until last year. It was only meant for one person, and somehow it landed in that one person’s possession.

“The kid who is on guitar is the one I was telling you about. Isn’t he amazing? I always wanted to go on stage and throw myself at him like a crazy groupie.” Bee sat down looking for her brush.

“Just don’t throw yourself to the lead singer of Mad Dogs, because Jeff is all kinds of nasty.” I hated the way Jeff picked up girls and tossed them. He called me a wuss and I called him a dirt dog. I would’ve punched him if he ever touched Bee.

“Not my type. I go for tall and blonde.” Bee got caught up in the music. She hummed and her soul inside me pulsated.

“So, how’d you score this?”

Bee fiddled with her hair, but it already looked pretty. “I wouldn’t say I scored it. It was in the car that night. My aunt gave it to me.”

“You and your cousin were close then?”

“As close as sisters, but we each had our secrets.”

A loud bang came from the door. “Come on, Bee, we’re gonna be late. I have your stuff. You decent?”

“Just throw it in. I have a tank on.” She put the brush down and went on to adjust her tank top.

I unlocked the door and Jaleb threw the t-shirt into the room, and then closed the door. I caught it and walked to where she sat.

“Is he still there?” Jaleb grumbled standing outside of her door.

She took the shirt and slipped it on over the tank top. “Yes. We have an hour’s drive to convince him not to kill me. He’s coming, kay?”

“Are you for real?”

“Yes, he won’t leave. So deal.”

“I’ll be in the truck waiting,” he grumbled and heavy footsteps stomped down the hall.

I texted Abe while Bee finished getting ready.

Top Hat, going to Manchester with my assignment. Should I know if any president was born there so I can stop and take pictures for you?

Will you be near Elm St? I’m quite fond of John Stark. Do you know his motto, boy?

Of course, just like you know you’ll miss me if I ascended.

I shall send Reina and I’ll be on alert. Stark’s motto is, Live free or die: Death is not the worst of evils. Remember that, boy!

“I’m not leaving you, so the backseat it is. Don’t worry about my comfort because I’m dead and all, but hey, whatever. No one respects us Grims and the services we provide. They just flirt to get answers from us and cram us into trucks like sardines.” I placed my scythe in the back of the truck bed.

“Come on, be a good sport.” Her smile was so angelic, bright lights should have come down from the sky. I looked up just to be sure.

“This is creepy. I can’t see it, and you look like a nut talking to thin air.” Jaleb squinted until his eyes were slits, but he looked through me to a tree before getting into the driver’s seat.

I grunted and smashed myself into the small seat. My knees bunched up and they pushed into the passenger seat. Finally, I moved so my feet were on the seat near Jaleb’s side. I sat sideways, my back against the window and shoulders scrunched between my seat and the back of Bee’s seat.

“I wish you could see how he fits back there, Jaleb.” Bee was having a field day with my six foot height crunched up.

“And I wish I could see him, so I could tear his every limb off. Then he couldn’t go near you.”

Bee let out a long breath and I felt her soul shrink and expand—stressed.

“Let’s forget about what I said earlier. It’s my night, so be nice and get along. I give you permission to duke it out tomorrow.”

Jaleb slammed his hand on the steering wheel. “I can’t see him, so it shouldn’t count.”

Bee gave him a pout.

“Fine, but I won’t be nice.” Jaleb drove down the dirt road and I groaned with every pothole he went over. The car swerved and I grunted.

Bee glared at him and he stopped, staring at the road.

Outside, it was pitch black and stars blinked in the sky. I concentrated on them, so I wouldn’t hyperventilate that I was in a vehicle—the first time since I died.

Bee’s excitement about the concert was contagious as it wove into me. I was eager to see my old friends and hear their new music.

Bee took a handful of black jelly beans and popped them into her mouth. I imagined kissing her again and the way her lips felt against mine. I realized the more time we spent together the more we knit into one. Almost as two individuals who were different but the same. Maybe there was no good outcome for us.

Jaleb looked into the rearview mirror. Orbs of black stared straight ahead. “I just have to say one thing, death boy. We need to talk about my sister and why not to kill her. First, she is way smarter than me and will go to college. Second, unless you’re blind, she is pretty and will find a nice guy and have kids of her own.”

Jaleb droned on. “Third, we can’t lose another young person in the family. We’re all of the Flynt’s that’s left.”

This was depressing.

“Jaleb, please stop. I just want to have fun tonight.” Tears leaked out of her eyes, but I remained silent. I brought my arm around the seat and wiped her tears away with my thumb. I left my hand resting on her shoulder. I held it tight, sending a wave of energy to interlink us both. She didn’t push me away.