Chapter 48

ATLANTA, Zoe had a hard time driving home. She wouldn’t be surprised if their party tonight included five ghosts instead of just two.

It was just so hard for her to concentrate. She was terrified.

It had looked like Arthur was having some type of seizure in there. He kept saying he was okay, but she didn't believe it.

What if he had a brain tumor?

Oh, well. He'd die maybe and become a ghost.

But poor Bernard.

Then again, she was dating a dead guy. If it worked for her and Keith, why not Arthur and Bernard? 

"Zoe, are you okay? You're a million miles away."

"I'm fine," she said to Arthur. "I'm worried about you."

"I'm fine."

"What was going on with you? Do you think it was a seizure?"

"I don't know," Arthur said. "I do think it was something. But maybe more emotional. I felt all this hatred."

Hatred. No…. She looked at him, and then turned around to check on Taylor. It was a sudden instinctive type thing—the need to check on her sister. "Have you heard of the Arcide?" she asked.

"No," Arthur said. Then: “Wait. Oh yeah. Grandma Cornelia's thing."

"Well, it's not just Grandma's thing. It's real."

"I've heard of it," Taylor piped up.

"Well, it goes into people and fills them with hatred."

"Shit," Arthur said. "You don't think—"

"I don't know," Zoe said. Then a creepy, horrible sound came from the back seat. Holy crap! Was that— 

No, it was just Taylor's phone. What the hell did she have for her Ringtone? "What is that?"

Taylor misunderstood the question. "Just Jesse. Hi! Where have you been?"

"Hi everyone!" Jesse said.

"What's your ringtone?" Zoe asked.

"Mine?" Jesse said.

"No, Taylor's."

 "American Horror Story."

"What's that?" Zoe asked.

"It's a show...from the people who make Glee," Arthur said.

She was feeling very out of touch with popular culture.

"So guess what," Jesse said.

"What?" the three living people said together.

"I told Jessica about us."

"Who's Jessica?"Arthur asked.

"My niece," Jesse said.

"Taylor's roommate" Zoe added. Ah! She might be out of touch with TV shows, but at least she knew who their sister lived with in Florida."

"Oh yeah. I forgot," Arthur said. 

Memory problems? Was that an Arcide symptom?

"What did she say? Taylor asked. "Is she okay?"

"She's fine," Jesse said. "I mean she's fine with it. The poor girl's really homesick. I invited her to come here next weekend. Is that okay?"

Taylor laughed. "Sure." Zoe sneaked a look back at Taylor to see her reaction. She looked happy which made Zoe happy.

"Keep your eyes on the road," Arthur said.

"Sorry," Zoe said. "Are you going to still be here?" she asked her brother, hoping strongly that he planned to stay awhile.

"Sure," he said. "I'll probably go home next week sometime. But definitely after the weekend."

"Well, we should have a party," Zoe said. "How about a massive sleepover?"

"I'm so excited," Jesse said in a falsetto voice. "Can we braid each other's hair and do each other's nails?"

Ha. He could laugh. But Zoe was excited. The six of them hanging out in her living room. They'd make popcorn and pig out on other stuff.

"We'll make sundaes," Taylor said. It was like she read Zoe's mind. Maybe she should worry. Was mind-reading an Arcide symptom as well?

"Jessica’s bringing one of her friends too," Jesse said.

Okay…so it would be seven of them.

"Frankie?" Taylor asked.

"That's the one," Jesse said. "And he's gay, Arthur. So you don't have to feel left out among us heteros."

Arthur laughed.. "Thanks." Then he asked. "Is this gay friend of the living or dead persuasion?"

"Living now," Jesse said. "But with the way he drives, probably not for long."

Continue to Chapter Forty-Nine

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