Dreaming With Frost Read online

  When I returned to my room after the argument with my mother, I plopped down onto my bed angrily. If I couldn’t go meet this psychic lady in person, then I’d have to come up with an alternative. Maybe I could call her shop and talk to her. Maybe I should go join one of those forums. Or maybe . . .

  “Duh!” I said out loud, making me actually seem somewhat crazy for real. I don’t need a car to go somewhere! I can astral travel, and I can find her on my own. Granted, I wasn’t going to get any answers out of this lady since she wouldn’t be able to see me, but at least I could scope the place out and see if it’s even worth a drive over there.

  It was still a few hours to bedtime, but I was eager to learn more. I slipped into my pajamas and under my sheets and drifted off.

  Chapter 3

  I relaxed until sleep overcame me. Once it did, my spirit stepped out of my body. I gazed down at my sleeping form. I looked so serene, so peaceful. The sounds of the TV in the living room reached my ears, pulling me to attention. I tore my gaze off my body and sighed. Braden’s show wasn’t going to make sleeping very easy. I already felt weak and groggy, an indication that I’d sleep lightly tonight. But I was too excited to wait for my body to fall deeper into sleep.

  I closed my eyes and visualized the shop I’d seen online. When I opened them, I stood on a secluded sidewalk in a quiet town. The shop in front of me wasn’t very big, but its sign and trinkets in the windows drew the eyes. I let out a disappointed sigh when I saw the lights were out and they were closed. It must have taken me longer to fall asleep than I thought. Still, curiosity got the better of me. I took a step toward the shop and peered in through the window. The street lamp next to me illuminated the front of the shop enough that I could make out the silhouettes of shelves and tables.

  Stepping back from the window, I straightened my spine and took a deep breath. Here goes nothing. My feet moved forward, but I didn’t feel the brick wall crash into me. Within three steps, I’d passed through the wall and stood inside the shop. A sense of guilt tingled throughout my body. It was almost like I was breaking and entering since they weren’t open, but it wasn’t like I was here to take anything; I just wanted to see if the place was worth making the drive for.

  After another deep breath to calm my nerves, I stepped closer to one of the shelves to eye the products they had on display. Walking slowly through the shop, I inspected the areas that weren’t cast in complete darkness. Magic kits, crystal balls, candles, dream catchers, and more lined the shelves. It all seemed too touristy to me, like it was all just for show. Could this lady be for real?

  Eventually, I reached a stack of books. I skimmed over each title, and one of the words immediately caught my eye. Dreams. A book about dreams? Could it tell me more about what I can do? I wanted to reach out and grab the book, but I knew my fingers would only pass through it the same way my body had passed through the wall. I stared closer at the cover facing me and let out a disappointing sigh. It read, Dreams: An Interpretation of Symbols. It sounded more like it was about decoding your dreams than explaining my abilities.

  I was about to turn away from the stack of books when a thud toward the back of the shop caught my attention. I tensed in surprise and instinctively crouched behind the display.

  “Mom?” a female voice called out.

  I relaxed slightly when I reminded myself no one could see me. Sometimes I forgot to sort my out of body experiences from my everyday encounters, but it was better to heed caution. Though no one could see me, that didn’t keep me from inching slowly toward the sound of the voice like I thought I might get caught.

  “Mom?” the girl called again.

  A moment later, the hallway leading to the back of the shop became flooded in light. I peeked around the corner and spotted a thin blond girl who looked to be about my age standing in front of a doorway. Her hand rested on the doorknob to hold it open. The light in the room spilled out into the hallway.

  “You didn’t answer your cell,” the girl said to someone inside the room.

  “Sorry,” a groggy female voice replied. “My phone must have died. These numbers weren’t adding up, so Diane and I stayed back to see if we could figure out where the problem was.”

  “Where is she?” The girl with long blond hair shifted in the doorway.

  “She left a few minutes ago. I was just finishing up and then was going to come home.”

  “Okay. Teddy has food ready. You said you’d be home earlier, so I thought I’d come check on you.”

  The woman inside the room cleared her throat. “Give me a minute, and we’ll walk home together, okay?”

  The girl nodded.

  I gritted my teeth from behind her. Why couldn’t my mom be as nice as this girl’s mom? She talked to her like she was her equal, not some kid who didn’t understand what she was saying. Why was it so easy for some people and not for me? My eyes locked on the girl while she waited for her mother, so I noticed when her body tensed.

  “Mom,” she whispered.

  I spotted her mother through the doorway. She had the same golden shade of hair as her daughter. She shot her a questioning expression.

  “Do you feel that?” the girl whispered.

  Her mother shook her head.

  “Look.” The girl used her left hand to point to her right arm, which still hung from the doorknob. “Goosebumps.” Her voice came out so soft that I barely heard it.

  I figured they must have some sort of inside joke that I was missing out on, and I felt like a creep for listening in to their conversation, not that the conversation was important. I straightened up, preparing to turn back to inspect the displays and leave the two women in privacy. Before I could turn away, though, the girl in the doorway swiveled in my direction.

  And she stared directly at me.

  My spirit sprang back into my body, and I bolted upright in bed. My chest compressed, and it took me a moment to realize I wasn’t breathing. I forced air into my lungs and slowly lowered myself to my pillow. I pulled the covers up to my chin, but my eyes remained wide.

  She saw me. What does that mean?

  I swallowed deeply, but I still hadn’t managed to blink. She looked right at me. Not through me. At me. How was that possible?

  I didn’t know, but I knew one thing for sure: I had to go back there in person and get some answers.

  Chapter 4

  Mom wasn’t going to let me make the drive myself. I maybe could have lived with her decision if it wasn’t for what had happened while I was astral traveling. I needed to meet the blond girl who saw me and figure out why. Was it possible that she could astral travel, too? Was that why she saw me?

  If only I’d caught her name and could find her online. I tried searching for girls about my age on Facebook, filtering by location. Peyton Springs wasn’t any bigger than Amberg, so I didn’t think it’d be too hard. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a good look at her face. Without a name, it was even more difficult. That’s why I needed to see her in person.

  I didn’t bother pushing Mom to let me go. I knew the more I asked, the less she’d be willing to let me do anything on my own. Instead, I asked her if I could stay the night at Savannah’s over the weekend, and she reluctantly agreed.

  “We’re going on a road trip,” I’d told Savannah bluntly, and her eyes lit up in response.

  “I can’t believe we’re doing this,” she told me Saturday morning while applying her makeup.

  “I know. I just want to meet my friend in person, and Mom won’t let me. Promise you won’t say anything to your parents? I don’t want them telling my mom.”

  Savannah ran two pinched fingers over her lips and threw the invisible key over her shoulder. “My lips are sealed. So, tell me more about this friend.”

  I fell to Savannah’s bed and leaned against the canopy post. “It’s just a girl I met online.” It wasn’t a complete lie, but what was I supposed to tell my best friend? That I saw the girl while I was dreaming? I wasn’t ready for that, so I concocted a lie I knew she’d believe.

  “And your mom won’t let you go meet her? That’s so unfair! It’s not like you’re going to meet up with a boy.”

  I sighed. It wasn’t the worst thing I could do, but nervous butterflies still danced around in my stomach when I thought about how I was going against my mother’s wishes.

  Savannah gave a giggle from across the room. “I’ve never done anything rebellious before.”

  You wouldn’t think that looking at her. This week, her hair was the color of a ripe plum, and her eye makeup was so dark that it made her eyes look twice their size. A lip ring and nose piercing would have suited her ensemble well, but she said she had enough holes in her face with the double piercings in her ears.

  “Yeah, well…” I couldn’t manage to find the words to finish my sentence. I’m not proud of it, is what I wanted to say, but I didn’t want Savannah to get suspicious of why I was doing this. I didn’t care what my mom said, though. I had to find answers.

  Savannah puckered her lips in the mirror one last time before standing from her chair. “Okay. Let me just grab my purse, and I’ll be ready to go.”

  I slipped my own purse over my shoulder and followed Savannah down the hall. My breathing ceased, and my hands broke into a nervous sweat. I have no idea what I’m doing, I told myself repeatedly. What would happen once I got there? Would I even find the blond girl at Divination, and if I didn’t, where would she be? How could I ask questions with Savannah around? Was there some way to distract her? I had several hours in the car to figure out a game plan, but that didn’t seem like enough time. Heck, I was going to meet up with a girl who saw me astral traveling. There would never be enough time to prepare myself for this.

  My purse buzzed against my hip as I clicked open
Savannah’s passenger side door. I slid into the seat and pulled my phone out of my purse. It was a text from Collin.

  You up to anything today?

  Crap! I thought. What should I say?

  Just hanging with Savannah, I texted back with shaky fingers.

  Oh, cool. I was bored. You two mind if I join?

  “What’s up?” Savannah asked, gesturing to my phone. She flipped her purple hair over her shoulder and clicked her seatbelt into place.

  “It’s just Collin. He wants to hang out.” Normally, I wouldn’t mind, but how could I keep them both occupied while I secretly talked to the blond girl about what I could do?

  Savannah shrugged. “I don’t mind if he comes along.”

  It took me a second to realize I was pursing my lips. I forced my face to relax. “No, he really doesn’t have to—” I cut off as soon as I began formulating a counterargument. Maybe they could keep each other occupied so that I could have a few moments alone with the girl.

  Apparently I’d remained silent for too long. Savannah stared at me with raised eyebrows. “Well, is he going to hang out with us or not? I gotta know where I’m headed.”

  I sighed. I only hoped I’d get some answers out of this trip. “Yeah, he can come. Let me check with him real quick.”

  We’re headed out of town. You up for a road trip?

  Five minutes later, Collin and I were seated together in the back seat of Savannah’s compact car, and I was giving her directions to Peyton Springs.

  Please, God, I thought. Don’t let this be a mistake.

  Chapter 5

  Luckily, Savannah and Collin didn’t ask too many questions on the way. I stuck to my story about meeting the girl online and told them I wanted to meet her because we shared mutual interests. That wasn’t a lie—I hoped—but when they asked what I meant, I told them she was a runner like me. I hoped that was true. When they began asking more complicated questions—like what the girl’s name was and why I hadn’t mentioned her before—I dodged their questions by suggesting we listen to the radio. Savannah’s voice rang above the music as she sang along, drowning out all conversation.

  Twenty minutes from Peyton Springs, I released Collin’s hand that had been entwined in mine the whole trip. I didn’t want him to notice the way they began to increasingly sweat the closer we got.

  What am I doing? I asked myself again. Though I’d had hours to formulate a plan, I hadn’t managed to figure out anything beyond stepping into Divination and crossing my fingers. Hopefully the blond girl would be there. Hopefully Savannah and Collin would get distracted by the crystal balls or something. And hopefully I’d get some answers about my gift.

  She has to know something, I told myself. She saw me. No one’s ever seen me outside of my body before. I obsessed over this detail the whole ride there.

  “What’s with this place?” Savannah eyed the brick building as we drove up to it.

  I shrugged, hoping it came across nonchalantly. “Her mom works here. You know, you guys don’t have to come in. You could—” I paused for a moment before my voice cracked out of nerves. Hopefully neither of them noticed my hand shivering against the door handle. I forced myself to recover quickly. “You could go get coffee or something. I don’t mind.”

  Savannah let out an amused breath of air. “It’s no problem. This place looks interesting anyway.” She stepped out of the vehicle.

  Collin turned to me and spoke for the first time since Savannah had turned on the music. “Are you okay, Kai?”

  I blinked far too rapidly for my own liking. “What? Yeah. I’m fine.”

  He was starting to get to know me too well, but he let the lie slide. He leaned over to give me a peck on the cheek before turning to his door and sliding out of the car. I followed my friends into the shop. The bell above the door rang, earning us a friendly smile from the woman behind the counter. She was tall and plump with a pile of auburn hair tied into a loose bun atop her head. I returned an attempted smile and proceeded to occupy my gaze with one of the candles nearby. Savannah sniffed one and let out a moan of pleasure.

  “Well, are you going to find your friend?” Collin asked, shoving his hands in his jeans pockets and glancing around.

  I had to release my lower lip from my teeth to answer. “Yeah. I just—um—wanted to look around a little.”

  He didn’t question that and began inspecting the nearby dream catchers.

  I glanced back up at the woman behind the counter. Nerves hit my gut so hard that a thin line of tears settled on my lower eyelid. I can’t do this, I told myself. I have no idea what I’m doing! I literally didn’t know what I was doing. My body moved on its own accord, and after a moment, I realized I’d made my way to the checkout counter. The woman behind it smiled at me.

  “Can I help you find something?” she asked.

  I couldn’t meet her eyes. Instead, I stared at the array of chocolates in a display case next to her. It surprised me when a rumble came from my throat to clear it. Apparently my body was working on its own today. “What flavor do you recommend?” I managed to spit out.

  “The truffles are one of our most popular. Are you a fan of peanut butter or mint? Those are my personal favorites.”

  “Mm…” I leaned toward the display case to inspect the flavors.

  “Or perhaps strawberry?” the woman suggested. “You look like a strawberry kind of gal.”

  I laughed without having to force it. My fingers twirled around the end of my ponytail. “Is it the red hair?”

  She visibly blushed. “Oh, no. I didn’t mean—”

  “It’s okay. The strawberry chocolate sounds good.” The tension in my shoulders eased when she shot me another smile. “I am actually looking for someone. Maybe you can help me?”

  She pressed her lips together. “That depends on who you’re looking for.”

  How could I even begin to describe her? She’s blond. About my age. Can see people who are astral traveling. Sound like anyone you know?

  “Her mom works here,” was the best I could come up with.

  “Oh.” The woman stretched out the word in realization. “You mean Crystal.”

  Yes! I finally had a name for her.

  “She doesn’t come into the shop much anymore. She used to work here part-time, but then volleyball started, and of course, she wanted to spend time with Robin, and she just got too busy.” The woman waved her hand like I should know what she meant by all of that. “I’m Diane, by the way.” Again, she said it like I should know who she was. Maybe if I actually knew Crystal, I would have heard of her. “Did you want me to ring up your total now, or should I hang onto these while you finish browsing?”

  I glanced around the store. Savannah and Collin chatted near the magic kits, and I was suddenly glad I brought them both along so they could occupy each other. I turned back to the woman. “I’m not sure how long we’re staying. So, Crystal isn’t going to be around today?” I did my best to make it sound like we were friends.

  Diane shook her head apologetically.

  “It’s just that I got a new phone, and I lost all my contacts. I was really hoping to talk to her.” I silently applauded myself for how quick I was on my feet. I should be, like, a professional liar, I told myself, though I didn’t think that was exactly something to be proud of.

  “Well, she’s probably at home. Or if you’re in contact with Emma or Derek, you could ask one of them for her number.”

  I had no idea who these people were, but I tried my best to play along. “Like I said, I lost all my contacts. It’s no big deal. I’ll just—” I honestly didn’t know how I was going to finish that sentence, but luckily the bell on the door rang just then, distracting us both.

  Diane’s gaze locked across the shop the same time I turned to look at the person who’d just entered. Once I processed the long blond hair and thin frame, my heart stopped.

  Crystal froze in the doorway, and the paper bag she held in her hand crashed to the floor.