Betwixt Read Online Free Page B

need your help. You have to find me. I'm hurt. I don't know where I am or what's happened to me, but I need you to keep trying. Please, call someone else."
    I reach for the phone and my fingers pass straight through it.
    Gross!
    So not loving the ghost thing.
    "Mom, please." My voice quivers.
    She snaps out of her reverie and walks to the coffee machine. Flipping up the lid, she lets out a sigh and dumps the dregs into the trash can. Grabbing a fresh filter, she pops it in the top and reaches for the coffee.
    The phone stops her. She forces a smile and presses the answer button, making sure it's on speaker phone so she can keep moving around the kitchen.
    "Hey, where are you right now?"
    "Dad! Can you hear me?" I know it's pointless, but yell it anyway.
    Mom's filling up the glass jug with water, so calls over her shoulder, "I came home."
    "I thought you didn't have a moment spare today?"
    "I don't, thanks to Jackie A. Man, that woman is so demanding... such a pain in the ass."
    My father chuckles. "Why are you home then?"
    She empties the water into the top then slots the jug into the machine with force and presses the ON button.
    "I just wanted to see if Nicky was here. I thought maybe she was playing hooky again and just waiting until I left before surfacing."
    Mom knew I played hooky? Yikes, I didn't know that. Why has she never said anything? I feel my spirit deflate. I don't want to answer that question.
    "Look, honey, I know you're worried, but I'm sure she's fine."
    "She's not fine, Mitchell." Her fingers tap on the counter as she waits for her coffee to percolate. "I know she gets home at all hours, I know she probably gets up to mischief with her friends, I know she's dating some loser... what's his name, Brent or something? But she always comes home. She's always here in the morning."
    How does she know all this stuff? I've never even introduced her to Trent?
    Dad clears his throat. "Trudy, she's stayed out all night before."
    "But not on a school night. I can't shake the feeling that something's not right."
    "Have you called her?"
    "It just goes straight to voicemail. There's no point leaving a message, she'd never call me back anyway."
    "I'm sure she'll check in eventually. I don't think we should worry yet."
    "But what if she finally did it?"
    Did what?
    "I don't..." Dad sighs. "I don't want to think that way."
    Mom's eyes fill with tears.
    "Mom?" I reach out to touch her, but know I can't. "What do you think I did?"
    "Let's explore all the options first, okay? I'll give the school a call."
    "I already have."
    "And?"
    "They don't think she's come in."
    "Well, maybe it's worth actually going down there. One of her friends will definitely be able to tell us something. If she's run away, one of them will know."
    "Run away? Wait a sec, you think I've run away? I haven't!" I wave my hand in front of Mom's face, but I'm nothing more than air. "Mom, I haven't run away. I need you guys to find me."
    "Yeah." Mom sighs as she pulls out the jug and pours fresh coffee into her thermos mug. "I'll try and get over there sometime today."
    "Try not to worry. She'll turn up."
    "Yeah, I just-" Mom's phone beeps. "Dammit. That's Jackie again. I better go."
    "I'll see you at dinner. I'll try be home by six. If she hasn't surfaced by then, we can talk about what to do next."
    "Yeah okay. Bye." She holds her breath before taking it off speaker and pasting on a smile.
    "Jac-kie." Her voice is bright and breezy as she grabs her mug and walks out of the kitchen back towards her car.
    I follow her with swift steps and make it out the door before she closes it on me. As soon as she opens the driver's door, I scramble inside. "Mom, I wish you could hear me. What can I do to make you hear me?"
    I try whacking the dashboard and beeping the horn, but it's pointless. I'm made of freaking air. Besides, she's so immersed in her call with Jackie, she probably wouldn't even notice if I was actually here.
    I slump into my seat with a curse.
    The