Chapter 5

The bus drops the three girls off at a bus stop in front of a shopping plaza, and they walk through a nice neighborhood of green lawns and large yards. Clover looks over all the houses noticing every detail, perfectly mowed lawns and fences with potted plants around them. A massive bird lands on one of the yards pecking at the ground, it lifts it’s long blue neck and looks at Clover.

She looks away a little freaked out by its beady eyes.

They walk up to a white and blue house, the two girls walk over the finely kept lawn to the white picketed fence and open the gate, and bring Clover to the back door.

Clover waits for the other 2 to step over the threshold of the welcome mat. Taylor and Chris both walk in with their shoes on. The side door opens into a really nice looking kitchen. Clover hangs by the door for a second longer, waiting for one of them to say something.

“This is a nice place” The ghost floats by effortlessly, looking over the nice painted walls with framed pictures and… fake potted plants.

“Should I take my shoes off?” Clover asks.

“You can if you want to” Chris says walking to the counter.

Taylors already walking up the stairs that are on the right of the room that split the very clean kitchen from a very clean living room. Clover decides to keep her shoes on like the other two had, and places her plastic bag on the dark marble island as well.

The ghost floats into the house, over to an array of family photos right before the stairs. Looking closely at them. The girls and their parents are happily on vacation at a beach, a gap-toothed Taylor is holding a large fish in one, and Chris celebrating her 5th birthday in another with frosting all over her face.

“Just make yourself at home” Chris calls out, and walks down a hall off of the kitchen, and Clover hears a door shut.

Clover stands still looking intently at the counter trying to pretend there’s no one else in the room. She focuses on the bowl of fruit next to their bags of convenience store snacks.

The ghost flies across the kitchen popping her head into their cabinets “Holy crap! they have a really nice place!” the ghost turns and looks at her, Clover keeps her eyes straight forward, the ghost floats up by her “this is your first time here too isn’t it, you look so awkward.”

Clover tenses up.

Taylor comes back down already switched into a pair of sweats and T-shirt, her cropped black hair pulled back in a ponytail and headband.

“Did Chris just leave you here?” She looks down the hall where Chris had gone and sighs “well the bathroom is down that way” she motions down the hall chris disappeared down “and if you want water the glasses are here next to the sink, and use the fridge not the faucet.”

Taylor grabs a glass for herself.

Clover relaxes, and nods.

Taylor leans against the counter “So you and Chris are in calculus together?”

“Yes we are,” Clover responds.

Taylor nods “does she actually do the work?”

“Huh?”

“She can’t stand numbers and hates math, she wouldn’t be taking it if she didn’t need to. Does she actually pay attention?”

Clover tries to think back to their classes “I think so?”

The back door they’d walked in opens, Clover turns and accidentally locks eyes with a woman, she has a greasy paper bag in her hand munching on fries in her other. She freezes, looking between the two girls in her kitchen.

“MOM!” Taylor yells.

The woman just stares at her mid bite of a fry.

“I thought you were on a diet.” The daughter crosses her arms.

“I just really wanted some fries!” she groans.

“Did you get us any?” Taylor asks hopefully.

The woman chews her fries “I’ll be back” and she closes the door.

“If I knew she was going to break her diet tonight, we wouldn’t have needed to stop and get snacks,” the other girl laughs.

The door opens again “what would your friend like?” their mom asks.

“Oh! Ummm…” Clover thinks quickly.

Both of them looked at her.

“BURGERS!” the ghost cheers.

“BURGERS!” Clover says a little too loudly. She clears her throat “um… a burgers good… thank you”

Their mom nods and heads back out.

“I can pay you guys back,” Clover insists.

“No, it’s fine,” Taylor waves her off “don’t worry about that.”

“But-”

“Why does it smell like mcdonalds in here?” Chris walks back also wearing sweats and a matching hoodie.

“Mom came home with Mcdonalds.”

“WHAT?! Did she bring us any?” Chris asks excitedly.

“She said she’ll be back,” Taylor tells her.

“YES!” Chris cheers!

“Even after a kraken attack you can trust Mcdonalds to be open the next day” Taylor jokes as they all walk upstairs.

The three of them… and the ghost, all head upstairs Chris is more than happy to get out her switch and teach Clover how to play Mario Kart. They all sit down on Chris’ extremely plush daybed overstuffed with pink and white pillows.