Besideitsitsthemiddleschool.It looks exactly the same as I remember.This was when things started to get complicated.Girlstalked about when they were going to start going through puberty, and the boys were no longer our equals, but prizes to be won.
Even with my best friend, Lanie, living next door, I was already beginning to feel like an outcast. When we moved, that feeling grew exponentially. Now, seeing where it all startedmakes me feel likeI’drather forget thantake a trip down memory lane.
“That’s Claudia’s,” Simone says, pointing to a small, single-story brick house.It’squaint withpicturesqueflower boxes in the windowsand a welcome sign propped beside the door.Ican’twait to see the inside.
We continue down the block, and I gaze out the window at all the new buildings that have been erected since I lived here. There are so manybusinesses thatweren’tthere before, as well as two new gas stations. The tiny town of Shadow Hills has bloomed into a beautifulhavenforparanormalsand humans alike.I’mhappy to see its infrastructure has grown with its people, and I hope it continues to expand without losing its charm.
We pass the fire station and the clinic, and thenwe’reback on Main Street.
“That’s all folks,” Casey says in an impression of a lively tour guide. “And it only took ten minutes.”
“Ain’tthat the truth,” Simone muses. “Sometimes I forget just how small this place is.”
“It’s hardly changed at all,” I say from the backseat. I shift from one side of the car to the other, lookingoutboth windows. No need for a seatbelt whenI’lljust pass through it.
Simone hums in concurrence. “I’ve only been here a year, but it already feels like I’ve been here my whole life.”
“It’s easy to feel that way when the town embraces you,” Casey adds. “That’s the one thing I wouldn’t trade for anything: the people.”
It’s a comforting sentiment, and I’ve already seen it for myself in the few days I’ve been here.
“What else would you like to see, my dear?” Simone asks as she turns around in her seat. She grips the back of the headrest,and I notice her nails are painted red with pink and white embellishments.
“I think I’d like to just walk around for a bit,” I say. “If that’s okay.”
“Cool, cool.” Casey loops through the roundabout and takes a left into a parking lot that sits between DoubleDoubleand a coin laundry.
After he parks, we all get out—I float through the back door—and start down the sidewalk toward the coffee shop.
“You want anything, babe?” Casey asks Simone as we approach the chalkboard easel standing outside the door, advertising the holiday specials.
“You read my mind,” she declares. “Let’s get hot chocolate!”
He scowls. “Isn’t itkindawarm for hot chocolate?Besides,” hecomes up from behind her andsqueezes her shoulders, “you still need to try the pistachio cold foam we have right now.”He kisses her on the cheek.
“Yes! Yum!”
She yanks open the door and it dings above our heads. There are several small groups sitting inside, andI’mnervous to show myself as a spirit, but no oneseems to payme any attention.There’sa Black man in his mid-forties taking orders at the register, his long locs pulled back low on his neck.
“Your shift hasn’t started yet,”hetells Casey as we approach the counter.
Casey points his thumb at me. “We’re showing the new ghost around town.”
Simone interjects, giving himside-eye. “This is Kennedy.She’sClaudia’s sister, andshe’snew in town.” She throws her hand back nonchalantly. “That’s my brother, Layton.”
“How ‘bout that.” Layton’s grin is miles wide. “Welcome to Shadow Hills, Kennedy. I hope you like it here.”
“I do,” I say, brushing my hair behind my ear.
“Firstcup’son the house if you’d like some coffee.”
I looktoCasey. “Actually, that pistachio drink you mentioned sounds really good.”
“Three please!” Simone sings.
We select an empty table and Simone and Casey sit across from one another. I shift into my physical body and pull out the chair between them. My muscles are sore, andI’mstarting to feel thebeginningof a tension headache.After my coffee, I’ll definitely need to shift back and give my body a proper rest.
Simoneremovesher crossbodybagand Casey takes it from her, placing it in his lap.They’rea sweet couple. I can tellby the way Caseylooks at her that she means a lot to him. Simonedidn’tmention how longthey’dbeen together, but I would say a long time, based on how comfortable they are.Either that, or they both got really lucky finding their person.
