If Only They Knew Voodoo Like We Do

~3~

-elise-

"ahem," i clear my throat. "shane? can i talk to you?"

she looks at me and nods. "sure."

i take her a few steps away from the group and whisper," what do you plan on doing with a group of dead people?"

she shrugs. "i dont know. maybe start them off by giving them a shower?"

"did you plan on taking it step by step?" i ask.

shane nods. "basically, yeah. why?"

"dont you think it might be weird hanging with dead people?"

"honey, listen. this is halloween night, no one will notice. besides, it isnt like it will last forever." she tells me. "take a breath, relax. why worry?"

i exhale a deep breath and follow her back to the group. "hey guys, my name is elise. sorry about being in a bit of shock."

"no worries," the guys shrug it off.

"so what is the plan, stanley?" hailz asks.

"who's stanley?" dan asks, jealousy in his tone.

"whoa bro, calm down. it is just a figure of speech," shane explains.

i giggle at the scene.

someone nudges me. i look over to find joel. "whats so funny?" he asks me with a smile.

"nothing, just my friends."

...

-hailz-

following sj out of the cemetery to our dorm, i walk with elise at the back of the group.

"whats on your mind?" she asks me.

i shrug." i keep getting this weird feeling in my stomach everytime it comes to dan. ive no clue why."

"ooooh," she waggles her eyebrows at me.

"what?"

"do you loooove him?" she giggles.

i scoff. "hell no. i know nothing about him."

"that can be arranged," she says as she walks in front of me.

"wait- elise!?" i whisper yell at her.

after five minutes of walking by myself, i hear a deep voice clear their throat. i look up and find dan. "heeeey..." i say awkwardly.

"hey," he smiles. "i heard you love me?"

my stomach drops and i forget how to breathe. "wh-what?!"

dan stop walking with me, laughing. "im kidding, i just wanted to see your reaction."

i punch him in his arm. "buttjerk!"

"whoa now. buttjerk?"

"it is just this word my little brother came up with when he was calling me a meanie." i can feel my face heat up at the way he keeps staring at me.

"are you blushing?" he chuckles.

i shake my head. "hell no! i dont blush."

"youre a bad liar."

"you know nothing about me, dan," i smile.

" i know you like me," he smirks.

" i do not! why would you think that?"

" i can hear your heart racing from me just being next to you," he says seriously.

i stop walking. "what?"

"the joys of being dead,"dan exhales. "yep, i have the powers of a vampire: i can hear your heart, i can tell when youre lying, i have awesome smell."

before i can go to sneak a whiff of myself, dan says," dont worry. you smell wonderfully."

"thank you," i chuckle nervously. then i go to ask if he can read minds but he tells me," no, before you ask, i can not read minds."

"then how did you-" he cuts me off.

"because that's the first thing people ask when they find out youre a vampire."

"and how would you know that if you've been dead?"

"just because im physically dead, means nothing," he snorts. " my spirit soars amongst the winds."

"wow, arent you poetic?" i smile.

....

-shane (sj)-

"so, where are we going?" i look over and see johnny.

"we are heading to our college dorm. you do know what that is, right?" i tease him.

"ive only been dead...lets see. 1,2,3...hmmm, yeah, six years. "

"mkay, so youre caught up on everything then?" i ask.

" i might be a little bit behind," he chuckles.

"that's ok, ill get you caught up. i mean, we only have all night right?"

"umm, actually... about that..." he trails off.

my smile falls. "what?"

"oh nothing. it doesnt matter..."