The Medium Kid

Chapter 15

Saturday felt like the longest day in human history. Alfie was in a bad mood from the moment he woke up, to the moment he said goodbye to his last client. He wasn't snapping at people, but his enthusiasm was gone, and he put minimal effort into every action and every thought. Most clients left feeling satisfied, but some thought their medium would be happier and more empathetic.

"Everything okay?" his mother asked as Alfie stood in the doorway of her studio. The room was brightly lit with a huge wooden table in the middle, half sanded and covered in paint. A white canvas was propped up on an easel by the window. Molly hovered her brush over it, ready to drown it with colour.

Alfie nodded and moved to the couch. He laid down and stared at the ceiling. Even that managed to have splodges of blue all over it.

"Not very convincing," Molly mumbled. Alfie heard the splash of her brush being dropped in some water and her feet shuffling towards him. "Talk to me. Why are you so grumpy today?" She lifted his legs and sat down, placing them over her lap.

Alfie studied her. Having paint in her hair was so normal, she didn't look herself when she was clean.

"It's just one of those days, I guess," he sighed, not wanting to talk, but also wanting to talk about Koda until his cheeks flushed and his heart ached.

"Is it about a ghost?" Alfie didn't say anything, and Molly patted his ankles. "Your father and I don't know what it's like to see what you see and feel what you feel, but we try to understand. Maybe talking about it will help."

"It won't."

"Maybe it's not us you need to talk to."

Alfie could feel his phone in his back pocket, cold despite his body heat resting against it. Koda. He had to talk to Koda. "Your studio smells like dead flowers."

Molly pointed to the paint covered lilies, scattered across fabric under the window. The paint was crusty and the flowers withered, but the pattern she had made was bold and eccentric. "Don't change the subject. Summon the ghost you need to talk to; it'll help."

Alfie did have to summon someone, but it wasn't a ghost.

When his mother got up and returned to her painting, Alfie pulled his phone out and stared at the blank screen. It felt like straining effort to unlock it, go to his contacts, and find Koda's name. Reading his texts from last night hurt a lot, like his mother's sharp pencil stabbing him hard in the chest.

After taking a calming breath, he typed, "If you still want to meet tomorrow, go to 'Gems and stuff' at noon. It's a shop in town. I think we need to talk about this, and not over the phone."

When he pressed send, he cringed at the name Connor had given his shop for mediums, though, a simple name suited such a quirky shop.

Alfie put his phone on his lap when Koda read it. He swallowed, hoping it would stop his heart from leaping from his mouth. When the three dots appeared at the bottom of the screen, Alfie let go of his breath. He didn't want the silence; he couldn't stand it.

"Okay."

Alfie wanted to reach through his phone and shake Koda by his shoulders. He was thankful for a reply, but it wasn't a satisfying response. At least he would see Koda tomorrow. It might not be for lunch, but they had to talk and cut off any loose threads in their developing friendship that was turning it sour.

* * * * *

When the bell above the door rang loud, Connor paused his hands and listened to it close. "Good morning Alfie."