ghostly shadows

[06] nana has all the answers.

ADYLYN'S POV

w o r d s: 1690

p a g e s: 5

Ethan looks at me like I'm crazy. He casts himself as a human to get close to me and E. This is bad, so goddamn bad. "How can you tell?" Ethan asked. "I can just tell, he cloaked himself to be I guess my 'dream guy'" I air quoted dream guy. "Why would he do that?" Ethan questioned. I shrugged thinking for a moment. Why would he do that? I thought. "Maybe to get close to you" I theorized, now pacing. Ethan blinks at me. "What? He wants YOU; Ethan so get me to be vulnerable and share with him the information we have with Alice; he knows that we know that he has Ali's kids, but we don't know why" I say brushing my hair in the mirror. Ethan sighs. "What?" I asked looking at him in the mirror. "I just want to know why he's after me and not you" he says frustrated. I shrugged. "That's what we have to find out, Ethan" I say now sitting on the counter. He walks over to me and hops up too. "This sucks" E sighs. "Very much so" I agreed.

We walk back to his dorm to sleep. We probably won't even sleep because we are so freaked the fuck out. I hope Nana calls tomorrow to give me SOME insight. I send a quick text to mom explaining what just happened even though she would see it in the morning. "I can't believe this is happening" Ethan plops down on his bed. I do the same. "This is our lives now, E" I say looking at him. "I suppose" he says combing his fingers through his hair, a nervous habit he does. I'm on my stomach propped on my elbows, looking at my best friend. "I just... how come I didn't notice him before?" I asked. "I dunno, maybe your abilities don't work?" he asked. "Maybe" I say flipping on my back to charge my phone. "Hey, Ady?" he asked. "Hm?" I asked. "I called my mom and asked if we knew any Philips, you know Alice's husband" I look at him waiting for him to continue. "We do, Philip Gilbert, Ady Philip Gilbert as in my great super great grandfather married your great super great grandmother" Ethan sits up and I do the same. "Oh my god!" I say bugged eyed. This changes fucking everything.

♠

In the morning, I had a missed call from Nana and three messages from mom. I rub my eyes and cleared my throat and pressed call. "Adylyn! My sweet girl, good morning" Nana singsong. "Hi Nana, how are you?" I asked sleepily. "I'm okay, your mother wanted to see why you're seeing Dark Matter" Nana says getting to business. "Yeah, do you know anything?" I asked trying not to wake up Ethan whom was still asleep. I grab my journal that has 5 pages left. I wrote down everything she told me. About Alice Young who was in fact a psychic like us. "That's why she knew she could come up to me and she knew that I would help her" I say. "Exactly, Philip Gilbert was the love of her life Ady, but their neighbor was jealous because he was jealous of Philip" she explained. "How do you know all of this stuff?" I asked her. "Elderly psychics don't tell their secrets" I can hear her smirk. "Okay well, why do we see Dark Matter?" I asked. "Well, we see the veil of the other side so technically Devils and other sinister things are on the other side. This so-called Keaton maybe your so called 'Dark Matter' or maybe this Keaton is being possessed by it" Nana says. "ominous" I say as a sheet of goosebumps coated my skin. "Very, so, maybe this Dark Matter wants Ethan because he's part of the Gilbert timeline" Nana says as I write it down. "He wants to kill E?" I asked looking at the sleeping boy. "Possibly" Nana sighs. "How can I stop it?" I asked. "You don't, Adylyn" she says flatly. I sigh. "Thanks for everything, I mean it" I say. "You're welcome, please keep me posted about everything and you better call me if you need any help" she fake scolds. "I will, Nan I love you" I say. "I love you too, Songbird" she smiled. Songbird is her nickname for me, ever since I was small, I would mimic bird noises.

Ethan was still asleep, so I decided to get ready for the day. Other females that are suffering major hangovers from the night before fixing up their appearance. Some girls are in the shower and in stalls vomiting some more. That's the one thing I don't miss, puking and waking up in a stranger's dorm bedroom or any bedroom for that matter. I waited for a sink to open so I can wash my face. "Hey, Adylyn" a velvety voice says from behind. "Hi, Keaton" I say. His dirty blonde hair looked like soggy noodles. His beautiful eyes homed dark circles underneath his eyes. I assume that he was also hungover. "How are you this morning?" he asked. His muscles danced underneath his way to tight shirt. I know his façade I know he knows it too. I waited for a girl to leave the bathroom and I began my routine for the morning. I washed my face with my Morning Burst by Neutrogena. It instantly wakes me up. I head for the shower next. I feel weird getting fully nude when Keaton is out there doing whatever. "Hey man" I hear Keaton's voice. "Hey" I hear Ethan's voice and then the faucet running. They were chatting when I exit the shower. I felt so uncomfortable going out there with just a towel so I just put on Ethan's shirt that I stole. "Morning, E" I say. "Morning, Ady" he beams. "So, Adylyn when can I start calling you Ady too?" Keaton asked as I rang out my sopping wet hair. "Never, only Ethan can call me that like I said previously" I say brushing my hair. "Okay, fair" he throws up his hands causing me to laugh.

I exit the bathroom so I can do my makeup and change. When I enter Ethan's dorm, his roommate; Nathan was sitting on his bed with a book in hand. "Hey" he says looking up. "Hi" I replied. "Want me to turn around?" he asked. "Yeah, that'll be nice" I say. Nathan does so and I change quickly in a chunky turtleneck sweater and leggings. "Thanks" I say. "No problem" he beams then went back to reading. I sit in front of Ethan's mirror to do my hair and makeup. I have class in two hours, and I have no idea what to do about Keaton. Minutes passed and I was putting on a dark lip shade when Ethan came in. "Hey, Nate" he says. "Hey" Nathan didn't look up from his novel. "Coffee?" Ethan asked helping me up. "Coffee" I replied slipping on my shoes and grabbing my journal. "Looks like you're running out" Ethan says looking at my journal. "Yeah, mom is getting me a new one she says 'I need to save money' which I do" I say rolling my eyes causing Ethan to laugh.

We went to the cafeteria for breakfast. "You sure you want Keaton to know you on a personal level?" Ethan asked. "I need to play into his game, E" I say. "Just be careful, okay?" he says slinging over his arm over my shoulders. "I will" I smiled at him. We loaded up on food and ate in silence. Keaton slides on next to me and throws an arm around me. "Sup, Adylyn" he smiled. "Hi, Keaton" I say with a shy smile. "How are you?" he asked stealing a piece of toast. "I'm okay, how are you" I say looking at Ethan. "I need juice" E announces grabbing his glass. I watch him leave and look at the blond boy. "Okay, so I have questions" Keaton says. "Is that so?" I asked. "Yep" he clears his throat. "Question one, favorite season" he asked. "Spring" I say without thinking. "Summer for me" he smiled. "Why?" I asked. "Because I like the warmth, I am more active in summer" he shrugs. "Really?" I asked. "Yep, okay question two type of coffee" he looks at my coffee cup. "Black with almond milk, but sometimes hot chocolate" I replied. "Same here" Keaton says scrolling through his phone.

He asked me questions for like twenty minutes. "Okay, last one favorite type of music" Keaton looks at me. "Hm, I like every type but if I have to say one it'll be alternative" I say finishing my coffee. Ethan has been silent for the entire time just scrolling on his phone. I feel bad. "Hey, Keaton I'll text you after class" I say smiling while touching his arm. "Yeah, yeah sure" he swiftly kisses me on the cheek. "Bye" I say. "Later, bye Ethan" Keaton says. "Bye" he fake smiled. "Sorry, E" I say. "It's okay, seems like you were interested" he stated. I rolled my eyes. "E, I'm just trying to look interested" I tell him, "don't worry, you're the only boy for me" I added ruffling his hair. "Ugh" he groans swatting my hand away causing me to laugh. I walked to dump my trash in the trashcan when I felt a chill running through my body. I turn and see Alice. "Alice?" I asked noticing her face had a small cut on it and her dress was messed up. "What happen?" I asked horrified. "Him" she pointed a shaky finger to Keaton who was glaring. "I'm so sorry, Alice" I say placing a hand on her cheek. A single tear fell from her piercing eyes. "I'll do anything you want me too" I tell her. "Find Charles and Lena quickly, they're with him" Alice weeps. "Who?" I asked. "Dark Matter" she says. "Keaton?" I asked. She nods. This just made everything harder than I thought.