1st December 2019

NOAH

Somewhere along my dream, Shay and I had scrambled up to my rooftop, watching the rows of identical houses and fake trees that looked like leafy lollipops. I almost felt like I'd stepped into my boring ISA neighbourhood since Shay had recreated the place impeccably.

"Why did you choose to make this place?" I asked her, as she gazed at the sky.

"This is your home after all," She muttered.

"Shay," I began in a low voice. "You know that I'm not coming back, right?"

She ignored me, now continuing to watch the sky studded with stars and constellations that had sprung from her imagination.

"I can't come back... I'm an outcast!" I told her, slightly annoyed at her inaction. "My parents abandoned me, Augustus hates me..."

"Yeah," She cut me off. "I know."

"Then why-"

"Noah, has Johannes possessed you already? Or are you just that blind enough to not notice that he's using you!" She turned around, looking exasperated.

I stiffened. I could already sense a huge lecture coming up. Mike had gone paranoid knowing that I was hanging out with Johannes. It was no surprise that Shay would advise me on the same.

"Isn't your Enlightened power supposed to tell you that?" I narrowed my eyes.

"My half-Enlightened power doesn't tell me everything," Shay looked bitter. "Especially when it comes to Johannes."

I sighed. There was no way out of this.

Without missing out on a single detail, I told Shay about how Melody had been forced onto me, how Johannes's deal was the only escape and way to Ren. Then I told her about GhostGuy, how he'd been a sudden idea, and how we'd saved so many people.

Shay listened quietly, reacting in all the right places and keeping her scathing opinions to herself. It felt so relieving to share everything with her, my heart light now that everything was out in the open.

"I don't trust Johannes," Shay replied as soon as I was done. "I'm sorry Noah, but everything he's done this far seems like an act to me."

"Maybe he has been pretending," I shrugged. "But he's helped me more than harming me, Shay. I can't help but think that I have the upper hand here..."

"And yet you need to hide the identity of GhostGuy, while he can prance around in public," Shay remarked dryly.

"We didn't have time to think it through," I told her, exasperated.

"No, Noah. That's what he wants you to think," She frowned. "If he cared so much about stopping LOLtube, why didn't he dress up as a ghost?"

"Because he's horrible at talking to an audience!" I told her.

"Him? Horrible at talking to people?" Shay laughed loudly. "Wasn't he the one possessing Mike and charming the internet?"

I paused, as realisation hit me. How had I forgotten something this crucial?

"He's using you, Noah," She repeated. "If things get too hard, he's going to ditch you in this LOLtube mess and disappear into thin air."

"I don't think he will," I told her, hating myself for believing her words

"Let's see," Shay suppressed her smile.

"He did convince Miss Claire that I wasn't possessed," I reminded her.

"Maybe he did it to win your trust," Shay shrugged.

"Are you sure you have no real idea about what his ultimate plan is?" I whined.

"I'm sorry, Noah, but I really don't know," Her shoulders dropped. "I'll tell you the minute I find out, I promise."

I exhaled deeply.

Johannes had always been a mystery.

*****

5th December 2019

I thought I'd get answers from Sam.

But Chantelle beat him to it.

Mornings were always the worst, with me waking up late, and rushing over to school, huffing and panting like I'd just run a marathon. My hair was an unruly mess just like my clothes and Johannes's usual insults hung around my frazzled aura like flies around a trashcan.

Maybe negativity attracts more negativity because the next thing I know I'm walking straight into Chantelle, knocking her off her two-foot heels and sending her sprawling on the floor.

"Hey, I'm so sorry-" My words fell short as I realised who it was.

Then I gulped. The she-devil wasn't someone you messed with.

I helped her up because Noah Stark is a genuinely good dude who didn't hold grudges. As evil as Chantelle may be, she hadn't gone to the police regarding GhostGuy. What if there was still some good in her?

"Thanks," She glanced up, her smile falling. "Noah?"

"Yeah," I told her, suddenly noticing that she was still holding onto my arm. I pulled it back, hoping that I didn't look too rude. "Are you okay?"

"I'm okay," She exhaled, slowly smiling at me.

But it wasn't her usual sultry smile that she threw at me, it was one of those smiles that came straight from her heart if Chantelle was ever capable of having one.

"Right, I'm late for class," I told her, already on my heels to dash into first-period English. "So, gotta go-"

"You still have fifteen minutes," Chantelle cut me off. "Aren't you going to ask me why I went to Miss Claire, and not the police?"

I stopped, throwing her a wary look.

Something in her gaze told me that she knew about us going through her chats.

"Why did you go to Miss Claire?" I asked.

Johannes had told me to ask Sam, but what if Chantelle was involved in his ploy too?

She cast a careful glance around the empty corridor, before whispering out everything.

"I'm not working for LOLtube out of my free will," She started. "I'm only pretending to carry out their orders so that my sister wouldn't be murdered the way Mike was."

"How is your sister involved in this?" I raised an eyebrow, still highly suspicious.

"She's Violet, now possessed full time by Madame Victoria," Chantelle explained.

My jaw dropped. Now that she'd mentioned it, I could see the family resemblance, with the dark hair, olive skin and high cheekbones.

"When Mike had died, I'd learnt that my sister was now completely possessed. I went to Madame Victoria, begging her to leave my sister alone."

"And she turned you into one of her own," I muttered, still reeling from what she'd said.

"Sort of... That's when they made me start my channel, seeking to promote LOLtube through it. I tortured Clover, and you, all in the hope that Violet would return. But, it's been four months, and the LOLtube kept shutting me with fake promises. I couldn't trust them anymore... " Her eyes looked moist.

"Chantelle-"

"Then Sam found out when he was going through my chats with my mom," She continued. "He met up with me a few days ago, telling me that if I joined your side, I had a chance of seeing my sister again."

She smiled at that, her eyes glistening with a rare intensity. Looked like she was fond of Sam.

"So, we came over to your house that evening, but you were at Renee's place. Your dad opened the door, and Sam told me that we could trust him, for he knew about the Spirit Realm just like you."

"My dad... You mean Johannes?" I asked, trying to swallow my fear.

Why did it seem like Chantelle and Sam had walked into a trap?

"That's his name? He told us that he was Theodore Jameson," She shrugged.

"That's his fake name!" I burst out. "Just like Oliver Jameson isn't my name!"

Chantelle stared at me with her large eyes. I exhaled, pinching the bridge of my nose, and motioning her to continue.

"Anyway, he told me that it was very much possible to bring back Violet. All I had to do was follow his instructions and pretend to be a slave of LOLtube for the next few weeks."

"That's it?" I raised an eyebrow. "No deal or any shit like that?"

"No," She reaffirmed. "Your dad was the one who'd told me to go to Miss Claire, saying that he'd handle any backlash I'd received from the LOLtube for my actions. He also managed to convince Miss Claire that it wasn't you. Your dad really cares about you, Noah," She added.

Really cares, I thought sourly. Every act of his, good or bad, was all a part of our agreement.

"Chantelle, I don't want to break your bubble, but neither is he my dad nor does he care about me," I told her.

"That's impossible!" Chantelle looked at me as if I was mad. "He was talking about you all the time! From the way you stock the fridge with marshmallows, the way you hate his stew, to how you retort back as he tosses in advice... He may not be your actual dad, Noah, but he's a caring dad nevertheless, and-"

"He's the one who killed Mike!" I hissed out, losing my temper "He's Sir Johannes, the guy heading LOLTUBE! The very guy responsible for taking Violet away from the Earthly Realm!"

Chantelle's eyes widened, and the whites around her pupils were clearly visible. I saw her swallow, then close her eyes, as if she were processing everything.

"It can't be," She said after a moment, as her eyes opened. "I've met the dude behind LOLtube, and he wasn't half as nice as your dad."

"That's because he's a great actor," I answered bitterly. "Chantelle, I know what I'm saying. I spent months with this guy at the prison, and he's only caring for me because I became GhostGuy for him."

Chantelle gave me a long look.

Then she shrugged.

"Suit yourself, Noah," She said. "But he's promised me, my sister, back. If that's another fake promise, then you don't need to worry about me. I'll be sure to torture him," She ended with a malicious smile.

I nearly laughed. Chantelle knew how to trouble people.

"Oliver!" Came a familiar voice. I turned around to see Sam, his broad frame right behind me. His hair was swept to the side, looking more shaggier than usual. "Is Chantelle annoying you again?"

He stopped before us, slowly noticing that Chantelle and I were smiling at each other.

"Drop the act, Sam," She spoke softly, "Noah knows everything."

"Everything?" He turned towards her. "Even about-"

Chantelle raised her eyebrows, throwing him a look of challenge. Sam smiled at her, swiftly brushing away at the non-existent hair on her face. However, she seemed to enjoy this, making no effect to break their prolonged eye contact.

Normally, I would've cleared my throat. But I was so astonished at being a sudden third wheel, that I blurted out, "Are you two together?"

"NO!" Both of them yelped, stepping away from each other, red and embarrassed. "We're not!"

"You mean, not yet," I smirked, which only deepened their blushes.

"Man, no, we're just good friends," Sam corrected hastily. "Besides, Chantelle was lying to the LOLtube about having a crush on me... None of it was true." He looked slightly sad at that thought as if he were hoping for more.

"Really?" I looked at Chantelle.

She shook her head but pretended to nod firmly as Sam glanced at her.

I looked at the pair of them. So much love in the air, and yet it remained unspoken.

Now, I cleared my throat.

"Sometimes, it's hard to say everything you feel. And that's why you need this."

I handed Sam a packet of marshmallows, who looked like he was slowly understanding what I was going on about.

"It's my love language, and now it's yours," I grinned at them. "Use it well."

*****