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“Fuck Noah. Two days?! That can’t be right. I should go to the hospital, I could have a concussion. Or, what if something is changing! No, no, no. I don’t even like the little bit of ghost action I get now. I-”
“Ghost action?” Noah starts laughing so hard he’s doubling over.
“I’m glad my impending doom is funny, Noah!” I stomp over to him and help him fall out of the chair with a shove. Noah stands up and continues laughing. He collects himself a second later.
“I’m kidding Dana, it’s been like 30 minutes.” He must see something comical on my face because he starts laughing again and I punch him in the chest.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” he says, backing up away from my swinging fists. “It was too easy but really, are you good? Everything is fine?”
“You switch characters so well it’s eerie. Were you even worried? Or were you just getting yourself in character to torture me?” I huff out crossing my arms, putting on a good show of having some hurt feelings.
“Dana, I really am sorry.” Now he looks like a wounded puppy. I chuckle.
“I’m fine. Just another weird thing to add to today's list. I’m gonna go to the bathroom real quick though.”
“I swear Dana. You’re such a shithead.”
I scoff and leave the room. “Be right back!” I shout as I walk down the hall. I get to my bathroom and do my business. I wash my hands and check my head for bruises. I had to have hit my head. They couldn’t have caught me in time. I must have lucked out this time with no bumps or bruises. I leave the bathroom and head back to my room. Noah is sitting back in the chair focused on his phone.
“You good? I’m gonna find something to eat.” I say to him as I walk into the room.
Noah puts his phone in his pocket as he stands up. “Yeah, let’s eat since you obviously need it and then we can find a new project to start.”
Every project has turned into him doing the hard work and I do the directing and the easy stuff. If you consider peeling wallpaper easy, that is. I do like to swing the sledgehammer around. Really lets me get out all my pent up childhood rage. I give him a smile. “Yes. Let's do that.” I start walking out the door when I turn around. “You know I heard someone call my name. It was so faint like an echo but it sounded so strange like he was also right next to me.” Noah gives me a concerned look as I turn around to head down the stairs before he can say anything. I don't know why I thought that would stop him though because he’ll say his piece anyway. He stomps his way down the stairs after me. Whether I want to hear it or not I know I’m going to get an earful.
“You heard what? Your name? Dana! That's never happened before. We should talk about this.” He gently grabs my shoulder as I turn the corner to the kitchen. I look up at him, confused on what there is to talk about. We have nothing to compare this to. It’s literally just another thing to add to the list. “Right? It's never happened before?” He asks earnestly.
“No, it hasn't happened before. But what is there to talk about? I heard my name and passed out. There's not a whole lot to go on there.” I say swinging my arms up. Exasperated already. A new record. “I mean, yes, there's the fact it's never happened before but I also feel fine right now. Nothing has changed in the last…” I look at the nonexistent watch on my wrist, making a show of it.
“Hour.” Noah supplies drolly.
“Hour.” I nod my head once aggressively. As if that will assure his unassured brain. “If something changes you will be the first to know. Like always Noah.” I grin, thinking of something to hopefully lighten the mood. “It's a good thing you had your key, huh? Couldn’t have saved the day without it.” I say wagging my eyebrows with a shit eating grin. Knowing damn well the door was unlocked.
Noah rolls his eyes, “The door was unlocked, you ass and you know it.”
I snigger and finish heading to the kitchen for a drink and snacks. While I make a little snack tray of meat, cheese and veggies, Noah just stares at me. Looking like he's trying to solve a puzzle he just can't quite figure out.
“You know I care about you. I can't lose you and sometimes this ‘WooWoo’ business scares the shit out of me.” He says that with spirit fingers and I give him a confused look. “It always has. Even if I act cavalier about it. Not to mention the weird shit this morning with the old hag.”
“I know I'm your best friend. What would you ever do without me?” I say with a smile and all the smug confidence in the world. He gives me an exasperated look and I cave a little. “Look, Noah, I really do appreciate the concern but there isn't much to worry about right now. You know I will always come to you if something is wrong.” I give him a pleading look to drop the subject. I don't exactly want to process the weirdness of this day yet. He seems to catch the meaning behind the look and gives a small nod.
“Okay, but I'm staying the night.” Now it's my turn to give him an exasperated look. “In the guest room of course. I just wanna make sure you haven't been possessed and try to murdle the neighbors.” He says with a wink.
“Uh huh…now! Let me show you the next project.” I bounced out of the kitchen. Forgetting about my food and heading straight for the powder room. I open the door and grimace. The wallpaper is torn and ruined. The wainscotting looks great though so that is a bonus. The sink, however, has so many cracks it needs to be replaced. The flooring also needs to be peeled back and to check and see if the original hardwood is salvable. Gods, I hope it is. That would save me a bundle. Hopefully there isn’t any molding either.
I bought this house a couple months after my mom died when I was 19. So I have been here for a little over two years. I penny pinch all day long to afford the renovation projects in this house. I don't want to dip into my savings unless it’s absolutely necessary. Everything so far has been something Noah or I can handle. But I know there will come a time when I’ll have to call an electrician and I’m not looking forward to that. I fling the door all the way open and say “This!” with an exaggerated flourish
“I knew it.” He rubs his hands together, “Alright, let's git ‘r done!
We spend the rest of the afternoon peeling wallpaper, which is awful. Pulling linoleum is just as terrible but easier than the stupid wallpaper. Luckily there are only a few layers of both. After a while I check the time and realize it’s way past time for dinner and we have been at this for hours. We got a lot done though. The flooring is peeled back and the wallpaper is gone. The sink and toilet disconnected. We have everything swept up and put into the trash bins to be picked up.
“Dinner? I have some pizza?”
“That sounds great.”
I ran into the kitchen to throw the frozen pizzas in the oven and then went upstairs to get changed into some pajamas. I washed my face in the bathroom and then headed to the couch. When I sit down I watch Noah leave out the front only to come back a minute later with a bag. Did he plan on staying the night before the incident earlier? He doesn’t sleep over often and when he does it’s because he’s drunk more than what's good for his liver. He stalks up the stairs. When he comes back down a moment later he's in sweats and a henley shirt. He plops down next to me and steals the remote.
“Hey! I was looking for something!”
