A. Gardner - Poppy Peters 01 - Southern Peach Pie and A Dead Guy by A. Gardner Page B

and jump back eyeing the door knob. If it starts turning on its own, that's it. I'll drive all the way back to Oregon screaming like a lunatic.
    I don't have to plead with Cole to leave this time. His eyes are as wide as mine. He tightly grabs my arm and pulls me with him down the hall. Both of us almost trip over each other as we do. I feel the overwhelming urge to look behind me, but I stop myself. If I see a ghost glaring at me I won't be able to remove the image from my brain. I'll need meds to get a good night's sleep.
    When we reach the night air, I take a huge breath. Cole paces the sidewalk with his hands on his hips. He scratches his brow and looks at me. I turn and start walking towards my apartment, hoping that a night with Jeff will help me forget all this.
    "Stop," Cole instructs me. "Where are you going? We should report this."
    "Report what?" I ask. "You sound just like Bree. We didn't see anything, unless you are counting Old Man Thomas who has returned from beyond the grave."
    "That's a stupid story some student made up a long time ago," he states. He takes a few deep breaths. His expression looks sour like he's having an inner debate with himself. Probably the same one I had my first night here. This proves that I'm not crazy. "I heard someone. I know I did." Cole looks back at the building before he jogs up the steps again. He pulls on the door handles, but after dinner they all lock from the inside, so students can leave but no one can go back in.
    "This never happened," I respond as he pulls the handles a second time. "Got it? I won't mention it if you won't mention it."
    "Fine." He sighs and follows me across the quad. "If it makes you happy, I will believe in ghosts just this once."
     

CHAPTER SIX
     
    The smell of oatmeal raisin fills my nose when I open the front door to my apartment. I see Bree sitting on the couch with a hot mug of tea. A tiny dessert plate is on the coffee table displaying a few of her homemade cookies. Jeff is sitting across from her with his hands on his knees. His legs are long enough that they look a little squished between the sofa and the table.
    "Look who decided to show," Bree says, smiling. If I could read minds I am almost positive she'd be shouting at me for setting her up for an awkward moment with Jeff.
    "Sorry," I apologize. "How long have you been waiting?"
    "Twenty minutes," Bree chimes in. "I told Jeff you were practicing batters on campus and probably lost track of time."
    "Yes." I take a minute to catch my breath. "That's exactly what happened."
    Bree studies my expression as she stands up with her mug and eagerly escapes to the kitchen. I smile at Jeff. He looks at my outfit and grins.
    "You might want to change clothes for where we're going." He's wearing a simple pair of jeans and a blue T-shirt that brings out the color of his eyes.
    "Why, where are we going?"
    "You'll see." He shrugs, refusing to give anything else away.
    "Right." I nod. "Give me a couple minutes." I head to my room and dig through my suitcase, grabbing a pair of slim jeans and a gray-striped tank top. I look in the mirror as I put on my diamond studs and let me hair fall past my shoulders in long, chocolate brown waves. I grab some high heels.
    I feel more like myself wearing this.
    "Okay," I say, entering the living area and grabbing Jeff's arm. "Let's go. Bye, Bree!"
    "I won't wait up." She laughs from the kitchen.
    "You look nice," Jeff responds as we walk to his car.
    "Thanks."
    He opens my door and quickly gets into the driver's seat. When he turns on the car, a CD begins playing death metal. Jeff blushes and turns the stereo off. I smile, mostly because I knew exactly what band he was listening to.
    "So," I say, breaking the silence. "Not a huge fan of country music, huh?"
    "If I were, I would definitely be in the right place," he replies.
    "Yep." I glance out the window as he turns a corner, taking us into the little town square that I've only driven through once since I've been