Free The Haunting of Tabitha Grey by Vanessa Curtis Page B

all casual and says,
‘Awight?’
    ‘Yeah,’ I say. ‘At least, I think so. There’s some weird stuff going on at home but apart from that.’
    ‘Yeah?’ says Jake, but I can tell that he’s not interested in what’s going on at the manor. He’s looking me up and down and hopping from leg to leg.
    ‘So,’ I say, trying to get his attention back. ‘Good half term?’
    Jake lets his dark blue eyes rest on me for a moment.
    ‘It was OK,’ he says. ‘Sorry we never got to meet up in the end though. I kind of, erm, like, missed you.’
    Then he goes all red and turns away to fake interest in what’s going on in the football field.
    I smile. I’ve decided to be nicer to Jake. It’s good to hear that somebody likes me.
    The bell rings for afternoon double maths. I groan and get up.
    ‘Don’t s’pose you fancy doing something later?’ says Jake, staring at the ground and kicking the gravel into dust. ‘Film or something?’
    ‘OK,’ I say. ‘I’ll have to ring Mum but say I’ll see you outside school at four?’
    Jake nods and slopes off for an afternoon of chemistry.
    I head into maths feeling like it’s my birthday and Valentine’s Day all rolled into one.
    A night off from the manor! I can’t wait.
    Mum’s a bit edgy when I call her just before four and explain that I’m going out for a couple of hours with Jake.
    ‘It’s not that I don’t trust you,’ she says. ‘Or Jake. It’s just – well, you know what it is.’
    I do know, but I don’t want to bring the subject up on the phone so I just say, ‘I know, yes, but I’m nearly fifteen and we’ve been going out over five months and
I’ll be fine and I’ll see you just after supper. OK?’
    Mum agrees. I can hear the anxiety in her voice. She’s been given new pills by the doctors, which are supposed to stop the worry, but some days it seems as if they’re not really
working.
    I hang up and shake my fair hair out of the horrid ponytail just in time for Jake to come strolling out of the school and in my direction.
    We go to the precinct and Jake pays for us to see a film in 3D which is kind of cool and although it’s a stupid film I really enjoy having one night where I don’t have to worry about
weird atmospheres and strange noises.
    I let Jake put his arm round me in the film.
    I feel kind of safe and warm.
    Afterwards we go to Pizza Express and I wolf down a Four Seasons. When I eventually look at my watch and realise I ought to be getting back to Mum and Dad, it’s like somebody has poured a
bucket of cold black water over my head and all the happy feelings start to snake their way out of the building to be replaced by little thrills of fear and nerves.
    ‘Let’s walk back,’ says Jake.
    We walk down the long main road towards the manor and just as we turn the corner and it comes into sight he slips his hand into mine but, although I’ve got used to it, by then I can see
the large square whiteness of the house with its green shutters and great expanse of parkland and I’m feeling like I want to ask Jake’s parents to adopt me quick.
    ‘Funny place you live in,’ says Jake as we reach the huge gates. ‘Kind of like some posh person’s house from the last century.’
    ‘Well, that’s what it is,’ I say. ‘Five centuries, in fact. The last family to live here owned it for over a hundred years.’
    I’m sounding a bit like Dad on one of his research highs so I stop quick and let Jake peck me on the cheek. His mouth is warm and smells of popcorn.
    ‘Look after yourself, yeah?’ he says.
    His voice is more serious than usual and his eyes look dark and concerned. Maybe he’s noticed that I’m not really quite with it at the moment.
    I watch as he turns away and lopes off down Weston Drove.
    Then I trail up the enormous semi-circular drive and ring the bell of Weston Manor.
    Dad is really in his element tonight.
    There are two big groups of adults going round the house for the ghost hunts and Dad’s job as