Free Untethered by Katie Hayoz

the beer — they always act that asinine.)
    Kevin runs a hand through his copper hair. “Thing is, now she’s convinced she can do it again. She got books from the library. Googled it. Thinks she’s some guru. When she’s not stuffing a bottle into David’s mouth, she’s meditating, trying to send her soul out again. I don’t know why Dad married her – she’s psycho.”
    I feel my face heat up at the word psycho , but butterfly wings bat like crazy inside my chest. I’m not the only one. Oh, my God. I’m not the only one.
    Maybe I’m not such a freak.
    Maybe I’m just a normal girl with a paranormal problem, that’s all.
    Maybe—
    Tori comes over and waves the now miniscule joint in front of my face. “Not gonna ask you if you want a puff, Psycho. You’re too goody-goody. Besides, you’d probably pass out on us.”
    All eyes are on me. I consider taking the joint and smoking it, just to get Tori off my back. But it won’t work. She’ll never be off my back. And I just don’t give a damn right now. Right now, I want to hear more about Kevin’s step-mom, so I ignore Tori.
    Bryce nudges Kevin with his foot. “So what’s up now with your step-maniac?”
    Kevin bites his bottom lip like he’s not sure if he should really be saying anything. When he finally talks, his voice is low. “Last night she said she did it. That it worked.”
    Bryce holds up his hands and shakes his blond head. “Whoa, dude. What worked? You mean she, like, left her body?”
    I shoot up like a rocket but keep my mouth sealed shut. She left her body on purpose?
    Kevin picks at a seam on his jeans and answers Bryce. “Yeah. I know it’s such bull, except ...”
    “Except what?”
    Kevin looks at Cassie, like he’s talking only to her. “Late last night I snuck out my bedroom window and met Bryce to T.P. Mrs. Zimmer’s house.”
    Now Sam straightens up. “The math teacher? You toilet papered her house?”
    “She gives too much homework.”
    Sam shakes his head. “She yelled at me today because when I came to class I had toilet paper stuck on my shoe!”
    I close my eyes and wish we weren’t related.
    Bryce laughs out loud. Kevin grins, punching Sam in the shoulder. “Sorry, man.” Then he turns around and looks at Bryce. “But my step-mom knows we did it.”
    “Derp. Why’d you tell her?”
    “I didn’t. She says she saw us when she was floating around out of her body.”
    Ashley giggles. “Come on!”
    Bryce shakes his head. “Someone must have seen us and told her.”
    Kevin’s face crumples like he’s eaten something bad. “I don’t know. She said she was right next to us and could even hear us talking about Coach. She got it right, too.”
    “This is messed up, dude,” Bryce says. Everyone goes quiet.
    “So she controlled it?” I break the silence. “She decided then and there that she was going to leave her body and go somewhere and she did it? She controlled when she went out and when she went back?”
    Kevin bites his bottom lip again. “That’s what she says.”
    “And you believe her? You believe she did it?” I feel Cassie’s eyes on me, burning through me, but I don’t look at her. If I could control it, really control it ... if I could go where I wanted, do what I wanted, when I wanted , maybe that would change everything. Everything.
    Kevin shrugs. “No, I don’t believe her. It was just freaky, that’s all.”
    “But,” I say. “But ... if it were true ... if she could really control it ... imagine the kind of power she’d have. She could follow you around whenever she wanted. Pretty powerful stuff.” Cool. Very, very cool.
    Everyone in the room stares at me.
    Kevin studies me for a long time, then he turns to Bryce. “I’m hungry. Let’s grab something to eat.” They get up and all of us follow them to the kitchen, except for Rhea and Tyrone who wave and shut the door behind us. On the way up the stairs, I feel fuzzy and lightheaded and it has nothing to do with the