Free Death Whispers (Death Series, Book 1) by Tamara Rose Blodgett

“Yeah and he
doesn't like wherever he is.”
    Dad held up his hand. “Let's just say,
hypothetically, that we were to agree to letting this dog become your
pet. What would that mean for you?” he finished.
    Okay, more chores, dogs have to have food and
water, and they gotta make a mess in the yard (and guess who'd clean
that up... oh joy).
    Out loud I said, “Responsibility, I guess.”
    “And?” his expression unhelpfully neutral.
    My mind went blank, I couldn't think of a thing.
    “You're
fourteen now Caleb. You have four years left until graduation and
then the dog would have to become our pet.”
    “We're not sure we want that, Caleb,” Mom
said.
    “Oh.” I hadn't really thought about them. “Can
you think about it at least?”
    “I see that you're anxious son, but we can't
make a snap decision.”
    “It's important to me, Dad.”
    Dad stood up and clapped me on the shoulder,
squeezing it. He nodded once. He understood.
    Mom came to stand behind him, her gaze steady on
mine. They'd think about it.
    John had to go and told me to read the rest of the
papers.
    “Yeah, okay.” I'd been planning to anyway.
    Dad
sat down heavily in his usual seat for supper, steepled his hands,
looking at me. I popped a large piece of lasagna into my mouth and
did the tongue dance, realizing too late that it was hot-as-hell.
    “I know you've been through a lot today Caleb,”
Dad began.
    Ah-duh.
    “But, I am fascinated with how this connection
with the dog unfolded.” he waited expectantly.
    Mom rescued me. “Why don't you let him finish
eating and we can get the gory details afterward, hmm?”
    Mom
knew about The Hunger. In fact, I would use the phrase, I Hunger . Which loosely translated meant something like: what is there to eat
in this house in the next five seconds? My
friends also had The Hunger and we'd fall upon the kitchen table like
locusts and The Hunger would be abated, temporarily.
    “So Caleb, what's going on beside dead stuff?”
    She turned, carefully setting a glass in front of
Dad, hand on hip. She just missed putting her hand on one of the tiny
bells of her skirt. I was fascinated by my mom's fashion sense. I
don't truly think she had one, but she was a believer.
    “ Nothing
much besides Carson and Brett still being jerks . ”
I hesitated over the next thing; it was hard to keep this kind of
news to yourself.
    Mom sat next to me, skirt bells tinkling slightly
as she adjusted her position.
    I really had their attention because I wasn't just
blurting stuff out like usual. I wasn't in Jonesy's league, but I
wasn't super-quiet like John.
    “I like this girl named Jade, Jade LeClerc.” I
said. Just saying her name made my heart beat faster.
    “LeClerc,” Dad tilted his head, thinking. Mom
looked stumped too.
    “Ya know, her dad is a mechanic for the car shop
in the valley.”
    He
did his best not to scowl when he realized who Jade's dad was.
    Mom didn't bother to hide her expression.
“Terrible news, that.”
    My body tensed, I wasn't going to let Jade get
lumped in with her crap family.
    “Wasn't she...” Mom began.
    I finished for her, “... yeah, she was and it's
not her fault.”
    “Removed from a domestic situation,” Dad said,
adding, “of course it wasn't.”
    A contemplative silence fell on the table.
Sunlight streamed through the kitchen window, dust motes circling
lazily in the air.
    “I know the father, and he is not welcome but
Jade is. After all, with a family like that...” Dad trailed off.
    Mom finished for him, “... she could use some
positive affirmation.”
    “Is she a cute girl?” Mom asked slyly.
    I wasn't falling for that! “She's cute to me.”
    Mom mock-huffed and crossed her arms, “Caleb
Sebastian Hart!” she said, teasing. I didn't know if talking about
a girl I liked was easier.
    Raising
the dead, or girls... let me think.
    Dad joined in, “Now we have to know what your
lady-love looks like just in case we pass her on the street and
rudely not give