Apparition: The Apparition Series, #1

By Dylan White

The ghost haunting Jade Foster's house didn't scare her—until he fell in love with her.

Jade Foster just moved to a new city with her mother and step-dad in the middle of her senior year.  She doesn't know anyone.  She has a midterm on Monday.  And her house is haunted.

Sean Clayton died at eighteen almost seventy years ago.  He believes Jade is the one who can help him finally move on.  But his connection to Jade exposes her to dark forces from the afterlife.  Despite the danger, Sean promises to protect her.  

Now Jade is about to discover that love can be a near-death experience ...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dylan White
• Release date: Oct 13, 2015
• ISBN: 9781940799117

Dylan White

Dylan White has written The Apparition Series, an award-winning play, several emails, and this biography. He is a milkshake enthusiast and prone to speak in film and TV quotes. He lives in his own little world but often gets lost because Google Maps doesn’t work there. Apparition was written for his daughter who is so extraordinary that he wishes he were a better writer to describe how incredible she really is. Her brother is pretty awesome, too.

Book preview

1

LOSS

Jade couldn’t sleep.

She was often up late, but it was usually on purpose. Most nights, long after Jade had said an obligatory good night to her mom and step-dad, she would sit in the glow of her lap-top, chatting online with her friends, surfing the social networks, or sampling new music. Some nights she’d just read or watch TV until she couldn’t stay awake any longer.

Next thing she knew, it would be morning and she could occupy her mind with school. Consequently, she got very good grades. Her counselors took her academic achievement to mean she liked school.

She didn’t. Who does, really? Particularly high school. Jade just focused on school, and everything else, to distract herself from her loneliness.

Jade didn’t mind being alone. She actually kind of liked it. But there’s a difference between being alone and being lonely. And it was the loneliness she had been feeling lately that got to her.

But that wasn’t what was keeping her up.

She tried to tell herself it was just nerves. Jade Foster was about to be the new girl at Vista High School. She would have preferred to blend in with other new students but school already started a month before. That meant Jade would have to endure extra attention as everyone wondered who the new senior was.

Jade didn’t like extra attention. Her dad used to say it was odd that someone who didn’t want to be noticed would purposefully put a purple streak in her long jet-black bangs.

He never cared for her bangs. Not because of the purple streak, but because they hid her face.

That’s exactly what Jade was going for.

Her father said it was a shame to cover up something so beautiful. Jade thought that was something a father was supposed to say, but she knew he meant it and, secretly, Jade liked it.

Compliments like that, though, made Jade want to hide behind her bangs even more. She didn’t know why it embarrassed her, but it did. Maybe it was because she felt like a little girl again when her father told her she was special and all she wanted to do was be more grown up.

Jade also didn’t like being made to feel special on the inside when she tried so hard to be outwardly ordinary. She didn’t think her father understood. But he did. More than Jade gave him credit for. And he understood her better than anyone.

Stand out, but blend in, her dad would say. Teen girl logic.

Then he’d shake his head and kiss Jade on hers.

Jade would feign annoyance with her dad’s displays of affection and roll her eyes, but deep down it always made her feel like she was wrapped in warm towels fresh from the dryer. Unwilling to allow herself to be vulnerable, Jade would pretend to not like being daddy’s girl. And he would pretend not to notice the slight curl of her lip as she suppressed a smile.

It had been over a year since her dad died.

Brian Foster always felt that if he wasn’t the man in his daughter’s life, someone else would be. He figured if he set the example for how Jade deserved to be treated, she would one day choose a man who would never hold back expressing how much he loved her, too.

Brian left for work one morning like any other. He kissed Jade on the forehead as usual and she, reverting to being daddy’s little girl, blew him a kiss back. He grabbed it out of the air, placed it over his heart, told her he loved her, and left the house. But he didn’t come home that night. He never even made it to work.

Jade came home from school to find her mother sitting in a daze on the couch. For her mother to be home in the middle of the day was already unusual, but the empty look in her eyes told Jade something was very wrong. Jade approached her mother carefully, slowly setting down her backpack.

When Jill Foster turned to face her daughter, she slowly reached out for her. Despite looking like she didn’t have any strength, Jill gathered Jade up in her arms and held her tighter than she ever had before. And then she started to cry.

Mrs. Hirsch, their neighbor from two doors down who used to watch Jade when she was a toddler, emerged from the kitchen. She had just made some tea to help settle Jill’s nerves and happened upon their embrace. From over her mother’s shoulder, Jade looked to Mrs. Hirsch for an explanation.

Since Jill was numb with shock and grief, Mrs. Hirsch knew it was up to her to break the bad news. She set down the tea, looked at Jade sorrowfully, and said simply, It’s your father.

After a few moments, Jill was able to tell Jade how her father had a heart attack while waiting in line at his morning coffee stop. Jade was stunned. Brian Foster was only forty-two and relatively fit. A heart attack seemed not only unlikely, but nearly impossible.

It turned out Brian had a weak heart condition that the doctor called coronary artery atheroma. One of the major arteries supplying blood to Brian’s heart muscle had narrowed over time and the reduced blood supply to his myocardium, or heart wall muscle, induced a ventricular arrhythmia and then ventricular fibrillation.

What the hell does all that mean?!

Hysterical and flustered, Jill didn’t care if she caused a scene at the hospital. Dr. Lahiri continued his attempt to describe what happened to Brian. The reduced oxygen and blood supply to the heart muscles, Dr. Lahiri explained, eventually caused Brian’s left ventricle to shudder and tremble rather than contract normally.

Jill was beside herself.

He just had a physical six months ago! Why didn’t they catch this?

Dr. Lahiri went on to explain that this condition usually isn’t discovered until after it’s too late.

What’s more, Dr. Lahiri continued, most victims don’t exhibit the typical symptoms of a heart attack such as chest pains or shortness of breath. They’re usually just going about their daily business and then suddenly collapse. And even though emergency services were on the scene quickly, this condition does not typically respond to CPR or defibrillation.

Dr. Lahiri regarded Jill as she took all this in. The shock and numbness were starting to take over.

I am so sorry, Dr. Lahiri consoled. There really was nothing we could do.

Jade started to feel the shock and her mind reeled. Her dad always said he loved her with all his heart and Jade suddenly felt very guilty. Maybe if he hadn’t loved her so much, his heart wouldn’t have weakened, she thought. She knew this was a ridiculous idea, but she couldn’t help taking on some of the blame.

Suddenly, Jade snapped out of it and turned on her mother, having realized the timing.

That happened this morning! she shouted. He hadn’t even gotten to work yet! Why didn’t you come take me out of school?

Jill looked at her as if the answer was so simple.

I didn’t want to ruin your day, she said innocently. Jill truly felt she was acting in her daughter’s best interests, trying to shield her from the pain.

Ruin my day?! Jade blurted out. My father dies and you don’t think that’s important enough to pull me out of school?!

There was no reason, Jill said, still in protective mother mode. The doctor said there was nothing anyone could do.

I could have been there! shouted Jade. I could have said goodbye! How could you not tell me that dad died?!

Jade felt both grief and anger and she didn’t know which was stronger.

"I did tell you, said Jill. I’m telling you now."

No. Mrs. Hirsch told me!

Mrs. Hirsch had been feeling uncomfortable enough watching this exchange. But now that Jade had called her out, she wished she could make herself invisible. She fidgeted on her feet, wondering if she should stay or go.

Jade, on the other hand, had no problem making the decision to leave, if only to her bedroom. She slammed the door behind her so hard that it rattled anything in the house that wasn’t nailed down.

With Jade out of the room, Mrs. Hirsch was suddenly no longer in the middle and she elected to stay and comfort the quietly sobbing Jill.

In her room, Jade screamed into her pillow. It was a mix of anguish over her father and fury at her mother. While Jade was never as close with her mom as she was with her dad, there was now a rift she was certain would never mend.

Jade grabbed a picture of her and her father at her eighth grade graduation that she kept on her desk. Her father’s wish to always be the man in the picture for Jade was no longer a metaphor. That’s all he’d be now. The seeds of Jade’s loneliness had been planted and were taking root.

The distance between Jade and her mother grew even wider a few months later when Jill announced that she was going on a date with someone she knew from her old high school. Jill’s friends at work suggested going out and being social might help her overcome her grief. Jill was adamant that she wasn’t ready to date, and she refused to be fixed up or join a dating service.

Then, one of Jill’s co-workers suggested she simply create a profile on one of the online social networks and try to reconnect with old friends. Jill figured those sites were for kids like Jade, but she was surprised to not only find many of her work colleagues on there, but many people from her school days as well. She also found Jade online and sent her a friend request.

Jade never accepted it.

Ray Dunleavey always had a thing for Jill when they were in school together but never acted on it. He spent three weeks coming up with the courage to ask her to Homecoming, only to find he was too late.

Jill had already agreed to go with Spencer Klapp, which made Ray kick himself for another three weeks. He was so worried that Jill would say no and embarrass him that he did nothing. But he thought if Jill said yes to a complete tool like Spencer Klapp, she certainly would have said yes to him.

So when Ray Dunleavey came across Jill’s profile one day almost twenty-three years later, he didn’t hesitate to send her a friend request. Jill remembered the name, but the face wasn’t as familiar. Ray was scrawnier in high school with messy tufts of dark brown hair. Since then, he’d gained weight and lost hair.

Under a slight layer of mid-40’s fat, Ray still had something of the athletic build he cultivated in his 20’s. When Jill finally recognized him from some of his younger pictures, she accepted his request. She wrote in an IM that his thinning ring of graying hair around the back of his head made him look distinguished. Ray glowed when he read it.

It had been a long time since a woman had complimented Ray. He was married briefly in his early thirties to a woman who turned out to be very high maintenance. She rarely had a word of praise and, while Ray made a good living, it was never enough for her.

The day she announced she was leaving him, Ray felt a weight lift from his shoulders. And even that didn’t please her. She thought so much of herself, she expected Ray to be devastated without her. Instead, he felt free and hoped one day he’d find someone to return the love he offered.

That day came when he stumbled upon Jill’s new profile and they had their digital reunion. The two old friends exchanged messages back and forth and laughed over shared high school memories, although Ray still found the Homecoming story a bit embarrassing. Jill boldly suggested he try asking her out again and see what happened. That old familiar nervous knot in his stomach suddenly appeared but Ray didn’t even wait three seconds, much less three weeks, to ask her out.

Jade was disgusted.

She couldn’t stand the thought of her mother going out with a man who wasn’t her dad, especially only a few short months after he’d died. Jade expressed her anger and frustration the only way she knew how—by retreating into herself. Jade spent even more time in her room, plugged in to her iPod. Her hair got longer, her clothes got darker, and her circle of friends got smaller.

Jade was just finishing her junior year at Dos Cielos High when Jill and Ray sprung their surprise on her at dinner one night. Ray took them out to celebrate his promotion to regional sales manager for the sporting goods chain he’d worked for since college. But he explained it meant he’d have to relocate down the California coast a good two hundred and fifty miles to Sol Vista. Jade inwardly thought this was indeed cause for celebration if Ray had to move.

Jade looked over at her mother who didn’t seem terribly upset. She either already knew about the impending move and had come to terms with it or there was another announcement coming. Judging by the giddy smile on Jill’s face, Jade had a sinking feeling it was the latter. And she wasn’t going to like what Ray was going to say next.

Ray had proposed to Jill. And Jill had said yes.

Nope. Jade didn’t like that at all.

She knew she was supposed to be happy for them and on some level she was. But Jade found it hard to express when she knew they had schemed to spring this news on her in a public place because she’d be less likely to fly off the handle and cause a scene. With the prospect of having Ray as her step-father and moving to a new town away from her friends, Jade suddenly wasn’t hungry.

Jill and Ray married a couple weeks later in a small ceremony at Dos Cielos City Hall. Jade was the reluctant Maid of Honor. She wore a black veil in protest.

While Jill thought the gesture was insensitive and inappropriate, Ray insisted she let it go. He didn’t want any drama to ruin the day and he hoped that by supporting Jade, he might win her over a little. Jade, however, saw right through him and it made her resent him further.

The day after the wedding, Ray moved into a hotel in Sol Vista while he started his new job and shopped for a house. Jade savored the time Ray was gone.

A couple of weeks later, Ray called and announced he’d found a house and bought it. It was brand new and the last one available in the development. The manufacturer was anxious to unload it before the end of their fiscal year and gave Ray a great deal.

It was perfect. Two stories, four bedrooms, hardwood floors, colonial decor. Jill loved the pictures Ray sent and even Jade had to admit it was a very nice house. There was only one thing wrong with it—it wasn’t in Dos Cielos.

They couldn’t move in right away, though. There were some minor maintenance issues that had to be taken care of and, of course, they had to wait until escrow closed a month later. That meant they wouldn’t be able to move in until the end of September. As much as Jade hated having to spend her senior year at another school, she at least hoped to start fresh at her new school. But now she had to go back to Dos Cielos High for a month.

Jill tried to cushion the blow, saying it would give her a chance to say goodbye to her friends. Jade had already been doing that all summer. Now Jade felt like her mother and Ray were just making things worse by having her go back for a few weeks, making her see what she would be missing.

It would make her last day at her old school that much more difficult and her first day at her new school that much more awkward—because Jade’s first day would be everyone else’s twenty-fifth. Her dislike for Ray burned even deeper. He had completely disrupted her life.

As Jade lay awake in bed recounting the circumstances that put her in her new house, she came to realize she was only distracting herself. But she wasn’t distracting herself from her usual loneliness. And she wasn’t distracting herself from her butterflies of being in a new house in a new bedroom with the distinctive smell of new paint. It wasn’t even the anxiety about being the new girl the next day. Any of those things would have been a welcome distraction to the real reason she couldn’t sleep.

Jade figured that accepting her situation would allow her to finally relax and get some rest. It didn’t work. Instead of calming her nerves, thinking about the real reason she couldn’t sleep only made her more uneasy and anxious. As much as Jade felt lonely, she didn’t feel alone.

Because Jade couldn’t shake the eerie feeling that she was being watched.

Jade tried hard to ignore what she hoped to convince herself was nothing but paranoia. But she could feel eyes on her. She could sense someone in the room. Was Ray really so creepy that he’d spy on his teenage step-daughter? No. There were a lot of things about Ray that made Jade uncomfortable, but she was sure that voyeurism wasn’t one of his quirks.

Slowly, she rolled over to take in her surroundings, afraid of what she’d find. The faint moon cast slashes of dim blue light across the room through the slats in her window shutters. The dancing shadows choreographed by the tree outside wafting in the night breeze made the slashes of moonlight almost seem to move.

Having been in the dark for quite some time, Jade’s eyes had adjusted to make out most of what was in the room—her desk and desk chair, her big cushiony reading chair, a lamp, several unpacked boxes, a pile of clothes, and …

Jade’s stomach jumped. Like she’d just fallen backwards in a chair. A shadowy figure caught her peripheral vision. She began to breathe quicker, like she was getting ready to run, and she was suddenly very aware of how loud her heart was beating in her ears.

Only once before did Jade have the feeling she wasn’t alone in her room. She was five and had just fallen asleep when she thought she heard someone whispering to her. She wasn’t sure if it was part of a dream or just her dad coming in to kiss her goodnight.

Little Jade stirred from her sleep and saw what she thought was an older boy in her room, smiling at her. She wasn’t totally sure at first—he sort of blended in with the shadows. Jade was scared initially, but something about this boy told her not to worry. In fact, she had the strangest feeling she was supposed to take care of him.

But in an instant, he was gone. And so was the comforting feeling she had. Fear took over once again and she ran down the hall to get her dad.

Brian calmed her down, rocking her in his arms and stroking her hair. He then carried his daughter back into her room, explaining there was nothing in the dark that wasn’t there in the light.

He turned on her bedroom light to make his point and little Jade squinted until her eyes could adjust. When they did, she agreed her room was perfectly normal.

She still suddenly clung to her father when he switched the light off again, but he quietly gave her a reassuring hush, laid her in her bed, and tenderly kissed her on her forehead, whispering good night, angel and I love you into her ear. She closed her tired eyes and didn’t open them again until morning when she had forgotten the whole thing.

Until now.

Jade reminded herself that there was nothing in the dark that wasn’t in the light. She could no longer see the figure she thought she saw—and she only saw it for the briefest of moments. Yet, she still felt something—or someone—was there. Hearing her dad’s voice in her head, Jade screwed up her nerve and boldly tossed back the bed sheets. She marched across the room and flicked on her light switch.

The sudden bright light pierced her eyes and she shut them quickly, squeezing them shut so tight she saw kaleidoscopes. After a few moments, Jade carefully opened one eye, then the other. Looking around the room, she fervently scolded herself.

See? Nothing.

She smacked the light switch to off and strode back to her bed.

On her back, arms folded across her chest, Jade was determined to fall asleep. She was so tired, it was so late, and she had to get up so early. Taking a few deep, cleansing breaths, Jade slowly sank into her satin sheets and the muscles in her body slacked. In the quiet stillness of her room, Jade could only focus on one thought.

Someone’s watching me.

Now Jade was just mad. Her eyes clenched tight with frustration. She knew she was by herself. It had only been a few moments since she proved it to herself with the lights on. Frustrated, she begged out loud, Please let me sleep, to what she thought was no one in particular.

But when Jade opened her eyes, the figure was back.

Jade kept her focus on it, determined not to lose it again. The room was too dark to make out what it was, but it was definitely not there when the lights were on—that she was certain of this time. The faint, shadowy figure of what looked like a man in a dark jacket retreated from her slowly, its head bowed so she couldn’t see his face.

She thought even if it was looking right at her, it was too dark to determine details anyway. The figure didn’t appear threatening. It seemed almost remorseful. Jade only saw the figure for a moment, but she was certain it meant her no harm.

It was the same feeling she had when she was five. Unsure what she’d seen—if she’d even seen anything—Jade settled on the one explanation that both made sense to her and allowed her to finally relax.

That was my dad.

2

STAND OUT

Five-thirty came way too early as far as Jade was concerned.

She’d barely slept a full two hours when her alarm went off and she felt like she’d only closed her eyes for a minute. The slightest hint of a deep purple sunrise could be seen in the distance. For all intents and purposes, it was still night and Jade didn’t think anyone should be up at this hour. But she was. And even if she’d had a full night’s sleep, the prospect of getting ready to go to her new school still would have exhausted her.

Jade pulled on some clothes—whatever was nearest. It didn’t really matter to her since they were all varying shades of black and gray with maybe some hints of red or purple here or there. Hints of blue were for days she wanted to feel dressed up.

This was not one of those days.

She lumbered downstairs to find her mom was already up. Jill was in her fluffy, peach-colored micro-fiber robe as she scrounged for a coffee cup in a box of dishes that would be unpacked later that day.

When Jill caught sight of Jade out of the corner of her sleepy eye, they both paused. Neither had expected to see the other and neither was prepared with anything to say. They both played off the awkward moment and shared perfunctory good mornings. Except both of them dropped the word good.

Is there coffee? Jade asked, approaching the obviously full pot in an attempt to breeze past their unexpected encounter.

Just finished making it, Jill said, handing the cup she’d fished out for herself to Jade. Jill retrieved another coffee cup, unwrapped the bubble wrap, and extracted the crumpled newspaper from the inside. That reminded her. You may want to wash that out before you …

Too late. Jade was already pouring her coffee. Jill let it go. Jade stood in the middle of the kitchen, looking around, lost. She clearly had a question on her mind but was not awake enough to form the words.

There are packs of sugar in that drawer and some milk in the fridge, Jill answered instinctively.

Jade opened the drawer under the coffee pot and found little pink packets of substitute sugar. She grabbed two, shook the pouches, tore them open, and poured them in together. She then poured in a splash of milk and watched the creamy swirls it made in the black coffee. Jade enjoyed this part as much as she enjoyed drinking it.

Jill just watched her daughter, trying to think of something else to say. Did you sleep well? she asked finally.

No, said Jade, still staring at her coffee swirls. I kept feeling …

She caught herself. She was not about to admit she thought someone was watching her all night. Furthermore, she was certainly not going to say she thought it was her dad. One, it sounded paranoid and, two, she thought her mom would either freak out or dismiss it—the same way she seemed to do with most of Jade’s feelings. Neither response was one Jade was in the mood for this morning.

Anxious? Nervous about your new school? Jill offered, trying to help Jade finish her thought.

Yeah, Jade agreed and took a sip of coffee so she wouldn’t have to look at her mother. While it wasn’t the exact reason she couldn’t sleep, it certainly was a factor, and Jade thought it was enough to help get through the conversation.

Well, don’t worry. I’m sure everything will be fine.

Jade hmmm’d in phony agreement.

Jill was slightly elated. This was the most they’d spoken in weeks. She attempted to keep it going. I didn’t sleep very well, either.

How could you with Ray’s snoring? Jade thought.

She sensed her mother was trying to keep the conversation going and sighed in resignation. She wasn’t done in the kitchen, so she couldn’t escape. So Jade figured she’d ask a question that would get her mom to talk so she could pretend to listen.

Why couldn’t you sleep? Jade asked politely.

Ray snores.

Yep. Just what she thought. And the answer was not nearly as long as Jade was hoping for because now there was another lull in the conversation. Unable to think of anything else to say, Jade decided to use this as a common topic of conversation.

I know.

Oh, said Jill, sorry. Could you hear him?

Seismologists at Cal Tech could hear him.

Jill laughed out loud at that one. It took both her and Jade by surprise. It was a genuine moment between them. Something they hadn’t had in months. And her mother’s reaction made Jade laugh with her. For a second, Jade forgot about any resentment she had towards her mother. And then Ray came in.

What’s so funny?

Jade and Jill quickly stifled their laughter. They didn’t want Ray to know that he was what was so funny.

Nothing, Jill covered.

Well, I don’t know about you two, he said stretching, but I slept like a baby last night.

Jill attempted to steal a knowing look with Jade but she was already headed back upstairs with a coffee mug in her hand and a sullen look on her face. It was nice while it lasted, Jill thought.

Jade’s new high school was two miles from her house so it wasn’t too far to walk. Rather, it wasn’t too far to walk in general terms. For Jade—and especially at 6:30 in the morning—those two miles might as well have been ten. Jade felt twinges of indignation with every step.

She was old enough to drive. She even got her license when she was sixteen. But her father died before he could help get her a car. And while Ray certainly had the means, Jill wasn’t comfortable with Jade being a teen driver. Ray willingly obliged his new bride’s wishes, much to Jade’s disdain. It was just another reason to detest her mother.

Jade arrived on the campus of Vista High School twenty minutes early so she could check in and pick up her class schedule from the office. There were only a few students on campus this early—those with a zero period so they could get out earlier in the day to go to work, those who wanted a few minutes of extra social time with friends, and those dorky enough to really just want to be there.

Jade would have preferred to have arrived when most everyone else was there so she could blend in to the crowd more readily, but she figured that would happen when she emerged from the office. Paper in hand, she could just slip in with the rest of the masses, unnoticed.

Jade found her way to the main office and opened the door to breathe in the distinctive smell of a public school. She didn’t know why, but it seemed all government buildings—schools, libraries, the DMV—had the same scent of old lacquered wood and musty carpet.

She made her way to the receptionist’s desk, which looked more like a service counter. It was about shoulder height for Jade and on the other side, the receptionist had to look up and over it to whoever wanted her attention.

Good morning. May I help you?

This lady was far too cheerful for seven in the morning, Jade thought.

I’m Jade Foster. I’m new today.

The stout woman, who Jade thought looked like she’d worked there since the school was built, sorted through papers and seemed to find one she was looking for.

Oh, yes. Foster. You’ll want to see Mrs. Prentke. Her office is right back there on the left.

The receptionist gestured to the expansive office behind her.

Along the back wall, past a labyrinth of cubicles, were four offices, each with labels over them—A-G, H-M, N-R, and S-Z. Jade made her way to the A-G door. It was open about half-way and Jade’s counselor was inside, behind her already cluttered desk, staring at something on her computer when Jade tapped on the door.

Karen Prentke looked up and, not recognizing the girl at her door, knew immediately who she was.

You must be Jade. Come on in, she invited, smiling.

Karen Prentke seemed relatively young for a high school counselor, Jade thought. She couldn’t have been older than her mid-thirties and, despite her professional dress and rigidly straight brown hair, there was something friendly and welcoming about her.

While Prentke rummaged through the papers on her desk, Jade slipped her backpack off her shoulder and onto a chair in front of the desk. She then dropped herself into the other one. Jade scanned the shelves behind Prentke’s desk and saw they were filled with three-ring binders, yearbooks, a couple of dying plants, and some pictures of her with a handsome man whom Jade assumed was her husband. Idyllic.

Prentke found the papers she was looking for and pulled them from the pile.

Everything’s all set for you, she said, double checking the papers. Your father had your transcripts sent over from your old school and registered you in your classes last week.

He’s not my father, Jade corrected with a slightly bitter tone.

Sorry. Your step-father?

Prentke took Jade’s lack of response as a yes.

Of course, Prentke said, slightly embarrassed. If I could ever keep my desk organized, I would have noticed you have a different last name. More than half the kids here come from divorced parents. I don’t know how you do it.

They’re not divorced.

I’m sorry?

They’re not divorced, Jade said a little more clearly. My dad died and my mom remarried.

Prentke quickly picked up that Jade was not at all happy with her situation.

I’m sorry to hear that. About your dad, I mean. Prentke quickly changed the subject and began handing papers to Jade one by one. "So here is your locker