Read Double Life - Book 1 of the Vaiya Series for Free Online

everyone had taken off
their footwear, and so, bending down, he gradually slipped off his
own shoes, throwing them to the side onto a black oriental rug next
to a pair of pink sandals decorated with half a dozen Disney
princess stickers--must be Amanda Whitman’s. Taking his eyes off
the flamboyant sandals, while shaking his head at her ridiculous
obsession with all things Disney, he then surveyed the wide
expanse.
    Fifteen feet above him hung a silvery glass
chandelier, shining its tranquil light over the whole foyer. To the
left of him was a huge living room with a fireplace, a rather large
TV, and a comfortable-looking mahogany sofa that could fit at least
four people, covered with silky black and brown pillows. To his
right stood a large stairway overspread with a maroon Persian rug
runner and guarded on both sides by two potted plants and a white
marble statue of a beautiful harp-playing angel.
    As he pondered where the stairs led up to,
Hazel, studying him with her bright blue eyes, elegantly approached
him in her lovely amaranth pink dress. “Hey, you made it, Ian.”
    “Yeah. I said I was coming.” He gazed
anxiously at the neatly tied carmine ribbon in her blonde hair and
then down at her creamy fleece socks; though he didn’t think it
possible, she looked even prettier here than at school.
    Seemingly unaware of his scrutiny, Hazel just
smiled, remaining silent, peaceful mystery clinging to her face.
After a lengthy pause, she finally vocalized her thoughts: “Yeah, I
guess you did.” She drew out the words then added, her tone
hesitant, “So, how’d you like the decorations?”
    “I loved them. They’re awesome.”
    “Yeah, I know. My parents and I spent a lot
of time on them.” After tucking her fine hair behind her ears, she
folded her hands together awkwardly. “So, what do you think of the
house so far?”
    “It’s great,” he said, surprised by her
shyness. At school, she’d seemed fearless when she’d talked to him.
She’d even put her hand on his shoulder. Here though, she seemed
frozen and fake, almost at a loss for words. Maybe she was only
bold when she knew what to say? Regardless, it didn’t make her any
less attractive.
    Looking at Hazel, who still seemed as rigid
as an ice statue, he tried to continue the topic to ease her
discomfort: “Um … so how’d you end up getting this nice house
anyway? It’s amazing.”
    His question probed her mind. She grew
silent, meditative. After some thought, she replied faintly as if
sharing an embarrassing secret, “Well, the owner sold it to my dad
for a rather reduced price.” Pausing, a faint smile on her face,
she added matter-of-factly, “He said the attic was haunted.”
    Here Ian had to laugh. He wasn’t at all
superstitious--ghosts were no more real to him than goblins or
leprechauns. Though part of him felt bad for the previous owner,
most of him just found the situation hysterical. “That guy got
ripped off,” he said, trying to stop himself from laughing. “This
place is awesome!”
    “Yeah, I know,” Hazel murmured quietly, lost
in thought, as if his bold statement would somehow jinx the house.
“I feel really bad for him though. None of us have heard a thing
since we moved in here three months ago.” Turning her head slightly
to the side, she added, as if clarifying herself, “Of course, we
haven’t gone in there yet, but I don’t think that’d make any
difference.” A slight grin on her face, she stared at Ian as if he
were an adventurer waiting to take on a challenge: “If you want to
check it out though, go right ahead.”
    “Good idea.” She was right about one thing;
he badly wanted to prove that previous homeowner wrong. There was
no such thing as a haunted attic and he wanted to confirm this
truth to Hazel, as she seemed rather inclined to believe the ghost
rumor. “I’ll think about it, Hazel.”
    Her face grew tense again. “Great.” Pausing
to straighten out the carmine ribbon in her hair, her face