Read Spiritdell Book 1 for Free Online

ago, and used up a few of his nine cat lives, we've been aware he's down to his last few, and we cope by using a little dark humor.
    Krystal rubs her temple. She's wearing a pink thing—two pink things, actually—scrubs, I guess. “I've got some special extra-large turkey Ziplocs,” she says. “From the clinic, but I'd have to charge you cost. You know, if worse comes to worst.”
    “Turkey Ziplocs?” I sense Krystal's talk of Ziplocs is more cool professionalism than dark humor, though I imagine in her workplace, where they deal with life and death constantly, both serve her well.
    “They're fine for cats, but only twenty percent of dogs,” she muses. “Though in recent years, dogs have been getting smaller on average.”
    “Dogs are shrinking?”
    “Not the actual dogs,” she says, smiling, and she goes on to explain about the trends in dog breeds. While she's talking, I have a mini discussion inside my head. There's something different about Krystal today, but not her lovely features or her tiny gold earrings. No, what's different is how I feel. My crush on her is almost entirely gone. Krystal is no longer The World's Most Perfect Unattainable Woman. That title has been taken by Austin.
    “And that's why everyone should adopt a mutt from the pound,” Krystal says. “Or a dachshund, because they snuggle under the covers.”
    I agree with her, hand over a spare house key, and run off to wait on my own porch for James and Julie. As I'm halfway across the street, Krystal calls out, “You're in a hurry! Is everything okay?”
    “Awesome like possum!” I shout back. I sit on my porch and wave at her, still out on her own front step. She waves back and hesitates before returning to her house. Perhaps she notices a change in me as well. I am different. Lighter. My curse has been lifted, and I'm in love.
    * * *
    I want to talk about this new feeling I'm having, but James is not really a hearts-and-flowers kind of guy. He only wants the physical details. Actually, I didn't think I was a hearts-and-flowers guy until today. Love at first sight is something that happens to girls, or so I thought. This morning, I find myself staring out of the window of James and Julie's Jeep, at a flower shop, and wondering which flowers Austin would like best. Purple flowers. I think she'd like purple ones.
    James is squirming around in the driver's seat, twisting to stare at me periodically when traffic allows. His interest in my recent activities is palpable, but I'm concerned about Julie's feelings. She's also up front, in the passenger seat. She has a book open on her lap, but she hasn't turned the page in the last five minutes.
    James, who is also aware of her unrequited crush on me, asks me questions, in code.
    “How late were you up playing that video game ?” he asks.
    “Like, uh, three maybe. I sorta dozed off without checking the time.”
    “Did you play more than one video game?” he asks.
    Julie turns around and looks at me suspiciously. “You should probably get a summer job,” she says. “Video games are a waste of time.”
    “Pff,” James says. “Like the stuff you do is so superior.”
    “I played two video games,” I say. “The first one was more of a warmup.”
    “Was the first video game more about speed or accuracy?” he asks.
    I don't even know what he means by that. “I didn't know it was a competition,” I say. As happy as I am about last night, I'd like to move away from this particular topic.
    Julie gives me a squinty-eyed look and asks me to hand her an orange juice from the cooler. Orange juice was what Austin drank last night. I would have made her bagels this morning, and more—maybe even bacon—if she hadn't run off so fast.
    “Do you ever miss bacon?” I ask James.
    He snorts. “Of course. Every vegan or vegetarian misses bacon. That's why there are three or four different brands of fake bacon, but you'll notice they don't make fake chicken.”
    “Bleh,” Julie says. “Fake