12The next few days were painful. I didn't want to go anywhere near the 'Spook Motel' and I didn't know what there was to do around this area. So I stayed at home and studied. Ew. I know, I'm a rebel. I was ready to shoot myself by the third day. I had just finished my schoolwork. It took two hours tops to finish on average. It was kind of nice, having so little school and much more freedom. But then again, who wanted or needed freedom here? Freedom in this place was equivalent to a prisoner being allowed to pace in his cell. It was like nothing.
I rolled over on my tiny bed and stared up at the ceiling. The first two nights, I was terrified that Luella was going to make good on her promise, but nothing was happening. I started to worry way less. Maybe that Jeanette lady was right... wait, lady?! Jeanette's a ghost, not a lady! What the hell has gotten into me!? Wow. I was probably literally going to go crazy if my parents and I ended up living here any longer.
"Daisy?" My mom poked her head into my room, pulling me out of my realizations.
"Yeah?" I said as I sat up, pulling my glasses onto my face (I only rarely wore them, I only used them when my eyes were too tired to handle my contacts, which was like... never, except for a few days of the year).
"Would you like to help your dad and I paint? We need some help redoing the place, it would be really fun..." She trailed off, begging was apparent in her eyes.
"I don't know mom, I'm really-" I scrambled around for an excuse. I had a good one, I'm really scared shitless by this evil ghost in there who wants to kill me, and I'm scared of all the other little ghosties in there! But that excuse would probably earn me a trip to see the mental doctor. "Fine." I said sulkily. Mom just smiled and skipped out of my room. I followed grudgingly. I sighed as I threw my hair into a quick sloppy bun as we entered the old hotel. It was like a slap to the face it was so cold.
"Daisy, can you go bring this paint to your father in suite 18 while I go to the central staircase to paint?" Mom begged as she pushed a can of creamy paint at me. I could hear it sloshing around.
"Okay, I guess." I said as I turned around and quietly made my way to the brighter hallway. I kept my eyes on the ground, trying desperately not to notice anything out of the ordinary. The ground was still decorated with broken glass, guess mom and dad hadn't gotten anywhere near this area of the hotel yet, I hoped they would soon, because I really didn't want-
"Daisy." A voice said from right behind me. I yelped as I whipped my head around.
"Holy Crap!" I shouted in Billy's face, "You scared me!"
"I'm a ghost, it's what I do best." He smiled back at me. His smile made me want to smile, but I bit down hard on my lip.
"Good for you." I mumbled as I continued forward.
"Here, let me hold that for you." Billy said quietly as he strode beside me. He gestured towards my bucket of paint.
"No, I've got it, really it's-" Billy had snatched the bucket out of my hands, "not in my hands anymore..." I scowled at him, but I continued on down the hallway.
"I'm really sorry about the other day..." Billy said. I didn't answer. "It's just that Luella, she doesn't know how to... she just doesn't like the thought of sharing the place with other people."
"I don't like it either." I said sourly as I grabbed the paint out of Billy's hands. "If you'll excuse me, I need to get this to my father. You can go run along to your little ghosty lover now." I said as I walked forwards fluidly.
"Hey! Wait one second- you think I like Luella?" He asked, astonished. I ignored the inflating of my heart, and proceeded to answer.
"Well, one generally comes to that conclusion when she is climbing and clambering onto you and you don't stop it." I said without looking at him. Suddenly he was right in front of me, his hands grasping the tops of my arms. He looked me straight in the eyes.
"Trust me, I don't like Luella in that way." He sighed, "She's a bit... eccentric, and I can't be impolite with her."
"God forbid." I muttered sarcastically.
"Seriously Daisy, just because there aren't," He looked at me and smiled, "because there weren't any girls that caught my attention before, doesn't mean that I'd just settle with a girl I didn't have feelings for."
My heart beat inclined. Weren't? As in, there was a girl that had his attention now? Me? My heart stuttered. Great... I have feelings for a dead guy! I grouched at myself internally. But really I didn't care that I was falling for a ghost. I was suddenly hyper aware of his hands on my arms, of just how close our bodies were, and how close his face was to mine...
"Billy?!" A shrill voice hissed. He didn't bother moving his hands away from my arms, instead he let one drop, and turned to face Luella, who was right at our side. He kept his other hand on my arm.
"Yes?" He asked in a politely disinterested tone.
"What do you think you are doing?!" Luella fumed, her eyes alight with anger. She looked crazy. I shuddered slightly, Billy noticed.
"I am engaging in a conversation with Daisy, if you don't mind, we would enjoy some privacy." He hinted. He took a slight step closer to me and shifted so that he was slightly in front of me. Just in case Luella decided to come any closer.
"You just made me angry." Luella announced in a dead monotone voice. "I was going to go easy on you, and pretend you didn't exist. Obviously that's not going to happen." Her voice was becoming angrier with every word, "I hate you Daisy, you stupid ignorant child. You have no idea what you have gotten yourself into. Your life is about to become a living hell worse than actual hell." She was screaming by the end. She then disappeared after smashing the glass out of the nearest window. The glass shattered onto the floor with a loud crash.