Throughout the rest of the night, Evelyn and Jake keeps playing the illegal card games.

Hey, why is this illegal though?

Haven't I already told you?

Yea, but couldn't you just play without the paying up part?

Nah.

Why?

Some ghost stole tech from the A.N.I to forcefully absorb soul energy and had it changed so they could use it for the card game.

Wow, ghosts seem a lot smarter than expected.

But lacking creativity.

I can see that. Evelyn says looking down at her cards is oddly similar looking to UNO.

Didn't think UNO could become illegal.

Well, most people don't think ghosts are real either.

Well I'm gonna go pack my bag now.

Huh? Why? You never pack your bags ever.

Yea, but I gotta ditch school quickly tomorrow.

Why?

Lela.

Isn't she your friend?

Yea but she wants to give me a lecture.

Isn't she smart?

Yea but… she wants to give me a lecture on ghost stuff, and exams are coming soon, so her lectures are a huge waste of time, which could be used on studying.

I didn't think you cared about your grades.

I don't care if they're good, I just don't want them to be trash.

Well, have fun, I'm gonna go look for food to eat.

Ever since you've come to live with me, you've just been eating food nonstop at night you know?

I eat when I am bored, but get your parents to buy more. You've got a steady source of money now from the test and from that cruel woman.

Cruel woman?

Your friend.

Oh Lela? I get that she's not the kindest, but cruel?

You don't know the things she did to try to interrogate me.

Didn't they just read your memories?

Reading memories requires a lot of control over soul energy, so it took a while for a strong enough ghost to come, so she was incharge of trying to pester me for the information.

Wait, if they read your memories wouldn't they know about me?

Probably not?? They usually only read a specific time zone or it would be too hard to look through all of it due to potentially messing my memories up.

They care enough about you to take safety precautions?

Rude… but yes, they do, but mainly due to the fact that if my memories get messed up and the person in charge of my memories tried fixing it but failed, their memories may get affected by mine too.

Oh, so they care about the important people, not you specifically?

…

That's a yes.

Anyways, you were complaining about food just now, just go get your parents to buy more if you don't wanna be the one to spend the money.

You forgot my relationship with them?

Oh yea.. why is it even so bad?

How about I tell you next time, when I'm not packing my bag?

Fine, but you're gonna buy the food eventually or I'm eating yours.

Fine…

—--------------------------------------------

Few minutes before school ends the next day

—----------------------------------------------

Evelyn glances over slightly at Lela who doesn't seem to notice her as she patiently waits for the time to pass.

Ring!!!

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

Evelyn quickly packs her stuff and ditches the class before Lela can go up to her and keeps this up for the next few days.

—----------------------------------------------

Lela pov.

—----------------------------------------------

Hmm, Evelyn's been leaving class the second she can, does she really hate the thought of a lecture so much? Lela contemplates while on her way to her job.

And as for the weird soul energy that remains on her body nowadays.. that's definitely from the banned card games, Jake must have stolen it when on his way out, I wonder why she didn't tell me about it. Probably Jake's fault.

—----------------------------------------------

Evelyn's pov.

At night

—----------------------------------------------

Hmm… is somebody there? Jake, if that's you, leave me alone. I'm not really in the mood. Evelyn says with her eyes still closed.

Nope, it's me. Evelyn hears Lela's voice and sits up immediately and sees Jake standing at the opposite side of the room avoiding Lela.

Why are you here, and why are you even awake?

Ghost don't sleep, and I'm here to ask why you have the banned card games, though I assume it's his fault.

Yea, so go bother him. Evelyn says laying back into her bed.

Why didn't you tell me about it though?

Well, he said you'd screw me over on the spot.

Hm? Lela goes over to Jake and drags him over.

Why would you believe this guy?

He said you've screwed friends over before.

Yes, but you're special.

How?

You can see ghosts so I don't have to hide anything, and your personality is the best.

Huh? My personality is the best?

Yea, you don't bother me unnecessarily, and you're usually in a “I don't care” state making it more fun to irritate you.

Should I be happy or annoyed that you like my personality for that reason?

Both?

Right, so lemme go sleep now.

Right… I'm gonna live with you now.

No, big no.

Well, I've got black mail material on you, and you let this loser live with you, so I'm coming with.

I don't care anymore… . Evelyn says going back to sleep.

—----------------------------------------------

Morning

—----------------------------------------------

Evelyn wakes up to see Jake and Lela grinning at her with mischievous smiles.

What do you two want?

Well, we found out we have a bunch of similarities including our favourite hobby. Lela says sitting on Evelyn's stomach.

Which is?

Pestering you.

… Get off of me.

Nope.

Evelyn tries to push her off, but she condenses the soul energy to make herself heavier as she sees Jake with a permanent marker in his hands.

Don't you dare do this.

Me and him had an agreement, for every day you ignored me to skip the lecture, every chance we get to draw on your face, unless you decide to listen to my lecture now?

Fine… what is the lecture even about?

First of all, something about ghosts.

Fine.

I'm not done.

What?

Second of all, we're gonna revise every school topic.

Huh?

Yea, that's for skipping the lecture, and your terrible grades.

They're not that bad.

Not that bad? Are you dreaming?

Fine, maybe they could use some improvements but every topic?

Every topic. Lela confirms.

Oh my god… fine…

Alright, you wanna choose a ghost topic, or I choose?

You choose.

Ok, then soul energy.

Huh? Isn't that really simple?

Not at all.

Oh great…

Ok, let's start.

Jake, get out. Evelyn says to Jake who is standing beside her eating her chips.

Fine fine.

Ok, what do you know about soul energy?

I don't know?

Oh, so nothing.

…

Ok, basics. Soul energy is a form of energy.

…

Alright, that was kinda obvious.

Soul energy is also somewhat alive.

Huh?

I don't get it too much either, but soul energy is a form of energy but also similar to your cells.

How?

It can go through a process called soul division.

… Ghosts really lack creativity.

Yea, it's the same as cell division. Regardless, soul energy can be compressed infinitely.

Huh? Infinitely?

Yea, it's how some of the strongest ghosts hold so much energy in their bodies.

Hey, if you're gonna force me into this lecture then at least teach me how to use it properly.

Fine, soul energy is similar to a gas.

Huh? But I can do this. Evelyn materialises a small solid blue transparent string.

Yes, let me explain first, soul energy is usually gas like, but the denser it gets, the more it changes state, it can become liquid like if somewhat dense, and then solid like if dense enough.

Oh, makes sense I guess.

How did you move so fast using soul energy?

Huh? What do you mean?

When I met you, and we went to the amusement park then to the restaurant.

Oh that. I compress some soul energy without making it dense, like squeezing it to boost myself off the group, also ghosts are made of soul energy, so I made myself the inside of me somewhat like a gas to reduce my weight.

Yea, but I'm not made of soul energy, so how do I use it properly?

You could shoot it out.

Like a gun?

Yea, suppress enough energy and push it out fast enough combined with the soul energy suppressed on the inside to make it fly faster than a bullet.

But what about the layer of soul energy in my body?

What layer?

I have a layer inside my body.

Huh, lemme check.

Lela grabs Evelyn's hand and sends her own soul energy to probe about.

Wow, you really do.

Then what do I do?

Well, you could use some of the energy from the layer to turn into the bullet which could also reduce the layer, or you could use a hole in your body.

Huh…?

Hey, I don't mean anything weird, you could just shoot it out of your mouth, or use a sharp object to injure yourself, which will cause the soul energy to leave your body.

What if too much leaves?

It won't, it'll leave very slowly, and even speed the bullet, maybe.

Maybe?

I don't know, I don't usually teach humans. Just try it…

Fine. Evelyn tries to prepare the soul energy but keeps failing.

Slowly.

Evelyn keeps trying and finally manages a bullet which she aims at Lela.

Just do it, it won't hurt me all.

Evelyn shoots the bullet causing a hole to appear in Lela's body and her to be in pain.

Hey, don't blame me, you're the one who told me to do so, also you felt pain from that?

Soul energy hurts! Also, you have more soul energy than I expected.

Hmm, that did like nothing though.

Yea, if I try using my soul energy to block it, it would have just dispersed.

Than how?

You could add enough soul energy to the point where it wouldn't shoot through, but get stuck in my body and explode with soul energy after a while.

Oh, let me try.

Not at me.

Fine. Evelyn aims towards a stuffed bear and keeps trying, causing a bunch of holes before succeeding and causing it to blow up, causing a bunch of stuffing to litter the floor.

Oh wow…

Yea, have fun with that.

So, I could reduce the soul energy amount and it'd still work yea?

Yea, but it'd be weaker.

Oh nice, so say, I shoot bear boy(Jake) he'd be okay but in pain?

Bear boy? Oh Jake, yea exactly.

Evelyn and Lela stay silent for a while before coming to an agreement despite exchanging no more words with a mischievous look on their faces.

You don't usually have that expression you know?

Yea, but there's something really fun right now.

I agree.

Evelyn allows Jake to come back in before Lela stands at the door blocking his way out.

Huh? What are you two doing?

Target practice. Evelyn says.

Huh?

Hey, what are you planning to do? Jake says hiding behind the bed as he sees them both accumulating and suppressing soul energy in their fingers.

Oh, it's not just one cruel woman, but two… . Jake says softly, preparing for the fate that awaits him.