and glanced down at the neon watch on her wrist. “I just remembered something I need to do.”
“Shopping?” I guessed.
“No!” She shook her head, looking sick enough to vomit. “I may never shop again.”
* * *
Eli tilted his head curiously when Sadie raced off like she was being chased by the DD Team. “What’s with her?” he asked.
But I just shrugged and said I didn’t know. Even though I wasn’t really Sadie’s friend, I felt loyal to her. And I had optimistic hopes that Sadie’s conscience (or fear of tacky orange jail jumpsuits) would cause her to return stuff she stole and give up stealing forever. A book I’d read called
We gazed back toward the ocean. The dancing had spread from the center of the beach all the way to the foaming shoreline, where barefoot spring breakers splashed and kicked up sand with the rise and fall of the surf. Due to the addition of a DJ and sound system, sound waves rivaled ocean waves, rocking powerfully enough to topple the sand sculptures. The people who weren’t dancing were watching the dancing; no one seemed aware of the drama that had just taken place.
Except Eli and me.
We walked down to a rocky outcrop, where surf swirled into tide pools and tiny crabs scurried into sandy holes and dark crevices. We climbed across rocks until the music was muffled to a faraway buzz, drowned out by the rhythmic crashing waves and sea gulls shrieking as they wheeled and dived. Sitting down on a sandy patch of peacefulness tucked between rocks, we were both silent, wrapped in our own thoughts. I wondered what Eli was thinking; perhaps he was wondering the same thing about me. We’d been so focused on other-side problems that there hadn’t been any time for us. Now that we did have time, there was an awkward silence.
“Well … ” Eli finally said, glancing at me expectantly. “Now what happens?”
“I’m not sure. I could be switched back any minute.”
He nodded, looking disappointed. I felt disappointed, too. Here I was with the guy I maybe-loved, relaxing by the ocean with salty crisp breezes and blue-gray sea curving into a forever horizon. We even had background music to add to the romantic ambience. And except for the “can’t kiss because he’s my brother” thing, this was the perfect romantic moment.
But any minute Grammy would whisk my soul away with no warning. Then good-bye beach and spring break. Zap! Back into a hospital bed and my own body.
But shouldn’t I have a choice about when and where my soul traveled?
Admittedly, I’d made some mistakes as a Temp Lifer, but I’d tried hard. I’d even helped take down a Dark Lifer. If I could take out a Dark Lifer (or at least point to where he was), why shouldn’t I be allowed to finish my assignment?
Not being the type of girl to stand by when I could be taking action, I came to a drastic decision.
Eli was staring at gyrating bodies on the beach when I tapped his shoulder. I gestured that I was going to get something to drink from a nearby snack cart. “I’ll be right back,” I said.
“I’ll wait here,” he promised, then returned to watching the dancing.
I bought a drink (non-alcoholic, thank you very much) from the snack cart. Sipping water, I glanced around to make sure no one was watching. Then I withdrew the GEM from my pocket.
I bent down low, opening it to the first page, and whispered, “GEM, can you get a message to Grammy Greta?”
A bold
“I thought so. Please tell her that we need to talk.”
As I stared at the book, the page burst into video of Grammy’s gentle, smiling face. Instead of words flashing, I felt a pressure in my ears as if someone had stuck in an ear bud, and I clearly heard Grammy.
“Hi, honey.” It was mind-boggling how I could read her lips on the GEM page at the same time she broadcast into my ears.
“Grammy! It’s so good to hear you!” I whispered, tears coming to my eyes because, no matter how many times I’d seen her since her death, she was dead and I missed her.
“I heard you spotted the Dark Lifer. Great work,” she said proudly.
“You really mean that? Even after I messed up by losing the GEM and having no clue how to act like Sharayah?”
“You’ve done fine and I’m the one who owes you an apology for putting you in such a challenging situation without any training. I admit to acting on impulse when I discovered you knew Sharayah’s brother. At the time, this seemed like a simple assignment, but I didn’t know about the Dark Lifer. I’m really sorry.”
“Don’t be. This has been a great assignment, and except for the scary stuff, it’s been fun. I figured out a lot of things about Sharayah and even got my GEM back — Eli drove four hundred miles to bring it to me. I think you’d really like him, Grammy.”
“I already do,” she said with a knowing lift of her brows. “He’s a very nice boy — and I have it on good authority that you’ll be seeing a lot of him.”
“You do?” I felt my cheeks get sizzling hot.
“Some future events are written in the Hall of Records and I’ve been known to sneak a peak when it concerns people I love. So I know you have many wonderful things ahead of you once you’re in your right body — which is what brings me here. You have good timing, contacting me just as I was preparing to contact you.”
“You were?” I gulped, tempted to slam the book shut and run away.
“It’s time, Amber. Your parents will be so happy when you wake up.”
I thought of Mom and Dad and what I’d already put them through. It was selfish of me to resist going back, yet that’s what I felt inside. Maybe my resistance was a leftover from Sharayah’s soul, some sort of defense system holding tightly to me like someone drowning grabs onto a life jacket. I was Sharayah’s life jacket.
“Grammy, there’s something I have to tell you,” I said, drawing a deep breath. “About my assignment.”
“What, honey?”
“As much as I want to return to my own life, I can’t leave yet. I need to finish my assignment. I know how to solve Sharayah’s problems.”
“Temp Lifers are replacements, not guardian angels.”
“Can’t I be both?”
“Oh, Amber, you make me so proud.” Her tone embraced me, loving and warm, but the smile she gave seemed a little sad. “Unfortunately, there is little you can do for Sharayah. She has to live her own life.”
“But I can make her life happier if I have more time. And the reason you were pulling me back today was because of the Dark Lifer, only the DD Team took care of Warren so there’s no danger.”
“Danger wears many faces,” she said.
“Don’t worry about me, Grammy. I’ll be fine, but I’m not so sure about Sharayah. I’m afraid she won’t go to the audition unless I’m her.”
“I suspect you’re right.”
“So you see why I can’t change back yet? Grammy, give me — give Sharayah — another chance.”
“It’s not that simple,” she argued, but with less fervor.
“Only twenty-four hours. Then I’ll happily switch back.”
“You have no idea what you’re asking.”
“Grammy, let me do this. It’s important for Sharayah … and me, too.”
“Well … ” Her voice wavered.
“Please,” I said quietly.
Clouds rose white and misty around my grandmother’s face as she gave a slow nod. “Well … all right. One more day — and not a minute more.”
I thought I heard my grandmother sigh.
Then the GEM slammed itself shut.
