Rachel repeated her inquiry cattily. “Field Day’s Friday. Are you ready or not?” Though I heard her second try, I was slow to speak.

“Feel free to ignore me,” cooed the covert creep.

Torn between attention to the specter and my rival, I addressed the air with a question for them both. “What is this?” I asked anxiously.

“That’s an odd starter for an encounter you caused.” The creature in the stall tapped its cheeks with slender tips. It hummed to itself as Rachel recoiled at my ask. “This is your chance for an intriguing chat. Or a row with Rachel here. Which is worthier?”

Rachel reddened as the specter’s prophecy played out. “Field Day!” she repeated, wrinkling her nose. She covered her face against the bathroom’s rank aroma. “Are you even trying still?” she asked through her hands.

Rachel’s question made me twist my features in confusion. “Why do you even care?” I snappily probed.

My rival removed her hands to show her frown in full. “I don’t care,” she asserted. “I just wanna know.”

Lilting laughter reached me from the stall the specter kept. “She’s so cute,” spoke the creature I dared not address. “Acting on a hunger that we dimbles crave in kind.” I tried to conceal my shock on hearing what it was.

I turned back toward the sink for time to gather sense, striving after calm as I slowly washed my hands. I stole several glances at the creature in the mirror. I will grace the Reader with a sample of the sight. It was beauty bonded with a scorched, squishy star: elegance entwining with a shape like OhmN’s head. Its apparent insight and persistent leering stressed me, but the breadth of knowing it appeared to boast compelled.

“I can’t win,” I exhaled, choosing then to answer Rachel as I hoped would most quickly remove her from the room.

“You should know better than that,” the dimble chimed in. I glared at its gabbing while I wondered at its words.

My misguided glaring rankled Rachel even more. “What the mess is that?” she harshly questioned. “You were talking big with all that seer stuff before. It’ll be annoying if you give up on it now.”

“I’m not giving up on that!” I corrected quickly. “Just on beating you. You’re the best, okay?” I expected Rachel to retreat in sated pride. She defied my doubting with a condescending dare.

“Prissy gonna fumble at the finish like always,” Rachel teased, turning to a mirror for herself. I looked over grimly as she preened her hair beside me, fingering her lengthy raven locks leisurely.

“How about this,” she coyly continued. “I bet you’ll blow it and fail on Field Day. We’ll call it a win for you if you score a pass. And you do the balance beam.”

I perked at the prospect of a point I’d misperceived. “I don’t have to beat the balance beam to pass?” I breathed.

“You better try!” Rachel blared. “Or the deal’s off!”

“Okay!” I blurted back, sealing our accord.

“Good.” Rachel faced me with her snooty smirk. “I better see you practicing,” she haughtily hissed. She turned on her heel and sped toward the bathroom door. I could hear her draw a desperate breath upon escape.

Blinded briefly by the bet and bother of my rival, I remembered then the persons Rachel hadn’t sensed. I spun to see Salvador simmering beside me. “Can we focus now?” he tensely implored.

“But she did!” chirped the creature. “Beautifully at that! So, here’s a favor for sinful Persephone: if you win dear Rachel’s bet, Salvador can stay. OhmN cannot steal him from a heart it cannot sway.”

It descended back into the toilet with a splash, grinning as the grimy portal swallowed it back down. Salvador advanced a vain endeavor to retain it. I just stood there processing the manic, messy meet.