Ghost Boyfriend

ghostly

"Charity!" Aunt Tara exclaims. "I was the one who paid off for your liposuction remember? And also for that trip, you and your friends went on to Paris, who's paying for your breast enlargement huh?"

"This is not right. My breast enlargement is for both of us." Charity rolls her eyes, affronted.

"How will a breast enlargement be for the both of you?" I can't help but chip in at this point.

"I got a call from Australia and they need a supermodel," she says proudly, chin jutting out. "And they want me! At twelve I'm hitting it off big!"

Everyone's shocked but not as Tonya. She's got her eyes bulging like two large saucer plates. "You're gonna be a supermodel? Am I dreaming or what?"

"Unfortunately sis, this is so real."

Tonya scoffs, obviously pale with envy.

There's a couple minutes of silence and I text away. The buzzing voices are rising in alarm. I have nothing to do, and I'm just shuffling through my chats. Then by mistake, I click on Gallery and Mark's face is the first to pop up.

Shit! I try to look away but my eyes won't budge and I end up zooming it. He's on peach shorts over a red top behind a bar leaning down at me with interest, his dark curls falling off his forehead where they looked soft and glossy. He's smiling and there's a jar of blue juice between us which we're both sipping from. This was our first date back at Notting Hill, at a sidebar belonging to Mag's brother. Mark was handing out drinks at the bar and listening to Jimmy Orlando's Adelaide while telling a joke which I laughed hard enough for him to notice me.

The chemistry that night was heavenly and before long we both we're cuddling behind closed university doors and sneaking kisses between talks and... Voila! Boyfriends.

We clicked like a switch and laughed at each other's dry jokes and puns about fake girls and everyone believed in us...we were relationship goals and I'd never met anyone so free and magical or was a better s*x partner than him. I can't believe he's dead forever... can't believe he'll never...

Mom is leaning over with interest at me and I jab the phone off. See? They don't even respect my privacy anymore!

"What were you looking at just now? And why the heck do you shut your cousins out? We talked about socializing!"

Ugh, I should never have agreed to this. I could have thought of something, anything else to avoid this misery. I hate my cousins and I hate boring old monk parties because they're so not me.

"Mum, I need some time for myself also. Besides - "

"Where am I?" a figure is hovering a few yards off, close to the blue burashees with scruffy birds on it. "Why am I here?"

I blink a few times to make out its shape but it disappears. "Mom did you see that?!" I squeal.

"Darling, you'll spill the juice all over me," I glance at her to see Tonya serving. "See what exactly?" Tonya scoffs.

"A figure, almost like someone is here with us. A stranger. It disappeared."

Tonya is gaping at me like I'm out of my mind but I barely pay attention.

"Why did I come here?" the voice says again behind me. It's girly and posh and makes me turn suddenly to see nothing.

"Is this a joke?" I hear it ask. A cold chill washes over me as I flinch in my seat.

"Peter, be calm."

No one's noticing! This is strange.

"I think I'm hearing something," I worriedly tell. Mum looks anxious. "Dear are you sure?"

"I heard a girly voice. I'm not assuming things." I pause for effect as I see the clutches of paranoia take over her. Her eyes widen and I can tell she thinks I'm mad.

"Probably the kids playing," I jump off my seat and cross over to the garden's entrance. Lawd, what's wrong with me? Why am I hearing voices in my head?

I flick on my phone to check if it's an alarm or something but it's on silent mode. This is insane, I can't be crazy.

"I need to know why the heck I'm here!" the voice breaks into my thoughts with bark and my eardrum goes da..dum

I start to run. In circles of course, round the compound where I'm sure no one's watching. Leave me alone I scream in my head. Back to Hades with you.

A swish stops me as I trip over a shadow, landing face flat on the floor. Looking up at once, I see the figure before me, a youthful face scowling down at me and my face goes dead.

"Hm, why are you running?"

Horrified, I move away from him cautiously. It's a boy about eighteen with dark straight hair tied back in a bun, putting on a white denim trouser and a leaf green top. He's skinny and his fingers are long and whitened. I stare into his eyes and feel a jolt. They were familiar.

Jabbering in dread, I sit still on the grass.

"You don't look okay," he glances away, oblivious to the fact that I can see him. "Oh, heathens! I have to find a way out of here if I hope to beat the time."

His voice is chirpy, a tad melodic and pulls me in reverentially. It's too high-pitched to belong to a boy but suiting all still. I dart a look over to my relatives who still didn't notice him or the fact that I sit, butt on the floor. No one sees him or feel him here. It's like nothing is wrong!

Suddenly, he swivels on his heels and catches my prodding gaze on him. I'm hypnotized by his eyes, they're so green and huge like emerald beads that I can't look away. And he senses this.

This ain't right. I can't be the only one seeing him. It's like I'm hallucinating or stuck in a dream I can't get out of. Oh my god! He could be a wizard! Or a ghost! Nonsense, those aren't real. And it's coming to me!

He waves a thin white finger over my eyes. "You see me? You can actually see me??"

I shrink down on my butt, contemplating whether to scream or hit at it, but he shakes his head, stopping me. "This is fantastic! Too good to be true!"

"I can't - who are you?"

He laughs and at that moment Dad turns and sees me on the floor. "Everything all right there Peter?"

"Why are you on the floor?" Uncle Jin chips in too.

I pretend to rub my aching butt. "It's just a fall, nothing new, no bones were broken," I comment when I see Mum's brows pulling together in concern.

Turning once more, I find the boy gone. Vanished into thin air