First Heartbreak

Chapter Twelve - A Ghost

Zen's POV

After Vanessa had left, I stayed a bit longer. I was fooling around with my guy buddies.

"Hey Merry Christmas, man!" said Marc. "I'd better go home, I'm gonna play some video games! Wanna come?", he asked.

"Naw, I'm good. I'm heading home myself."

"Suit yourself", was his reply as he went out the gate.

I got out shortly and sat by the waiting shed. I wasn't sure if wanted to be picked up by my uncle, but I had a few pennies in my pocket just in-case I changed my mind and decided to call him to come pick me up.

Then I smelled something familiar. A smell of vanilla, sweet and --hold on! There you go again, Zee! I shook my head and sat up straight. I can't say I didn't see her step out of the gate. She paused for awhile, hesitating. She looked my way, but I pretended to be looking at the change in my hand. I could see her in my peripheral vision.

She finally decided to cross the street and waited for a cab.

She's good at the pretend-I'm-not-looking-even-if-I-am game. She waited for about what seemed to be a too long of a two minutes until a cab finally stopped in front of her. Man! That girl could whistle like a dude! I said admiring her again.

She got in the cab, shut the door, and away it went. I stared at it for a second, but then realized she still might be looking from the tinted window, so I quickly stared at the other way instead. I just hoped she hadn't seen me. Otherwise I would look completely stupid!

When I saw her today, it isn't like it used to be anymore. It doesn't hurt that much and I'm not that affected too. Every time I see her, it's as if I'm seeing a ghost of what might have been.

I don't regret everything that happened, I'm thankful in fact. If it didn't happened, I might've not met Mel in the first place. That thought made me smile.

-o-

As I got home, my mom was telling me that Mel called a couple of times to check on me. My mom still thinks that Mel and I are best friends, but let's get real. How can you be best friends when you kiss each other on the lips, hold hands most of the time, and would walk her home?

Sometimes I think my mom knows the real deal but just keeps it to herself. As long as I'm happy, mom is happy. My sister on the other hand, wasn't happy at the thought of somebody who keeps on calling and looking for me. She thinks it's annoying. I think it's sweet.

I went into my room and changed into some shorts, a basketball jersey and slipped into a pair of comfy flip-flops. I was planning on heading to Daisy's house, but I remembered that Melody might call back, so I decided to stay.

Soon enough, the phone rang.

"Hey beautiful, how are you?", I said upon picking up the phone.

All I could hear was breathing of a person on the other line.

"Hello, Mel?"

Still no response. But I swear I could hear somebody on the other line.

"Hey, baby? Are you mad?", I said again.

It was hard to figure out who was calling because the caller ID of the phone was broken.

Shorty the line went dead. And I put the phone down.

"Who was that?", asked my sister.

"I don't know. Nobody answered."

"Urgh! See that has been happening a couple of times today in between your friend Melody who was also calling. It would ring, when I answer the phone, I just hear the sound of the street and some jerk breathing and puts it down." Ashley complained. "I thought it was your friend Melody, but I think it's not her. I don't get what that jerk's problem is."

"Take it easy. It must be just someone you know who's pulling a prank on you!" I chuckled.

"Huh! Well it's not funny!"

The phone rang again. I had to be quick and beat my sister into answering the phone.

"Hello? Goulding residence", as I answered the phone and grinned at my sister.

"Hi baby! I was calling you a couple of times. Where where you? Didn't you come home early? I was worried", answered Melody.

My sister went away when she heard it was Melody who called, which left me a little privacy with my girl.

"I'm sorry, babe. I was with Marc and the guys, we were just fooling around when I didn't noticed the time. I'm sorry." I explained.

"Oh, I see. You should've at least called me so I would know. I almost called the cops to report that you were missing!"

I laughed at the thought, Melody laughed too.

"I'm so sorry, baby. Next time I'll call you, I promise."

"Good", was her only reply.

After that we spent a couple more hours over the phone talking. She told me her mom would bring her to her grandparents home over Christmas but would be back shortly before New Year's eve.

I told Melody I had to go because I have a few chores to do. But that wasn't entirely true. I had a chore to do which was just to clean up my room, but I was tired. Besides, I've got plenty of time ahead of me before classes would be back.

I lay down in bed and fell asleep.

I'm not sure how long have I started to dose off because I was sure I started dreaming. It was dark. I couldn't see anything or anyone. I was in an alley. It looked familiar but I'm not sure if I've seen it anywhere before. I saw a street lamp post to my left, it's towards the end of the street. I followed it hoping I could get a better view of my surrounding.

I saw a person by the light, their back at me. As I started to approach, the sun was now rising, and the dream became clear. I could see the alley now. I was at the street in school but somehow I also saw the corner of the street where our house was. It made no sense! As I got closer to the street lamp, the person who stood behind their back was a girl.

She had long straight hair that rested on her shoulders and back, she wore a dress that was strangely familiar to me. I called out to the girl but she didn't respond. My dream now was bright and sunny. It smelled like fresh roses and vanilla. Then it hit me. I knew who that was.

I hesitated to catch the girl's attention, but for some reason my body was planning otherwise. I was approaching the girl now. I was just about three steps behind the girl when I tapped her shoulder.

As she turned around to me, I knew I was right all along. It was Sam. She was all grown up. In my dream she looked like she was eighteen or nineteen. She still looked stunningly beautiful, she smiled at me and said no word. She looked happy but her eyes were in sorrow.

She hugged me tightly, still without saying a word. When she let go from the hug, she said I miss you, but I could barely hear it. It's as if she lost her voice. Her beautiful and angelic voice! No! That can't be true!

Then tears rolled down her cheek. Each tear showed a sparkle from the sunlight which was beautiful and devastating at the same time. I wiped her tears away with my thumb, she held my hand that wiped her tear at the same time, she smiled as she closed her eyes. And the butterflies came back to me like a nuke had just been dropped in my stomach.

It might've took forever that we just stood there. She opened her eyes that were still watery from her tears, still holding my hand.

She held my face, I placed my hands on her waist. She was looking at me, through my soul. She smiled once more. She gave me a kiss on the cheek and said goodbye.

She turned away from me, I grabbed her and hug her from behind as if to say stay. She was warm and smelled so nice even in my dream. She hesitated for a second and broke free from my embrace. She looked at me again, touched my face from my temple to my cheek and said something like you're happy now. I don't want to cause trouble. She hugged me and gave me a quick kiss on the lips for the last time.

And she was gone.

I didn't woke up screaming. I woke up wondering. It all felt so real!