"Yeah, my roommate is a ghost"

Chapter Three

The next day she had to wear Maxine's dress to Ellen's place. She knew she couldn't avoid her place for long but she really appreciated the distraction, after baby sitting her niece and nephew she would return home and make whatever decision she has to make. At some point she might actually need a third persons opinion, but there was no way Jody, Maxine and any of her siblings were going to believe that she had a trapped ghost in her house she could already imagine the amusing looks on their face as she narrates the story to them. She had to get through this alone for now. Looking on the Brightside he wasn't scary, he kept his distance, he was a lonely ghost, but then lonely ghost can turn into scary ghost, what if he gave her nightmares? What if that wasn't even his true face? Ghost can shape shift right?

"Aunt Brie.." her seven year old nephew, Alan calls from the living room. Brie realised she had completely zone out, the cartoon she was playing for them was at the end credit.

"I'm sorry" she says as she joins them in the living room.

"Are you sad auntie" Lola her niece who was just 5 asks her.

"I'm fine Lala… what do you want to see next, since Alan had the first pick"

"Frozen" Lola says

"You watched frozen yesterday and the day before, and also the day before that" Alan argues

"But that's my pick" Lola fights back staring at Brie with doggy eyed

"Which part did you watch yesterday" Brie asked as she starts scrolling through Disney+

"The let it go part" Lola replies

"You're so boring" Alan says angrily. Brie sighs.

"Should I tell a story? Then we can watch a movie later… " Brie suggest and the two of them nods moving close to her. She could actually use a kids point of view right now, they weren't judgemental and they believed in the supernatural easily.

"Alright, this isn't much of a story but imagine getting a new room, with all your favourite toys…"

"And a swimming pool? " Alan asked

"And a Barbie house and Elsa and Olaf" Lola added excitedly, Brie couldn't hide her laugh as she nodded.

"Yes and all of that… but there's a ghost in your new room" Alan and Lola eyes shine wide as they watch attentively "not a scary ghost, a sad ghost" she adds quickly

"If the ghost isn't scary then can she be my friend" Lola asked. Brie was taken aback by the question, if only it was that simple for her

"A ghost friend would be so cool, he can make me fly" Alan added, making Brie burst into laughter.

************

Brie takes a deep breath as she reaches her apartment door, Ellen couldn't make it home today cause she had an overnight shoot, but her husband Stiles was with the kids. Ellen worked as an assistant director and she was currently working on a series not a very big one but it was something and Brie was so happy for her. Stiles was a family lawyer and a really chill guy, he wasn't the type to start a conversation, but her dad liked his company cause he was book smart.

She opened the door finally looking around as she walked in with the polythene bag she was carrying, she had bought some fast food cause she wasn't in the mood of cooking, she didn't like cooking and she never had an issue with it cause her mum loved cooking. Brie looked around but she was the only one in the apartment. Maybe he was hiding she thought.

"Hello" she called out as she took off her clothes, she needs a shower and it felt weird, he might be lurking around watching her.

"Hello… I know you're in here. Don't you dare watch me" she calls out again as she turns on the shower.

"If you f*****g dare.. I'll call a priest" she adds. Just then she hears a soft laugh from outside the bathroom. It surprised her, that she wasn't scared. He was still around.

"You're a p*****t" she shouted at him.

"I'm in the living room" he says his voice faint and she could sense hint of laughter in it, he wasn't shouting like her.

"I know you were watching me earlier"

"No I wasn't"

"Then where were you. You said you can't leave" there was silence for a while before he replied

"I'm not.. there's somewhere else I can go" Brie steps out of the shower, puts on her robe and walks to the living room, her hair dripping water all over the place. He was standing right outside the bathroom door.

"Don't you sit" she asked

"I can."

"So you can touch objects and people" she asked curiously

"No" he says as he tried grabbing the flower vase by the side, but as expected his hands go through it. Brie didn't know exactly how to feel about that, she felt safer knowing he can't hurt her physically but she also felt sad for him.

"How does that feel" She asked him.

"Empty.." Brie stares directly at him and he does the same, their eyes locking. Those bright green eyes, Brie quickly looks away swallowing hard as she walks quickly to the room to dry her hair.

After wearing her sleep wear, which was a short and tank top. She warms up the fast food she had bought and set it out in the mini dining table in the Kitchen ready to eat.

"You can join" she tells him as he sits opposite from her. "oh.. sorry" she quickly adds realising he was a ghost.

"It was a sweet gesture thanks"

"You mentioned earlier that, there's somewhere else you can go. Where is that" she asked after she was done eating.

"The hospital" he replies shortly and she raises a brow asking him to continue. "I'm not dead, dead.. I'm.. I've been in a coma for the last five months and I'm not even sure I'm gonna ever wake up. I don't even know anymore" Brie stares at him with pity, whatever bad feeling she must've had about him earlier was completely gone atleast for now, right now she felt like giving him a hug.

"Maybe that's why you're still here. You're stuck between being alive and dead.. I think it's a good thing. You will wake up one day" she says positively and she believed it, she hoped he did too.

"That's nice Brie" he says with a smile

"What's your name. You know mine, but I don't know yours"

"Ace"

"Ace.. that's a nice name" Brie says with a smile which Ace returns.

An hour later, they were both in the living room, Brie laying on her back while Ace sits on the bean bag sofa as they chat about random things with Brie getting to know the little things about her ghost roommate. So far she has been able to gathered, he was a good cook, he was really into marvel comics and movies and unlike her he has traveled to lots of countries.

"Is there any where you haven't been to" she asked feigning jealousy, Ace chuckles

"India and many others, especially most countries in Africa" Ace replies, she was still jealous she has visited just two countries France and Mexico.

"You still have lots of years ahead, make a list of the countries you really want to visit and then map out a plan" Ace advices, Brie brings out her phone immediately and open the note app.

"South Korea" she says out loud as she typed it in, Ace laughs

"Why"

"It's a beautiful place and I really want to taste their food, then there's lots of K-pop festivals I can attend"

"And you might get lucky and meet BTS" Ace adds

"How'd you know I like them, I didn't mention it" she asked surprise.

"Your ringtone. My sister is a ballet dancer, I remember her dancing to it" Brie watches him, his family must really miss him, she really hoped for him to survive.

"She must be an Army, like me" she says softly, Ace nods.

"You like Michael Jackson too, I saw the vinyl records. Do you dance" he asked, Brie couldn't help but laugh

"Are you stereotyping everyone that listens to Michael Jackson as dancers"

"I listen to him and I'm not a good dancer. You have the body of a dancer" Brie tried not to blush, but she couldn't help it.

"Good to know, my stupid morning workouts help"

"Oh..it does" Ace says with a smile, looking her up and down, Brie didn't like the way he made her feel it was just the first night, she needed to go sleep.

"It's late.. goodnight. Uhn…" she says getting up. Ace joins her.

"Please don't stand around my room. And no nightmares"

"I can't do that.. I don't give nightmares, I'm not a vampire" he says, Brie sighs in relief.

"Goodnight Ace" she says as she reaches her room door

"Goodnight Brie".