The Ones She Left Behind

Prologue

"Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight. I wish I may, I wish I might, have this wish I wish tonight."

Maggie stared out her open bedroom window into the clear September night sky, doing her best to ignore the yelling and crying coming from the room next door. A lone star hung in the sky, and the moment would soon pass if she didn't act now.

She closed her eyes, unsure if she was supposed to clasp her hands or not but did anyway. "I just want a friend. I've always wanted a friend, but Mom says I shouldn't get too close to anyone." Her eyes opened wide and her hands dropped to her sides. "I know! I want a friend they can't see." Maggie swallowed the lump in her throat as she stared at the purple bruise which stuck out against her tan-colored wrist. I need a friend who won't run away.

Maggie stared at the star, waiting for a sign that her wish would come true. A light breeze drifted through the window. She turned around. The shouts grew louder, and she winced as something—or someone—crashed to the floor. Throwing her soft, pink blanket over her head, she closed her eyes and covered her ears. Soon, it would have to be over. Her parents never gave their neighbors enough time to call the cops.

The blanket shifted, enough to uncover her face. A chill shot up her spine as she opened her eyes. She gasped when her gaze immediately fell upon a pair of cross legs. A pair of hands also rested on the bed. Her gaze traveled upward until she met the steady gaze of a young boy.

Once her brain was able to give the signal to her body, she threw the blanket back over her head and scooted as far back as her bed would allow. The boy didn't budge.

"Don't be afraid, Maggie."

Raising the corner of the blanket, she peeked at him. He didn't appear to be threatening. He was dressed normally-denim jeans and a black t-shirt. His dark-brown hair was a bit shaggy but wasn't noticeably long. Even though he was sitting down, she could tell that he was a bit taller than her, making her wonder if he was also a bit older. His lips curled into a friendly smile. With that smile, the noise from the other room seemed to vanish.

Her voice trembled, "H-how do you know my name?"

The blanket slid off of her head, leaving her face to face with him. An eerie feeling came over her. The blanket had to have fallen, she thought. A normal person couldn't move an object without touching it. When she met his eyes, she noticed the grey coloring. She had never seen eyes that color before.

His voice broke through her thoughts, "I know everything about you. Your full name is Margaret Leilani Tucker. You got the name Margaret from your paternal grandmother and your middle name from your mother's sister. You're fifty percent Hawaiian. You're four-feet and four inches tall and you weigh sixty-seven pounds. Your favorite color is pink, and you love animals and looking at the stars. You're smart, but you're barely passing school because you don't go sometimes." He looked away from her. "I know every little thing about you, everything down to the birthmark on your —"

"Okay, I get it," she interrupted. "Who are you? Why are you here?"

He smiled. "You can call me Topher. I'm here because you wanted a friend."

Maggie gulped. "You want to be my friend?"

He shook his head. "More than that, Maggie, I want to protect you."

Her hands trembled. "Y-you know?" Of course he knows, she thought. If he knew everything about her, he had to know about that.

He nodded, looking out the window. "I've been watching you from a far for a few days. I wanted to get to know you before making my presence known. But, when I heard you make that wish, I knew it was time."

The sound of glass shattering filled Maggie's ears, reminding her of the danger just on the other side of the wall. Her eyes widened as she looked at Topher. "But, my parents can't know about you. You need to leave."

His expression remained calm, and his gaze never left her. How could the shouting match and breaking objects not affect him?

"Do you notice anything . . . different about me?" he asked.

She looked him over once again. He seemed to be a normal boy, but, upon closer inspection, she noticed what he must've been referring to. She couldn't exactly see through him, but her bedroom light shined through him, as if his body wasn't able to block it. Her attention then turned to the bed. The bed wasn't sinking under his weight. Come to think of it, she never felt the bed move when he sat down.

"I'm a spirit, Maggie," he started, bringing her focus back to his face. "No one can see me unless I let them see me, and you're the only one I would ever let see me."

Her breathing quickened. A spirit. That explained why he was transparent. "You're a spirit. Does that mean you're—"

"Dead?"

She nodded, and Topher held out his hand. She jumped.

"I won't hurt you. Touch my hand."

With some reluctance, she placed her smaller hand over his slightly larger one, surprised to feel warmth spreading throughout her body.

"My body might be gone, but I don't consider myself dead," he said. "I'm warm, just like you. I don't want you to be afraid of me just because I don't have a body."

Maggie nodded. "I'm not afraid."

Abruptly, Topher turned toward the wall separating her room and the kitchen, where her parents had been arguing. It was silent now, other than the approaching footsteps.

Wrenching his hand away, Topher tensed. "Get under the bed. Now."

"Maggie?" her dad's voice echoed in the hall. "Maggie get out here!"

Maggie dove under her bed, finding Topher already there. "How did you-"

"Sh," he whispered. "Don't move and don't make a sound."

Topher stared intently at the door. Her father beat on it, and she heard him trying to turn the knob. For several seconds, the door didn't budge.

Topher winced as the door flew open. Maggie covered her mouth as she stared at her father's feet.

"I promise, I will protect you." Topher moved from under the bed and stood face to face with her father.

Maggie's wrist ached, reminding her of the tender bruises that were still fresh from recent days. She held her breath, silently praying that Topher would be able to keep his promise.

"Maggie, get-" Her father froze. Within moments, his green eyes seemed to glaze over. He blinked a few times and then rubbed his eyes. Turning around, he left the room.

Once he had left, Maggie crawled out from under the bed and stood up. She stared at Topher, her eyes full of amazement. He turned to her, smiling.

"Your father is feeling a bit tired. He's going to sleep for a while. You should be safe for the rest of the night, but I'll watch over you just in case."

"Thank you." Tears filled her eyes. For the first time in a long time, she felt safe.

Topher placed his hands on her shoulders. "Maggie, I'm here to make your life better. I'm the friend you always wanted, and I'm also your protector. I'm going to be here until you don't need me anymore."