I See Dead People

The next day of school went by quickly and peacefully. There wasn’t any sign of a new kid that Callie or I knew of. By the end of the day, I ruled it out as paranoia. I met Callie in the gym, and we went over a few cheers with the rest of the girls. After, Callie and I decided to go for a walk around the field track.

“Have you heard of any new kid?” Callie asked as we left the gym.

“Nope. Nada,” I sighed. “I’m beginning to rule it out as paranoia.”

“Or, it could be that he skipped today,” Cal replied matter-of-factly, “In stalker code, one-o-one you are not supposed to get caught, aka not a good stalker. Maybe he is too embarrassed because he sucks.”

“Something tells me I don’t think that’s it,” I laughed.

“Miss Cannon?” We turned to see Mrs. Galvez walking out toward us, “Miss Cannon can I speak with you in my office please?” I turned to Callie, and she shrugged at me, meaning she also had no idea why she was being called to talk with a teacher.

“I’ll be back,” Cal called over her shoulder, heading back to the gym. “Go ahead and start the trail without me. I’ll catch up to ya.”

I watched them disappear behind the doors before I continued to the field. Digging my headphones out of my pocket, I plugged them into my phone, flipped on some hip-hop music, and started on my way. Music was always the medicine that cleared my mind. It helped me think. The song that played took me back to when I was in my room getting ready for a dance. I think it was a homecoming dance, my sophomore year. My mom was redoing my makeup for me because I completely ruined my eyes with liquid eyeliner.

“There, now,” she said. “That looks a whole lot better. You are becoming such a beautiful woman.” I sat there admiring myself. Everything was perfect. My makeup made my face glow like I never knew it could. My blonde curls shaped my face perfectly, showing how grown up I felt at the time. Mom could be a pro hairstylist. My teal dress made my blue eyes pop out, not to mention made me look more like a woman than a girl since it hugged me in all of the right places. It was my first dance, and I was so ready.

“She is too young for makeup.” Nathan had said, standing in the doorway of my room eating an apple.

“And you would know the age limit of girls wearing makeup, how?” I whipped back, fingering one of the curls that fell out of place.

“Nathan, please,” Mom said before he could respond. “Don’t give her trouble tonight. This is her night.”

“I don’t want guys all over her. She’s too young for that,” Nathan replied.

“No guys will be near me, Nathan, I’ll be fine,” I sighed. “ Isn’t this dad’s job, anyway?”

“Yeah well dad’s not here, is he?” Nathan muttered. “He never is.”

“Nathan,” my mom warned, but Nathan was already down the hallway to his room.

I came out of my memory as I smacked into something… or someone.

“Oh wow, I am so sorry,” I pulled out my headphones as we composed ourselves, “I have been really out of it today.”

A guy stared blankly back at me. It was the guy from yesterday. The guy from the stands, the cemetery, the apartments, he’s right here, and I ran him over.

“I, um…” I stumbled to find my voice again. “I’m Jamie. Are you new here?”

“You could say that,” the boy replied, skeptically. Up close he was extremely attractive. The type of guy Cal would be drooling over instantly. He had that bad boy look with his black hair messily hanging around his face and ears. His leather jacket had buckles around it but not obnoxiously as if he worked at a carnival. He kind of reminded me of a motorcycle dude mixed with a ninja. A super-hot motorcyclist ninja dude. But his eyes were the most interesting thing about him. They were green. Like dark, entrancing, I-could-stare-into-your-eyes-forever green.

“So what is your name?” I asked, rolling my headphones up and shoving them in my pocket.

“Aiden?” He looked around as if confused. His accent made me do a double take, so of course, I had to ask, “Where are you from?”

“Scotland,” he sighed, sounding agitated.

“Is everything okay? You look a little… disoriented.” I laughed a little, which put his attention back on me.

“I don’t understand,” Aiden growled.

“Understand what?” I asked as he started walking away. When he didn’t turn back, I called, “Wait where are you going?”

“Hey, Jay,” Callie was running my way. When she caught up to me, she continued, “Are you alright?”

“Yeah,” I replied happily, “I think I just met my stalker.”

“Where?” Cal looked around. When I tried to point him out, I couldn’t find him either. He sure knew how to hide when he wanted to.

“Did you see the guy I was talking to just a second ago?” I asked, still scanning the track for him.

“Well, I saw you talking…” Cal replied hesitantly, “but no one was there with you, Jay.”

“What do you mean, no one was there? He was right in front of me. I ran right into him.” I turned to face her again. The gym was a straight shot from where I stood, there was no way she could have missed him, there were only four people on the track.

“No Jay.” Cal shook her head, “I saw you trip, and then you stood up and started talking to the air. No one was there.” I looked past her. She followed my gaze and then looked back at me with big doe eyes.

“But he was just…” I shook my head and let Callie take my arm and lead me back toward the gym.

            I spent the next hours leading up to the game trying to figure out what had happened on that track. As a result, I still came up with nothing. Absolute zero.

“You know, maybe he is a ghost?” Cal offered as we ran onto the field to cheer on our team.

“Yes Cal,” I breathed back sarcastically, “I see dead people.”

“Can’t rule out all the possibilities now can we? Wooh! Go, team! Yeah!” Callie cheered as our football team tore through the banner, we had made in class this morning. It was a cartoon drawing of a wolf pack cornering a cowering lion. Symbolizing our school, Shadow Creek Wolves, versus the Calbert Lions.

“Hey, Cannon!” Collin called to Cal, “Wish me luck!” Cal stuck her tongue out at him and marched us off the field.

“It’s a love-hate thing,” Cal offered. I raised my eyebrow at her. “No it’s true, sometimes I love him, and sometimes I hate him.” As if that were to clear everything up.

“He’s bad news,” I stated, “Why do you even waste your time with him?”

“It’s kind of cliché.” She shrugged, “Captain of the football team and captain of the cheer squad. It’s my own twisted movie inside my head.” I made a face that she thought was funny as we got into formation for a routine. I looked up into the stands, half expecting to see Aiden again. Not there. Sam’s face, however, did pop up in the crowd, and I waved. He never missed a game. This was a routine for football season. Sam, mom, Nathan and if we were really lucky dad would come along too. Every Friday night they would watch me cheer, watch the game, and then we would all go out to eat afterward. It was kind of comforting knowing some thing’s remained the same, even after a whole year of changes.

We broke for half time, and I went up in the stands to see Sam.

“Hey Blue Jay, looks like the boys are doing well this game, twenty-four to seven, not bad at all,” Sam remarked, holding a barrel of popcorn out to me. I waved it away and sat down next to him.

“Yeah, they are great.” I hadn’t even noticed the scoreboard until just now.

“Your cheer team seems to be doing the trick tonight I guess,” he said cheerfully. But my eyes weren’t on the field or the girls anymore; I was peering over every face in the stands again.

“Everything alright, Jamie?” Sam asked, trying to look where my eyes kept darting off.

“Do you believe in ghosts?” It came out before I could stop myself.

“In ghosts?” he laughed. “No why?”

“No reason,” I replied quickly. Of course, he does not believe in ghosts because there are no ghosts. I’m crazy!

“Uh-huh… If there’s something you want to talk about, Jamie, I am always here. You know that, right? Even if you want to have a ghost talk.” He nudged my shoulder and I laughed.

“Maybe later,” I smiled. “But now I have to go down and pep up the girls.”

“Cheer on blue Jay, cheer on.” Sam patted me on the back. I stood and ran back down the stands to join my team. I looked as I descended the stairs and thought I saw him twice, though neither of the two was him. Why do I care? He’s just some guy, or ghost, or whatever he is. He’s weird and mysterious and attractive and…. No, no, no! He is creepy and I just need to stop thinking about him.

“Hey, Jay!” Cal clamped on to my arm and whispered, “Any sign of ghost boy yet?” I groaned and slapped my forehead.

“Hey now, it’s nothing to get upset over. I’m sure he will turn up again,” she replied in her overly cheery voice.

“No, Cal I’m not-“ But then I realized I didn’t have her attention anymore.

“Okay girls let’s get into formation!” Callie counted off as we quickly jumped into suit along the field.

***

Our team won the game. No one scored anything after halftime, so I guess it was a good game. I never really followed football. I know, weird since I’m a cheerleader. Callie and I were in the girl’s locker room packing things up into our backpacks when I finally remembered Callie’s meeting with Mrs. Galvez earlier, “Why were you were called to that teacher’s office?”

“Mrs. Galvez?” Cal shrugged, “She says I haven’t been taking her class as seriously as I should be. She is making me retake my Spanish test next Thursday.”

“You’re not doing well in a class? You, Callie Cannon?” I replied with mocking wide-eyed shock.

“Yeah,” she laughed. “I guess I don’t comprendo the lingo very well.”

“I can help you,” I offered. “I passed that class with an A last year.”

“Please, you have more important fish to fry,” Cal smirked.

“Like?” Though I had a feeling that I already knew what she was going to say.

“Like how we help send your ghost stalker to the other side so he can rest in peace.”

“He’s not my stalker, and if he is a ghost, why is he haunting me? I have never seen him before in my life.” I thought back to every guy I had ever encountered up to this point.

“Are you sure you haven’t? Like at a camp or something?” Cal had a look on her face like she was trying to remember him for me.

“I’m positive I have never seen him before. I would never forget this one, Cal.” Aidan’s face flooded my head from the first time I saw him in the bleachers to the last when I saw him on the track field. Curious, anxious, and nervous emotions covered his face. He was scared. No, I’m not sure that was it. But yes, I am one hundred percent sure I have never seen him before.

“Hmm.” Callie went on with her thoughts out loud. “What if this is like that movie we saw, “Just Like Heaven”? But, what if, he is the one in a coma and you have to save him?”

“Cal,” I laughed, “I don’t think that’s even possible.”

“Just as possible as seeing a ghost boy everywhere you go?” she countered.

I slung my bag over my shoulder and sighed, “Okay, I guess nothing has been ruled out then.”

 Pleased with my answer, Callie followed suit and we walked out of the girl’s locker room and into a gym filled with overly excited students and parents.

“I guess it would be kinda silly to ask if you see him now, huh?” Callie had to yell over the noise, even though we were standing right next to each other.

“Hey, Cannon!” Collin called, shoving his way over. “Party at my house tonight, my parents are away. You should come.”

Callie looked over at me with eager eyes and didn’t care for my expression, “Oh, Come on Jay! It could be fun! When was the last time we had been to a party?”

“I don’t think it’s a good idea,” I sighed. Cal’s expression fell, so I sighed again, “But I guess we could go for an hour.”

“Yes, we will be there!” Cal called back to Collin, who winked back at her in reply.

“Does he even know your real name anymore, Callie?” I asked as we pushed our way through the gym doors and out to the quieter parking lot.

“Of course he does,” she shot back quickly.

“Why doesn’t he ever call you it then?”

She stopped by the flagpole and rested against it. “Well, maybe he’s including me, like one of the guys?” Cal suggested. “It’s kinda cute in a movie way.”

“Cal, do you want to be one of his guys or his girlfriend? Because if he’s just including you like ‘one of the guys’,” then that normally is not a good sign.”

“Oh, go chase your ghost boy,” Cal laughed stiffly.

“I love you and I’m only telling you that because I don’t…”

“Like him?” she offered.

“Trust him,” I finished. There was just something about him that seemed shady to me, ever since freshman year. He went away on a hunting trip with his dad then came back a completely different person. Collin used to be sweet and optimistic until that summer. Now he was all about being the best at everything, coming out on top, and not caring who got hurt in the process. He changed, but Callie’s feelings never did.

“I know Jay,” Cal sighed. “Let’s just go to the party. It doesn’t have to be about boys tonight. There will be others at the party, we can just go and hang out for an hour, have our fun and leave.”

“I guess you did already say we would go,” I laughed, readjusting my backpack strap. 

“I’ll pick you up at ten-thirty then,” Callie replied.

“Hey, there you are!” Sam called, running over to us. “I was wondering if you made it through that pack alive.”

“Hi, Sam,” Cal purred at him. I rolled my eyes and suppressed the bile rising in my stomach.

I cut in, “So Sam there’s a party tonight and we were thinking…”

“That we should go and I’ll have Jay back by midnight.” Callie took the conversation back.

“Where is this party?” Sam inquired, looking at me, but Cal answered.

 “At Collin Master’s house.”

“Parental supervision?” he continued, eyes bored into mine. It made me wonder if this was how people felt when he pulled them over. Which then made me wonder how anyone in the world could lie to this guy. He was a bit intimidating with his interrogation.

“About that…” Cal laughed slightly.

“No,” Sam answered and looked away from me finally.

“Why not?” I finally said.

“You aren’t going to a party with no adult supervision,” he said flatly.

“Nothing will happen. We are all underage so it’s not like anyone can go get alcohol.” My excuse sounded dumber and dumber as I let it flow out.

“I was a teenager once too,” Sam laughed. “They may not be of age but that doesn’t mean there won’t be underage drinking, drugs, or who knows what else at this party. You’re not going, Jamie.” It surprised me how much I wanted to go to this party now that I was forbidden to go.

“Let’s get going.” Sam turned back to the police car. Cal took my hand and squeezed it in hers.

“I’ll see you later.” Cal winked and walked over to her blue Nissan Xterra. With that, I already knew she hadn’t given up yet. Knowing her, she would be back at my house by ten-thirty, and I’d better be ready. I smiled an unobvious smile back and walked with Sam to his police cruiser.

“So how was your night?” I inquired, buckling up.

“Better now that I know you and Callie aren’t going to that party.” He muttered. I smiled slightly. It was a super cheesy-fake smile, so I was incredibly glad he kept his eyes on the road.