(COMPLETE) Sanders Sides - Ghosts (analogical book)

Chapter 14 - Ambrosia Recipes

Janus uses he/him pronouns for this chapter - but he's not really in it.

Also I didn't actually know ambrosia was a real thing until I started writing this XD 

Words: 1303 Published: 7/4/2021

"So Jan said you have a girlfriend Re?" Virgil questioned the senior opposite him as the people around them rushed to and from their lessons. Remus was opening his locker to switch textbooks, and Virgil had math across the corridor from his friend's algebra class so the two of them could talk between periods. Janus had already rushed off to his Government class at the other side of the school so it was just Virgil and Remus talking. And Virgil couldn't believe Remus was in a straight relationship.

Remus nodded quickly, shutting his locker once he held his textbook and not looking at Virgil. "What's her name then? Does she go to this high school?" Virgil questioned more, watching Remus get more and more tense by the second. "Does Roman know about this relationship or do you not talk about that stuff?"

"Uh... He doesn't know. She goes to the high school in the next district, Joan High – you know?" Virgil nodded calmly even though Remus felt like he was slowly losing the battle against his lies. He wasn't the best at lying as a kid, especially in front of his friends, but this needed to be a lie. "She's a senior and she's going to the same college as me in September – yeah."

The classrooms the two students were heading to was in sight, making Remus almost sigh a breath of relief. Of course he didn't have a girlfriend. He didn't even think about romance until he was sat opposite Janus in the diner, eating a mint ice cream sundae and laughing with him – then he asked whether he was single. He realised how similar to a date that situation was and felt nervous – but not the kind of bad nervous where he wanted to escape. He in fact wanted to embrace the moment. But he needed to make sure he wasn't gay, he didn't want the same thing to happen to him as what happened to his brother. That would be too tough on his parents – so he lied to definitely be straight.

"Well..." Virgil mumbled, looking into his classroom door to finish the conversation with Remus. "Good luck with her, you're too nice to just be a lonely bitch."

Remus scoffed with a soft smirk, crossing his arms. He then looked slightly to the side and smirked, nudging Virgil and pointing behind him. There was the little red light both boys recognised, with the light blue light beside it. Luckily Virgil's teacher wasn't in the classroom yet – and the hallways were empty – so quickly the two high school students went to the nearest closet to talk to the ghosts.

Roman and Patton materialised, Patton jumping up and down with his usual wide smile and Roman clutching his hand. The look Roman gave the boys a nervous look, a look more nervous than the pair had seen before. Remus immediately stepped into action.

"What's up bro?" Remus immediately went closer to his brother and placed a hand through his shoulder. Virgil was always surprised that Remus could do that, whenever Virgil touched a ghost he got a huge, cold shock and had to retract immediately. Remus was different; he had no trouble reaching out for his brother and touching his spirit. It seemed to comfort him.

"Do you think you can make something for us?" Roman said quickly, and Remus mumbled an agreement and gave his brother the kindest and softest look Virgil had seen him pull. Roman took a deep breath. "Get Janus first. This is a big... thing."

Remus shook his head quickly, taking a deep breath and hiding his face from the other three boys. "No, no, we shouldn't disturb Jan. He's in class... Why do you need him?"

Roman had to double take, chuckling a little and rolling his eyes, grabbing Patton's hand tighter. Patton also had a soft and knowing smile watching Remus try to regain himself while seeming casual. Eventually he cleaned his blushing face up and looked directly at the ghosts again for an answer.

For a few seconds Roman struggled with what to say, holding Patton close before speaking gently. "I – We want to be alive again. There's this thing called ambrosia and we have the recipe... We just need the ingredients." Roman retrieved a piece of paper from a shelf, giving it to Virgil. It seemed like quite a simple and sweet treat to make: with pineapple, coconut, pecans and a hell of a lot of sugar and cream. Remus snatched the recipe quickly though, glaring at his brother in disbelief.

"What do you mean? Roman – you're dead. Have you not gone through the stages of grief yet?" Remus spoke in a half controlled, half nervous tone. His expression had immediately become that of anger rather than calmness. He then sighed and fiddled with the corner of the paper.

Patton was the next person to speak up, still clutching Roman's hand. "We want to actually date now, be boyfriends! It's not the same now when we have nothing to look forward to." Remus glared again, this time at Patton as he tried to contain his anger.

"What do you think Mom and Dad would think Ro? It took us 6 years to get over you and you want to screw all that over because you have a boyfriend? It'll break them!"

This time Roman was the one to sigh, reaching out to his brother but Remus stepped back. He wiped his eyes instead and looked to the floor, sniffling. This was the first time Virgil had seen Remus show such strong emotion – even when Remus told his friends about Roman's death he didn't openly cry until the last minute. This time he was openly getting upset trying to process the fact his older brother was asking to be alive again. This was time for Virgil to say something about this, although he was insure where his opinion lay.

"What about Logan?"

Roman and Patton shrugged. Knowing the dynamic of the ghosts (which Virgil did know well as he spent the whole of the previous night with them), they probably hadn't even thought of asking for Logan's views before acting on their instincts. But Patton did speak again.

"I would like Logan to be with us." Patton said quietly, gazing up at Roman before turning his head back to Remus and Virgil. "He was very – interested – in ambrosia when we first died. He wanted to make and use it so he could go to university. I definitely wouldn't go without him."

Virgil nodded, looking at the recipe again that was still in Remus' hands. He had stayed quiet a lot of the conversation as he didn't really have a valid view, he wasn't affected by the death as it happened so had no say. He did know he would love to see Logan alive. Not because he had a slight crush on him or anything, just because he valued Logan as a good close friend. And he'd love to see his friend succeed as he should have done half a decade ago.

"I can talk to Logan about it." Virgil smiled, his hands in his pockets again. Roman and Patton smiled happily about the fact that someone was willing to help them make ambrosia. Remus placed the recipe back on his shelf.

"So can I!" Patton cheered happily. The ghosts then quieted and started to become invisible again. "Janitor's coming. Better get to class."

So the two high schoolers left the closet, both with a lot to think about and a lot to update Janus on. For Virgil this was going to be extra hard, Logan could be stubborn and hard to persuade about a lot of things and he could imagine resurrection to be a difficult topic for him to talk about.