Written in the Stars

The Long Way Home

Song: Long Way Home- 5SOS

After all the strange and bizarre interactions I've had today, I decide to skip the bus ride and just walk back home. What I need right now is some alone time to fully process everything I've been told.

First we have Julie. Like me, she can see ghosts and interact with them. Unlike me, she doesn't shy away from talking to them and has befriended three guys. She's even started a band with them and performs in very public settings with them.

Which brings me to the only one of the ghosts that I've had a real interaction with, Reggie. He seems nice and a lot smarter than he lets on. He's the one who really helped me make the decision about whether I'd meet up with Julie or not.

However, I was wrong this morning. Being friends with Julie wouldn't mean just having those three as friends too. I didn't factor in Flynn, Willie and whoever this Caleb guy is. The Hollywood Ghost Club brings a certain risk level with it too. If I'm friends with Julie, not only does it bring me more information on it. It also puts me directly into the path of whatever is going on there.

I could choose to play it safe and just be friends with Carrie. With her, I wouldn't have to worry about being friends with Julie and Flynn too. But something tells me I'm not getting the whole story with her either. The way she was arguing with the guy from this morning and how she talks about Julie. What did she mean that Julie could turn on someone so easily?

I catch myself wanting to talk to Julie about it. The slip of paper she wrote her number on burns in my pocket. Maybe doing things differently wouldn't be such a bad thing. The way I was doing things obviously didn't work as well as I thought it did if my dad changed my school because of it.

There's so many thoughts swirling through my head, it's hard to make sense of all of them. I make it home and go to the kitchen to get a snack. I have about an hour before my dad gets home from work. I don't have any real homework to distract myself with yet, but I get started on the math that's already been assigned.

All too soon I'm done with my schoolwork and I'm back to overthinking. It's not that I don't think I could trust Julie. Her experiences are so similar to my own. The main thing that's making me hesitate is everything else. What being friends with her would mean. But then I have to ask myself, is being friends with ghosts so bad?

The sound of a car door closing alerts me to my dad coming home from work. He'll want to hear all about my day so I go to meet him in the kitchen. He grabs a bottle of water and turns to face me. "So...how was your first day," he asks. I fill him in on all the bizarre classes that I've had. He laughs when I tell him how I'm already struggling in dance class. He's not that surprised hearing that I have little to no dancing skills.

His next question makes me pause. "Did you make any new friends today?" I can't help but notice the intensely hopeful expression on his face. The classes could be amazing, but what he really wants for me is to have someone my own age to talk to. I have a moment of gratitude that I wasn't able to fully stay to myself today.

I tell him all about meeting Julie, Flynn, and Carrie. Well without all of the ghost business, that is. I can't help but notice how much happier he seems now that I've told him about them. "Maybe this school really will be better for you," he says.

He goes off into the living room to watch the news and I go off to my room to kill time before dinner. While I'm waiting, I add what the guys and Julie told me about the ghost club to my notes. I'm not sure what my fascination is with the club, but I write down the information anyways. I did say that I probably wouldn't be able to take it on by myself. With the way they were talking about it at lunch, I'm sure they wouldn't hesitate to help. I'm still not sure if it is something I should be trying to stop, but now the option is a little more there.

All too soon my dad is calling me back to the kitchen for dinner. He seems to still be in that same cheerful mood from earlier. "Hey you should invite those girls over for dinner tomorrow night!"

I laugh a little at his eagerness. "Dad, I just met them today. Give it time before I start inviting them over!" I don't mention that if I were to invite Julie and Flynn, Carrie for sure wouldn't be showing up along with them.

I haven't seen my dad this happy in a long time. I know it's all due to the fact that he thinks I'm settling in so well at this new school. It's with him in mind that I decide that I'll try my best to be friends with Julie and Flynn. I'm not exactly sure how it'll work or if I'll have to give up Carrie to do it, but I have to try.

Not just because of my dad. But if I'm really honest with myself, today was good for me too. I'd spent so much time not trying to form any close attachments with those around me. Being able to talk so openly and not have to hold anything back felt really good. I take out the piece of paper with Julie's number from my pocket and send her a text.
———————————————————————————