What Ghost? (Complete)

Chapter Five: Becky Investigates

Becky sat on the bed and huffed. She could have gone to dinner with Billy, but she couldn't think of anything more boring than sitting around watching a bunch of kids eat, especially when she couldn't even interact with them. Besides, she'd thought of a better way to kill some time. When she'd done the quick tour of the place earlier, she'd been sure she felt another presence in the boys' senior wing of the dorms. She'd looked around and called out, but after getting no response, she'd moved on.

She decided to go have another look around while everyone was at dinner and it was quiet. There'd been a fair few kids around when she was there last time, maybe the ghost, or whatever, was just shy. She floated down the corridor humming a tune she'd been listening to earlier, poking her nose through doors as she went. Some of these guys really were total slobs.

She caught a quick flash of movement up ahead, but it was gone in an instant. Okay, there was definitely a spirit hanging around up there, and she'd never been one to give up easily. She sat down on the floor outside the room she thought it had disappeared into, and pretended to be talking to herself.

"Sooo...I reckon there's a ghost just like me around here somewhere."

"Really Becky, what makes you think that."

"Well, I'm sure I saw a flash of movement when I was further up the hall."

"Ok, so maybe whoever it is doesn't want company?"

"Hmmm, well considering the available company would have to be few and far between around here, you'd think they'd appreciate someone wanting to talk to them. I mean, I know I'd..."

A voice from the bedroom behind her interrupted her monologue. "Okay, okay... if I talk to you will you promise to stop talking to yourself? You're doing my head in!"

Becky chuckled. "Becky, it looks like you were right... there is someone else..."

A very cute looking male ghost came flying through the door, and was standing in front of her with his hands over his ears. "Will you please just SHUT UP!"

Becky grinned. "Well hello! Sorry, I know I'm annoying, but it got you to talk to me... so sometimes annoying is good. Don't you think?"

The boy dropped his hands from his ears and shrugged. "So whadya want?"

"I don't want anything. I just thought it'd be nice to talk to someone else besides my brother for a change."

"So your brother's a ghost too?"

Becky giggled. "Of course not. Why would I be here at boarding school, hanging out in a boys' dorm, if my brother were dead."

The boy frowned. "So how do you talk to him then?"

"Ummm... with my mouth..." she chuckled at her own joke. "Sorry, couldn't resist. But seriously, we've always talked to each other, just like you and I are doing now. By the way, in case you missed it earlier, I'm Becky."

"John," he said, still looking at her funny. "Wow... I can't believe you can actually talk to someone who's alive."

"Okay John, you obviously don't know much about the whole ghost thing, and how it works. I gather this is all pretty new to you. So tell me... when and how did you die?"

John shrugged, and Becky could feel the anger radiating out of him. "I died on the 25th August, 2010... changing a stupid light-bulb!"

"You're not serious? John, that was five years ago! Are you telling me you've been sitting around here sulking for five years?"

John shrugged again. "What else was I supposed to do? In case you hadn't noticed... I'm dead! I was totally ripped off... who dies at sixteen?"

Becky floated up so she was eye to eye with him. "You know what? I'm sorry I interrupted your personal little pity-party. You think you've had it tough... well try dying at birth! At least you got to live for sixteen years... I've been a ghost for fifteen years! But I'll be stuffed if I'm going to spend eternity sitting around feeling sorry for myself. You seriously need to get over yourself!"

Becky turned and flew back down the corridor towards Billy's room. What a jerk! Honestly, some people just deserved to be dead! She couldn't believe she'd actually thought he was cute.

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Becky sat on Billy's bed fuming over the pitiful jerk down the hall. Less than five minutes later she felt John's presence outside the door. "I know you're there, and I have nothing else to say to you. Go back and wallow, or whatever it is you've been doing for the last five years... you seem to have it down to a fine art!"

John popped into view just inside the door, a sheepish grin on his face. "Yeah okay, I guess I deserved that. Look, I'm really sorry I was such a jerk. It's just been so long since I've had anyone to talk to, I'd given up hope of it ever happening again. So can we please start over?"

He looked so cute, hovering just inside the door with his sad 'puppy-dog- eyes', that Becky had to laugh. His face instantly broke into a huge grin, and Becky was gobsmacked. Sad and angry, John was cute... but when he smiled... wow... he was Greek god material!

"Thanks Becky. I was terrified you were never gonna speak to me again, and that I'd blown the only chance I'd ever get to have another friend. And the only reason it took me so long to get here, was that I had to stick my head through every door to find you!"

If Becky had still had a heartbeat, it would have been racing out of control about now. This guy was seriously hot! She giggled. "Sorry about that, guess I should have given you my address." She winked, and John laughed, starting to look a little more relaxed.

"So tell me about you? I don't get how you died at birth, but you're sitting here talking to me like someone my age."

Becky smiled and shrugged. "My brother Billy and I were twins. As he grew up, I just assumed the role of whatever age he was at. You'll like Billy, he's really cool. Even though he's had to put up with me hanging around every day of his life, he's amazingly normal."

John frowned. "So you never even got to be alive? That sucks!"

"Well, to be honest, I actually chose not to have my own life.

"Sorry? How...?"

"Hang on, let me explain. Okay, so when I died I was given a choice, mainly because of the whole twin thing. I could either be reborn and live another life, with no memory of this one, or I could stay with Billy, as his Guardian Angel. So I'm not really your ordinary, everyday ghost."

"Wow... and you don't regret it?"

Becky chuckled. "Well, nothing's ever perfect, and there've been days... But mostly no, I'm happy with the way things are. Oh, and Billy doesn't know about the Guardian Angel thing... he thinks I'm just a ghost who got stuck here. So please don't let it slip when you meet him. I'll tell him one day... maybe..."

An awkward silence was developing, so Becky decided to change the subject. This one was way too morbid. "So... you up for an adventure? I think it's time we shook this place up a bit! You've got a lot of time to make up for..."

John's eyes lit up at the twinkle in her eyes. "Cool. What did you have in mind?"