Loose Ends

2 - Follow You

Next day 13:46

Mia's mother asked her to stay at home the next day after Tom's terrible death. But she needed the fresh air and didn't really want to be cooped in the house all day.

"Don't worry mum. I'm just going into town, do some window shopping and I'll be home for lunch."

"Are you going by yourself? Take someone with you."

Mia lied. "It's all right. I'm taking Chris with me." And before her mother could get a word edgeways, Mia belted out of the house.

She walked down the road, crossed a couple of traffic lights but she didn't go to town. She stood outside the empty college, images of Tom's dead body flashed her mind and could help but silently cry. It wasn't love that made her cry but she was beginning to miss the littlest things that he used to do, like annoy her, pull her hair playfully, mimic her and much more. Mia feared that she wasn't going to find anyone else as aggravating as Tom ever again.

Mia wiped her tears, hugged herself and walked down the street when she saw something very peculiar just a few meters in front of her.

She recognised the shock of blond hair and the male's strong physic. He walked slightly hunched, either he was injured or that he hadn't eaten in a few days.

He turned to face her.

"Ahhhh!!!" She screamed.

It was Tom! But it didn't look like him. He looked inapt with his messy hair and his creased joggers. His pale face and blood matted hair terrified her.

He raised his eyebrows. "What?"

She stammered. "You're supposed to be dead?"

"Or really, I didn't think so." He sarcastically commented.

She took a big breath. "What do you want from me?"

Tom sighed with mocking breath. "Well you're the only one that can see me."

"So...." Mia strolled on her words.

"So you can help me get in touch with the living."

Mia shook her head. She couldn't believe that this was happening to her. "Oh why can't you bug someone else for a change?"

Tom impatiently said, "How can I when no one apart from you can see me."

She began to block her thoughts. "Naa na na naa naaa. I can't see you. You're just a fragment of my imagination. You shouldn't even be haunting me. I mean, what the hell have I ever done to you?"

He screwed his face with anger. "Ok fine piss off. I'm an impatient guy. I don't need your help anymore."

"Fine I'm just going to go home in my warm lovely bed." She began to walk away.

"Oi don't you dear rub it in." He sat on the pavement kerb, his knees drawn towards his chest, his ghost arms dangling from his side. "I feel so alone."

Oh crap, Mia thought, he's doing the gilt trip thing again and as always I'll have to help him out AGAIN. Jeez why does he always do such a thing? You would think, him being a ghost, he'll try to leave you alone, but oh no they're the worst ones, ghosts' and their unfinished business.

She walked slowly towards him before looking around to see if any one was there. She didn't want people to think that she was talking to herself, or that she was probably mentally deranged. Phew, she thought, no one's there.

"What have you been doing since you know?" Mia asked politely as she sat on the kerb next to him, still looking around.

"Roaming around, feel invisible, but then I'm not." He looked at his pale hands. "I mean I can see my hands when I look at them but when I look in the mirror, I can't see myself. And I can't actually talk to anyone because they can't see or hear me. Man this fucking sucks." He looked at her. "Sorry, don't mean to swear."