"You see me?" A teenage girl in leg warmers, and a Madonna shirt gasps in my face.
Don't move, I tell myself. My brown eyes stare past her bleached feathered hair and stare down the blackboard. Who knows who this girl is, or why she's haunting a high school. She was breaking the chalk in half before class started, but the moment I walked in she sensed the static all necromancers give off.
"Come on, talk to me." She begs. Don't move, don't move, don't move, I CAN'T MOVE. I focus on keeping my breathing steady, and keeping my brown eyes stuck on the board.
"Daisy," Elijah taps my shoulder, and I'm almost glad he called my attention. Twisting around in my seat to look back at the dirty blonde, his brown eyes make me feel like I can breathe easier.
"Are you okay?" He asks lowly, his brows knitting together in frustration. My spine straightens, he can tell I'm not okay? Nodding I try to ignore the ghost hollering in my ear, but Elijah doesn't seem to ease up.
"If there's something wrong you can tell me." He mutters. I would grin, but with Madonna's number one fan shouting for my attention, my mouth just can't muster up the energy to grin. More importantly, I can't tell him I see ghosts. He'll think I'm nuts, he'll never speak to me again, Elijah would hate me.
I nod again, but I know I can never tell him what's wrong. I like him to much to tell him.
"Look at me!" The ghost shrieks, but I stay cold as a stone.
"Daisy!" The substitute barks from his spot next to the blackboard. Hesitantly, I turn back around to look at the balding man in a sweater vest glaring me down in my desk. Not answering only furthers the substitute's annoyance.
"Are you going stop snobbing the rest of the class, and read the book like everyone else?" The sub hisses. My tongue weighs down like a thousand pound weight in my mouth.
"Talk to me!" The ghost continues to demand my attention like the sub. Ugh, I think I'm getting a headache.
"I'll read." Every head turns to Elijah, his textbook in hand. My heart suddenly warms, and for a moment I don't feel everyone's stares or hear the ghost's barks.
He's doing this for me?
"I picked Daisy Tanner, not you Mr. Wood."
"I know, but I want to read, and you're being a stubborn bastard." Elijah protests, making my eyes widen, and my stomach drops. Don't cause a scene for me! The entire class fills with hyped up ohs, and the sub turns an angry red.
"Look at me, damn it!" My hands curl up into fists at the ghost's scream.
"What did you say you snot nose brat?" The sub growls.
"Why don't you stop picking on her, and get a real job?" Elijah challenges.
"LOOK AT ME!" My red head falls into my hands, my head spinning from everything. I have a tacky ghost shrieking in my ear, and Elijah battling with the sub in front of the entire class next to me. Oh god, look at what I did.
"That's it! Detention! Both of you!" The sub suddenly blows.
"Daisy didn't do anything!" Elijah barks, and my hand flies to his in an effort soothe him, but I quickly pull it away.
"Insubordination! Both of you!"
-----
"I'm sorry." I apologize quietly to Elijah, who sits next to me in a desk in detention. We're not the only two in a windowless classroom, the desks are filled with the school's infamous troublemakers.
From brooding seniors, on the verge of dropping out, to freshmen who were caught smoking surround us. Elijah drags his desk next to me, leaning against me.
"You don't have to say your sorry, I'm the one who got you detention." He says lowly. "I'm sorry for getting you stuck in here." He apologizes, looking like a sad puppy.
I shake my head earnestly, frowning at the fact he thinks this is his fault.
"Yeah, Daisy, it w-" he starts, but I cut him off with a harder shake of my head. His fingers catch my chin, making my brown eyes lock with his.
"Fine, then let's blame that stupid substitute teacher." I grin at him, signaling him that I can agree with him on that. Elijah grins back, that lopsided grin making my chest tighten.
"Thanks for standing up for me, Elijah." I whisper, but just like my best friend (Death) Elijah seems to hear me. He smiles back at me, my stomach fluttering at the sight.
"You're welcome."
Daisy: 36 words
Elijah: 251 words
Death: 130 words
