𝐒𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 ── CASPER McFADDEN

𝐗𝐈. 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐇𝐎𝐒𝐓𝐘 𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐎 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐖 𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒

quote: "friendship isn't about who you've known the longest. It's about who walked into your life and said "I'm here for you" and proved it," —unknown

For the last half an hour Casper and I argued more like debated on who got the 'room.' Wanting to prove a point I literally made a list for him of the reasons why he should have his old room. Casper declined no matter how good my reasons were, he's so stubborn. "You can't ignore my good reasons!" I mimic Casper's voice, rolling my eyes. "You know I'm right!" I mimic again as I attempt to style my messy bed hair.

After I was ready, well doing the best I could as my hair did have a mind of its own, I made my way down for breakfast. My Mother greets me as I sit down beside her, helping myself to the array of food my mother had cooked for us, despite eating myself I couldn't help but feel awkward when The Ghostly Trio look at me with disbelief. "She did it! She's absolutely done it!" Fasto complains or exclaims. Somewhere for a moment, I saw happiness in his eyes. "I agree, she's changed our very own nephew," Stretch says, his purple eyes fuming with anger. He slammed his ghostly hands on the table, which made me flinch. "He's a fleshie now."

"He's alive! Like not dead anymore!" Stinkie says his tone rather argumentive, "He's alive!" I knew that if I didn't stop this now it would end up in a bloodbath. "Can we not argue for once and have a civil conversation?" I say, suggesting a truthful solution. "Nah..." They say in unison laughing rather loudly, their food splattering on the floor. Then everyone who was at the table turns towards a very happy Casper with managed to walk with a grace I would never manage. Casper wore what he wore yesterday, his hair was slightly out of place, clearly, Casper just woke up. Caspe gives me his familiar goofy smile and looks at his uncles, who stare back to my surprise rather kindly.

I knew deep, very deep in their ghostly hearts, they cared about Casper. They cared about him so much. It was like they remembered something, it was like they almost were ashamed, and guilty? Casper pulls a plate towards him, placing some eggs and bacon on his plate. And stares at it. I gently shove Casper's white-shirted elbow, trying to be encouraging with a gentle. He picks up his knife and folk delicately placing a piece of bacon in his mouths and chews. His large goofy grin was totally visible. Even his uncles were smiling at him. My mother too. And so was I.

Casper just manages to make out "Wow," his uncles glare at him as if they remembered something but didn't say anything. "Food has never tasted this good." Casper jokes, his laughter making everyone cram their necks to watch Casper. "Is everything alright?" I ask them suddenly concerned about their odd behaviour. Whom's faces had a look as if they were remembering something –– something from their old lives, possibly from when they were alive. Stretch places a hand for me to shut up, "It's alright, May." He says softly, it was different from what he was like, he'd always scream at me sort of nicely or something but this was honestly weird. Today was going to be different from any other day. Everything was different. I was about to ask Casper how did he sleep, but then the house phone rings on the wall. "Abby," I mumble, and then I roll my eyes. Of course, she'd want to know why I left the festival last night.

"Excuse me," I say, exchanging a quick look with Casper. I scramble out of my seat awkwardly towards the phone mounted on the wall. "Hello?" I say, shyly. "May." Abby starts, "Why did you leave last night. You had a chance and you didn't take it. Why? I'm so confused. He apologised to you and then you push him over, the band stops playing. You run away in front of the whole town. As your best friend, I demand you tell me what was going on last night."

"O-Okay, we'll see I-I can't really explain this. It's sort of...personal. I d-don't think you'd understand this. While you were gone, Jason became someone else, constantly shifting from being my friend and backstabbing me..." I knew it would be best to leave out the part that Jason wanted to be more than friends as I knew that I had five pairs of eyes watching me suspiciously. I shifted my glance to them and they all looked away trying to act like they weren't listening in. Casper was trying not to choke on his water watching Strech and Fatso pick on Stinkie but I knew that Casper was listening to my conversation more than anyone else, but you could see that he was trying to politely act like he wasn't.

"Hun, I'm proud of you but you left right away. We would have had so much fun together if you stayed though." It took ten seconds for me to think of what to say. "I went home because... I can't explain why. Really. I just wanted to be with Casper." I felt the blush rise onto my cheeks as Casper tries to hide his smirk, then I turn my gaze over to Casper who winks. I tried not to pay attention to my mother's odd look. "That's cute May, I better come up with a ship name," Abby says sarcastically, adding a joke suddenly losing my patience I finish the phone call and slam the phone onto the hook.

I rush back into my seat almost falling backwards as I reach out to crunch on my toast. Then I look over and see a very serious look on my mother's face as she folds her hands together as she speaks excitedly, "Casper, if you'd like and if it was okay with your uncles. Would you like to go back to school, and with May of course." My mother says, her eyes looking at Casper for an answer. Then I turn to Casper who seems in deep thought and I could tell that the gears of his mind were working. "Casper, it's okay I'll help you with homework and things, I help you with everything. We might put in a word and we could be in the same classes." I say I was going to be positive and a very supportive best friend that I cared about more than anyone in the whole wide world. "We found these from last night, little glowworm," Fatso says pushing the documents towards Casper who takes them instantly. "It's everything you need to be alive," Stinkie says his breath fanning onto Casper's face. He tried to ignore it but we all couldn't help the fact that our faces crunch up.

"Casper you deserve this. We promised your father that we'd look after you and we have to keep that promise." Stretch says it was weird to see him so serious. "Really, I can go to school?" Casper asks excitedly, a huge smile on his face as he turns to all of us. "Thank you, Thank you!" Casper and I share an excited gaze both happy that we would be at school together. "First things first Casper. We have to get you some clothes." My mother says, suddenly serious with a smile. "This will be the funniest shopping trip ever." I joke, sending Casper a playful glare.

Casper's face was full of horror and delight, although he was sort of afraid. In a way going out into the outside world and I wondered how much society was different since now and then. "We can go in an hour." My mother says looking down at her watch. "I couldn't thank you enough, Maryanne," Casper says. I laugh, look at Casper's face. He was so uncomfortable with my Mother. It made me laugh. "So what did the two of you get up to last night?" Fatso laughs as he looks between Casper and me. "No comment," I say in a hurry trying my best not to blush, push in my chair and hurry out the door. I hear Casper excuse himself and I hear him push in his chair. Casper races after me, turning me around to face me. "Thank you, May." He whispers, pulling me into a hug. "Thank you for everything."

"I'm sorry I fell asleep last night and I that I took your bed." Casper smiles but doesn't say anything as he as twirls me around just like yesterday. Casper was like a prince. He made me feel like I was a princess, that I was important. Like I was someone. And then we were dancing, in the very spot, Casper danced with Kat. "Casper, how are you alive?" Casper's eyes clear with tears and I couldn't help but feel like I had said something wrong. "Your father." Tears brim my eyes at the mention of my father and gratitude of Casper being alive. "Your father, he told me to tell you that he loves you so much."

Unable to hold it in anymore I cry into his shirt letting out all the emotions I had held in for two years. "It's okay, shhh. He made me promise to care for you and your mother." Then his eyes were glassy, "He has given me a life with you May. He gave me my dream." Then I smiled, "My dream was for you to be alive." Casper's eyes softened in a way of understanding. In a way of empathy, in a way of kindness, he looked at me in a way nobody saw me. Not even a way I saw myself.

— Edited: 25/08/2019