HOME COMING

7

After the memorial service, Abbie and her three friends walked out of the church. Surprising enough, Jeanie took a hold on herself as soon as the service was over.

Standing in the compound where Frank had lived as a teenager, and where his parents still lived they looked around and greeted people they recognized occasionally.

"Hey" Jeanie said nudging Abbie.

Abbie turned to face her with a warm smile "yea"

Jeanie leaned closer "that man over there seems to be staring this way quite a lot" she said signaling to her back "its giving me the creeps"

Abbie looked around, remembering the man who she thought was staring at her hours earlier "which man?" She asked.

Jeanie signaled her with her eyes "look closer, he is on cowboy hat and dark rim glasses."

Abbie searched again with her eyes "there is nobody there Jean" she said. "Nobody there with that description"

Jeanie's face turned pale "what?" She said turning swiftly "that's strange"

"What's strange?"  Peggy asked dragging Mildred closer a bit.

"I noticed a man who had been staring at us for quite sometime now, but when I alerted Abbie he was gone"

Peggy looked around "what was he like Jean?"

"I didn't get much of his features. He was on cowboy hat, wore dark rimmed glasses. I couldn't even make out his skin colour because he wore a suit that covered his hands well and had the rest tucked in his pocket. Then his trousers fell over his shoes"

"Well that's funny" Peggy chuckled.

"What's funny?" Jeanie glared at her "you think I am being paranoid?"

Mildred chuckled too "you need to snap out of it. What else would you be seeing? Ghosts?"

Peggy kept a hand on Jeanie's shoulder "snap out of it girl, Frank is dead and gone" she said bluntly "you have a life ahead, stop seeing things"

Jean hit her hand off my shoulder "you don't believe me right, then..."

"I believe you" Abbie said.

Peggy and Mildred frowned immediately. Jeanie peered closer at her "you're not saying this to make me feel good right?"

Abbie shook her head "no, I wouldn't do that. I noticed that someone was staring at me in church today but it was just too fast, I couldn't place my hand on whether it was real or not"

Peggy frowned deeper "what does that mean?".

"It means that as soon as I lifted my eyes to look at him, his head was bowed in prayer. I wasn't sure I saw it right" Abbie said "two days ago, I saw a man whose face was covered with a baseball cap staring at me and when I turned nobody was there"

"Now this is super creepy" Mildred said rubbing her palms together.

"Plus I have been receiving weird messages lately" Abbie said "has anyone received any of those?"

Peggy giggled foolishly "apart from Reid flooding my inbox with his hot body, I haven't received anything yet"

Jeanie rolled her eyes "Reid got you there Peggy, good luck"

The girls laughed.

"But on a serious note. I..."

"Hello ladies!" A voice broke them off. Abbie turned around and her eyes widened in recognition. "Hi Abbie!"

She looked him over in suspicion "Mr Cooper!"
He smiled handsomely and Abbie heard Jeanie gush "you look uhm..solemn"

Abbie chuckled "we all are solemn. Frank was our friend, what about you? I mean what are you doing here?"

He shrugged "he was my friend too, Beverly Highs"

"You went to Beverly Highs!" The three girls said at once.
This time he truly laughed in puzzlement "of course I did. I couldn't have just walked up to you like that at the bar the other day" he said to Abbie "You, Peggy, Jeanie and Mildred" he said pointing at them as he mentioned their names. "I know you all"

"Wow" Jeanie said "you must have hid through out your stay in school"
He shrugged "I was the nerdy type that was easily picked on. Of course your lot then wouldn't have noticed me"

The girls exchanged looks but before they could say anything else, he quickly added "Can I have a word with you Abbie?" He said.

Abbie looked at her friends, then nodded "sure"

Cooper led her out of the big compound where people were and slowly led her towards a lonely part, engaging her in a conversation as they went farer away from the sight and earshot of the mourners.

"You serious you never saw me in school?" Cooper asked sounding hurt.

Abbie nodded "yea and I'm sorry" she said.

He chuckled "Frank was a good kid, its not fair he just died that way"

She decided not to comment on that. She had mourned enough.

He continued while leading her deeper "planning to come for the homecoming?" He asked.

"Of course" she replied "its tomorrow. I will be there"

He smiled slyly making sure she didn't see him. Suddenly she looked around and it dawned on her that she was far from the others.

"Where are we going Cooper?" She asked.

"Just over there" he said pointing over a beautiful cliff. Abbie giggled and ran off towards the place.

As she reached there. She stood there looking down at the water and clapping happily.

"You love the view right?" Cooper said stopping behind her.

She clapped louder without looking at him "I love it!"

"What of water, do you love to swim?" He asked. She thought she detected humor in his voice but couldn't understand what would make him so happy.

She ignored it and hugged herself "No, I can't swim. I hate the..." Before she could finish, she heard a noise behind her followed by a push and she fell forward grabbing roughly on the stones.

"Cooper!" She screamed in horror as she held on to the stone strongly. "Cooper!" But nobody answered.

Slowly she began to make her way to the top, suddenly Cooper's face emerged "Abbie!" He said horrified "what the hell" he said offering a hand for her to rise back up.

She lifted herself up and began to step back from him "you pushed me Cooper! You wanted to murder me, you wanted me to drown!"

Cooper's face turned white "why would I want that Abbie! I wasn't even here when you fell over. I asked you a question and went to hide in the bushes, I didn't even see you fall over. I heard you but I thought you were scared I had disappeared"

Abbie still refused to go to him "what?"

"I wanted to play a prank on you I'm sorry" he said and gently walked up to her. He took her into his arms and just like he knew she would, she gave in and hugged him tightly.

Another sly smile broke from his lip, poor Abbie. Poor poor Abbie. He thought.