Three Idiots and a Ghost

When a ghost couldn't do anything

So many people around a bonfire...

...Yet, he's the only one I see...

...Four days.

Rags's eyes shot open to see nothing but darkness. It must have still been nighttime. Her thoughts went back to the male face in her dream. It belonged to the café worker, Jack. There was no doubt about it now. She knew him, and from the huge ache that lingered in her heart, she realized the deep feelings she once had for him.

However, she couldn't dwell on this matter for long. There was a reason she woke up in the middle of the night. Someone was impatiently ringing the doorbell. At first, none of the sleeping guys heard the sound to go answer the door. But whoever was standing outside was very persistent. Rags soon got annoyed and thought about walking into one of the guys' rooms and waking them up.

Just then, Skyler turned the living room lights on, dragging his tired body out and cursing under his breath. "Who the fuck would come at this hour?"

He opened the door, planning on shouting at the rude visitor. However, he stopped himself when his half-closed eyes shot opened in surprise at who was in front of him. Rags was shocked too.

"Could you get Archer for me, please?" Alex asked through his tears. By the smell of him, Skyler could tell he'd been heavily drinking.

"Yeah, one second. Have a seat on the couch."

While Skyler went to wake Archer up, Rags watched over her younger brother. He looked so broken as if there was nothing in the world that could make him happy anymore. She couldn't bear seeing him like this, yet she also couldn't bring herself to leave his side.

Alex grabbed the plush ghost doll resting next to him. He needed something nice to cry into and it did the job. Rags was glad Mop could be of some help in this way. She imagined herself to be the ghost in Alex's arms, being able to comfort him like an older sister should. However, in reality she could do nothing for him.

"Alex!" Archer rushed to his boyfriend's—whom he hadn't formally asked out yet but anyone could tell they were a thing—side. His eyes briefly fell on Rags who was crying by then as well.

She told him, "Please help Alex for me."

Archer gave her a small nod. He hugged his man very tightly. "It's okay. I'm here."

Alex had his head buried into Archer's chest, crying uncontrollably for a few minutes. His sorrow was the only thing that echoed throughout the entire apartment. When he managed to calm himself a bit, he said, "I was such an asshole to her. The last things I said to her—oh, gosh. I should've been there for her. I couldn't bring myself to call her even once after leaving. If only I had known she was struggling this much on her own that she would—" Alex broke down into tears again, but he still choked out, "Kill herself."

So that was the ruling, Rags thought. Suicide. It made sense how she fell from a bridge in her dreams. She had jumped off. But what could have made her take such drastic measures?

For the rest of the night, Rags couldn't get a wink of sleep. She didn't leave Alex's side once, not even when he followed Archer to his room to sleep with him on his bed. For once, Archer didn't mind sharing his room with a girl. This wasn't just any girl after all.

Until the morning sunrise, Rags continued to experience the intense guilt in her heart. It didn't matter if she couldn't physically feel anything. What she was emotionally going through was just as brutal, if not more. She could never forgive herself. She had caused so much pain to the people she loved.