Three Idiots and a Ghost

When a ghost didn't know

"I couldn't tell you guys this morning because of Alex being around, but I saw that café worker, Jack, in my dream last night," Rags began before Archer could bring up the subject himself later that night at the dinner table.

"Well, what was he doing?"

Rags took a moment to recollect. "He was standing by a huge bonfire with a few friends at some party, I think. But the thing that strikes me more than what I saw was what I felt watching him."

"Did you like want to rip his heart out and feed it to the wolves?" Cooper asked. By then, he had been informed about everything relating to Jack's misdoing by Archer.

Rags gave him a confused look. "What? No, it wasn't anything like that. It was—" She paused, thinking she was blushing at that point. Of course, there was no way of knowing since she couldn't feel her skin. Composing herself a bit, she continued, "It was admiration. I liked seeing him. I wanted to actually run up and hug him. But then, I remembered the other dream of him kissing some girl, and I wound up waking up with this huge heartache. Call me crazy, but I feel almost certain that I was in love with Jack at one point."

Archer nodded sympathetically. "You're not crazy, Rags. You did love him because he was your boyfriend."

Rags supposed she was expecting this answer to some degree but still couldn't hide her surprise. "How did you know?"

"Jack is in the same marketing class as Sky and me. And it turns out, so were you. But we didn't know this until today."

Rags needed a moment to let this news sink in. "There was a time when we attended class together?"

"Yeah, it's amazing just how close you were to us even while alive. I wish we could have gotten to know each other sooner. You're a good friend, Rags."

"Thanks, Arch. You are too. All three of you are."

Although just as touched as his friends, Skyler cut in, "This friendship conversation is sweet and all, but we're getting off topic." He faced Rags. "Now that you know about Jack, what do you want to do?"

"Um, I'm not sure I understand the question."

"Don't you want to talk to him?"

"I do," Rags replied instinctively, only to have second thoughts. "But not now. I'm not ready for it yet."

Cooper asked, "Like, what's there to be ready for? You possess my body, go to the café, and give that cheating jerk a piece of your ghostly mind!"

Archer added, "From a more objective stance, this could be a good chance for you to clear up what's left of the mystery behind your death. Maybe your dreams will all make sense once you meet him."

"Yeah, that does sound great..." Rags's voiced trailed off as her thoughts grew louder.

A sense of fear of the unknown came over her, but she decided not to show it to the three guys. Just what will happen to me though, once I've figured everything out about myself? Will I no longer have any other reason to stay here?