Dear Ludmilla

Chapter 6

                                                           Their school won the game and Ben was over the moon. Him and his team had a hatred for Minnesota's baseball team (which was mostly incited by their coach), and they had triumphed over them. The team had made Ms. Roster, who was impossible to please, proud. Everything was going so well in his life at the moment. So well, in fact, that he almost had the courage to confess his feelings to Ludmilla. But then he held back for that particular moment. She and Brittany looked so ecstatic over Brittany's new post as vice captain for the cheerleaders. "It could wait." he whispered to himself. He tackled Micky into a hug, celebrating their school's success.

                                                            Micky was happy for another reason. Brittany had just confessed her feelings for him and after a year of desiring her as his girlfriend, he finally had his wish granted. He had to pinch himself multiple times to check that he wasn't dreaming. In those 15 minutes since they became official, he pondered about it. Was it possible that this kind and generous girl had feelings for him? Was it possible that the impossibly pretty Brittany was in love with him? The geek? It seemed like it was, he still felt the pinches on his face sting till that point in time. Clapping his best friend on his back, he promised himself that he would treat her like a queen. A treasure like that couldn't be afforded to be lost, for a girl like her was rare. And he would do everything in his power to protect and cherish her. Even it meant dying for her. Just then Brittany side-hugged him and gazed into his eyes, her own sparkling brightly, like two diamonds. How lucky he was.

                                                              Meanwhile, Ben had noticed that Ludmilla wasn't next to them to celebrate the victory, which was odd because she knew all the hype surrounding this game. Plus, she promised Ben she would be there for him and that they would all go to Starbucks and have a special Cappuccino all together if their school team won. Because she was the one that he wanted by his side the most, he frantically turned his head right and left to search for her. Eventually, his eyes caught her leaving the stadium with a dejected look on her face, trudging by the students, not noticing them due to the deepness of her thoughts. It was as if she had a hidden sadness no one managed to decipher. 

                                                               Struggling to let go of his two other best friends, he ran towards the object of his affection, shouting her name all the while. He hoped he would catch her before she left, because at that moment he realised that even though he had hung out with Ludmilla for about three months, he still had no idea where she lived. Or who her family was. He let his thoughts rest for a while when he saw her turn slowly towards him and focused on asking her the questions that had been burning on his tongue ever since they met. He was ready now. This was the right moment to spill everything.

                                             

                                             "Milli, what's wrong? Why did you leave so suddenly?"

                                             "Ben, please leave me alone! Please leave me in peace! And don't call me                                                  Milli!"

                                             "No! I won't leave! Why are you always like this, Ludmilla? Always so mysterious and wishy washy?! It's like you always push people away! You're not going to succeed with me, though. Because let me tell you this, Ludmilla, I may have only known you for three months, but in that short span of time, I've fallen in love with you! I love the way you laugh at my lame jokes. I love the way you fascinate yourself every time with the beauty of Central Park although we've gone a million times. I love your common sense. I love the fact that you're quieter than other girls. If you haven't gotten it by now, I love you, Ludmilla Greene!"

                                                                      Brittany and Micky arrived just in time to hear Ben utter his last sentence to Ludmilla. Brittany shouted out her approval, then covered her mouth. She couldn't help yelling. She had been shipping these two since she met Ludmilla the very first time. Chuckling to himself at her outspokenness, Micky put one arm around her and smiled at her sweetly, before his eyes darted back to the scene. It occurred to them both Ludmilla was too silent, and they were both curious to see how this was going to turn out, so they stopped paying attention to each other for two seconds and kept their eyes glued to their two best friends.

                                                                      Ben noticed her silence as well. She turned away from him, tears rolling down her face. He grabbed her hand. Or tried to, anyway. Because for some reason, he didn't feel anything, just empty space. And sure enough, when he looked down at her hands and feet, he found nothing. She was fading away slowly. 

                                                                       Knowing how perplexed her friends must have been feeling at that moment, she opened her mouth to explain everything. Almost everything at least. Or how much she could while she was still there.

                                                     "Guys, I've been so quiet and moody these past few months because I've been hiding a secret: I'm a poltergeist! I was sent here because there were still some things I haven't done in my life...well my old one, anyway...that I still needed to do to grant me eternal rest. And I guess I've completed all the tasks I needed to do, because I'm fading away, like a ghost.....ha! Anyway, I don't have much time left, so I want to say my last words to you all. Micky, I'm not as close to you as the others, but I still loved your company. You made me laugh with your quirky personality. Brittany is one lucky girl. Keep on being yourself."

                                                                      

                                                                     She paused a bit, before facing Brittany, her only girl best friend from them all.

                                                      "Brittany, I thank you for all the friendship you offered me while I was here. The one thing I always wanted in my old life was a girl best friend, which you gave me. You are amazing, don't forget. I will never forget you, Brit. Thanks once again. Oh, and Ben?" she concluded, voice cracking as she said his name.

                                                                        Ludmilla floated towards Ben, the only body parts showing were her chest up. She gazed into his eyes, trying to pass on a message that words couldn't say, fearing he wouldn't understand. If her eyes were full of tears before, now she was practically flooding with them.

                                                       "Goodbye." she said, her tone bittersweet, knowing that her life was complete and having eternal rest, but not wanting to leave Ben. And with that last word hanging about in the air with unrealised possibilities and broken hopes and wishes, she disappeared fully, leaving her friends stunned in the dark tunnel leading to the outside world, knowing that their lives would never be the same again.