GHOST BOY • Shawn Mendes

T W O

WARNING!!!!
This book is very graphic. If you cannot handle suicide. Please I advise you to remove this book from your library as it will make you upset or cause triggers. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED... carry on.

School today seemed to drag on, everyone was still upset about Shawn. No one really talked to anyone. Teachers were the same way, down and out. They let us do whatever. But we just sat in silence, some listened to music, some just drew, some slept.
I asked my mom to stay home, and not do anything. But of course she said no, and kicked me out the door.
I hadn't seen Shawn this morning, which I was thankful for because I woke up a mess.
Tears and messy hair, isn't a good sight. I was still shocked about last night, and I definitely couldn't talk to anyone. They wouldn't believe me, I'd probably be the most hated person on campus.
As I was walking home, it started to rain. My curly hair quickly became drenched and wavy, my clothes started to stick to me.
I walked quicker, so I could get out of the rain faster.
Twenty minutes passed and I was back in my room tearing my clothes off of my body. I had just pulled a clean shirt over my body when I heard a voice come from behind me.
"Oh shit! Sorry!"
I shrieked and looked over at my bed to see Shawn covering his eyes.
Thankfully, I had underwear on that looked like shorts. Just really short shorts...
I pulled some pajama pants on and took my soaking bra off. "You're fine."
He uncovered his eyes, and looked at me apologetically.
"It's alright, you didn't know." I blew out a puff of air. I walked over to Shawn and sat next to him.
"So, how are you here?" He looked over at me, "honestly... I have no idea. One minute I'm alive and breathing. The next I'm downing a bunch of sleeping pills, and I woke up like this. At first I thought I dreamt it, but once I realized my family couldn't see me... I knew what I've done. I seen my body laying lifeless on the ground, it made me sad. My parents called the emergency line, I was trying to get their attention. Screaming, trying to touch them, trying to knock anything over. But nothing worked.
Then I somehow blacked out, I ended up here a few days after the fact."
I went to put my hand on his back, and to my surprise I could feel him. He wasn't warm or cold. It was like he was just there, I can't explain it.
"Can you feel that?" I question. His eyes got big as he nodded. "Y-Yeah I can! This is crazy," he reached for my other hand and held it.
His excitement made me happy, but I was only going to kill the mood.
"Hey, uh Shawn. Why?"
He let go of my hand and gave me a confused look. "What do you mean 'why?'"
I gave him a sad look, "why did you do it? Everyone loved you, you wer- are amazing. You had a bright future ahead of you."
His eyes dropped to the floor, "there were just something happening at home that no one knew about."
"Well I'm here, talk to me."
Although he was dead, it doesn't hurt to talk about your feelings.
"My parents would argue all night until one would storm off and do who knows what. While the other stayed behind crying until they were so exhausted they fell asleep.
My dad would drink himself into oblivion. While my mom was at work, sometimes she wouldn't come back for long periods of time. I may look fine on the outside, but on the inside Cassie. I'm hurting, I was hurting so bad I just wanted it to end. But it never does, I felt it then and I feel it now! There was no escape! I left my little sister behind, fuck! Aaliyah, I'm so sorry." 
He was full on sobbing now, I pulled him close to me and comforted him.
"Music didn't help anymore, I was so disgusted with my guitar because my mom and dad bought it. I locked it away in my closet and never played it. But oh, don't I miss the way the strings felt under my fingers. The way it echoed in my room, it relaxed me. But not anymore it didn't."
I felt so bad knowing that this went on at his home.. and no one new. He never reached out for anyone, he was too busy helping everyone else, and making them happy to take home for himself.
"I'm so, so sorry Shawn. I wish we would have been friends before this happened. I could have helped."
I feel useless.
"No, it's alright. Just seeing your smiles everyday brightened up my day."
He pulled away from me, and stood up. He walked across my room to where my guitar was resting on its wall mount.
He reached out to touch it, but his fingers went right through it.
He sighed and turned towards me, and I got a good look of him. He was broken, and I wanted to fix him. But how do you fix a ghost boy?
"You play?"
I nodded, "yeah, just a little."
He nodded, "play for me."
"I-I would love too. But I probably sound bad compared to your playing."
He shook his head, "please."
I stood up and walked over to him, and picked my guitar off of the mount. I looked into his sad eyes, oh how I wish I could have been there for him.
I played through a few songs, by various artists. And Shawn was resting on my bed. This was crazy, he's supposed to be dead. But he's laying on my bed, probably asleep.
This is so unreal, but it's happening.
I finished the last bit of the song, I set my guitar against the end of my bed. And walked over to him, I sighed.
"I wish I was there for you. I'm so sorry that this happened to you. You don't deserve this, you're kind hearted."
I laid next to him, "you're so sweet. You're such a good person Shawn. And I'm sorry that you had a short life. I'm sorry that I was to shy to talk to you while you were still alive. But I'm going to make it up to you, little ghost boy." I whispered to him as I brushed his hair back off his forehead.