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Teenage Ghost
Jeff stood over Evan Sr watching him sleep. He leaned over and whispered, “Evan. Evan, it’s Jeff. I want to meet at the tree house after school.” Jeff held on to Evan’s blue jean jacket as he tried to pass in the hall.
“Okay!” Evan jerked out of Jeff’s grasp in annoyance. “I’ll meet you at the tree house after school.”
Jeff flipped through the old comics as he waited for Evan to finish climbing up.
“You always get here faster than me.” Evan complained almost out of breath. “No matter how fast I run.”
“I brought my mom’s peanut butter cookies and some milk.” Jeff nodded towards the small table in the center of the room.
Evan grabbed one and ate it quickly, then grabbed another.
Jeff chuckled.
“What?! They’re good!” Evan defended his actions like he had done a million times before. “You know your mom makes the best peanut butter cookies.”
“It’s the butter in them, she uses real butter.” Jeff confided the secret he knew Evan had always wanted to know. “That european creamed kind.”
Evan’s eyes widened.
“Have you seen Vi?” Jeff asked casually.
“Oh don’t start on about that!” Evan complained with a mouthful of cookie still. “You know I like her, it’s not like that at all.”
“What is it like then?” Jeff looked up from the comic book. “Tell me.”
“It used to be about the drugs.” Evan put his hand up in defense. “You were right about that. But lately… I don’t know. There hasn’t been any getting high. We’re just, you know… Making out, having fun. I’m not crossing any boundaries. We’re not doing anything wrong. She just wants to spend time with me that’s all.”
“Time doing what?” Jeff pushed.
“Just talking!” Evan began to get annoyed. “Just talking, that’s all we’re doing ok.” He took a drink of the milk, “We’re not going out and having fun like we used to. We’re just… Hanging out and talking a lot.”
“Well… what are you talking about then?” Jeff tried his best friend’s patience to it’s limit and beyond.
“What’s your problem with Vi anyway? We’re just hanging out.”
“I just want to understand.” Jeff put the comic in the suitcase. “Maybe if you tell me what you two talk about I can understand, then maybe I can like her too.” Jeff looked earnestly at his friend, his eyes almost pleaded for sympathy.
Evan stopped feeling so victimized for a second. “The truth is I really missed you two. I don’t know why, but all of the sudden I just do. It’s like you two people are the most important people in the world. I feel like I haven’t seen you in a hundred years, but I saw you just last week at the homecoming game. I can’t explain it. How can I miss you and her so much, when you’re both right here in front of me?”
Jeff said nothing to him, the two just sort of stared out the window together. They stared for a while in silence, as if the answer would fly in and hit them on the forehead.
Finally Jeff asked again, “So, what do you and Vi talk about?”
Evan shrugged and looked at Jeff. “She really likes the occult things, witches and vampires. That kind of stuff. She talks a lot about the ethereal plane. She has some crazy idea that if she and I die at the same time we’ll be transported to some paradise together. Then we’ll be together forever.” He glanced at wood floor of the tree house, “It’s funny, but when I’m with you it seems like a crazy idea. But when I’m with her…” Evan glanced out the window, “It feels so real. I believe her and even want to go there and be with her forever.” He glanced back at Jeff, “She’s so alone, Jeff. So very alone. And sad.” Evan looked back out the window, as night began to creep in.
Jeff watched his friend in silence. The next thing he would have to do now is find Vi.