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Teenage Ghost
“My parents told me I am going to Deerborne High.” Josh stroked Vi’s hair as they leaned against the stall divider. “I thought they were trying to ruin my life. I had no idea this had happened. I’m so grateful nothing happened to you.” He hugged her tighter, “If anything ever happened to you, I don’t know what I would do. I don’t want to ever loose you Vi. I love you.”
Vi hugged his arm, “I love you too, Josh.” Vi felt so happy and contented. She felt as long as she was in his arms everything was going to be alright. If only things could stay like this forever, she could be happy.
“Are you going to go to Deerborne High?” Josh asked after a while.
“I am if you are.” Vi looked up at him.
Josh smiled down at her. Everything was going to be alright, he could just tell.
Rhonda knocked on the door of her pretend son’s best friend. She carried behind her a red wagon filled with boxes. She kept them from falling off with a bungee cord. It was easier to keep the boxes from falling than it was her tears. She missed Jeff, she missed their talks at the kitchen table. She had forgotten everything but the good times the two had shared. The jokes and laughter all seemed so far away now.
Evan’s mother opened the door, and Rhonda lost what little composure she had. Evan’s mom embraced the sobbing woman and let her sit in the living room.
The two women sat on the couch crying and talking.
Evan came home and saw the red wagon outside. When he walked in the house he saw Jeff’s mom sitting on the couch with his mom. The two were in tears and used tissues littered the floor.
“Oh honey.” Evan’s mom jumped up and ran to him. She embraced him tightly and wept as if he had been gone for decades.
Evan did not complain. He wrapped his arms around his mother and held her tightly. It was too rare a thing to pass up. “I’m right here mom.” he said.
“I know.” She rocked him back and forth a little. “I know.” She pulled back and looked at him, “Jeff’s mom brought over his school clothes and things for you to wear for school, since it doesn’t look like he will be back in time to use them.”
“He would have wanted you to have them.” Rhonda sniffed and then walked over to the two. “I overheard your conversations about the new year, and how you were going to turn it all around,” her voice began to waver and the tears began to fall, “this year.”
Evan instinctively hugged Rhonda, “He’ll show up. He’ll come back. I know he will.”
Rhonda ran her fingers through Evan’s hair, “You sweet, sweet boy. Keep the clothes, wear them to school like he wanted. Like you both wanted. When he comes back I will buy him new clothes, or you can go back to your original plan if you want.” She moved away from Evan quickly and rushed outside.
Rhonda ran down the block towards her house, the pain… the pain was so great. It was all she could feel. Nothing but pain. She went home and picked up the phone to call her old friend, her psychiatrist.