talking for a
minute. She wouldn't look at me. I made sure to keep my
distance.
“Daryl and I broke up.”
I wanted to make a joke just to hear her
laugh. But that would have to come later. Now was serious time.
“Probably a good move.”
“What kind of an idiot am I?”
I looked at her. “What?”
“He told me he's in love with her.”
She rolled her eyes. “That he was tired of waiting for me. That he
had needs . He needs to get his ass kicked. I'm a
smart person, aren't I?”
The one thing about Cindy I haven't really
touched on yet. She's very intelligent. When she wasn't
running track or hanging out with me, she was studying. Hell,
sometimes she'd study over my house. She wanted to be an
accountant, and work in her father's accounting firm.
“You're the smartest person I know,
Cindy.”
“Then how the hell didn't I see this coming?
I thought we...would be together for a while.”
“Bottom line, Cindy, Daryl is an asshole and
you can do a lot better. Hey, at least Tiffany will have a nice
black eye tomorrow.”
“Yeah. This is definitely a Homecoming I'll
never forget.”
Cindy laughed for a moment, but that laughter
turned to crying. I felt my heart breaking along with hers. I
scooted closer and wrapped an arm around her. She leaned her head
onto my shoulder and cried for I don't know how long. I'd seen her
cry before. But this was definitely a bad one.
“You want some alone time?”
Her answer surprised me. “No. Hang out with
me for a while.”
After a few minutes she calmed down. I took
that as my cue to get my arm off her and scoot away. She leaned
back and looked up at the moon. It was a beautiful night.
“I guess I'll live, right?”
She tried to smile. I just nodded.
“You'll be fine.”
“That's cause I got friends like you.”
My turn to smile.
“How the hell did you know what was going on
up there anyway?”
I frowned and looked away. I thought back to
ten minutes ago up in the classroom. Still so surreal. Standing in
the middle of a school classroom and talking to two ghosts.
For a brief moment, I thought about lying to
Cindy. I never lied to her before, but the truth sounded so
strange, even to me. I wasn't even sure I could say the words.
“A, uh, ghost , told me. Can you
believe that?”
She was quiet. I looked at her to read her
face. She was studying me, trying to figure out if I was
joking.
“At Tammy's house, I helped a ghost. I don't
have a clue how, but there was a ghost trapped in Tammy's house.
And she showed up at the damn dance tonight to tell me what was
going on, as a favor.”
I regretted opening my mouth. Cindy stared at
me for a few seconds, and those few seconds ate at me. Would she
laugh? Would she walk away? Would she simply not believe me?
“Is that why you freaked out for a few
days?”
I nodded. “Ghosts are real, Cindy. So are
demons. And I can see them both. It kind of freaked me out.”
She put a hand on my shoulder. Her face
didn't show any humor or disbelief, only concern.
“You could have told me,” she said. “I
believe you. You know that, right?”
I smiled and nodded, but that was an
understatement. I was so relieved. Even when she didn't try or was
upset herself, Cindy found a way to lift me up.
“Are you gonna be okay?”
She managed to smile. “Hey, Daryl's mistake.
Not mine. Besides, my best friend sees ghosts. How cool is
that?”
“Let's find Alicia and Tom and go do
something.”
“Sounds good.”
Chapter 5
It was definitely a night I'd never forget.
Alicia and Tom did become a couple for a few months. It was a while
before Cindy was completely over Daryl. I'm not sure if she missed
him directly, or the fact that she was cheated on.
We eventually let Alicia in on my wonderful
little secret. Her only response was “Cool”. I never did tell Mom.
I'm not really sure why. I didn't see her much, and I guess I just
didn't want our few conversations to be about ghosts.
Actually the next few years of my life
minute. She wouldn't look at me. I made sure to keep my
distance.
“Daryl and I broke up.”
I wanted to make a joke just to hear her
laugh. But that would have to come later. Now was serious time.
“Probably a good move.”
“What kind of an idiot am I?”
I looked at her. “What?”
“He told me he's in love with her.”
She rolled her eyes. “That he was tired of waiting for me. That he
had needs . He needs to get his ass kicked. I'm a
smart person, aren't I?”
The one thing about Cindy I haven't really
touched on yet. She's very intelligent. When she wasn't
running track or hanging out with me, she was studying. Hell,
sometimes she'd study over my house. She wanted to be an
accountant, and work in her father's accounting firm.
“You're the smartest person I know,
Cindy.”
“Then how the hell didn't I see this coming?
I thought we...would be together for a while.”
“Bottom line, Cindy, Daryl is an asshole and
you can do a lot better. Hey, at least Tiffany will have a nice
black eye tomorrow.”
“Yeah. This is definitely a Homecoming I'll
never forget.”
Cindy laughed for a moment, but that laughter
turned to crying. I felt my heart breaking along with hers. I
scooted closer and wrapped an arm around her. She leaned her head
onto my shoulder and cried for I don't know how long. I'd seen her
cry before. But this was definitely a bad one.
“You want some alone time?”
Her answer surprised me. “No. Hang out with
me for a while.”
After a few minutes she calmed down. I took
that as my cue to get my arm off her and scoot away. She leaned
back and looked up at the moon. It was a beautiful night.
“I guess I'll live, right?”
She tried to smile. I just nodded.
“You'll be fine.”
“That's cause I got friends like you.”
My turn to smile.
“How the hell did you know what was going on
up there anyway?”
I frowned and looked away. I thought back to
ten minutes ago up in the classroom. Still so surreal. Standing in
the middle of a school classroom and talking to two ghosts.
For a brief moment, I thought about lying to
Cindy. I never lied to her before, but the truth sounded so
strange, even to me. I wasn't even sure I could say the words.
“A, uh, ghost , told me. Can you
believe that?”
She was quiet. I looked at her to read her
face. She was studying me, trying to figure out if I was
joking.
“At Tammy's house, I helped a ghost. I don't
have a clue how, but there was a ghost trapped in Tammy's house.
And she showed up at the damn dance tonight to tell me what was
going on, as a favor.”
I regretted opening my mouth. Cindy stared at
me for a few seconds, and those few seconds ate at me. Would she
laugh? Would she walk away? Would she simply not believe me?
“Is that why you freaked out for a few
days?”
I nodded. “Ghosts are real, Cindy. So are
demons. And I can see them both. It kind of freaked me out.”
She put a hand on my shoulder. Her face
didn't show any humor or disbelief, only concern.
“You could have told me,” she said. “I
believe you. You know that, right?”
I smiled and nodded, but that was an
understatement. I was so relieved. Even when she didn't try or was
upset herself, Cindy found a way to lift me up.
“Are you gonna be okay?”
She managed to smile. “Hey, Daryl's mistake.
Not mine. Besides, my best friend sees ghosts. How cool is
that?”
“Let's find Alicia and Tom and go do
something.”
“Sounds good.”
Chapter 5
It was definitely a night I'd never forget.
Alicia and Tom did become a couple for a few months. It was a while
before Cindy was completely over Daryl. I'm not sure if she missed
him directly, or the fact that she was cheated on.
We eventually let Alicia in on my wonderful
little secret. Her only response was “Cool”. I never did tell Mom.
I'm not really sure why. I didn't see her much, and I guess I just
didn't want our few conversations to be about ghosts.
Actually the next few years of my life
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