Deviant by Jaimie Roberts

only seemed to know this hospital ward.
    “Can I ask you something?” he asked, pulling me out of my daze.
    “Sure, go ahead.”
    “Do you have a boyfriend?”
    I spied the cheeky grin and shook my head. “No, and I’m not looking for one, either. Don’t you ever give up?”
    “I thought you didn’t want me to give up.” His eyebrow raised a little, challenging me.
    “Touché, Jeremy. Touché.”
    “So why don’t you want a boyfriend?”
    I shrugged. “It complicates matters. Besides, I have my stranger.” The minute I said it, my eyes widened. Did I really just tell this boy, whom I’d only known a few minutes, about my stranger? I must be hearing things.
    Jeremy clocked my shocked reaction and gave me a wry smile. “Your stranger?” I obviously did say that out loud.
    “I’m not sure why I just told you that. I haven’t told anyone else.”
    Opening a bag of Twiglets, Jeremy offered one to me. I took it and popped it in my mouth. “I’m trusting you with my life. Maybe you should return the favour. I promise not to say anything beyond this room.”
    I sat back in the chair and crunched into the Twiglet. I couldn’t believe I was about to tell him this. I wasn’t sure what compelled me to reveal everything to a fifteen-year-old boy I didn’t know until ten minutes ago.
    “For the past three years, I’ve had someone watching me. Someone who keeps coming into my house and moving things around.”
    Jeremy sat up. “You have a ghost in your house? That’s cool.”
    I shook my head. “No... Well, at least I think he’s real.”
    Jeremy looked confused and I couldn’t blame him. “Hold on a sec. You have some strange man coming into your house? Not only that, he’s been doing it for three years?” I nodded my head and swallowed my nervousness. “Holy shit!”
    I gasped a little. “Are you sure you should be saying things like that?”
    He looked at me apologetically. “I’m sorry, but you got to admit that is one holy shit moment?”
    I laughed. Who am I to tell him not to swear? “I suppose it is.”
    “So what do you know about him? Haven’t you ever called the rozzers?”
    I raised my eyebrow to him. “Rozzers? Have you been watching too much Top Gear ?”
    He gave me a huge grin. “Well, I do have the same name as one of them.”
    “Yeah, but he says everything’s the best thing ‘in the world’. It is James May that says rozzers a lot.”
    Jeremy suddenly laughed. “You’re pretty cool. I take it you watch Top Gear ?”
    I nodded. “Yes. I love it.”
    “But you’re a girl.”
    Gasping, I squealed, “And what is that supposed to mean?” Jeremy gave me that cheeky grin of his. “You’re winding me up, aren’t you?” He nodded. “What am I going to do with you?”
    “I’m not sure, but I could surely think of a few things.”
    I shook my head and made a little tsk, tsk sound under my tongue. “You stop that right now, young man.”
    Pouting a little, Jeremy looked down sheepishly. “Sorry.” I nodded triumphantly and leaned back in my chair again.
    “So, what are you going to do about this stranger of yours?” he asked, popping another Twiglet in his mouth.
    I shrugged. “I don’t know. He’s been such a huge part of my life. I don’t know where I would be without him. I know that sounds crazy, but it’s almost as if he’s become an old, comfortable shoe.”
    Jeremy snorted. “I’m not sure he would like to hear that. He’s obviously One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest certifiable.”
    I was shocked that, at only fifteen, he even knew about the movie. “And how do you know about that film?”
    “I spend lots of time just sitting around. I’ve seen lots of movies, including The Bucket List. I have my own list. It’s not long.”
    Feeling a little saddened, but intrigued, I leaned in closer. “Really? Would you mind sharing it with me?”
    Jeremy sat and pondered this for a moment. In the end, he shrugged and dug into his pyjama pocket. “I guess