Ghost In Red

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"No, please don't cry. It's okay. You don't have to worry about anything. Look at me." I hushed OJ when she cried and kept on apologizing to me. I rubbed her back while she hugged my core, sitting on the floor, and sobbed.    

"No! You lost all of your savings because of me. You… also, your pendant from your mom. And another one is… no, I'm such a terrible person. I took everything from you, Syd. I'm so sorry. Your… your left arm is… it's broken. You possibly can't paint again like the way before. And you missed your exams. I'm so sorry!" She wailed even more, and I really felt bad about her feeling bad about herself.    

"Hey, no! OJ, come here. Look at me. It's okay. It's alright. Stop crying, please? I'm going to be okay." I said and tried to pull her up to sit down beside me, and she looked up at me and was still crying.    

"Stop crying. Come up here. I told you, I'm going to be okay. And I didn't lose everything because of you. It's because I want to do so. It's even just the least I could do for you, Oj. And I can save up again. I still have a year before college. And you're right. I'm going to make lots of money from these paintings here. And also… you didn't think my right hand can paint, too? Dude, I'm ambidextrous! It's fine. Both my hands can do things equally. So… don't worry." I explained and pinched her cheeks, and I planted a kiss on her forehead.    

"Really?" She asked, looking like she's feeling a bit better now.    

"Yep. And please, stop crying now. I swear you look so f*cking ugly when you cry. No kidding, Mi Amor. Get up here." I replied and chuckled as I guided her to sit on my lap.    

"I hate you." She mumbled and wrapped her arms around my neck, and I wrapped mine around her waist.    

"Mmm. I know. I hate you, too." I said and hugged her tighter, and I heard her sweetly laugh.    

A few moments had passed that we stayed in that position, and she whispered something in my left ear.    

"If I had a chance to live, I would write a book about us. I want to write a song for you, and I'd sing it for you, Syd. I want to sing you to sleep and wake up next to you. I will write and read you poems and put you in them. I want to be close to you. I want to be with you always. And I'm so sorry if we can't have it all. But I am thankful that I am with you right now, that you've been with me all through the hardest part of my life. Thank you." She confessed and looked me in the eyes, and I smiled, hearing her sincere thanks. I am crying inside, but I don't want to show her how her words are breaking me again.    

"Then… let's have it all in our next lifetime," I replied and pecked the tip of her nose, and she stared at me like something had been going on in her mind that she was sorting out.    

"Syd… I have thought of something. This might be interesting." She began, wearing a knowing smirk, and I was right that she had thought of something.    

"Mhmm. Tell me." I told her, and she went on.    

"What if… I will die… but my ghost will remain here with you? We could be together forever! What do you think?"    

"What? Umm, well, have you seen what had happened to Joseph last night? He disappeared as he died." I asked her, and she shook her head in response.    

"No! He disappeared because he said goodbye. No, he said adiós and ciao. But that's the same thing. He accepted the fact that he was dead. That's it. That's what I conclude. Haven't you seen ghost movies and documentaries about dead people that were killed and… you know, didn't find justice? There were also others who didn't know they were dead, and some didn't want to accept they were dead. And then, their souls remained to roam on the face of the Earth, looking for what could lead them to rest in peace. And you said it yourself that you believed in those theories about ghosts. I can do that, Syd. I will not say goodbye! Oops, I just said it, but, yeah, I won't accept that I will die. I will seek justice from whoever killed me without my permission! I'm going to haunt them. You, I'm going to haunt you for the rest of your life. We will be together. But… yeah, I'm like this–a ghost. Will you be okay with that?" She blurted out, looking so optimistic and determined, and I couldn't help but smile about her rant. And I understand her point. Why didn't we think of this matter earlier?    

"It would be the best thing to happen, Mi Amor. I'll be more than okay with you, haunting me always. Do you think you can manage to stay mad?" I answered and tucked some strands of her hair behind her left ear.    

"Yes! I am mad, Sydney! I'm madly in love with you. And, dude, didn't you think I was mad this whole time? I am! Look at me! Look at us, desperate to find ways to have more time so that I could live. We tried every possible way, Syd. And I never want to die. Do you think it could lead me to rest in peace? I don't think so. I am never at peace. So, yeah! I believe my physical form will rot, but this form will surely remain. I'm holding on to that." She asserted and held both my shoulders while intently looking into my eyes. I could see the fire in them, and she just made my thought of her dying way less sorrowful. What if she's right? It would be so lucky of me to have her by my side for the rest of my life.    

"I'm hoping, too, OJ. That would be so cool. If that happens, I will never be sad ever. Well, only a little because you are still going to die. I mean, your physical form will be gone. But if you are right here with me always… I'll be the happiest person on Earth. I wouldn't ask for more." I agreed and saw how she began crying again, but this time, I'm sure it was because of happiness.    

"Oh, Sydney! Yes, I'll be happy, too, to be with you always. We can do so much together." She sobbed and put me in her embrace. Then she broke off and looked me in the eyes.    

"Imagine, we can do magic, magic shows. I'll be your eyes, and we could trick everyone and pretend you could see through closed doors, boxes, cards, or… we could rob a bank." She rejoiced and let out a quite silly thing to do as a ghost.    

"Stop. Stop right there, Mi Amor. Yes, I agree that we can do so much together. But we're not going to get to the point that we will rob a bank." I laughed and cupped her cheeks, and then I pulled her face closer to mine.    

"Yeah, I want to kiss you, too." She mumbled and brushed her lips on mine.    

"And what we should do next is… Go back to Chicago and stay there until you gain consciousness. We don't have to worry about anything saddening, Syd." She said, and I fixed the collar of my jacket on her.    

"Agreed. But first… let's have the best time of our lives while we can still strongly feel each other's touch." I replied and locked my gaze with her, and she grinned while looking back at me.    

"What do you have in mind?" She curiously asked, and I thought for a while.