Ghost In Red

---    

"Ooh, you like black coffee? Me, too! You know, I can never start a day without it. I could even take two cups a day or more—one in the morning and once at night. But I could still sleep properly, though. No caffeine can ever stop me from closing my eyes." The annoying, noisy, and cheerful girl in red sitting in front of me kept blabbering things while I ate my breakfast, and I did my best in trying to ignore her since I performed a curse on her. But she seems not to believe that I can't see nor hear her anymore. With all honesty, I really didn't know what else to do with her, so she would leave me alone.    

I took the last bite of my pancake and stood up to head to the sink to wash the dishes I used.    

"I will go with you to school, Syd. And wherever you go, I go. Not until you will talk to me and stop pretending that you can't see me. I will be wherever you are. Even in places that I shouldn't be. I'll be fine seeing people butt-naked. Butt, no, but... I don't know about those people if they would be fine with it, though." She continued and followed behind me, and I think she is not giving up anytime soon. I better think of another idea. But I guess I should stand my ground pretending I can't notice her.    

Honestly, I kinda feel like this really is OJ. But what if... She is a bad spirit and is just trying to haunt me or do something bad to me if I ever talk to her and do what she asks me to. This situation is creeping the heck out of me, and at the same time, getting on my nerves. I'm not scared of her anymore. I am starting to get infuriated with her.    

After I went back to my room to get my school stuff, I bid Wendy goodbye and headed out the door to wait for my pals at Emma's house.    

When I was about to pass by my dog and greet her, the b*tch behind me asked, "Hey, what's the name of your doggo? She is so adorable, by the way. And, oh... She can see and hear me, too! Yeah, I know animals could notice me. That is what I have discovered lately. But... Umm... No, that... That doesn't mean you are an animal since you can notice me, but, uh... You are rather... Unique. Mhmm. So yeah, what is her name, Syd?"    

I knelt and saw my girl excitedly go out of her house to jump on me.    

"Hello, Kitty! Good morning! You are getting bigger now, huh? It's breakfast time to make you more bigger. Come here." I greeted my lovely dog, patting her head and squishing her cheeks, then the invisible girl cracked out laughing and made Kitty bark at her once.    

"Oh, sorry! I didn't mean to offend anyone. But damn, Sydney! You named your dog Kitty? You surely are different. Well, honestly, it sounds just great. You would say... Hello, Kitty! Yeah, it sounds so awesome." She laughed and squatted to be on the dog's level, then petted her. I don't freaking care if she finds me weird. It was the name I gave that my parents agreed to name her when they got her home for my tenth birthday.    

I stood up to get dog food in the garage and fed it to Kitty while the girl kept bothering the dog who had been wagging its tail. "Hello, Kitty, Kitty, Kitty, Kitty! Oh, you really look so lovely. No, I won't wonder because you have a lovely hooman. You must've got it from her, eh?"    

I left them after I put food for the dog, and no, I am not getting annoyed as to why my dog got its full attention on the ghost and looking so happy. I am getting irritated. What if she put some spell on Kitty so she will be friends with her? What if this entity is evil? Right? Yeah! She could be! And I really shouldn't fall under her curse or some sort of those. That's why I shouldn't be talking or doing something for her. This is not OJ for sure. OJ could have been more... More, uh... No, she should be less friendly towards me. Right now, she seems the opposite of that girl.    

"Hey, wait up, Syd!" The ghost called out to me, but I kept walking until I reached the Yorks' porch and knocked.    

The ghost in red stood beside me and began rambling things again. She isn't tired of talking, huh? Well, talking about the determination to prove me bluffing, she has the perfect score.    

"Ooh, this is where Emma York resides, right? I never knew you were neighbors, though. Is that why you are so inseparable at school? She seems pretty nice. I kinda like her. And I bet you are nicer since these friends of yours couldn't keep on hanging out with you if you are otherwise. I'd like to be your friend, by the way. I did ask for sorry for everything we have been through. I do feel so sorry. I know you can't forgive me easily, but... I want to make things different after the accident, you know? I want to live a new life and do things I never did before. And you are one of them. We have a pretty shitty history, and I want to at least make it up with you if ever I live again. And I will only live again if you are going to help me. So... Please, talk to me. Okay? I don't have plenty of time, by the way."    

I somehow felt guilty trying to ignore her. What if she really is OJ's ghost? Is she telling the truth about everything? But what if she is just using OJ? I don't know what she wanted me to do, and it kinda made me curious. Should I give her a chance? I don't know how it will go, though. But I bet it is risky. Well, I am ready to take risks for OJ. I want to be her friend, too. No, not just friends. More, if possible. Geez, I'm thinking way beyond what I should now.    

I was about to reply to the ghost when the door opened.    

"Hi, Sydney! Have you eaten breakfast?" A woman asked me, and I smiled, nodding my head in reply. "Hello, Mrs. York! I'm done. Thanks!"    

"Alright, hold on a sec. Emma! Sydney's here!" She called out her daughter and told me to come in.    

"See? You look beautiful when you smile, Syd. Those dimples are so so so damn precious! You look so cute with them. You are like... A cute little bean. Oh, so adorable! Damn! You are blushing again! You really can hear me! You are only fooling yourself because you can't fool me! Come on, Sydney!" She remarked and cheered, and absolutely making me feel uneasy. What the f*ck is her problem with my face? Now, I wish I had a magic snap to make her disappear in just a blink.    

I know my heart is like beating a thousand beats per minute, but I am not surrendering anytime soon. Not until I can make sure she really is OJ. This evil thing is going to pay for this mess she's doing to me.    

I sat on the couch and noticed the red bug sat beside me, without space in between. If this moment is real, like... It really is OJ physically; I could have died already. Heart attack. Yeah.    

"Sydney! You are early as always! What is up? How was the ghost haunting you? Did she show up again? Have you ever slept last night?" Emma bellowed while climbing down the stairs, and I stood up, ready to go since I could hear Kevin honking at the front yard.    

"Hi, Ems! Yep, everything is going just fine. The ghost? Oh, the ghost! Yeah, she's fine. She did show up again after you left. Well, in fact... she's right here with me. Mhmm. Inside your household. Like, literally here beside me." I answered with all truth, making the ginger paint a weirded-out face, and began laughing.    

I turned to look at OJ and saw her face was about to cry. I don't know if she's happy or what. Then she said with a broken voice and pouty lips, "You can see me. You are such a meanie, b*tch. You can f*cking see me!"    

"No, I don't," I told her a lie and turned back to look at my wasted friend coughed while looking at me weirdly.    

"You're silly, Syd. Come on, let's go." Emma uttered after she recovered and headed out the door.    

"Are you gonna talk to me now? Please?" The ghost asked me, with a hopeful pleading face, and I shook my head, saying, "Nope. I am not gonna talk to you. Ever."    

Emma turned to look at me when she heard me say something and gave me a question mark face.    

"I'm talking to the ghost, Ems," I told her some truth, and the ghost rejoiced, "Yes! She is talking to me! You said it! You are talking to me, Sydney!"    

"Stop that, Syd. It's not funny anymore." My friend commented, looking so unusually freaked out by me, and I just smiled a cheeky one at her.    

"Oh, I could kiss you right now, Sydney. Stop being so cute! Thanks in advance if you really are going to talk to me, by the way. It means so much to me. That's your ride? I'll go in with you." The ghost let out, sounding so delighted, and walked ahead to the car, while I... I still can't process in my nervous system what she just said. Kiss what?    

"Why is your face turning red, Syd? Are you okay? What do you feel? There really is something wrong going on with you." Emma worriedly asked me, and I tried to shake off what I heard from the red matter.    

I looked at Emma and replied, "What? No, I'm okay. I told you already. It's the ghost. She just went to the car now. I know it. You think I am going crazy. Well... Guess what, Ems? Me, too!"    

"Agreed." She muttered while in disbelief, and I left her to go to my cousin's car ahead.    

"Hi, Syd! Morning, girl!" Kevin and Vidia greeted me with broad smiles, and I greeted them back, "Hello! Mornin', y'all!"    

I opened the door of my usual spot and found the ghost settling her butt on my seat.    

"Where am I supposed to sit?" I asked her, and she just smiled at me—her beautiful smile. Ooh, damn it! Are you really OJ?    

And I noticed my pals looked at me like how Emma did just a while ago, and I realized they couldn't see this gorgeous but annoying raven-haired unnatural being right here.    

"On me. I'm fine with it, Syd." OJ replied, and I let out a scoff.    

"No. Move." I asserted, and it made Vidia curiously ask me, "What is the matter, Syd? Who are you talking to?"    

I glared at the ghost, and she just raised an eyebrow at me. Huh, she's not challenging me like the usual, is she?    

"Nothing. I'm just... Trying to... Memorize a song... In my head. Yeah. ~Now, why don't you move along, or I will be ignoring you forever." I responded with a lame excuse, and the girl thankfully went to the backseat to give me my space.    

"What song is that?" Kevin asked, and Emma went to open the door and went into the backseat.    

"Uh, a... A song I heard on the radio earlier. Yep. Nothing important." I replied, fastening my seatbelt, and they all looked unconvinced.    

"Oh, they surely think you are a liar, Syd. And even if you tell them the truth, they would still call you one. Or worse. I bet worse." The ghost uttered, and I couldn't agree more.    

"What really is the matter, Syd? Stop this weird thing already. It's spooking me." Emma asked, and I took a deep breath.    

"What is it, Emma? Sydney?" The other two here asked us, and I shook my head while giving Emma a look trying to warn her not to tell them my dilemma.    

"Nothing. Just drive already, Kev." I answered, and I knew they wouldn't stop bugging me until I told them the truth.    

"Sydney. The truth." Oh, here's the mommy voice of my bestie.    

"You want the truth? Well... I am going crazy. I know. That's why I am going to a psychiatric doctor tomorrow because I am overthinking about something. Okay? Just don't mind me." I confessed, and Kevin stepped on the gas, then I heard a cheer from the ghost sitting in between my friends. "That's a good one, Syd!"    

Vidia looked at me with a knowing face and replied, "Oh, really? Is it OJ again? I'm so damn sure about it. Why don't you just admit it already that you are gay for her and you like her since preschool? I know it, b*tch. You already told us that you don't hate her even a bit, ever since, and---"    

"Shut the f*ck up, Vidia! That's not true!" I yelled, cutting her off as she was going way too far now, and I noticed how the ghost looked at me with wide eyes in complete horror.    

Oh, hell, no!