Ghost In Red

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"So... What's your price, Syd? Name anything." OJ asked me as she sat beside me on my left on the bench where I first noticed her yesterday. I turned my head to look at her after I waved goodbye to Yasmine. We just finished our afternoon tutoring session, and here I am, stuck with a ghost.    

"Price? For what? I haven't agreed that I'm going to help you, did I?" I answered and heard her let out a soft laugh and answered, "Right. But I'm sure you are going to help me, whether you like it or not. Or else you would be pestered by me throughout the whole week until God knows when."    

"Mhmm. Well, you still have to answer one question for me to know if you are OJ." I uttered, and she snapped her head to see if I was kidding or what.    

"Are you still not believing that I am me? Like... Do I really sound like someone else?" She asked, chuckling, and I just nodded my head in response.    

"Very much. See, I don't really know if I am in reality right now because every time I look at you and hear you say something to me, I feel like I am dreaming. No. Not that I am dreaming about... You... At times, but this---" I answered and stuttered, then she cut me off immediately, "You are what of me? Dreaming? Really?"    

"No. No, nope. I... I've been having nightmares lately. Yeah. Nightmares and you are in them." I reasoned, trying not to sound messed up, and she made an oh face. Why did it even slip out of my stupid mouth?    

"Oooh, now I wonder what I was doing in your dreams. That sounds interesting, Syd. Tell me more, please." She remarked with a teasing cheeky smile, and I shook my head. "Nothing much. Just some... Some of our usual encounters before. Nothing more." I lied and tried to focus my gaze on my phone in my hold. I just don't want to look at her, or else she could see me lying. The hell with this nervousness I am feeling!    

"Uh-huh... Sure, Sydney, sure. Are you sure there's nothing more?" She dubiously asked me, and I nodded my head in response. There are more, a lot of them, in fact, but I would be too uncomfortable telling her about those. I would never tell her that I had been seeing her in my dreams as my... You know it. And we were doing things like how... You know them also.    

"Okay. I will try to convince myself to believe you, and we better keep going. Now, back to your price in helping me. I would give you anything. And if I say anything... Anything you want. You can have it. No matter how much. So... What is it?" She said and went back to her offer, in which I raised my left eyebrow at her. Anything, huh? Interesting.    

Then I gave her a look, saying that there was still the question that I needed to ask her before the help thingy.    

"Oh, yeah, the question! Alright, throw it." She let out, and I took a deep breath and smiled before asking her. "Who was the scientist you portrayed during our eighth grade Science Fair?"    

Her mouth dropped, hearing my question, and later on, she laughed aloud at it.    

"Oh, my gosh, Sydney! Why ask that? But yeah, whatever is your purpose in doing such, I would answer you. How can I ever forget? Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, The Father of Microbiology. Damn, that was so long ago, and yet you still remembered it. I really did curl my hair to get his looks, and that was epic! Did I get it right, didn't I?" She answered, and I am hella sure now that this really is OJ. How could I ever forget that stuff, also, if I had a painting of her during that time? She was always so terrific in everything.    

"Great! Yeah, you got it right." I remarked, and she inhaled deeply and asked me, "Alright. Now back to your price. What do you want? How much?"    

"I don't want anything from you," I answered, and she looked at me, making her eyes smaller like scanning my face, and argued, "No. You have to help me! Haven't I explained enough to you that you are the only one who could notice me? I already begged you so many times. Just anything, Syd. You can have it. But... If you won't... I have something for you, instead."    

I let out a sigh, realizing that this ghost was so whiney and a bit dumb. What I mean is I don't want any payments in helping her. That won't be called helping if there was payment involved, right? Well, truth be told, seeing her alive and okay would be more than enough payment for me. But I wouldn't tell her that as she might think I'm weird.    

"What is it?" I told her to go on since she looked like she was holding an ace against me. Hmm.    

"Well... I know something that you don't. And I bet you want to know what it is. And you need to help me before I tell you." She began with an overconfident smile, and I let out a scoff.    

"Really? What is it?" I curiously asked her, and she moistened her lips before answering. "I wouldn't tell you, but I will tell you some spoilers. Do you want to know who framed you up and put your face on those pictures given to me on Valentine's Day? The ones which I accused you of stealing my ex, Harvey. And that was the same reason why I slapped you because I was irrational. Do you want to know?"    

I looked at her with a puzzled, curious face, and she wiggled her eyebrows at me.    

"Who? How did you know?" I asked her, and she just chuckled in response.    

"Help me, and you could get the answer. And... I would know because... Obviously, I could lurk in people's property, eavesdrop, watch where they are going without getting caught. So, yeah, I know who they are. And if you want to make them pay for what has happened, you should do what I ask you to. Now, say the words, Sydney." She replied, and I smiled at her, making her look at me with a confused reaction.    

"Good. Now that you know who they are already, I don't need to know. What is important is that you would know I did nothing to that scandal. I can now rest in serenity. I plead innocent." I uttered, relieved, and her mouth hung open while looking at me in disbelief.    

"What is the matter with you, Sydney? Why are you so damn hard to make a deal with, biatch? Are you not going to do something about those people who stole your face and put them where you would be blamed for something?" She blurted out, standing up and faced me while I tried to think of a good answer.    

"Well, I wasn't the one who got aggravated. And I believe you, knowing who those people are, would be the one to make amends with them. Don't worry. I'll back you up when that time comes. I have my pals, too, to help. And you wouldn't want to know what we could do to those kinds of a**holes." I told her, and she sat again on my left, letting out a deep sigh.    

"Yeah, I do want to confront them about it, but I don't think I could still do it if I won't have the chance to live. I only wanted one thing from you, Syd. Just help me. I need time to heal. And I want to tell my father about it. I don't know how long I will beg you to help me, but---" She replied, sounding so sad, and I cut her off. "Who said I wouldn't help you?"    

"You will? I mean... You never agreed to help me. But yeah, you are going to help me?" She asked with a trace of doubt but seemed happy, and I nodded my head.    

"Of course, I will. What do you think I am doing here, talking to an entity that others cannot see, and if seen, people would lose their shits? I have been trying to know if you really are OJ because, who knows, there are bad spirits that are just using one's face and form to do something bad to people. Not to mention, I... Sydney Roswell, the only, like literally, the one you hated the most, was the one who could see you and hear you. So, yeah, that's kinda weird, right?" I explained with all truth, and she laughed.    

"Yeah, yeah, I get your point. But umm, then... I... What do you want, then?" She replied while still chuckling, and I scratched the back of my head in a bit of annoyance. She's a natural.    

"Oh, the price! Here we go again. I told you already. I don't want anything from you. I will help, then it's just help. No payment or whatever. Understood?" I told her and saw a grateful smile slowly crept on her face, and she seemed about to cry. Ugh, why does she have to make that face?    

"Really? Well... Thank you will be the only thing you will get from me then. Thank you, Syd." She sincerely said and reached for my left hand to touch it while looking into my eyes. I smiled and avoided her gaze because I might melt anytime soon or could move closer and kiss her, and I didn't want to act ridiculous in front of her.    

"I never thought I would hear these words from you, Hunters. The 'Thank you's, I'm sorry's, you are amazing, you look beautiful, please, and many more unusual kind phrases that you would tell me. And it's one reason I don't quite believe that you are OJ." I let out, feeling bizarrely wondering, and she giggled.    

"Oh, shut up, Roswell! If I am not dying, then I would never say them to you. But damn, girl, I still can't believe that you don't hate me all throughout our school days, though. Imagine that I have spent those years loathing you, yet I was just... No, it's all your fault. Why do you act like a total moron and b*tching the hell out of me? You are such a... I don't know about you. You really love messing up with me. But now, all I could do was laugh at those times. So, are we friends now or what?" She replied, reminiscing, and asked me a question that I might have a few issues with. Not that I don't want to be her friend or more, but I want us to start something brand new.    

"No. Friend is such a deep word, and it needs time to know that person more before you can call them a friend. There are lots of factors you need to consider, such as... Trustworthiness, loyalty, dependability, honesty, and---" I answered with what I knew and experienced, and she interrupted, "Okay, okay, I get it, Dr. Roswell. You are absolutely right. I couldn't agree more. Now... What about us being... Acquaintances? What do you say?"    

"Yeah, I believe we should start there." I agreed, smiling so wide, and she reached out for a handshake, and I shook it even if we couldn't touch. But I did feel weird with it, just like the first time I passed through her body this morning and every time we made contact. It's kind of... warm. And I think she can feel it, too.    

"That feels... Odd. But yeah, I guess that's energy or something like that. But hey, Syd, incoming." I heard OJ say while looking behind me, and I turned my head to see who she saw.    

"Sydney! Hey! Who are you talking to? What is happening to you? We were just watching you from afar, and we don't think you are on call with somebody. Are you okay? What's the problem, girl?"    

It was Vidia and my two other pals, and they had been looking at me with worried faces as they went near me.    

Should I tell them about me and OJ? But I don't think they would believe me.