Ghost In Red

---    

"What the f*ck are you still doing here? Get the hell out, you perverted ghost!" I screamed in intense outrage and shock when OJ walked into me and saw me wearing nothing but my birthday suit. I quickly wrapped myself in a bathrobe and was about to walk out.    

"I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean to... I... I'm going out. Don't worry. I didn't see anything." She retorted and passed through the closed door, and I let out a scuff as I opened it.    

"Oh, really? What are you? Blind?" I sarcastically asked her and went to my closet to look for clothes I would wear.    

I heard her let out a nervous laugh, and I turned to look at her with my sharp stare as she spoke, stammering. "I... No. I just... Damn, I need to format my brain for the last minute of my life. That was... You... It's... Well, I didn't expect to see you there. I'm sorry. I swear. I am not trying to be a creep. I haven't even seen anyone naked my whole life. Except for myself, of course. And babies."    

I looked at her with a dubious look on my face, and she smiled at me with a cheeky one.    

"Why? Do you do miracles in the dark with your boyfriends? Or are you closing your eyes the whole time? Oh, blindfolded?" I asked and took out my denim jacket, jeans, and a plain gray T-shirt, as well as my black undergarments, then put them on the bed.    

"What? What do you mean?" She asked back in confusion, and I closed my closet and looked at her as she sat on my couch.    

I headed to my dresser table to blow dry my hair, and I don't think she got what I meant. Is she playing oblivious?    

"You know what I mean," I answered, and she let out a laugh.    

"Oh, you mean... Doing something intimate? No. I have never experienced one with anybody." She replied, making me look at her with my left eyebrow raised in doubt.    

"I never did. I'm... I'm not... Ready." She confided and seemed uneasy, and I didn't say anything to her, but a smirk formed on my face.    

"How about you?" She curiously asked, and I looked at the mirror to continue blow drying my hair.    

"What do you think?" I answered, trying to get her judgment, and she just shrugged her shoulders, saying, "I don't know. Have you ever dated someone before? Someone that doesn't go to the academy? Do you go out often on weekends with them?"    

I chuckled, hearing her questions, and I don't think she doesn't know the answer to that.    

"Dating people would be the last thing I would do in my teenage years. I'd rather bury myself here in my room or somewhere else doing something valuable than going out wasting time." I answered and saw her nodding her head from her reflection in the mirror. I never thought that ghosts have reflections on mirrors, do they? I guess they do.    

"As expected. So... You don't want to date anybody? Even the person you liked so much? Or someone that captured your eyes and heart?" She continued interrogating me, and I let out a heavy breath. Would I want to date her? Hmm. Yeah. But no. I don't think she would say yes.    

"It depends." I shortly answered and kept doing my thing with drying my hair.    

Then I stood up after I unplugged the cord from the wall socket and went to get inside the bathroom with my chosen clothes.    

---    

After I slipped inside my outfit for the night, I kind of saw myself having a pretty poor appearance with my shirt. I think it's better to change the inner shirt with something white to blend well with my black jeans. So I went out of the bathroom while taking off my T-shirt, and I noticed in my peripheral vision that the ghost stared at me with wide eyes and followed her gaze where I went as I only had a black sports bra on top. Not a creep, huh?    

I saw the perfect match for my jacket and wore it—a white tank top. Then I slipped on my white sneakers.    

"Now, you look so hot in those. I'm not really used to seeing you wearing an outfit like that. You look so formal at school. But still looking good." She remarked, which made me look at her weirdly, and she just smiled brightly.    

What's hot with my outfit? Is she trying to hit on me? Checking me out? No, why would she be, right? The girl is just complimenting me. Geez.    

"So... Syd, do you have any idea of who Emma has been dating?" She opened a topic and asked me a question I kind of knew the answer to.    

"Mmm. I'm not sure. But I only have one person in mind." I answered and went to sit on my dresser table to apply light makeup, and she sat on my study table, looking so interested in hearing my guess.    

"Oh, really? Do tell. Who is it? I actually have one in mind, too. But tell me first yours." She excitedly asked, and I think she knew who it was. She said it herself that she could lurk in people's places and learn something through eavesdropping.    

"Uh... Grace Thales," I answered, and she gasped in surprise. "How did you know?"    

"I don't know. I just guessed it. Why? Do you think it's Grace, too?" I told her and heard her laugh.    

"Yeah! I saw her texting someone with a name--" she began, but I hushed her when I heard a honk outside.    

We both went to the window to see who it was, and she uttered, "Now, that is Gracey's car. Confirmed."    

I knew it. I have kind of noticed those two girls giving unusual looks and flirty side-eyes since the time the three of us worked together for an assignment because of the absence of this ghost in red. It must have started there.    

"Well, I'm happy for them. But just make sure your lovely gay friend won't hurt my little Emma, or else she will see stars even in daylight." I let out and warned, which made her look at me with her jaw dropped.    

"No! I'm sure your Emma would be the one to break my dearest friend's heart. Mind you, Gracey never broke up with a girl; she was the one that was constantly being left out. I know that she is a good person. She is indeed the best one out of all my friends." She argued while looking at my neighbor, who just walked out of their front door.    

"Oh, really? Well, Emma has never been in a relationship ever. She has the least experience and doesn't even know why couples are breaking up. She's innocently oblivious of things like romantic relationships." I pointed out and went back to my dresser table as the car had left, and OJ laughed.    

"Said by the person who has never gotten into a relationship ever either." She muttered, making me glare at her, and she asked, "Do you want to bet, though?"    

"Ten bucks and ten strands of hair on your forearms," I replied and heard her laugh her ass out.    

"Deal!" She agreed and kept on rambling things about the couple that she thought would make me lose. Let's just see.    

---    

Kevin, Vidia, OJ, and I arrived at the party just on time, and we met up with Emma and Grace. It surprised my two pals, and we all congratulated them. But they told us not to tell anyone as Grace would announce things about them if OJ would return. Well, none of them knew that the girl already knew.    

After a couple of minutes passed, I found myself wandering around the garden, sipping some flavored beer, and all alone since all my friends had been hanging out with their sweethearts, while my cousin went to flirt with some hot boys from the football team. And OJ? I don't know where she is. Maybe she went to gather gossips from the high school kids inside or gawk at her jerk ex-boy who brought with him her friend, Pauline. I'm certainly sensing something ugly from them. But I couldn't care less; it's their dilemma. I just know that high school romances are sh*tty as fudge, and that's why I am not really interested in anything with romance-related stuff other than staying single if my crush isn't available. Tragic, I know.    

I took out my phone to look at the time and saw that not even an hour had passed, but I badly wanted to go home now.    

Well, this is what I hate on occasions like this. I really would instead paint the whole day and night in my attic than go out and be a lonely freak like I am now.    

I was about to head back inside to tell my friends that I would head home already, but I stopped in my tracks when the ghost just hovered down from the second-floor balcony of the bedroom that was facing where I was.    

"Oh, Sydney! Here you are." She greeted me as she landed, and I asked her, "Did you find something hideous from the bedrooms up there? You should format that brain of yours for this whole day if you have seen another naked butt."    

She laughed and attempted to slap my left arm playfully, but I moved away from her with my quick reflexes.    

"You're silly, Syd. No, I didn't. I just have something for you. We should go home already. Like... Right now." She began and made me curious as she sounded like she was in a hurry.    

"Why? I'm actually on my way home." I asked and continued walking to tell my friends I'd go ahead. I might need to walk to go to Kevin's house to get Adam's bike there.    

"I'll tell you later. Come on, walk faster." She answered and walked before me, and I don't know why she seemed anxious.    

---    

"Are you sure that you are just going to walk alone, Sydney? It's dangerous in the streets." OJ asked, seeming to be worried about me, and I just stepped out of Hamilton's household.    

"I'm not alone," I answered and emphasized she's with me, and she made an adorable oh face of realization.    

"And besides... My karate training won't go to waste if we encounter some trouble ahead. And I have this." I continued and showed her from my jacket left pocket my black Butterfly Knife.    

"Oh, you damn badass b*tch! Of course! Now, let's go." She remarked in amazement and walked ahead of me.    

"Why are you in a hurry? What's the matter? Can you tell me now?" I asked as I tried to catch up with walking beside her on the concrete pavement.    

She took a deep breath and looked at me with an apologetic look on her face.    

What could it be about?