Ghost In Red

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I wiped the tears that streamed down my cheeks as I thought of the person so dear to me who must have left me forever.    

It's all my fault. I could have done more. I could have tried more.    

What if she really was gone?    

What if she's never coming back again to me ever?    

“Where are you, OJ? I'm so sorry. I failed you.” I whispered with a broken voice, and my tears fell from my eyes again as I sobbed.    

I decided to head out of the bathroom to do something I didn't know if it would still be used. I want to accomplish the mission that we would finish together. But most likely, I would just sulk on my bed and cry and blame myself.    

This is what I'm afraid about. Regrets. I'm full of it now.    

If I had just tried to be friends with her since we were younger, I couldn't have been this miserable today. If I was just more honest to her and myself, we wouldn't be hating each other for a long time and doing something that could cause the other to feel bad, no competitions, no insults. We could be something closer. We could be friends, or best friends, or lovers. I would surely take good care of her. I would do everything to make her happy. I would never hurt her. And I will be someone she could lean on for everything.    

I was ready to confess everything to her once she could get back on her feet. Yet where is she now? Well, I guess it's true that regret only occurs in the end always.    

But I don't want to think that she is gone, that she has left me. Never!    

She must be just somewhere here in the house.    

---    

I sat on my bed after crying for quite a while. I grabbed the sheets to wipe my tears away, and I thought of her again. I let out a deep sigh and tried to think optimistically.    

Yes, I know that she isn’t gone. She would never leave me. I'll just find her here around this household now, and we will continue looking for her mother. She could be with Kitty downstairs, or she must have gone home to their mansion and will be back here soon. Yes, she is not gone. There's no way it would happen.    

“Oj, please show yourself to me. Please. Just any signs for me to know that you are still here with me. Please?” I said, full of hope, and I stood up from my bed and went to my study table.    

Then I looked at the things on my table and noticed that one picture of OJ’s mother was missing. I tried to find it on the floor because I think that the wind must have swept it since my windows were slightly opened.    

When I found the particular picture near one foot of my bed, I picked it up, and I sat on the edge of my bed to look at it closely.    

Her mom looks so young here, and they really look alike. I think she is in her college days when this was taken.    

When I was about to return the photo on the table, where it was supposed to be, I suddenly noticed something in the picture.    

It is a picture where her mom was wearing a shirt under her opened dark green zip jacket that seemed to be a sports uniform… or something like that. There is a number 8 printed on the shirt and the capital letters “CAGO STA LEYBA” that weren't covered by her jacket.    

“CAGO. Chicago? Hmm.” I mumbled as it popped up in my head, and I remembered that OJ did mention that her mom flew to Chicago at that time she left her.    

“Aha! Chicago State Volleyball! That must be it. Her mom went to Chicago State University... Or something.” I let out as I had realized it, and I hurried to my study table to open my computer and search for the place.    

While I was waiting for the computer to turn on, I suddenly heard a voice I longed to hear from the moment I woke up earlier, and a smile of relief slowly crept on my face.    

I stood up from my swivel chair and ran to the door to open it and find the owner of the familiar voice that was singing sweetly.    

“~Why can’t you hold me down the~ sh*t, Sydney! You scared the hell out of me! What the heck?” She cursed and flinched when she was startled as I had found her climbing up the stairs.    

“OJ! Hi! Where have you been?” I asked her ecstatically, and she looked at me weirdly when I attempted to hug her, but I stopped myself, thankfully. I just feel so damn happy to see her.    

“What happened? Is it the end of the world? Is there a zombie apocalypse? Or do you just miss me? The latter, isn’t it? Is it? I know you did miss me. Good morning, by the way. I mean, good afternoon.” She asked and teased me, and I nodded my head in response.    

“I missed you. I told you not to leave, but you were gone when I woke up.” I confessed, making her eyes widen in surprise. And no, it didn't slip from my mouth. I mean it.    

“Wait, what? You missed me? You missed me? You missed me. Oooh, my gosh! Sydney, damn, you cried? Did you cry?” She asked me while she couldn't believe what she had heard, and she looked at my face closely, making me wave my left hand to keep her away from me.    

“No, I didn't. I was just… The blanket… It was dusty, and something got inside my eyes.” I stuttered in reply, trying to deny it, but she just laughed her ass out.    

“Oh, you freaking liar! You cried because I wasn't there when you woke up. Haha, you fruity biatch! I knew it!” She confidently asserted, and I scoffed in reply.    

I was about to counter her claim, but my gaze turned to somewhere downstairs when I heard a voice from the living room.    

“Sydney, who are you talking to?”    

Wendy curiously asked me while she was wiping a plate dry in her hold and looking at me suspiciously, and I gulped.    

“No one. I was singing. Yep. Do you have something for breakfast? Lunch? Yeah, it's lunchtime. I just woke up.” I answered and slowly walked down the stairs, and the ghost in red followed me and giggled.    

“Oh, yeah! I cooked something. I was about to wake you up. You had a rough night at the party? Emma was here earlier for lunch, asking if you were okay as she didn’t see you out jogging around this morning.” She replied and walked back to the kitchen while I walked behind her.    

“Oh, alright. I just got some things to settle last night at the party and after I got home.” I said and opened the food cover on the tabletop, and Wendy placed the plate in her hold on the table and went to get me a spoon and fork.    

“Okay. Did you sleep in your attic this time?” She asked, and I sat on my chair, as well as OJ, fronting me.    

“Attic? You sleep in the attic, Syd?” OJ curiously asked me, and I snapped my head to her, shaking it.    

“No. I don’t! Didn’t. I didn’t.” I answered the pregnant woman, and OJ clasped her hands in front of her on the tabletop while looking at me suspiciously.    

“Mmm. You know, Syd, we have been living together for almost three years now. But I still don't know what is in your attic. I mean, I would love to include cleaning it since you are so busy doing part-time jobs on weekends and busy with your studies. But I can’t---” Wendy uttered, but I cut her off as I don’t want to talk about the attic right now.    

“I'm fine dealing with it, Wen. You can barely climb the stairs. How much more the way up there, right? It’s just my loft anyway. Nothing is important there. Nothing to see.” I said, trying to tell the ghost, too, that there is nothing there.    

Damn, there are a lot in there, mainly about OJ and my secret painting job. She should never go up there, or I’ll be dead. Oh, sh*t, why would Wendy talk about it?    

“Nothing, huh? A sleeping place? That sounds so cool, Syd. Can I go up there sometime?” OJ excitedly let out, and surely, I looked horrified, and she grinned.    

“No! Don't even dare!” I belted, causing Wendy to look at me, and her face painted a look of confusion. “What?”    

Oops, damn this ghost!    

“I mean… I… uh… I can’t even go there right now… because I'm exhausted. I will just clean it some other time.” I reasoned out, lame as heck, and the invisible girl just laughed at me.    

“Okay, if you say so, Syd. Just finish your brunch, and I guess Emma will be here again later… For dinner, of course. I'll be in my room if you need anything. Okay?” My very nice sis-in-law replied, and I just nodded my head and replied with a smile. “Okie-Dokie. Thanks!”    

“So… back to the attic---” OJ began, and I shot her a death glare.    

“You shouldn't go there. I mean it. There is nothing up there.” I whispered, and her smile became wider, and she seemed threatening me.    

“I'll see for myself.” She said, and I panicked as I didn't know what to do to stop her from her evil plan.    

There is no way she will see my paintings of her up there!