Ghost In Red

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“Did you book a first-class flight so that you could just look at your notebook the whole time we'd be flying, Syd?” I asked the quiet girl, who was sitting in front of me, where there’s a table in between us. And she lifted her gaze from the notebook on her lap to me, and I showed her a cheeky smile.    

“Excuse me, what is that supposed to mean?” She asked and looked at me for a moment, and her focus went back to her notebook.    

Nice.    

Well, there's a better view outside the window, yet she chose to close it and got her full attention on her notebook. I wonder if she's studying or… doing something else. I couldn't care less.    

"I mean… we could… talk? Isn't it the reason why you got us on a first-class flight? Nobody's here. And no one would think that you are insane for talking to no one but yourself or talking to an invisible person. Plus… the view of the clouds above here is amazing. Would you mind opening that window? I can't do it myself. Please?" I explained and asked her, and she let out a small sigh and looked me in the eyes.    

"Yeah. Right. Umm… talk? About what?" She opened the window and pursed her lips, and I just stared at her with my blinking eyes. Huh!    

"Seriously? You are that… ugh, never mind. Go on, continue with what you are doing. I'll be back." I groaned, feeling dismayed, and stood up to go somewhere, and she shifted her gaze back at me.    

I just feel like she doesn't want to talk about anything, just literally about anything, small things, so I'll just leave.    

"Where are you going?" She asked me with her left eyebrow raised, and I shrugged my shoulders.    

"Just anywhere on this plane," I answered shortly, and her brows met as if she were wondering.    

"Why?" She asked and placed her notebook on the table, and I took the chance to peek to know what she was doing with it.    

When I saw what was on the open page, I gasped in awe as I discovered what she was so busy about for the last twenty minutes of us in the air, and I stammered on answering her. "Umm.. uh, I was… uh, want to go look for anything. Anything unusual on the plane… with the other passengers, the pilots in the cockpit, and the flight attendants. But never mind. I'll stay here."    

I sat back down again, staring at her notebook, and she quickly closed it and sheepishly smiled.    

"What is that?" I curiously asked her, my smile turning into a grin, and she shook her head in response.    

"Nothing. It's nothing. So… uh, what do you want to talk about? I guess you're getting bored boarding this plane. I told you that I am not a good conversationalist. And yet, we still have more than three hours up here. Anyway, it's okay if you want to explore this plane." She answered and licked her lips, and she took the water bottle on the table, opened it, and drank from it.    

"Really? Hmm. No, I'm fine here. Why don't we just play something? Twenty-one questions? Truth or dare? Anything?" I insisted as I lost interest in looking for something fun to do to let the time pass, and she softly chuckled.    

"Okay. That seems cool. You go first." She agreed, and I couldn't be happier.    

"Which? Twenty-one questions?" I asked her, and she nodded her head and replied, "Yeah. Let's play them all… anything you got in mind."    

"Alright. Uh… I'll go first… with… what is… your favorite color?" I began, and she seemed to be thinking.    

"Umm, black. Yours?" She answered and asked about mine.    

"Well, it's obvious… I love red. And… What is your… oh, you ask me a new question, this time, Syd." I answered, and she nodded her head lightly and stared at me for a moment.    

"What is your favorite animal? Mine is… dog, of course." She asked, and I know that. She loves Kitty so much. She even almost cried earlier when she told her that she was leaving her for a moment.    

"Umm, besides the domesticated ones, cats and dogs, I love… pandas. I love to see one. Yeah, those white and black adorable creatures are so cute. I wonder what they would look like if they didn't have those black spots around their eyes. I bet they would look… strange. Uh-huh." I laughed and saw she joined me, and I cleared my throat.    

"Alright. My turn. I want to ask you… what is in your notebook that you've been working on since earlier? Show me." I finally asked her something I was dying to know, and she seemed surprised.    

"Oh, no. I told you that it's just nothing. Nothing important." She replied, feeling so uneasy, but I am an annoying being, so I am not letting her get away with it just like that.    

"Come on, Syd. I saw it. You were sketching something. Don't worry. I won't tell anybody what it is." I urged her and winked, and she let out a sigh of surrender.    

I really won't give up until she shows me or tells me about it. It was me she was drawing. I'm so sure of it.    

"I told you. It's nothing. I was just nervous when we finally got here in the sky. And to deal with it, I tried to find something else to do so that I wouldn't think we were in the air. It's unfinished yet." She explained while opening her notebook on the page she was working on, and a broad smile crept on my face as I saw myself on it. She was drawing me earlier, here on this very spot, where I am sitting while I am looking at the window.    

"Wow, Syd! That's impressive! You did it that quick?" I remarked when I finally saw it clearer, and she just smirked, nodding her head.    

"It's beautiful. I mean… I'm not talking about myself… but your… That. That sketch of yours. You are one hella talented girl." I stuttered and heard her laugh.    

"No, you are beautiful. I swear you are the most beautiful person I have ever met." She argued, wearing a warm smile, and I looked away from her stare as she was starting to make me feel flattered. She's good at trying to get back on me. Hmm.    

"Whatever you say. So… about your paintings, Syd. How do you make them so real? How many hours do you spend painting one? Painting me?" I curiously asked her, and it was her turn to feel uneasy.    

"Uh, those? I… I see them in my head, and I want to put them out. It's actually called hyperrealism. And I spent about… a couple of hours making one. Three or five or more, while some actually take days. It depends on my mood. And you… I could even close my eyes and draw you." She replied, and I looked at her knowingly.    

"Really? Can you show me? Please?" I asked her, and she let out a laugh.    

"Okay. Give me a minute." She agreed, and I squealed in excitement.    

She took her notebook and pencil, and she finally closed her eyes.    

The whole moment she's doing something on her notebook while she's trying not to show it to me, I kept on staring at her pretty face to see if she would open her eyes for just a second.    

---    

After about three minutes of her sketching with her eyes closed, she opened them, and a grin formed on her face. That was so quick.    

"Is it done? Can I see it?" I enthusiastically asked her and tried to peek, but she moved it away.    

"Yeah, it's done. Here." She said and took a deep breath before she showed me her work.    

As I finally saw it, my smile slowly faded as I didn't know what to say.    

"I hate you, Roswell," I grumbled and shot her a look of playful disdain, and the blondie just cracked out laughing.    

"Very funny. Haha! Let me help you laugh. Oh, my stomach aches!" I sarcastically commented, but I couldn't help but laugh when she laughed more after hearing my remark.    

"What? Isn't it you? It's you." She uttered while still giggling and wiping the side of her eyes, and I shook my head and took a deep breath.    

"Indeed. Me. It's my f*cking name, you smartass." I scoffed and crossed my arms on my chest, pouted my lips, and she cleared her throat as she had finally composed herself. She just wrote my name, OJ, but with a lovely font. It's good, actually.    

"I didn't say I'd make a portrait of you, though. But I can. I just won't do it now." She affirmed, closing her notebook and putting it on the table.    

I just looked at her, not saying anything, and she shrugged her shoulders.    

"Okay. Now, why don't we just talk about something else? Something fun. Mmmm, like… Oh, I have one!" I suggested, and she gave me a look that conveyed that I should go on.    

"Do you want to know who is accountable for framing you up? The b*tches who put your face and Harvey's in one picture?" I asked her, and she seemed didn't see it coming.    

I'm sure she's interested to know about it. She has the right to know.