Ghost In Red

---    

I was sitting down on the couch near Sydney's bed while her best friend sulked beside her and blamed her for being so careless, reckless, and everything a true friend can say to the person she cares about so much.    

"You are such an idiot, Syd! Do you know that? Of course, you are aware of that." Vidia ranted and wiped the tears that streamed her cheeks. She looked around and took a deep breath, and she stood up and walked near me. She took off her backpack and then placed it on the couch beside me.    

Vidia went back to my girl and sat again on the stool at her right side. She took out her phone from her hoodie jacket's left pocket and scrolled something on it.    

"You know what, Sydney? I'm telling your homies. They need to know about what happened to you here. This is something that shouldn't be kept secret from your family. I don't f*cking care about what you told me. I'm calling them." The concerned and angry girl huffed and waited for someone to pick up her call.    

She redialed a number when it seemed like no one was answering.    

"Hello? Emma? Oh, Mrs. York! Hi! Is Emma there? Can I talk to her, please?" She greeted the other line and waited for her redheaded friend to talk to her.    

"Ems? Hey, umm... Wait, I'll put you on loudspeaker." Vid mumbled and placed her phone on the bed.    

"Vidia, hey! What's up? Where are you now? Have you met Sydney there? Have you landed already?" Emma asked a series of questions, and the girl here let out a heavy sigh, setting the atmosphere a bit serious and sad.    

"Yeah, I am with Sydney now. But something happened. Something... Unexpected. It's not good. Syd got into an accident. And she's currently in a coma. We are in a hospital." Vidia began and looked at her poor best friend's face, and I heard Emma laugh at the other end.    

"Are you kidding me? Where is Sydney, b*tch? Are you pulling a prank on me, you both? It's not going to work on me. It's not a good joke, though." Emma inferred and laughed, and she just received a sigh from her friend.    

"I wish I was just joking around, Ems. Sydney's right here, but she can't confirm to you that we are just kidding."    

"Where is she, Vid? Can we... Are you freaking serious? It's not funny. Can... Wait, umm... How...? What happened? What happened to her?" Emma asked while panic and worry were evident in her voice, and Vidia let out another sigh.    

"She's here, still asleep. The people here told me she was here since last night, somewhere around eight. I called her number when I was at the airport when I landed earlier, but the person who answered the phone wasn't Syd. And she told me that the phone owner is here, admitted to this hospital. I rushed here and found out her condition." Vidia explained while her tears began streaming again, and there was silence from the person on the other line.    

"That's bullish*t! What happened? How did it happen, Vid? Can you... Can we call on video? I want to see her. How is she doing? Is she okay?" Emma cursed with a cracked voice, and Vidia wiped her tears as she set their call on video.    

When Vidia showed Emma her surroundings and finally Sydney, I heard the girl sobbing. And I can't help but feel sorry for their dearest friend. It couldn't have happened to her if she didn't insist on finding my mother here. I still feel so damn guilty about everything she's going through right now.    

"That's not real. What happened? Syd? Hey, Sydney? Wake up, girl! Hey! Don't joke around like that!" Emma whimpered, and both of them cried. And if I were in my physical body now, I would indeed cry, too. I don't know how many liters of tears I had wept for Syd already. It's truly painful to see her like that. She was only trying to help me live, but nobody would think that it would end up hurting her. I just hope she'll be okay in no time.    

"What happened to her, Vid? How did it happen?" Emma asked when they both had composed themselves after a few moments.    

"Her doctor told me that she got hit by cars when she was crossing the highway. And then, it's because some bad guys were chasing her. She even got stabbed from her back, on the right side. And I assume that those bad guys were the ones who robbed her. I was just calling her an hour ago before the accident happened. There are other things the doctor told me about her physical condition, but I haven't understood it properly because I got my mind shut, knowing she's not okay. I'm going to ask them again later. But all I know is she's stable now. She will be okay. I know that." Vidia answered and looked at her best friend with a hopeful smile.    

Emma asked her some other questions, and when she asked about me, I looked at where Vidia was.    

"Is OJ there?"    

"How the heck would I know, Ems? I can't see ghosts." Vidia answered and looked around the room.    

"Oh, but... Umm. Are there any signs of something paranormal there? Is it scary back there?" Emma asked the girl again, and Vidia shook her head in response and said, "Well... I wouldn't want to experience such, Emma. But if... Oh, OJ Hunters, if you are in here... Don't scare the shit out of me, alright? And tell any ghosts around not to bother me. I trust in you. Thank you so much."    

"Woah! But seriously, Vid. Ask OJ if she could... You know... Turn off the lights? Or anything. Just try it, so we will know that you aren't alone there with Syd. I know she wouldn't make a mess with you. Just try it. I'll wait. Go on." The redhead requested the troubled Vidia, and I stood up and went to where the light switch was, ready to do what they asked for. It will be a good thing so that Vidia will know that I am here. She can talk to me if she wants, but I don't know how to speak to her so that she can hear me.    

"Okay. Umm... Olivia? Are you here? In this room? If yes, uh... Try to... Turn the lights off. Please?" Vidia asked me, and I will be honored to do so.    

I touched the light switch and altered the electricity that passes through the wires, making the light turn off.    

"Wow! That's awesome, Vid! She really is with you!" Emma cheered and clapped her hands, and I heard Vidia laugh nervously.    

"Yeah, she... She is, indeed. Damn. Okay. Uh... Well, that's... that's enough. Can we get the lights back on? Please?" Vidia stammered, and I heard Emma laughing.    

"Oh, are you scared, Vid? Silly, that's your bestie's girlfriend. Ghost girlfriend, I mean. But yeah, I would be scared, too, if I were in your situation. Alone? In a hospital room? With a ghost? Damn, I can't imagine myself! I am sure to be running out of the building or pulling people inside with me." Emma jeered, and I laughed at their conversation.    

"Oh, please, Hunters! Turn the lights back on now! I beg you. Please? Pretty please? I know that we were never friends, but I just hated you before because that is what and how this dumblondebitch was showing and treating you. I really have no hate towards you. Well, maybe a little. But that was just before, alright? I totally am cool with you now. Please? We could be good friends... Since you are my best friend's sweetheart. And damn, I would like to hear more of your crazy love story and what you both thought of each other, but we can't have that talk if I would die out of fear. I wouldn't survive till morning without lights. Now, please, can you turn the lights back on?" The scared girl begged, making me chuckle because of her cuteness, and I did what she's been dying to ask for. It's really good to hear from her that she wants us to be friends.    

I went back again to the couch after turning the lights on, and Vidia let out a breath of relief while I could hear Emma laughing her ass out on the other line.    

"Haha, very funny, Emma. Why don't you f*cking lift your ass off your bed, get out of your room, and go to the Roswells? Tell them about Sydney's condition. But don't make it... Stressful for Wendy. Make it less suspenseful, alright? I trust in you. You can do it." Vidia asserted, and Emma protested, "But I---".    

"No buts! Go! There are people coming in here to check on Syd. I'm going to ask them again about her condition. Good luck. Wait, before I hang up, I want you to go here with Kevin or whoever would want to go here. I'll send you some money and book a flight. I'll wait for you here, Ems. I know Syd badly needs us now. F*ck the last two days of exams. Toodles!" Vidia requested, and I smiled to know how amazing my girlfriend's buddies are.    

The night went on that Vidia talked with her pals over the phone about their plan on coming here, and even Sydney's homies called to see her condition. And it's nice to know that her brother and Wendy also want to go here to Chicago.    

---    

Morning came, and Vidia asked me to watch over Sydney for a while as she would grab some food for breakfast. And she told me that she had not eaten dinner last night.    

When I was left alone with my girl, who was still sleeping soundly, I went near her and kissed her forehead.    

She looks so vulnerable and soft right now, and I badly want to hug her tight.    

"Hey, Syd! How are you feeling? I hope you are feeling a bit better now. I missed you so much. Do you know that? I miss your… Your voice, your smile, and your... All of you, Syd. I missed you. Please, wake up when you finally can. Take all the time you need to heal. I'll be here with you until my last moments. I want to spend it all with you, Syd. Every minute, second of it. And I want to thank you for everything you did for me. I might not see you soon, but I am sure we'll meet in our next lives. And I hope we could make up for all those times we wasted hating and messing up with each other. I want to be with you longer, my dear Syd, but if we are not meant to be together in this lifetime, we can't do anything about it. I wish you can hear my farewell soon, but if not... I just hope you will not cry and be angry at me for leaving you unnoticed. Damn, I can absolutely hear your mad voice in my mind right now at how you greatly disagree with me talking about my end. But don't worry. It's okay. It's going to be alright." I confessed my feelings and softly laughed, and I reached for her right hand.    

I could feel her warmth and the comfy sensations it gives me whenever we are close.    

A couple of minutes had passed, and Vidia finally came back with some good news, saying that her friends were on their way here from LAX and might arrive three or four in the afternoon.    

It's a good thing, so she wouldn't be alone and scared, watching over Sydney.    

---    

The hours passed by so quickly, and I had spent most of the time listening to my girlfriend's best friend talking to me about anything that was hilarious about Sydney and her pals' experiences. And all of the things Vidia told me made me know them more. It feels so good to be treated like this, even if she wasn't sure if I was listening to her or if I was with her.    

Vidia is funny, as always. Now, I find it really amusing how she got along with my girl's cranky ass. I mean, a quiet, cold, and moody person and a quite silly, funny, frank, and loudmouthed person being best of friends? It's certainly fantastic to think about. I have adored their friendship so much since we were still in primary school.    

A ringtone cut off Vidia's long talk with me, and she told me that she would answer it.    

"Hey, what's up, Ems? Have you landed already? Alright. Just get yourselves a taxi and ask them to take you here. I'll go down to the lobby in a minute to meet you. I'll buy some food for dinner, too. Alright. Bye!"    

She stood up from the couch and kept her phone in her jacket's left pocket.    

"Okay, so, umm... I'll just go down for a while, Ollie and Sydney. I will be back soon with some noisy creatures with me already. See you later, you both!" Vidia told me and went to Syd to tap her right foot, and then she left the room.    

When the girl had closed the door, I snapped my head behind me when I heard a voice.    

"Hey, Oj! Is that Vidia? I can hear her loud, annoying voice. Where is she?"    

I got my mouth hung open in surprise to see Sydney sitting on her bed, and I saw her rubbing her eyes using her left hand, and then she stretched her arms as if she just woke up in the morning.    

"Why are you looking at me like that? Is there a ghost behind me?" She asked me as she noticed my dumbfounded facial expression, and I gulped and pointed at her.    

"You are..." I muttered and blinked hard to see if my eyes were just trying to play tricks on me.    

"Huh? What me? Hey, are you okay? Where are we, by the way? What happened? Wait..." She asked and rubbed her temples, and she slowly looked around the room.    

I stood up from the couch and went near her to see things clearer.    

Am I hallucinating? There are two of them! How?    

"Syd, you are a... Ghost like me." I said in disbelief, and I'm sure I am not mistaken.