Ghost In Red

—    

"Open your eyes," Sydney asked me, and I felt excitement as I saw what was around us.    

It was a beautiful garden, where there were lights around, pretty flowers, and a fountain. Then there's a gazebo with lots of flowers around it.    

"Wow, this is amazing, Syd. Where is this?" I asked her, and she slipped her hands inside her sweatpants' pockets.    

"It's in a restaurant. It's a secluded area for… you know, couples who want to be away from a lot of people inside there. Actually, this is where I want to… take you to have dinner someday." She answered and shyly smiled, and I could feel her nervousness even from a mile away from here.    

"Damn, you mean… out on a date? Dinner date?" I asked her while trying so hard to contain my joy, and she nodded her head in reply.    

"Yep. Cheesy, I know. Since I don't have a chance to bring you here soon, I brought you here now. And I don't know if any of your exes have brought you here already. That's a bummer, if so." She said and combed her hair with her left fingers, and I chuckled.    

"No. I've never been here. And it's wonderful, Syd. You are so f*cking sweet, you know?" I replied and remarked at her adorableness.    

I knew it. This blondie has some goofy sides that I have yet to learn. It's so sad we won't be able to experience this fantastic moment physically, but at least we have it right now.    

After we spent some time talking and laughing in the garden, we left the place as my charming girlfriend wanted to take me somewhere else again. It's already about midnight now, and we are living the best moment around our neighborhood.    

When we walked on a familiar road, I guessed that we were heading to the cemetery.    

And I was right.    

"You really chose midnight to go here, Syd?" I asked her when we walked into the gate, and she laughed.    

"Yeah! Isn't it exciting? Are you seeing anything spooky?" She asked me, and I looked around but failed to see any ghosts around here.    

"Nope," I said and happily dragged her with me as I already knew what we went here for.    

"Ooh, where are they…? Oh, there! Come on, slowpoke." I mumbled as I tried to find that particular spot where her parents were resting.    

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Roswell! We're back! So, see, your daughter here… I can explain why she doesn't look normal. But first, let me properly introduce myself to you since this girl didn't… when I first got here. That's so mean of her. Yeah, I know she could be rude sometimes. And I guess you know that." I greeted Sydney's parents, and my girl shrugged her shoulders.    

"Okay. I am Olivia Jillian Hunters. And please, don't be surprised that I will tell you something shocking about your daughter. She's gay. Yes, she is, and I'm her girlfriend. Will that be okay with you? We are soulmates, too. And, damn, she is indeed the most amazing person I have ever met. Do you see her right now? She's a ghost, like me. And that's because of me. And I'm so sorry if I caused your daughter to get hurt. She was trying to help me and got into an accident." I continued and let out a sigh while I felt my girl wrapping her left arm around my waist, and she rested her chin on my right shoulder.    

"Hi, Mom, Dad! I'm okay. Now, you have finally met the girl of my dreams that I told you about these past couple of years. I know you didn't think I could make her mine, but I did. I did. And you can't do anything about it now. I'm truly gay as f*ck! Adam knew it already, and he was cool with it. I hope you will be, too. I love this girl, but she's breaking up with me soon. She's going to leave me heartbroken and make me miserable for some—" Syd admitted but didn't finish when I slapped her left arm when I heard what she told her parents about me.    

"Sydney! What the heck?" I cursed and turned to her, only to see her laughing her ass out. This b*tch…    

"Mom, Dad, you know what to do to her if you meet her in the afterlife. But please, I beg you, don't tell her my embarrassing moments when I was still a kid, alright? I trust you, guys." She added, and we both laughed.    

We spent a couple of joyful hours with her parents, telling them things that we've been through, and it really felt so good to have some people you could talk to. I also learned that whenever Syd would be so stressed about school and brokenhearted because of me, letting morons date me, she goes here to tell her parents about it all. And they eventually know what kind of sh*tty history I have had with their daughter.    

Then it was about two o'clock in the morning when we went to the bridge at the cemetery where Syd took me the last time we were here.    

We sat on the bridge railing and stared at the starry sky and the moon in its last quarter phase on the water below us. It truly felt so magical being with the person you love in this kind of serene moment. It's worth remembering for a lifetime.    

"Hey, Syd! Look! It's a shooting star! Did you see it?" I let out as I looked up at the sky to see it clearly, and she softly chuckled as she followed my gaze.    

"Yeah! It's beautiful." She remarked, and I looked at her to ask one thing.    

"Did you make a wish?"    

She only smiled in response, and I frowned.    

"You don't believe that shooting stars are wishing stars?" I curiously asked her, and she looked back at the water. That's so sad.    

I know she's a smartie that thinks that shooting stars aren't really stars but are heavenly bodies like comets, meteorites, asteroids, space junks, and such. But I have always made wishes whenever I see one of those since I was still a kid. Mom told me that whatever I wished for upon it, it would come true.    

And suddenly, a wake-up thought came crashing on me. I did wish to see my mom once again, but it never came true. I'm about to die, and I never saw her again, not even a single sign. But I only wish that wherever she is right now, she will be happy.    

"What did you wish for?" I heard my girl ask me, and I looked at her as I answered, "Time."    

I do want to have another chance to live. I want to spend more time with the people I love. I have so much to make up for, especially to this girl. I have so many visions for us together. And I don't want to make her sad by leaving her alone.    

Sydney smiled at me and whispered, "Same."    

Oh, it's so good to hear that she wished the same thing as I did. I only hope it comes true, though. But it truly made me happy, knowing that she also believed that wishing upon a star is a thing that is not only for kids.    

I admit that I was so wrong about so many things about Sydney before, and I'm glad that I got to know her more.    

I kept looking into her eyes and saw love in them, and I didn't want to waste another moment not kissing her. This is it.    

I brought my right hand to her chin, and she leaned closer to me.