Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ My Ghost ❯ Chapter Ten ( Chapter 10 )

My Ghost

-

Chapter Ten

-

© 2008 Ohne Sie

 

 

 

Callie walked into her chemistry classroom, fully expecting Ashley to be sitting at her desk, waiting for an explanation for her disappearance earlier. Instead, however, Ashley was completely absorbed in her text book. The other students were doing the same thing.

 

“What's going on? Do we have a quiz or something?” Callie whispered, sliding into her seat.

 

“Yeah, one of the kids saw a stack of quizzes on Dinkle's desk, before he stashed them in his drawer. He's going to spring a pop quiz on us, so we're cramming. You should probably study, too.”

 

“Probably,” Callie said, pulling out the textbook she had finally gotten the day before. Thank God for distractions. Callie had never been so happy to have a pop quiz before.

 

The bell rang and Mr. Dinkle walked in. He immediately walked over to his desk and cleared his throat. “As most of you apparently know, you have a quiz today. I need you all to put your books away.” The students reluctantly placed their books in their bags and waited for Mr. Dinkle to distribute the papers.

 

Callie was amazed at how much of the quiz she actually knew. She had always been bad at chemistry, and she hadn't studied at all previously. Maybe I'm getting smarter, she thought, smiling to herself. She finished her quiz, handing it to Mr. Dinkle. Ashley had already finished, and seemed to be writing on a piece of paper.

 

Ashley looked up at Mr. Dinkle and, when she was sure he wasn't looking, slid the paper onto Callie's desk. Callie opened it.

 

“So what was going on with you earlier? You totally freaked out on us.”

 

Callie stared at the paper, fearing that Ashley would see the terror she felt if she saw her face. Callie responded:

 

“I'll tell you, but you have to promise not to tell anyone. And don't think I'm crazy.”

 

She slid the note back to Ashley, who quickly penned a response.

 

“I won't.”

 

Callie sighed. Her heart was beating rapidly. This is stupid. Why am I doing this? She wondered. But Callie had never been good at lying, so she replied.

 

“The ghost of William Johnson lives in my house. I talk to him, he talks back. And I'm trying to find out what happened to him. So you're probably going to laugh at me right now.”

 

Callie slid the paper to Ashley, who read it. It seemed like an eternity before Ashley responded.

 

“OMG really???? That's the coolest thing I've ever heard in my life! Seriously, Callie, what is he like? He doesn't know how he died, right? Does he remember anything? So, you can actually see him and hear him. Does he actually look human or does he look kind of like a shapeless white cloud thing?”

 

Shapeless white cloud thing? Callie wondered. She smiled, writing.

 

“He's pretty cool…I mean, he's depressed most of the time, but that's understandable. He's kind of hard to figure out, like…he talks to me normally, and he seems fine with everything, and then he gets all emo for no apparent reason. No, he has no idea how he died, but for some reason he can't leave the property, so I'm assuming he died there. He remembers nothing after going to bed the night before he vanished. He does look human. He looks kind of like your brother, but with lighter hair and slightly different facial features. I think he's a little shorter, too.”

 

Ashley's hand moved furiously, displaying her obvious excitement.

 

“This is just too awesome, Callie. I've always wanted to meet a ghost. Wait. Was he there last night, when we were over?”

 

“For a little while,” Callie wrote. “He kind of disappeared for a while, but he came back right after we finished talking about him. The first time. He's the one who made me ask about your great-grandfather, though.”

 

“Aww…I wish I could see him. Especially since he's my great-great uncle. How cool is that, by the way?”

 

“We should probably stop writing to each other. Dinkle might notice.” Callie slid the paper over to Ashley, who nodded. She folded it up and placed it in her pocket just before Mr. Dinkle looked in their direction. He looked away, and Callie whispered, “We'll talk more later.”

 

By “later,” Callie apparently meant lunchtime, because that was the only chance they had to talk. Callie was somewhat uneasy talking to Ashley about Will in front of Aaron, but Ashley insisted that Aaron would be okay with it.

 

“Really, Callie, he's not a jerk or anything. Usually. He won't think you're lying.”

 

“He'll think I'm crazy,” Callie said.

 

“Well, so what? Aaron's always had a thing for crazy girls. Ask him about his ex-girlfriend.”

 

Callie turned away, hiding her face from Ashley so that she wouldn't see the color change in her cheeks. “So how do you think you did on the chemistry quiz?” Callie asked, changing the subject.

 

“Pretty well, I guess. Why are you changing the subject?” Ashley asked. Before Callie could answer, she pulled her toward their table. “Where are you going? The table's over here.”

 

Callie sat down next to Ashley, feeling the blush fade from her face. Aaron smiled at them as they sat down.

 

“Hey,” he said, taking a sip of his Coke. “I was wondering where you guys were.”

 

“Sorry,” Ashley said. “I got in trouble for talking in algebra, and had to stay behind to get lectured. And Callie was waiting for me.”

 

“I see.” Aaron turned to Callie. “So what's the deal with you? Earlier, I mean.”

 

Callie stared at her lunch, more reluctant to tell him the truth than she had with Ashley.

 

“Callie can see ghosts,” Ashley said nonchalantly, chewing on a piece of celery.

 

“Ghosts?” Aaron said, raising an eyebrow.

 

“Ghost,” Callie said. “Just one,” she mumbled.

 

“Are you being serious right now, or…?” One look on Callie's face answered Aaron's question. “Okay. So how do you know it's really a ghost?”

 

“He's the ghost of your great-great uncle, William. And I know it's him because…well…I know he's a ghost. Like, he's there, but you can't touch him or anything. I can see him and talk to him, but it's like no one else can.”

 

“You see him?”

 

“He was there yesterday,” Ashley said. “Apparently.”

 

“Yeah…I promised him I'd find out how he died, so that he would cross over into the afterlife.”

 

“How can you do that, though? Nobody's ever solved that case. And no offense, but it's not like you have any detective training or anything, right?”

 

“No, but…” Callie sighed, deciding that she seemed crazy already. What could it hurt to tell them everything? “I've been having these dreams.”

 

“Do tell,” Ashley said.

 

“The first one…well, I was walking over to my dresser, and I tripped. I fell on the floor and there was a loose floorboard, so I pried it up and there was an old book there. Will said that the room belonged to Edward, and that maybe he kept a journal or something. But my floor is carpeted, now, so I can't really cut it up and search for the book, you know?”

 

“It's probably not there anymore, anyway, if it ever was,” Aaron said. “My great-grandfather probably took it with him when he moved out.”

 

“That's what we figured,” Callie said. “But then I had another dream, last night. I was Nora, I guess…she'd be your great-grandmother? Anyway, I was her and Will told me he loved me and that, despite his brother's feelings for me, he was going to pursue a relationship with me. Because he always chases after what he wants.”

 

“So…our great-grandfather and our great-great uncle were fighting over the same girl?” Ashley asked.

 

“It sounds like it,” Callie said. “When I asked Will about it, he got all flaky. So I think he lied to me before, when he said that he never dated Nora or anything.”

 

“So he still hasn't told you the truth?” Ashley asked.

 

“The bus got there before he answered me. He's going to tell me the truth this afternoon, though. Or he'd better, anyway.”

 

“Maybe Grandpa knows something about that book Callie mentioned,” Ashley said, turning to Aaron. “Like maybe his father gave it to him or something before he died.”

 

Aaron shrugged. “Yeah, maybe.” He looked at Callie. “I really don't know what to think about all of this. I mean, I'm sorry I'm skeptical, but…really? Ghosts? Do you know how weird that sounds?”

 

“Of course I do,” Callie said. “Why do you think I didn't want to tell you?” She sighed. “I mean, I was actually shocked that Ashley believed me.”

 

Ashley will believe anything she wants to believe. There doesn't have to be any logic involved.”

 

“Hey!” Ashley said.

 

“Oh, come on, Ashley. Remember when you thought that dragonflies were fairies?”

 

“I was young then.”

 

“It was two years ago.”

 

Ashley glared at him. “Well, you look at a dragonfly and tell me it doesn't look remarkably like a fairy.”

 

“My point is that Ashley has a wild imagination and believes anything she's told. I'm not saying that you're lying, Callie, but…”

 

“You think I'm imagining it?” Callie said.

 

“Well…yeah.”

 

“Why would you say that?” Ashley asked. “Why can't you just trust that Callie knows what she's talking about?”

 

“Because it doesn't make sense. Callie, you're a great girl and everything, but…I don't know how to say this without offending you.”

 

Callie shrugged. “I'm not offended. I thought you would react much worse. I knew you'd think I was crazy. At least you don't think I'm intentionally lying.” She paused. “But for the record? I'm not crazy, I really am living in a haunted house, and I'm going to find out what happened to the ghost who lives there. I'd appreciate it if you guys would help me, but you don't have to.”

 

“I'll help!” Ashley said. “Even if my stupid brother won't.”

 

Aaron sighed. “I'll think about it. That's all I can promise, really.”

 

Callie nodded as the bell rang. “That's really all I ask,” she said. “If you guys want to help, you can ask your grandfather about that book. Or come over tonight and we can figure something out.”

 

“I'll be there,” Ashley said, sticking her tongue out at Aaron.

 

“Mature,” Aaron said, rolling his eyes. But he said nothing more to Callie.