Ghost In Red

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"Uh... Hi!" I nervously greeted her, and I saw her smile at me. Oh, gosh, I missed that smile... so much.    

"Why are you looking at me like that, Roswell? You seem like you've seen a ghost. Well, surprise, biatch, I'm still alive and kicking. But I can't kick my left leg yet." She said and chuckled, and I softly laughed with her.    

"Yeah... No, I mean... Uh, it's so nice to see you again. I'm glad you're alright." I stammered and finally got the right words to say, but I am still feeling so anxious now.    

"Ooh, so you are trying to say that you missed me, huh?" She remarked while grinning, and I let out a scoff.    

"Hell no!"    

"Really? I mean... Why would you miss me, right? I know I am not missable. Is that even a word? Because you aren't, too." She replied and acted quite mean, and I chuckled. You have no freaking idea how much I missed you, Mi Amor.    

"Well, it's good that you know," I answered and regretted it right after as I realized we were back to being what we were. My b*tch mode was on. Geez, how do I stay relaxed and be myself around her?    

"Anyway, why did you ask to meet me here?" I asked her to change that awkward as heck topic, and I showed her the paper note I had received.    

"Oh, that? Well... I, uh... What did the girl say when she gave you that?" She replied and asked, and I tried to remember.    

"Nothing. She said nothing. Why am I here then?" I answered and looked at her face to see her reaction as she responded.    

"Great! And, umm, I want to... Wait, are you in a hurry?" She asked and looked hopeful, and I shook-nodded my head.    

"Nope. Not really. You can take all my time. I mean, you can take all the time you need. I'm... I'm cool with it. I'm all ears." I replied and saw her bright smile, and I realized that my tongue had slipped. I cleared my throat and avoided her knowing gaze.    

Sh*t, did I sound like I was flirting with her? Or do I sound stupid? I don't know. I am undeniably gay panicking right at this very moment. Maybe it's a good start... Or not at all.    

"Oh-kay. Umm, so, uh... I want to... I have to give, no, tell you... I mean, I... I have something to tell you, as well as give you something. Damn it!" She stuttered and silently cursed, which I found so cute. Oh, I badly missed this person!    

"Alright, go on," I told her to proceed, and she took a deep breath before speaking.    

"You see, I... Um, we never had a great... We were not on good terms the last time we met. No, that's not right. Here, we both know we were never on good terms forever. Oh, I know you are about to say that." She began and joked, and I just laughed at her thoughtfulness. She's not wrong, though. I was really about to correct her.    

"And, listen, my point is... I am... I'm trying to do something good. I almost died and realized a lot of things. And one of them is... You know, even if it is not really usual of me to approach you, I have the courage because... Sh*t, I really have no idea where this is going. All I want to tell you is I'm sorry. I'm sorry for that last time. I slapped you like a badbish, without knowing the whole truth. But I already know what really happened, and so do you. I know because Grace told me. I have talked to my friends, and of course, they apologized to me, especially Pauline. Well, have they approached you and asked for forgiveness? I told them to do so. Have they?" She explained deeper, and I couldn't help but smile at her words.    

I shook my head in reply to her question, and I tried to remember what had happened earlier at lunch with her ex-friends. Oh, no! So they were about to apologize to me? Hmm, well, I don't feel sorry that I was in war mode with my gang towards them.    

"Umm, nope. They haven't. And, uh... Thank you. It's alright. My left cheek was pretty fine. It doesn't really hurt." I answered and lied a little because, damn, that hurt like hell.    

"Oh, is that so? Don't worry. They will. Maybe tomorrow." She uttered and looked so far away around us while taking a breath.    

I don't know what bothers her, but it bothers me looking at her. It seems like she is thinking something deep. What if she has problems? Or maybe she's in pain. Now, I have this urge to hug her, but I don't think I should. That would be super weird.    

I looked around me and saw some students around the field and walking along the pathways which were eyeing us. And I don't know what they were thinking seeing me sitting together with my longtime enemy.    

I know I am too scared to ask her anything, but I really want to ask her out for dinner if it's alright with her. I want to talk to her, but I seem to have swallowed my tongue.    

"Hey, I---" We both laughed as we said it simultaneously, and she gestured to me to go first, but I told her to go on.    

"No, I want to tell... ask you something, but you go first, Mi Am--- I am... can... It can wait more. Go ahead."    

I bit my lower lip as I almost called her that pet name, and I heard her softly chuckle.    

"Okay. Actually, I asked you to be here because I want to give you something. Well, more like, return something to you." OJ started and took something from the front pocket of her hoodie jacket, and I noticed it was a small black box.    

She handed it to me, making me give her a puzzled face.    

"What's this?" I asked and earned a roll of her pretty eyes.    

"You know you wouldn't know if you wouldn't open it, right? So, open it, dumbass." She remarked and playfully ordered me while chuckling.    

I lightly shook my head as I grinned at her usual silly nickname for me.    

"Wait, you do realize I am not capable of using both my hands, right? How am I supposed to untie this thing, huh? So, why don't you open it for me, shorty?" I retorted and emphasized my casted left arm, and she sheepishly laughed.    

"Yeah, right! Sorry, my bad. But, girl, you do know we almost have the same height, right? Just a few centimeters gap? Wait, we've been through this issue." She said and looked up at me as I stood up to prove a point.    

"Are you sure we have the same height right now? What I notice is you are so f*cking far from my sight, darling." I argued while looking down at her as she sat on her power wheelchair and let out a loud scoff and laughed, realizing my point.    

"F*ck you! I hate you so much, Roswell." She cursed while cracking up, and I took a seat before I could reply the usual 'I love you, too, so much' to her.    

Then something suddenly caught my attention about the silly thing we were just talking about. We had this case back when we were at the cemetery while we were both ghosts. No, this can't be right. Was that a dream?    

"Oh, shut it. Just open that thing, will you?" I told her, and she smirked while taking back the box she handed me.    

"But, wait! Is it some spiders? Cockroaches? If you are trying to mess with me with such, I want you to know in advance that insects can't scare the sh*t out of me." I cautiously warned her, causing her to laugh out loud.    

"Relax, dude! How can I dare do that? You do know I despised those you have mentioned, right? I'd be the first to run and squeal, dear Syd. I'm telling you, it's not. Calm your fine ass down, will you?" She exclaimed and assured me in a way that was so familiar. Wait, am I having déjà vus? This is creeping the hell out of me.    

"Here. Continue opening it. I'm sure you can now manage to do it with one hand. Or you could use your mouth, too." She said and handed me back the tiny box, and I took it. Truth be told, I am pretty nervous to know what's in here.    

I slowly opened it, and I waited for any movements. What if something crawls out of it? I will really quickly hand it to her. Let's see if she can run using just one leg.    

When I had finally seen what was in it, my mouth hung open in surprise.    

"No way! How did... How did you get this?" I asked her, still feeling dumbfounded, seeing a thing she could never know not unless she remembered those moments we were together.    

I looked at her, and she smiled widely and shrugged her shoulders.    

"It's yours." She uttered and looked at the thing in my right hand. It's my jade pendant.    

"You remember something, don't you? Tell me." I asked her while my tears are threatening to fall, because I don't believe otherwise. She must have remembered if she recognized this thing.    

"Everything, Syd. I remember everything." She confirmed, and I certainly don't know what to say.    

Is this for real?