Dear Dahlia // B1

[15]

"Hey, Alex," I smile as he poof back next to me. It had been at least an hour and a half and I still hadn't moved from my spot in the loft.

"You're still up here," Alex says as more of a question.

"Yeah, I've been really into this drawing I guess," I shrug. "Where did you go?"

"I was with someone," he says casually.

"Oh, that ghost you met w while ago?" I ask.

"Yes," Alex nods dreamily. "We screamed in a museum."

I smile and close my sketchbook. I set it next to me and look over at Alex. "You've got a crush. Tell me about him."

"What?" He quickly snaps out of his dreamlike state. "I never said-"

"Alex, I know you're gay. I'm not stupid," I laugh. "You have a little ghost crush, and I want all the details."

"There's really no-"

"Meh!" I cut him off again. "What's his name? What's he like? How was your little date today?"

"His name is Willie," Alex smiles at the ground. "He's adorable, and he's got this great skateboard and long hair."

"Oh, so he's a skaterboy," I nod. "I see, I see. Continue."

"Well- wait, did you say date?" Alex stops.

"Yeah, you said you guys went to a museum right?" I shrug. "Just the two of you. Spending quality time together, bonding," I attempt to push his shoulder playfully, but my hands goes through him. "That's a date, is it not?"

"I don't know," Alex looks nervous. "I mean he asked to hang out again on Saturday. At the beach."

"So he wants to see you again," I clap. "Oh, this is too sweet."

"Dahlia, I don't know if he likes me that way. I don't even know if he's gay," Alex says.

"Well, you can ask him about it on Saturday," I suggest. "If you feel there's a good time to ask, go for it."

"You really think so?" He asks.

"Yes," I nod. "I'd hate for you to not ask and never know. I just don't know if I'd be able to see you get hurt."

Alex doesn't reply. I feel my nerves kicking in.

"Just be careful, okay?" I ask rhetorically.

"Yeah," Alex nods. "Yeah, I'll be careful."

I throw myself onto Alex, wrapping my arms around his shoulders. He wraps his arms around me and for a moment, we hold each other. Until I can feel our grips loosening and I fall through Alex's body as onto the floor.

I quickly scramble up and reach for Alex again. My hand passes through him over and over and over.

"How did that happen? I-I felt you. H-How?" I stammer.

"I-I-I don't know," Alex shakes his head. "But it's back to normal now."

"Maybe we just imagined it," I say. "I mean, maybe just thinking about it hard enough just made us believe it happened."

"Willie just told me something like that," Alex says. "He helped me move a bench. He said that if I focused all my energy into something, that I could move it. Maybe since I was focusing all of my energy on you, we could touch for a few seconds?"

"That makes the most sense," I nod. "Wow, says the girl who talks to ghosts."

"I still haven't gotten used to all this," Alex laughs.

"Me neither," I say. "And that - whatever just happened - did not help."

"Yeah," Alex agrees. "Can we just agree to forget it happened?"

"Yes," I say confidently. "Yes, please."

*****

"What were you and Alex so heavily discussing in the loft today?" Luke asks, following me to my room.

"That is none of your business," I say.

"Well, can't you tell me anyway?" He asks, jumping onto my bed as I close the door. The last thing I need is Carlos overhearing me talking to someone that he can't see.

"No, Luke," I shake my head. "Because it's not my business to tell."

"Alex's got some secrets, huh? And he told you first," Luke shakes his head, sitting up on my bed. "Tisk tisk little Alex."

"I don't blame him," I laugh. "I picture you as an extreme loud mouth."

"Hey!" Luke makes a pouty face. "Not that loud."

"Wow," I widen my eyes and turn around. "And people think I'm bad at keeping secrets."

I hear a whooshing sound behind me and decide it's best to not turn around.

"Would you be able to keep a secret for me?" Luke says. From the closeness of his voice I can tell that his head his just besude my own, hovering above my shoulder.

"I have to change," I dance around his question. "So, can I get some privacy?"

"I asked you something, Dahl," he says, his voice backing away from me.

"And I asked you to get out," I laugh.

Luke's mouth opens as if he wants to say something. But the words don't come out. He just shrugs, "Julie's on her way."

"Wh-" but he vanishes before I finish my thought. Someone lightly knocks on the door before cracking on it open.

"Hey, Lia," Julie greets me.

"Hey," I say, quickly changing into my pajamas. I flop onto my bed and watch Julie pace around hers. "You alright?"

"Yes," she says. "I'm fine."

"You don't look like it," I laugh once.

Julie glares at me before making a few more passes in front of her bed. She sits down and huffs. "Okay, maybe I'm not fine."

"Well, what's up?" I ask, pulling my legs up and sitting cross cross on the bed.

"Maybe it's all of this songwriting," she shakes her head. "I mean, Luke and I have been at it all weekend. And right now, the words just kinda pour out of me. I guess, it's not that the work is hard it's just-"

"Straining? Exhausting?" I fill in the blank.

"No," Julie laughs. "Not that extreme."

"I bet it's just a lot. This is the first time you've really gone head first into music since-" I stop myself before I upset her. "You've got so much to say and you're unpacking all of it at once. Just slow down a little."

"You're right," Julie nods. "Thanks, Lia."

"Of course," I lay down. "That's what I'm here for. Now go to bed."

A.N.

Heyo!

I hope you liked this chapter. I didnt.

Anywho!

💀✌🦋😘❄😳🐍😎🏳️‍🌈🤠🥁💪

-Redd

^^idk why I'm so obsessed with emojis recently but that's that ig...