2|| Whispers in the Wind

15|| letters

Wilder

Wilder paced the floor of his room agitatedly. Kalyani had just asked him out on a date! That wasn't fair, how could she have played his own card against him? Plus, it'd be terrible if she ended up seriously liking him back; what if she knew the truth?

He hadn't even meant to ask her the first time. It just slipped out. He wouldn't put her through this on purpose.

If he could stuff the words back into his mouth and hightail it to Antarctica, he'd live a much better life anyway. Curse her and her perfect hair and her nerdfest over books. He wasn't supposed to feel this strongly. Attachment was a weakness he couldn't afford. Not even Jihyo's angelic vocals could distract him from this.

What was he thinking? Whispering in her ear and trying to be all cocky. These withdrawals were why he'd been restraining himself for so long. Anxiety was not his friend. He snuck a glance at his guitar, wishing desperately to make some music and take his mind off things. Perhaps the time had come to get employed.

There was a knock on the door. The clock read 1:15 AM. His mom usually came back around this time, so it was probably her.

And that familiar voice called out softly, "Wilder. Are you awake? It's important."

Wilder turned his music down and opened it. "Hi mamá," he said with a hug. Just like every day, he hoped that the hug conveyed the words he couldn't say.

"Can I come in?"

He nodded, and gently shut the door behind them. "What is it?"

Sara Ramirez looked more tired than ever, dark bags under her eyes and cheekbones more apparent than ever. "Something is off about you. I've noticed you're always worried, and my GPS shows that you're often at someone else's place. If it were Leo or Evelyn you would have told me. What's wrong? You can tell me anything."

And for a moment, Wilder wanted to. His mom, his kind, understanding mom. She could fix everything. But he couldn't. He really couldn't. She didn't deserve this. Noticing his silence, she raised an eyebrow. "Does it have to do with new residents? Are they being visited by spirits, too?"

Wilder almost fell backwards. "Huh? How did you-"

"I'm not an idiot, Wilder. I know about the new girl because Malia told me you've been on the phone with someone these days named Kalyani. I know about the haunting because of the books you brought home. So tell me. I can help."

Fuck you, Malia. "I- well, Kalyani is my friend, and the Stones and I thought I'd help her out 'cause this spirit's so awful. It's Roxanne Wesner, mamá."

She pressed her lips into a thin line, the color draining from her face. "You don't need to be helping her, Wilder. There's a natural order of the way the things work around here and we can't risk upsetting it. It's a hit or miss, and I will not lose my son for a stranger's problems."

"Please!" insisted Wilder, making his tone as pitiful as possible. "They're not just strangers. The Chopras are a family just like us, they must be so lost and confused. They're not used to this stuff like we are. You're the one who told me to always be compassionate of others."

"This is the one thing I can make an exception for. You're awfully worked up. Are there feelings in the way?" It was more of a statement than a question.