Before I Forget

Screw the Rules

"Girl, you really do have a death wish." Kat laughed, shaking her head. "This is getting ridiculous."

Sky blinked a couple of times. She was still lying on the floor on her back, Kat crouching by her side. Where the Hell were they? Everything was a blur except Kat's face.

"Yeah, well," Sky groaned. "Does it surprise you?"

"Yes! When did this start?"

"You know when. After Matt."

"Ahhh, that fucking asshole." Kat let out a sigh. "I should have kicked his ass when I had the chance."

Sky pushed herself into a sitting position and glanced around. The white, tiled floor was clean, there was no blood anywhere even if she could still taste it, the faint tang of copper on her mouth. She recognized this place immediately - the hallway in front of the cafeteria. To her right were the stairs she had walked down that day with Kat, right in front of her were the doors through which Matt had entered.

And here, right where she was sitting, was the spot where she had been shot.

That thought brought a vague memory of pain - she knew she should be hurting, but she wasn't. Her body felt light, her skin weirdly numb. Tentatively she flexed her arms, rolled her shoulders. Everything seemed to be okay, there was absolutely no pain anywhere and even the memory of it was beginning to fade. Taking a deep breath, Sky stood up on her shaky legs and turned her eyes back at Kat.

Kat stood in front of her, her slender arms crossed on her chest - partly hiding the picture of a fetal horse in her faded Slipknot band shirt. Sky knew that shirt. She had bought it for Kat as a birthday present when Kat had turned 15, and it was the shirt she had died in.

"So, am I dead now?" Sky asked. It seemed like the only logical explanation.

Kat shrugged. "I am."

"I know that, jeez. I asked if I'm dead."

"Who knows? But if there's an afterlife do you really think it's our old school?"

That made Sky let out a snort. "God, I hope not. But... is this a dream, then?"

"How the fuck should I know?" Kat frowned and stuffed her hands into the pockets of her black jeans. "Do I look like I have some answers?"

"No," that was true - Kat looked like she always had. There was now angelic grace or halo attached to her brow. "It's just... Have you been... here? All this time?"

"Enough with the stupid questions," Kat said and cocked her head to one side, making her straight, black hair fall over her shoulder. "We have more important things to talk about. Come on, let's get out of here."

Kat turned on her heels and started walking, and hesitating only for a heartbeat, Sky followed. Somewhere the school bell rang - the sound was distant as if it came from far away - and suddenly the halls were full of people, kids Sky knew or kids she knew she was supposed to know, but couldn't remember their names. At first Sky panicked - what the fuck was she going to say to them? But luckily no one paid any attention to her or Kat. In fact, everyone walked past them as if they weren't even there. After a couple of minutes that became annoying, and Sky tried to get someone's attention by greeting them, but no one replied. It was like she really wasn't here, like this was a dream after all, but—

"Holy shit, I am a ghost!" She had just walked straight into someone - and right through them - that sensation was like she'd been dragged through ice-cold water, and it left her shuddering.

Kat turned to look at her over her shoulder with a smirk. "Come on, you're not a ghost."

"Then what the fuck—?"