Illusory | ✓

I l l u s o r y : 07

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2015

I L L U S O R Y : 07

I can't help but confess that it's weird, weird to be walking into the front doors of the school with one of the most influential and popular boys next to me. My heart beats erratically as the doors open and we all rush into the air conditioned hallways, where there once was only lockers and waxed flooring, there's not only that anymore but students cramming through each other to get to their classes and their lockers. It's one of the benefits of this being my senior year, in May I'll be walking and once I get that piece of paper that claims I am done with high school I'll be bee lining it in the direction of California with no plans on coming back here.

"You make my brother sound like he's lost his mind." I snap my head, seeing that Patty is walking next to us, the smirk on her face is enough for me to calm down a little. Strange how in the comfort of dead people (friendly dead people by the way) that I calm down.

"I think he has. Why else would he want to be friends with me?" I ask her, as I notice that I've gotten looks from others and pitiful looks towards Bridger when it comes to thinking that he has to come to me to talk to his sister. Yeah, hypocrites, if I was the head cheerleader they would still do the same thing. Only nice people would accept me as I am.

"Why not? Look, I know what I'm about to say sounds crazy, but...I gotta tell you something," the blonde haired girl says as a mischievous smile appears on her lips as though she's about to tell a dirty secret about her brother to me that she shouldn't tell me.

"No!" All  of the sudden Jared appears next to her, a scowl prominent on his features as he glares at the girl as though she was about to start talking in tongues. "I know what you're about to tell her but it's best if he tells her. Because we both know that's not going to happen."

"Oh really?" Patty raises one of her hands on her hips, as she passes through teenagers as though she is just jogging around the neighborhood. "And who are you to decide what is best for her and not?"

"Because I'm her brother! I know what's best for her. She understands me better than anyone else!"

As his words ring into the air, I'm welcomed by the lights overhead flickering on and off, until every single light that is in the main hallway begins to burst until it's covered with a bruised blue hue.

Voices scatter throughout the air, from teenagers wondering what's wrong, and before I can blink I'm thrown into a janitor's closet. I gulp as the person who threw me in walks in and shuts the door closed behind them. They turn on the light and I'm greeted with Bridger standing in front of me with worry coated throughout his features.

"That was Patty, wasn't it?" Bridger timidly asks me although it's evident that it's forced, that he demands an answer that will tell him that indeed it was his sister that made the lights burst.

"Yes. She wanted to tell me a secret of yours, but Jared told her not to and she told him that he didn't know what was best for me and then Jared was claiming that he did because he was my brother," I quickly confess as I stare at him, waiting for the moment that he will spin on his heel and walk away from me.

A look crosses against the features of Bridger as he mutters something underneath his breath before he glances at me with worried eyes. I crane my head to the side and simply stare at him, as though I'm doing nothing more than observing him and I am.

Leaning back against one of the shelves that hold the cleaning supplies, I remember all of the ghosts that needed to communicate with their family members and me pulling their family members into the janitor's closet for them to have their readings.