School Spirits | I Don't Do Friends

5- Exactly 17

"How about you skip school Friday? I'll take you to the Macy's that just opened up in town." Hank said from the couch, a baseball game was playing.

"You know, I was thinking of just doing something Saturday. We can pick up a cake and a movie."

"Sure, sure. What are you thinking?" He asked, pulling himself off the couch.

"Footloose is out on tape." She pulled leftovers out of the fridge.

She was going to see it in theaters, just didn't feel up to it when it came out.

"That movie is so stupid." He grumbled.

Caroline laughed. "Yeah but you love me, and it's my birthday."

"Yeah yeah, how old you turning? 14?" He loved getting her age wrong on purpose. She was still a little kid in his eyes.

"Yeah definitely, and you're 40 again." She joked back.

He would've laughed, but he was getting ready to apologize for her mother again.

"I'm sorry your mom won't come by. She's out of her mind." He consoled.

Caroline sighed. She never expected her to stop in anyway. It would be useless to even hope.

She really didn't even remember her mother much, and it was only a few months ago. She was very content with her life without her.

"Dad, I know you're just trying to help but if she doesn't feel like stopping in, I don't want her here." She slid the casserole into the oven.

Her mother meant drama, and she wanted a relaxing birthday in, watching Footloose, and eating red velvet cake from the grocery store.

"I guess you're right."

Caroline usually walked home from school, but on special occasions like today her dad got off work early to pick her up. She saw movement in the middle seat of the truck.

He pulled up to the curb and a dog was sitting next to him. Her face distorted with confusion.

"Where the hell'd you get that?" She opened the door and sat in the passenger side.

It was some sort of shepherd, it only had one ear, the other one stood straight up.

"The Johnson's are selling their sheep, they didn't need her anymore. You like dogs right?" Her father changed the gear of the truck and sped off.

"Yeah! Who doesn't? What's her name?" She asked petting her.

"They just called her 'Dog', it's what she comes to." He explained.

"How original." Caroline laughed.

She immediately realized the 'Dog' would be more his pet than hers. Her father looked younger, happier. Though he tried to stay stoic.

She reached for her seatbelt as they turned to exit the parking lot. When a blue truck going 50' hit them head on.

Caroline's head slammed against the dash cracking her skull. The last thing she felt was Dog jumping on her lap and licking her face. Trying her best to keep her awake.

Wally saw all of it, he'd often see her off as she left school. He wanted to run over to the nearly totaled truck but he couldn't step foot in the parking lot without being zapped back to the football field. He stood and watched as people crowded around, and as the police ushered them away.

That's when he saw Caroline stumble out the door, her body didn't follow.

"Caroline!" He called, he tried his best to keep his feet on the edge of the curb.

She looked up to a friendly face she hasn't seen in a while. "I have to be going crazy." She thought looking back to the truck. She saw herself, bleeding. She saw the ambulance speed into the parking lot, and father being held back by three cops.

"Sir, we need you to calm down." One of them told Hank.

"You want me calm? Let me see my fucking daughter!" They didn't let him ride in the ambulance with her body.

"Caroline!" Wally called again, holding out his hand.
She turned back to him. He looked exactly the same.

"Wally?" She stumbled.

"Yeah, yeah it's me just come here."

"Just tell me what happened Mr. Wispe." The officer asked Caroline's father.

"I have to get to the hospital." Hank reasoned.

Dog was laying at his feet. Whimpering.

Caroline's father worried, he was a worrier. He always worried about her going well at school, or making friends. He worried about her more when Wally died. Now he worried for the worst.

"Just answer a few questions and I'll drive you there myself, Hank."

He nodded, swallowing hard.

"I was just picking her up, it's her birthday. Then a truck hit us head on and sped off." Hank paced.

"Pa! I'm right here!" She ignored Wally for the moment. She must be seeing things, she hit her head pretty hard.

He mumbled something but she couldn't make it out.
"What?" She turned her head.

"He can't hear you." Wally informed.

She rolled her eyes, of course he can't.

"Fuck!" She yelled and slammed the truck's door closed. It snapped shut with a loud bang!

Caroline's father and the policeman whipped around to see the truck's door closed. The dog was barking.

Wally couldn't believe what he was seeing. She shut the door in the living world. He almost didn't believe it, but it's hard to not believe things anymore.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Caroline huffed.

Wally stood there shocked.

"Wally?"

"You're not supposed to be able to do that."