School Spirits | I Don't Do Friends

19- maybe

Broken wine bottles, cigarette burns in the couch, it was all too quiet.

Boom.

Caroline shot awake, fighting the throw blanket over her.

It had been almost 30 years since her life ended, and she was still dreaming about it.

She saw a figure come through the door of the library, her first instinct was to throw the book she had on the coffee table beside her.

Before she even got the chance he heard a familiar voice break through the dark.

"Hey! It's okay!" It was Wally.

She dropped the book right back where she found it, horrified she almost nailed him in the face.

"Wally, what are you doing here?" She raked her hands through her hair, still shaken from the dream.

"You were screaming." He walked closer, still a little worried she'd send a projectile flying at his head. His breathing was heavy, like he had been running.

"What? No- no I wasn't." She reasoned. "I was asleep, I'm fine."

He looked at her like there was more to say, his gaze careful.

"Was it a nightmare?" He asked.

Such a simple question, but she couldn't give him an answer.

"I guess so. I can't remember." She rested her face in her hands, her face was wet with tears.

She had been waking up suddenly for weeks now. She never wanted to bother anyone with it. Now she was screaming in her sleep?

He sat next to her.

"This happen a lot?" Wally asked.

"Not a lot. Sometimes." She turned to him. The room was dark but she saw sadness in his eyes.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He leaned closer, pushing a crazed strand of hair out of her face.

They hadn't worked out. A few years in they decided to call it quits. Being dead really dampens relationships. Now they know. It felt more natural to just be friends.

"Because I don't even know what it is I'm so scared of." She took his hand. It was warmer than hers. "And I always feel like I'm dumping all of my problems onto you. You have enough to deal with."

"I'm never too busy for you, Caroline."

Even though they weren't together, Wally felt responsible for her. He always did.

Those words hit her hard. However, she was done using him as a shoulder to cry on. He was more than that.

"I know, but I'm fine." She insisted.

The dreams had been going on for years, she'd wake up in a sweat, unsure of what caused the fear to bubble under her skin. She knew whatever it was had to be bad. Bad enough that her mind chose not to remember.