Illusory | ✓

i l l u s o r y : 23

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED COPYRIGHTED 2015

I L L U S O R Y : 23

I don't have the opportunity to talk to Bridger about moving to California until the beginning of March. School has been stressful, with so many senior meetings with the senior guidance counselor and the knowledge of us having only two months left before we graduate high school it's overwhelming and a small part of me is afraid that the two months of bliss that I've had with Bridger will be torn down and I'll be haunted by the memory of my first love and I not being able to work things out.

I mean, call me stupid, immature, but considering the fact that I'm an eighteen year old girl who is going through her first real relationship road block with her first real boyfriend you have to give me some slack. Half the girls in my grade went through their troubles with their first boyfriends when they were in middle school, but then again they can't see ghosts.

That's why after another senior meeting, I know that I can't go through another one and have my worries eating me alive. It's another reason that when Bridger and I start heading towards the parking lot where his car is sitting waiting for us I reach my hand out and grab him by the sleeve, which in return sends him looking back at me with interest.

"B..Bridger, I need to discuss something important with you..." I start and he shifts his eyes away from me, as though he knows exactly what I'm talking about.

"I have something important I need to tell you too," Bridger admits as he reaches one of his hands up and scratches the back of his neck. "We can go to my house and sit down and talk about what's important...okay?"

Knowing that at least he wants to talk about it, I nod my head and Bridger's tightened posture becomes looser before he takes my hand in his again and we head towards his car again. Once he makes sure that I'm in the passenger seat he shuts the passenger door closed and walks around to the other side.

When he gets into the driver's seat I can only hope that he can respect my decision in joining my parents on Ghost Journeys. To be able to have a secure job working with my parents and people out there actually needing our help, I know that is what I need to do for the time being. I might end up getting my own television show, that is, if I end up liking being on T.V.

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

In Bridger's kitchen I sit in the same exact place I sat during our first real date with each other. But unlike that first date, there isn't anything romantic in the air and it doesn't smell like pasta. A bowl of plastic fruit sits between us and in the background a white board that has chores that Bridger needs to do sits on the fridge, written in Rosie's cursive handwriting.

"So....what is it that you wanted to talk about?" Bridger questions me and I gulp nervously before I start playing with my fingers, seeing that his eyes zero in on my fingers and how it's always obvious that I'm nervous when I play with my fingers.

"After graduation, the future between us," I start off and let my eyes wander around the room for a moment before they fall back on him across the table from me.

"As you know, my parents have a paranormal television show called Ghost Journeys. Well it wasn't until I started watching the show and saw that what my parents were doing was what I wanted to do that I decided that I wanted to be on the show with them. That was last summer...and before that I didn't really care to watch the show since it first aired a year after Jared died," I confess to him and let my hands fall back onto the table and my eyes to stare directly into his.

"Bridger, I'm going to California as soon as school is over. I'm going to join my parents in the show, and hopefully if things go good and the producers and stuff like me then maybe possibly I can have my own show. I've always wanted to help people, to do readings, and with me being on T.V. then more people can know of my ability and they can access me easier," I spill out in a rush and observe how his eyes are gentle towards mine, how they aren't angry with my decision.