Two Worlds Apart || Ghost

15

Ghost

I walk back to the table in the cafeteria that Caroline sits at. I set down two cups of coffee for me and her. She smiles up at me.

"How are things right now with you?"  I ask putting the mask up a little and bringing the cup to my lips.

She shrugs. "It's been a little difficult. I hadn't slept much. I went to my students' funerals, and I pray to God I never have to go to another student's funeral."

I nod. "You won't. All the rest of your kids are safe, and we will make sure nothing like this ever happens again."

She smiles. That smile. I almost melt every time she does. "Soap has been teaching them some things too."

"Oh no. Like what?" She says.

"He might have taught two of your boys how to point a gun." I say. "They didn't actually shoot it though. Don't worry."

She raises her eyebrows and sighs. "Great." She chuckles.

We both sip from our cups. I grasp the cup with both hands, looking back up at Caroline.

"Alexa really is a sweet little girl. It's sad that she had to go through the bad part of all that." I say.

"I know. A million dollars? I can't imagine what sick freak would've wanted to buy her and do who knows what to her." She says disgusted. 

"I can't either. She grasped onto me the whole way home. Never let go once." 

Her expression gets more serious. "Simon. Do you know how important that is? That she held onto you all the way home?" 

I narrow my eyes and shake my head. She sighs.

"Alexa has a pretty bad homelife. I have tried talking to the police and other authorities, but no one has done anything, and I'm not allowed to do anything either. She has two parents that only use their money on alcohol and occasionally drugs. She had been physically abused by them when they were under the influence as well. I'm not saying that it may have happened, but she also may have been abused sexually."

My eyes widen. Caroline has told me before about her kids in their lives. I could see in Carolines eyes how badly hurt she is by all this. No wonder she makes these kids her whole life.

"So, how come it's very important that she held onto me?" I ask curiously.

"She never lets anyone touch her and she never touches anyone." She says seriously. "I've never gotten to hug her. Whenever someone accidentally bumps into her, she shuts down. Or a single tap on the arm can make her nervous."

I tilt my head. "You mean that she's comfortable with me?"

She smiles. "And she feels safe with you and trusts you. I make her feel safe and better every day, but she will never let me hug her." She puts her hand on my arm, which sends shivers down my back. "Youve made her realize that people really can be good. I'm the only safe person she's known. Now she knows that there's people like you out in the world."