The Ghost Guard

Chapter 2: Berrymount High's Elite

Frankie locked the front door of Berdaldo's Grocer from the outside and made his way to his bicycle that was chained up on the side of the building. It was his main form of transportation and best friend. The sparkling crimson red frame paired with top-of-the-line tires with deep grooving tread were his proudest modifications.

He put on his orange miner's helmet equipped with a light in the front and made his way to the town square. While on his journey, passersby would greet him as if he were somewhat of a celebrity. He would respond with a pleasant "hi" or "hello," never stopping to engage in further conversation. He never quite knew who to trust.

Unfortunately, the entitled elite of Berrymount High School didn't share the same keenness toward Frankie that the townspeople did. The ringleader, Brad, with his perfectly coiffed brown hair, and symmetrical face was the first to speak up. It was the week of Halloween and Brad's friend group was in the town square enjoying a few beers he had stolen from his parents' at-home bar. They were congregating around his white Jeep Wrangler. It had little doors with no windows and a hard-tan rooftop. It was a gift from his parents on his fifteenth birthday. It was beginning to get late and most of the town had closed their shops. Frankie rode his bicycle toward the Craigsman Hardware Store for some extra supplies. Out of the corner of his eye, Brad saw him enter through the front door but could have sworn they had closed an hour ago.

"Why does Frankie walk around this town like he owns it?" Brad asked. His beer had one last sip in it, and he aggressively raised it to his lips, tilting his head back to catch every drop.

"I like the way you brush ya hair, and I like those stylish clothes ya wear," Tod sang along to the radio playing "Ride Wit Me," by Nelly and City Spud.

"Tod, did you hear what I just said?" Brad asked.

"Well, you know the rumor," Tod responded. "They say he saves the town every Halloween from ghosts, or some crap like that." Tod was Brad's right-hand man and best friend since kindergarten. Tod, with one "d," was equally as arrogant as Brad. He was more brawn than brains. People would joke about his blonde hair having something to do with it.

"How can a retard save a whole town?" Brad asked. He crushed the empty beer can against his thigh.

Carmen, Brad's current love interest, (but oh-so-much-more than that introduction) interjected, "He's not a retard and you shouldn't say that word. It's demeaning and offensive. You're a jerk."

"Come on, Carmen, we're joking," Brad said. He hugged her from behind, and she pulled away from him. She wasn't used to being in the company of the "popular crowd," so she tended to overlook the mean things they said from time to time.

Carmen moved from Los Angeles, California to Berrymount, Oregon with her 11-year-old brother, Pablo, and father, Martin, in September just before starting her senior year. She never thought they'd leave their home, but fate had brought them to this moment. They used to be a happy, thriving family of four until breast cancer snuck in and slowly dismantled their lives. Martin ran a successful Los Angeles-based landscaping business for many years, but the medical bills became too much to bear. The tree-trimming industry was booming in the Pacific Northwest due to the fires, so he left his landscaping business for more lucrative offerings. Martin worked hard, long hours, and was always traveling, which left Carmen caring for her mother, and Pablo. Martin prayed that this new income would be enough for the doctors to get Veronica better, but nothing was working. Veronica Contreras Camarena passed away in her sleep on June 3, 2003. Carmen opened the bedroom door that morning and knew in her gut that her mother was now with the angels. Tears trickled down her cheeks, but she stayed still, staring at her mother at peace. She had an array of emotions from relief to longing and ultimately anger. She closed the door quietly and felt her legs give out. She crouched against the door and finally let out all her pent-up emotions.