The Death of Colleen Rivers

Chapter 4: Baylor

Throughout my morning classes, I was bombarded with people asking how I was holding up and what exactly happened to Colleen and if I was okay.

Of course I was okay. I didn't really lose Colleen. She was still with me. Literally.

But I couldn't act like that at school. I had to be very sad the entire morning when really I wanted to jump up and down with joy.

Colleen wasn't making my job any easier. She would make me laugh while I would try acting depressed for someone, and she would make me smile.

But what I liked the most about Ghost Colleen was that she wasn't any different from the living Colleen. She dressed the same, acted the same, and talked the same. She was still Colleen, I was just the only one that could see her.

We headed to lunch and Colleen went right behind me in the lunch line.

"Name and payment please," the lunch lady said sternly to me.

"Baylor Bennett. And here you are ma'am." I handed her the amount for two meals instead of one, hoping she wouldn't question me about it.

"Sweetheart," she said, shaking her head. "You gave me money for two meals."

"Oh um yes. I'm buying one for a friend if that's alright."

The lady stared at me for a minute before saying, "It sure is! Go ahead and make your way into the lunch line, but give the lunch ladies these two tickets so she knows to take two plates."

I nodded and Colleen and I headed to the lunch line. After I piled our plates with food-Colleen sometimes whacked me in the head when I picked up something she didn't like-we walked over to the table we normally sat at, making sure there was a space for Colleen to sit down.

My friend, Malcolm Lewis, was approaching our table fast, about to sit down where Colleen was sitting when I stopped him.

"No wait! You can't sit beside me."

Malcolm tilted his head to one side, giving me a confused look. "What do ya mean, bro? No one is beside you."

I put on my depressed face and said, "But Colleen used to sit right here. I-I don't think I can handle someone taking her spot so soon..." I dropped my head to emphasize my "pain".

"Oh," Malcolm answered. "Sure thing buddy. Can I sit across from you then?"

I nodded and motioned for him to sit directly in front of me. He plopped down, some of the food on his tray splashing off and hitting the table. Malcolm immediately dove in, not wasting a second.

He began to talk in between each bite. "So...how ya holding up?"

I dropped my head again and shrugged, staring at my plate. "I don't know...I guess I'm making it by..."

Colleen giggled, making me smile a little bit. I hid my smile by slamming my head down on the table and wailing out in "agony".

"Sorry, man. If there's anything I can do to help ya, I will."

I smiled and nodded at Malcolm before turning my gaze to Colleen to see she wasn't there. I started to panic...where could she have gone?

I suddenly heard munching noises coming from underneath the table and saw Colleen ripping a chicken leg apart. I couldn't help but laugh at her. When she saw me, she glowered at me, kicking me in the leg then laughed at my pain.

I tried now to show Malcolm my expression but it was really hard not to.

"You sure you're alright, Bennett? You don't look so good."