The Opportunity of a Lifetime

Chapter 37 (Cheryl's POV)

I've become depressed.

Avoiding Hailey has become a daily thing. Whenever I see her, I make sure she doesn't know I'm there. I'm wherever she isn't. I just can't face her after everything that went down. It hurts to know my best friend doesn't believe what I say anymore, and it hurts even more that she offended my other best friend. Well, my used-to-be best friend.

I suppose I should talk about it with someone. I haven't explained to Pete yet, because I've been avoiding him too. Come to think of it, I've been avoiding everybody. I skip the shows, I stay in my bunk, I sleep a lot more, I don't eat much. I've become a hot mess. Just throw a black dress on me and call me Tiffany Blews.

At first, people would periodically check on me, Pete doing it the most, Hailey doing it none at all. I'd always ask them to go away, because I didn't feel like talking. The only person I'd be willing to talk to was Hailey, but I didn't really want to either. Then they just stopped coming.

I was just sitting in my bunk one day, (or night, I haven't been paying attention) staring at the ceiling, when I feel the presence of something beside me. I brush it off, just thinking I'm hallucinating from lack of food or something, but when I feel something blow against my cheek, my head whips to the side, not expecting what I saw at all.

I see the familiar face of the person I haven't seen in years, blue-green eyes staring at me sorrowfully. I stare, disbelievingly, taking in his narrow nose and dark stubble, before looking into his eyes. They're different than they used to be. They're lighter with bliss, maybe. He looks ancient, but ageless at the same time.

He's watching me intently, his lips turning up in the playful smile I remember so well. I shake my head, turning away. I'm imagining this.

I bring my shaking hands up to my face, rubbing it. I almost feel halfway normal again until I feel that indescribable wind blow through my hair again. This time he materializes right in front of me, and I jump back in shock. He smiles apologetically at me, and he lifts his hand up to caress my face, but all I feel is a cold, but comforting, wind wash across my cheek.

"M-Mike? Is that really you?"

I'm cautious, not willing to believe my eyes. Like Hailey said, the best part of believe is the lie. But when he nods at me and gives me that smile he always reserved only for me, tears pool in my eyes and I want to hug him so bad, just once, but I know I can't. I can't touch him anymore.

"Wh-why... How...?" I ask, not knowing what to say, not knowing how much time I have left with him. I can't screw this up, too.

He tries to brush his fingers against my face, but I can't feel it.

"Baby girl," he murmurs, and whatever he said after that I couldn't hear because I suddenly break down, tears continuously streaming down my face so I can't see him, making me think my brain made this whole thing up. I bury my face in my hands, letting the wall I've built since his death crash down as I sob uncontrollably. I'll have a lot of debris to clean up later, but right now the tears are unstoppable.

He lets me cry for a while, or maybe he's vanished from me forever, I wouldn't know. I'm still blinded by the sobs wracking my body. I start to feel empty, all cried out, and lonely. He's gone. I'll never be able to see him again.

But then I feel that ethereal wind again and I feel myself smile, despite all the confusion and sadness I'm feeling. I look up and see he went nowhere.

"Why are you here?" I ask.

"I don't have much time," he says. His voice is different, too. What was once deep is now light and whispery, kind of like a feather being dragged across your face. Barely there. But the southern accent is still strong and apparent. It reminds me of home.

"I'm here because you're lost, and I'm the only person that can put you back on track right now. I can hear the thoughts you've been having, baby girl, and they're not good. You should make things right with Hailey. She's not doing so well, either. She's torn up about what happened just as much as you are. Please talk to them. Don't torture yourself because of what you think you did wrong. Everyone messes up, but there's always a chance to make it right."

I've been listening hard, trying to hold on to his voice, when his body almost... flickers. His voice becomes even quieter, and I have to strain to hear him.

"I have to go, baby girl. Listen to what I said and make up with Hailey-"

"No! Mike, you can't leave me again. Please stay," I cry, feeling helpless. He frowns sadly at me, and the air around me turns colder, making me shiver.

"I can't, I'm so sorry. The big man needs me up there. I need you to know I'm always with you. I can see and hear you, and I've been with you this whole time. You've just never known it. Whenever you are questioning why you're here, remember me. You can talk to me and I'll be here for you. I love you, baby girl..."

His voice falters, and his image quivers, slowly disappearing. I reach desperately for him, grabbing nothing but air, crying out his name. He can't leave me. I only had him for five minutes and I've lost him again.

The atmosphere turns empty again, and I'm left alone with my own thoughts. I sit there, staring blankly at the closed curtain in front of me, willing Mike to come back, but he doesn't. He really is gone.

I just sit with my head in my hands, breathing unevenly, thinking this whole situation over. He wants me to make things right with everybody. The last thing I want to do is disappoint him, so I push my seemingly heavy body off the mattress, and jerk open the bunk curtain, ready to face my demons. I'm going to turn things back to normal, starting with Hailey.

I almost turn around and give up, but when I hear a little whisper in my ear telling me I'm making the most important person to me proud, I smile and push myself out the door.