The Unseen

Carshaw Saw

I wake up with a pounding headache. My hand goes to my head and I sit up. I look down and realize that I used Drew as a pillow. I smile; he looks even better when he sleeps. I look down and realize I'm still wearing his sweatshirt. Sunlight streams down through the trees. I realize then that we sit in the bed of a random truck, the van is a couple cars down.

I set my hand on his cheek and gently shake him with the other hand. Drew moans and swats around at me. I catch his swatting hand in the air and lace my fingers through his. He opens his eyes just a crack and he smiles at me, "G'morning." He sits up and his hand automatically goes to his head, "Shit," he picks up a beer bottle next to him, "How many of these did I have?"

"At least six." I say with a smile.

"What is wrong with me?" Drew looks down and rubs the fabric of his sweatshirt between his fingers, "You look even better than I do in this."

"Do you want it?" I ask, going to go take it off.

He shakes his head, "Nah. We should probably find the others though."

I nod, "Might not be a bad idea."

Drew hops out over the side of the truck like a pro and offers me a hand as I jump out. We walk first through the path and find Jeremy, the guy who rode shotgun, and a barely clothed Britney on the side of the path. We wake them and tell them to head to the van and we'll get everyone else. Britney gives me a dirty look for finding her with him and we head on our way.

We find Landon with Megan under some chairs, Fiona with Mike behind the coolers, (who gives me a dirty look for being in the presence of Drew), and everyone else in random, strange places.

+++

I get out of the van with a promise from Drew to call me later.

Mom leans against the counter with a cup of coffee in hand, "Where have you been?"

"Out." I say.

She slides a piece of paper to me over the counter, "Your friend left a note for you. When was she here?"

"Yesterday." I take the piece of paper and read it.

Rain,

Had to go. I'll be with Davon in the usual place if you need me.

Hope you had fun.

-Bianca

"You look like shit, Rain." Mom says, ever the people pleaser. I go to walk off to my room, "Hey, one quick thing first. Who's Halzer and why are you wearing their sweatshirt?"

"He let me borrow it."

"He? It's a guy? You're not pregnant, are you?" She demands.

I smile to myself, "No, Mom. I'm not pregnant, just hungover."

"If I find out otherwise, you're in deep shit Rain Elizabeth!" She yells after me.

I change into a pair of jeans and a tank top. I'm about to head out when I decide I'll wear Drew's sweatshirt; it's comfy and smells like him.

I take the car and drive out to the high school and see Bianca and Davon leaning against the wall. Parking the car, I see Bianca's head turn and she runs over to the car. I hop out of the car and am attacked. Bianca hugs me tightly and I nearly forget that she's dead with how tight her grip is.

She pulls back, "Wait a minute. This isn't yours." Bianca says smirking at Drew's sweatshirt.

"How do you know?" I ask.

"Well for one your last name isn't Halzer, for two you don't play football, and for three I looked through your closet while you were gone." I go to object but she cuts me off, "So how nice was it getting this off of him?"

I playfully punch her arm, "You're terrible! He just let me borrow it."

"So are you two officially an item yet?" Bianca asks.

I shake my head, "No, but I have a death threat from the three witches coming my way if we do. Fiona has it in her head that they're going to be together even though I found her with Mike this morning."

"See I told you: whores. They're everywhere!" She makes exaggerated hand motions and I laugh.

Davon walks up behind her and laughs, "You shouldn't be talking."

A knowing look passes between them and I frown, "Bianca, I swear to god I will kill you again if this happened in my room last night."

"Of course it wasn't in your room, Rain, that'd just be sick." Davon answers, "It was on your kitchen counter."

I attempt not to picture this happening where I eat my cereal but images flood my mind and I want to gag, "Blech! What the hell guys!? I eat my breakfast on that! Eww!" I yell at them but it only makes them laugh more, "You two are sick!"

The three of us sit on the hood of my car and hang out for hours. Few cars are in the parking lot. Mine and a few others who belong to teachers who are here for meetings. A tiny tan car pulls in and a short, bald man with glasses gets out.

Shit. I try and run inside my car but the nasal, annoying voice I've grown to hate, pierces through the air, "Rain Evans! Who are you talking to?"

I pull out my cellphone as fast as I possibly can, open it, and hold it up, "My friend.......She's in Mexico."

"Uh huh. And so you've made friends your first week? And since then, they've had time to go to Mexico? Seems like an awfully short timespan for all of this to occur." Dr.Carshaw says, seeing directly through my lie like usual.

I sigh and cross my arms, "Fine it was my mom. But she hung up on me. Thanks to you."

"Sass gets you nowhere. And do we need to talk? I seemed to have seen your cellphone in your pocket when I drove up and you were chatting away. Do I need to speak with your mother about continuing our sessions?" He asks.

I shake my head, "No, I was talking to myself not any 'imaginary friends'." I just came here because I needed to sort some things out. Clearing my mind."

Dr.Carshaw walks up, checking his watch, "You know where I am if you need me. I'm going to be late for my meeting." He shakes my hand goodbye, a bit backward in his mannerisms, and something unexplainable happens. Something I thought could never happen. Dr.Carshaw looks over my shoulder directly at Bianca, and a strange look overcomes his face. He drops my hand and the look passes as he looks around a bit, searching for Bianca. He saw. He saw what has been haunting me for years. He saw who he told everyone was merely a figment of my imagination. He saw the dead.