Undying love

1.

Evangeline Annesley was a picture of perfection.

Honey blonde hair flowed softly down her back, grazing her waist as she glided down the hallway. Other students smiled at her and waved as she passed, a yearning look in their eyes of which Evangeline was oblivious to.

That was what Charlie liked most about her.

It was not her captivating golden eyes or her slender but curvy figure. It was her pleasant character which Charlie found most beautiful. He treasured her personality while others only saw the exquisite exterior. Charlie knew her. Sometimes he even thought he knew her better than she herself.

This particular day began like most others. Charlie followed Evangeline from her home in the wealthy suburb of Richmond to the private school of Saint Martins at which she attended. If asked, Charlie could recite her daily ritual without hesitation or fault.

But of course he was never asked anything, for no one knew he was there.

Evangeline met her friends by the school gates like every other morning and they happily linked arms. The girls whispered and laughed amongst themselves while Charlie followed behind them silently. Evangeline then broke away from the other three adolescents and went to her first lesson of the day, Charlie escorting her the entire way without her knowing.

It was a history class which, by Charlie's recount, was Evangeline's favorite. She took her seat front and centre of the class and the teacher gave her a nod of recognition. He turned his back to her and began writing on the board the work they had to complete within the lesson.

Charlie, who was sat in the back corner of the room in an empty seat, shifted his gaze from Evangeline to the girls sitting behind her. Charlie had seen them in other lessons which Evangeline was in, and they seemed to be fond of tormenting the intelligent. Charlie often wondered if there was anything between their ears at all.

The girls giggled to each other and passed a folded piece of paper between them. Charlie stood and went to peer over their shoulder, watching what they were scribbling.

'The freak is back again'

'She is the biggest dork I've ever seen'

'Ew she smiled at me. Am I going to catch boring disease?'

'HAHA! Let's make things interesting...'

Charlie frowned and watched as the girl with a purple streak in her black hair searched through her pencil case. She pulled out a small sharpener and wiggled her eyebrows at her friend, who nodded excitedly in encouragement.

The girl's arm drew back and aimed at Evangeline. As she threw and released, Charlie leaped in and caught the sharpener just inches from the back of Evangeline's head. The girl with the purple streak and her friend gasp along with other students who witnessed the magic. Only it wasn't magic. It was just Charlie.

Evangeline turned and saw the sharpener floating behind her, the rest of the class with mouths agape. The teacher had turned and was wide eyed with confusion. Charlie dropped the sharpener quickly and returned to his seat without making a sound.

"Miss Annesley," The teacher began, "How did you do that?"

She moved her mouth open and shut like a fish gulping for air but no words seemed to form.

"Everyone back to their work," he dismissed his own puzzlement and continued to write on the board.

Charlie shook his head in his palms, frustrated by his foolish actions. People had never really been an obstacle for Charlie. Other than the shiver that rippled them, it seemed they always passed through him without disruption. Objects, however, were another situation entirely. He could decide for himself when he influenced them.

For instance, Charlie could pass through walls and floors and doors when it suited him best. But if he wanted to lift a bag or write with a pen, he could also do so.

Up until this moment he had been able to avoid moving anything which would cause suspicion or direct attention to Evangeline. So many times had he been tempted to carry her bag for her or pick up books she had dropped or open a door for her like the gentleman she deserved. Charlie had been patient. He had been careful.

There was a rise in hushed voices from the rest of the class throughout the lesson. Evangeline rarely got no work done, but this was one of those times. Charlie watched as she stared blankly at the lines on her white page, processing what had just happened. Charlie often wondered why being a ghost did not entitle being able to read minds.

He followed as Evangeline obeyed the signal of the school bell and headed for the lunch room. The corridors were already alive with whispers of her name. They were normally whispers of an envious kind, but now it could be felt that the feeling had changed and people were skeptical.

She took a seat at the table at which her and her friends sat every day. Her peers joined her soon after and Evangeline wasted no time in telling them the events that had the school buzzing. Her friends hung off of every word.

"Show us then, Ev. Make my fork float." Said her friend with the copper hair, Annalise.

The other girl, Sophie, nodded quickly in encouragement. A hesitant Evangeline placed the metal fork on the table in front of her and forced all of her attention onto it. She hovered her hand dramatically over the top of it and tensed, trying with all her might for something to happen. But of course, without Charlie's intervention, nothing did.

Sophie shrugged with a new feeling of disinterest. If the story could not be proved, did it really happen at all?

"Maybe it was just a magnet or the wind." Annalise said.

Evangeline searched their faces desperately for approval but found none. She would be a categorized liar now until she could prove otherwise. Charlie sighed a displeased but slightly amused sigh and reached over, lifting the fork above the table. The two friends gasped and pointed as Evangeline's eyes lit up with joy and surprise.

"You can do it! You must have super powers!" Sophie said.

"Maybe it takes a moment to work?" reasoned Annalise.

Or maybe it was just Charlie. Always there, but never seen. Non-existent to everyone.

Including the girl he so desperately loved.

=====

|A/N|

Hi everyone!

I must admit I don't often read author's notes either but it's always nice to connect from writer to reader.

I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of this new book because I actually did to!

This is a side story of mine for the moment as I'm working on other novels, so forgive me as it will be slow updating (who am I kidding I suck at updating anyway).

It will also not be a very long story as the basis of the book is of minimal material. I could probably flesh it out, but really I think it works better as a smaller piece (and I'm lazy af).

Thanks for reading,

Lots of love xx
-------------------