Haunted

Chapter Two

The first week of school was nothing special. I still had made no friends, although I had met a few people. I still ate lunch on the same staircase everyday.
I had thought about trying out for the soccer team but I still hadn't made my mind up about it. It's a good possibility however. Soccer is a big deal here. Like baseball back in Oregon. Except I don't play baseball, I play soccer.
It was Saturday. I had planned to go to the biscuit shop again this morning, but sadly I had woken up late. Usually I stick to my plans so I decided to go anyways, even if it was noon by now.
So I got on the city bus and made my way. I figured I should probably video chat my mother today, but I don't know what time it is in America right now. I'll call later. When I got to the shop I ordered the same thing I had did before and sat in the back corner in a little table with two chairs. There were no other seats today as the shop was buzzing with customers. I had eaten half of my bagel when my physics partner asked if she could sit with me. I said sure even though I still didn't know her name. So, I introduced myself. "Hi, I'm Owen." I said simply. God, I'm so awkward.
"I know." she laughed, "I'm Ophelia."
I pondered for a moment on how she knew, but then I remembered that our teacher had told her when she transferred into the class.
"Oh, that's right." I said back, just to say something.
"Actually, everyone knows who you are." She simply stated, not making eye contact. I took another bite of my bagel and swallowed before replying.
"How so?" I questioned her.
"You're the American Boy. Everyone knows the American Boy." She said.
"If everyone knows me how come you're the only one who has talked to me?" I asked.
"Well it's sort of a long story actually. The last American exchange student we had, last year, she sort of got deported." she said.
"What happened?" I said right away. I was a sucker for gossip.
"She slept with four guys, including my ex-boyfriend, gave all of them an STD and then got pregnant. Nobody knew which one was the baby daddy. But when she got pregnant her exchange agency said she didn't represent the country like she should. So they sent her back seven months early, and she didn't even get a refund on her money!" She exclaimed in a hushed whisper tone. What a story. No wonder nobody talked to me, the last American spread disease. They probably thought getting near me was like the plague or something.
"Well damn, no wonder. I can count on you to talk to me though right?" I asked. I'm hoping she says yes.
"If I wasn't mistaken I'd think you were flirting with me, Owen." She said with a funny tone that made me cringe.
"Oh, no no no. You see O, can I call you that? Well, We play for the same team. Haven't you noticed me staring at  the guy behind you for like two minutes?" I asked.
"Oh, well that's great! I have someone to look at guys with that will encourage me instead of try to steal my man!" She exclaims.
"No promises." I say and laugh, and she laughs too.
"And Of course you can call me O, I like it. Only if I can call you O too though." She says and I nod, also smiling. "Well, here's my number Owen. I want you to text me so that we can hang out tomorrow, and don't say you have plans because I know you don't." She says and leaves.
Soon, I do too. On the bus ride home I text Ophelia.

Owen: Hey Ophelia, It's Owen.

Ophelia: Hi Owen, It's Ophelia.

Owen: So what did you have in mind for tomorrow?

Ophelia: Lunch, in the park. I'll pick you up, send me your address.

Owen: Why the park?

Ophelia: that's where soccer practice is, and the weather is supposed to be super nice. Address please xoxo

Owen: 2398 W Redding Drive

Ophelia: Thanks , be there at 11:45.

Owen: Can't wait!

When Ophelia and I had finished texting, I had already gotten home and fed Martha's Cat. Since Martha was at the grocery store getting food for tonight's dinner.  I made my bed and Martha's. In the mean time,  I even vacuumed the carpet in the living room and put the dishes from the dishwasher back into the cabinet.
I had nothing really to do after that, so I watched the golf channel and thought about how much It made me want to die. Golf is so boring. The only thing interesting was the Tiger Woods scandal and even that wasn't THAT interesting.

By the time Martha had gotten home and finished making dinner, I had squeezed in a few hours of studying. Immediately after eating I had decided to go to sleep, as time seemed to drag on forever today.
I put on my fire truck pajama pants and one of my marvel t-shirts and gotten straight into bed. After a half an hour or so I had fallen asleep.
I'm not sure when it happened, but at some point in the night I was suddenly awakened by a noise I had never heard before. To me, it had sounded like a dying cat. I rushed around in the pitch black, trying to find the light switch. I tumbled over my feet, and couldn't seem to catch my own balance. Finally, I had reached it,and turned it on. However, the noise wasn't coming from inside my room.
I covered my ears with my hands, hoping to block out the unbearable noise. Finally, I had located its point of origin. Outside my bedroom window, stood Ophelia. She screamed as loud as she possibly could, looking me straight in the eyes. She never stopped to take a breath. It was a long, continuous scream that lasted well over two minutes. It scared the living shit out of me, and I was unsure of what to do.
I ran outside my bedroom and into the backyard, but when I got there, it was completely vacant. Nobody was here. I looked in the mud, finding no footprints. No evidence of Ophelia ever being here. So, I went back inside, confused about what had happened. Maybe it didn't happen. Maybe I was still asleep. It had felt so real though. Too real. I wasn't dreaming. I couldn't have been.
Martha was still asleep however. The evidence didn't match what I had witnessed. Ophelia's scream would have woken up the entire neighborhood, but I was the only one awake.
Confused and freaked out, I made my way back to bed with a glass of water.
What the hell just happened?