Here to Stay || Ashton Irwin (completed)

Chapter 2

"Well Emma, for whatever reason I can see and I can hear you," Ashton replied.

I nodded, "Yeah I figured that."

"Does being a ghost suddenly make you sassy?"

I blinked and scrunched my nose. Is that what I was? A ghost? It made sense, I moved through people and went unnoticed by almost everyone. 

"Sorry did I offend you," he asked, frowning.

I shook my head, "No I'm just trying to process everything."

I was still an emotional wreck. After I watched my parents walk back to their car, which was a new one; red and small, much different from our black Range Rover that I had so idiotically smashed, I had stopped crying but I could feel the tears creeping their way back into my eyes. I looked back into the gym, scanning the crowd for my friend's faces and finally landing upon them. My heart broke all over again when I saw Jack's head had finally fallen to his hands, his shoulders moving up and down violently. 

"My friends," I whispered.

Ashton scratched the back of his head and took a step toward me, his arm outstrecthed, before he realized it wouldn't help. He coughed and stood back. 

"They'll be okay," he said, just loud enough for me to hear.

"How do you know that?" I asked suddenly irritated he would dare say that. 

"Everyone is okay in the end."

"And what about me? They can't see me, so they'll be able to move on! But what about me? Living everyday staring them straight in the face? Just the dead girl forced to suffer as she watches them move on but can't do anything for her own self?"

I lowered my hands, not realizing that they had grown into fists, "What am I supposed to do now, I'm alone. I'm all alone and no one knows that I am."

He cringed and stepped back and a moment of silence passed before he spoke again, "I'll help you."

I blinked, "You'll help me what?"

He shook his head, "You're alone and I can see that. I don't know why I can see or hear you, but I can, and after seeing that they can't, hell, I won't leave you alone. I promise."

I licked my lips processing the idea. To not be alone in this weird afterlife would be nice. To get through this with someone by my side was inviting and something I was in no place to turn down. Plus with a smile like that, how could I refuse such an offer?

-- - - -- - - -- - - -- - -

An hour later I was sitting on the living room floor in Ashton's house. His dad had been a CEO of this big company which rented out vehicles to classy people going to classy parties so his house was large enough that we could find a room no one would walk into and question the kid talking to himself. 

"So do you have any ghosty powers?" He asked wiggling his eyebrows. 

I glared at him.

"What? It's a valid question! Can you walk through walls or posess people?"

I shrugged my shoulders, "I don't exactly go around possessing my greiving friends and families. 

"Okay so what about the walls thing?"

I looked at the tan painted wall across the room, I had never even bothered to try. I'd only been in this weird limbo for about 24 hours. 

"I haven't tried yet."

"Well do it!" He said, already on his feet and walking towards the wall, "Right here."

I looked at him searching to find a hint of a joke but found nothing but utter seriousness.