Artemisia High

3 | Ghost

Winter took her seat in Biology and smoothed out her skirt once she sat down. The dress she wore was her favorite because it had been her mother's. Even after 20 years, the embroidery on the white organza hadn't come undone. Winter made sure it stayed that way.

Just as the second period bell rang, Jacin slipped into the seat next to her.

"Hey, Trouble. Looks like we've got a class together this year. Again."

This was something Jacin said to her every year. No matter what, the universe seemed to want them to be together. Besides being best friends since they were born, his parents worked at her stepmother's company. Winter's father, who had also been friends with Jacin's dad, used to work at that company under a similar position. That is, before he was murdered.

See, after Winter's mom died, her dad struggled. Her mother's boutique was very popular, whereas her dad was a security guard at a company. Levana Blackburn, the wealthy CEO of the company Winter's dad worked at, seemed to be infatuated with him, and she proposed to Winter's dad not long after his wife's death. At the time, the CEO was young and foolish, but Winter's dad married her because he thought it was best for his little girl.

And then he died. She was there when it happened. Gunshot after gunshot after gunshot, her own piercing screams mixing with her stepmother's. She ran to their bedroom only to find blood everywhere. She held onto his bloody body until he took his last breath and her sea of salty tears outnumbered the flood of blood. It wasn't until after his death that Winter learned the cause. Apparently, someone wanting to seduce Levana and get her fortune was behind it, but that was just a rumor she heard. Ever since then, the memory has haunted her; she never stopped seeing the blood. After numerous incidents of hallucination, Winter was diagnosed with PTSD with psychotic symptoms.

Ever since then, Jacin had been her only true friend. He kept her sane, or as sane as one with psychosis could be. It was a blessing that they were constantly placed in classes together. Winter didn't know what she'd do without him.

Winter tried her best not to talk to Jacin during class, and that seemed to be a bit easier today than usual. Both of them were heavily interested in the subject; Jacin wanted to be a doctor and Winter wanted to know what was wrong with her.

At the end of the class, Jacin waited outside of the class for Winter.

"So, how was your summer?" he asked.

"You were there for most of it, silly."

"Well, what about that time you went on vacation to Lake Tahoe?"

"It wasn't very interesting. Stepmother just did business stuff the whole time. It was nice to get some fresh air, but I felt so alone. Everyone there was so rude. A couple guys were nice to me... but I don't think it was because of my personality."

Jacin gave her a sympathetic smile. He stayed close to her as they navigated the crowded halls of Artemesia High. Jacin always seemed to be there for her no matter what. He was the only one who truly understood her and could see through her madness. If it weren't for Jacin, Winter didn't know where she'd be or if she'd have even survived her traumatic childhood.

While they were walking to their next class, Jacin got closer to her and pressed a hand to her upper back.

"Here comes Carswell Thorne. Just keep walking, and whatever you do, ignore him."

Winter had never heard of this Carswell, which of course prompted her to look around for him. It was hard to tell who he could be when everyone around them looked so different and yet the same.

She soon discovered that a tall, blond-haired fellow was him when he winked at her.

"Looking good," he said.

This prompted Jacin to give Carswell a death stare, some silent promise passing between them.

"What's wrong?" Winter asked.

"Nothing. Just...he's Thorne, is all."

"You don't like him. Why?"

Jacin sighed and ran his hand through his blond-white hair.

"In elementary school, Thorne always teased me for being scrawny. He would make jokes about me and laugh at me. He just wasn't very nice to me.

"When I was 12, Thorne convinced me he could give me pills that would make me more attractive. It was stupid, but I was young and had a crush on...someone. Anyway, I took them, but all they did were give me digestive issues and make my skin really red and flaky. When I asked him for my money back, he refused to give it to me and claimed I had done something wrong.

"Then in sophomore year, he tried to compete against me every way he could. He would try to beat me in everything we did, and even if I won, no one cared. Everyone liked Thorne and hated me.

"Plus, he's cocky and conceited. He constantly treats girls like disposable objects and tricks guys left and right. He's a slacker who's probably never worked a day in his life and constantly flaunts his wealth. I've hated him since I met him."

Winter gave him a reassuring smile. She didn't truly hate anyone, even her stepmother whom she disliked strongly, but Jacin's reasoning made sense. Sometimes certain events in life would stick with you forever. That she knew.

Jacin and Winter slipped into their next class, Calculus. Jacin greeted a well-built brunette sitting next to them. Winter had seen this boy a few times before, mostly when she had gone to Jacin's games when he used to play football.

Winter didn't really know any of Jacin's friends — not that he really had any. Then again, she also didn't have any other friends. They were both loners who confided in each other.

After Calculus, Winter and Jacin had to part ways. They wouldn't see each other again until lunch and then 5th period after that. And, of course, they traveled home together. They lived on the same street in Pacific Heights, so Jacin drove her home every day.

Jacin still walked with Winter part of the way to her next class, but eventually, they reached a fork in the hallway where they each went their separate ways. After turning right, Winter glanced back to catch a glimpse of her friend. She saw his blond head be absorbed into the mass of pubescent adolescents. Just as she was about to turn back around, something else caught her eye. It was only for a second, but Winter felt like she saw a ghost in the form of a brunette with a ponytail. Winter had no idea why she felt drawn to her. She had no idea what about that girl struck Winter as familiar. She didn't even know if there was a connection or if some other vibe was interfering. Either way, she didn't have time to evaluate the situation because the girl was absorbed by the mass, too, and so was Winter.

It's probably just a hallucination, Winter thought. And with that, she put the ghost of a girl out of her mind.