On Our Own

Chapter 27

The first thing I noticed when I opened my eyes was that I was no longer in bed. The second was that I was outside. 

I must have been dreaming.

Looking down I saw that I was still in my clothes from yesterday. Except now I was wearing a jacket. I began to pick myself up off of the grass and looked around. This was Edward Park. I slowly walked towards the playground where I saw a young couple on the swings. I was about twenty feet away when I stopped and watched them, they looked so familiar. They were swinging back and forth and almost looked drunk. They kept laughing to themselves, and grinning like kids. Why did they look so familiar? I racked my brain trying to remember who they were and I was just about to go closer when I heard a voice behind me.

"Hi, Leah."

I turned around and behind me stood someone I thought I would never see again: Carter.

My eyes widened and I hugged him tight. "You're alive? How? What happened? You can talk?" I asked as all the questions rushed out of me.

"Those are a lot of questions, let's start with the first one. I, of course, am completely one-hundred percent dead," he said.

I stared at him, now actually taking in his appearance. He was in clean, unripped jeans, a black t-shirt, and his favorite sneakers. He was clean of  all the bruises or cuts I last saw him with and his dreads were back. Most importantly, he looked happy.

"If you're dead, then what am I?" I asked.

"Do you remember what happened?" he asked, not giving me a straight answer.

"I was in my room, or on the soccer field, or maybe at school," I mumbled. "I don't remember."

"You're unconscious, Leah," he said softly.

He sat down on the grass, and gestured for me to do the same.

"What did I do to myself?" I whispered.

"I was going to ask you the same question."

I stared at him and finally I answered. "I'm self-destructive. I'm a mess and every time I get better, I ruin it and fall back into bad habits."

"I was going to say because you fell in soccer, but that is definitely a more psychological explanation," he said.

"It didn't hurt that bad," I said looking down at the grass.

"Leah, it was horrible," he said, shaking his head.

"I'm fine," I said quietly.

"No you're not Leah, but the question is how do we keep you from falling back into old habits," he said thoughtfully.

"Any advice?" I asked.

"Well I died because of my bad habits, so I'm not the best person to ask," he said with a shrug.

"Don't say that, Carter," I said.

"Relax Leah. It's not like I was going anywhere," he said shrugging.

I was about to protest that he was smart, and could've done something with his life but continued on before I could.

"I do have one idea," he offered.

"Go on," I said expectantly.

He laughed. "Oh Leah, it's good to know you haven't changed, you're still jumping to the answer."

I gave him an annoyed look.

"Okay, okay, see the couple on the swings," he said nodding to them, even though he didn't really need to since they were the only other people here. "Well Leah, meet your parents."