Glass

Losing a Friend

Three years earlier...

Vanessa watched as the whole room erupted into chaos.

"Look at you, the puppy has a way with women!" Shawn pulled Lu off the floor and patted him on the back, cackling. "You calmed her down alright, now you can get into bed with her!"

Lu's face went beet red as he waved his hands defensively. "No, that's not what..."

"Shawn!" Chase shouted angrily. He marched over and got up in Shawn's face, his eyes filled with rage. "You can't talk about women like that! That's so sexist!"

"I can do whatever I want, this is hell, remember?"

"Umm... guys?" Lu's eyes were wide as he watched to two young men bicker with each other, his face filled with anxiety.

Vanessa jumped as the last person in the room slid down next to her.

"Oh, sorry to scare you!" He said, inching away to give her space. "Just figured I'd properly introduce myself." He held out his hand apprehensively as if he were waiting for Vanessa to explode. "My name is Milo." Milo had short, black hair. His eyes were calm and gentle, and when Vanessa took his hand his fingers were soft. She gave him a small smile. "I'm Vanessa."

Milo smiled back. "Nice to meet you, Vanessa." He looked up at the fight that was about to break out, then chuckled. "Sorry about them. Shawn, Chase, and I have been here for a couple weeks already. We woke up just like you, we couldn't remember anything. But once we remembered our deaths, it wasn't hard to put all the pieces together." Milo's voice was calm and soothing. "I know it's a lot to handle. If you ever need anything, don't be afraid to ask, okay?"

Vanessa nodded. "Thank you."

Milo gave her a quick smile, then pulled away and stood up. "I should probably stop them from accidentally killing your friend."

Vanessa chuckled as she looked up to see Lu's scared face as he tried to hold back the two other boys.

"Come on, guys... please don't..." He ducked as a fist swung over his head.

"Okay, time to step back." Milo joined in and held back Shawn while Lu grabbed onto Chase's arm.

All of them — except for Lu, he looked like a scared deer in headlights — started to laugh as they took a look at themselves.

Vanessa smiled. Maybe hell wouldn't be that bad.

⧫ ⧫ ⧫

Lu watched from the door as Shawn pulled another ear of corn off a stalk, humming to himself.

"Hey, puppy eyes, did you have a boyfriend back when you were alive?"

Lu's face quickly went red. Why is it whenever I'm the same room with Shawn, he embarrasses me?  "Um... no, not really..."

"Guessing you don't swing that way, then?" Shawn asked, looking back at him.

Lu shook his head, trying his best not to make eye contact.

"Too bad, you're pretty cute."

"What's your favorite color?" Lu stuttered, trying to change the subject.

Shawn chuckled. "Come on, I can't be making you that uncomfortable. And I'd have to say it's green, kinda like those puppy eyes of yours." Shawn grabbed the last ear and winked at him.

Lu felt the heat in his cheeks rise even more.

"What about you?"

"Um... yellow."