The Almost Rock Star (A Ghost Story) (DRAFT)

The Almost Rock Star (A Ghost Story) 29, First Lie

Daith finally spoke, nearly choking on the words. 

“Are you really there?” he said. His voice was unnaturally high pitched and tense. “Who are you?”

“Um, Allie,” I said. “My name, um, is Allie.” 

I wasn’t sure at first if he heard me. Aja had not had any trouble hearing me, but then again, Aja had admitted he heard ghosts all the time and hadn’t told me when I was alive. 

“Alice? Your name is Alice? What are you doing here, Alice?” 

My gorgeous dream boy was angry. Aggressive. I wasn’t some beautiful girl he wanted to date, or enfold in his arms. I was something he would attack if he could. This wasn’t love. 

The realization was like a daggar in my heart. All this time. All my songs about him. Then, to die before I ever met him. And now. Now he looked at me like I was some sort of enemy.

“No, it’s Allie,” I said, a little louder. 

The long, strange path to my Leader of the Pack, the James Dean of my dreams, now seemed to have gone on too long. I had written songs about this day. I had dreamed about it when my life was boring or miserable. I had fantasized about it when I was happy. I imagined the things he would say, and what I would say to him. Now, I looked at the way the spotlights glanced off his hair, flashing gold light.  

“I, I was just looking for a place to stay,” I said. “I have no where to live.”

Daith paused. He seemed to think about this, and I wasn’t sure if he was still afraid. 

“Hey. I just died, like, almost yesterday. I just need a place — “

“No. Get out.” His words were cold.

Many thoughts and emotions ran through my head and heart. Strangely, I thought of something I had forgotten about from when I was a little kid. It was the day my mother forbid me to ever speak to Kooky again. Kooky was my imaginary friend.

“There is no Kooky. He isn’t there. You are a lying little b****. Don’t ever mention him again,” she screamed at me. I got a spanking, but the most painful part of the whole experience is that Kooky disappeared that day. I never saw him again. It was the first loss, the first pain of that kind that I remembered, and now, eleven years later, I felt the same pain. 

I took one more look at Daith. There was hate and fear on his face. I turned, crying, and ran down the hall.