Silence » a.i

3.6

I never really thought about what I thought would happen after I died, but I got time to wonder while I was in complete blackness and silence. It was surprisingly peaceful. At first, anyway. And then it hit me.

I'm dead. Oh shit, I'm so dead.

"Bridgette," a familiar voice called from somewhere. "Bridgette, wake up...It doesn't work anymore."

What didn't work? Was I actually dead? I tried to find the source of the voice, but came up with nothing.

"You're not supposed to be here." they said.

Yeah, I'm trying not to be.

"Just get out of my way."

What? Was I in the way? It was pitch black, I couldn't see anything!

"Follow my voice, Cooper," they cooed. "I know you can do this."

It was as if I had found my feet and I was slowly moving through the darkness toward more darkness. But with each step I took, I could feel different parts of my body. My toes, and my feet, and my shins, and my knees. My thighs, my torso, out to my arms and all the way out to my fingertips. Finally, I was in my own head and my eyes shot open to see the dark sky like I had when I was invisible to the world.

"Thank God," Michael breathed, my head still on his lap. He bent and kissed my forehead. "Welcome back, Cooper."

"Bridge!" Jeremy was close to tears as I sat up and he held me in his arms.

"My turn!" Luke chirped after hugging Jeremy for the longest time.

I smiled as I turned to hug him too. He pulled me into his lap and held me there as I closed my eyes and listened to the chatter of relief from my brother and friends.

"Bridgette," Calum's voice called quietly. I opened my eyes to look at him. He didn't look as hard and focused as he did before, "you're a ghost now. My si-" he sighed. "Mali grabbed Michael's hand and stabbed you in the abdomen. We got you out here just in time before you...died. I'm sorry."

"It's okay." I told him softly, reaching my hand out. He let his cheek lay in it, holding onto my hand.

He gave a small smile, "Thanks, Bridge."

I returned the smile, rubbing his face with my thumb. But then my face turned sullen, "Do you mind if I ask where Mali is now?"

Calum bit his lip, "Ashton snapped her arm," he explained. That was the noise I heard before. "I made her drink a sleeping potion. She's tied up in the living room. She can't get you anymore, Cooper."

"She knows where she lives!" Jeremy exploded. "While she's alive-"

"I know she's crazy, but she's my sister." Calum stated, standing to measure up to my brother.

"Hey, hey," Michael cut in, stepping between the two boys, "No fighting around Cooper right now, alright?"

"Can you just make her forget about all of this?" Luke suggested.

Before Calum spoke, someone else did.

"Is she okay?" an all-too familiar voice piped up from behind Luke. I sat up straight and looked around Luke's broad shoulders to see Ashton standing in the doorway. His eyes zeroed in on me when he saw me okay, his eyes brightening. "Bridgette-"

"Who do you think you are?" I demanded, trying to stand. I faltered, but landed back in Luke's lap.

"Careful," Calum advised as he helped me to me feet and held me by my waist. "After being brought back, you're a little incapable of walking for a little bit.

But that wasn't going to stop me from freaking out at Ashton. I glared at him as I pointed an accusing finger to his chest, "You think you can control my fate? Let them not bring me back? Say that I'm never allowed to see the light of day again?"

"Hear me out here." he pleaded, holding his hands up innocently.

"No, Ashton Irwin, my fate is not for you to decide for me! It's up to me!" I shouted, stomping my foot like a child.

He sighed and nodded his head, "I know. I'm sorry."

"Ashton, I told you you should-"

"No," I cut Calum off, "let me just say this. I make my own decisions. I'm glad you brought me back because I would've wanted that. Now I'm deciding two more things: I'm moving back into Luke's house," Luke flashed an excited, toothy grin. I looked straight into Ashton's eyes, "and I want you to stay there too."

He nodded once, "Thanks."

"You're welcome." I said awkwardly.

Michael sucked in a breath, "We should head back. Before Mali-Koa wakes up. You sure you got her, Hood?"

"Yeah," he waved it off, "you guys head back."

"I'd like to help," Jeremy offered, "if that's alright."

"Sure," Calum said with a surprised smile, "I have plenty of potion to keep you here."

I stretched, "Hey Cal," I grunted, "mind giving me that stuff to make me sleep?"

"Yeah, just give me fifteen minutes." he said before leading Jeremy into his house.

I turned to Mikey, "What do you do all night?"

He shrugged, "Watch you. Make sure you're okay."

"We went over this before," Luke smiled up at Michael. "He's your Edward Cullen."

"Ew." I cringed.

Luke suddenly fell backwards, passed out, before vanishing back home. Michael just groaned, "Ashton, will you go make sure he's okay."

"Yeah." he said before leaving too.

"How do you do that?" I wondered.

"You just think about where you want to be and it happens." he explained with a shrug.

Calum returned with a tiny bottle and held it out to me. Jeremy was holding a glass of orange juice, "It'll taste like the immunity potion," Calum explained as he handed the clear liquid to me, "so we brought you juice."

I held my nose as I threw my head back and drank it in one gulp. I tried not to gag as he ripped the glass out of my brother's hands and tossed it back, "That was disgusting."

"We should get you home," Michael said, taking my hand. "Wanna try the transport thing?"

I nodded eagerly, and Michael told me to think about Luke's kitchen. I squeezed my eyes shut and thought hard about it.

"Cooper." Michael coughed.

My eyes peeled open to see I was sitting on the counter, "I did it!"

"I did," he admitted. "You're a ghost so you transport where I do if we're touching."

"Asshole!" I laughed, whacking him in the arm.

I noticed he was standing between my legs, facing me with his hands on my thighs. The only other people who did that were Ashton and Luke. I did that with Ashton because we were together; Luke's my best friend. With Michael, it was...different.

"I wanted to help," he shrugged. "Are you enjoying your first moments as a ghost?"

"It's okay," I shrugged. "Are you still going to watch me while I sleep?"

"Honest?"

"Honest."

"Probably." he chuckled.

"Why?" I wondered. "I'm not that great.'

"Because I don't want anything to happen to you. I care about you, Cooper."

"I care about you too."

And somewhere between us admitting we cared for each other, and us still giggling for no reason, out lips met in the middle.

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**going back and reading this after like, three years or whatever, i'm wondering why the fuck I even wrote this part in but i have to leave it for the sake of the plot and shit ugh