If You Read This...

... Scared Me Half to Death

"R-Rory?" I muttered, ambling towards the back of the figure standing in front of my door. It turned around, and I saw his face. Rory's face. It was paler than usual, and his purple eyes no longer held his glow full of life, but it was him.

Tears of joy, fear, and disbelief poured down my cheek as I sprinted towards him and wrapped my arms around him as tightly as I could. Only I didn't grab anything. My arms flew right back to my stomach and I tripped forward, using my door to catch myself. I turned around to see what had happened.

Rory was now standing by my window.

"I'm sorry, you can't do that," he said. His voice. I got to hear his voice again! I put my hands over my mouth, and just sobbed.

"Hey, what's wrong?" He asked, approaching me.

"Nothing! Nothing's wrong. I'm just- are you real?"

"I can't stay long Theo, I just needed to tell you this," he ignored my question.

"What? What is it Rory?"

"I- "

That's it?! He just disappears?!

"Wait!" I screamed in my empty room, "come back!" This wasn't fair. Why did we get these parents?! My mom fled, my dad can't even remember his own son's birthday, and Rory's parents killed him! It's their fault he's dead! He wouldn't have done it if they weren't such pricks!

I threw my notebook on to my desk, and while sweating with anger, wrote:

Dear Rory's Mom and Dad,

If you read this...

He wore sleeves because he couldn't stop your hands

He drove in blades and made his plans

He hated himself because he couldn't hate you

He ran from himself because he couldn't run from you

He killed himself because he couldn't kill you.

"Come with me." That was Rory's voice again. I looked around my room, but I couldn't see him anywhere.

"Where are you?! I want to come but- but, I don't see you!" My eyes burned with tears.

"Let's go to Central Park. We can find dogs." His voice sounded the same. Was it really him? Was he really dead? Was it his ghost?!

"I- okay." I had so many questions, but I wasn't passing up the opportunity to spot dogs with my best friend again. I heard his voice and that was enough for me. I opened my door.

There he was.

"Rory," I gasped in relief. He smiled. I've missed that adorable little smile.

"Come on!" He ran down the stairs. I chuckled and followed. He sped right out my door and continued down the side walk.

"Wait!" I called, chasing after him. He stopped and turned around. He slowly walked back towards me until we where just inches apart. My heart started pounding. I wanted to squeal.

"Should we get a cab?" I whispered, staring into his eyes. He didn't answer, he just stared back. I shut my eyes and started to inch closer. I lifted my hands up and around his neck. But I didn't feel anything. Confused, I opened my eyes. He was about five feet away from me now.

"You can't do that, Theo," he muttered, looking at the ground.

"But- "

"Grab it," he held out his hand. I tried but ended up grasping thin air. I looked away.

"Hey," he said, "smile." I nodded.

"Race you to Central Park!" He called, and before I could respond, he took off.

"But it's like a mile aw- okay!" I ran after him. I weaved through people and bikers. Every time we saw a dog, I would hear Rory shout, "dog!" from up ahead. I laughed each time.

He lied down on a grassy hill. I joined him, fighting to catch my breath.

"You okay?" He asked.

I nodded, "I'm fantastic."

"You sound like you're dying."

"I'm out of shape," I chuckled.

"I remember." I turned to my side to observe him. None of this made any sense, but I wasn't complaining. He was here. He was really here.

"Your naked fetus rodents are annoying as hell. The furry grown one, too."

"You kept all ten of them?" He asked, widening his eyes.

"I'm just as surprised as you. How long until those things grow hair?"

He shrugged, "I want to see them when they do."

"Okay," I said, confused as to how he would see them, confused as to how he was even here. Still, I really wanted nothing more than to watch his face light up as he held one of the rodents in his hands, even if it wasn't as lively as it used to be.

"How's Ivy?" He asked.

"Alright. She's talking about cutting her hair."

"Shorter than it already is?!" He spat, presumably imagining Ivy with ringlets below her chin.

"I guess."

"Well good for her. Tell me how that works out."

"I'm sure she'd be thrilled to see you. You should pay her a visit," I suggested. He looked away.

"How's Nia?"

I was annoyed by his ignoring me, but I didn't want to get on his case. "I'd like to know myself, actually."

He looked back at me, "what do you mean?"

"I think something's up with her. I'm thinking maybe it's – "I sprung up after hearing a big thud behind me. In shock at the sight of nothing there, I turned back to face Rory. He was gone.

I sighed, "Ki." I eyed the park, but it was useless. He just vanished, like a cloud driven by the wind. Suddenly, I had no interest in the dogs roaming around Central Park. I looked up at the sky. It seemed to be made of glass, like if I threw a ball, it would shatter. I didn't see an open sky filled with possibilities, only surface that appeared to be closing in on me. It all felt so fake.

I couldn't stop thinking about what Rory said. "I can't stay long, Theo. I just needed to tell you this." What did he have to tell me?

Nia called me later that day and invited me to her little brother's birthday party. I didn't want to go, but I figured it was a bad move as her friend to leave her and Ivy alone with all those ten-year-old boy's running around. I got a text from Ivy in the group chat: "Ki's going to be there an hour before me and Theo, right Nia?" I pondered over that for a second. Ki?! Ki's coming!? Nia was only allowed to invite three people, which would've been Ivy, Rory, and me, but obviously Rory wasn't coming. Unless his ghost thingy decides to show up again, but that's a different story. Either way, the fact that she replaced Rory's invite with Ki's sent fumes of rage through my veins.