My Dad, My Ghost //DISCONTINUED//

Chapter 3 - The boy

(Mysterious boy above)

"Dad!" I scream.

How can he leave me like that?! He died, came back a year later for five minutes, and then disappears in a second.

I felt like I lost him again.

I feel a sob coming out, but I choke it back. I can't just cry in the middle of the street!

Then I notice something I didn't see before. A boy. Looking directly at me from the other side of the street. No, not looking... staring.

He looked about my age, with pale skin and dirty blond hair. He was wearing a black sweater and gray jeans.

Our eyes locked. His were a startling shade of blue. Mine were just boring brown. He didn't look away as most people usually do. He just kept eye contact.

Suddenly, a bus passed between us and, when it was gone, I turned back to the boy and he was nowhere to be seen.

"What?! How?" I ask out loud.

Am I seeing things? This cannot have just happened.

I look around me to see where I was before all that. I am in front of the shortcut alley I took not twenty minutes ago. I can see the same sign I saw before.

Mr. Wall's antique shop
~Closed~

Closed? It's Thursday, so it should stay open until at least 5:30 pm.

I look down at my watch, confused, and realize it is now 6:10 pm.

No way! I thought. There is absolutely NO way I was out here for an hour!

I put the palm of my hand over my mouth not to say a bad word. My brother is probably wondering where I am.

I sprint back home, or at least try to. I get tired after 2 minutes.

~

When I get home, I open the door and go look for my brother. I find him in the living room in front of the TV playing video games. He doesn't look worried at all.

I walk up to the remote and turn the TV off.

"Hey!" He complains, looking at me. "What was that for?"

"I was gone for literally an hour Felix! And you don't even worry?!" I ask, stupefied.

He tries to snatch the remote from me, but I hold it above my head.

"Well, I'm sorry if my homework took that much time!"

"Maybe if you didn't leave it to the last minute, it wouldn't take you so long." I say, giving the remote back to him.

~

Mom gets home an hour later and starts making dinner.

"Hanna my darling, can you start setting up the table for four people please?" She asks as she enters with today's frozen meal. "I'll just have to unfreeze and cook this chicken pie.

Four people? That's odd... we are the only people I know of willing to eat this late in the evening.

"Who's coming?" I ask, following her in the kitchen.

"Oh yeah... you know that little shop not so far from here? Mr. Wall's Antique Shop." She says while setting the temperature on the oven. "I went there this one day and met this really charming man..." she looked at me, probably a little reluctant to see my reaction.

Did mom already get over dad? Okay... well it's been a year now so I guess it's okay...

I smile at her. I don't think she would be seeing someone before getting completely over dad. "If you're happy, I'm happy." I say.

She smiles back. "Thank you sweetie. It means a lot."