Bleeding Hearts

Empty Hearts

Six Years Earlier

Coming home from school I clutched the straps of my backpack close to me. Another day of teasing, another day of torment, but it was over and I could go home in peace. Walking quickly I took a shortcut cutting across an empty lot and ducking between a split in a chain linked fence. Sometimes the boys would chase me, teasing me, sometimes the girls would walk alongside me saying mean things. Either way when I came home I prodded my laptop like a dead animal scared to look at my Facebook, or Twitter. Mean comments and horrible things about how I was a freak, and worse things.

Caught up in my thoughts I almost didn't hear the crying that came from behind a stack of planks and boards in the lot. It was grievous and heartbreaking, I recognized that type of cry. I'd cried myself to sleep many nights like that out of loneliness. Who was crying?

Crawling over the planks I saw the crier. It was a boy, no older then me. Springy wild hair, T-shirt and jeans. A boy, a transparent, a ghost. I held my breath. He didn't look as I crawled but just continued to cry. My dad had always told me to not talk to ghosts, but I always felt bad for them, especially the ones that cried.

"Excuse me," I called to him. He looked up and stared at me confused for a moment.

"You can see me?" he asked questioning me.

"Yes. I can see you. Don't tell anyone though, I'm not supposed to be able to see ghosts." I smiled warmly at him and he smiled back. My heart sank, a teenage boy had died. I thought back a moment to the news, to what I'd heard from grownups hearsay. Then I remembered about a boy who'd gone on a sports trip to the regional championship for track at school. They were driving to New Jersey, and got hit by a semi truck driver who'd fallen asleep at the wheel. There'd been a whole assembly to honor him and everything since he'd gone to the same school as me, the boy's name had been Isaac. "You're Isaac aren't you?" I asked hesitantly.

"Do I know you?" he asked perplexed.

"We went to the same high school," I explained.

"I'm Cassandra Day."

"I think I remember you," he said nodding. "You were Ghost—" he frowned quickly as he looked at me, but I remained straight faced. Ghost Girl, that's what they called me at school.

"Yes, I'm Ghost Girl," I nodded.

"Sorry about the teasing," he apologized.

"I don't remember you teasing me," this much was true, I remembered everyone who teased me, their faces burned into my memory.

"Yeah, but I didn't do anything to help you." He admitted. "I was just a bystander."

"Don't worry. Most people don't like getting involved in stuff like that, but I guess it's because they're scared." I knew this was true, but I said it half-heartedly.

"So you really can see ghosts." Isaac hovered in the air sitting cross-legged.

"Yeah, I can," I sat down on a plank that wouldn't give me splinters the moment I got up. "why are you still here?" I asked, Isaac gave me a look of confusion and I explained.

"Ghosts are people with unfinished business, they're normally looking for a way to crossover, but can't because they still have something to do,"

"Well I don't know what my business is." He said childishly.

"Oh, that's normal for a ghost..." I thought a moment. "I have a body, I can go places where even you can't. If you like I can find out why you're still here," It was a long shot, but maybe if I did this for Isaac he'd want to be my friend and then we both wouldn't be so lonely anymore.

"Would you do that for me?" he asked tremulously, I nodded.

"Only if you promise to be my friend," I offered, he smiled and I smiled.

"Alright Cassandra, I'll be your friend. I'm glad I have a friend even as a ghost,"

Everyday I went to school with this fueled energy to find out something about Isaac and everyday I did, in fact, learn something about him. He had a freshman sister who went to my school, but she seemed kind of aggressive and I didn't know how to approach her with another conversation starter besides "You know your brother who died last year? Well I'm friends with him now, and we'd like to ask you a few questions."

Isaac and I met at our empty lot, sometimes we walked in the parks we'd both gone to when we were little, but the lot was where we could talk freely without interruption.

"You know if you eat an Otter Pop like that it cuts the insides of your mouth," he warned me one day.

"It's the best way though, I can slurp it up like a straw and not leave one drop behind," he smiled at me as I finished.

"Are you seriously just going to let the other one melt?" he asked me pointing to the blue one that would've been in his lap if he had a body.

"That one's yours," I said simply.

"As much as I appreciate the sentiment, that's just a waste of a good Otter Pop," he laughed.

"Oh, but..." I thought I'd done the right thing bringing him, but now it seemed stupid.

"Go ahead, have it," he offered.

"Only since you say so," I said opening the drippy plastic wrapper like a teething puppy. Isaac laughed again and I felt self-conscious.

"Don't get embarrassed, it's cute," he reassured.
"You make me very happy Cassy,"

He said I made him happy, and that gave me motivation to try and find out why he hadn't moved on, I didn't want to let him down, he was my only friend, and when you have friends you don't want to do anything that'll make them upset with you. One day as we were talking, feelings spilled over, and I didn't realize it at the time, but I was getting in too deep.

"Okay your turn. Truth or dare?" He asked me. I smiled as I lay on my sun worn plank staring up at the big blue sky, not a cloud in sight. Isaac mimicked my position. If he was tangible our heads would've been touching

"Truth." I nodded sure of myself.

"Have you ever kissed a boy?" he asked curiously, I burst out laughing.

"I'm the school freak remember? Who'd want to kiss me?" The sardonic laughter hid the pain that would so easily surface if I did anything else.

"But you're pretty, guys are stupid for not wanting to kiss you." He said it so simply I couldn't help but blush.

"Well, not every guy thinks like you do," I said quietly.

"Not every guy knows you like I do," he said gently.

"Um, it's your turn," I said quickly. "Truth or dare?"

"Truth." He barely uttered the words and my heart quickened a little. It was now or never, what harm could come from a simple question?

"Do... you have a crush on me?" It was farfetched, it was wild. In fact, it was absolutely ludicrous. Why would any boy, dead or alive, have a crush on me?

"Yes." Came the reply so unexpected I held my breath. Sitting up I looked to Isaac who looked at me seriously. No trace of mockery, not a note of cynicism. Could this actually be happening?