Ghost

0701

It was on Monday that my sister decided to bring her shiny new friends home for the family to see. I was laying in the middle of my floor, staring up at a lone fly bonking around the light fixture when I heard them waltz through the front door in a burst of conversation.

I crawled over to my door and pushed it open just a crack.

"Wow, this place is old."

"Valerie!"

"I mean...in a totally vintage sort of way."

"Right."

"Where can I put my purse, Audrey?"

"Just throw it anywhere."

I could tell my sister was trying to be as cool as possible. I could almost hear her waving off her hand as if having the most popular kids at school in her house was no biggy. From the sound of it, there was a guy and two other girls. I couldn't imagine how the girls kept their mouths from flying off, they were flapping them around so much.

"Oh my god, this place is creep-city. Is it haunted?"

"Oh my god, yes. That would be killer."

"Ugh, guys, please don't get me started on that junk, you know how I get." A new voice; softer but just as girly and annoying.

"God, you are such a baby."

"Such a baby."

"Oh, well excuse me if the thought of some ghost coming and cutting out my guts out isn't my thing. Barf."

"Where's the b-room at?" A guy.

"Down the hall."

"Ew, seriously Brian?"

"What?"

"Can't you wait until you get home?"

"But I have to go."

"I don't think Audrey would appreciate you dirtying her house anymore than it already is." A pause. "No offense or anything."

"It's okay."

"God, Val. In what way was that not offensive?"

"Shut up, she said it was okay."

I started thumping my head against the floor in an attempt to drown out their nasally voices. It was working pretty well, along with cranking up my phonograph a few notches, when I heard my name.

"-yeah, she's probably upstairs. Laying in bed, or something."

"Does she always do that?"

"Pretty much."

I could feel my cheeks flushing.

"Isn't she that one gal we have in Government?"

"The weird one?"

"Val! God, is it your goal to offend everyone today?""Oh, shut up."

"No it's okay," Audrey replied in such a nonchalant manner, I had the urge to throw something right through the walls at her head. "She's always been a little...odd."

"Like how?"

The sound of the toilet flushing momentarily paused their conversation. I heard the bathroom door open.

"What did I miss?"

"Shh, we're talking about her sister."

"Oh, you mean the weird one?"

"Brian!" All three girls shouted.

"What? Sorry."

"Ignore him, Audrey. Continue."

"She's just...I don't know..."

"She's not mental, is she?"

"No. Well, I mean, she's had to go to therapy before, but it was...for something else."

"Like what?"

Audrey paused and lowered her voice.

"She claims she can see the dead."