Gravity

Chapter 15

I laid at the top of the stairs. It was kind of a weird spot, but I felt weird soaking in John's kiss in Abigail's room, and it didn't feel right to be in mine. It didn't really feel like it belonged to me anymore. I had gone in there once since I died. It felt strange, like I was looking at a museum of what I was, what I use to be; alive. Everything in there showed you little characteristics of me, put them all together and you'd see what I was really like. My room was a place that if you stayed long enough you might just figure me out. Everything I loved was displayed on my walls or my desk: pictures, posters, poems, lyrics. All of my DVDs and CDs were on shelves alongside books and block quotes.

I liked showing who I was. Everything in there, along with the people I loved was a part of me. My room told you I was seriously into music, that I was an athlete, a writer, a photographer, that I was into 80's movies and Tim Burton, that I was pretty creative. It showed you my sense of style, my lack of talent in doing any makeup other than mascara, that I never really did much with my hair except brush it. And most importantly, it showed you that I was a friend, a daughter, and a sister. But being in there now was just a reminder that life was something I no longer had in my lungs.

I closed my eyes tight as I laid at the top of the stairs, running over in my mind how kissing John felt like inhaling a deep breath and feeling your heartbeat as you exhaled. I missed that feeling. Being a ghost seemed to be an existence of aching, and nothing more.

Suddenly I heard a voice approaching the staircase. A head of blonde hair filled my view as I sat up. Luke. My parents probably told him Ab wasn't home yet and now he's heading to her room to wait for her. I stood up as he reached the top of the stairs, he paused, took something out of his pocket and then walked over to my door. "Uhm, Luke? What are you doing dude?" He stood there, staring at the photo covered entrance. He took whatever he had taken out of his pocket and stuck it on my door.

Just then the front door slammed shut and a flurry of footsteps made its way toward the stairs. Luke and I both jumped back to see who was running toward us. It was Abigail, she was looking down as she raced up the stairs and ran into Luke once she got to the top. "Ah! Luke?!" Abigail looked surprised but confused.

"Whoa there. What's the hurry? I mean you're already way past your curfew." Luke smirked as he shoved his hands in his pockets.

"I don't have a curfew." Abigail laughed.

Luke put on his best stern father act. "Yes you do young lady. It's at 11, and it's already 11:45. What do you have to say for yourself?"

Abigail punched him in the arm and they laughed as they walked to her room. "What are you doing here anyway?" Abigail shut her door behind her as Luke plopped down on her bed.

"Well, you said you'd call after your date, but uh. You didn't." Luke tossed his phone into the air and then caught it.

"Right. Well, that's what I was racing up here to do." Abigail flashed him a big cheesy smile.

Luke laughed. "Whatever."

"My date obviously just got over, so of course I was running up here to call you and bore you with all the details because I knooow that's exactly what you want to hear." She laughed and threw her soccer ball at him.

Luke caught it and looked at her curiously as she took a seat in her desk chair. "Speaking of boring details, why did you bring your soccer ball on a date?"

"Oh. He took me to the park for a picnic and I thought I'd bring it along so we could play. I almost forgot it in his car when he dropped me off."

"So it was a soccer date then?" Luke laughed as he stood up and began juggling the ball.

"Uh, I guess. Kinda." Abigail chuckled a little.

"How romantic."

"Your sarcasm is not appreciated." Abigail threw a pencil at him but it didn't break his concentration on the ball. Luke played soccer too. In fact him and Ab played on the same team. They were the only good players...

"I have something I really need to tell you!" Abigail's thoughts scared me. I was busy watching Luke juggle her soccer ball without missing a beat.

"Oh my gosh, he totally kissed you didn't he?!" Excitement filled my face.

"No!..Well, he did. But that's not what I need to tell you!" Ab focused on the ball as Luke began to balance it on his head.

"I knew it! Aw! You have to tell me all about it! Was it a good kiss?!" A smile rested on my face as I watched Luke effortlessly move the ball around. Man he was good.

"Audrey! We can talk about the kiss later! As soon as Luke leaves I have to tell you something important."

"Okay fine, sheesh!"

Suddenly Luke stopped juggling the ball. He stared at Abigail, confusion in his face. "Do you hear that?" He leaned forward a bit, listening.

Abigail shot a glance in my direction then looked back at Luke. "Hear, what?..." I kept still, trying not to make any noise. I seriously doubted that what Luke was hearing was me, but I still froze.

"That noise.." Luke's eyes darted to the bed. "Oh. It was just my phone vibrating." His phone lay on Abigail's pillow, the screen lighting up. "It's probably my mom. I should get going. I'll text you tomorrow." He picked up his phone and gave Ab a hug before heading home.

"Okay!" I jumped onto the bed and rolled onto my stomach. "He's gone, what do you need to tell me?"

Abigail took a deep breath and looked at me with concern. "I know why John committed suicide."