Ghost Of You *SLOW UPDATES*

Chapter 25

The texts started flooding into my inbox soon after I had left, so Carly had seized my phone and hidden it in the breast pocket of her lavender peacoat as we walked into the auditorium to find Mr Giles and alert him to my renewed residency at the campus. He nods in understanding and hands me the keys to Carly's old room as they haven't repaired my old room yet. It's now my turn to nod and leave the room as we march back to the tall dormitory building.

Riding the elevator back up to our floor, Carly remains silent as we step out and into the hallway. Taking a shuddering breath, I approach my new room and slide the key into the lock, unlocking it with ease before pushing the door open.

The room is blank and void of colour, quite in contrast with how Carly had it last I was in here. It once was bedecked in pastel colours and cute anime and manga drawings. Now it is a blank canvas just for me.

"I'm going to go get your bag and put your guitars in your practice room," She says from behind me before I hear a quiet rustle and she pokes something into my back. "Take your phone but I swear. Don't you dare answer them."

I nod and turn, taking the phone from her outstretched hand before I watch her leave the room and disappear down the hallway. Numbly, I shut the door after her and shuffle towards the bathroom where I turn the silver knobs by the bathtub and watch as the water splashes against the bottom. I place my phone on the bench next to me as I rid myself of the sodden clothes on my back, the leather jacket slipping off easily and crashing to the floor next to the black, Chelsea boots I had paired with it. My jeans roll down my legs and I shiver at its touch as it moves, its attempts to cling to me useless as them come off with the shirt I pull off quickly, leaving me exposed in my mismatched underwear and bra.

The steam from the bath rises as I sink into the water and allow it to fill around me. I bring my knees up to my chest and watch and rest my head against my knees as I hear a knock by the front door followed by the creak of it swinging open.

"Shay?" She calls out with a grunt of effort as I hear my bags thud to the floor.

"I'm in the bathroom." I call out tiredly, my voice partially muffled by my knees. She stumbles into the room not long after and I hear her sigh at the sight and she patter my way and sits by the bathtub as she says, "Do you know what my favourite quote about love is?"

I look at her slightly and shake my head as she smiles sweetly and says, "How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard."

I look at her and ask, "Who said that?" "Winnie the Pooh but that is beside the point. Shayla, you had a reason to leave him and it was right... I think. What was it that he did anyway? Correction, what did they do?" She asks, looking at me carefully as though I am some piece of art she wishes to study.

"They took my music and recorded it without asking. They didn't tell me and I had to find out by accidentally overhearing it." I simper as tears prick at my eyes but I dare not let them fall. Not again. She cocks her head to the side and says with a loving and sisterly smile, "Those dicks better watch themselves. Mumma Carly's gonna get ya."

I laugh at her attempt at humour and find myself smiling for the rest of my bath as I scrub myself clean, ever cautious of my cast, before climbing out of the tub and being enclosed in a hug by Carly who wraps me in a fluffy white towel I had in my bag.

"You'll be fine darling. Plus, you have a doctor's appointment in... 15 minutes." She says with a small smile. "What? Why?" I ask in an attempt to pry an answer from her. She shrugs her shoulders and says, "The doctor thinks you can get your cast off early if the bone is okay. She said that you'll have to go to the hospital to get an x-ray, but if everything is good, you can get the cast off this arvo."