Luna's Ghost

18

I was listening to Helen and Johnny talk as I took stuff out of my locker, still half asleep since it was seven a.m., when two arms suddenly wrapped around me, startling me. I dropped my textbooks as Madison's voice said loudly in my ear, "Thank you again for last night!"

"Jesus, Madison!" I snapped as I pushed her back. I reached down and picked up my textbooks before turning around to face her. I rubbed my sore ear and said, "Not first thing in the morning, okay?"

"Sorry," she said, though she was grinning from ear to ear. "Trust me, you were a lifesaver last night. I needed that time away from my parents. We were able to talk it out this morning."

"That's good." I thought back to the pregnancy test I found in the wastebasket and debated about bringing it up. "Uh, this morning. . ."

She didn't hear me, kept talking. "I so need to make it up to you. Me, you, at this party downtown."

"Parties aren't really my thing--"

"Oh, come on. It'll be fun. I'll drive you there."

"Okay. . ."

"I'll text you the info. By the way, I love your room. We have to hang

out there sometime."

"Uh. . ." I wasn't too keen on her coming back to my house. "You can't do what you did last night. That was way too risky."

"Yeah, yeah, sure," she said distractedly as she looked down at her phone. "That was just a one time thing. It won't happen again."

The warning bell rang.

I finished grabbing my textbooks and jammed them into my backpack. I closed the locker door and started walking to my first class.

"See later," I called over my shoulder.

"Jeesh," Johnny said. "You gotta reevaluate your friends."

"I know," I muttered under my breath. I was starting to consider hanging out with Madison, though other than her, there was no one else at this school I talked to.

I scanned the people I passed as I walked to my first period. Jackson still wasn't there. More than likely still suspended after the fight, which didn't surprise me.

I walked into my first class and went to sit at my usual seat but paused.

Ed was standing by the rows of desks, watching me. I just stood there, completely taken off guard by his presence.

Ed smiled and waved.

Johnny started storming over to him. "What are you--?"

He didn't get to finish his question before Ed disappeared, leaving the three of us confused and bewildered.

"Luna?" Señor Rodriguez's voice was right beside my ear and I jumped slightly. I realized I'd just been standing there, staring at the space Ed had been in and he was standing right beside me, peering at me with concern. "Are you alright?"

I nodded shakily. All this weirdness with Ed, Will and Jackson was getting to me. "I'm fine. Just have a lot on my mind."

"Anything you want to talk about?"

"Just about school. I have a lot of projects and homework due." That wasn't a lie. I did have a lot of school work to do--especially from my English class, the teacher really did hate us--but it was more of the ghost situations I was in that was really bothering me.