Lake Larson

Class today sped by fast, given Hudson was not there. I raced with Ian in the icy weather back to my dorm. His head hung low while his snarky comments stayed silent throughout the day.

I glanced at Ian, remembering his head on the desk beside me for my classes. He kept brushing his hand through his messy hair, while his eyes wouldn't linger on me for very long. Today wasn't the Ian I had known. He seemed down, sad about something.

I looked down at my feet, crunching the frost on the brick path. "You had been pretty quiet today," I whispered, but Ian glanced my way, telling me he heard. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah," he replied vaguely. "Considering."

"It doesn't seem like—" I paused while a group of guys walked by. I waited for them to pass and glanced at him. "It doesn't seem like everything is alright."

Ian huffed and looked at the surrounding buildings. His eyes lightened while the bit of sun beamed through the gray clouds. He wasn't himself today. Ian had sadness in his soul, and I could feel it. After he gazed into nothing while he thought, he met my eyes.

"I'm a ghost." He shrugged. "What do you want from me?" His voice had an attitude in it.

"Sorry," I whispered, shaking my head. "Wait, no!" I yelled, causing him to jump and look at me with his mouth open. "Not sorry for asking you why you are in a bad mood. I get you are a ghost, and your nonexistent life is sucky, but guess what?" With confidence, I stepped closer to him while he looked at the ground. "I still care!"

Ian's eyes peeked at me with annoyance, like I was his little sister nagging him. I glared, wanting to run from him, but I knew he would poof before me like always. With a huff, I turned and walked to my dorm.

As I entered the warm space, I slammed the door in Ian's face. He didn't follow me as I stomped toward my table and crashed my bookbag on the surface.

"Wow, someone's in a bad mood," a woman's voice sounded behind me.

I jumped, covering my hand over my heart while I noticed tangled red hair. "Alex," I said, changing my vibe instantly. "Why are you here?"

Ian stepped through the wooden door as I walked to her. We made eye contact for a second, but I didn't care to entertain him.

Alex wrapped her arm around me, bringing me into a side hug. "I decided our time together was not long enough." She pulled away with her palms gripping my arms. "So, here I am."

"Here you are!" I expressed back while Alex spun me around.

Ian leaned against my door with a sad smile. He bit his bottom lip before mouthing, "sorry." I lifted my expression slightly for him and smiled ear to ear at Alex.

"Do we have plans?" I asked Alex as she looked over at my door.

Alex clapped her hands together. "A girl's night," she said, grabbing her laptop from the bed. "I'll be leaving tomorrow morning since you still have school." She talked into her open computer before pausing and looking at me. "I don't want to be a bad influence."

I giggled. "Let's put on a movie and order some pizza."

---👻---

The chick flick played before the hot pizza arrived. Alex rolled to her stomach on my bed as the man on the computer kissed another girl. Alex threw her half-eaten slice into the box beside her.

"Boo!" she yelled. "You cheating dirtbag!"

I laughed at her reaction to a movie we had seen a hundred times. Her pajama pants rode up her legs as she propped her feet up. She kicked her legs around, unable to sit still for the movie.

I stood from the bed and wiped the front of my shirt. "Hey, keep the movie going," I said, walking toward my bathroom. "I'll potty fast."

Walking by my tiny nook, I cleared my throat, telling Ian to follow me. His eyes met mine before I smiled slightly and walked into the bathroom.

With my foot, I kicked the door shut behind me while I leaned over the sink, looking at myself in the mirror. Ian walked through the door. His smile slowly grew as he watched me in the mirror. I turned around quickly to face him.

"I'm sorry I have been in a funk today," he said before I could say anything.

He glanced away from me with a frown.

"Hey," I said in a calming voice. "It's okay to be sad. Please know I am here to listen and help."

His hazel eyes shifted back to me. "I read something last night while you were sleeping." He shook his head. "It was an article I found on my dad."

I tilted my head, confused. "What did it say?"

"It was more about the people he killed and their families. There was a note from a little girl talking about how much she missed her father." His eyes teared up, but he clenched his jaw, holding it back.

I reached for him, but paused. "Ian—"

The door opened, with Alex standing there. "Lake, are you alright?"

I widened my eyes. "Yeah, let's get back to the movie," I said, leaving the bathroom.

"Lake," Alex said, as I turned to face her. "I'm worried about you."

I shrugged. "Worried about what?" I glanced behind her to Ian.

Alex turned around to face Ian and looked back at me. "That." She walked up to me, grabbing my shoulders. "Something is wrong."

"I'm not—" I said, but Alex shook me.

"Don't lie to me." Her eyes showed sadness. "I've been watching you. You stare into places." She pointed directly at Ian. "You have been talking to yourself." Alex put her hands in her hair. "You—" She paused. "I don't know. Something is wrong."

My eyes widened with fear, not sure how to answer her. I was fueling her case because I couldn't help but glance at Ian. He shrugged with an unsure smile.

"See!" Alex yelled, pointing at Ian. "What are you looking at?"

"Alex, it's not what you think," I said, still unsure.

"Then what is it?"

"It's hard to explain." I looked at my hand as they tapped my legs.

Alex shook her head in disbelief. "I'm out of here. I'm sorry, Lake, but if you aren't talking to me about anything." Alex walked toward the bed for her things.

"No, please, stay." I pulled at her arm.

Her round eyes glanced at me. "You are my best friend, so I will not leave forever, but I will not stay here tonight if you are not ready to talk." She pulled her arm away from me. "Do you have schizophrenia, like your—"

"No!" I yelled, interrupting her.

"You sure?"

"Okay, I will tell you," I said, shrugging my shoulders and looking at Ian. "I see a ghost, and he's been following me around."

Alex's eyes widened as she pulled her phone to glance at the screen. "Okay, I'm calling your mom."

"No." I yanked her phone from her hands.

Alex jumped at me, reaching for her device. Her hand swung around, missing the phone as I stepped back. Tripping over a pile of books, she snatched her cell from my fingers with a snarky grin.

I lost my step as my foot halfway moved on a book, causing my ankle to bend in the wrong direction. Pain collected in my joints while my knee buckled under pressure. I closed my eyes with my palms reaching out to the floor, ready to hit the surface, but firm hands gripped tight on my arms.

I opened my eyes, seeing Ian's face close to mine as he held me in his arms. His warm touch guided me to a steady stance, as his eyes never left mine.

"Are you okay?" he asked, reaching out to touch my face but pausing while his other hand never left my skin.

"What the fuck?" Alex yelled.

Ian and I looked at her in shock. Alex's eyes widened as she pointed at Ian with a shaking hand. Her jaw dropped open, but nothing escaped.

"Alex?" Ian asked, tightening his fingers around my arm.

An inaudible noise left her lips. "Y-y-yeah," she said while her phone fell from her hand, crashing onto the wood floor.

"You can see Ian?" I asked her.

"T-t-t-this is Ian?" she asked, pointing at him.

"Yeah," I replied, feeling my cheeks burn as I stepped away from him. His hand let my arm go, balling it into a fist by his side. "This is Ian, the ghost," I said in an unsure voice.

Ian stepped closer to her. "Nice to meet you," he said with a devilish smile.

"Okay," Alex said, looking at Ian with confused eyes. "I'm out." She sprinted to the bed, collecting all her things.

"No, please," I begged her. "Alex."

Ian walked beside me, closer to Alex. "We know this is weird, but—"

Alex quickly flipped her hair back, looking at Ian. "But what?" She grabbed her bag, trying to stuff the pizza box in it. "I watched you appear out of nowhere. Why am I able to see you now?" She paused with her eyes bobbing around. "How can Lake see you?" She shook her head. "Nope. Ghosts aren't real." Alex grabbed my pillow, jamming it into her bag. "We are losing our minds. Wait," she said, pointing at the ceiling. "Maybe I'm asleep and dreaming this."

She swung her unzipped bag onto her back as my pillow slipped out. Alex stood from the bed with a nod. "It's got to be a dream because you are one sexy man, Ian." She glanced at me. "Lake was right."

"Stop talking, Alex." I waved my hand at her, feeling my cheeks burn.

Ian smirked. "Wait," he said, stepping between Alex and me. "What did Lake say about me?"

I stepped through Ian, feeling his chilly ghost body take over. Warmth formed for a slight moment before he jumped sideways out of me. I grabbed Alex's shoulders, forcing her eyes to glance at me. Her red freckles sparkled on her cheeks while her wild hair fell into her eyes.

"This is real," I said, pointing at Ian. "And if you can see him. You are the only other person. Believe us. Please, don't go." I released her shoulders. "Stay. So I can explain more."

Alex glanced over at Ian while he gave her a tiny wave. She closed her eyes for about five seconds before opening them with an awkward smile. A low giggle escaped her lips, trying to ease the tension.

"Okay," she said, peeking at Ian. "Hey, Ian. I am Alex." She stepped away from him, looking at me. "This is weird."

"Yeah, you are telling me. Try living with this guy for the past week," I said, pointing at him.

Ian tilted his head, taking a vast step closer to Alex. "Soooo," he said with a smirk. "What did Lake say about me being sexy?"

Alex waved her hand quickly through his torso, ignoring his question. She leaned over, looking at her fingers wiggling out his back. "This is way cool." Her enormous eyes looked at me. "He's so cold."

I closed the distance between Ian and me. He raised a brow because Alex walked to the backside of him and waved her hands through his legs. His perfect smile glanced at her while she looked at me with excitement. She put her hand into the area of his heart.

Ian's face scrunched together with pain. "Ouch," he said, holding his chest.

Alex jumped back, pulling her arm out. "I'm sorry." She put her palms in her hair. "I didn't mean—" she expressed, but Ian chuckled. "Hey," she said, trying to shove his shoulder playfully, but her hand waved through him.

I laughed while Alex placed her hand on her hip. "How was he able to catch you?" she asked, pointing at the pile of books I tripped over.

I shrugged. "We aren't sure how this ghost thing works, honestly."

"Yeah," Ian added. "At first, I wasn't able to lift anything, but as the days go by, I can move all sorts of shit around the room."

---👻---

We spent the rest of the night explaining as much as possible to Alex until she fell asleep on my bed. She wanted to know more about his death and the mystery, but Ian ignored her, changing the subject.

While the night became silent and Alex slept quietly, I snuck out of bed. I tip-toed across the room to Ian while he tried to lift my romance novel I ditched three weeks ago.

"Hey," I whispered, causing him to jump and throw the book.

"Lake," he whispered, leaning on the table. "Shouldn't you be asleep?"

"Yeah, I couldn't sleep," I said, rubbing my eyes. "I wanted to talk to you more about your dad."

Ian shook his head. "We don't need to talk about him."

"I know, but I want to," I said.

He glanced at me while the darkness in the room made his eyes pop with green. The blue light sparkled as I lost myself in them. Ian swallowed hard, looking down at his hands.

"I wanted to tell you that what your dad did wasn't your fault." I rested my hands on the table close to his. "That he shouldn't be your burden." My eyes met his. "You didn't have control over him."

"Yeah, but I think about how I could have done something." He shook his head. "Not doing anything can be as bad."

"Why put this in your head?"

"Because I knew my dad was terrible, but never had the guts to turn him in."

"You didn't know he was killing people." I shuffled my feet on the wood floor, closer to him.

"Maybe, but—"

I reached my hand toward his and rested it on top of his fingers. His eyes glanced down at our skin touching while warmth filled them.

"You need to stop thinking about the what if," I said, tightening my hand. "Remember, you might be dead because of your dad."

"Thank you," he said, pulling away and stepping back. "I think you are right, but it's hard for me to process it."

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