„Hailie, your boyfriend came!" screamed Molly, then she showed Jayson to wait a minute in the house for her sister.

She came up to the stairs, already hearing Hailie running down. Unaware of the situation she wanted to joke, but her sister looked at her as if she was an enemy.

"He's not my boyfriend anymore," she mumbled and pushed Molly with her arm.

"Jeez, calm down," she said, noticing that Hailie wasn't in a good mood since she came with a visit to her sister and their parents.

Hailie ignored her and came up to Jayson, staring at him with anger. She knew that her sister might be eavesdropping. She wanted to grab him on the arm and take him outside, but she was too afraid to touch him, so she just opened the door and showed that she wants to speak outdoors. He walked out with her.

"What are you doing here? I don't want to see you."

She looked at the flowers he was holding. Dozens of red roses. Typical move.

"I'm really sorry, Hailie. You have every right to be mad at me, cause what I've done... I'm so embarrassed with myself. I'm so sorry, honey. You deserve better," he said, his voice so sad and apologetic that she almost believed him.

It was hard to be angry with him, when he was like that. So handsome and romantic that she felt weak on her knees. So sorry and caring that she just couldn't dismiss him. She wanted to believe that he could change, but he said that too many times. They've been in this situation every week. He was sorry, she was forgiving. But no more.

"It's over, Jayson, I can't do it anymore."

"Please, Hailie." He gave her adorable flowers.

Flowers. Always flowers or chocolates. Or both. Or even beautiful presents such as a necklace or earrings. He was rich so he could buy her whatever she wanted or whatever he thought she wanted.

"I don't want them," she said and dropped flowers on the lawn.

They've meant nothing to her.

"Hailie," he said with his cute tone and put his hands in the pockets.

Jay tried to walk up to her, but she instinctively stepped back. He could see that she was scared of him. It made him feel a bit powerful.

"Go away. I don't want to be with you anymore. What you've done, I can never forgive. I'm sick of being treated like trash. I was your girlfriend not a punching bag or an obedient whore. Maybe first find some morals rather than keep coming to my door and begging for forgiveness. You can't change. You just are like that and I don't accept it. You are right only about one thing, I do deserve better than being with you."

Maybe she shouldn't say so much, because he started to be more and more angry. His cute look disappeared as always when she tried to be brave and fight for herself. She was frightened but she just couldn't let herself sink again. She had to stand up, because she didn't deserve any of what happened to her. She had enough, but standing in front of Jay, she felt like a little girl next to a very dangerous man. A feeling of an adrenaline and an exasperation mixed inside her with a desire to succumb and an attempt to stay on a surface while crying inside.

"That wasn't nice."

"Fuck your nice," she said but her voice wasn't so confident as moments ago.

He grabbed her arm and brought her closer to him.

"Listen up, Hailie. Without me, you mean nothing. I can make your school life feel like hell and undying misery, moreover if I want I can even destroy your parents. Hear that? In this town it's my family who rules. So I can do whatever I want with you."

She broke free from his embrace. Even though she was trembling, she looked him in the eyes.

"It's your parents who can do whatever they want, not you, so quit this silly chat. You're just a pitiful, worthless boy who thinks he's some kind of powerful man. The only thing I can be sure about us is that we're never getting back together." She used to hate him and love him at the same time. Now she knew it was a toxic relationship. She can't save somebody who doesn't want to be saved. "You are never going to touch me again, understood?"

He laughed as if he heard a really good joke.

"I'm gonna do whatever I want with you. I could even kill you and I wouldn't meet any consequences. I owe you." He touched her in the cheek, then he slightly hit her on the arm, then he pointed his finger at her forehead. "What are you gonna do, huh? I mean, I'm touching you, right? So what was it you were saying?"

"I was saying," she glanced at him with hatred, "get your dirty hand off me!" She pushed him, but he barely moved. "You are nothing to me. Try that again and I-"

He punched her in the face. She touched her cheek, feeling that burning pain she knew well. Her eyes filled with tears she didn't want to shed.

Before Hailie could do anything, her sister opened the front door and ran up to them. She stood in front of Jay, angrier than she ever was.

"Get the fuck out off our property!" she screamed, pointing at his car, parked at the curb. "Now or I call the police!"

Jayson raised his hands and smiled with amusement. He withdrew to his car, then Molly looked at crying Hailie.

"What-"

"I don't want to talk about it," she said and ran to her room, trying to avoid a conversation with her sister.

In the real world, Hailie was struggling in her sleep. She couldn't wake up, reliving that memory like a curse. She felt powerless and weak, at the mercy of fate. She began to move in pain and moan.

"No, no, no!" she repeated.

"Hailie?" Pride, who watched herself in the mirror, came up to her. "Hailie!" She tried to wake her up, but she couldn't.

In Hailie's head the memory of Molly knocking to the door changed to the memory of being covered in blood and feeling more and more pain. She tried to stay conscious even though she felt it would be so much easier to give up. Police officers were circulating around her, waiting for an ambulance. A mid-aged woman kneeled beside her, staring at Hailie's wounds.

"Who did this to you?" she asked softly.

Hailie didn't look at the woman who asked her the question. She searched for somebody else, until she found her standing next to a filing-cabinet. The elegant woman, who was in charge here, seemed uncomfortable. Then their eyes met. She knew Hailie very well, because she was a frequent guest in their house. They used to chat a lot, but now she hasn't even come up to the terrified, covered in blood girl. Just as she subconsciously knew what her son did.

"Sweetheart, tell me, who did this to you?" the policewoman asked again, but Hailie still wasn't looking at her.

Staring at his mother, Hailie said it loud enough so she could hear it:

"Jayson Larsen."

And then almost everybody at the police station became silent and looked at their sheriff.

Hailie woke up with a scream. Her heart was beating rapidly like she just ran a marathon. She noticed Pride sitting on her bed and she screamed again, moving aside to increase the distance between them.

"Calm down, calm down! I won't hurt you!" said Pride and got up from the bed.

"You're real, oh shit!"

Hailie remembered what happened last night but she hoped it was just another twisted dream. Guess it was her new reality.

"It's okay, don't be afraid."

"Is there anybody else?" she asked, looking around for other ghosts.

"Right now in this room? No. In this house? Yes, but you won't see them. We made a deal. No harm will come to you."

It seemed like too much at once. She wanted to see a ghost? Well, she got what she wished for. Now she wanted to undone her wish. She had enough problems in her life.

"You've killed other residents," said Hailie with fear, because she didn't believe that all of them were insane or suicidal.

Pride imagined that conversation differently but there was nothing she could change now. There was only one thing left - answer to Hailie's questions as possibly soothing as she could.

"Well, technically not me." She had committed other crimes. Actually, if taking it really seriously her actions only had a deadly effect, but she wasn't the one who killed. "But yes, there was an unpleasant farewell to the other residents. But worry not, you are safe." She smiled.

"Why me?" Hailie asked, her voice skeptical. She had no reason to trust this ghost.

"Cause we want to help you."

Hailie wondered if Pride knew how ridiculously all of this sounded. She did indeed. Usually there was no talking with the people they've haunted. At least, no sweet talking. They were cruel, not nice.

"Help me how?"

Pride bit her lips. That was a naughty habit.

"Okay, look Hailie. You've lived here for almost two weeks now. Nothing bad happened to you, right? If we wanted, we could really mess up with your life. But we made another decision. We've seen a lot of people. This time we want to try something new, something better. We want to help you get back on your feet, maybe also with revenge if you liked to. The point is, you don't have to be scared of us."

"What us? You keep talking in plural. Who are the others?"

She wasn't supposed to see others. In her plan, Pride wanted to be the only ghost, but it was too hard to keep it as a secret. Hailie wouldn't believe her anyway.

"There are seven of us, but you are only gonna see me. For now."

Hailie didn't know what to think about it. First, she couldn't ignore Pride. It wouldn't be wise or safe. Besides it was true that she was in a desperate need of somebody to talk to. She got a ghost even though she thought more of a human.

"You've been watching me?" That seemed the creepiest to her.

"Not all the time, just a little."

Hailie frowned. She really hoped that bathroom was off limits. Her bedroom should be too.

"You said you wanna help me. How?" She knew she needed help, she just didn't believe that the ghost could do anything about it. "I mean, what are you, my own helping ghost, like from 'A Christmas Carol'? I'm gonna meet all of you and you're gonna help me how?"

Pride laughed. She knew that book and a movie, cause one of the previous residents watched it on Christmas.

"Kinda, but not really." She thought of what she could say to her. "We have our ways of helping. Step by step, you'll find out."

Hailie sighed. She guessed she didn't have a choice.

"Fine, but there should be some rules."

Pride nodded.

"May I ask you something too?" She knew it was probably too soon, but she was way too curious. "Who is Jayson? You kept telling his name in your sleep."

Hailie became scared again. She embraced herself as in a defensive position.

"A nightmare from the past, but I don't want to talk about it."

Talking with ghosts about her grave problems? It was definitely too abstractive and too soon. Besides, she still wasn't sure if she trusted Pride. She was a ghost. She might be lying to her. And she probably was responsible for at least one death in this house, no matter what she said.

"Well, maybe you'd like to spend some time together? What would you like to do? Maybe some girls talk about nothing and make-up?"

Hailie burst out laughing. It was more than ridiculous. Maybe she already lost her mind? Was it all only her imagination? Because talking with a ghost seemed to her already weird. But doing make-up? Was Pride even capable of that?

"Sure," she said, not because she wanted to, but because she thought that it would be safer to agree with Pride.

First, she must find out more about her so she knows what she is dealing with.

"Great!" Pride clapped her hands with joy. "Cause you are really beautiful. The prettiest girl that has ever lived in this house. I actually always wished for such lovely hair as yours," she said though it wasn't true. Pride was the prettiest girl, but she wanted to make Hailie feel better about herself. That was her task after all.

Hailie looked at Pride with surprise. It had been a long time since she heard compliments. At first she wanted to deny it, but seeing how confident Pride was about it, she started to believe it a little bit. Maybe she was too harsh for herself?

No, how can I be pretty? Maybe fine, but nothing else. Pride is way more beautiful, thought Hailie, slipping out of Pride's spell.

"Not only lovely you are, surely clever too! Maybe you want to tell me something about college? Everybody must love you there, cause in another case I would just say they're blind."

Hailie smiled at those words.

Maybe it won't be so bad after all?