A Ghostly Romance

"I do like Kevin," I said. I sucked in a deep breath before finally deciding. "But I like you more."

"Oh, that makes sen-" Michael did a double-take and nearly rolled off the bed. He caught himself at the very last second. "What did you say?"

"I said that-"

"Dani!"

I looked towards the door, trying to ignore the fact that Michael was still looking at me.

"What do you want?" I asked, still facing the door.

"Can I come in?" Richard asked.

I groaned and looked at Michael who shrugged, getting comfortable on my bed again.

"You're still going to tell me later," he said.

"If I remember," I said, jokingly. "Come in."

"Who are you talking to?" Richard asked, looking around the room. He stared at my bed, eyebrow raised.

I looked at Michael, sprawled across my bed, and the slight imprint of his body on my covers. Could Richard see him? Michael looked at me and then at Richard and sat up, obviously thinking the same thing.

"What are you looking at?" I asked, glancing between Michael and Richard.

"Nothing," he said. He finally looked away from my bed. "I thought I saw something."

Michael got out of my bed and smoothed the covers before sitting on the floor with his legs crossed.

"Who were you talking to?" Richard asked again.

I shrugged. "Myself, I guess."

"No, I heard someone answering you," he said, trying to inconspicuously look under my bed.

I was taken aback. I glanced at Michael, who wasn't as surprised as I was that Richard could hear him.

"Were you eavesdropping?" I asked, already knowing the answer. He was standing outside my door for quite some time.

He looked at me and shrugged before sitting on my bed.

Michael and I exchanged glances. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Making myself comfortable," Richard said, laying down.

Michael got up from the floor and went to my desk, where I had a couple pieces of chalk (earlier Michael and I were drawing pictures on the driveway). He carefully picked up one of the pieces and sat on the floor, staring at me and Richard.

I raised an eyebrow curiously, but turned to face Richard again. I'd probably have to burn that bed in order to-

A piece of chalk flew from behind me and hit Richard in the face.

"What was that for?" He asked in surprise, holding the chalk in his hand. "Why'd you throw that at me?"

I looked behind me and saw Michael looking around, whistling nonchalantly, acting as innocent as possible. After a second or two, he looked at me, shocked.

"I have no idea who threw that," he said with a wink. He reached for another piece of chalk and began scraping the tip of it against corners of my desk, and eventually it had some crayon-like tip.

"What are you doing?" I asked, forgetting about Richard.

"I'm hoping if I can get this chalk sharp enough, it will impale him the next time I throw it," Michael said, concentrating on the chalk.

I laughed at the seriousness in his voice. He was acting like a seven-year-old. I turned back to my bed and saw Richard standing.

"How is that chalk-?" He tilted his head, watching the chalk scrape against my desk over and over and over. I couldn't imagine what it'd be like not seeing Michael there.

Michael looked at me, obviously forgetting that Richard could see the chalk, and threw it in his face again.

Richard picked the chalk off the floor and looked back in the corner where Michael was sitting, staring intently at Richard.

Richard squinted, and his eyes widened in surprise.

I looked between them. "What is it?"

"Nothing," Richard said, still staring in the corner. "I'm going to leave now."

He left the room with the chalk, not saying another word.

"What a freak," Michael said, jumping onto my bed again.

"Tell me about it," I mumbled. "Do you think he can see you?"

"He might be able to," Michael said, wiping his hands on my bed leaving white hand prints. "I guess he sees me every now and then. Who knows."

I began giggling.

"What is it?" Michael asked, eyebrow raised.

"Was it necessary to throw chalk at him?"

"It made you laugh," he said, with a grin. "And I was hoping he'd leave if he thought you were throwing chalk at him."

We both laughed, and I laid next to him on the bed, clutching my stomach. The look on Richard's face was priceless.

"So," Michael said, propping his head with his hand. "Back to our conversation. Did you say you liked me more than Kevin?"

"Yeah," I said, racking my brain. "As a friend."

"Oh. I thought you meant something else."

"What else could I have meant?" I asked, trying to sound clueless.

Michael looked me in the eyes for a couple of seconds before turning away.

"You know exactly what I mean," he said quietly. "I think I should go now. Your parents should be home soon."

"What do my parents have to do with anything?" I asked, sitting up with him. "It's not like they can see you or anything."

"That's because I'm dead," he said, standing up. "I guess I'll see you later."

"But-" I started, confused. What was wrong with him? Did I say or do something wrong?

"Dani! Richard!" My mom shouted from downstairs. "Dinner!

"I'll be right down!" I shouted back. I looked back where Michael was standing only to find the room completely empty. I had a strange feeling in my stomach when I found my room empty after eating dinner. He was nowhere in sight and it felt different this time. A strong feeling in my gut told me I wouldn't be seeing him for a while...it scared me to think that I would be all alone...just like I was before I moved into this house.