You're a Ghost, So Why Can I See You?

“She is gorgeous,” I stated quietly to Ian, but also to myself. He was sitting on the steps next to my chair and I tried to talk him into sitting in a chair, but he kept refusing.

“You say that like she’s the most amazing thing on this planet,” Ian chuckled at me.

My eyes widened and I gestured towards Meghan Fox laying across Shia and telling him that she loved him. Her eyes were watery and crying pretty much, and her long black hair was falling in her beautiful green eyes. “Are you not seeing what I’m seeing?!” I asked incredulously. I bet every guy in this theater was practically drooling at the sight of her. Even I almost was, and I say almost because I’m a girl…and I don’t swing that way.

I turned my head to the right and looked at Ethan. His eyes were big and his mouth was slightly open. Yep. Exactly.

Ian shrugged. “Okay, honestly, yes, she is a very attractive woman.”

I felt my stomach drop a little, but hey, it was to be expected. Every woman on this Earth was probably at least a little jealous of Meghan Fox.

“But she’s not really my type…” Ian trailed off. “There’s just that something about her that turns me off, you know? She seems fake to me or something like that. Maybe it’s her voice.”

I frowned and laughed a little. “Her voice? Are you kidding me? What’s wrong with her voice?”

“It sounds too babyish.”

“Babyish?”

“Yeah, too feminine.”

I rolled my eyes and turned back to the screen, seeing Shia and Meghan kiss. It was so romantic and just made my heart pound. They were both fixing to die, and then they finally admit they love each other amongst in the middle of a war. Can you imagine that? You are with the person you love and you are both fixing to die, and you had never even told them that you loved them yet. So. Much. Intensity.

Speaking of intensity, I could feel a pair of two eyes burning into my flesh. Actually, no. It wasn’t a pair of eyes, and it wasn’t burning.

“What are you doing?” I asked Ian as he quit poking my arm.

He smiled and ruffled his hair in a flustered manner. “I want to tell you something… it has to deal with, um, people seeing-”

“You are so much prettier than her, babe,” Ethan interrupted. He quickly reached over and grabbed my hand.

I turned my face shocked and met Ethan’s only inches away. What the hell was going on?!

“Uh,” my mind raced with what to do, what to say. “Thank you?” He smiled and started to lean in, causing my heart rate to increase and my body to automatically scoot away from him. “Ethan, I’m not-”

“WHOA!” an old lady shouted as she stumbled next to me.

Ethan immediately pulled away and we both looked at her. The old lady was gripping the side of my chair for support while Ian stood before her and was shaking his head apologizing quickly.

…Wait. What?

“I’m sorry,” Ian said. “I shouldn’t have been in the aisle. I’m really sorry!”

The lady laughed embarrassed. “Oh, no, it’s okay. It happens.”

Ian quickly looked at me and a series of emotions flew across his face. He opened his mouth to speak, but instead turned around and rushed down the steps and around the corner, more than likely out of the room.

Meanwhile, I was silent in shock and confusion while Ethan scoffed next to me. “What an idiot,” I heard him mutter.

Ian was just…talking to that lady. Ethan saw him! They could SEE him. What was going on? I thought I was the only one who could see him? I scanned the nearby people and they were all looking over at the old lady or at the exit where Ian bolted. That means they saw him too…

I quickly pushed myself out of my seat and ran towards the door that Ian went out. The change from the dark to the light blinded me for a few moments, but then I adjusted and looked around for the familiar golden hair, tan skin, and brown eyes. He couldn’t have gotten far, and I wouldn’t let this go. I needed to know what happened in there… I needed to know so badly.

When the lady acknowledged Ian, I was instantly filled with a curious hope. Hope that something was changing, something in my favor. It wasn’t possible to have a relationship with a ghost because no one could see them or anything, but when the lady saw Ian… She shouldn’t have been able to see him! No one should have been able to see him, but they did!

What if something was happening? What if Ian was…changing, somehow?

“Ian!” I called out. The place was bustling with people off all shapes, sizes, and heights. There was no way I could find him.

“Peyton?” a voice asked behind me. I turned around and saw a very confused Maire. “What are you doing? Did you know that guy?”

I opened my mouth to speak, but wasn’t sure what to say. Should I tell her about Ian being a ghost? That he was the one who saved my life by pushing me out of the way of that semi truck? Should I tell her that I might be falling for him?

“Marie…” I took a deep breath and scanned the area once more. Still no Ian. He was probably gone. “Here, it’s too loud in here. Come on.” I took her wrist and dragged her to the bathroom. Only a few people, surprisingly, were in there, so we waited for them to leave.

“Peyton, what’s going on?”

I sighed and looked at her eyes in the mirror. “Marie, you wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

Her eyes narrowed as she crossed her arms. “I’m not stupid, Peyton, so just try me. I’m your friend and I care about you. I need to know what’s going on.”

I closed my eyes and took a slow, calming breath. “That guy…That was Ian.”

“Who?”

I reopened my eyes and stared at her. “Ian’s the guy I told you about…We met first when he came into Subway, then the other time when he pushed me out of the way of that truck-”

“Oh my god!” Marie shrieked. “The guy who saved your life?!”

I winced. “Um, yeah.”

“That was him? He was here and you didn’t tell me!?” She paused and wiped her forehead dramatically. “Peyton, I got a good look at that guy, and I must give you kudos. That had to be one of the finest guys I have ever seen in my entire life. I mean, he was like W.O.W!”

I couldn’t help from cracking a smile and blush a little. “Yeah. I know.”

“So why haven’t I met him before? Was it because you were afraid I might steal him away from you? That’s completely understandable with how gorgeous he was, but I would never do that to you, you know that.”

“No,” I said quietly. “I know you wouldn’t do that. There’s just, um, something different about Ian… Something that’s a little hard to believe… Hell, I didn’t even believe it at first.”

“What is it?”

“Marie, Ian’s a…ghost.”

“What?”