Hello Brooklyn

“Do you think Jack will be okay?” Brooklyn wondered aloud while she and Alex lay in the grass. They watched the moon pass by slowly, flattening the grass beneath them. Well… Brooklyn was anyway…

“I can’t say, but if I know Jack… he’ll pull through it all. Last time it was under completely different circumstances,” Alex’s left hand rested behind his head, and the other close to his admiration’s fingers. Sadly, she was completely oblivious to this.

“What was wrong last time?” Alex sighed.

“We were all just going through a lot. Our band was hitting high off the charts, and it was too much. Jack felt really pressured all the time. Alcohol was his lover.”

“Is that why you were drinking so much?”

“Far from it,” Alex smirked, but then widely frowned. “That’s a long story.”

“Why do you keep so many secrets?” The emerald-eyed beauty had come to realize that Alex liked to keep more things to himself than share. And the things he did happen to share were usually very minuscule.

“That’s who I am. In the business, you got to learn to keep your eyes open and your mouth closed.” Brooklyn groaned, frustrated, and sat up.

“This isn't the business Alex! This is you and me. We’ve been practically living together for a month now! Why don’t you trust me?”

“I do but-“

“But what?!”

“You don’t know the future!”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Standing up all the way, Brooklyn walked away before turning around to face her ghost. She set her hands on her hips and stared at him sternly. “Are you psychic now, too?”

“No- God damnit! Don’t you get it? I’m not going to stay here forever! Sooner or later I have to pass on… What’s the point of telling you everything if I’m going to go anyway? I don’t want to be remembered as a burden, but happy!”

“That is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard!” And it was… Wouldn’t he want her to know everything before he left, so that she may know him as a whole…? Brookie’s face softened at Alex’s sad complexion, and walked toward his standing figure. He didn’t expect her arms to wrap around him, and she didn’t expect to feel a solid object within them. She gasped.

“What? What’s wrong?”

“I can… I can feel you.” She squeezed tighter, wondering if she was imagining this all. He only looked at her in confusion.

“I don’t feel anything,” he lied, hoping she would just let go. She didn’t.

Alex was an honest man, but he couldn’t admit the changes that were happening. Miracles did not exist, and ghosts did not revert to their original forms. This feeling of his was scary, and different. He hadn’t felt in so long and now this girl… This beautiful girl made him whole again. What would he do if she left him? He had to lie because he knew that sooner or later she would be gone, and he refused to get his hopes up.

“You’re so cold.” Despite the temperature, Brooklyn snuggled up closer to Alex, loving his soft skin. She wasn’t even freaked out at the fact that he was no longer hollow; she simply wanted to be as close to him as possible. The question was: Why?

His inner conscience told him no, but he returned her embrace anyway. He felt compelled to do so. “Let’s go inside.” Slowly, Alex let down his guard with this simple hug.

“Okay,” Brooklyn whispered and let go of her opposite attachment. Just as the pair started back into the dark house, rain droplets started pouring from the hazy sky, followed by a rumble of thunder.

“I hate thunderstorms.” A shiver travelled up the girl’s spine. She closed the patio door behind Alex and raced up the stairs quickly. Alex followed suit. He sat down on her bed, and waited while she changed into her silky, cheetah-print pajamas.

“Well is that cute," Alex cooed at her child-like choice of sleeping attire.

“At least I don’t wear the same thing all the time. Don’t people question your laundry habits?”

“Hey, it came with the territory.” Brookie stuck her pink tongue out at him, and laid down in the tempur-pedic bed. “Don’t stick your tongue out at me!” Playfully, he jumped up and attacked Brooklyn, tickling her sides for a minute before stopping, “This is weird,” he whispered.

Her body felt like a soft curvature pillow beneath him. He felt slightly aroused at their position, but she didn’t know that.

“I have to tell you something...” she softly replied, looking up into his eyes, “I remember kissing you.”