There's a Ghost in This Room, I Think I'll Name It After All of You

“I just don’t know why she’s here though. I mean she doesn’t belong in this scene. Actually she hardly belongs anywhere,” I smiled sickly sweet at Avery. Her surprise appearance gave me a bit of a shock at first, but I recovered as fast as I could. Avery had a look of remorse and anger thrust on her face. It gave me some satisfaction.

“Dallas, why are you acting this way? I haven’t seen you in what seems like forever and you have to say all this to me?”

I hated it when she played the victim when she knows she did something wrong. I set my drink down and grabbed my purse. I felt Mona’s stare on her and shifting to me. Without breaking my contact with Avery I said to Mona,

“Watch my drink. I’ll be back.” As if she thought she had to follow me, Avery trailed behind as I headed into the restroom. I through my new Prada bag on the sink counter. Mona had bought it for me today as my birthday gift. I dug around to see if my pills were there. I felt Avery’s eyes on me, but I avoided her until I successfully found my pills. I took one out and swallowed it dry, I hated the taste as it stayed on my tongue and ran down my throat. I looked at Avery and put on an emotionless face. “What?”

“Dallas, are those your anti-depressants?”

“Like you care.”

“Of course I do, I remembered didn’t I? And today’s your birthday, right?”

I rolled my eyes and let her talk for the time being. At least she remembered that.

“Dallas, I miss you. Why don’t you understand that we all miss you!”

“Who’s we?” I asked, shoving the bottle back in my purse.

“Me, Zack, Jack, Rian, Matt, Sami, Sean, Nat…and Alex.”

When she said the last name it felt like a ringing went off in my ears. I blinked a couple of times before actually recognizing the name and tried to calm myself down before I had an unneeded panic attack. I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

“Dallas, he misses you so much. He’s a wreck without you.”

I shook my head and walked passed her. I couldn’t take this, not today. Today was supposed to be my day! My birthday and no drama was supposed to go on. I ran out the bathroom door and went to find Mona. The club started spinning and I stopped for a second to breathe. But as I took a small breathe it seemed like the whole club had stopped as a voice called my name out.

“Dallas!” Avery came running out, my purse in hand. I prayed that he hadn’t heard.

But I guess today the lord forgot about me because as the club stopped, a boy began to walk over to me. His dark, shaggy hair was pushed out of his rugged face. He shaved, but I could tell it was sloppy. His eyes had bags under them as if he needed sleep. His eyes met mine as I looked away quickly. He stood in front of me, his tall figure towering over my small one. He took a breath that seemed to last forever. He finally spoke.

“Dallas?”

I looked away from him again and at Avery, she looked at me with eyes that said, “I told you so.”

My heart couldn’t take this and I wanted to run away. But it felt as if I was trapped.