I'm Sorry I Died

I opened my eyes to a white-painted high ceilinged and mountain dew yellow-painted-walled room.

That's when I noticed I was floating above the bed―above a girl's body.

"Shit!" I exclaimed, then quickly covered my mouth shut when the girl stirred. She could hear me?

I tried to see if I would go through her. I pinched her cheek, and she slapped my hand and muttered something like, "Go away, Chester."

Chester?

Okay, enough about Chester. How could she possibly feel me? And why doesn't my hand go through her skin? Aren't I supposed to be a ghost or something?

I scanned her face. Familiar.

Something's familiar about this girl―like...like I knew her.

"Aden?" The name came out suddenly.

She opened her eyes slowly, "What do you want Ches―"

Oops. This is bad.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!" This girl, whom I assumed was named Aden, let out a glass-shattering scream.

I placed a finger against my lips and shushed her.

"Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-You! You're s-s-supposed to b-be―"

"Dead?" I finished for her. "I know I'm supposed to be roasting marshmallows and living the life in heaven, but I fell from the sky and woke up floating above you, and then I felt this sudden pang that I knew you―even though I can't recall anything aside from the fact that I am supposed to be dead―and you started screaming like I'm some perverted guy."

Tears started forming around her glassy, green eyes. "I'm sorry!"

"What are you sorry for?"

She cried completely, "It's my fault you died! There was this speeding car while I was crossing, and then there was―"

"Hold your horses, hon. Try speaking slowly," I said, trying to calm her. She spoke like a fast-talking chipmunk.

"I-I-I mean, you saved me, but you didn't make it," she finished, more collected than before. "I'm sorry."

I stared at her for a moment. Ding dong ding, ring a ding ding. I am dead. Yi-pee.

"Maybe I was supposed to die?" I smiled half-heartedly.

"Wh―"

"I can't exactly remember anything. I know your name, that's for sure. Plus now, I know how I died."

"I'm really―"

I sighed. "Stop apologizing."

"I'm―"

I hit her head with my palm jokingly and tried to laugh reassuringly. "I said, stop it with the apologies. It wasn't your fault. God probably wanted to take me with him."

"But―"

"It's okay, it's okay."

I saw her roll her eyes. "Could you please let me finish, you moron?"

My jaw dropped. A moment ago she looked and acted like an angel, and now her mouth's spilling some hard stuff.

"I don't know why you're here, but can you please, please get away from me?"

"What?" I spat. "You ungrateful...brat!"

"I don't want people to think I'm crazy! Dude, I'm talking to someone invisible! That makes me look like a loony."

"Maybe you are," I scoffed. This brat's getting on my nerves. "A moment ago you were apologizing and crying."

"Sis?" A boy's voice asked from outside the door. "Who're you talking to? Breakfast's ready."

"Oh, crap," she muttered. She shot me a glare. "When I come back, make sure you're gone, like a bubble."

"Fine!" I stuck out my tongue. "Whiny, ungrateful brat."

I headed straight for the window. Maybe I should take a look at my parents.

Just as I was about to dive out of the frame, my body hit on something like glass―hard. It was so hard I heard a loud clank!

"What was that?" Little missy here heard it too, I see.

I launched myself through it again, and clank!

What the.

"You are not to separate yourself from the girl," the same deep voice whispered in my head.

"Why?" I asked.

"Why what?" Little missy, Aden, spat irately.

"Not you, nutcase." I focused on the voice. "What do you mean I'm not supposed to separate from her?"

"It is only temporary."

"Why?"

The voice didn't reply anymore.

I looked at Aden. She raised an eyebrow. "What were you talking about?"

"Too bad, sweetie," I sighed. "I'm your new temporary body buddy. Rejoice."