Status: I'm on hiatus until June 27th 2012 due to my GCSE's. Please, please stick with this.
In Spirit
he does not believe that does not live according to his belief
Marianne leads him down a corridor, to an area of the school that she knows is deserted in the middle of lunchtime on account of it being in the middle of the maths department. Although she is practically dying of nervousness and anxiety on the inside, somehow she manages to keep a brave face on. Her shoulders are back, her head is held high and her steps are confident. She forces herself to stay this way for the whole journey, no matter how much she wants to run away and curl into a ball somewhere.
"Marianne?" His voice stops Marianne in her tracks, and she swivels around to face Connor. His smirk from earlier has now been replaced with an expression of curiosity, somehow managing to make him even more attractive. "Can you just tell me what you have to say now? When I agreed to this I didn't think you'd have to drag me over half of the school." His tone is impatient, and Marianne knows that she can't put it off for any longer.
"Fine. Well, uh, this is going to sound crazy but- Well, I'm not sure how to say this. Erm, I saw...No, well yes I di-" Connor cuts her off.
"Spit it out." A deep breath in, and Marianne finally knows how to start the converation (to carry it on, though, is an entirely different matter).
"Your little brother Michael died, not too long ago, didn't he?" The shocked look in his eyes only lasts for a second, and is quickly replaced with suspicion. Seemingly without realising it, he takes a step towards her. Marianne takes a nervous step backward, all her bravado from earlier gone without a second glance.
"How did you know that?" Marianne thinks she can detect a hint of sadness in his tone, but it is easily drowned out by the suspicion and anger. "I've only told two people, neither of whom would tell anyone, and Elise hasn't told anybody. So how do you know?" She wills herself not to stutter as she answers him.
"You see, I know because... This is going to sound crazy, but I swear it's true. I know because I can - I can see ghosts, and I saw your little brother." The words rush out of her as quickly as possible, and she avoids eye contact with him as she is saying it. He is silent afterwards, and so she risks a peek at his face.
She shouldn't have. As soon as her eyes connect with Connor's she knows that she shouldn't have said anything and she should of gone to Elise first, because that wasn't acceptance in his face, it was disbelief and anger. A quick glance downwards shows Marianne that his fists are clenched, and shaking. The silence is unbearable, and she knows she should say something to explain, to wash away the awkwardness. Why isn't he saying anything? She thinks. Maybe he's considering what she's just said? But it seems unlikely by his expression. Quickly, Marianne tries to explain it as best as she can and make good use of his silence.
"I've seen them my whole life. I first saw Michael last weekend, and he told me about his friends, and then he got really sad because he missed you and he wanted me to -" Her explanation is cut short by a short, bitter laugh.
"Girls have used some strange ways to get to me in the past, but this...This is the worst. Did you think I'd believe you and then fall magically in love with you? Is that it?" Marianne's protests are ignored, and he takes another step towards her. "That is just sick! Why would you even say that? I miss my little brother so much, and I won't have you ruin his memory by saying he's some sort of...Ghost!" He turned to leave, disgust evident on his face.
Marianne knows she needs to try one last time. Swallowing back the lump in her throat that has formed, she calls his name.
"Connor..." He turns. "Connor, please just listen to me, I'm telling the-"
"No. Just...No. You stay away from me, and you stay away from Elise. You don't want to know what would happen if I caught you talking to her." And with that, he walked away, his fists still clenched.
This time Marianne isn't able to stop a few tears from sliding down her cheeks. Everything she thought would happen has happened. She hopes desperately that Connor wont tell anyone, because then her life at school wouldn't be worth living. She knows that she should leave it there, that she shouldn't go and talk to Elise (she had no doubt that Connor's threat wasn't a bluff) but the the thought of Michael's disappointment made her stomach churn violently.
The bell rings, bringing her back to reality. It just so happens that her next class is with none other than Elise.
"Marianne?" His voice stops Marianne in her tracks, and she swivels around to face Connor. His smirk from earlier has now been replaced with an expression of curiosity, somehow managing to make him even more attractive. "Can you just tell me what you have to say now? When I agreed to this I didn't think you'd have to drag me over half of the school." His tone is impatient, and Marianne knows that she can't put it off for any longer.
"Fine. Well, uh, this is going to sound crazy but- Well, I'm not sure how to say this. Erm, I saw...No, well yes I di-" Connor cuts her off.
"Spit it out." A deep breath in, and Marianne finally knows how to start the converation (to carry it on, though, is an entirely different matter).
"Your little brother Michael died, not too long ago, didn't he?" The shocked look in his eyes only lasts for a second, and is quickly replaced with suspicion. Seemingly without realising it, he takes a step towards her. Marianne takes a nervous step backward, all her bravado from earlier gone without a second glance.
"How did you know that?" Marianne thinks she can detect a hint of sadness in his tone, but it is easily drowned out by the suspicion and anger. "I've only told two people, neither of whom would tell anyone, and Elise hasn't told anybody. So how do you know?" She wills herself not to stutter as she answers him.
"You see, I know because... This is going to sound crazy, but I swear it's true. I know because I can - I can see ghosts, and I saw your little brother." The words rush out of her as quickly as possible, and she avoids eye contact with him as she is saying it. He is silent afterwards, and so she risks a peek at his face.
She shouldn't have. As soon as her eyes connect with Connor's she knows that she shouldn't have said anything and she should of gone to Elise first, because that wasn't acceptance in his face, it was disbelief and anger. A quick glance downwards shows Marianne that his fists are clenched, and shaking. The silence is unbearable, and she knows she should say something to explain, to wash away the awkwardness. Why isn't he saying anything? She thinks. Maybe he's considering what she's just said? But it seems unlikely by his expression. Quickly, Marianne tries to explain it as best as she can and make good use of his silence.
"I've seen them my whole life. I first saw Michael last weekend, and he told me about his friends, and then he got really sad because he missed you and he wanted me to -" Her explanation is cut short by a short, bitter laugh.
"Girls have used some strange ways to get to me in the past, but this...This is the worst. Did you think I'd believe you and then fall magically in love with you? Is that it?" Marianne's protests are ignored, and he takes another step towards her. "That is just sick! Why would you even say that? I miss my little brother so much, and I won't have you ruin his memory by saying he's some sort of...Ghost!" He turned to leave, disgust evident on his face.
Marianne knows she needs to try one last time. Swallowing back the lump in her throat that has formed, she calls his name.
"Connor..." He turns. "Connor, please just listen to me, I'm telling the-"
"No. Just...No. You stay away from me, and you stay away from Elise. You don't want to know what would happen if I caught you talking to her." And with that, he walked away, his fists still clenched.
This time Marianne isn't able to stop a few tears from sliding down her cheeks. Everything she thought would happen has happened. She hopes desperately that Connor wont tell anyone, because then her life at school wouldn't be worth living. She knows that she should leave it there, that she shouldn't go and talk to Elise (she had no doubt that Connor's threat wasn't a bluff) but the the thought of Michael's disappointment made her stomach churn violently.
The bell rings, bringing her back to reality. It just so happens that her next class is with none other than Elise.
♠ ♠ ♠
Sorry this is short, but I hope you enjoyed it!