Your Ghost Is Scratching at My Skin

He hadn't left Jesse's house since he'd figured out how to get back without wandering aimlessly through the woods he'd dropped into. He watched Jesse scroll through his contacts, his finger lingering over Kellin's name before he locked it and laid it on his stomach. Kellin slid off the dresser he'd claimed as his perch and crawled over to the bed. He curled up against Jesse's side, resting his hand lightly on top of the other boys. He'd give anything to just be able to let their fingers twist together and have the other boy smile at him like he used to. Kellin nuzzled against Jesse's neck. "I love you. I didn't say it enough and now you can't hear it and I'm sorry. I always made you feel like I was ashamed of you, but I wasn't. I really do love you Jesse, and if I ever come back I'll make sure you know it." Jesse's eyes drooped, and just when he was about to drift off, his phone lit up, Kellin's voice screeching at him to 'answer the fucking phone!'
Jesse let out a chuckle before answering. "Hello?" He sat up, and Kellin strained to listen in, trying to catch who was on the other line. "Do you have it?"
"Have what?" Kellin waved his hand in front of Jesse's face. "Jesse, who is that?" This invisible thing was getting old fast.
"Good, I'll be waiting in the back." Jesse hung up, tossing his phone to the bed and snatching his pants from the floor. He wiggled into them, and grabbed a beanie, pulling it over his head before easing his door open. Kellin followed as he crept down the stairs and out the back door. He sat on the garden wall, staring intently at the street. After ten minutes, a crunch of gravel announced a car Kellin hadn't seen pull in. Jesse hopped down, running to meet whoever was in the car. Kellin stopped in his tracks when he saw Vic slide out. Without preamble, he tossed something at Jesse, who almost fell over in his attempt to catch it. "Who are you?"
"Doesn't matter. Tony sent me, because he said he's tired of you always pushing off payments. He's too nice to say no to someone with a habit, so he sent me to tell you." Jesse shoved the small bag in his pocket.
"Tell me what?"
Vic smiled. "You have twenty-four hours to get all his money, or he's gonna send someone else to get it." Jesse's face paled and Kellin scoffed, moving forward to stand in front of Vic. He leaned forward.
"What the fuck are you talking about? Are you a drug dealer? Leave Jesse alone!" Vic's head snapped up.
"What?"
Jesse frowned. "I asked how much?"
Vic nodded, swallowing quickly. "Right. Two thousand eight hundred. See you tomorrow Jesse." When he left, Jesse quickly made his way back to his room, digging around under his bed until he pulled out a box. He opened it, laying out a simple mirror before fishing the bag out of his pocket. Kellin's stomach dropped when he realized what it was.
"Cocaine? Jesse are you out of your mind? What about Berkley? Or England? What about us?" He was getting hysterical as he watched the powder disappear. "What about the fucking two grand you owe that you don't have? Jesse!"
"Oh, shout louder, maybe it will suddenly open his coked up ears." Kellin spun around at the unfamiliar voice. A boy smiled, leaning against Jesse's closet.
"You can see me." He nodded.
"And you can see me. Which means you're just like me." Kellin frowned.
"Are you dead?"
"No, I'm Gabe. But i think what you really want to know, is are you dead? No, you're not, but you will be." Kellin's eyes flicked to Jesse before falling back on Gabe.
"What do you mean?" The boy sighed, pushing himself off the door he'd been leaning against, and wrapped an arm around Kellin's shoulder.
"I mean, if we don't find someone who can see us, or have our bodies found, we'll be dead soon." He paused, as if letting it sink in, and Kellin shook his head.
"Well, I don't have to worry about that. My mother is the mayor. I bet they are already combing the whole area looking for me." Gabe laughed.
"My mom is the Secretary of State and my dad his the head of National Security. I got sent out here to look at some dumb ass private school, and now I'm laying in a basement dying, so if you think someone's going to find you without us finding someone who can see us first, you're out of your damn mind! We are the only people who can save us."
"Wow, you're really positive. How is that outlook working out for you." He rolled his eyes, gasping when Gabe shoved him.
"I'm not being negative, I'm being realistic. Based on my injuries I have about six days left, I don't want to die! I'm only seventeen. Can't you understand that."
"Yes, but I'm not leaving Jesse." Gabe let out one loud laugh.
"You're dying and you're honestly more worried about your drug addicted boyfriend who can't even fucking hear you? You do realize that if you die, you can't help him, right?" Kellin looked back to Jesse, who was staring blankly at the ceiling. He didn't understand how people could want to feel like that. He turned back to Gabe.
"Okay, what's your plan?" Gabe looked to the floor.
"I don't have one."
***
"What happened to you?" Kellin and Gabe were sitting at the mall, randomly trying to get peoples' attention. Gabe shrugged at Kellin's question.
"I got mugged. They stole my wallet, beat the shit out, and then the drug me into a condemned building, dumped me in the basement, and left. You?"
"I don't know. I just know I'm laying behind a bush, next to a river." Gabe nodded, and Kellin shouted at girl walking by, sighing in defeat when she didn't flinch, but Gabe elbowed him. "What?" He pointed.
"That guy heard you. I know he did. Let's go follow him." He grabbed Kellin's hand, tugging him behind a boy Kellin didn't see. When they reached him, Kellin groaned. It was Vic.
"Of course." Vic spun, tripping over his own feet as he rushed off.
"What? Who is he?"
"I don't know. He's apparently a drug dealer that had something to do with my...disappearance."
"He's our guy. We need to find him." Kellin groaned.
"I'd rather slit my wrists." Gabe nodded, a mock serious expression on his face.
"If we don't get him to help us, you won't have to." He grabbed Kellin again. "We're finding him." But Kellin didn't want to find him. Not because he didn't want to know what happened, but because he was afraid it wouldn't change anything. Would hunting down Vic really save his life?