This Place Is Haunted, Possession by a Ghost

I usually pass eating lunch on the first few days of a new school so I can see how it is first. You know, see if it looks edible and asking my friends if it tastes okay. My eyes scan the cafeteria for two familiar faces. I spot them over towards a corner with two other boys. I make my way over to my friends and peers I'm about to be introduced to.

When I sit in between Craig and Ronnie, I gain their attention.

"Oh, Chris! Glad you found us! I thought I was gonna have to look around for you," Craig says happily. "They're Nick and Johnny, by the way."

I look across the table at them. We exchange our greetings.

"You're not homophobic or anything, are you?" one of them, Johnny, I believe, asks. I smirk a bit.

"That would make me a hypocrite."

"Thank God, we finally get another friend!" the other, I'm guessing Nick, sighs happily. "Other people who thought we could be friends couldn't handle the idea of being with a gay boy and a bisexual boy."

"We're in a homophobic, racist, sexist school. Well, if you even choose to call it that," Ronnie adds.

"Well, fuck. My last school was just like this one, then," I groan. "I mean, I couldn't go a week without having to kick some prick's ass."

"It'll be different here. Ronnie kicked enough ass to scare the pricks off," Craig says.

"Good, I don't think I can take another detention," I chuckle.

"Well, where are you from, Chris?" Nick asks.

"Pennsylvania."

"We're from Utah," Johnny says.

"Me and Ronnie are from Nevada," Craig then says.

"Alright."

"That's always your answer, isn't it?" Craig asks, amused. I shrug.

"Kinda," I answer.

<><><>

At the end of the day, the five of us met at the front of the school and phones were passed around. Then we all head to our homes. My walk won't be lonely since Nick lives a few houses down from me.

"So Chris, have your eye on any boys yet?" Nick asks. I sigh sadly.

"Back at Pennsylvania, I had a small crush on my friend Balz. But at school here, no," I answer half truthfully. I think Nick and Craig are cute. Nick doesn't believe me.

"Awe, come on! There's gotta be someone! I won't tell!"

I sigh. Nick's one of my best friends now, I can trust him.

"Two," I answer him, and his face brightens.

"Really? Who?"

"I think you and Craig are cute, but don't worry, I'm not attracted to you romantically," I answer, fully truthfully. He seems surprised and even blushes a bit.

"Oh, alright then," he replies awkwardly, but he's back to normal and smiling again. "I think Craig's cute too, but he's straight. Thankfully Johnny's bi, so we're together."

"This is my house," I say as I stop. His smile drops as he looks to the house, but I choose not to say anything. If he wants me to know, he'll tell me.

"Oh, okay. I like hugs, so..."

I smile and roll my eyes at him, pulling him into a hug. He pulls away after a few seconds.

"Bye, Chris! See ya!" Nick says his farewell before walking three houses down, approaching his own house.

I pull my key out of my pocket and use it to unlock the front door, stepping in the house once I do so.

Mom had explained to me earlier that she wouldn't be at home when she got here because she'll be at work. Apparently she was able to keep her job, she just works at a different hospital. I kick my shoes off, deciding I’m gonna leave them by the door from now on, since these are the only pairs I wear anyways. I enter the kitchen and open the fridge, hoping to find something to snack on. The best I can find is a cheese stick, so I take it and pull it out of it’s package. I throw the plastic away and stuff the cheese in my mouth as I slam the fridge door shut, a little too hard.

I choke on my cheese a bit when I hear a crash followed by urgent footsteps from upstairs, in my room. But Mom’s not here?! Alarmed, I run up the stairs and into my room. My box of CDs is now on the floor, CDs spilling out of it, some of them now broken. I glance around the room, but no one’s in here but me.

So what I saw last night wasn’t a hallucination? Is there really a ghost?

Fuck.

Is it friendly? Is it hostile? Will it come at me?

It most likely won’t, considering the fact that it ran when it made a noise. It’s probably scared of me.

Well, shit, I’m scared of it too!

I pull my phone out of my pocket and pull up Nick’s contact. I send in a quick text.

me: could u come ovr? i dont want to b here by myself right now…

A minute or two later, there’s banging at my front door. I jog down the stairs and to the door, opening it to reveal a concerned Nick.

“Everything alright?” he asks me. I step aside and let him in, closing the door behind him.

“Something’s in the house. It knocked my CDs over and broke them, then I heard it run away,” I explain to him quickly. “I really don’t wanna be here by myself.”

Nick nods, understanding my fear.

I speak again.

“And I think I saw the thing last night, I don’t know.”

That gains his attention.

“What did it look like?”

I think about it, but I can’t seem to remember. I didn’t find it necessary to remember until now.

“I forgot. And I couldn’t really get a good look at it. I saw it out of the corner of my eye but when I turned to face it, it wasn’t there anymore,” I tell him.

“I don’t know, Chris. Want me to stay here with you tonight then?”

“Just for tonight, thanks.”