The Ghost In My Bedroom - By Heather Jones Page 0,2

like he was going to cry. I hit stop and apologized, "Sorry, sorry, I guess I got it wrong."

He shook his head wildly, "Don't stop, don't stop it, Lucy, do you know it's been like 20 years since I've heard that song? How did you know what this was?"

"I recognized the tune from you singing it way back when I was little. I heard it on the radio and I really liked it and some girl with blue hair told me it was The Cure. So I went and bought the CD. I thought you would like it."

"I love it," he whispered. "Can you start over from the beginning?"

"Absolutely," I grinned and started the CD for him. He closed his eyes and hugged himself as the bass line started on the first song. I listened in a kind of trance. I knew all the words but I had never even heard the actual album. Ryan jumped on the bed and started singing at the top of his lungs. He went on like that for the whole album. And then we played it again. I went down to dinner and he played it again. I came up to do homework and he played it again. I got ready for bed and he played it again. I was trying to fall asleep and he played it again. I woke up in the morning and it was still playing. I got home from school and it was still playing.

Finally at the end of the album he paused it (how he was able to do certain things I never understood, but now apparently he was able to work the CD player.) "So Lucy," he said. "Just how much money do you make at this babysitting?"

"Not a whole lot, why?"

"I'll be your best friend if you get me another CD."

"You'll be my best friend?"

"Yes."

"But you don't have any other friends. In fact you don't have anyone but me."

"True."

"So you've barely talked to me in two or three years and I buy you a CD and now we're BFFs'?"

"What's BFF?"

"Best friends forever."

"Yes, you are my best friend forever!"

"Ryan..."

"Yes?"

"I'm just a little bit pissed at you right now!" I stormed out of my room with my schoolbag and went to do my homework at the kitchen table. He was already down there. How he managed to do that I never understood either. I dropped my book bag on the floor and glared at him. My younger sister Anastasia was sitting at the table eating cheese and crackers and asked what my deal was. She was just getting into that irritating preteen phase that I just came out of. I huffed "nothing" and dug my books out and slammed them on the table.

"Why were you playing your music all night long, I could hear it in my room, it was driving me crazy."

"Oh, sorry Stazi. I'm getting familiar with a new album."

"Well, do you think you can turn it off tonight so I can get some sleep?"

"Yes, I will be sure to do so," I said and kicked the chair that Ryan was sitting in.

"What is wrong with you?" she asked shaking her head as she went back to her own book. Ryan sat there smiling at me with his hands folded on the table. He waited patiently still smiling as I sat there until dinner, and continued following me around the house until we were alone again in my room behind closed doors.

"What!?! What do you want from me Ryan?"

"I just want you to know how much I appreciate that you got this for me. I'm hoping that you like it too. You know I used to sing to you all the time while you were growing up, I think our initial connection was through music. And all these years there's been a kind of emptiness and I thought I would forget all my favorite songs. Then you brought this home and I am so amazed and touched that you would do this for me. I was starting to loose hope that we would ever be friends again, you went through that horrible phase, and lately you're turning into someone that I would have been friends with when I was still alive."

"Oh."

"I don't want you to go out of your way or anything. It's just that it's so boring being dead. I have nothing to do while you're at school. I don't have to sleep so I have the whole night to keep myself busy too. I