Ghost Lover

Austin stood there, buried in the gaze of everyone. Trying to block out the words everyone was saying but it wasn’t easy. Why would his brother do this?

What’s he doing there with Jade?

“Hey”

Nala held him, trying to provide comfort. She knew about all the things he had been through and how he struggles to handle his emotions. She rubbed his arm and held him tight.

“Good afternoon students!”

The principal screamed as he glanced through the crowd and they responded back.

“I’m sorry that you are all out here, because of the bad conduct of these students” he pointed at Jade and Allen standing behind him.

He went further to tell the students that they were caught fighting in the restroom and everyone started murmuring, the principal’s voice drowned in it and he kept on struggling to keep them quiet but to no avail. Austin sighed, buried his head in his hands and walked out with shame. Nala called him, trying to follow immediately but he stopped her, saying he needed to be alone. Austin was sure the students were murmuring and shouting because no one had ever dared to fight Jade before and within the space of two weeks he and Allen had both gotten into a fight with him. It looked like some planned attack and this made Austin sick.

After so many attempts to get them to stop talking and they finally did, due to the intervention of the Coach.

“These attitudes are the sole reason why the society is bad”

“Come forward” the principal pointed towards Jade, he walked forward slowly, smiling like he did nothing and the Football team started cheering him on. Chanting his name like some kingUpstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

“Quiet!”

Silence struck the crowd as soon as the principal shouted. He was infuriated with the way things were turning and it was beginning to come to notice.

“Now tell the student what was happening between you and Allen”

Jade stood still, looked straight and said nothing. One would think he didn’t even hear the principal,

“Jade!” The coach called him,

“Sir”

“You heard the principal, didn’t you?”

“Sir?”

The principal smiled and called out to Allen, his eyes met with Jade as he walked out and Jade returned back to stand in line. Allen nodded his head, indicating a Job well done. Allen stood in front of everyone, with his shirt still unbuttoned, anyone could see he was in tussle.

“Allen, I know you and your brother must have been through alot. So please be truthful with me. let me try to help” the principal said as he walked towards Allen. ” What was going on between you too in the restroom”

Allen stood still, looked straight and said nothing. Imitating Jade in his act. He was ready not to say anything until his eyes met with Nala’s. He could see how worried she was, her eyes tightly wrapped around her. He knew she needed him to cooperate, just from the way she stared at him.

Did she care about him or his brother?

He looked around but didn’t see Austin, he must have been ashamed seeing him get into so much trouble. Even as a kid he had this habit of doing things like this

“Allen” the principal called out, snapping him out of his thoughts.

“Umm” he sighed, moving forward, “I came to school with my brother this morning and that pretty lady over there” he stretched his hands out pointing to Nala.

“Oh my God, what’s he doing?” she muttered. Everyone threw their gaze at her and she felt like she wanted the ground to open.

“What’s wrong with him!!!!” She screamed in her mind.

Allen smiled and continued as he saw the discomfort on her face as everyone looked at her.

“I went to the restroom, you know. Trying to ease myself because my brother and I walked all the way to school, while I was busy, he walked in” he pointed at Jade and he could see the confusion written in Jade’s eyes. But then he smiled at him and nodded, trying to assure him everything was fine.

“He came in there and punched me, I had no idea why. I tried to stop him and ask him what was wrong, but he didn’t stop. I was told he was a bully and when he finally said something, I heard him call me Austin’s brother. So I guess that was my only crime.”

The student’s were silent, the principal couldn’t find the right word to say

“That’s all that happened?” The coach asked

“Yes sir”

The principal ended up speechless and dismissed the student, everyone kept mumbling one thing or the other as they went to their class.

Allen looked back at Jade and he could swear all he saw was a wounded tiger. He didn’t try to dispute what Allen said, the principal ended up suspending him for a week and warned him that any other mischievous activity in the school or bullying would lead to him being expelled.

Allen felt no remorse throwing him under the bus, no one steals his money and goes free. That was his policy.

The principal had them back to his office in other to give his punishment to them but Allen ended up being free with no detention whatsoever.

****************

Austin ran into the restroom, restless. He could feel his heart racing.

Why did he have to come back if he knew he’d do this again. Why?

Growing up as a child, Allen had always taken the attention of his parents away from him, even in school. He was the one they knew. People knew Austin as “Allen’s brother” no one ever knew his name, but they just saw him as the twin of the mischievous boy. His parents were always trying to get him out of trouble or solving some issue regarding him, that none of them ever really had time for him.

“fuck!” He screamed, he ran his hands through his hair and looked in the mirror.

“You have to calm down”

He saw Tasha form right from Thin air and he looked away.

“I do not have the time for anything you have to say”

She sighed and sat on the sink, he squinted his eyes and stared at her “what? It won’t break, I’m a ghost, remember? ”

“Oh yes” he rolled his eyes, he noticed his breathing was becoming calmer.

“You hate him that much?”

“I don’t hate my brother ” he shunned her.

“Are you sure about that?” she leaned close to him, and said slowly with her eyes glued to his eyes “Tell me you don’t hate him”

Austin was supposed to be feeling angry, but staying this close to Tasha, always aroused some kind of feeling within him he was yet to understand. His eyes went from her eyes down to her lips, it was moist as ever and he could smell her. He always wondered what was so special about her, why he saw her and not other ghosts. He swallowed hard and attempted to lean backward, “Don’t, answer my question Austin ” she leaned forward again, her lips almost meeting hers, the urge to grab her neck and lock lips with her raged through his veins. All she did was ask the question, why is she getting to him. He opened his mouth to answer but all he could do was lean forward, going for Tasha and Jason came running in.

“I’ve been looking all over for you”