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Teenage Ghost
Josh laid back on his bed and stared at the new snake poster he’d put on the wall under a blacklight. He burned musky incense til it was so thick he could see the layer glowing in the air, hovering above him like a blue neon cloud. He had painted all the walls and windows black, removed the posters and hung blacklights.
He relaxed and watched as the snake seemed to move, due to the illusion of smoke and light. Also he had not slept for forty seven hours, he was too busy transforming his “Lair”.
His phone buzzed on the night stand beside him.
Vi was texting.
He didn’t bother to read it. He didn’t care about Vi anymore. He didn’t care about anything anymore. It was freeing.
No more commitments, no more expectations, or demands. No more manipulation and extortion. He had enough of it already, and she was the cause.
He reached for his phone after her third “WHY R U NOT TXTNG ME BK?!?!?!?!” in thirty seconds. “Why am I not texting you back? Because you’re demanding, greedy, and manipulative. Get over yourself.” he said to the phone as he shut it off.
He watched the snake in silence again, his eyelids began to feel heavy.
Jeff walked into the house and noticed right away the place was different. The walls were all freshly painted, the carpets were vacuumed and clean. He walked back in to the kitchen where Rhonda was roasting a chicken, and boiling various vegetables on the stove top.
Rhonda sat with her head down in a book she was reading.
Jeff noticed right away it was not a self help book, as she had been reading religiously before. It was an old gothic romance written at the turn of the century. He smiled to himself as he remembered the year they were assigned to read it in school.
Rhonda looked up at him over her new reading glasses. “Oh!” she exclaimed and set the book on the table inside down, so as to keep her place.
“I like your glasses.” Jeff complimented her on the red framed, half granny glasses she wore.
Rhonda smiled pleasantly. “I’m glad you came back. I was worried.”
Jeff sat at the table across from her. “You didn’t have to do that, you don’t have any real attachment to me.” he said with sympathy.
“I do though.” Rhonda pushed the book aside and held out her hand. “I did wrong to you by kicking you out on the streets like that. I didn’t really expect you to go, in fact I was shocked when you did.”
“I know.” Jeff looked at her extended hand on the table but did not reach out to her.
Rhonda did not recoil her hand, she left it there. “And I don’t know what happened to my pills, maybe it was de-vine intervention.” she glanced at the ceiling for a moment before continuing. “Though I do know it was the best thing that could have happened to me.”
Rhonda stretched her hand out a little further, “And I know I shouldn’t have taken it out on you. I’m sorry, will you please forgive me? It wont happen again, I have changed.”
“Yes I can tell.” Jeff quickly agreed. “The house looks awesome. It’s just I have no proof you wont do this again, and I’m better off on my own. I like it better when there isn’t someone who is always snooping and spying on me and my every move.”
Rhonda frowned, but did not remove her hand.
After a few minutes her face brightened again, “You can install a doorknob lock on your room. Then when you want privacy you can just lock it. Or always leave it locked, I don’t care. And I understand you don’t need me, but I need you.” She looked at him with pleading eyes, “I can’t do this alone. I’m afraid.”
Jeff reached out and took her hand. “Don’t be afraid, I wont leave you.”, though he felt he would regret saying it later.