Ghost of You

Chapter 8

My name is Fernadez, the vice president of the Music Club. I very much idolize my senior, Kevin. He made me a vice president a few months ago, right after I joined because he said I have potential. He is the first whom I truly called my friend, he is the one who I look up to.

Since I became the vice president, it's no wonder that we are usually together. But there's a side of him, that I'm the only one knows. I noticed it 1 month ago. Though, so you see him as a joyful person but in reality he is full of suffering.

Every time he's alone, he would pick up his guitar and always plays the song called 'Ghost of You'. I knew that song because a few weeks ago, since I always heard him playing that song, I got curios so I asked him about the title. The song has a really deep meaning, but I can't really relate because I've never experienced romance before.

Even though I haven't experience love related stuff before, I felt a feeling of sadness just by listening to that song. Just by it's verse, it holds a great meaning.

//Here I am waking up

Still can't sleep on your side

There's your coffee cup

The lipstick stain fades with time

If I can dream long enough

You'd tell me I'd be just fine

I'll be just fine//

I want to unravel the mystery of why he keeps playing that song, so I waited for the weekend to come.

******

Saturday.

As I woke up from my deep slumber, I quickly picked up my laptop. I checked his social media, to find some connection. I listed some of his classmate before. I'm planning to ask them about who senior is close to. After I finished my preparation, I quickly got out of the house, riding my bike through the road.

While riding my bike, I'm really excited about it. Grin could be seen on my face. Not long after, I reached the house of his old classmate named Daniel.

Knock, knock…

Not long after, the person opened the door, "Who is it?", he asked. Then he looked at me, "How may I help you?"

"Oh, umm, I'm an acquaintance of Kevin.", I told him.

"Oh! Kevin, I remember him.", haven't seen him for over years now.", he replied, surprised could be heard in his voice, "So, what can I help you with?"

"I'm just gonna ask some questions to you.", I said to him.

"Oh, come inside, have a set", he said to me. Then I sat on a sofa, opposite direction to him. He then sat too and looked at me, "So, what is it? ", he asked with a serious expression.

"Regarding about his middle school life.", I said to him.

"Oh, well, he is a joyful type of person, he is close to everyone, and especially we're buddies before.", he replied, while having a gentle smile, "He is very talented in playing instruments and singing, many people idolized him including me.", he added.

"I'm gonna be straight to point. Did some traumatic things happened to him during that time?", I asked with a serious expression.

After he heard what I said, he got a bit startled at first, but he immediately became serious, "There's one person who is always with him. She played a huge part in his life, her name is Francine. Humor said that they are already in a relationship together. But that tragedy happened.", after he stated, his face is filled with sorrow.

"What happened?", I asked him eagerly.

"We went to the beach with our classmates to celebrate our graduation. The day went with joy filled our hearts until that tragedy happened.", he stopped for a bit. And continued, "While our other classmates are having so much fun, the three of us decided to go to a buy something cold like ice cream from a store on the other side of the road. Never I had expected that, that is her last day. She got hit by a car passing by. I got really devastated, but my friend's is even worse. He came crying to the girl calling for help. I called for help and the teacher called for an ambulance. Inside the ambulance, my friend is crying so much while he held Francine's hand. Tears fell down on my cheeks when I saw the girl. I couldn't contain my emotion about it, she is part of my life too.", then he stopped for a second, wiping his tears with an handkerchief. He then continued, "We reached the hospital, she is in a very critical condition. We were sent out by the nurses to wait outside. When the doctor came out, the three of us (our teacher) stood up quickly. 'I'm so sorry, we did everything we could, but still.', sympathy could be seen on the doctors face. After hearing what he said, my friend got even more devastated and cried even more. Seeing him, I felt grief run through myself. I cannot forgive myself out of it. After the tragedy happened, Kevin stopped talking to everyone. Since then, I haven't seen him until now.", he finally finished his story with sorrow filled his face. He then added, "If you want to know more, asked our other classmates."

"Can you recommend someone who is usually close to him other than you?", I asked him.

"Oh, there is one, his name is Marco.", he replied, then he gave me the address of the person.

"Thank you very much for your time, I really appreciate it. I'm gonna take my leave now.", I bid farewell to him.

"No, probs.", he waved his hand then went back inside.

******

I reached the house of Marco, I immediately saw him outside their garden doing some chores.

******

"Oh, about Kevin. I'm sorry man, I'm not close with that person. Maybe Daniel gave you the wrong name.", he replied to my question, a bit surprised.

"Okay, never mind that question. What do you know about the tragedy that happened?", he got startled by my question.

"Umm, that's real but I don't really know the reason why she got hit. Think about it, you can see the cars passing by, how come she got hit.", he said to me, while wondering. Then he added, "BUUT! I do know that Daniel liked her."

"How can you be so sure?", I asked him completely surprised and curios.

"The both of us are best buddies in middle school, so it's not surprising if I knew something about him that they don't. Well, that's all I could say.", he then got up and continued his business.

"Thank you for your time, I really appreciate it.", I then bid farewell to him and rode my bicycle.

******

Going home, I wondered, "So that idiot is still hiding something." So I decided to go back to Daniel's house to ask him again to make it clear.

I reached their house, Daniel is sitting on a deck chair, while drinking juice. Seeing me he said, "I knew you would come back to get a clearer view about the it."

"I think it's time you say the truth.", I told him, with an angered face.

"Relax, I'm gonna say it to you now.", he said with a bit of grin then he became serious.

"Okay, you might say I'm a bad guy or something, and I'm fine with it.", he told me with a bit of laughter.

He then added, "Me and Francine are childhood friends, we've been together since kids since we're childhood friends after all. I started to have feeling for her during the summer of 5th grade. It felt like she is my only happiness and the both of us are never gonna fall apart, but I was wrong. First month of 6th grade, I became friends with Kevin, I looked up to him. He is very talented, has good looks, and he's also very kind. Compared to mine, I'm nowhere near him. One day, when he visited our house, coincidently Francine is in our house. I then introduced him to her. He offered to sing to her, when he saw my guitar. Seeing the happiness from her face, I felt a feeling of jealousy. Since then, the distance between me and Francine grew even farther and farther. Then one day, I heard humors that they are already hanging out. I became devastated by the it. So I asked him personally, he said the humor is true. He didn't know that I had feelings for her. I hid my emotion after hearing what he said, by smiling. Going home, I cried in my room, not going out for a week. My parents got really worried, and I decided to go back to school. Seeing me, they became glad that I am okay. Seeing the both of them together really hurts my heart, but I was a fool, I was still going together with them even though I am suffering so much.

Then the day when we celebrated our graduation came. Everyone is full of joy, except me. They invited me to eat some ice cream or something cold since it's summer. That day my patience ended, so I stopped at the side of the road and they looked at me with confusion.

"What's wrong Daniel?", Kevin asked.

"What are you waiting for? Let's go or else, I'm gonna leave you behind.", Francine said to me with a bit of laughter.

"You already left me behind.", I accidently replied.

Hearing what I said they became even more confused. But I know that she already realized what I said.

"What are you saying, Dan? Are you okay?", Kevin asked not realizing what I meant.

"Let's eat some ice cream to cool your head. Maybe you're tired—", before she even finished her words I disrupted her.

"DON'T ACT LIKE YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT I MEANT!", tears fell down my cheeks not stopping.

"We can talk about this.", she tried to calm me down.

"Calm? I already stayed calm for many months waiting for this day to come.", I replied to her, grief filled my heart. I saw the world like it's crumbling in front of me.

"What are you saying, Daniel?", Kevin asked me seriously, blocking her from me.

"Do you know how hard it is, seeing the person you love is with another guy? Do you know how it hurts when the person you always with since a kid easily left you when she found someone who made her more happy? DO YOU EVEN F*CKING KNOW?, I told them with tears filled my face. I gazed at the road, I saw a car coming and I ran to the road because I'm ready to give up my life. But I hadn't expected when the car was about to hit me, she pulled me and we got switched places and the tragedy happened. Until now, the memories of that day keeps haunting me. As long as I live, I will be kept haunted by it.", after he is done stating, he looked at me saying, "Be careful, when choosing someone you love. It may give you happiness or suffering."

******

As I was going home, I thought of the things that happened. I thought inside my head 'Love is dangerous.'