Chapter 04
The Difference Between Dream and Reality

"You could see her!" Gabrielle exclaimed. I ran a hand through my hair, frustrated. How can I not escape from a really loud, live human girl? I was a ghost for crying out loud!

"Of course I can see her," Rick reached a hand out to mine. I held my breath, hoping that his fingers would not shoot past me. I did not want Rick to run away screaming like everyone else. His fingers brushed against the back of my hand. If I was not a ghost, I would have gotten goose bumps from his touch.

"See? She looks pretty solid to me," he said, turning to look at Gabrielle. Her mouth was open in a wide 'O'.

I ignored her, staring at Rick. I only heard him say the first three words: She looks pretty.

"Earth to Gabrielle," Rick waved his hand over Gabrielle's face, but she was still staring at me like I was … like I was a ghost. Which I was.

"Sorry," Rick smiled at me, and then shrugged. "My sister just loves to space out. Occasionally."

Sister? I tried my best to pay attention because I was only watching his mouth move.

He playfully punched Gabrielle on the shoulder. Gabrielle snaps out of her trance and bounces past the door to hug me. Or slam into me. Again.

"You could touch her too!" she squealed at her brother.

I rolled my eyes. She was repeating the whole scene from earlier in the restroom.

"Please excuse my twin," Rick rolled his eyes too. "She can be very melodramatic."

Twin? I almost choked on my own spit. If I had, you know, a real throat and lungs and mouth and salivary glands and stuff.

Rick was grinning at me, and I could not believe what he just told me. Gabrielle looked like a real live doll with her long golden hair and crystal blue eyes. She could be described in one word. Cute. Totally different from Rick.

Because he had bright blue eyes, and not just baby blue kind of blue but blue like when-the-sky-was-clear-and-cloudless-on-a-spring-day-and-you-just-wanna-sing-at-the-top-of-your-lungs blue. His dark brown hair was like the dark earth after a light rain. I was so tempted to run my hand through his hair.

"Are you okay?" his sky-blue eyes looked worried.

He was not cute. He was something more.

"What?" I asked confused. Gabrielle squeezed me tighter. She was still hugging me. I looked down at her, and she looked worried too.

And then I realized that I was sobbing. The thoughts of feeling Rick's hair in my fingers were so depressing, because I knew for sure, even without touching him, that I wouldn't be able to do it. And the panic that I had swallowed from earlier had already taken control of my body. So many strange things had happened today.

Gabrielle was rubbing my back. Rick was standing in the doorway, his eyes searching my face. He was shuffling around, unsure what to do. His uncertainty made him absolutely look cute.

No, he wasn't cute. Cute was for Gabrielle. Rick was different. He tilted his head to the side, confused; and Gabrielle had finally let go of me. Her forehead was creased in confusion too.

I was shaking. Not from crying this time, but from laughing.

The whole thing was laughable. Earlier today, I had dreamed of being one of the kids who were excited about going back to school. I had dreamed of being alive again. I had wished to be seen.

And here I was, standing in the middle of an empty science laboratory with two other kids who could, for some unknown reason, see me.

And I was dreaming of kissing one of them.

My eyes ran over Rick's full lips.

I laughed harder. That was impossible. I was never going to be able to do that. Kiss someone.

Wait, maybe he would kiss me?

And I laughed harder.

Gabrielle clung to her brother's arm. She looked scared. Rick looked concerned. I must have looked like a psycho. Maybe I was psycho. That would explain why I wanted to kiss a boy I had just met!

"Lulu? I, um … Maybe we should—" Rick had started to walk to me, but I was backing away. He paused.

Both of my hands were on my mouth, hoping to stifle any laughs or cries that would come out of it. I breathed slowly, composing myself, "I'm sorry."

I looked up at the twins, "I'm sorry. I was just having a really weird day."

I smiled.

Gabrielle gasped.

And Rick took a step back.

I frowned, confused. "Oh," I said. "Oh!" I repeated, realizing that I may have smiled that sinister ghost smile I gave bullies to scare them. If I was alive, I would have been blushing.

"You have a great smile!" Gabrielle almost sang. "You almost looked al—" Gabrielle stopped herself. I looked at her sternly.

The bell for the next period rang. Rick shook his head and Gabrielle took one of my hands, completely ignoring my don't-speak-a-word-about-the-ghost-thing look.

"I have free period next," she told me animatedly, back to her usual self, acting like nothing had happened. Like I wasn't a ghost.

As Gabrielle tugged me out of the room, I risked looking at Rick and found him staring at me. I wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad sign.

And then he smiled, and I swear I couldn't breathe.

It was definitely a good sign.

Author's Note: I wasn't sure if this was any good. It was kind of boring, but I just want to put up more chapters, so … yeah. Hope you enjoyed it!