Ghost Lover

Austin found it difficult to close his eyes last night. The fear of Tasha crawling up on him in his sleep or having a nightmare about her kept him awake. His brother came knocking and banging on his door, trying to get him to open up, but all fell on deaf ears. Mr. Richard tried too after Allen complained to him about how Austin reacted earlier that day but Austin refused to open up, asking them to leave him alone. He didn’t even get off the clothes he wore last night, his eyes swollen and red, buried in his jaw. He had never been this rattled in his life. His mother’s death left him in shock and a coma but being this way was new. A ghost who wouldn’t leave him alone.

“Austin, we have to go to school,” Allen shouted, banging on his door. He stayed still, not replying to his brother.

“Come on man, I’m going to prepare now. You better be done before I get back!” Allen barked. Austin could hear his brother’s footsteps fade after he spat out that last statement. They were Twins, but Allen had always acted like he was older, maybe because he was more experienced or more reckless. But he always sounded like the authority of the older one was with him.

Regardless of what his brother said, he wasn’t sure he was going to leave that house just to go to school and have Tasha haunt him. He got up from his bed and made his way to his window, not caring about how scattered his room looked. His books were on the floor, his bed sheet rumpled to one side of the bed, all this due to everything that transpired yesterday.

His curtains were shut and he was in utter darkness, but he didn’t care. Anything to keep Tasha away, he thought. He spread his curtains wide open to let the sun inside, he covered his eyes to prevent the sun from hurting him, but not fast enough for him to notice Tasha across the street smiling at him. He could feel his feet freeze as soon as she smiled at him. He immediately shut his curtains and ran back to bed.

“What does she want from me?” he cried in frustration as he hit his bed with his fist continuously.

“Fuck!” He yelled in pain, he punched his bed stand amidst his rage. Every anger he could feel was channeled at her. He would kill her if she wasn’t dead, he thought to himself. He suckled on the finger he felt had weighed the injury as a sacrifice for other fingers. He sat down on his bed, staring at the pile of books on the floor. His phone rang and he picked it up. He let out a sigh of relief immediately he saw who was calling.

“Hey Nala”

“How are you?”

“I’m fine,” he muttered slowly. she sounded excited and he could literally hear the excitement through the phone.

“I’m downstairs, get ready let’s get going”

“You are down where?” He leaped from his bed smiling, completely forgetting about Tasha. He walked towards his window and peeped from the side. He saw her standing in front of his place, pacing around as she was on phone.

“Okay, give me some minutes and I’ll be down with you.”

As he got off the call, his eyes met with Tasha again. She wasn’t smiling anymore, but he couldn’t tell why she was just there.

Austin rushed to get ready, dressed up, and made sure he was looking nice. Nala had never been to his place suggesting they should walk to school together. This was the first and he intended to make the best out of it. He rushed off from his room “I’m off” he shouted, not caring if his brother heard him or not.

“Hey” he smiled as he opened his door and saw Nala standing by the corridor.

“Hey,” she said smiling, looking behind him like she was expecting someone else.

“Come on let’s go” he pointed his hands in the direction that led to their school.

“What about your brother?” She questioned, as she reluctantly followed him.

“He’ll go with the school bus”

“What school bus?” Allen interrupted. He flew off the corridor separating the lawn and their house.

“Great” Austin muttered in silence, he wasn’t happy about this. He had hoped he was going to impress Nala on their way to school and at least know some things he hadn’t known yet about her. Now his brother crashed his party.

Nala’s face brightened up as she saw Allen. Allen shrugged Austin to a side and walked in between them with his hands across both Austin and Nala’s Shoulders.

“Hey,” he said, smiling at Nala and licking his lips slowly. Her eyes stuck on the moment of his lips and tongue

“Hey” she replied with her cheeks burning red and looking away.

“What happened yesterday man?” He faced Austin with a stern look.

“Nothing you should know about” Austin pushed off his arm and walked a bit faster.

“Austin!” Nala shouted, attempting to run after him but Allen held back.

“He’s like that sometimes, he needs some time alone”

Nala heaved a sigh and decided to walk with him.

Austin was boiling with anger as he heard Nala laugh as she was discussing with Allen at the back where he left them. With every laughter, the anger grew.

“You know you could just go back there and talk to her”

Tasha walked up on Austin slowly smiling. He didn’t seem to be disturbed or scared of her anymore. His anger had already filled that spot.

“Not now” Austin muttered, trying not to let them know he was talking to someone, else they might think he’s going nuts or talking to himself.

“Why love?” Tasha hurried up to his front, walking backward whilst facing him.

“You should turn back, he’s actually grabbing her waist right now. Bro she’s smiling” Tasha teased, Austin fist tightened, his jaws shaperned. Tasha only made everything worse, Nala was busy laughing and he was forced to believe everything she was saying.

“Stop” he groaned.

“Come on” she grabbed his face, attempting to tilt his face backwards. Austin swung his hand so hard to hit her but ended hitting his face.

“Fuck” he squirmed.

“Wow” Tasha looked surprised with her smiling. “You really wanted to hit a lady?” She asked sarcastically as she was enjoying watching him whimper in pain.

Nala and Allen ran towards him as they saw him hit himself.

“What happened” Nala asked, running her hands through his bag and patting him. She grabbed his face and held his hands, her eyes met his, and she could see pain all over his face. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing, a fly was hovering around my face” he lied, moving away from her.

“A fly and you hit yourself that bad?” Allen asked, struggling to hold the urge the to laugh.

“It’s not funny” Nala shunned him.

“Let’s go” she grabbed Austin by the arm and led the way.

“What about me baby?” Allen cried out, running after them.

“You should thank me” Tasha whispered into Austin’s ear as he followed her.