Forever His & His Ghost

Chapter 17: Another Halloween Party

"Come on, it's a costume party, no one is going to know it's you, we will just buy something that blends in with the other kids this year." Marie begged for the hundredth time.

       "Marie, I can't. I don't want to see him with someone else, I don't want to be cornered by him. I have managed to keep my distance and haven't heard from him, so why do I want to torture myself?" I whined, I really didn't want to admit to the fact that deep down, I wanted to go, I wanted to see him, I wanted to see if he found me, I wanted to kiss him under the chandelier, I wanted...... Oh I have for sure lost my mind now. I knew it, I have gone crazy, I have lost it, I have...

       My inner bantering was soon cut off when Marie whipped out two outfits, "Pick one."

       I rolled my eyes and huffed like a two-year-old throwing a tantrum, "Seriously?" She nodded her head, "Fine." Who am I to hold my friend back from her senior year fun, and I already know she won't go without me?

       "Perfect, now here is the wig, and here is the mask."

        She handed me two bags, and after examining them a minute I breathed a sigh of relief, this might work. Hers was a black and white mime costume with a white mask and black stalking to go on her head, mine was a clown costume, and a colorful full faced mask with a red clown wig to go with it. "Okay I am going to get ready. Is Mark taking us?"

       She gave me that cheesy cat grin, and I was afraid to ask. "You?" She just nodded her head, oh boy.

       I stepped into the bathroom to slide on this clown costume, I can't believe it is already Halloween, I only have like six more months to go, I can do this.

      "Hey Skyla, you know it just dawned on me, you say you haven't heard from him, but are you sure?"

       "Yea, why?" I hadn't, I hadn't heard a word.

        "Well because you haven't charged, or even turned on your phone since that day. I am willing to bet it is still in the bottom of your suitcase under your bed."

         "It is Marie, but his last message pretty much said it all, why would I turn it on to stare at it relentlessly hoping his mind changed?"

        "I don't know," She whispered, but loud enough I heard her, something's not right. I just shrugged it off and continued to get ready. Once we were both fully dressed, we stood in front of the mirror facing each other and snapped a selfie, "Memories, this is our freaking senior year." She squealed; she is so good at doing that. "Now let's go, just promise me, you aren't going to bale this year." I nodded and we left.

        A half an hour later we were pulling up to the freaking mansion I thought I would never see again in my life. I was relieved to see that everyone was arriving at about the same time and there was a crowd moving in, so we blended right in. I wasn't surprised at all to see other clown and mime costumes, which was nice, that made blending even easier.

       "Welcome everyone," Terr's voice came over the intercom as we entered. "We are doing things a little different this year. The parents will still be in the conference room. All students will be in the ball room until eleven. At eleven we will have a bon fire lit outside where we will be moving the party to." He covered the mic, and we could hear mumbling, "And be sure to come see me or my brother personally before the night ends, we have gifts for everyone. Now everyone let's party." The crowd went wild, and we all moved to the ball room. Like last year, it was dark with flakes of light moving around the dance floor from the chandeliers. The music was booming, and the crowd was mingling, full of life.

        "Okay we have to switch it up, if he is indeed looking for you, he knows you well enough to search the corners, so we have to stay on our feet and move with the crowd. Do not migrate to a dark corner, he will find you for sure." She gave me a wink through that mask, and I nodded. "And don't worry about gifts, Preston is handling it." She whispered. I was so glad the only thing anyone could see in this mask was my eyes, and my white teeth if I opened my mouth.

       An hour went by and me and Marie were standing next to a pillar talking to a few girls from the diner. They didn't seem to notice me, and I was okay with that, they were only interested in whatever conversation Marie was having with them. I took the time to let my eyes move around the room, I couldn't help but internally roll them when I saw the evil bunnies, again in the same costume as last year.

       My eyes stopped when I saw him though, he was standing only about fifty feet from us with the football players. I don't know what they were talking about, but he was facing me and from here I could see his smile, I did notice that twinkle that is always in his eyes, seems to have some how burned out, and looking closer, his smile didn't spread from ear to ear.

      I could feel my hands going clammy, so I squeezed them hard at my side. I didn't want to run, he might catch me, I didn't want to starting acting weird he might get suspicious. No, no, no, Skyla, he won't, you could run, and he would never notice. I scolded myself. I finally regained control of my inner war when I realized his eyes were now trained on me, and he was slowly inching closer. I knew that look; it was like a predator stalking its prey before it takes that final pounce. I kept chanting to keep calm, don't look obvious, when an evil bunny whipped right in front of him pulling his waist to where his back was now to me, and our eye contact was broke.

      I grabbed Marie's hand and pulled her to a dark corner. "I told you, no dark corners." She hissed.

      I tiptoed and could see him above the crowd because of his height, and whichever bunny that was on him, was still there trying to get his attention, but his head was whipping around in every different direction I know looking for me. "He saw me."

      Her eyes got big under that mask, "How, you are in a full body costume."

     "I don't know, but what do we do. One of the evil bunnies has him occupied, so I have a minute," I tiptoed again and sure enough he was in the same spot, doing the same thing.

      "Come on," She grabbed my hand pulling me to what I assume is a broom closet. She jerked her outfit off, and I followed her lead. "Switch," she demanded. "And quick." My long hair was the only problem, I took it out of the messy bun from under the wig and braided it quick and then wrapped it around my head, sliding the stalking down over it. "Perfect," she said. "Now I am going out first, count to twenty and then follow but go a different direction. We will meet back over by the refreshments. And stay close in case we need to do this again." I nodded and watched her walk out.

      I took a deep breath calming my inner beast that evidently, I can't seem to keep in check. One, what am I doing? Two, maybe I took the text out of context. Three, why was he acting funny before that? Four, crap I am screwed, five, yep that's all there is to it. I kept ranting like that until I hit twenty and swiftly made my way out the door. Checking quickly no one was looking I scurried through the dark corner, to the other side of the room and ducked my head as I weaved through the crowd.

       "Come on man, please tell me where she is?" I stopped in my tracks when I heard Jaxon's voice, from the sounds of it, he was close.

      "Dude, that's my sister, and you broke her, I don't have to tell you anything." I love my brother.

      "Preston I am begging here. I have to talk to her, I don't know what's going on, but I am miserable without her, and I must talk to her. At least tell me is she here?"

      Preston sighed, and I was sure he was going to break, "I don't know. Honestly, she wasn't home this morning, so I didn't get a chance to ask. But if I see her, I will let you know."

     "Thanks man, I promise I will make it right." Jaxon squeezed Preston shoulder and walked off. Preston looked over at me, giving me that look, he knew, he just nodded his head and turned to leave.

      I didn't waste anytime getting out of there to go find Marie. I caught sight of him again a few times after that, and he had two evil bunnies hot on his trail, one or both of them hanging off him like ornaments on a Christmas tree. I couldn't help but snicker, it was amusing, watching him get annoyed and try to run. Eleven o'clock on the dot and the crowd started migrating outside. Some stayed in while the music continued, Marie and I decided to go with the majority of the crowd, which was outside.

       The fire had to be ten foot tall, and the flames were licking the midnight sky. There were people scattered out all around it, and it looked like they had cut trees down and made home made benches placed strategically all around the fire. I could see Marie and Preston a little cozy on one of the benches and I decided to go somewhere alone, I didn't want to intrude on them, plus if I went over there Jaxon was sure to find me. I eventually found myself in a small grove of trees, not too far, but far enough I would go unnoticed. I propped my shoulder and head against the tree with my back open to the trees behind me and stood there peacefully watching them all. This was our senior year; we would never be here again.

    Suddenly arms were around my waist, and I was pulled possessively into a rock-hard chest. The way my heart was beating and the little tingles I felt from the contact of his arms and my body I knew who it was. I froze dead in my spot, trying my best not to overact. I had play it cool.

     "You know, you would drive a man insane. Do you know what kind of crazy I have been through trying to get you back in my arms?" He whispered in my ear, and I couldn't help the shivers that ran through my body. "Just listen, okay?" He kissed my cheek and I just nodded, afraid of my own voice right now. "When you left for summer break, I took the time while you were gone to try and figure out why Trey is still here, trust me if he is around, it's for a job, not a family visit. Anyway, in the process my phone was mysteriously lost, and then guess what it magically reappeared two weeks later. I saw the headlines back in LA, and I swear I never once believed them, I know how much I love you, and I am about positive you feel the same, so I know there was no way you would risk what we have. Trust me Skyla, I know how the media can rip an innocent life apart from just a simple picture. Anyway, when I finally found my phone and checked everything out, I found the text that was sent to your phone from mine. Baby I swear that wasn't me. I tried calling, I tried texting, I flew to LA chasing you, I beat on your parent's door every day, I could not find you and it literally drove me crazy. And then your birthday came, and you still weren't here, I didn't even get to spend it with you. I have been chasing a ghost around school for two months, and it seems no matter what, I can never catch that ghost, but tonight, those eyes." He took a deep breath from his long rant, "Honey I could pick your eyes out from a mile away, you might feel a lot of things for me, but no matter what I would always see the twinkle in your eye when you look at me." I stood there frozen in my own body. His chin was on my shoulder, and I could feel the tears rolling down his cheeks and peppering my mime costume like a spring shower. He finally took another deep breath, "And your letter, was the final step, I lost it, I haven't slept in nights, I can't concentrate, it's like my world has stopped spinning." He turned me around slowly in his arms and seeing as how he was dressed like he was last year, looking like a star-studded Prince Charming, I could see all his features. "Please forgive me, please let me make It all better, I will spend every waking moment to make it up to you I swear." I slowly removed the mask from my face so I can see him clearly, not like looking through the eyes of someone else.

      I reached up and put my hand to his cheek and he leaned into my touch. "Jaxon," I whispered and watched as he looked dead into my eyes. I knew I forgave him, the moment he wrapped his arms around me, that was all it took to crumble my walls. "I love you. I will always love you. It's only you. Forever yours." He didn't waste a minute pulling me closer into him as he devoured my lips with his and it was like the first magical kiss all over again. He pulled away from the kiss and flashed his mischievous grin and I knew I was in trouble. Next thing I knew I am thrown across his shoulder like a sack of taters as he walked fast toward the bonfire. I playfully smacked at his back, screaming put me down, of course I kind of like it. "Where are we going?" I finally giggled out.

      "I am taken my Princess back to enjoy the party. I would like to spend as much time with her as I can tonight." He huffed as he quickened the pace.

      Before I knew it, we were back with Preston and Marie as Jaxon took a seat next to them and pulled me on his lap. I leaned into his ear and cupped the side of his face like I was telling him a secret. "Jax, I can stay with you tonight." I kissed his cheek and leaned back only to see him grinning like he just won the lottery.

      "About time," Preston grumbled from beside us and Marie just giggled. Yea, memories, senior year. Go big or go home, right.

       Later that night, I spent it curled up in Jaxon's arms, they held me possessively, yet his touch was so soft. We stared at each other, not really saying anything, just communicating through our eyes. "Baby, you have to turn your phone back on, I have to be able to get a hold of you."

       Rolling my eyes was a constant thing now, but I always did it playfully with a smile when it came to Jaxon, "I don't want to. I will get a new one eventually. But for now, I have a feeling you will be close enough, I don't need one."

     He pulled me closer kissing me softly before he pulled back a bit, "You got that right. Me and you against it all."

    "Against it all." I nodded my head and snuggled into his chest. I love you was exchanged, and sleep took us over, a much needed restful sleep.