The Boy on the Other Side

by Aki_kaze

  “But you already are, aren’t you?” With that, the boy vanished before Keith’s very own eyes.

  Keith wanted to quickly finish his lunch, but he already lost an appetite. In the end, he gave up, bringing his food tray to the tray return area before leaving the canteen.

  No more peaceful life. Not at home, not at school, not even in his own bedroom. His normal life was devastated by those who no longer belonged to this world. He hardened his heart, ignoring the blonde in his bedroom. He would not have more of it. He wanted to become normal. He would be normal.

  He walked to the nightstand and pulled out the drawer. He picked up the pill bottle laying inside, eying the label and his own name written upon it. He was about to open the bottle cap. He was about to, but decided against it.

  He put the bottle back in the drawer.

  “What’s wrong? Are you sick?”

  He didn’t expect the other to still want to talk to him considering what had happened just yesterday. He still wondered about it, those feelings. But he had to restrain himself. A living’s curiosity was one of the spirit’s instrument. They were laying traps, and he should not fall for it.

  “Is it that bad?” the other continued, “being able to see me hurts you that bad?”

  Pain was evident in his voice. The blonde disappeared from the room again.

  Keith changed his clothes, trying to sleep. But the grief remained. Not his, but the spirit’s. He tried again to recall those flashing images. But it all happened too fast he could not get a hold of it.

  Don’t, Keith. Don’t think of it. Don’t be curious. Keep ignoring and he will go away soon.

  On the bus ride to school, he was holding the smartphone in his hand, the search engine website ready.

  “You are crazy,” he scolded himself before filling the address in the search box. Results came up, and Keith told himself if he couldn’t find what he wanted within the first page, he would stop. His finger though betrayed him. It kept scrolling until he found an interesting article.

  The Gibs’ Tragedy

  He became agitated, reading the line again and again. All the answer was just one touch away. He mentally told himself off for being so curious, for not listening to his sane mind. But this was not the right way to find it out. He shook his head before closing the browser and put the phone back in his pocket. He turned towards the window once again.

  It was not right to find out about the spirit’s past without his knowing or consent. Keith contained his curiosity until he got back home. Now he was going to ask him about it.

  But no blonde came to greet him when he opened the room door. No one standing there gazing out of the window.

  “Are you still here?” Keith asked, putting his bag down on the bed. His eyes looked around the room. “I know you are still here.”

  No response, but he was certain the spirit was with him, in the room.

  “I just want to talk to you.” “Oh? You want to talk to me?” A reply came from the desk. He turned that way and saw the blonde standing there, glaring at him, arms crossed.

  “I…”

  The blonde strode towards him. They were now so close they could almost feel their breath on each other. They were of about the same height but the other got this overwhelming presence. Keith did not dare to utter a word or to even breathe too loud.

  “After I have been trying to talk to you for a week? And now you can speak just because you know what had happened to me? I don’t want your pity.”

  “I don’t know what had happened to you,” said Keith immediately, “I don’t want to know it myself. And if you don’t want to tell, I won’t ask about it either.”

  Keith looked straight into those two blue eyes, a glimpse of wonder in them.

  “You are weird.”

  “I’ve been told that a lot.”

  The other started smiling.

  “Well then, we should begin with what normal people do.”

  “You are not one.”

  “Rude,” the blonde quipped, “true, I’m a ghost. And you are the one who can see ghosts. We are both weirdos. And my name’s Sam.”

  Keith didn’t understand why the other offered his hand for a handshake. It was not like they could really make any physical contact. But what puzzled Keith even more was that he did the same.

  “My name’s Keith Derringer”

  Sam looked at him, his smile wide.

  Keith wouldn’t have known that talking to this blonde would completely change his life. With a handshake, the friendship between the living and the dead started to blossom.

  Chapter Four

  Learn How to Live Together

  “Sleepyhead, it’s time to wake up!”

  Keith woke up with an unpleasant alarm noise, the source of which was jumping on his bed. He kind of disliked loud noise, but it seemed his new friend was not aware of that.

  “Quit it already. What are you, five?”

  “You are no fun. And I’m helping you right now. I woke you up, and…” Sam leaped out of the bed towards the desk, presenting to him a school uniform put across the chair. “I prepared you your clothes, see?”

  Keith looked at him, confused. What was that for? “Should I thank you?”

  The blonde grumbled and gestured him into getting ready for school, then disappeared.

  Although Keith would talk to Sam in the bedroom, he would not dare speak a word outside. Only Sam’s voice could be heard as Keith was walking down the stairs.

  “You are ignoring me again.” The spirit asked, following him.

  In the kitchen, Hector was having coffee and toast, Alice was enjoying the cereal, while Diane was making fruit juice. John was late as always.

  “Keith, I heard you want to know about the ex-owner’s family?”

  “No,” he replied, “not anymore.”

  “I see.” Hector seemed a bit surprised. “But rest assured. There is nothing scary about this house. Don’t worry.”

  “Okay.”

  Hector nodded. He brought the coffee cup and the plate to the sink before picking up his case and his suit jacket.

  “See you in the evening, kids.” Keith and Alice said goodbye to him. Hector turned to kiss his wife cheek and left.

  “So, you’re not going to talk to me outside the bedroom.”

  Silence was his reply. Sam made a face before leaving the kitchen. Keith shook his head. If he talked to him in front of other people, he would risk being sent to a psychiatrist, or worse, put in an asylum. He wouldn’t want to be a burden to Diane and her family. Not more than this. As soon as he reached his legal age, he would inherit his parents’ money. It might be enough for him to move out and find a job, becoming independent from his aunt.

  “The bus is here. Hurry up, kids.”

  The three of them left the house. Keith spared a moment to glance back at the house door. Sam was not there. From where he stood, he could not see his bedroom’s window. But he could guess that Sam must be in his room, at his usual spot, gazing out of the window.

  He couldn’t deny that he did want to know about his past. But he stood by his word: not until Sam told him himself.

  Hector’s affirmation though piqued his interest. The article headline obviously indicated that something must have happened to the family living in the house before them. Still, Sam didn’t tell him his family name. Perhaps that news was about another family.

  “What are you doing?!” Keith jumped up at once. Earthworms and dirt covered his lap and his legs. A plastic box fell onto the floor beside his feet.

  “Weirdo’s breakfast. They are your usual diet, right?” A bigger boy sneered, “Go ahead. I caught them all for you.”

  Keith brushed the earthworms off. He didn’t like this at all, but he couldn’t do anything. That boy approached him, his voice threatening.

  “Make sure you eat them all. You know our driver well. If he knows you make his bus dirty, you will not be allowed on it anymore.”

  Other students laughed a
t the scene as that boy walked away. Keith tried his best to get all the earthworms and the dirt back into the box.

  “How is it, Derringer? Tasty enough?” One of the boys in the back seat mocked him, raising another fit of laughter. Keith paid it no attention. All he hoped was to reach the school soon.

  Keith was still cleaning up the mess when the bus arrived at school. Alice waited for him. But before she could say anything, he cut in.

  “You should go, Alice.”

  She hesitated but was dragged away by her friends.

  After this incident, his name spread wide and he became the target of bullying. He could not fight back though, knowing it could make things worse. During lunch break, he would find a quiet spot to eat alone. Nobody wanted to sit with him, so the table would become only his.

  “You want to be alone?”

  The boy looked up to see a girl of his age sitting down across him. She was in the same uniform, her emerald eyes full of interest.

  He didn’t know if he should answer. So, he continued eating his food quietly. The girl however kept kicking his legs.

  “Can you please stop it?”

  His words drew all other people’s attention. He knew they were all thinking the same; he knew the word. No one was sitting across him now. He stood up and returned the food tray before escaping the scene. Same tricks in two days. And yet he was still fooled.

  He must bear with it, he kept telling himself that. Just only a few years and this would become the past. He could get a new life. He could go wherever he wanted.

  ✽✽✽

  "What happened?” Sam asked Keith as soon as he entered the room. Keith ignored it and walked straight to the desk. Sam followed him. “Tell me. You know you can talk to me about anything.”

  “Be quiet, Sam. I want to be alone.” He said without turning to face Sam.

  “You are always alone…”

  “Stop talking to me. Get lost!”

  “Keith, what happened?” Diane opened the door and found the boy standing alone, face red with anger. She asked with concern, “Are you okay, dear?”

  He stayed still, gazing into the emptiness before him. Diane walked towards him and rested her hand on his shoulder.

  “Do you want me to call Doc Anderson? Or do you want to see another…”

  “I’m fine,” he said. He sat down on the chair and opened his homework, implying that he needed to focus.

  “I see. You know, you can tell me if you want anything.”

  Diane closed the door behind her. No one could really grant him what he wanted.

  He could sense his roommate’s presence behind him. He was standing there, saying nothing. They went back to what they were before, as if the handshake thing hadn’t happened.

  Since Keith moved in this house, the nightmare had become more frequent and the pain and sorrow it caused lingered even after he woke up. His eyes flew open to the night’s darkness, his face and his back wet with sweat. He wanted to go back to sleep. But he also feared he would find himself on that car again.

  He couldn’t tell when he fell asleep. When he woke up, he saw a pair of blue eyes watching him.

  “What are you doing?” The other suddenly moved back.

  He sat on the floor, resting his chin and his arms on the bedside. Keith didn’t know how long he had been watching him in his sleep.

  “I heard you crying.” Sam looked at him. “Had a nightmare?”

  The boy quickly sat up and wiped his face with his arms. There was no tear. “You lied.”

  “Why must I?” Sam replied, getting up to sit on the bed. “Are you okay?”

  He was about to deny but decided against it. Sam then continued.

  “Well, I have been telling you this many times and I will say it again. You can talk to me about anything.” Silence hung in the air. “That guy John bullied you, right? Do you want me to deal with him? I can do it.”

  Keith looked at him, not fully understood.

  “They don’t believe you, right? I can change that. I can make things fall, move them, or even more.”

  “I don’t want you to do anything.”

  “You know, you are not crazy.”

  “I am not crazy!” he replied in an instant. The other’s tone of voice sounded to him so patronizing. More like giving a consolation than speaking the truth. Still, Keith didn’t know what he himself was. He was a guy who could see what others could not. But who could prove that what he saw was real? Sometimes even he himself wondered if all of this was nothing but hallucination.

  “I do exist,” Sam said, his blue eyes gazing into Keith’s without a blink, “I know we can’t touch each other. But I do exist.”

  Keith looked away, suddenly feeling anxious. He got off the bed to prepare for school. But before he went into the bathroom,

  “Sorry for yelling at you yesterday,” Keith said.

  “It’s not a big deal. Don’t worry.” The young spirit waved it off with bored expression on his face. “But, really, you should do something with your swinging mood.”

  Keith threw the towel at the other’s face, but it simply flew through his target. Sam crossed his arms.

  “And your manners, too.”

  Keith didn’t even get a chance to retort before that towel landed on his face, almost causing him to stumble. When he next opened his eyes, he saw the blonde laugh uncontrollably, slapping his lap with amusement. Keith grumbled and stormed off to the bathroom.

  After relieving himself, Keith washed his face and brushed his teeth. When he looked up into the mirror, he was shocked to see Sam standing behind him. He whipped his head toward the spirit.

  “You can’t come in here.”

  “Why not?” The blonde asked, feigning innocent. “What you have, I do, too.”

  “Is that from the same guy who talked about manners?” Keith splashed some water from the tap to him. It went through and fell on the wall instead.

  “Amateur,” Sam shook his head before going behind the shower curtain to grab the shower head.

  He turned the shower on, his intention crystal clear. Keith tried to stop him but the other wouldn’t listen. A moment later, he found himself drenched from head to toe, his pajamas completely soaked.

  “This is not fair. I’m the only one getting wet.” Keith splashed some water towards Sam again. The result remained the same.

  Their laughter filled the air, the bathroom floor submerged under water. One was thoroughly wet while the other had not a single drop on his body.

  “So you can laugh, too”

  Sam’s word caused his smile to falter and reminded him of his old self. He used to be a cheerful kid. He never was a target of bully. He got to be much happier than now. That accident did not only take away from him his beloved parents, but the young boy named Keith as well.

  Chapter Five