Better Than Pizza | REGGIE PETERS

Chapter 4: I Thought Ghosts Didn't Get Cold

I was standing there, crying in my mom's arms. Inspiration hit. I can use this hurt to write a song! "I love you mom, but I have a couple song ideas."

"Yeah- okay," she smiled and let me go.

I walked upstairs and opened my backpack. I retrieved my song journal and started writing.
Right now, he's probably slow dancing with a bleach-blonde tramp and she's probably getting frisky.
Right now, he's probably buying her some fruity little drink because she can't drink coffee.
Right now he's probably up behind her with a pool stick, showing her how to shoot a combo.
And he don't know...
(Well you know the song)

After I finished half, I got a call from Jacob. I answer, trying not to seem irritated with him.

"How have you been today?" 

"Oh I'm fine! I went to that huge library. You know the one by the beach where we met?"

"Oh... um yeah. I know it pretty well. Only been in there a few times."

"Well babe, what did you do today?"

"I hung out with some of the guys I hadn't seen in a while. Why do you ask?"

LIAR.

"Well I told you about my day, I was just wondering what you did!"

"How much Big Time Rush did you listen to today?"

"Oh not that much! How much 80s did you listen to today?"

"None at all actually."

Carrie hates 80s music.

"Oh! Well that's surprising. I'm actually working on a song right now."

"Can I hear some of it?"

"Absolutely not! You know that I don't share until it's completed."

"Awww babe! For me? Pleaseeee?"

I fake giggled, "Jake, I said no."

"Ugh alright. I guess I'll see you Monday?"

"You know it!"

I hung up the phone and tears stung my eyes. I could feel them rolling down my cheeks. My mom called me for dinner. I wasn't very hungry. Not at all. He lied to me. We said no secrets and now this. I don't know what I'm going to do. I call Julie and tell her everything.

"Okay so first of all, told you so... second of all, YOU LIKE REGGIE!"

"What? I do not!"

"You do too! How many guys have offered you their jacket that wasn't your boyfriend or your bestfriend? Huh? Listen I know that Reggie's a ghost, but oh my gosh! He's so much better than Jacob!"

Little known fact: Julie doesn't like Jacob. She never has. In elementary school he bullied her. In middle school he encouraged his friends to bully her. In high school he still did it, but then her mom passed away and he stopped, I also threatened to stop talking to him.

I found myself smiling, "Okay yeah. Maybe I do like Reggie just a little bit."

"Hah! I knew it!"

"Okay well my mom called me for dinner so I'm going to go shove some food down my throat."

"Alright bye! Love you."

"Love you too Jules," I hung up the phone.

I walk down to the dining room and as soon as my dad sees me he gives me a bear hug. "I love you, and if a guy can't see how perfect you are, then I want you to break-up with him."

I giggled, "Thanks dad."

My mom was setting the table for two, "There's some leftover pizza in the microwave-oven. I know you don't have much of an appetite."

"Thanks mom," I walk over to the kitchen and I put the now-hot pizza on a paper plate. I grab a soda and head upstairs. I turn on my TV, pondering over what I should watch. right before I can decide, Reggie appears in front of me. I gasp, "What are you doing here? I thought we were hanging out tomorrow."

He smiled at my pizza, "Yeah. We still are if you want. You just have my only jacket..."

"Oh! I'm sorry," I put my pizza on my nightstand and walked over to my chair his jacket was on. I handed it to him, "Here you go."

"Okay... this isn't the only reason I came though," I sat on my bed and looked into his green eyes, signaling that I was listening. "I left you with some hard-hitting stuff today. I had to come and make sure you were okay."

I smiled at him, "Yeah. I'm alright. I talked to my mom about it and she hugged me and made sure I felt safe. I'm in the middle of writing a song about it. Do you wanna hear it so far?"

"Absolutely!"

I started singing what I had so far. What am I doing? I never give away any part of my song until I'm finished. This boy is doing something to me. I finished and did a curtsy. I took a bite of my pizza and put it down. Reggie just sat there and clapped enthusiastically.

"That was so good!"

"You think?"

"I know! I could never write a song like that."

"It's still a work-in-progress, Reggie."

"I don't care! That was amazing."

I giggled, "Alright, alright! I believe you."

"You should!"

I took another bite of my pizza. "So is that all you really wanted to see me for?"

"Yep that was pretty much it," he stood up and got ready to poof away.

"You know you can stay the night if you want? It's not like my parents can see you."

He didn't know what to say at first, "Ye-yeah. That would be great! Do you have a sleeping bag or something I could use or?"

"Reggie to be honest I don't really care where you rest. You should at least cuddle with me until I fall asleep."

He smiled a huge grin and said, "Yes ma'am," in a country accent.

I finished up my pizza and threw away the plate in my trashcan. I got cold, so I got under the covers of my queen-size bed. I put on the first Star Wars movie, since Reggie loves those movies, and I just laid there. Every time I wanted to cuddle with Jake, he always had to talk to me. Not Reggie though, he laid on his back with one hand behind his head to prop up and one hand on my back. I had my head on his upper chest, almost his shoulder, but not quite.

"Alright you're making me jealous," he moved me carefully to also get under my covers.

I giggled, "I thought ghosts didn't get cold."

"You know I didn't think we could either? Weird"

After he gets situated I put my head back on his chest. I start drifting off to sleep.