Desolate Me

Not Meant For Me

I waited a good thirty minutes after my realization before I headed back home. When I got in, I stood in my kitchen for a moment, trying to really get it across my mind.

Peter stood me up.

My ghost didn't even pop in to gloat about it.

"He stood me up," I said it out loud.

Somehow that brought it into perspective. The boy I loved stood me up. Maybe I was too late that afternoon. Maybe he'd moved on with someone else while I was being paranoid about my uncle...

God what was wrong with me?

He probably had a perfectly good excuse. There had to be a reason.

There had to be.

I took a deep breath. "Ok. This is good. I am fine. This is fine. There's nothing going on. Nothing to worry about..."

"Oh you should totally be worried."

I let out the breath I'd just taken in and looked at my ghost. He didn't look happy but he didn't look mad either. His perfect Russian features were controlled and even.

"Don't say that with that look on your face."

"The only time a guy stands up their girlfriend, especially when they haven't had a good make out session in a while, is because there's another girl involved."

"Could be his mother."

"He would've sent you a text. Just like that night you two were supposed to watch Spider Man."

"You're making me paranoid and you know what?" I walked passed him to the laundry room. "It's not going to work. There is nothing wrong, nothing going on..."

"He's at his house."

That made me freeze, a pair of my jeans clutched in my hand.

"That doesn't mean anything."

"It probably means a lot."

I finished emptying the dryer and carried out the basket to the kitchen.

"Nothing is going on. Peter is just...busy."

"And he conveniently forgot about you meeting him at the getaway in the woods? Please..."

"Shut up, ok?" I looked at him, my eyes a little wider than they should be. "It means nothing. I'm going to my room at the school. I'm going to sleep and when I wake up in the morning...he'll be there with an explanation. Or there will be a text on my phone."

"Earth Girl..."

"SHHHHH!"

I grabbed all the stuff I needed and left, switching off all the lights as I went. When I got outside, leaving the porch light on like my father told me, I locked the door and headed for my car.

"I'm sorry," my ghost said, walking even next to me. "I just don't want you to get hurt so I played devil's advocate."

"You're supposed to be the supportive ghost friend." I put the basket of clothes in the backseat next to my school bag. "Let's just...forget it ever happened, ok?"

I closed the door and he leaned against it.

"Ok."

"I'll see you at the school?"

"I'll be there."

He watched me pull out of the driveway like usual and then through my rearview mirror I watched him disappear.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

When I got back to the school, the whole building was dark. Darken's Jaguar XK sat in the usual parking space. I pulled in next to it, careful that I didn't run into it. I was always afraid I'd hit it while parking. He told me not to worry about it because he could just buy another one.