haunted

Chapter 1: ghosting

"'Cause she knows what a good writer you are." Ian smirks. "She probably wants to 'foster your talent' or whatever."

"Ew." Leah wrinkles her nose. "I can't with teachers who care."

With care comes expectations, expectations Leah knows she can't meet.

Ian nods at her book. "You don't have to read it, you know. She only assigned it because Galanis used to go here." He shrugs. "It's shameless alumni promotion."

"It's not so bad," Leah hedges.

She picked it up over the weekend and found herself immediately entranced. She'll deny it until the day she dies, but she's a sucker for romance stories. Especially ones where she can see parts of herself reflected back at her, characters experiencing what she so desperately wants to feel. This one has just that: an ordinary girl who longs for something more, and finds an all-consuming love that brings her life into the limelight.

Ian snorts. "Seriously? Have you read chapter six?" He eyes the book distastefully. "A twelve page description of the wallpaper in a waiting room."

Leah sighs. Ian doesn't get it, he never will. She picks up the book again. "Well it's either this, or finishing my paper on A Tale of Two Cities."

Ian gives her a weird look. "That was due yesterday."

Leah drops the book onto the table. "Wait, what?"

"Yeah, Ms Wolfe wanted it turned in online because last time she lost some people's papers."

"Fuck." Leah shoves her book into her bag. "I gotta go. I need to see if she'll take it late."

Ian quirks an eyebrow. "Why are you even stressing out? You have an A+ in the class."

Leah scrambles to her feet and lifts her tote bag onto her shoulder. "I need a letter of rec from her for college apps."

"I don't think one late assignment will ruin your reputation with her."

She's already walking away.

"Bye!" Leah calls over her shoulder, missing Ian's wave as she heads inside.

---

It doesn't take long to find Ms Wolfe's classroom. The hallways are devoid of life since everyone's still outside eating lunch, so there's nothing to bar her mad dash to the English department. When Leah reaches the door, it's cracked open, so she peers inside to check if it's empty.

It's not.

"-you know I always love seeing you," Ms Wolfe says softly, "but I wish you'd let me know before you drop by! I have papers to grade."

"I'm sorry," a girl Leah has never seen before responds. She's wearing a painfully coordinated outfit: a knee-length magenta skirt paired with a lavender blouse and orange long sleeve undershirt. Her hair is cropped short, styled in a bob with bangs. Leah almost does a double take, because how the fuck does someone who looks like they just stepped off the set of Barney end up at EBAA?

"It's alright dear." Ms Wolfe folds her hands awkwardly, like she doesn't know what to do with them. "How have you been?"

Leah backs away from the door, not wanting to interrupt their conversation, but fate has other plans.

"The same," the girl laughs despondently. Her eyes flicker nervously around the room, and meet Leah's. Her eyes widen and she turns back to Ms Wolfe. "There's someone at the door," she whispers.

Fuck.

No going back now. Leah pushes the door open and forces a smile, trying her best to look as though she hadn't been eavesdropping. "Hi, Ms Wolfe," she says. The girl just gawks at her, but Leah is too nerve-wracked to overthink it. She turns back to Ms Wolfe, tone apologetic, "Sorry to interrupt, but I had a question about the Dickens essay assignment."