Fallen For The Dead (#Wattys2015)

~Imaginary~ [chapter 1]

~Imaginary~ [chapter 1]

"Where's your imaginary friend?" His voice taunted from above me.

"She's right h..., hey!" I turned away from the direction of my dark green locker to point towards her. "She's not imaginary, Richard!" I had to crane my neck to look up at him. He was a year older but if I didn't know better I'd have thought he was in his mid thirties. With his big blond head and face splitting laugh. At first sight he seemed overweight but at a second glance he was just big. Big boned and built he was healthier than your average high school kid.

"Ha-ha. If she's not imaginary, then how come you're the only one who sees her? Huh, freak?" He looked down at me like I should have been locked away at the loony bin. All the while his smile not faltering. I sighed.

"What do you want, Rich?" I said coldly. He knew the entire story but whenever we weren't alone he pretended to bully me. He seemed to realize after elementary school that having a friend who still believed in his imaginary friend was not cool. So one day he cracked a joke about it and he instantly got popular. Now it's become his favorite hobby.

"What makes you think I want something from you?" He scoffed. The other kids around him leered and laughed and I saw his smile twitch.

I just looked at him point blank. "Alright. Alright. You got the math HW done?" I didn't even bother to look up at him as I give him the copy I already had ready. I set my mustard yellow book bag down carefully and pulled the page out from its ready position.

"Thanks Frank. If you ever do get thrown in the loony bin, I'll make sure to come and visit. Of course you'll have Luisa with you, huh Frankie? She walk threw walls?" He said backing up and starting to walk away. His voice got louder the farther he went. He hit the wall with the side of his fist as if to demonstrate how the old building walls were to strong for even his hand to go through.

Everyone laughed. Har har, Rich. Very funny. What a jerk he could be sometimes. He was never gonna let it go. He's been making fun of me for so long people have started to think it's a joke. Thank god. God knows what people would think if they knew I still see her. They just think I'm playing along when Rich teases me.

It's been ten years since I had that nightmare that night. I had the same one last night. On my birthday too. Of course I still had four hours till I was actually born. So I guess I'm still fifteen.

"Come on, Luisa." I whisper towards her to follow me. She just looks at me like she's proud. I smile. "We have English first."

^^^

I sit in my usual seat. The class room is set up in rows and is pretty much teacher oriented. The seat next to me is empty. Or so everyone thinks. I look over at Luisa and she waves at me. I grin. If only everyone else could see her. Sitting in the row of chairs she fit right in. She'd probably have an easier time fitting in then I did.

"Pay attention, Ank. You don't want to get in trouble again do you?" I'm no longer amazed at the fact that no one else hears her. I shake my head silently. "Then pay attention."

She's so cute when she's firm with me. I nod and turn my head slowly when she points towards the front of the room. She laughs loudly. I can't suppress my smile.

"What kind of alliteration did this poet use, Frank?" The teacher calls on me pointing at the name of the big green board behind him. Luckily I did the reading yesterday.

^^^

At lunch I choose to go out. Lou likes the fresh air.

"I have another appointment tomorrow." I told her quietly. It was always difficult to speak with her without looking like I was talking to myself.

"You mustn't mention me." She stresses, paying more attention to the clean sidewalks then she does to me. As if she could trip. But I know it's not that she's afraid she's too clumsy. She's just avoiding eye contact.

"Of course not." I tell her reassuringly. "This session won't be any different. Just because it's someone new. I swear I won't breathe a word." She smiles and starts to twist her hair around her pinky. Still not looking at me she skips forward ahead of me as we are walking then turns, walking backwards and continuously twisting the strand of hair.

"What will you talk about?" She asks finally looking at me and giving away the only sign that she is still worried. I shrug.

"Depends on who my new Doc is." I tell her truthfully. "I hope they won't try to give me pills again. I have been denying seeing you as of late. Maybe they believe me." She nodded. I knew she was still worried but she didn't say anything more.

Suddenly she stiffened and stopped touching her hair. A man I had never seen before passed us. I could have sworn I saw him glance towards Lou but I could have imagined it. There was no way he had. As soon as he turned around the corner she visibly relaxed. I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand.

I tried to brush it off. She did that occasionally and I knew she would not tell me from previous attempts of asking. So I held the door open for her and walked back into the school just in time to hear the first bell ring almost covering the sound of her soft sigh. Almost.