Ghost House

Where's my epic background music?

The door opens with a click and I throw my bag in the backseat before getting in the passenger side. Penelope, my best friend, pulls her hair out of its ponytail and gets in the driver's seat, putting her phone in the cup holder.

"So, Ellie. Got any ideas who you're going to take to the ball?" Pen asks playfully as she starts the car and puts the windows down. I groan.

"That's in like four months. It's too early to think about that." She pulls out onto the road and heads to the main road, so that she can drop me off at home.

"You've bought your dress, your entire outfit is planned out, but you don't think it's time to find a date?" I pause to think.

"That's fair, but I'm not as lucky as you, being able to see my date every Monday." My phone buzzes, so I take it out and go through my notifications. "Besides, I don't have any guy friends, and there's certainly no guys our age at dance. I mean, of course I wish there were, cause I'm tired of playing guys roles for the concert, but think about how many guys do dance compared to girls. It's like a ninety-nine girls to one guy ratio."

"That's no excuse. At least ask one of our school friends out then. You know Ollie still hasn't gotten over you." I roll my eyes. "Don't roll your eyes. I've seen the way he looks at you, and he even said today that he was thinking of taking you to the ball."

"I know, but I only see Ollie as a friend. I don't want to lead him on. Also," I turn to her, shifting in my seat. "do you think he realises that he has to officially ask me to the ball? Because saying 'I was thinking of taking you to the ball' isn't really asking."

"Yeah, it's an expression of a thought, not a question. I can remind him tonight if you want."

"That would be great, but don't say that I told you to tell him. " We're silent for a moment, and I watch her concentrated face, watching her eyebrows crease when a car decides to put its indicators on after we've pulled in behind it. I turn back to face the front.

"Oh look! Ellie, it's your man!" She shouts and points out of the windscreen at a guy in our year. I've liked him for some time, but he's really just a convenience crush, just because his locker is above mine. Fortunately, he doesn't hear her shouting the words 'it's your man', but unfortunately, he just hears some sort of shout and sees her pointing and me slide down in my seat as we go flying by.

"What was that for? Come on, Pen!" I push her shoulder and the car moves slightly as the steering wheel turns with her. She's hysterical, barely keeping her eyes on the road. "That was so embarrassing. I can't believe you just did that." I start to move slowly back onto my seat, but she's still laughing. My face feels like it's on fire and I can see my red cheeks in my peripheral vision. I turn up the music in the hope to drown out her laughter. It doesn't work.

***

"Elena! We're going!" cries Mum from the kitchen. Yeesh, I think. Not my full name. I pick up the pace down the stairs, nearly tripping over my untied shoelaces.

"I'm coming!" I'm hopping around the square table in the dining room, trying to tie the double knot on my shoe. I stumble when my foot catches on the doormat, but Dad catches me, his hand on my head until I put my foot down and mumble a thank you before flying down the front steps into the car.

We decided to have a quiet afternoon in, and I said before that since we're all tired, we're probably going to fall asleep. Lo and behold, we did. We woke up at 5:45 when we had to leave for my cousin's birthday at 6 o'clock. That's always fun.

I get in the car on the driver's side in the back seat, Dad throws Bailey a treat from the passenger side and Mum shoves her foot on the accelerator, flooring it out of the driveway. The radio picks up and How to Save a Life by The Fray comes on mid-song. Mum and Dad are talking about an outdoor dining set that Nanna wants us to pick up for her, whether they can take Grandpop's Ute or if they need to flatten out the back seats in our car to fit eight chairs and a circle table in the boot. I think we may need to make more than one trip if we flatten the chairs.