Gone And Forgotten (Ghost Romance)

Chapter Eight

"So, Muffin, what's the plan?" Casper asks, watching me drive.

I had already missed the start of college so I decided to just skip it completely. I wanted to get a way for a while. 

"We're going to the beach."

I see his half smile in the corner of my eye. "The beach, huh? Any particular reason?" 

"I felt like it, don't you ever feel like getting away sometimes?" I ask, grinning to my ears.

He chuckles. "It's the middle of November, Leah. And you want to go to the beach?" 

"Duh," I reply.

He shakes his head while smiling, "you're mad."

"All the best people are, isn't that what they say?" 

"Yeah, I guess they do."

The beach is my go-to place. Some people like their fancy coffees: cream and sugar with cream and sugar on top. But not me, give me the pebbles that move under my boots. Their loud crunch- louder than fall leaves and present all year.

 I suck in the salty air. "I missed this," I say, my eyes taking in my familiar yet always changing surroundings.

Above the sun is bright, but as always in November it has no real heat, only the power to render the ocean a glittering green-blue like my father's eyes. I miss those eyes.

"Did you come here a lot?" Casper asks next to me.

"I did, when we were a family." Although it pains my heart to think back to those memories, I found myself smiling. "My dad loved it here, we used to fly all sorts of kites, one year, dad bought a dragon one," I look up, as if to see it in the sky. "It was amazing to see."

Casper smiles at me, it was oddly familiar now, and I always found myself returning his gentle, crooked smile. 

The cold onshore breeze blew right through my coat so I wrap my arms tightly around myself and bow my head to shield my defenceless face from the iciness. 

"Are you cold?" 

"Yeah, but I'll warm up," I say.

"Really? I'm pretty sure it will just get colder, Leah. Why don't we go and sit in the cafe at the top, you'll warm up in there." 

I smirk at him. 

"Why are you smirking?"

"Because I know I'll warm up in no time, if I'm moving fast enough." He looks at me confused, "Race ya!" I shout, bounding away towards the sea. 

With every step the pebbles shifted. With every motion forward there was some backward and down. I slipped and tripped but I never stopped grinning. I ran until my eyes burned from dryness and my face felt like ice. My throat burned with the chill of the breeze.

The finish line was in reach, I looked behind me to see how bad Casper was doing, after all, I didn't really make it a fair start. But when my eyes fixed on where I thought he would be, he wasn't there. 

My face pulled in confusion, I turned back to see Casper right in front of me, I tried to stop but the pebbles were too wet to give me any grip and I fell right through him. 

I managed to balance myself before I could face plant onto the floor. Although I tried to look mad, once I turned around and we both looked at each other, we both burst into laughter.

"You should have seen your face," he laughs, resting his hands on his knees.

"You cheated," I say through my laughter.