Ghosts

Chapter 2

Ally and I sit eating our lunch and talking quietly so that Max doesn't hear us.

"Ugh... He hasn't done anything!" Ally whispers to me.

"Why would he? If he were trying to get back in that group of populars he wouldn't do anything stupid. Even though we are the only one's around." I say.

"Yeah, but still." Then, all of a sudden, Ally gets up and walks over to Max, leaving her tray at the table.

"Ally..." I start as she struts over.

Ally is always over-confident in herself. She is a big optimist and only thinks about the positives. When she sets out to do something, she does it and doesn't stop until she succeeds.

Ally talks to Max quietly and as she does he grips his tray and stands up; he has a small, genuine smile on his face. He then sits down next to me and Ally sits where she sat before she talked to Max.

"Uh thanks for letting me join you." Max says.

"It's no problem at all." Says Ally quickly, before I can say anything.

"So... Umm... Did you hear the rumors about me?" He asks us.

"Those silly things? I've heard them. I don't believe them. Neither does Marney." Ally answers.

"Really?" He says, stunned.

"Yeah. We never care about the big rumors. They all seem to be fake and rude. I don't believe in false accusations." Ally says with a satisfied look. She's lying and I know it. She loves hearing rumors and I'm sure she would make a bunch if people would listen to her.

"That's good to hear," he says, then he turns to me "you're Marney, right? Marney Ables?"

I nod. How does he know my name? I'll never know because I won't ask him.

"You don't talk much..." He starts casually.

"Well, sorry for not getting into the conversations where people speak for me." I say this while slightly glaring at Ally who didn't let me talk at all until now.

"Hey! I'm sorry for just keeping the table talk interesting!" She raises her voice a little.

"I'm only joking. Settle down." I say.

"I don't want to be in the middle of a girl fight..." Max starts to say "they're the worst."

"Sorry..." We reply in unison.

"It's fine, I guess." Max says.

We sit silently. For some reason we can't seem to start up another conversation.

Then I hear it. Max takes a quick, but shaky breath, although his face seems normal. I look to where he is looking and see what he sees, too.

He's not a schizo.