The Life of a Medium

I woke with a start, covered in sweat my ragged breathing was the only thing I  heard. I  looked at the clock and found 3:00 a.m. in bold red numbers taunting me. shit. I slowly turned my head and found Caroline sitting their with wide black eyes and blood covering her. I blinked quickly making sure I wasn't still dreaming. I wasn't. I cursed under my breath before averting my gaze. This was bad I couldn't be seeing ghosts again it wasn't possible, yet here I sat staring into the eyes of the girl who's made my life a living hell since I was three. I chanced looking at her again and this time she was mere inches away from me, smiling she spoke in a low raspy voice " Did you miss me Claire?" I shivered and shook my head no. And Caroline threw her head back and cackled then spoke in an icy voice " Oh, but I've missed you." She came closer and that's when the smell of death hit me and I gagged and moved backwards into the corner of my bed to hide my face. Caroline stopped walking and blinked a couple of times before hissing " I'll be back." And diminishing before my eyes. Hours after she left I was still huddled in the corner shaking but I refused to cry. I quickly looked around the room to make sure she hadn't come back, then ever so slowly I looked at the clock. Fuck! This time the annoying red numbers read 7:30 a.m. I had 20 minutes to get ready for school. I jumped up and ran to my closet I grabbed a mint colored sweater, black leggings and my combat boots. Then I scurried into the bathroom and brushed my teeth, I then looked in the mirror and I blanched at the reflection. The girl staring back at me had wide blue eyes filled with fear that had dark circles underneath my cheeks looked sallow and my usually tan skin was pale and ashen. My untamed brown curls formed a fuzzy halo around my head and I groaned. I managed to brush out some of the curls and put on concealer to hide the dark circles. I then rushed back to my room and grabbed my backpack. I slung it over my shoulder and marched down the stairs. I threw a bagel in the microwave and grabbed a bottle of water. Beep! I popped open the microwave and took my bagel out to smear it with strawberry cream cheese. I quickly ate my bagel and chugged the water. Another glance at the clock showed I had exactly seven minutes to get to school. I walked out of my house and down the sidewalk. I made it halfway to school before my thoughts drifted back to Caroline and even though it was 73 degrees outside I shivered. Ever since I was three she had haunted me. I never understood why, I was average all around, there was nothing stellar about me. I remember when Caroline was nice to me. She would sing me lullabies and brush my hair, do all the motherly things. Then one day she was just cold. I could never figure out why and that subject was taboo in our short but creepy conversations. I don't realize im at school until my friend Renee walks up and nudges me. She has her hair in a side braid which made me smile. She looked so much like Princess Elsa when she did that. We didn't need to talk, the silence was peaceful and I felt safe with her she knew me so well.  My emotions, habits and darkest secrets. We've been friends since the fourth grade and were basically sister's. I knew I needed to tell her about Caroline. I whispered " I'm tired I've been up since three this morning. I had a... surprise, visitor." I slowly turned to her and she stopped walking and she jerked her gaze towards me.  "She's back... isn't she?" I murmured a yea and she hugged me. And repeated sorry about 10 times before letting me go and started to walk again. I sighed and she sighed back, a mutual understanding. We scrambled up the steps and through the doors, straight to our lockers. After we gathered everything we walked to class. We had Mr. Louis's advanced science class first hour, which was easy, and to make it even better all we had to do today was get in groups and review chapters 1-4 in our textbooks. Renee nudged my shoulder and pushed me towards our two desks in the back of the room. Once seated we got out our notes and the time flew by. We had math then English followed by Literature and then lunch. After lunch we had advanced history and P.E. and to finish the day we had art. After English everything blurred by and before I knew it, it was time for art. On the way to art I realized I didn't have my folder and went back to my locker to get it.  After retrieving my folder I was headed back to art when suddenly I got plowed over and all my stuff fell to the floor followed by me. I winced when I landed on my wrist and let out a string of incoherent curse words. I knew it was sprained. I gathered all my stuff back up and was getting  ready to stand when a boy with dark black hair and stormy grey eyes offered me his hand. He mumbled " Sorry" but that was all I heard after looking at him I say his eyes had bags under them and were filled with fear as well.  I almost gawked but I realized he was holding out his hand and took without thinking. I grunted as he pulled me up with the arm I had just sprained. " Are you okay?!?" His concerned voice met my ears and I nodded " Uh, yeah I think, just a sprained wrist." His cheeks turned red and he asked " From me just knocking you down?" I bit my lip and slowly nodded yes.         " I'm so sorry. I thought I was being followed by a gh...guy." He averted his gaze and looked all around before looking down at his shoes. "No problem," wow great to sound lame Claire. "I'm Claire by the way."  He mumbled a " Lucas" in return. I noticed we were still holdings hands and quickly released his. I could feel my face turning beet red. And then I remembered where we were and where I was supposed to be. "Shit, I have to get to art!". His eyes got wide and he quickly replied  " Me too. Do you mind showing me the way since I'm new and all?" Of course he's new Claire hints as to why he didn't look familiar. You should've been the one to offer to show him the way that stupid voice inside my head said. "No problem, uh, right this way" I said before quickly taking off down the hall in the direction of Mrs. Motler's class. I was so screwed she was the meanest teacher of all and was never in a good mood. I grunted. Great. And plopped down into my desk with a sigh.