Today, things went as expected; my courses, however, were easier than I'd predicted. Somewhat.
It was Friday, so physics was my last class of the day. Ansel also had the same class, so we greeted each other. Sadly, all the seats near me were taken so we couldn't sit one beside another. Marigold attempted to call me twice, even though she knew I'd be in class and couldn't answer without risking detention. My phone was set to vibrate, but I squeezed it into my pocket alongside my house keys, so it sounded less like a gentle notification and more like a chainsaw.
On the other side of the classroom, Ansel laughed at me, his mouth barely hidden behind his textbook. Oh, marvelous. If Ansel could hear the commotion all the way over there, I didn't stand a chance of remaining undetected by the teacher.
Mr. Ben, the worst teacher to be around while bending the rules – something I somehow managed to do all week – whipped around. I hunched over my desk and acted like I was too lost in the lesson to notice the racket inside my jeans. Luck was on my side for once, however, because, after shooting me a warning look, Mr. Ben let it go.
On the way out of class, Ansel hung back to talk to some random guy. Rather than waiting for him as I'd usually do, I joined the sea of students as they headed down the hall. I was about to return Mari's call when footsteps thudded behind me. I smiled to myself. Basil caught up.
I waited for the people to leave the hall before I slowed my pace, expecting him to fall into step with me. Instead, I was thrown forward with a grunt of surprise as an unexpected weight barreled onto me. Basil let out a short laugh while I stumbled forward, nearly losing my balance. I wondered how stupid I must've looked to the few students that were still in the hall.
"Get off me," I said, trying to jump so I could shake him off.
He laughed and easily unfolded the legs that were wrapped around me. Even though he was a ghost, he still weighed at least half of how much he did when he was still alive.
He motioned me to follow him, so I did. I noticed that we were about the leave the school building.
"Are you taking me into the forest?" I ask.
"Mhm," he hummed.
When we were just about to enter the forest, a sudden black appeared in front of his eyes.
"Basil, get your hands off my face—"
"Come on, you can hold onto my arm. And follow my voice," he replied and I could hear the smile in his voice.
"If I fall, I take no responsibility for—" I was cut off as Basil's hand slipped over my mouth. I thought about biting his hand, but he managed to pull it away before I'd have given it a chance. "—injury."
The ground beneath me shifted texture, from dirt to grass. Basil removed his hands from my eyes, grabbing my shoulders from behind me. Blinking into the sudden light, I didn't even look at the scenery. I glanced behind me to make sure the way was clear, then threw us backward.
Basil hit the ground hard beneath me. I rolled off him, ripped my bag from my back, and brandished it as a weapon. He raised an arm to ward it off, laughing helplessly.
"You idiot, that's what you get for jumping onto me while I was in a hall full of people," I grunt.
"So? It looked funny."
I threw my bag at his face knowing it won't hurt him, and it bounced off his crossed arms. He held out his hands, weak from laughing.
"Help me up," he finally said.
"Help yourself up."
He laughed again, struggling to get up on his own. I sighed and pulled his arm so he could get up easier.
"Why thank you," he grinned.
I said nothing, realizing that my camera was in the backpack that I have just thrown at Basil.
"Shit," I mutter.
He raised one of his eyebrows as I let myself fall on my knees so I could look through my backpack. I quickly started searching for it.
I sighed in relief. The camera wasn't damaged. I suppose I was expecting for it to have a scratch or something, but it was intact.
"Better be more careful next time," I heard Basil say from behind my back.
"You should be more careful before I throw us down again," I correct him.
He smiled. "Come on, look around you. This was one of my favorite places in the forest. It always inspired me."
I looked around and, Basil wasn't wrong. A moss veiled path was on my right and I couldn't take my eyes off it. Basil started walking around and the twigs were crunching under his feet.
I was amazed by the size and majesty of the trees. Their knotted arms rose ever upwards, as far as my head could lift. A pair of jays were screeching high up in the canopy of the trees. Jays are the scavengers of the bird world. Their cruel, corvid eyes are always on the lookout for a meal. In the winter, they raid squirrel stores for their nuts, often damning them to starvation. They drifted across our vision in a flash of flesh-pink and warlock-black, trying to size us up. That was the last we saw of them, as they are a furtive bird, full of suspicion. Jays reminded me of Basil.
I grabbed my camera and managed to take a quick picture of the jay flying from its tree. Basil tilted his head and looked at the picture.
"That looks great, Creek. You really captured the jay's beauty."
I wasn't a big fan of the picture I've taken. The jay's wings were a blurry mess, and its eyes were barely noticeable. I sighed. "Thanks."
He grinned and pointed to my left. "Let's go that way. I'm sure you'll find the perfect place for the picture there."
Before I could agree, I heard something. "Is there a creek nearby?" I ask interested.
"I'm afraid not. If there was any creek here, I would've surely taken you there," Basil's lips twitched into an uncertain smile.
"But I hear water."
"There isn't any creek or water source nearby. Come on."
Basil softly took my wrist so I'd follow him. We arrived at a wide glade, where the trees fell away, revealing the bespeckled sky. Huge roots spread on the ground, twisting like a great spiderweb.
I adjusted the angle of my camera so I'd get the perfect shot. After a few tries, I was satisfied with the outcome. I smiled and showed Basil the photos. He told me they were perfect for a painting. I blushed.
I took a few other pictures, some of the random birds I saw, some of the trees, or some simply of the sky because it was full of clouds. However, I tried taking a picture of Basil.
I looked at the picture. With disappointment in my gut, I told him he didn't show up in the picture. I kind of expected this to happen, but it hurt seeing how real it was. Basil just laughed and told me it was normal for him to not show up in mirrors or pictures. I knew that, but somehow I still hoped I could take a picture of him. A memory to cherish.
He must've observed I was slightly upset. A hand suddenly brushed through my hair and I locked eyes with him. He muttered the word 'perfect' before he took the camera out of my hands.
The camera flashed. I hid my face in my palms.
"If you can't take a picture of me, I'll take one of you," he said.
I didn't know whenever to laugh or cry. I looked at his expression and it told me to laugh. So I did. The camera flashed again. This time when Basil looked at the picture he took, he smiled.
"Could we print the pictures out?" Basil asked.
"What for?"
"Memories."
"I'll think about it," I said, which meant yes.
He handed me the camera back so I could finally see the pictures he took. I gave Basil a dumb grin, and he responded with the same.
Time passed quickly. I soon realized we had stayed in the forest longer than I had anticipated.
"It's getting dark, we should go," I tell Basil.
He nods. "Alright."
When we were leaving, I risked a glance over my shoulder. The forest glade looked freeze-frame perfect in the light of the full dawn.