"So are you going to tell me what you've heard from spying or not?" I asked, trying to lighten the mood from Nick's depressing confession.

Nick groaned rubbing his face with his hands. "So apparently I'm not so good at football and it's about time the other players got some of the spotlight. Is that true? Like how else have we been winning?"

I shrugged. "Never watched your games, can't really compare."

His eyes widened and his lips parted. "You've never— what?! Everyone comes to watch the games!"

Of course everyone in our football obsessed town came to watch. I, however, was not obsessed with this sport.

"Never."

Nick stared at me for a long time making me feel uncomfortable.

"What?"

"Is it because of me or because you don't like football?" He asked a little shy.

I stopped to think about it, bitting my lip in concentration. "Ummm... a little of both, I guess? People worshipped you enough hours in the day, I didn't need more. Plus, I suspected that people would not make the experience pleasant thanks to you and your group of friends. Plus, it gets really annoying hearing people rave about football all the time. Did you know some people actually close their shops early to come watch the game?"

He was trying to hide a smile and failing. It was probably getting to his head.

"What else did you learn?"

His frown returned. "Other than a lot of people hating and thinking I'm obnoxious and arrogant?"

"Yes, that's basic knowledge. Something new," I waved him off. He gave me an unimpressed look.

"I found out that Amelia was cheating on me," he frowned. "I mean I know we were probably the most dysfunctional couple, but it's embarrassing. I would have preferred she broke up with me."

"You mean you never cheated on her?" I asked curiously. They did not seem to get along at all. He gave me a hard look, oh he was angry.

"I might be an ass, but I'm not a cheater. I believe in loyalty."

Yikes. Seems like he has some decency after all.

"Okay! Okay!" I put my hands up in surrender. "What I'm trying to say is Amelia? Really?"

He blushed rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "Well she's hot and captain of the cheer squad. It made sense that I'd be with her. We were the king and queen of the school in a sense."

Still did not explain why he would date the biggest bitch.

"But god she was horrible. I thought I was bad. Do you know how evil girls could be— especially if they're jealous. I once smiled at our waitress— turned out to be some girl from our school. Amelia spread some nasty rumor about her having chlamydia from sleeping with the janitor. Remember that girl?" He said looking a little pale.

Oh god. Poor Kelly. That girl ended up switching schools because of Amelia.

"Yeah, we're the more superior gender. That's why we live longer," I said trying to lighten the mood.

This made Nick chuckle. "You know Eva, you are sort of cool for a loser."

I scoffed. "That doesn't even make sense."

Nick crossed his arms and tapped one finger on his chin. "So you are saying that you're not cool?"

"Oh shut it," I said rolling my eyes with a smile. Sure he was still annoying as ever, but it was entertaining.

"I'm serious Eva," Nick paused. The previous joking attitude gone and replaced with something more serious. "You're a cool person. Anyone would be lucky to be your friend. I'm an idiot. I shouldn't have ditched you as kids. I shouldn't have bullied you. I shouldn't have bullied a lot of people. I'm really sorry. As much as you hate me, I hate myself more. I can't believe I died such a bad person. It's too late to fix my wrongs, but out of everyone I'm glad it was you who can see me now. I'm happy I got to apologize and I know there's nothing I could do to earn your forgiveness, but I'm happy I could spend my last moments with you until we solve this thing."

My heart beat so fast and my chest felt tight. I was suddenly too aware of myself and my skin felt too hot. This was weird. This was wrong. "I don't hate you... or at least I don't think so... not anymore."

His head shot up. A look of hope in his eyes. "What?"

"Well I used to hate you. Like a lot. But now..." You are pitiful. I was a rooter for the underdog, and right now he was under under. "I guess I'm learning a new side to you. And I feel a little less lonely."

I can't believe the closest thing I had to a friend was the ghost of my past tormentor.

Nick grinned from ear to ear. "Really?!"

I nodded feeling a little bad for the guy. Poor Nick.

"I'm feeling like we should hug," Nick suggested opening up his arms for me.

My eyes widened. "Hell no. Don't get ahead of yourself Leighton. I said I didn't hate you, not be the Patrick to my Spongebob."

Nick's hands very slowly dropped as if he was waiting for me to change my mind. Not gonna happen.

"I found out a lot of gossip too, maybe I can be the new xoxo gossip girl," he said in a feminine tone making me chuckle.

"Yeah?" I raised a brow.

He nodded. "Okay so hear this, you know the Winston twins? Well they're both dating the same guy from another school for fun waiting to see if he'll notice that they're two different people. And you know Don Castillo and Meg Laney? Well Don is sleeping with Meg's best friend and Meg is sleeping with his so like karma I guess. And Tristen Bernard? Turns out coach had him on probation for failing his classes so now he's paying Carl Wilson to do his work. And Bill the Bull? He's not even circumcised. Jacqueline Pierce the preacher? She's an addict— I did not see that coming."

My jaw dropped as he dropped bomb by bomb. "Okay I have to ask, how on earth did you find out about Bill the Bull?"

Nick made an uncomfortable face. "Trust me, you don't want to know."

Oh god.

The rest of the walk to school was pleasant. I had pretended I was on the phone so that I wouldn't look so crazy talking to the unseen Nick.

I walked to math class and Nick decided to sit in the empty seat in front of me as usual. Mr. Cordon walked in holding a pack of paper. My eyes went wide in recognition. Oh shit. I had totally forgot we had a test today.

Nick seemed to notice too with the nervous look he was giving me. "I take it you didn't study?"

I shook my head. We were too busy yesterday talking game plan.

"I take it I am to blame."

Right again.

Nick's eyes lit up and a grin stretched from ear to ear. "Don't worry. I got you."

Oh god no. This cannot be good. I looked and him and shook my head, but he ignored me.

"Alright, you know the drill. Everything off the desk except your pens and pencils," Mr. Cordon instructed. Shit. Shit. Shit.

He passed the test around. I looked through it noticing I remembered a few things from class. I could do this.

"Mike has 8.5 for the first question!" Nick called out. Yes! I got that right!

A few minutes later.

"25 for the second!"

I looked at my calculations and saw where I got wrong.

"85° for three!"

Wow. Having a ghost for a friend was useful. The rest of the time went with Nick calling out answers. I was loving it.

In lit class, he stood over my shoulder looking at my literature comprehension. "Really? That's what you got from the book?"

"What would you know?" I huffed under my breath.

"T.R Loken is an artist. You can't take his writing literally, there is so much more depth in his literature than you know," he said passionately. I was a little surprised and I didn't bother hiding it. This made him blush.

"Nobody really knows this, but I really like writing... And I think I'm pretty good at it too," he said. "I really like reading books, but my friends don't know this. Apparently it's lame."

I smiled softly.

"It's not lame. I think it's pretty cool you're into something other than football."

I whispered as quietly as I could.

This made Nick blush some more. It was a little cute and I was a little happy I had the power to make Nick feel embarrassed.

"You might be the only one that thinks that," he said a little too quietly. He quickly put on a smile that did not quite reach his eyes and went on to explain what he thought of the book. I had to hand it to him, he knew his way with words. It was almost poetic. And a little hot. I may or not be a little turned on— not that I'd ever admit to him. I also hated to admit that school was so much better with him there. With a friend. For once I didn't feel so alone and yet my only friend was a ghost.

I was rounding the corner with Nick to go out for lunch and hide in the grass to talk with him without looking so crazy when we overheard voices.

"I don't get why you don't want anyone to know," Amelia's familiar voice nagged.

I looked at Nick, his usual laid back and easy grin was gone and replaced by a dark look. I dared to go look even though Nick hissed at me to drop it.

My hands shot to my lips to stifle my gasp. She was cheating on him with Trey?!

"It's just not right," Trey said with a clenched jaw. "Nick was my best friend, we need to at least wait until this whole thing blows over. It's just not right Ams, you know that right?"

She didn't try to hide her frustration. "Fine. Whatever. If that's what you want."

Trey shook his head looking angrier. "I'm not fighting over this."

He walked away from a fuming Amelia. She screeched clenching her hands to her side before marching after Trey.

"Should we follow them?" I whispered sneaking a look at Nick. He shook his head. "No. I don't want to hear more of it."

"But you heard that right? Trey? Sure what he did was sick, but he still cares for you. You were his best friend," I offered, but Nick didn't take it. "Nick..."

He shook his head and closed his eyes. "I don't care what they do. I'm dead anyways, it won't make a difference."

"It does make a difference Nick. It doesn't make it hurt any less. And Trey, yeah he's an asshole, but he's putting his feelings for her on hold. That's got to say something," I tried.

He still didn't look convinced. I reached over and took his large hand in my smaller ones. His eyes widened in shock. Even I was surprised with myself. "I can't tell you I know how it feels, but he's trying. And you're not alone in this Nick."

The lips parted as he looked down at our hands. I was about to pull away when he squeezed it back. "Thanks Eva."

I gave him a smile and waited. And waited. I looked down at our hands and back to him. "You can let go now."

His lips tipped up into a smirk. "Are you sure you want me to?"

Despite my cheeks turning crimson, I rolled my eyes. "Yeah I was pretty sure a little over ten seconds ago."

He chuckled before releasing my hand. From the lack of warmth I realized he might be right. I did like holding his hand. There was a comfort to it. It felt nice. It felt like more than I was willing to admit.

—————

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