Lake Larson

"—When I was young, I was a total douchebag. High school was my kingdom. Girls always wanted me. My friends and I learned Morse code so we could talk the shit about girls without them knowing," Ian said as he sat on the floor with his face near mine while I slowly woke. His smile grew as he noticed my eyes peek open. "Good morning."

I rubbed my lids, coughing my dry throat. "Have you been talking all night?" His blurry face became clearer while I kept blinking.

He perked up. "Yes, you are a heavy sleeper." Ian nodded his head like a kid with sugar.

"What time is it?" I asked, annoyed.

"Early," he replied vaguely, scooting closer to the bed.

"Ian." I sat up, letting the blanket drop from my torso.

I reached through him, trying to grab my phone on the side table, but realized it was not there. Slowly, I stood, stretching my arms above my head. My feet froze on the wood floor while I curled my toes. The room was dense and dark in the silence because the wind slowed to nothing overnight. In a few steps, I jabbed my toes on something solid, glancing down to see my books scattered on the floor. I stumbled forward, skipping across the floor, catching myself with the kitchen counter.

"Ian, what have you been doing?" I asked, holding my big toe in pain, seeing my belongings along the wood floor.

He shrugged his shoulders. "Practicing?" he said, more like a question.

Ian strolled over before me, bending over to check out my toe. He eyed me before crossing his arms over his chest. "Doesn't look broken," he said with a brow raised.

I huffed at him, letting my foot drop and stomping on the ground. "I know!" I yelled. "Still hurt, though."

Rolling my eyes, I shook my head. "I guess practicing is better than watching me sleep," I said, noticing my phone under the table.

"Oh no, I did that too," he responded while I tried to ignore that.

I crawled under my tiny table, grabbing my phone. Once standing up, I tapped the screen to see seven in the morning screaming at me. My body needed more sleep, but I couldn't miss another day of geography class.

Walking toward my bathroom, I paused, turning around to point at Ian. His eyes lit up like a kid on Christmas morning.

"Stay." I glared, wiggling my finger at him.

Ian's smile sunk to a frown as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm not a dog."

"Well, you act like one," I replied.

He tilted his head, glancing at the ceiling. "True."

With a smile, I turned and walked into my bathroom alone. Ian stayed out, which was a surprise since he didn't like boundaries. After my shower, I quickly put a little makeup on and blowdried my hair straight. There were two shirts on my vanity. One was from Alex, while the other was an old one I sported occasionally.

I tapped my hand on the sink, thinking, before grabbing the shirt Alex bought me and pulling it over my head.

The steam floated out of the bathroom as I stepped into the room. Ian sat on the floor, flipping through a magazine before he glanced at me. He looked away, but quickly eyed me again.

"Wow." His mouth gaped open.

I glanced down at my black jeans and the dress shirt. The salmon color complimented my skin tone nicely with a low cut front, showing cleavage. It was too much. I was showing a lot.

"I should change," I said, rushing to my dresser.

"No, you don't." Ian tried to grab me, but I walked right through him.

"Why?" I asked him, glancing over my shoulder.

He rushed around, standing before me. His eyes smiled at me before he looked down, straight at my breast. "That's why."

My cheeks burned as I watched the red blotches pepper down my torso on my skin. I glanced away from Ian, placing my palms over the tops of my boobs.

"That's why I need to change." I glared at him.

He tilted his head with a smirk that could light up a city. "If you want Hudson to notice you, keep the shirt on."

"I want him to look at me, not—" I said, motioning my palms over my breasts.

"Got to start somewhere," Ian responded.

I put my hand on my head, pressing on my temples before brushing my fingers through my hair. "Okay."

Ian beamed back at me with a nod. "What's your first class again?"

"I have geography," I said, grabbing my book from the floor and glancing around for my backpack. "I only have two classes this trimester."

Ian held up my bag as I gripped the material. I pulled, but he kept a good grasp on it until his ghost hand volunteered to let go.

"Oh, fun," he said sarcastically.

I was on the same level as him because geography was my worst class this year. If I could pick to skip, I would. I grabbed a jacket, pulling it on with my bag.

In the cold, we walked together on the brick path. A squirrel ran across, jumping near Ian's bare feet. Ian tiptoed away from it as he waved, trying to scare it off.

His leather jacket hung loosely on his body as he grabbed the ends, tightening it as he crossed his arms. I shifted my gaze to his feet, wondering if the more he was a ghost, the likelihood his memory would return?

"Why do you keep looking at me?" he asked, biting inside his cheek.

"Oh, I was just thinking," I replied, keeping my eyes on him as we walked.

"Well, what is it?"

"For the time you were—" I paused, facing him. "Gone. Do you remember anything?"

"I already told you I don't remember dying."

I shook my head with a giggle. "No, I mean, during the time frame of dying and waking back up. It was years."

Ian glanced at his feet and back at me. "No, I remember little things, like going to that party in New York you read on your tiny computer."

"Well," I said, walking to the red brick building. "That is a start. It means your memories are returning, and soon we will know what happened."

I stopped to look around and make sure nobody was near us. "All I know is that you are not in any obituary, so something was a cover-up."

"Do you think someone—" Ian froze, shifting his eyes around like someone would jump out of the bushes. "Murdered me?" he whispered.

A group of guys walked by us on the path into the building. They laughed at one another while glancing at me like I was a psychopath. I smiled awkwardly at them, placing my palm over my face. I needed to stop talking to Ian in public. The door closed behind them as I glanced around to see nobody near.

"There also was no missing person report, too," I whispered to Ian, keeping my head on a swivel.

"But what does that mean for—" he said, but stopped as a song sparrow flew above him, pooping on his shoulder.

His eyes glared up at the bird as he waved his fist around, flipping the bird off. I laughed, grabbing a sports towel from my bag.

"I've heard that if a bird poops on you, it's—" I said, but Ian put his hand out near my face.

"Don't say it. Nothing about being shitted on is good luck."

As I reached my hand out to him, handing him the towel, the guano fell through his ghost body, splattering on the ground.

"Either way, you lost your luck," I said, stuffing the cotton material back into my bag.

I opened the door to the building, following down the hallway to my classroom. As I entered the room, only a few students sat at the desks with their work out on the table. I snagged a desk at the front of the class, knowing most sat at the back, giving Ian a good chance to sit with me without someone sitting on him.

Once class started, Ian walked through the tables, playing at the teacher's desk the entire time. I kept peeking at him as he read the student's work.

I rushed out of the class once it ended before everyone else. Crossing campus to my biology class, I ran to the next building, wanting to escape the cold.

In the hallway, Ian ran up behind me, sticking his hand into my torso. He wiggled his arm around.

"Lake!" he yelled. "Laaakkkeee!" he barked louder in a singing voice, trying to embarrass me.

I wish I could slap that pretty face of his.

"Can you stop that?" I whispered, looking down and seeing his hand removed from my body.

"Stop what?" a voice asked as I looked up beside me, seeing Hudson walking to class.

My face froze as Ian laughed. "Ha!" Ian mocked. "He thought you were talking to him."

I ignored Ian. "Hey, there, um, how was your—" I froze.

"Day," Ian said, stepping before me and walking backward. "Say, day, before it's not even a sentence anymore."

"Day?" I finished my question while I exhaled.

"Not bad," Hudson responded, like I didn't have a brain injury in front of him. "The teacher canceled my morning class, so off to Professor Lewis and his monotone lecture," Hudson's voice sang smoothly.

Man, so dreamy. Those eyes, blue like the dull sky, and hair with no strand out of place. Hudson smiled, lighting up the dark hallway.

"Blink and respond." Ian killed my daydream. "Man, you are lucky to have me." He stepped between Hudson and me, blocking my view.

I blinked slowly and looked at the hall. "Lucky," I coughed out. Frick, I am already blowing this.

"You are blowing this!" Ian yelled with his hands in his hair in frustration. He laughed, calming his expression. "Here, look him in the eyes and tell him you will meet him later in class, and turn around and walk away without looking back."

I glanced at him, questioning everything. He mouthed 'trust me' before nodding his head.

My eyes looked at Hudson, seeing him already watching me. "I'll see you in class," I said too fast and turned and walked away like someone who had to use the restroom.

"Where are you going?" Hudson yelled from behind me.

I paused, turning around, but Ian jumped up and down with his hands waving around. "No, don't look and don't respond."

I kept walking with my head down while Ian strolled in reverse before me. Giggling, I shook my head, strolling mindlessly down the hall. What am I doing?

Ian's eyes stayed on Hudson with a gaped expression until he stopped walking. "Okay, you can turn around and head back now."

"Why did I do that?" I whispered, heading back to class slowly.

"Because you are terrible, and that type of guy likes the ones that are hard to get." His hazel eyes met mine. "You walked away, making yourself seem uninterested in him." He smiled, pointing at the ceiling. "And! He watched you walk away."

I smiled, feeling my cheeks stretch.

"Don't get ahead of yourself."

I walked into class, seeing Hudson in the spot next to the one I always sit at. He glanced over his shoulder at me as I paused, smiling at him.

"Sit down before I puke on you," Ian said from behind me.

I glared, looking over at Ian. He smirked, showing off his award-winning smile. His eyes looked into me, deepening my breaths. I turned to Hudson, sitting down before Ian saw my red cheeks.

"You forget something?" Hudson asked.

"Ahhh." I gaped my mouth open. "Yeah," I said before word-vomit left my lips.

Professor Lewis stormed into the class, setting his briefcase on the desk. "Okay, class, settle down. Today, I will pair you guys up at the end. This trimester ends soon, so I want to see a presentation by each of you."

"Hopefully, he partners us together," Hudson whispered.

I smiled at my notebook and glanced at Ian, who gave me two thumbs up.

Professor Lewis lectured the class most of the time as I jotted down everything relevant. Once he went on about his life before teaching, like traveling the planet, I set my pen down and listened only.

Ian leaned in his chair, listening to Lewis as he cared about the trips and bachelor life. I stole glances at him whenever he would chuckle.

As the clock ticked by, Ian stood and walked across the class, sitting at the teacher's desk. The rolling chair scooted slightly, causing him to freeze and glance around at the students. With an evil grin, he slid the chair back and forth as I looked around to confirm nobody saw the magic seat.

Ian's eyes met mine as he laughed obnoxiously and picked up a pencil from the desk. He wrote on the papers before him and peeked at me with a smirk. What was he doing?

"Okay, I will read your names and subject," Lewis said, walking to his desk and snagging the paper from Ian's hands. "Sam and Taylor." He looked up. "You two got coral reef."

The two stood and left as Lewis walked before Hudson and me. "Hudson and Lake," he said, tapping his finger on my notebook. "Sea turtle."

Excitement filled my body as he walked away, saying other names, but more flowed through me, thinking about our subject. I glanced at Ian with a smile as he grinned back at me with his eyes.

I grabbed my notebook, stuffing it in my bag as I glanced at Hudson. His beautiful blues were already watching me.

"What are the chances?" he asked as he shoved his notebook in his backpack.

"Yeah," I said, looking at Ian. "Lucky."

"Want to meet me at three in the library on Monday?" Hudson asked, standing while shifting his backpack on.

I looked up at him before standing and putting my bag around my shoulders. Inhaling deeply, I glanced at my hands. "Yeah," I said, peeking back at him. "I'll see you Monday."

Ian appeared beside Hudson. "Good job. I was about to yell at you."

I smiled awkwardly at Ian, causing Hudson to look to the side of him and then back at me. His eyes lowered, stealing a quick peek at my breasts. I guess Ian was right.

"I'll be at your soccer game tonight, so maybe I will see you there," Hudson said.

"Yes," I said, walking to the door with Hudson beside me. "I'll be there."

"Okay," Hudson slowly jogged away backward with a wave. "Good luck tonight."

I froze, waving goodbye to Hudson as he disappeared around the corner. After he was out of sight, I looked down at my feet, smiling.

"You're welcome," Ian whispered in my ear from behind.

I turned on my heels, wanting to hug Ian, but paused. "Thank you."

As students rushed down the hallway, exiting the building, I waited for the empty silence. I danced with my hands above my head before pointing at Ian.

"Thank you for the subject, too," I said, already knowing he changed the names for the project.

"I didn't do that," he replied with a wink.

His eyes bobbed down to my breasts as he smirked at me. "And I told you about the shirt." He pointed at my cleavage.

"He only looked once." I put my palm over my chest.

"Ha!" he mocked. "That you saw." Ian's laugh echoed down the hallway.

I grinned at him without showing my teeth, then pointed at the exit. "I got to get going."

I had my last soccer game to get to. It felt amazing to know I could put that part of my life behind me, but sad about leaving the sport. I wish I could say I would keep playing, but the memories of Gabby and her evil attitude ruined the game for me.

Thank you for reading. Please share, comment, and push that beautiful star.