Lake Larson

My fingers froze around the laundry hamper as I dragged it from my backseat. The light above my car flickered while frost floated in the chilly air. The laundry mat open sign shined brightly, tinting everything red.

With my back on the entrance, I swung the door open into the heat. A little girl with her mom sat in the chairs waiting for their laundry. The mom glanced at me with a frown before putting her attention back on the crossword puzzle.

I rounded to the other side, dumping my dirty clothes into the washer, tossing a pod, and slamming the door shut. Ian appeared beside me with an annoyed expression.

"What?" I whispered, glancing to see the little girl watching me.

"I have been talking to you, but you seem not to care," Ian responded, walking over to a chair and sitting with a thud.

I glared at him, side-eyeing the girl as I huffed and grabbed coins from my pocket. Placing each quarter into the washer, I started the machine and sat beside Ian.

"Did it occur to you? I couldn't see or hear you?" I asked him in a low tone.

He peeked up, tilting his lips to the side. "Good point," he smiled, showing off his perfect teeth.

My eyes shifted to his as Ian's smile drifted away slightly. He glanced at my lips for a split second and coughed, looking away from me with a smug expression.

He pointed at the machines. "So, this is how poor people do their laundry?" Ian chuckled.

"Oh," I replied, trying to shove him, but my arm went through his torso. "You are arrogant."

"Who are you talking to, lady?" a childish voice asked as I looked behind me and saw the little girl. She leaned over the driers between us, causing the top to pop.

"Nobody," I replied, looking at her mom, who stood from the chair and walked over to her laundry.

"You are a freak." She stuck her tongue at me before giggling.

Ian laughed, holding his stomach. I glared at him and turned around to face the machines and not the bratty girl.

"Freak," she whispered. "Freak," she said louder. "Freak!" she yelled.

Ian turned around, grabbed the closest object, and threw an empty detergent container at her. The girl's eyes widened as fear masked her face. She trembled her bottom lip, pointing a finger at me.

"Witch," she whined, running to her mom.

The girl cried into her mom's stomach as I turned away, slumping in my seat. Ian laughed, standing before me with his hands in the air.

"What?" he asked. "Not so brave with the insults anymore."

His eyes glanced at me with a smirk as I covered my face with my palm, trying to hold my giggles back.

Ian widened his eyes, causing me to shift in my seat and look over. The mother glared in my direction, stuffing her clothes in a basket and rushing out of the laundry mat.

---👻---

My footsteps echoed up the steps to my dorm room on the chilly night. I dangled my keys near the handle with my clean laundry leveraged on my other arm. Falling into my room, I slid my basket across the floor, shutting the door quickly.

The wind in Cheney picked up, whistling through my building. My front door jiggled every time someone entered the stairwell from the pressure. After changing into pajamas for the night, I grabbed a sweater and pulled it over my head. The smell of lavender filled my nose, reminding me of my mom's place. She must have washed it the last time I was over. The purple flower always brought a smile to her face, reminding her of my dad when times were relaxing and peaceful.

"That smells amazing." Ian suddenly appeared behind me, smelling my shoulder.

"Jesus, Ian," I expressed with my hand over my heart. "I'm going to need to get used to you popping up."

I stepped away from him, pulling my sweater higher up my neck as I covered my face. He smiled with a low chuckle, catching my red cheeks.

"I've been here. You have chosen not to see me," Ian said, causing me to roll my eyes.

"I choose nothing. If I did, you would be stuck in this room all day." I tapped my foot.

"Well, just assume I am there," he said, leaning closer to my face. "Because I am always here," he whispered, biting his bottom lip slightly.

His eyes raked down my face to my hands cupped at my neck. My fingers tightened on the cotton material while the wind filled the silence.

He stepped back. "Like I said, I am tethered to you."

I will look like a psychopath by the time Ian moves on to whatever place he goes. Then again, what if I was already a crazy person, and he was my imaginary friend? I mean, look at the man, handsome and way too gorgeous to be haunting me.

"What are you thinking about?" Ian asked while he was standing behind me, sticking his hand through my chest.

"I think I am going crazy," I replied, glancing down to see his fingers curl into a fist between my breasts.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

I turned around quickly before he could react. His hand stayed inside my torso as the chilly sensation filled my spine. But the iciness seemed bearable compared to the first time.

"You can't be real. I'm imagining you and I should probably see a therapist." I glanced from his arm inside my chest to his eyes. "Yeah, I've noticed this handsome ghost around my apartment lately. He's been following me around and giving me dating advice. Is that normal? Maybe it runs in my genes."

"You think I'm handsome?" Ian smirked, removing his hand from my chest.

"That's not the point. You must be a fantasy." I turned away from him, pulling at my hair.

"No, Lake, I am real. Well, real to you." He followed in my footsteps as I paced around the room.

"Ha!" I huffed out. "That doesn't help!" I yelled, stopping to face him.

His eyes looked down at me with sadness. The green and brown intermixed, causing my cheeks to burn with embarrassment.

"Sorry," I bit my bottom lip, looking away from him. "I didn't mean to yell."

"Now I see why," Ian said while I peeked at him. He pointed at my wall, changing the subject. "I see why you painted my wall that color."

"Your wall?" I laughed, placing my hand on my hip. "When will you get it through your thick skull that this is not your room anymore?"

"I don't know, probably never," he replied. "Maybe when I—" he said, but my phone vibrated in my pocket.

I pulled it out, seeing my mom's name pop on the screen. "Hey, I'm going to get this," I said to Ian. "It's my mom."

"Hey, Mom," I said into my phone while turning away from Ian.

"Hey, honey, I was calling to see if you were still coming for Thanksgiving," she said, mumbling a little. "I needed to get your room ready. Uncle Jim had been staying in it lately," she said as I thought of how gross my Uncle Jim was and how he sneaked smoking inside of the house all the time.

"Yes, I will be there," I replied, rolling my eyes.

"Me too!" Ian yelled. "I will be there too. Let her know." He leaned over my shoulder, pointing at the phone.

"Shhh." I swatted him away.

"Someone there with you?" My mom chimed in as I gaped my mouth open.

"Oh, um, no," I said while glaring at Ian.

"Are you sure?" she replied with an echo. "I thought I heard a man's voice."

Ian's expression brightened with his eyebrows high. I mirrored his face with the same shock as I waved my long sleeve above my head, telling him to leave me alone.

"No, mom," I whispered into the phone. "Sorry, I got to go. Yes, I will be there. See you later," I quickly said without a breath before clicking the phone and hanging up on her.

Ian smirked with a low chuckle. "Dude, you sometimes," he said. "Your mom thinks you have a man in your room now." He shook his head, face-palming his forehead.

"What?" I questioned with my brows arched. "No." The skin along my neck burned red.

"You hung up on her in a panic." He pointed while scratching the back of his neck. "There was guilty written all over that."

"Frick." My shoulder fell forward with my arms dangling. Ian was right. My mom would think something was up now.

Ian laughed deeply, echoing his voice around the room. He shook his head before shining a bright smile at me.

"So," he said, walking to my bed and sitting down. "I got a couple of questions before you hit the sack." He stood up, pacing to my table and trying to pick up my biology book.

"Ask," I replied. "But that doesn't mean I will answer all the questions for you." I walked to my kitchen nook, leaning against the counter, and watched him.

He shot me a look. "I'll start out easy," he said. "Why did you name the sea turtle Dakota?"

I swallowed, not wanting to get into personal details with Ian. "I didn't name her," I lied, hoping he wouldn't read through me.

"Oh," he froze, watching me. "Okay." Ian walked before me, glancing at the kitchen area. "Why no coffee machine?" he asked, scratching his chin.

I glanced at him with a confused expression. "I don't like coffee. Isn't that obvious?"

"What?" He put both hands on his head with a shocked look. "You are definitely the crazy one now." Ian looked at me like I was the ghost in the room.

"Okay, Ian," I said in a monotone voice and walked to my bed, sitting on the edge.

He followed behind, sitting beside me. "Okay, now for the hard question," he said as I looked at him. "Hudson?"

With a huff, I flung myself backward into my blanket, shoving my face into my pillow. I yelled into the material, muffling my scream.

"Nope, done for the night with questions," I said into my pillow.

"Lake, I just want to help you," he said, causing me to lift my head and look at him. "I'm a guy, and I can help you get him."

"Get him?" I asked back, resting on my elbows.

"Yes, well, no." Ian glanced at the ceiling and back at me. "How about baby steps?" He nodded slowly. "I can help you talk to him without looking like a meerkat hiding in a hole." He shifted on my bed to lie down beside me.

"Okay, I'm not—" I paused, thinking about all my actions in front of Hudson. "Oh, Gawd, I'm terrible." I brought my palms to my face. "You could never fix this."

"Yes, you are," Ian said while I glanced over at him through my fingers. "But I'm up for a challenge." He shifted to his side to face me.

I rolled my eyes. "My very own fairy godmother."

Ian lightly laughed. "No, more like." He looked at me, trying to think. "Totally handsome matchmaker."

"Okay, Mr. Cupid, what do I do first?" I asked, turning around to face the ceiling.

"First, don't call me that. Second, why Hudson?" I felt the bed move under him as he shifted to face the ceiling with me.

"I don't know. Have you seen the guy?" I asked with a huff. "He is perfection." I side-eyed Ian. "I've been in the same class with Hudson for almost two years. He's smart and kind."

"Sounds to me you don't know the guy and have been a stalker for the past years," Ian said harshly, but he was telling the truth.

"Yeah, about that," I replied, rolling my eyes. "I mean, how am I supposed to talk to a guy like that?"

My body relaxed more into the sheets as I drifted a little. My eyes blurred with tiredness.

"I don't think you understand—" Ian said, but my mind fell to nothing as my eyes shut tight.

I rolled over, facing Ian with my eyes closed and hands up near my chin. My mind was gone, ready for bed.

The bed moved slightly as I barely opened one eye, seeing Ian crossing the room. I blinked hard, noticing him at the light switch. With a click, the room became dark with a blue aura.

Ian's footsteps creaked on the wood floor as I smiled, seeing him crouch at the edge of my bed to my eye level.

"Good night, Lake," he said like a song, singing me to sleep.

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