HE FISHED his phone out of his pocket when he arrived at the campus. Jonathan sent a text to his cousin.

Where are you?

Oreo immediately texted back.

Wait, I’m working on something.

“He should have told me to pick him up later on.”

You little brat! I will wait for you at the campus park.

Jonathan was heading to his favorite spot in the park when something caught his attention. In that same spot, there was this white-smokey figure lingering around. He was sure his eyes were not fooling him.

A ghost!

An imaginary alarm rang inside his head. He knew he had to leave, but then…

“Oh, my gosh!”

“What was that?”

“This is crazy!”

“There must be a ghost somewhere here!”

A group of girls ran past him.

He gnashed his teeth. It was not even an evil spirit, but it did something wrong to a human being. It was clear that the ghost was taking advantage of its energy. Jonathan walked in its direction. But he has no plan of confronting it, he just put the trash bin back in its place. However, his plan failed. There was this force that made him looked at it.

Jonathan could not see its face because it was blurry. This one was different from the ghost that he saw in the café. It was only natural for a ghost to look like that because spirits choose when they would reveal their identity to humans.

“Hey!” said its soft female voice.

He flinched upon realizing what just happened. Damn it, the ghost noticed that he could see her! Jonathan ran away like a scaredy-cat.

He should not engage in a conversation with something like that. He did not want any connection. All he ever wanted is to live a normal life. If only there was a safer way to close his third-eye.

Jonathan headed to a restroom on the lower floor of the school building. He locked the door and washed his face to calm himself.

He was drying his face when the ghost suddenly popped up beside him.

He screamed at the top of his lungs and moved away. Jonathan was aiming for the door, but the ghost quickly flew towards its way. In the end, he tried to hide inside a cubicle. But he has no power to escape something like that. It was a ghost who can go wherever he hides.

“I know you can see me,” the ghost said. It sounded giddy.

Jonathan could feel its presence above the cubicle, but he did not even take a look at it. He fixed his eyes on his feet.

“S-so what if I can see you?” he murmured.

“And you can talk to me too!” The ghost giggled.

He bit his lower lip and pulled his hair. He should not be doing that. Starting a conversation with one means that he was welcoming the ghost in his life. He did not like that idea. But look at him now, breaking the rules that he set for himself.

“Leave me alone, please…” He looked up. The ghost looked the same. It was just a white-smokey figure with the shape of a human body.

“But you are the one that I’ve been looking for.” Now, it sounded sad.

Jonathan rolled his eyes.

“I can’t be of help. Can’t you see, I am scared of you!”

“You are? Then, why are you talking to me now?” Its tone was back to giddy.

How can this one changes its mood that fast?

“Yeah, you are right. Why am I even talking to you?” He sat on the toilet seat. “I don’t know why…”

“This must be fate.”

He turned his gaze on it again and smirked.

“Fate… Don’t be disappointed once you learn that fate isn’t as good as you imagined it would be. More often, it’s twisted.”

“I don’t need your cents about life since I am already dead. I want you to help me.”

“Help you with what?” Then he remembered the scene in the park a while ago when the ghost threw the trash bin towards the group of girls. “By any chance, do you have a grudge with those girls? No. No way. If you want to get even with them, you won’t get my help.”

“Ah, no… it’s not like that. They’re mean girls, actually. I heard them plotting something evil against their cheerleader. I felt that I had to do something so…”

“You shouldn’t do that. If you continue doing things like that, it might manifest into something—”

“Promise, I won’t do it again!”

“Why are you making a promise?” Jonathan gaped at the ghost.

The ghost laughed. It was supposed to be scary, right? But why did it sound so good in his ears? He has this funny feeling that he had heard that kind of laugh before. Jonathan tried to remember, but as soon as the thought of someone dear to him entered his mind, he immediately shook his head.

“Because I want us to be friends.”

“I don’t need a friend like you. I want a peaceful life.” He stood up and went out of the cubicle. “I am leaving.”

Wait. Did he just bid goodbye to a ghost? No way! He must be out of his mind!

“You’re so mean!”

A cold breeze touched his body. Damn it, the ghost was starting to throw a tantrum.

Jonathan’s hands clenched against the straps of his backpack.

“I am not the only one in the world who has the ability to see and talk to a ghost like you. You better look for another person. I may have this ability, but I don’t like it, to be honest,” he said firmly.

His hand reached for the knob and opened the door. The moment his feet set out of the restroom Jonathan ran as fast as he can. He went straight to his motorbike in the parking lot. His cousin Oreo was already there.

“Where the hell have you been, Kuya? I’ve been calling you, but you’re not picking up your phone.” Oreo pouted his lips.

“E-eh?” Panting, Jonathan fished his phone and saw tens of missed calls and messages from him. “I-I run into something.”

Oreo’s forehead formed a knot. “Is it a ghost?”

“Yeah. I encountered two today. But the last one freaks me out.” He heaved a sigh.

Jonathan took off his cap and put on his helmet.

“Should we ask Helene to make you a—”

“I don’t think it’s necessary,” he countered.

“There is nothing wrong with a talisman.” Oreo pressed his lips together.