2 Days Later
I woke up feeling better than I had before the accident. All my injuries were gone, and I was completely healed, so I was heading to school today. Dad was driving me there.
I quickly got ready and went downstairs for breakfast. "Good morning, Mom," I said as I walked into the kitchen.
"Good morning," Mom replied cheerfully, handing me my breakfast.
As I started eating, Dad came downstairs. "Good morning, Dad," I greeted him.
"Good morning, Cynthia," Dad said with a smile as he sat at the table and served himself some food. "Ready for school?" he asked as he stood up.
"Yeah, Dad," I replied, standing up from the table and heading toward the door. We got into the car, and Dad drove off.
While we were driving, we stopped at a traffic light. I glanced out the window and saw a figure with incredibly pale skin step in front of our car. The light turned green.
"Hold on, Dad. There's someone there," I said, tapping his shoulder gently.
Dad looked at me with a puzzled expression. "There's no one there, Cynthia. Are you feeling okay?"
I looked back, trying to reassure myself that I wasn't seeing things. But the figure was still there. "I'm fine. I'm just a little tired," I said, trying to convince myself that the person wasn't there as Dad drove right through the figure.
As we almost arrived at school, I couldn't stop thinking about the ghost I saw and why Dad couldn't see it. I started to feel there was more to it. "Cynthia, we're at your school now," Dad said, snapping me out of my daze.
"Oh, okay. Bye, Dad," I said, opening the car door and stepping out. "Bye, honey! Enjoy your day!" Dad called after me.
"I'll try," I said, walking into the school. As soon as I entered, I was tackled by my best friend, Ella.
"Cynthia!" she screamed, hugging me. "Where have you been the last three days?"
"In the hospital," I replied blankly.
"What?!" she said, eyes wide. "What were you doing in the hospital?"
I explained that I had been in an accident but was fine now. "That's a relief, but how did you recover so quickly?" Ella asked, looking confused.
I made up a flimsy excuse about genetics and how advanced the hospital was, and she seemed to buy it. Then she said, "Guess what? We have a new student."
"Who?" I asked.
"See him over there?" Ella said, gesturing toward a boy. I looked and was dumbfounded. It was the same boy I'd seen in the hospital, but now he was casually dressed and seemed more distant. Our eyes met for a brief moment before he looked away.
"Isn't he a bit of a mystery?" Ella said, following my gaze. "He's been keeping to himself so far. You should try to talk to him."
I nodded, my mind racing. Why was he here? How was he connected to my accident?
As the school day began, I found myself glancing over at the new student, trying to understand the strange connection I felt. During lunch, I finally mustered the courage to approach him. He was sitting alone at a table, his face buried in a book.
"Hi," I said, my voice a bit shaky. "I'm Cynthia. I noticed you're new here. Do you mind if I sit with you?"
He looked up, his eyes meeting mine with a mix of surprise and something else—an emotion I couldn't quite place. "Sure, go ahead," he replied, gesturing to the seat across from him.
I sat down, trying to ignore the tension in the air. "So, how are you finding the school so far?"
"It's... different," he said, his voice distant. "I've moved around a lot, so it's just another new place." He paused, then looked at me. "The girl you saved from that accident—she's my sister. I'm grateful you helped her."
"That explains why he was in the hospital," I thought. "Can I ask you something?" I asked.
"Sure, what is it?" he said, looking at me.
"What did you mean in the hospital when you said I might experience some changes?" I asked.
He seemed to consider his words carefully. "I thought you would have figured it out by now," he said. After a moment's pause, he continued, "You have the power to see ghosts."