Jade woke with a start, unsure of what woke her. Listening hard in the darkness she heard it again… the creaky hinges of the door from the kitchen. “The wind,” she told herself. “Just the wind…”

Then the footsteps started. “House settling?” she thought. The footsteps continued and seemed to be getting closer. She frantically searched the room for something she could use to fight off whatever approached one step after the other. The steps started cautiously up the creaking stairwell. She stared at her closed door and could see a glow coming up nearer with every step. Time running out, she hurried behind the door hoping maybe she could get the jump on whatever it was when it came in through the door. The door knob began to turn slowly. She could feel the door start to open and then she could see one foot enter, a hand on the door, then a man’s head came into view.

“Aaah!” she screamed, shoving at the door.

“Aaah!” the man screamed back, dropping his flashlight to the floor.

“Oh shit, Jason, it’s just you…” she said, her voice dripping with disappointment as she crossed back to her bed.

“Jade! I’m so glad you’re here!” the man scrambled for his dropped flashlight. “I missed you!”

“Jason, just go, okay?”

Jade, come on,” he pleaded as he moved to sit next to her on the bed. “Give me a chance!”

“Jason, it’s not going to work.”

“Look, I know we’re different, but we can make it work…”

“For fuck’s sake!” She stood up again and walked to the far window. “It’s not enough that my sicko stepfather shot me and left me clinging to life while he set this goddamn place on fire. No, now you’ve got to come around every fucking day telling me you’re in love with me.” She whirled on him, “This is hell. That’s what this is, Jason. Hell.” She stopped abruptly and stabbed the air towards him, “Are you Satan? Jason? Maybe a lesser demon? Come on, you can tell me….”

Jason stood up. “I’m not Satan, Jade. It’s me! Jason! High school?”

“Oh, I remember. I thought that was hell then! How wrong I was. And do you remember I turned you down then, too?”

“Well… sure, but this is different…”

“Different? Because I’m dead? Eww, necrophilia much?”

“I can see you!” he declared.

“Lucky me!” she rolled her eyes.

“That’s got to mean something! It’s a sign, you know?”

“A sign god hates me enough to worse-than-kill-me.” Jason was about to reply but Jade held up a hand, “Shh! What’s that?” she said listening.

“Jason?!” someone whisper-yelled outside. “Where are you?!”

“Maybe he’s not here…” another voice whispered.

“Are you kidding? He had such a hard on about coming here tonight.”

“Heh, you said ‘hard on’ and ‘coming’” Both boys laugh-whispered.

Jade arched an eyebrow at Jason. “Friends of yours, clearly…”

“I can explain…”

“You don’t have to. Really. Just go. Leave! Vamoose! Leave me haunt in peace!”

Jason backed out of the room bumping into the wall at least twice and tripping over the door before he hurried down the stairs and out the front door.

Jade leaned out the charred, empty windowsill and stared down at the two boys as Jason panted out of the house. “Guys! Guys!” Jason panted as he caught up with friends. “I’m glad you came.”

The two boys looked at each other silent for a moment and then broke into cackling laughter. “You said ‘came’!” one laughed.

“Real mature, guys. This? This is how the Elmwood High Paranormal Society comports itself? Really, Jose?  Ricky? Very professional…” Jason shook his head disapprovingly, hands on his hips.

“Dude…” Ricky stopped laughing. “Don’t be a dillweed.”

“Seriously,” Jose agreed. “Where were you anyway? We’ve been out here for like, what? Half an hour?”

“At least,” Ricky said.

“You guys just got here.”

“You don’t know that!”

“No, I seriously do. I was right up there when you got here,” he pointed to the window where Jade looked down on them. “Communicating with an actual ghost.”

“Who would like him to take his bitch-ass home and take his friends with him!” Jade called down.

“They can’t hear you!” Jason called up.

“Heh, I know!” Jade yelled back. “And this makes you look like even more of a dork,” she laughed.

“Dude, who are you talking to?” Ricky asked.

“The ghost,” Jason replied as if it were obvious.

Jose looked between Jason and the empty upstairs window and back several times. “There’s nothing there, man. Did you stop taking your meds?”

“Jose! I’m fine! Look, there’s a ghost up there. She’s up there!”

“He didn’t answer the question, dude,” Ricky said to Jose and they fist-bumped. He turned to Jason, “Look dude, we’re here because we thought there might be something in this creepy-ass place. I mean, shit, that dude killed his family here… that’s… serious! But you’re acting really weird, dude.”

“Ricky! Jose! I’m fine, okay? Let’s go inside, let’s investigate. Come on,” he took a step towards the house.

The other boys remained rooted, looking at each other and giving each other little shakes of their heads. “Hey, Jason,” Jose started, “as vice-president of the Elmwood High Paranormal Society, I think you’re, uh, too obsessed with this place. I think we should call it a night.”

“As secretary of the Elmwood High Paranormal Society,” Ricky added, “I second that motion.”

“I’m president, guys! We should go in!”

“And the vote?” Jose asked the air and then both he and Ricky said “Aye!”

“Cool,” Ricky said, “Motion carries. We’re outta here, Jason.”

The two started walking off towards the street. “What time does the Round Table close?” Jose asked Ricky.

“Ten I think. You wanna see if we can my brother to buy us beer?”

“Guys!” Jason called after them exasperated.

“Toodles!” Jade called down to Jason.

Jason looked up at Jade, then back to the street, then back up to Jade, “I’ll be back!”

“I won’t wait up! Take your time! Take years! Seriously. Just go away.”