To the Grave

It’s a hot day in May. Flora and me are crammed in my stuffy little bedroom and both precariously perched on the bed. I haven’t unpacked everything yet even though I moved here with Mum over a month ago. I’m rooting around in a box full of stuff I’d forgotten I even had when I hear Flora mumble something under her breath. I’m not even really sure why I invited her over to be honest, I was just grateful she said yes so Mum would get off of my back about making some friends. Which, as I always remind her, would be easier if we didn’t have to move so often.

I noticed Flora instantly on my first day at the new school. She had a weird vibe, and was always muttering to herself, or gazing vacantly into space like some kind of zombie. I figured that meant she might need a friend almost as much as I did. She was so quiet that I made most of the conversation for us, but I didn’t mind that so much. I reckon other people probably think I talk too much anyway.

Flora mumbles something again but I don’t quite catch it. I still have half my head in the box, looking for the latest issue of Mizz Magazine. I pull myself out and push my frizzy red hair out of my eyes, squinting at her through my glasses. 

‘Eh? Did you say something?’ 

Flora swallows nervously.

‘I said… if I tell you something will you promise not to tell anyone?’ Her voice is soft and quiet and she avoids my gaze, picking at a loose thread from the sleeve of her tatty black hoody. I am instantly intrigued, but shrug trying to appear nonchalant. No one has ever trusted me with a secret before. According to Mizz magazine this is brilliant bonding stuff. 

‘Sure.’ I say simply and try to keep the quiver of excitement from my voice. 

‘Ok, well this is going to sound crazy.’ Flora picks at the thread some more which is in serious danger of coming undone. 

‘Right.’ 

‘I don’t mean like cool crazy. I mean like acid trip, cart me off to the loony bin crazy.’ 

‘Ok…’ My excitement quickly grows into impatience. Flora shifts uncomfortably and shuts her eyes, mumbling something so quietly I can barely hear her. 

‘What?’ I lean closer, trying to hide my irritation. She sighs, her shoulders sagging slightly. 

‘I…the thing is. I… I think I can see ghosts.’ Her cheeks flush and her dark eyes watch me warily as she waits for me to process what she’s just said.

‘You think you can see ghosts?’ I repeat slowly, and cautiously look around me. This is not what I was expecting. 

‘Yeah.’ 

‘Well either you can see them or you can’t! So can you?’ 

‘Well, yeah, I guess I can.’ 

‘Is this a joke?’ I ask suddenly with a sinking feeling. ‘Because my Mum is a psychic?’ I’d had weird experiences before, in other towns we’d lived in. Kids would always make fun of me and Mum. None of them had come out with anything like this before though. 

‘June, no! I promise, I’m not joking. I wish I was.’ I eye her suspiciously but the misery in her voice sounds genuine. Her gaze falls back down to her hands as she picks at the thread again.

I think back to her in school, always muttering under her breath, staring at things that aren’t there and it does make some kind of sense. I feel my eyes widen as the situation dawns on me. 

‘This is…’ I trail off, not knowing what it is. 

‘I know, it’s crazy.’ Flora sighs mournfully. ‘I shouldn’t have said anything.’ 

‘What?! No, this is amazing!’ An unexpected grin spills across my cheeks. ‘Is there a ghost here? Now?!’ 

Flora looks at me as if I am the one that’s mad. 

‘No, of course not!’ She exclaims, but her eyes dart nervously around the room regardless. I feel a slight shiver of excitement, and then dread as I imagine how many ghosts must be floating around out in the world. How many have I accidentally walked through in my lifetime? Suddenly Mum reading auras for a living doesn’t seem so crazy after all. 

‘God, well I don’t know what to say to be honest.’ I puff out air through my cheeks and sit back on the bed. ‘I thought you were going to tell me you were in love with Marco from Biology and wanted his babies.’ 

‘June!’ Flora flinches and her cheeks flush deep red, but I notice she doesn’t deny it. 

‘Hey, don’t worry ghosts are way more interesting than boys.’ I chuckle. She was much better at hiding this secret than her crush on Marco. I’d only been here a couple of weeks and even I could tell she was smitten with him.

‘What kind of ghosts are we talking?’ I ask her, wanting to get some kind of visual. 

Flora frowns. ’Uh, the dead kind?’

‘Are we talking malevolent? Peaceful? Vengeful?’ I'm finding it hard to keep up with the questions racing through my mind. 

Flora shrugs. ‘I’m not sure, I don’t really talk to them.’ 

‘Why not?!’ I'm incredulous. 

‘They’re…they can be a lot.’ 

‘Well give them a break, they’re dead!’ 

 Flora ignores this, lost in thought for a moment.

‘They’re sad mostly. Sometimes they don’t even realise they’re dead.’ 

‘Jesus.’ A feeling of dread settles in my stomach and I feel sick. ‘Oh my god, Flora. Am I dead? Am I a ghost right now?’ 

Despite herself Flora bursts out laughing. 

‘June, of course not!’ 

‘Don’t mess with me, I’ve seen the sixth sense and I know how that ends.’ 

‘June trust me, you’re not dead.’

I must not look convinced because Flora leans forwards and punches me suddenly on the arm, hard and fast. Pain shoots through me like fire. 

‘Ow!’ I howl and pull my arm away rubbing it furiously. She chuckles. 

‘If you were dead my hand would’ve gone right through you- you’re fine.’ She leans back as I process this for a minute and realise she’s right. 

‘Fine, but you didn’t have to hit me that hard.’ 

‘Sorry.’ She smiles. 

‘Why are you telling me this anyway?’ I ask suddenly confused. We’d only know each other a few days really. Flora’s smile falls from her face slowly. 

‘I…just didn’t want to lie anymore I guess. I know people think I’m weird, and I am. It’s just hard never being able to tell people the truth. Better they think I’m weird, than crazy.’ She looks at me almost apologetically. ‘Plus, I figured you’d believe in all this stuff. You know, because of your Mum.’

I’m not sure what to say to that. If we want to enter best friend territory Mizz magazine says it’s important to be patient and supportive when listening to your friends problems. I've never seen anything in there about how to react sensitively to paranormal secrets though. Maybe I should write in.

‘Does anyone else know?’ I ask. 

Flora shakes her head so vigorously it almost comes clean off of her shoulders. I feel pride bloom in my chest, knowing I might be the only one she trusts.

‘Not even your dad?’ 

‘Especially not him! He’d have me committed, he doesn’t even believe in hypnosis.’ She rolls her eyes and I nod knowingly. I’ve only met her dad once but this doesn’t surprise me.

The door to my bedroom suddenly bursts open. Flora and I yelp and grab each other as something charges into the room straight towards us. 

‘Afternoon girlies!’ My mum sing songs, brandishing a tray of biscuits. ‘I thought you might be hungry!’ Her cheery expression slips slightly from her face as she notices our terrified expressions.

‘Oh no, Flora you’re not gluten free are you?’ 

‘Mum!’ I bellow. ‘You scared the hell out of us!’ All this talk of ghosts had me more on edge than I had realised. 

‘No, Mrs Beech. Thank you.’ Flora squeaks, her face hidden behind a curtain of blond hair. 

‘Right then.’ She sets the plate down at the bottom of the bed and beams at us both. There’s an awkward silence as she stands there a moment too long, clearly wondering why neither of us is reaching for a biscuit. 

‘What are you girls up to up here then? Talking about boys?’ She smiles and winks mischievously but I can hear the suspicion in her voice. I open my mouth to tell her about the ridiculous ghostly discovery I’ve just made, but my promise to keep it a secret makes me think again. Mizz magazine says it’s important to build a foundation of trust if you want a firm friendship moving forwards. 

‘Yep. Definitely boys.’ I lied and I out of the corner of my eye I notice Flora let out a small sigh of relief. Mum looks at me expectantly and I panic, realising she expects details.

‘Flora was just telling me about Marco from Biology and how they’re going to have two lovely illegitimate hispanic children together!’  After all, what is it they say? Every good lie must have an element of truth to it.

‘June’ Flora hisses furiously, and turns a further shade of red. Mum roars with laughter and wipes her eyes. I congratulate myself silently at having at least kept one of Flora's secrets.

‘No need to be embarrassed Flora, being in love is one of life’s truest joys!’ Mum muses dreamily once her laughter subsides. I roll my eyes, knowing the line probably came out of a fortune cookie at some point.

‘I'll get out of your way then my darlings! Carry on!’ She floats out of the room happily, clearly satisfied that her daughter is forming a lasting friendship over a shared love of boys and biscuits. Typical.  

‘For a psychic she’s pretty rubbish at realising when she’s being lied to!’ I scoff once I know she’s well out of earshot. ‘Well done Flora, you really sold that.’ I exclaim happily at her scowl, and she moves to punch my arm again. 

‘Hey! If you want me to keep lying for you - no more hitting!’ I jerk out of the way, but secretly I am thrilled to bits. I have a secret with a friend. A real secret! That in itself is almost as exciting as knowing about the existence of ghosts.