My Best Friend's A Ghost

Jed awoke from a restless night sleep. You see five years ago Jed found himself in a position no young adult should have to be in. His best friend Tom was in a hit and run incident, the driver who was now behind bars was apparently on his way home from the pub, and presumably drunk, when poor Tom became road kill. For Jed this point of his life became a bit darker. It was also speculated that if the driver had stopped or at least called for an ambulance, Tom may still be alive today. In what condition? That was unknown, but for Jed he would have preferred a Tom, than no Tom by his side, well at least in human form. So five years down the track poor Jed would still occasionally have the same repeated nightmare. This particular nightmare felt oh so real to him. It always starts with Jed sitting on a bench by the road where it all happened, the pedestrian crossing only meters away, and a tee junction to his left. He watches as Tom approaches the pedestrian crossing. Immediately Jed’s heart rate increases and beads of sweat form around his face. He tries to call out to Tom, shouting and waving, finally Jed thinks he has Toms attention. Tom, looking directly at him from across the road, starts to make his way across, but It’s like Jed’s not there. As Tom continues blankly staring threw a panicked Jed, who knew what was coming next. It starts off in surround sound, Jed hears the roar of an engine, before looking over his left shoulder to see an out of control car cutting across the grass. The driver missing his turn, continues straight for the young boy of about seventeen who is still obliviously crossing the road. Jed now hears the screech of brakes, before his best friend is thrown across the road ahead of him like a rag doll. Jed immediately jolts awake and retreats to the warmth of his bed covers, drenched in sweat.

After a cleansing shower, Jed made his way downstairs for some breakfast. “Click,” went on the kettle, followed by a few clinks and clanks of cutlery and china. Jed’s kitchen wasn’t anything spectacular, it was fairly modern with a small island in the middle to eat off. Cereal in bowl milk added, Jed placed it on the marble counter top of the island and turned around to make his cup of tea. Dunk, dunk, clink, clank. Finally his breakfast was served. “What in the world!” Jed had turned around to a ghostly figure hovering within the kitchen island. “Tom! You have to stop that, I know you do it intentionally, that's why you will never catch me out.” How Jed didn’t drop his mug or spill his tea is beyond me. “Hiya pal,” responded Tom in his usual cheery manor. “How’s things been going man?” Jed gave him a hard glare, taking a seat to have his breakfast. As Tom hovered back to give Jed some space he continued to prod, “What, you’re not going to offer an old friend a drink?”

“Oh of course how rude of me, you want tea or coffee? Oh right you can’t you’re dead.” Jed hated it when Tom fooled around about himself being dead.  

“Come on man, no need to be harsh.” He paused trying to judge what mode Jed was in. “Jed? Look man, why are you so sad, look at me. Being a ghost is so much fun.” Tom was hovering in and out of the kitchen island.

“Why didn’t you come see me sooner?” Jed snapped. “It’s been two years since your last visit! We use to catch up at least every six months. Remember. I come down the stairs make my tea, you try to make me spill it with your ghostly quietness, but never do and then we have a laugh and catch up for a few hours.”

“It’s been two years?”  

Jed felt his anger release from his body, suddenly reading the tone of the room. “What is it Tom?” How come your surprised it has been two years?”

“Please don’t get mad that I’ve not mentioned it sooner. As far as I knew it was only a rumour, never proved or seen with my own eyes.”

“Cross my heart.” Tom added a little air cross over his heart, to show his own mood had lightened.

“Well from what I’ve heard, us ghosts, we start losing track of time and then poof, we disappear. It’s believed at that point we are finally whole and can pass on.” Tom bit his blue lip, waiting for an explosive reaction. But this did not happen, instead a tear formed in Jed’s eye.

“But you can’t leave, I know it is selfish but I look forward to our little meet ups. If you go for real, I will have to grieve all over again.”

A silence took a hold over the room. What was there to say, was this now the time for proper goodbyes? Jed already knew what it felt like to lose his best friend once. Why did he have to go through that all over again? Thoughts started to form, “What if we could figure out how to stop you from passing Tom?”

Tom became deflated, he understood Jed and his sudden despair. But as much as life as a ghost had some awesome perks, there is always a feeling of emptiness lingering deep down inside. Jed was still mumbling away thinking of points to research in the hopes of ‘saving’ his best friend. “Jed stop!” Tom snapped, “Just take a minute, maybe you should first be asking If I want to pass?”

Realising his selfish rants, Tom heard what Jed was trying to say. “I suppose this is potentially goodbye then.”

“It would seem so man. Look at it positively though. We got extra time together and this way we do get to say goodbye.”

“It still sucks.” Tom and Jed for one final time perfected their ghostly bro shake and said their meaningful goodbyes.

“I see it Jed, the light, it's so beautiful.” Jed watched as Tom headed toward the far wall and disappeared through it. He couldn’t help it, Jed started balling his eyes out.

“Gotch ya!”

“Ahh that’s not cool Tom.” With tears still streaming down his cheeks, he couldn’t help but laugh at the scenario. “Was any of what you said true?”

“I mean I did lose track of time, can't lie about that, but the passing on, that was all made up. I just really wanted to scare you. You’re always so calm and collected, I’ve never even got as much as a small jolt from you. I shall always remember this moment, and promise to never do it again.”

“If you were human right now I’d punch you so hard.”

“Well that’s too bad,” Tom gave a loud laugh and floated back behind the island. “So shall we get back to our catching up.”

From that day forward Jed and Tom remained best friends despite their very different lives. Tom kept his promise to never scare Jed again and made sure to keep track of time for their future breakfast meets.