Chapter 8
Cameron’s voice was shaky, and he was visibly trembling.
“Even if you want a divorce, I’ll go along with it,” he said. “Then I’ll just start over and chase you all over again.”
Cameron’s words were honestly kind of funny.
He must be hoping I would ask for a divorce.
Wait, that was not it.
Looked like I got it wrong again.
If we were really divorced, he wouldn’t be able to hang around Sophia out in the open anymore.
A nasty thought suddenly popped into my head.
He messed up my life. He totally deserves to never get Sophia’s love for the rest of his days.
But I just couldn’t bring myself to say it.
I was so tired and sleepy.
All I wanted was to just sleep and never wake up.
Maybe in my dreams, everything hasn’t even started
yet.
I wish I’d never met Cameron at all.
I lifted my hand and barely managed to touch Cameron’s hair.
His hair was really greasy.
It was like he hadn’t washed it in forever.
But he always cared so much about cleanliness and his appearance.
Cameron perked up, his face full of excitement as he leaned in closer to me.
I grabbed the pen and paper he handed over, and once
again, I awkwardly scrawled out each stroke, one at a time.
This time, he finally got the hang of it.
He stood right by my side, watching me write every stroke, not missing a single one, until a whole character showed up.
He followed along with my pen, carefully sounding out
each character I wrote, one at a time.
“I… saw… your… diary…” he read out.
He stood there, stunned.
But I couldn’t help but laugh.
His reaction was exactly what I’d pictured.
How did it feel?
Busted. I finally uncovered that secret you kept hidden for so long.
Bet he was dying to wring my neck right now.
I tried to hold my head high, refusing to back down.
I’d already lost the will to live long ago.
The only thing keeping me afloat was Sophia’s and Willie’s friendship.
But when I saw Cameron again,
I knew for sure that I didn’t want to live anymore.
The smell of disinfectant was awful, and the bed was
so hard.
I didn’t want to stay here anymore.
I’d rather Cameron lost it and just finished me off in a fit of rage. It’d be a relief.
I lifted the pen again. (Kill me.)
This time, I wrote it down.
Cameron’s eyes were red with emotion again.
“No… it’s not like that…” he stammered.
He started to explain himself again, almost out of reflex. “I’m not…”
Before he could finish, the Machine next to me started
blaring.
This was what I wanted.
I could finally escape this torment.
But I never saw this coming.
Just as everything faded to silence, the last thing I heard was Cameron saying to me, “I love you.”
After I was gone, Sophia didn’t follow what I told her that day.
In the end, she still came to my funeral.
She didn’t leave everything to Willie like I asked.
That silly girl. I was afraid she’d get so emotional she’d pass out again.
She really thought I didn’t want to see her.
In my twenty–seven years, nothing made me happier than meeting Sophia and Willie, my two real friends.
Sophia and Willie broke down in tears at the funeral, Completely losing control.
They collapsed and fainted several times from crying too much.
Cameron showed up too.
But Sophia actually did what I asked. She really nailed it.
She had a bunch of people blocking the entrance, Making sure Cameron couldn’t get in.
Sophia said she was afraid Cameron would ruin my final journey home.
She said she hoped I would come back and see her.
But old folks always said that if a dead person came
back to visit their loved ones, their luck would turn sour, and those who weren’t strong might even fall ill.
I didn’t want her to get sick.
Besides, I knew Sophia was scared of ghosts.
If I really showed up, I’d probably freak her out Completely.
“Katherine, let’s be good friends again in the next life,” Sophia whispered/
Her voice was so hoarse that it barely sounded like
her.
Wait, that can’t be right.
She was supposed to be the pretty girl with the angelic voice. How did her voice end up sounding so rough?
I was secretly glad.
At least I got to reach out and touch her while I still
could.
Otherwise, that would’ve been a real pity.
I lingered by her side, watching her cry. It was painful to see, but deep down, I felt nothing anymore.
Dead people weren’t supposed to feel anything.
I forced myself to hold back, remembering that old superstition I’d heard–ghosts shouldn’t touch the living.
I really couldn’t let myself reach out to her.
If I did, she’d end up sick.
Just as Sophia passed out again in Willie’s arms. Cameron barged in anyway.
Seriously, where did he get all that strength?
He actually broke through More than a dozen people all by himself.
When Cameron finally forced his way in, Willie waved
everyone else off, telling them to clear out.
Cameron knelt before my altar, quietly lighting kindles
for me.
Mischievously, I blew a puff of air, making the flames jump and sting his fingers.
But he didn’t even flinch.
He just kept lighting kindles for me.
He looked even more unkempt and miserable than he did the day I died.