Seeing Ghosts
Aquadeus

Ientered my science class the next day and stumbled toward my seat in the back,next to Ria. I was in no mood whatsoever to be back in school. Not now that Iknew my school was haunted and that only I could see the ghost that roamed thehalls. I couldn’t get the girl with the curly hair out of my head all night andwhen my mind wasn’t on her it was on the twelve-year-old science fiction lovingghost, resulting in two hours of rough sleep.

“Youokay?” Ria asked as I sat down. “You don’t look so good.”

“Nightmares,”I lied sleepily, pulling out my binder. “Tons of them.”

“Isit your ESP working up?” Ria asked, half-serious.

Ibit my lip and shook my head. I wasn’t even comfortable with the fact that Icould see ghosts. I didn’t want to bring Ria into my troubles as well.

Mr.Fisher, the science teacher, bored us all stupid with his lecture of thePeriodic Table and the different elements. I tried to take my usual notes, butwasn’t able to really focus. Not only was I too distracted by all the undeadstuff going on, but I was completely exhausted. Maybe I would grab a sodaduring break or something.

Itturned out that I didn’t need the caffeine. Half-way through class, I was wokenup completely by a scream. I snapped out of my torpor at once, thinking it wasmore ghosts, but it turned out not to be thatkind of scream. It was high-pitched girly scream of delight coming from theother end of the classroom by a girl who was staring at someone who just camein the door.

“I’mso sorry,” said a strangely-familiar voice through the doorway. “It seems I’m alittle on the late side.”

Myinsides froze. I remembered that voice. I’d heard it only a few nights ago! Atthe pizza bar! Oh, no! Please! Don’t tell me that that voice did, indeed,belong to …

“Idon’t believe it!” squealed the girl who had cried out. “It’s … it’s AQUADEUS!”

Aquadeus,the popular singing sensation himself, was leaning causally in the doorway ofthe classroom. He was dressed plainly in jeans and a white shirt, but was overaccessorized with chains hanging near his belt, at least five necklaces, andgaudy sliver rings. Girls rose out of their desks in amazement and threwthemselves at Aquadeus and he would have been trampled if Mr. Fisher hadn’tcome to the rescue, throwing himself before the girls and shielding him.

“Everyone,EVERYONE!” Mr. Fisher bellowed. “Settle down! Settle down this instant! Getback into your seats! Get back I say! Get back now or it’s detention for thewhole class!”

“Easy,easy,” said Aquadeus behind him. “Slow down now, girls, there’s no need to getover excited. And please, Teach, take it easy. The whole class isn’t up, don’tpunish them all.”

Thatwas true. I was one of only five people who had remained in their seats. Threeof them were boys, who were staring at the mob and looking dumbstruck. The lastperson to remain still was a girl with long hair that was a violent shade oforange, who was too absorbed in coloring a white T-shirt with a yellowhighlighter.

Ittook almost twenty-minutes to get everyone back in their seats, when theyfinally settled down, a flustered and suddenly exhausted looking Mr. Fishercleared his throat at the head of the classroom.

“Now,ladies and gentlemen, as you have clearlyseen we … we have … a … new student,” he said it like he was forcing himself todeliver the worst news ever.

“WHAT!”cried Kitty Cormack, the cheer captain. “You … you mean …!”

Aquadeussmirked just like he had back in the pizza bar. “That’s right,” he said.“Starting today I am the newest student here at Ammonville High. The name isCameron Tithe, but you can call me …”

“AQUADEUS!”yelled Samantha Scully, another cheerleader, to tumultuous applause.

Iburied my head in my arms. Aquadeus, the rock star, coming to my town and going to my school! It was ridiculous! Didn’tfamous people only ever live in big cities like New York and Los Angelus? What the heck was he doing here!?

Aquadeuscame over and sat just in front of the orange-haired girl, so that he stareddirectly at me. He eyed me with those violet eyes and winked cheekily at me. Iwanted to disappear with the embarrassment. The rest of science class was acomplete waste of time. Everybody’s undivided attention was on Aquadeus, and Ihad to endure Ria sitting next to me and saying, “I got this close to touching him, Gina. This close!”

Thenews that a rock star was going to our high school spread like wildfire. Bymidday, there were cars parked completely around the school, filled with alltypes of people, even some of the parents, trying to catch of glimpse of him.The police even had to show up and keep them from all bursting into the school.

Personally,I thought we could use a few officers on the inside of the school too. Almostevery single girl in the school was ready to kill to get a chance to touch him.But Aquadeus had come prepared with five body guards that shielded him from themore crazy of them all. But just by looking at him, you would have thought thatAquadeus was merely taking a leisurely stroll in the park. His bodyguardscleared a path for him from class to class and he would wave politely at thescreaming, clawing, crying fan girls that surrounded him.

AsI was trying to avoid the guy, I had it easy. Everyone else was following him;I was able to make it to my classes in almost empty hallways. I made Ria comewith me, even though she didn’t like it.

“Ijust want his autograph this time!” Ria wailed. “When we saw him at the pizzabar I just stared at him, gawking like an idiot! Do you think there’s anychance he’d even remember us?”

“Idon’t really care,” I admitted. “Why? Why did he have to come HERE!? ToAmmonville? It doesn’t make any sense.”

“WhoCARES why he’s here?” Ria said, exasperated. “All that matters is that he IShere. In our school! It’s a dreamcome true! This has got to be the most exciting thing that ever happened tothis forsaken little town.”

“ButI like the fact that our town islittle,” I said, wistfully. “I likethat it’s quiet here. Now it’s going to be filled up with paparazzi and crazypeople trying to get a look at Aquadeus,”I made little finger quote marks around his name. “And I don’t know if I likehim very much.”

“What!?”Ria exploded. “Gina, babe, you have his CD!”

“Thatwas before I met him and found out how arrogant he is,” I replied.

Riasighed. “What am I going to do with you? I just don’t know how you can be sonegative about this. Where’s your spunk gone these days?”

Isighed. She was right. After meeting Aaron and all this ghost hoo-ha that’sbeen happening in my life, I definitely did feel a little less like myself. Therock star’s surprise appearance in my hometown was just adding to mynegativity.

Atlunch, Ria and I got our food and sat as far from Cameron “Aquadeus” aspossible. He was sitting near the front of the huge room, surrounded by hisguards, but all he seemed to be eating was a Tootsie Roll Pop.

“He’sgot a massive love of sweets,” Ria explained as she watched him from afar, hereyes all dreamy. “In his bio on the official Aquadeus website, it says that healways eats at least one candy bar before going on stage and his favoritesweets include Tootsie Roll Pops, Skittles, Pay Days, and Butterfingers!”

“It’sa miracle he’s not fat,” I grumbled, setting my plate with a slice of pizza anda bottle of pop on the far table.

“Oh,it’s not fair!” whined Ria. “If I could just get close enough to ask him if heremembers me…!”

Ijust let her rant. She could fan girl all over Aquadeus all she wanted, but Iwouldn’t have to join her. Wanting to look someplace other than at thatshow-off, I looked around the cafeteria, looking for something to distract meenough to lift my spirits.

WhenI looked over toward the vending machines, I almost choked on my pizza.Standing near the machine was the curly haired girl…and she was talking to aguy nearby! What was more, the guy was talking back. Did that mean…maybe shewasn’t a ghost after all?

“Ria!”I cried, taking my friend’s arm and spinning her around to look at the girl.

“Wh-wh-what?”said Ria, her mind still half on Aquadeus. “What is it?”

“Thatgirl! By the vending machine! With the curly black hair…do you see her?”

Rialooked over and seemed to understand what I was asking of her. “Huh? Oh, areyou talking about Corrine?”

“You…youknow her?” I asked.

“Yeah,”said Ria. “She’s in my algebra class. She transferred to this school afterChristmas.”

“Really?”I said. What did this mean? Was she not a ghost after all? But then how couldshe walk through a wall?

“Yeah,Corrine Mathis. She got kicked out of her old, private school because herdisorder made her grades drop too low,” Ria told me.

“D-disorder?”

“Narcolepsy,”Ria explained. “She falls asleep at random times. I’ve seen her do it. Oneminute, she’ll be awake and listening, and the next she’s out like a light.”

“Narcolepsy?Really?” I said. It was hard to believe what I was hearing.

“Yeah,she used to fall asleep during tests at her old school, so they kicked herout,” Ria went on. “Falls asleep during the tests here, too. But she neverstays asleep for too long though. Why? Do you know her?”

Icouldn’t explain. That didn’t make any sense. Was my school not haunted afterall? But how did that explain what I saw? I was getting really, really scarednow. I was starting to question my sanity all over again.

“Gina,babe, what is up?” said Ria, now looking concerned. “You’re really not actinglike yourself lately. Is something wrong?”

“I…I’msorry, Ria,” I said, tearing my eyes away from Corrine Mathis. “I’m…I’ve got alot of confusing stuff going on in my life. There are things that…”

“Oh,I see,” said Ria, wisely. “I know what this is all about.”

“Youdo?” I said, startled.

“It’sthe hormones, isn’t it?” Ria said. “Don’t worry, babe, we all go through it.We’re teenagers, right?”

Isighed.

Thebell rang to announce our freedom from yet another long day of school but, foronce, nobody seemed to want to leave. They were all still looking for Aquadeus.I, however, went outside to meet with Ria like normal. But, as it turned out,my bad luck continued when I found the rock star talking to Ria in the parkinglot.

Aquadeusnoticed me before I could try to slip by. “Ah, speak of the devil,” he said,grinning. “Your friend and I were just talking about you…Gina, right?”

“Ah…um,yeah,” I said. Although the guy’s personality rubbed me the wrong way, I’d belying if I said I wasn’t still just a little star struck by him.

“Heremembers us!” cried Ria, bouncing up and down. “He really remembered me! Aquadeus remembers meee!”

“Ofcourse,” said Aquadeus. “I wouldn’t forget that lovely performance from theother night. You look good in black, I have to admit.” He was still looking atme.

“Um,”I said. “L-look, Aquadeus…

“Oh,please,” he said, frowning and waving his hand. “Call me Cameron. Nobody herehas yet.”

“Ah,alright,” I said. “Cameron, we have to get go…”

“Nowe don’t!” snapped Ria, looking at me like I was crazy.

“No,no, I understand,” said Aquadeus (or I guess Cameron now). “I have to get backmyself. I have to see if the movers have finished with all my stuff.”

“Movers?”I said, surprised. “You…moved here?”

“Well,naturally,” said Cameron. “How can I go to school here if I don’t also live here?”

“Yeah,but…”

Cameronlaughed. “The good thing about money is that I can pretty much get away with doingwhatever I like. The commute will just take a little longer, that’s all.Listen, Ria and Gina, I’ve moved into 719 Cherry Road Drive. Please, do come visit me thisweekend.”

“We’dLOVE to!” cried Ria, before I could get the opportunity to speak. Probablybecause she knew I would decline…which I would have.

“Splendid,”said Cameron. “I’ll see you later then Ria…and Gina.”

Hewinked at me again then walked over to where a black limousine was waiting forhim in the parking lot. It only made me grind my teeth. First ghosts…now this…