– and I laughed a lot. It almost felt like a date. But it wasn’t, and I kept telling myself we were just good friends hanging out.
And then the week was over, and on Saturday my mom announced I was going to school the next day to get my things settled in my dorm room, with no more delays. And Tristan would stay back for a while to sort out his papers. He still needed to get his ID certified. My mother had made some underground contacts through her job as a lawyer, and managed to get him a fake birth certificate and other documents he needed. She wasn’t happy breaking the law like that, but in her defense, it wasn’t like she could tell everyone she had a ghost boy back from the dead living with her now. They would think she was nuts!
She gave me The Look after informing me of my departure for school the next day, and I knew it was no use trying to dissuade her. I sighed heavily and went to my room to start packing. After a while, I heard Tristan calling out my name downstairs. I left my suitcase open on my bed and went to find him. He wasn’t in the living room, so I headed for my mom’s ex-office, now Tristan’s bedroom, and stopped by the door.
At first glance I couldn’t see him anywhere, but then I caught sight of him sitting on his bed, his legs crossed in a relaxed position, looking directly at me. There was something different about him, though. It was hard to explain. He seemed faded, engulfed by his surroundings, like he was a part of the background. My eyes registered his presence and sending that message to my brain, but I could hardly see him. And my brain was starting to poke me, to certify which data was correct. Was he there? Was he not? Which one? Make up your mind already!
I frowned and squinted my eyes, looking straight at him. “Tris? What’s going on? What are you doing?”
He looked a little surprised by my reaction. “You know I’m here? That’s … odd.” He scratched his head. “I’m a little confused now. Maybe … maybe it’s only you.”
“Only me what?” I asked, waiting for him to make any sense.
“Okay. Watch this. I’m going to call your mom here, but when you understand, don’t let her know, okay?” he said.
“Let her know what?” I asked, but he cut me off, calling out for Mom just like he had done to me a few minutes ago. Mom walked by and stopped by the door, looking around the room. Tristan was right in front of her, but she didn’t seem to notice him there.
“Oh, hi, honey.” she greeted me “Do you know where Tristan is? I heard him calling me …”
I turned to look at Tristan, and then back at her. And then back at him again. She couldn’t see him! That’s what was going on! To me he seemed faded, but for her he had faded away. How was that possible?
“Joey, hello! Space to planet Earth! Have you seen Tristan?” my mother asked loudly.
“Uh. No. Yes. Hum … yeah, I already took care of it. He needed help with … the … um …” I looked around in a panic, trying to come up with some lame excuse, but I couldn’t find any. I was still in shock from my discovery. Then I turned to Tristan and watched him pointing to the alarm clock on the desk.
“Alarm clock? Yes! The alarm clock. That’s what it was. The alarm went off! Yeah, and he didn’t know how to turn it off. But it’s all good now, Mom. You can go, don’t worry!” I said, smiling at her in relief.
She looked at me suspiciously, but then just shrugged her shoulders and walked back to her room upstairs.
“Tristan, what the hell?” I whispered to him, worried that my mom might still hear us.
He smiled and relaxed, and I felt him coming back to normal, standing out from the background again.
“See? Weird, right?” he said, gesturing for me to come and sit next to him on the bed.
“What the hell was that?” I asked, sitting down by his side.
“I don’t know. I was getting dressed in here earlier, and I forgot to close the door. Then your mom bustled in. I guess it
And then the week was over, and on Saturday my mom announced I was going to school the next day to get my things settled in my dorm room, with no more delays. And Tristan would stay back for a while to sort out his papers. He still needed to get his ID certified. My mother had made some underground contacts through her job as a lawyer, and managed to get him a fake birth certificate and other documents he needed. She wasn’t happy breaking the law like that, but in her defense, it wasn’t like she could tell everyone she had a ghost boy back from the dead living with her now. They would think she was nuts!
She gave me The Look after informing me of my departure for school the next day, and I knew it was no use trying to dissuade her. I sighed heavily and went to my room to start packing. After a while, I heard Tristan calling out my name downstairs. I left my suitcase open on my bed and went to find him. He wasn’t in the living room, so I headed for my mom’s ex-office, now Tristan’s bedroom, and stopped by the door.
At first glance I couldn’t see him anywhere, but then I caught sight of him sitting on his bed, his legs crossed in a relaxed position, looking directly at me. There was something different about him, though. It was hard to explain. He seemed faded, engulfed by his surroundings, like he was a part of the background. My eyes registered his presence and sending that message to my brain, but I could hardly see him. And my brain was starting to poke me, to certify which data was correct. Was he there? Was he not? Which one? Make up your mind already!
I frowned and squinted my eyes, looking straight at him. “Tris? What’s going on? What are you doing?”
He looked a little surprised by my reaction. “You know I’m here? That’s … odd.” He scratched his head. “I’m a little confused now. Maybe … maybe it’s only you.”
“Only me what?” I asked, waiting for him to make any sense.
“Okay. Watch this. I’m going to call your mom here, but when you understand, don’t let her know, okay?” he said.
“Let her know what?” I asked, but he cut me off, calling out for Mom just like he had done to me a few minutes ago. Mom walked by and stopped by the door, looking around the room. Tristan was right in front of her, but she didn’t seem to notice him there.
“Oh, hi, honey.” she greeted me “Do you know where Tristan is? I heard him calling me …”
I turned to look at Tristan, and then back at her. And then back at him again. She couldn’t see him! That’s what was going on! To me he seemed faded, but for her he had faded away. How was that possible?
“Joey, hello! Space to planet Earth! Have you seen Tristan?” my mother asked loudly.
“Uh. No. Yes. Hum … yeah, I already took care of it. He needed help with … the … um …” I looked around in a panic, trying to come up with some lame excuse, but I couldn’t find any. I was still in shock from my discovery. Then I turned to Tristan and watched him pointing to the alarm clock on the desk.
“Alarm clock? Yes! The alarm clock. That’s what it was. The alarm went off! Yeah, and he didn’t know how to turn it off. But it’s all good now, Mom. You can go, don’t worry!” I said, smiling at her in relief.
She looked at me suspiciously, but then just shrugged her shoulders and walked back to her room upstairs.
“Tristan, what the hell?” I whispered to him, worried that my mom might still hear us.
He smiled and relaxed, and I felt him coming back to normal, standing out from the background again.
“See? Weird, right?” he said, gesturing for me to come and sit next to him on the bed.
“What the hell was that?” I asked, sitting down by his side.
“I don’t know. I was getting dressed in here earlier, and I forgot to close the door. Then your mom bustled in. I guess it
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