Elijah had been acting differently since we started going back to school. He insisted on dropping me home and picking me up from school. I didn't really understand why, but it was definitely not because we were getting close. I wasn't stupid to think that. He was hiding something, or maybe wanted to tell me something back in the store room but couldn't say it. I didn't get a chance to bring that up again and ask him because we were busy with school.

Mom and dad had left for the town to help grandma pack and move to our house. It felt nice to be alone at home once again. The more lonely I was, the more I talked to Ethan about life and felt like he was listening. It felt good. I was happy. But at night, I would cry and miss him. At night, realization would slap me hard, that he wasn't there and I was actually going crazy.

10th January

"I will bring Kelly out now. Please...hide anything fancy or she might want to have it." Kelly's mom got to her feet and I nodded with understanding. I wasn't really wearing or carrying anything that she might find 'fancy' so I looked at Elijah, who was also not cracking a nerve.

He shrugged when I looked at him and I nodded again, then breathed out heavily when I heard the sound of the wheels approaching the hall that we were seated in.

Kelly's mother was right behind her little girl dressed in a plain blue dress. Kelly passed me a smile as she seemed to have recognized me from before.

Once Kelly settled on the sofa opposite to the one Elijah and I sat on, I looked at her mother with expectant eyes to leave us alone but she didn't budge.

"Well..." I began," Mrs. Williams...could you step out for a bit. It won't take us long." I reassured her in the nicest way possible. I knew she didn't want to leave her daughter with complete strangers, although I did tell her that Mrs. Marie Frost had sent us.

"I'm sorry for listening in but I can't help it. I need to make sure she doesn't get seizures." Her mother said considerately.

I was taken by surprise. I never knew she had seizures.

But that didn't mean we could just talk to her daughter about seeing a spirit right in front of her. I furrowed my eyebrows at Elijah, like telling him I didn't know how to go ahead with it and a little help was much appreciated.

He closed his eyes and nodded simultaneously.

"Don't worry about it." He told her mother, but I felt like he was reassuring me.

He crouched on his knee in front of Kelly," Hi Kelly. My name is Elijah." he introduced himself with a smile.

At that moment, I could only think of one person. The incident of Ethan helping that little girl in front of school that day replayed in my head. Every time I thought of him, my eyes would soften and get watery. It was as if he was a stimulus for my eyes to well up with tears.

Starlight. I miss you.

"Are you her boyfriend?" Kelly's question in her innocent tone snapped me out of my thoughts.

"I'm her friend. I can be your friend too. Do you want to be my friend?" He asked her.

"No, I want you to be my boyfriend." She retorted.

"Kelly, that's not the way." Her mother spoke but Kelly didn't pay much heed.

"It's alright Mrs. Williams." Elijah said," So, Kelly, how about this? You answer a few questions and I'll be your boyfriend."

"Back then she did the same thing but didn't give me red pens and chocolates!" Kelly pointed at me and I suddenly felt attacked by the words of a kid.

"I- W-well I forgot...I mean I'm sorry Kelly." I apologized and looked down at my feet with embarrassment.

Elijah's controlled giggle made me look up again and met with his natural and soft gaze on me.

I felt even more embarrassed," Just continue what you were doing-" I said and started admiring the furnished hall randomly.

"I promise you though. I'll be your boyfriend for 2 minutes." He told her.

"10 minutes!" She fussed.

Damn this is ridiculous. He could've just said he's my boyfriend. But okay. He had no reason to lie.

"Alright then." He readily agreed," I will show you a photo and tell me if you have seen him or not, okay?"

"Wait a minute...what was this meeting about again?" Her mother interrupted.

Did we sound like investigators?

"It's about Mrs. Frost's runway patient." I lied," Kelly was the only one who saw him for the last time."

"I see. Please carry on." She advanced towards the couch and sat down.

Elijah gulped before pulling out the photo from his pocket. I had tons of photos of Ethan on my laptop and had them printed out. At first, we sought to search him up on the net but unluckily his photo was removed from the famous people's bios.

He held the photo in his hand properly and Kelly's eyes immediately glistened," Pretty boy!"

"Th-that's what she called him." I told Elijah.

"How many times did you see him?" He asked her.

"Umm" She put a finger on her chin," Five times."

"Five?" He looked at me in confusion and I shook my head, having no idea about it.

"When? Could you recall and tell us?" He asked her.

"In the hospital he came and played with me. He said he was Casper and showed me magic tricks." She started blabbering," He can lift things without touching them. He can also make things disappear! And he can draw pretty things too." She clapped," He drew her." She pointed at me and I straightened up.

"What..." I spoke.

"He made her drawing?" Elijah asked her.

"Will this help you find the runaway patient?" Kelly's mother asked us.

"It won't." I stood up and stomped out of the house, leaving Elijah behind.

I know I should've been happy about the fact that he drew my portrait, but it was heartbreaking. What was I to think of it? He liked me? Why...just why did he leave? He never told me. He never spoke to me much. Yet, I felt a great loss inside of me. I was completely shattered to even think straight. I didn't know what to think or do. I was a mess.

Just then, I felt a warm hand over my shoulder," It's okay."

"Why did he...die? Why him of all people?" I burst into tears.

"Get a hold of yourself." Elijah said.

"If he was alive, would we have been together?" I asked.

"Gwen please. Just because of him you're unable to see what's in front of you." He said.

"And what's in front of me?!" I shouted.

"Me! I'm standing in front of you! Why can't you let him go?" He shouted back. I stopped crying and slowly looked up at him.

"I...I'm sorry for shouting. We should go back." He said and walked away.

11th January

School-

I had been quiet the whole day in school. I kept thinking about what Elijah said earlier.

He doesn't like me, does he?

I walked out the school gates and expected Elijah's car to be right there, but he wasn't there that day.

I checked my phone for any messages from him but didn't have any so I called him instead.

"Hey...you're not here today? I'm waiting outside the school." I said the moment he answered his call.

"Dad had an accident."

"WHAT? Is- Is he okay?" I asked.

"He had minor scratches. I'm on my way to you." He said.

"That's... a relief. Take your time. I'll be here." I said.

Elijah

"About yesterday, I spoke abruptly. I wasn't thinking rationally." I practically lied to her. I didn't want her to feel uncomfortable around me. It was better for her to not know that I had grown accustomed to her presence in my life and that I wanted to be beside her forever. I changed lanes and stepped on the accelerator to reach her quickly.

"It's fine...I didn't think about it much." She said and I felt my heart ache.

"Right..." I uttered.

"How did the accident happen?" She asked.

"I think someone's behind it. It was bound to happen. Dad was careful so he didn't get much hurt." I answered.

"Could it be Mr. Howard?" She asked," Since Edwin isn't out yet, it has to be his dad."

She doesn't know yet.

"There's...Well, Edwin was proven innocent. He's out." I told her and she fell silent.

"Gwen?" I asked.

"Y-yeah." she spoke.

"Where are you standing again?" I asked.

"I'm...outside the school." She said.

"Go inside and wait." I ordered," I'll be there real quick."

"I just wanted you to know..." She paused.

"What is it?" I asked.

"I'm not crying." She said and hung up.

"I know you aren't." I said to myself and hurried to school.

I had my mind made up, that I would hug her for being strong. I knew how she must've felt after knowing that Edwin was out and living freely. She must've felt suffocated.

But when I reached the school, I looked for her everywhere in the empty school and the reception but couldn't find her.

I tried to reach her but she wasn't picking up. I ran around like crazy, sweating and panting when I spotted something in the field. On the grass was a black object, like a phone. When I reached it, it really turned out to be a phone.

"No..." I said in fear. My fingers trembled as I re-dialled Gwen's number and the phone lying in front of me started ringing. It was a plan. Dad's accident was planned so that I would be late.

He took her.