MAIRE
A little girl wearing a red and pink dress ran through a group of doves. With a flutter of wings, the doves flew up into the foggy city sky, white wings against a gray sky. Maire laughed and spun around in a circle. A passerby smiled and waved to her.
"How are you dear?" she asked.
"Fine," Maire replied. "It's my birthday today Mrs. Cuiller. I'm seven."
"So I've been told, and did you have a party dear? I do love birthday parties, " she said with a childish grin. "I haven't been to one in fifty years," she added as an afterthought.
"The party was fun , but now Mommy and Daddy are taking me to the toy store so I can get my present," Maire said.
"Ah, I see," said Mrs. Cuiller. "And where are your parents? They shouldn't leave a child to walk by herself in the city streets, it's much too dangerous."
"I'm not a child!" Maire said adamantly. "I'm seven."
"Of course dear," Mrs. Cuiller said offhand looking around for Maire's parents. " Oh no!" she exclaimed. She pulled Maire and started to run the opposite way of where her parents were coming.
"Hey!" Maire cried in protest. "What about Mommy and Daddy?" She turned around and saw a car crash into the sidewalk. "Where's Mommy and Daddy? Where's Mommy and Daddy? Mrs. Cuiller," She shook her arm frantically, "where are they?" She shouted.
"Come along now," Mrs. Cuiller was panic-stricken, trying to get Maire away from the scene quickly as she possibly could. Maire shook her arm out of Mrs. Cuiller's grip and ran toward the car. "Come back!" Mrs. Cuiller cried.
She ran to the car and pushed through the gathering crowd. "Mommy! Daddy!" she sobbed. Maire reached the other side to see paramedics attempt to revive her parents.
"Time of death?" the first paramedic sighed.
"Two forty-six," the second paramedic said.
Maire ran to Mommy and sobbed hysterically into her shoulder. "Fix Mommy and Daddy," she pleaded to the paramedics.
"I'm sorry," the second paramedic said as the first pulled her away. Maire's parents were gone, their life vanished like doves in a gray city sky.
CHAPTER 1
Maire clomped down the stairs. "Hey!" she yelled, "Where is everybody?"
"Shut up bitch," Caresse said, taking the laundry upstairs.
"Fuck you whore," Maire snarled. The two girls glared at each other.
"What's going on?" Nick appeared. He was looking pretty hot today, Maire noticed.
Unfortunately, Caresse noticed too. "Hi Nick," she said in a sugary voice. Maire made a face. "Whore," she stated.
"Shut up!" Caresse shouted and made a grab for her.
Maire ducked and laughed. "You suck," she said. She turned around and left the House. She heard Caresse whine to Nick behind her. "Retard," she said to herself.
She just reached the edge of the front walk when Mrs. Cuiller pulled in.
"Hi," Maire said to her. "Caresse was being a bitch again," she added.
Mrs. Cuiller sighed, "Are you ever going to get along with her?"
"Nope," she replied
"Not even try?"
"I did try once, remember? She spat in my face."
"Well, you told her she had stained the couch with her bloody butt." Mrs. Cuiller countered.
"She did!" Maire exclaimed.
"Anyway," Mrs. Cuiller continued, "Somebody is coming to join us in the House,"
"How'd they die?" Maire asked.
Mrs. Cuiller made a stern face. "You are never allowed to ask him that,"
"Okay, okay. Sorry." She said. "Was it a car accident?"
Mrs. Cuiller sighed. "Yes,"
"You should really stop sighing all the time. You know what they say," Maire waggled her finger, "you gain a pound every time you sigh,"
"Who says that?" Bella, Mrs. Cuiller's niece, said coming out of the garage.
"Me," Maire said.
Bella laughed. "I shoulda guessed. Hey granny, who's the new kid?"
"His name's Andrew," She said.
"Sweet, a guy. I hope Caresse can keep her pants on."
Maire laughed. "I bet she'll be in his bed in a week,"
"I bet not even," Bella grinned.
"Girls!" Mrs. Cuiller said.
"Come on Granny," Bella said, "You know that Caresse would sleep with anything that's gotta dick,"
"Ha! She'd sleep with anything that moves!" Maire said.
Mrs. Cuiller rolled her eyes. She knew not to get involved when they got like this.
They walked back inside arguing about prostitutes.
Later that day, Maire was doing her American Studies homework. This is so pointless, she thought, how is learning about dead presidents going to help her later in life? With a sigh she put her head down on her arms. She felt his presence, and slipped into her dream.
"Hey," she said softly.
He looked at her, his face blank. "Hey," he replied.
"I thought you left," She said. He shrugged. "You really should, it's past your time," she urged.
"I'll go when I feel like it," he shivered.
"It'll be more painful if you wait," Maire pleaded.
He turned to glare at her. "Maybe I want to be a ghost, maybe I do have something to finish. How would you know?" he snapped.
Maire's nostrils flared. She knew better than to get angry, but he was so infuriating. "I would if you told me, like you used to," she countered.
"I'm not your boyfriend anymore, Maire. I have my own life and you have yours."
"Yeah, floating around "haunting" people is such a good life," she said sarcastically.
"Well what do you want me to do?" he said, his voice desperate.
"Go where you ghosts usually go,"
"Like I know where that is,"
"Peter, seriously, this isn't a game, I can't always have you in my conscience all the time,"
"Then don't," Peter turned away. "I'm just not ready to leave yet," he turned back around to face Maire. "You should go,"
"Fine," she said with disgust and felt herself go out of the trance. These trances have been going on since her parents died and they tried to contact her since there had been rumors their deaths were set ups. Maire sighed and prepared herself to meet Andrew. After all, a first impression is the most important one.