Alex's POV
I was standing at Nicky's and Tara's graves. I had come here everyday for the past year that they have been gone. I had no idea what had happened to them, just one day they didn't show up to school and no one ever saw them again. Sometimes, I would think I had seen them but the next second and they wouldn't be there. I just shrugged my shoulders and moved on.
I was picked on a lot at school because I still hadn't gotten over their deaths. People would say cruel things like I should kill myself or join Nicky and Tara, it would make the world a better place. I had considered doing it once, but then I thought of what Nicky and Tara would say. I vowed from then on, if Nicky and Tara couldn't live, then I would live for them. Although, it was too bad I couldn't do that anymore. I guess to explain, I have to go back a few hours.
I was walking home from school, thinking of everything everyone had said to me. I told myself not to listen to what people said and live for Nicky and Tara. I looked across the street and could've sworn I saw Nicky standing there. I shook my head and looked again but he was gone. I made it home in record time but no one was home. My older brother wasn't there because he was in college and our mom died when I was three years old. My father was a drunk but at least he had never hit me. I went to my room to do my homework.
I heard the front door open and close. My father was home, but something felt different today. I heard him stomping up the stairs. A few seconds later, my bedroom door was slammed open. I looked up to see my father with blood shot eyes and a sneer on his face. This was not going to be good.
"Hi, dad," I said, tentatively.
"Shut up, you ungreatful bitch," he yelled. I cringed in my desk chair.
"Dad? Maybe you should go lay-" I was interrupted by a slap to the face. I hadn't realized that he was advancing on me.
"Shut it, you little whore. You have no right to speak." And he continued to hit as I cried out. He only stopped when he seemed tired. By that time, I was a puddled mess of blood and tears and pain. "You better stay right there you slut," my dad said before leaving. I heard the front door slam and his car starting and driving off.
I picked myself up off the floor and went to the bathroom. I took a shower and cleaned all the blood off of me. Once I was done, I dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. I grabbed a jacket and realized that it was once Nicky's. I was going to their graves to talk to them about what had happened. When I was walking across the street, a car came speeding down the street and I had no time to get away and the car slammed into my already bruised and battered body. I was killed on impact but the car didn't stop and I noticed that I was still... well, what felt like alive. I stood up but saw that my body was on the ground and looked extremely pale. I looked down at myself and noticed that I had a sort of transparent look about me. I shrugged, not really caring about dying. My father would've killed me tonight either way. I continued on to Nicky's and Tara's graves.
And that's how ended up where I am now. I looked around and saw that down the street from the graveyard, three figure approaching. When they got closer, I noticed that two of them looked very familiar. It was Nicky and Tara but I saw them with a dark haired boy. I wanted to run to them but I wanted to make sure it would be safe. I listened in on their conversation.
"Max, you're gonna love Alex. She's so nice and kind and loving," Tara said.
"I'm sure she is, Tara," the dark haired boy said, who I assumed was Max.
"Yeah, she's really great," Nicky said and I felt myself blush. Well, if I wasn't a ghost I would have blushed.
"You would say that, Nicky. You're in looooooove with her," Tara teased.
"Whatever, Tara. I wouldn't be talking," Nicky said and motioned to Max. I guess Tara had a crush on Max.
"Quiet, Nicky," Tara said.
"So, why are we going to find this Alex before we go find your parents?" Max asked.
"Because we think she could help us," NIcky said.
"Of course she can. She's our friend," Tara said.
"Okay, well, I hope she doesn't mind if I tag along," Max said.
"Please, she'd let you come along because you have our stamp of approval," Tara said.
I came out of my hiding spot. "And here I thought you two had gotten better at not talking about me behind my back," I said. I heard all three of them gasp and they turned at the sound of my voice.
"Alex!" Tara exclaimed and ran to give me a hug. I leaned down a little to give her a proper hug. Max and Nicky gasped when they saw this.
"What?" I asked.
"Alex... She should've gone right through you... unless... No, it can't be," Nicky said.
"Yeah, it happened about an hour ago," I said.
"But... Does that mean..." he trailed off.
"Yeah, I'm... dead," I said and tara gasped.
"Oh, Alex," she said and gripped me tighter.
"It's okay, Tara. Now I get to see you and be with you forever," I smiled down at her.
"Okay, stop hogging her, Tara. I want a hug," Nicky said. I stared at him for a few seconds before we both grabbed each other tightly. I started crying into his shirt and he just held me closer. Once I was done, he pulled back and wiped my tears. "It's gonna be okay, Alex," he smiled then looked at what I was wearing. "Hey, is that mine?" he asked. I looked down and noticed his jacket.
I looked up at him with a michievous smirk. "Mayyyyybe," I said. He just smiled and kissed my forhead. Another non-blush. I looked at Max. "You must be Max," I stated.
"And you must be Alex," he said, sounding scared. I grabbed him into a hug, which he did not expect.
I whispered into his hear, "thank you for keeping them safe this long." I felt him hug me back and nod his head.
"Now, we can go find our parents," Tara said.
"Yeah, I have a feeling I might actually be able to meet my mom, finally," I said. They all smiled at me. It was gonna be a great adventure.