AN: Thank you to my awesome siblings for this idea! Just a silly little drabble… or not…
It was dark, way past midnight, when she heard the sound. A rattling on the fire escape outside her window.
She took a deep breath and forced her eyes closed.
Fiona Coyne had been on edge lately. After the break in and then her little mishap in the alley, she would be worried for her sanity she wasn't a bit scared.
The noise she had heard was nothing more than the wind or maybe someone's cat.
She heard it again. Her eyes shot open and she froze.
"Okay Fiona calm down…" she whispered to herself. She reached a shaky hand out to her bedside table in search of her phone. A few motivational texts from Imogen would ease her mind. Wait where's her phone?
She had left it in the kitchen before she went to bed. After a long debate between her tired body and paranoid mind she got out of bed with a groan.
She scuffed over to the counter where she had last seen her phone. But it wasn't there. Before she could even think about whether or not she wanted to extend her search or go to bed, a cold hand was over her mouth.
"Make a noise and you die." A rough voice whispered in her ear. The smell of nicotine and alcohol engulfed her.
"Do everything I tell you to do and you get to walk out of this alive. But if not…" The intruder ran a dirty finger across her throat.
Her heart literally stopped inside her chest and she had to gulp to keep from vomiting.
He bound her hands tightly behind her back and told her to lie face down on her bed. In order to survive she did so.
She figured he would just take whatever he wanted and leave but she soon realized he had something else in mind.
She shuddered when she felt hot breath on her neck. But her instincts kicked in when the intruder climbed on top of her and straddled her. She shot her foot back into his crotch sending him cursing across the room.
She scrambled up and raced to the door but the man was quicker.
"You stupid bitch!" He yelled pushing her to the floor and forcing himself on top of her once again. When she struggled, he smacked her face. It burned and brought tears to her eyes.
Finally she gave up. This was it for Fiona Coyne, she thought. She was sure she was going to die tonight.
Then something strange and amazing happened. A bright light filled the room almost like a camera flashing and the man was forced off of her.
Fiona looked up to see who her savior was and was shocked to see a boy she knew to be dead.
"Campbell Saunders?" she gasped.
"Call 911." He ordered, giving her a stern look. When she didn't move he added, "Now!"
She struggled to get up off the floor but failed. In desperation she crawled into the kitchen where her cell lay on the floor. In the background she could hear a struggle between the two other guys.
"911 what's your emergency?"
"How did you manage to apprehend him?" An officer asked her as they dragged away the passed out intruder.
"I… I honestly have no idea. It's all a blur…" She answered even though she remembered everything perfectly clear.
"Well you did the right thing. Do you need me to call someone, a friend or a relative?"
"No… I'll be fine. I just want to be alone for now." She assured the officer.
"Alright I understand… If you need anything else don't hesitate to call." He gave her a soft smile and then they were all gone leaving her to an empty apartment.
The weirdest part about it was that she wasn't even scared. In fact she felt the safest she'd ever been. She slept soundly that night and had colorful dreams.
The next morning she got up and went to school like nothing had happened. Everything went fine that day until she returned home to find a boy standing in her living room. She dropped all the books she was carrying and froze, that familiar feeling of terror creeping up into her throat.
"Please," the boy cried "don't be scared!"
Fiona shut the door behind her and began collecting her books. She had gone off the deep end this time. There was no way a dead boy was standing in her living room. She needed to call her therapist.
"You aren't crazy ya know…" The boy told her. "I'm real."
"There's no way…" She mumbled "You're… you're…"
"Dead? Yeah I know…" He gave her a sad smile "I'm just as confused as you are at this point. I've been watching my friends and family but I've never been able to talk to them, let alone make physical contact with them. But last night I found myself here and when I saw what was going on I knew I needed to help."
"Well… thank you for that I guess…" Fiona realized she was still standing in the doorway and cautiously moved to put her books down on the counter.
"You're welcome…" he was quiet for a moment "Have you… have you talked to other people that are… like me?" he asked.
"You mean like ghosts? No, not that I know of…"
"Oh…" He looked down for a minute. "I'm Campbell Saunders…" He stuck out his hand for her to shake. "You can call me Cam if you want."
"I know who you are." She replied sharply, ignoring his hand.
"And I know who you are… But I was just trying to be formal. I mean you are rich right?"
"Used to be" Fiona laughed without thinking but quickly collected herself. "Why are you here anyway?"
"I don't know… I've been lonely I guess. Partly I wanted to make sure you were okay and…" Cam trailed off losing his confidence.
"And what?"She asked.
"Do you know Maya Matlin?"
"The freshman? Barely… I mean she was in my girlfriend's band but she quit a while go…"
"Can you… can you give her a message for me? Just tell her I love her and I'm sorry?" His eyes were full of sadness and Fiona wished with all her heart that she could help him.
"Don't you think that would be a little…?"
"Weird, wrong, selfish, stupid? Yeah I think it would. But I don't know what else to do! I wish I could tell her myself but I can't." Cam was pale with anger as he fell back into Fiona's sofa.
"Well… maybe you can." She said softly. He looked at her confused. "I mean you're talking to me right? So obviously something has changed. Maybe it's changed with her too."
"You think so?" His pale face lit up with excitement.
"Anything is possible, but you're going to need my help." She told him.
"You'd to that for me?"
"Well you did save my life, I think I owe you that much."
"Thanks Fiona."
The pair smiled at each other, happy to have found a new companion to share in the loneliness they both knew too well.
The pretty blonde ran a brush through her hair slowly. She had just arrived home from a fun night out with her two best friends Tori and Tristan.
Maya Matlin had been keeping it together quite well since her boyfriend had taken his own life. She continued her life as normal; preferring to pretend like nothing had changed.
But when she was safely locked away in her room at night, her cool exterior was shattered. Every emotion she had kept hidden during the day came bubbling back up to the surface and she didn't have the strength to keep it down.
Despite her promise to the crowd at Campbell's candle light vigil, she cried for him. Never where anyone would see or hear her, but only in the safety of her room, her sobs covered by the beautiful sound of her cello.
Campbell Saunders had played her as a fool. He should've fought for her, for his family. She could've helped him… she should've helped him.
As the tears started to burn in her blue eyes, she grabbed her instrument and started to play.
She played the same song over and over. A song she had written for her Cam. Her fingers moved mechanically as though she was being controlled by an outside force. And tears began to fall as she lost herself in the slow, soft, sad melody.
"Oh Cam… why did you do it?" She whispered to herself. "Why didn't you tell me what you were going through? Did you not trust me? You know I would've helped you… but then again maybe you didn't want help…"
Her petite body shook with grief but she continued to play her bittersweet symphony. Little did she know she was not alone, she was never alone.
The sad, pale boy watched her, crying tears of his own. And he couldn't answer any of her questions.
The sadness and hopelessness he had felt that night in the greenhouse could never be put into words. And even if they could he could never tell her…
When he watched her smile and laugh with her friends at school he knew it was all an act and he ached to make her feel better.
And now watching her sob all alone he ached to throw his arms around her. Ached to pull her in close to him and tell her everything was going to be alright. But he had given up that right when he decided life wasn't worth living that night in the greenhouse.
If he hadn't, if things were different right now, the couple would probably be out together, holding hands and kissing or singing karaoke with their friends.
He smiled slightly at the thought but it slipped from his lips after he returned to reality.
He and Maya would never kiss again. Neither of them would ever know what they could've been in the future. He would never get to make love to her, or marry her, or tell her that he loved her.
And he would never get to tell her how sorry he was.
Well… maybe not. The promise of the conversation he had with Fiona earlier gave him hope.
Maybe someday soon he would at least get to apologize and tell her to move on without him.
Maybe even get the chance to hold her one more time. Oh he'd give anything to feel her warmth, to have her head on his chest.
The young girl finished her song with one last distraught note. And with that note Campbell Saunders realized something.
Even if it were possible, he could never walk back into the pretty girl's life. It would be like ripping the scab off of a healing wound. And he did not want his love to go through anymore pain.
He had already done enough to her, and she would never be the same.
As Maya started packing up her cello, Cam stood up and started to go. He didn't know where, maybe to check on his family, but something stopped him.
He watched her wipe away her tears and climb into her bed, throwing the blankets around her with a shiver.
He moved to her to get one last look before he left her to her peaceful slumber.
"I love you Maya…" he whispered reaching a hand out and stoking her face. Her eyes fluttered open at his touch. His heart raced and he smiled at her, but she just stared right through him.
And then in a soft, defeated whisper she spoke "I love you Cam… where ever you are."
Campbell was overwhelmed with tears. "I'm right here Maya, I'll always be right here."
Soon the beautiful girl had fallen asleep and Cam knew he should leave her. But he couldn't just yet.
He watched her eyelids flutter as she dreamed and listened to her slow, even breathing.
He watched her until the glorious rays of orange and yellow started to shine through her window, illuminating her face.
With one last stoke of her face, he left her.
He knew that the amazing girl he had left behind would someday find someone that she loved more than him. And she would get married and have babies and have everything that life has to offer.
He was happy with that thought because she, more than anyone else, deserved to be happy.
But no matter what happened Maya Matlin would always have Campbell Saunders to protect her. Even if that meant protecting her from himself…
AN: I intended for this to be a one shot but now I'm not so sure… Should I continue it as a chapter story or leave it as is? Let me know!
