*This is the very first story I've ever uploaded here but I hope you'll enjoy it :)*
It was summer of that special year when me and my friends went to the yearly town festival, we did what we usually did but the only difference was this year was much more crowded. It was really crowded that's why it's pretty much easy to get lost inside the crowd of random people. While walking, looking at the different kiosk around I heard a girl cry, I pitied the girl I wondered why she's crying and where the crying came from I stopped then looked around but saw no girl crying, I just shrugged off the sound thinking maybe I'm just hearing things or something.
Suddenly I felt someone grab my shoulder.
"Hey, dude what were you looking at and why did you stop?" Hiro asked
"Oh, nothing"
"Are you looking for someone?"
"I don't know maybe."
"What kind of answer is that." Hiro chuckled
"Hiro did you heard a girl crying a while ago?" I asked
"I didn't, why?"
"Nothing I guessed I'm just hearing things."
"You're weird man!" Hiro laughed
"But you're weirder" I joked back
Me and Hiro went to a small cafe where we are meeting the rest of our friends. I explained to the others why we we're late. After eating we went to walk around we passed by the hill where again I heard that girl crying *sob* but this time much louder no it's cry was nearer, again I looked at the stairs leading to the hill when I saw a girl crying but she went up the hill weirdly enough my body just started walking back to the hill without my control and I can't stop it, just by itself as if a robot being controlled my body climbed the stairs.
"Naoki ,Where are you going?" Aki shouted
"Up the hill!" I suddenly shouted
"Okay"
"Wait, what? Why did I say that?"
It was as if both my mind and body were not in my control, I don't know why but I can't seem to stop climbing until I reach the top of the hill. Finally I've reached the top. I saw the girl I saw a glimpse off ago, she was wearing a sleeveless white dress, her hair was straight black, she had pale white skin, she was really skinny too and her eyes had a emerald color that was very pretty. As I thought she was the girl I heard crying. The girl stopped crying then looked at my way, she was walking towards me.
"You..."
"I what?" I asked her
"You can see me?"
"Um, yeah I could that's probably why I can talk to you right now." I chuckled
"Thank goodness" she smiled then suddenly hugged me I suddenly turned red then I just to hug her back, she took my hand smiling gently she looked like an angel, then her tears fell again but it this time it looked like tears of happiness and not sadness
"Oops, I'm sorry you didn't do wrong, I'm crying because of joy, finally someone could see me, I was worried cause even when I was crying nobody saw me nor heard me." she shared
"Wait are you the girl who was crying at the crowd at the plaza?"
"Yeah that was me, you heard me?" She exclaimed
"Yeah, but what do you mean no one saw nor heard you?"
"Well you might be scared if I told you."
"Told me what?"
"The truth is I'm a ghost."
After hearing that the hairs at the back my neck all stood at it's end. The girl noticed it and took a few steps away from me.
"As I thought you would be scared of me now huh?" the girl frowned
''what should I say?"
"Look I'm not scared of it was like I was shocked not scared, okay." I explained
"Really! You're not afraid of me?" The girl suddenly smiled
"Yeah I'm not." I smiled back
"Oh yeah I forgot my name is Aya." she introduced herself
"Me I'm Naoki" I replied
Aya took my hand and shaked it "She's really amusing for a ghost."
"So Aya why were you crying a while ago" I asked
"Well that's because I was hungry, well I didn't have money and even if I do no one would see me anyways." she replied
"Even ghost can become hungry?" I was surprised
"Of course we can!" she shouted
"I see I bet you're still hungry right?"
"I am! Are you gonna buy me food?"
"No!"
"Please I haven't eaten anything at all." she pleaded
The hungry ghost pleaded and begged until I finally gave in. I bought her a dozen of takoyaki and she was very happy while eating. We went back to the hill
*Burp*
"Hey Naoki I'm still hungry buy me more." she begged
"You know if I buy you more you''ll be a pig." I smirked
"Okay then I'll just die out of hunger then!" she pouted
"You know you can't die cause you're dead already" I reminded her
"Oh right, I forgot!" she laughed
"Hey, I know it's rude but why did you die anyways? It's okay if you don't wanna answer."
"No it's okay, the reason I'm dead is because I was born with a weak heart, I rarely go to school I was always stuck inside a hospital, truth is I never had permanent friends cause the friends I had where always leaving me it's as if it's a cycle..."
"A cycle?"
"Yep, a cycle cause once they're cured they'll all leave me and forget about me, truth is I just died yesterday." she started crying again
"I'm sorry here" I lend her my handkerchief
"Wanna know why I'm still at earth? It's because I asked God to let me spend my18th birthday here on earth which is today." she shared
"But how did you convinced him?"
"I always have asked him that ever since I learned I would only leave up to 18, I always prayed that, and he did but I was thinking while I'm alive thought but I'm okay with being at this state at least I'm still on earth" she shared but I can see she's trying to laugh
"Here I'll lend you my shoulder, just cry it's okay no need to force yourself."
"Okay, thanks"
"Hey, Happy Birthday I know I have nothing to give you even though it's your 18th birthday so I'll just sing you the birthday song"
"Really? thanks" she smiled gently
"Happy Birthday Aya, Happy Birthday Aya, Happy Birthday, Happy birthday, happy birthday to you" I sang to her I faked cough cause I know I really don't have a talent for singing but at least I gave it my all
"Thank you this is the best birthday ever and for a change I had a birthday outside the hospital and not spending with the doctors or nurses but with a friend, oops I'm sorry you might not think of me as a friend yet don't you?"
"No I think of you as a friend." I smiled
"Really you know I hope you'll never forget me cause your my first and last true friend."
"I won't forget you I promise."
"You promise really?"
"Yeah."
"I'm so happy I glad your my first friend thank you" she hugged me and I just hugged her back,
suddenly we heard fireworks we both looked up high and saw shining and bright fireworks in the sky,
I saw Aya smiling so happily I thought "How beautiful was her smile" I got my cellphone then took a picture of her watching the fireworks even if she wasn't seen in the picture.
"Naoki, look what's happening?" Aya was panicking
"What happened?"
"Look my body it's slowly fading"
"Wait why what did you do?"
"I don't know I was just watching the fireworks then this happened"
I suddenly heard the church bell rang meaning it's twelve midnight. Naoki looked at his watch and saw the time was exactly twelve, he realized and remembered something. He remembered the reason why Aya is slowly fading it's because it's the end of the day meaning the end of Aya's birthday.
"Aya, I think I know the reason?"
"What is it?"
"It's because your birthday is now over, which means you'll have to go now."
"I still want to stay with you!"
"Aya no you can't your time is up, you've gotta go okay?"
"But what if you forget me?" she cried
"Don't worry I wont forget you, I promise that everytime its your birthday I will leave flowers up in this hill, I promise you that, okay? "
"You should keep your promise okay?"
"I will I hope you'll meet more friends in heaven" I hugged her then bid farewell
"I'll miss you and thanks for today cause finally I've made a precious memory I'll keep before I leave earth, thank you Naoki" Aya hugged more tightly
"I'll miss you too and you're welcome"
While I hugged her, Aya slowly vanished in air until she completely left my arms.
20 years have passed I still remember about the mysterious girl I met and how I met her, I could still remember it like it was yesterday and as i had promised Aya yearly and every summer I always leave flowers in the hill where I met her might sound weird but I could say she's one my most precious friends and the most amusing person I've ever met.