Flowers for a Ghost…
My finger's fiddled with the cigarette that was burning between them, Aidan was eating as he sat next to me. "We should go out tonight.." He said aloud. "Not in the mood." I said dully, He sighed dropping his plate against the coffee table. "Your never in the mood. Come on let's go out and drink, party man! sleep with slutty women... That shit.." Aidan said with enthusiasm..
"If I go out will you shut up?"I asked a little irritated, taking a drag of my cigarette. 'Michael, he has good intensions trust me..'"Yes!" He said, finally getting satisfaction out of my answer. "Okay but im not sleeping with any slutty women, you can. But I'm not..." 'Ally, I wouldn't sleep with anyone else. I couldn't and won't... I love you..'
"Well comon, man!" Aidan said standing up, rushing into the bathroom, caring about his looks more then what he was wearing out... I followed behind him, putting out my cigarette. He was brushing back his dark, short, curly hair with his fingers awkwardly. "What the hell, Tyler! Your going out looking like that?" he turned around and looked at me.
"Come here, let me fix your hair." he said pulling on my shoulders messing with my hair, I rolled my eyes and batted him away. "Okay! Fuck it! You know what you can go out looking like shit all you want..." He said dropping his hands against his thighs making a clapping sound and I shrugged, he made his way out of our crappy, small, bathroom..
"Aidan, I'm starting to feel like your my wife." I said with a smirk and a groan. "Well! I can't go out in public if we both don't look good!" he complained, I laughed slightly as we both walked out of our apartment. I watched him walk down the stairs and got a flash back...
"So where's Ally man?" Aidan asked me, scarfing down his food. "She went to my dad's office to pick something up that my dad wanted to give her, but he gave it to the secertery..." I said tipping the beer bottle up so the liquid drained into my mouth.
"Cool, wanna go lift weights or be my spotter? While you wait for Ally to get back?" Aidan asked. "Ya sure..." I said picking up Michael's guitar and as I walked past the calender my eye caught the date.. "Septemeber, 11th, 2001...Happiest day of my life..." I said smiling at Aidan who started going up to the roof.
"Why's that?" He asked with a laugh, juggling the phone between his hands. We had it with us just in case anyone called, you never know who would call. "Ally and I are back together, Im just so happy.." I said sitting down in my chair. "Im happy for you man..." Aidan said laying down on the bench.
I studied Michael's guitar in my hands, The world seemed to slow... Even stop at the very moment, the air was calm, no sound, then we both heard it... 'BANG! CRASH!' Exploding sounds echoed all around us, smoke filled the air it smelled like fire... I coughed and so did Aidan, we both looked up into the sky but the grey ash was to thick and hung almost too low.
Aidan started to choke on the smoke and the fact that he lost focus and the weight was slowly pressing him down. Things like burnt paper started to float down, I still didn't know what was happening and what was on fire... I made my way over to Aidan and pulled the bar off of him, covering my mouth with the sleeve.
We both backed up into the aparments entrance and shut the door, the air was clean, we still kept caughing for a while. Then the phone in my hand rang. 'Ring! Ring! Ring!' I handed in to Aidan, he answered it. "Hello?" He listened a few minuted then opened the door, face terrified and awestruck. I followed behind..
He looked up into the sky, the smoke begining to clear, There we saw it.. The Twin Towers had been bombed, "Tyler..." he said slightly, voice quivering not as much as mine, he was handing me the phone, I grabbed it quickly pressing it to my ear. "Tyler..." it was Ally's father. "There's a great chance that Ally's dead." He was crying, I dropped to my knees still looking up at the bombed towers...
Aidan nugged me with his elbow, "You okay man?" he asked concerned, I realized we were at the bar now and a few tears had fallen down my cheeks, only Aidan had noticed. "What! Oh ya I'm fine..." I said wiping them away. 'Michael, I couldn't even go to Ally's funeral it was that hard, Mom and Dad arranged it... After they got done talking to Ally's dad about it, he committed suicide.. shot himself in the head. He had nothing else to live for... Tell me Michael, What do I have to live for?' I shook my head, the obvious reasons like Caroline, Aidan and Mom... Maybe dad, Aidan shook his head with me and ordered himself a drink, I myself ordered a beer and watched as he went off to go flirt with young, drunk, 17 yr. old girls who looked like they were out of town… I chuckled slightly and made my way through the crowds of dancing people when, WHACK I ran straight into a girl knocking both of us down, spilling her drink on her. "Ah! Dammit, I'm sorry.. Shit, Here let me help you up." I said standing up and taking a hold of her hand. "It's okay, It's not like this is my only dress." she said with a laugh and a hint of sarcasm telling me this was her only dress, "Or clothes for that matter." she laughed still looking down at her wet dress, examining it. When she looked up our eyes locked. "Oh Tyler!" she laughed, smiled then blushed. "Hey Jasmine…" I said with a half smile. "What brings you here?" she asked curious. "Asshole roommate dragged me along.." I said shrugging looking into her beautiful dark eyes. "Ah.." she said looking off taking a sip of what was left of her drink. "What brings a art teacher to this surroundings? Aren't art teacher's supposed to be reading at these hours?" I laughed. She smiled at me warmly then a laugh escaped her lips. "Just because I love to draw and paint doesn't mean I don't like getting out once and awhile.." She said, out of the corner of my eye I saw Aidan grinning and his look was questioning weather or not to walk over. "Uh, um… What was that about not owning different clothes?" I asked still watching Aidan but trying to focus on Jasmine. "Hey, It's my turn to ask the questions…" she smirked. I shrugged signaling her to go ahead and ask. "Why does that guy keep looking over here and grin?" she asked trying to fight a laugh, but managed to smile without one. I noticed Aidan starting to walk towards us and I groaned. I looked back at Jasmine, "My asshole roommate Aidan…" she smiled. "Ah okay, Anyway to answer your question I don't live in this part of New York.. I came up here to meet a friend for drinks and she ditched me for some guy. I was going to crash at her place but it looks like Im not." she said glancing over at a girl and guy leaving the bar. "Um well.." I began thinking. 'Ally she's Caroline's teacher, I should be nice and let her stay and borrow my clothes… Is that alright?' Of course no response… "You can stay at my place, borrow some clothes and I'll sleep on the couch.." I said, "Wow that would be great Tyler, thanks!" she smiled and turned as soon as Aidan had walked over. "Who is this!" Aidan exclaimed looking her up and down. "Jasmine, Caroline's art teacher I met early today.." I said, a twinge of jealously ran through my voice as I watched him stare at her with admiring, sex driven eyes.. "Madam.." he took her hand and kissed it making her giggle. "Well Jasmine, I have to go attend to my lady friends over there. Have a great time with Tyler.." he said pointing over to the 17 yr old drunks then winked at me, leaving… "Well, do you want to go now?" I asked a little bit upset at Aidan. I grinded my teeth, 'Michael, HE HAS GOOD INTENTIONS! TRUST ME!' "Ya sure." Jasmine said following me past Aidan, "keep it down when you come home.!" I hissed at him, he held up his hands like he was in a robbery and laughed. I rolled my eyes, held the door open for Jasmine, called a cab then went back to our apartments. She walked around the dirty apartment, "Cool…" she said slightly smiling to herself. "Do you need anything to eat or something?" I asked watching her, she turned around. "I'm good, how about you can I make you anything?" Her response surprised me. "Uh no I'm good…" she walked over then she saw Michael's guitar, she picked it up and sat down, I sat next to her. She began to strum and it turned into a song.. "Wow that was..Wow…" I said amazed. "Thanks, in art school you learn everything in performing arts. Cooking, painting, acting, singing and instruments…that junk." she said with a smile and a laugh. "Ah, that's why you asked to cook for me." I said amused. She just grinned looked around and stood up walking into the halls that slowly led to my bedroom. "Your room?" she asked. "Yes." I said watching her from the door frame as she laid down and closed her eyes, after a few minutes I thought she was asleep then I slowly began to move away from the door frame. "Tyler?" she asked now sitting up. "Yes?" "Where are you going?" she said with a half smile, tiredness in her eyes. "Um nowhere…" I said softly, I was confused, I walked over and pulled out some clothes for her to wear. "Im good for now, You can sleep in here, I don't bite…" "I um sleep with my shirt off." I said fumbling over the words, I smiled slightly about the fact that she thought I thought she'd bite me. "It's fine, better then seeing ya uncomfortable on the couch." she said and I walked over, pulled off my shirt and laid down as she crawled under the covers.
