Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, ideas, ect of GW.
Melinda and Mallory walked across the street to the Vietnam memorial and sat down on a bench.
"I know you're not interested in antiques- that's not why I asked you back." Melinda said.
"They're okay, I guess," Mallory said.
Melinda smiled, looking out at the park. "I asked you back because I know you can see spirits." Mallory didn't say anything. "I can see them too. I've seen them since I was a little girl."
"Yeah, so? This guy won't leave me alone! How can I get him to leave me alone?" Mallory asked.
Melinda looked at the distressed teenager. "You cross him over. You lead him into the light, and you help him… help him finish tasks he needs to finish in order to find the light."
"What? What light? What tasks?"
"Earthbound spirits don't belong here. They belong in the light. Most spirits go to the light automatically, some don't."
"Why not?" Mallory asked.
"There are different reasons. Some don't know they're dead, sometimes because they died in a tragic accident. The most common reason is they still have unfinished business with the loved ones they left behind."
"Like…"
"A message of some kind, usually. Has this ghost shown you anything?"
"Like a vision?"
Melinda nodded, but Mallory shook her head.
"Has this ghost tried to give you clues as to how to help him?"
"Look, why do I have to do this? You seem to be the expert."
"Because if I do it, and you don't learn how, some other ghost will come and you'll go through the same thing. The first ghost is always the hardest, and I can help you."
"What if I don't want this dumb ability?" Mallory asked. "What if I just want them all to leave me alone?"
"They won't," Melinda said, simply. "Now that they know you can see them, they'll keep coming back."
"Well, they'll just have to learn I'm not helping them!" Mallory said, standing up and leaving in a huff.
Melinda didn't chase her. She knew how she felt. She had gone through the same thing when she was in school.
"This girl is not going to come quietly." Melinda said at the table with Jim. "She is absolutely adamant that this gift is just going to go away."
"How are you going to change her mind?" Jim asked. "Great salad, by the way."
"I don't know." Melinda put down her fork. "I think she's probably the first in her family to have the gift, because her mother didn't say anything- and you can tell when people see ghosts."
"Think she'll come back?"
Melinda shrugged. "I don't know. I hope so."
Melinda walked into the shop the next morning, and when she opened the door, she had an uninvited guest right in her face.
"You have to help me!" It was the ghost that was following Mallory.
"I'm not going to. She needs to figure this out on her own. I'll guide her along the way."
"She doesn't want to help me!"
Melinda was torn. "Look, can you help her out? She might be more willing if she knew what you wanted. Help her to help you!"
The football ghost scowled.
"Does she even you who you are?" Melinda asked.
The ghost cracked an eerie grin. "Oh, she knows who I am." He disappeared.
Melinda shook it off, and went fully into the store- this whole encounter happened, for her at least, inside the doorway.
She changed the closed sign to open and then pulled out her laptop, searching for recent deaths in football players.
Delia came in. "What're doing back there?"
"Ghost stuff," said Melinda, lost in her article.
"What is it this time?"
"It's not even my ghost… look… that's awful!"
Delia walked around the counter and looked at the article Melinda was reading.
"This kid was a freshman in high school. He wasn't wearing a helmet at practice and he got killed during a tackle."
"If it's not your ghost, why are you researching him?" Delia asked, in a pretend, scolding way.
Before Melinda could answer, the door jingled and Jessa walked in.
"Hi, are you back for anything?" Melinda asked. She could see Mallory trying to sulk in the shadows of a furniture display.
"Actually, yes. I really liked that cross necklace over there…"
"Do you want to help her Delia?" Melinda asked, very pointedly.
Delia took the hint, and had Jessa guide her over to the jewelry, while Melinda walked over to Mallory.
"What's going on?" Mallory asked in a furious whisper.
Melinda was taken aback. "Sorry?"
"What's going on?" she repeated. "This went flying into my head last night. What is going on?" She asked, slowly separating the words of the last question for maximum impact.
"How old are you?" Melinda asked.
Mallory scowled. "Why do you care?"
Melinda didn't say anything. When Mallory could tell she was just wanting her age, she spat out "I'll be 15 next week."
Melinda was really taken aback this time. She had put her to be 13 when she first saw her.
"So, you'll be a sophomore this year?" Melinda asked.
"Freshman."
Melinda nodded.
"What's going on? I have yearbooks being chucked at my head, football is always turned on when I walk into the living room- no one in my house watches football. I want an explanation- now."
A/N: Reviews please!!