Vivian wore her worn-out jeans with an oversized flannel button-down with a black t-shirt underneath. Her hair was down and looked a bit messy, but the day was almost over. She did look better in the morning. Vivian ran her hands over her face as she took a big sigh. She pulled the strap of her black backpack and stood in the middle of the hallway staring into her locker that seemed filled but empty at the same time. Her mind was millions of miles away as the hallways were filled with other kids going in and out of their lockers. A relatively large group of kids stood in one corner and chatted about Vivian without her knowledge.
"I heard that she lives in that haunted house on the hill. So, she has to be haunted herself." The one girl said and snickered to the other girls and boys
"She killed her mother when she was a baby," Another girl said as she turned towards the one boy in the group.
"She is disgusting. She looks like she has not bathed in days," The boy said, and the other boy agreed. The group continued to chat about her as the bell rang. The group made their way down the hallways, and one boy pushed the other boy into Vivian as they passed her. Vivian fell into her locker and stopped herself with her hands. She looked at the boys as they giggled at one another, and the boy that touched her darted down the hall past the group.
Vivian sighed and closed her locker, and headed into class. She slid into the classroom and sat in the back of the room. The teacher looked up at her as she sat, but Vivian was pretty sure that he didn't see her. Vivian could hear her classmates in front of her, still snickering and looking back at her and pointing. Vivian tried to take a deep breath and then grabbed her book and pulled it up to hide from the classmates.
The end of day bell rang, and the students packed up quickly and ran out of the room. Vivian got her things together and made her way back into her locker. She pulled out several books that she needed to take home to do her homework and placed them into her backpack. She grabbed the strap of the pack and pulled it against herself as she slowly made her way through the now very empty halls. She took her time and stopped at her locker to pick up the books that she needed to get her homework done.
Vivian walked out of the school building and started to make her way home. She had about a two-mile walk to get back home. Vivian took her time as Vivian walked on the edge of the sidewalk, acting like it was a balance beam. She stood at the corner of the street and hit the button to be able to cross. She looked up at the sun as she smiled to herself and closed her eyes. She sighed and looked across the street and noticed a soul was standing on the other corner of the sidewalk.
She didn't feel afraid of the soul as she tried to figure out who the person was. She tilted her head a bit as she was interested in who the soul was. The soul looked like an older lady with grayish-white hair that was curled back to look perfect. It looked like she was wearing a long heavy coat and her hands were in her pockets. Her eyes seemed to be dark, and her lips were pursed in a small smile. Vivian looked up at the light as it turned green. She took a deep breath and headed across the street. She noticed the soul walking straight to her. Vivian closed her eyes as, at this point, they would have brushed past one another. Vivian got to the other side of the street and stopped, and turned around to look for the older woman. She saw nothing behind her. Vivian stopped a bit and was confused about how she disappeared but did not want to call attention to it. Vivian started to see more of these souls more and more; as time went on, most of the time, she didn't even bother with the other souls, but something inside of her wanted to know more about them.
Vivian pushed ahead and continued to walk home. She needed to get home soon, or she would hear Jessi complain, and that was the last thing that she wanted. She walked up the sidewalk as looked at the overgrown front yard. She sighed to herself as she ran her hand against the chain-link fence that looked like it had better days. The house was an old gray with dark blue shutters. She stood at the entranceway attached to the sidewalk and started to think about how much she missed her other house. She never really understood why they had to move.
Vivian opened the door, and it squeaked as she entered the house. "Hello?" She paused. "Anyone home?" She looked around the house that looked like a disaster zone. She paused, still not hearing anything, so she took it that no one was home. She closed the door behind her and walked up the stairs to her room. She put her backpack against the small desk in the corner of the room. She flopped down on her bed, not wanting to do anything. She started to think about the kids from school and how they always picked on her. It bothered her what they said about her, but there was nothing she could do about it. She sighed and looked up at the ceiling and rolled her eyes as she sat up and looked at her backpack. After a while, she got up and headed over to her desk to start working on her homework.
"Vivian!" The woman opened the door to her bedroom, and Vivian spun around the chair, wrapping her arm around the back of it. "You should have been downstairs over 20 minutes ago to help with dinner."
"Sorry about that. I was doing homework," She said as she looked at Jessi, her brown hair pulled up to a messy ponytail. Her clothing hung off her body since she looked like skin and bones anyways.
"Let's get downstairs and help with dinner." Jessi gave her a look of disappointment or anger. Vivian was not sure. "No one lives here for free, you know." She said as she walked away and back down to the kitchen.
"I am 10," Vivian said with a bit of sassiness in her voice and then sighed and turned around and closed her book. She pushed herself away from her desk. She sighed and headed downstairs to help make dinner. Vivian walked down into the kitchen.
"You need to start helping out around here." Jessi paused as she stirred the items in the frying pan. Vivian grabbed the plates and silverware and started to set the table. "You know Vivian. I could send you away, and there is nothing you can do about it." She paused, and Vivian continued to set the table. She knew that Jessi was trying to get a reaction out of her. "Vivian, did you hear me?" She paused and looked up at Jessi. "Your father will always pick me."
"I understand," Vivian said and took a deep breath. "I didn't realize the time and just kept working on my homework." she tried to make an excuse so that Jessi would get off her case. Vivian looked at Jessi, who now had her back turned, and she rolled her eyes. Vivian and Jessi didn't get along; she despised Jessi. Ever since her mom passed, her father had tons of girlfriends over, and this one just ended up staying.
"I am home!" Her father screamed as he opened the door, and Jessi put the dinner on the table just as he came in. "It smells wonderful," He said as he walked over to Jessi and kissed her. Vivian rolled her eyes even more.
"I am so glad you are home," She said to him and smiled as she served him and herself. Nicholas went to get a beer out of the refrigerator. Vivian sat down at the table, grabbed the serving spoon's handle, and dished out some dinner to herself. Everyone sat down at the table, and they started to chat.
"Vivian," Her father said, and she looked up from her meal that she was pushing around the plate, "I wanted to talk to you about marrying Jessi. Wouldn't you like to have Jessi as your new mother?"
Vivian twisted her lips a bit, and Jessie smiled and took Nicholas' hand. "Um," She said and began to think of all the mean things that Jessi had said to her over the last year.
"I bet we will become great friends," She said with a smile that wrinkled her nose at Vivian. Vivian gave the bug eyes and then shoved food into her mouth. She has nothing nice to say and didn't want to get a lecture.
Vivian sat at her desk, still trying to push through her homework. She was not good at algebra and instead be reading some fantasy story for English class. She sighed and laid her hand against her head as she tapped the pencil on the book.
"That won't get the work done" She heard Mark's voice, and she jumped out of her chair to hug him.
"I am not doing good with algebra," She said as she stood back and looked at Mark. She smiled as she noticed that he was wearing his usual gear. It was something she could always rely on. He took off his large brim hat, letting his long dark hair loose. He pushed back his black trench coat and took a seat on the bed, placing his hat down. He wore dark blue jeans and a black t-shirt with some faded decal and worn-out black boots. He smiled at her and shook his head.
"Bring it over here, and let's take a look at it," He said, and she bounced from one end of the room to the other with algebra in hand. She placed the book on the bed and kneeled on the floor as Mark started to look at it trying to remember years ago when he was taught. He struggled a bit but turned a few pages back and read the book. He was starting to understand it and began to teach Vivian.
The time began to pass, but the two of them working together were getting through the homework. Mark was set on Vivian was not going to turn out like her father. Mark smiled at Vivian as she was filling out the assignment and didn't understand a bit more. He ran his hand against her hair as he smiles, and so did she as the bedroom door flew open, and Nicholas stood there looking at Vivian sitting on the floor working on her math homework as her head turned to the door to look at her father. "Why did I even buy you a desk? When you insist on sitting on the floor ?"
"Sorry," She said as she looked down and finished writing the answer.
"Don't be up late," He said and looked at her once more, studying what she was doing. He closed the door, and Vivian looked up at Mark.
"We are almost finished. Come on," Mark said to Vivian and made a face. Vivian smiled and continued to work on her homework. Mark leaned up again against the wall as he watched her finish up the assignment. He felt this proudness come over him, which he had never felt before as a smile crept across his face.
Vivian came back into the bedroom in her PJs as put her clothing in her laundry basket. "You didn't leave," She said in a whisper and was a bit surprised as she turned off the lights and jumped into bed, and pulled up the covers.
"Not until you fall asleep," Mark said to her as he took a seat back on the bed once she was all tucked in.
"I wanted to ask you a question about being a soul." She said as she placed her head on his chest, and Mark started to rub her cheek.
"Sure," he paused, wondering what she could have a question about.
"Remember you said that I might start seeing them more and more? Well, I have been seeing a bunch of them, but they don't talk to me or even know that I am here."
"Well, there are a bunch of different souls just like people. There are ones like me that you can interact with and talk to. Some don't interact at all and go throughout their days doing the same thing over and over. Then others are just here to be mean and do mean things." Mark tried to explain the best he could, and Vivian bobbed her head in agreement.
"Some people are so mean." Vivian said, "The group of kids I was telling you about are still picking on me. Can't I go home with you away from school and algebra?"
"No, you're not coming home with me." Mark's eyes went wide as he responded to her.
"Why? I want to." She said and paused as she looked up at him and yawned, putting her face into his chest.
"Well, for starters, you need to be at school and learn algebra."
"There is nothing here for me anymore. If I just didn't come home, Dad or Jessi wouldn't care. I can go to school from your house."
"You have all this figured out." Mark chucked a bit, and Vivian yawned once more. "Vivi, you are a smart, bright, very different girl, and you need to know that." He paused and brushed her cheek once more. "Maybe one day I will take you back to my house, and you will have to meet Randall and Blaze."
"Who is Randall and Blaze?" She asked as she continued to run her fingers in circles over and over his stomach.
"They are my roommates." He figured that was the best way to describe the strange living situation. He started to tell Randall and Blaze to Vivian as she began to fall asleep. Mark laid there while Vivian fell asleep on him, which was a regular event when he showed up. Mark began to think if he could bring Vivian down to his world as Blaze does with Hailey. He began to wonder how much his life would change.
Mark walked into the house, seeing Randall in the living room with the TV playing for once. This was not his regular spot since Blaze typically claimed the living room. "Good Night Randall," Mark said as he closed the front door.
"Good Night, How was your visit?" Randall asked as he looked from the TV to Mark.
"Algebra," Mark laughed as he spoke, "I don't even remember learning that when I was in middle school."
"Ah, the school was so different back in the day." He paused and slowly got out of the chair. Mark could tell the time was getting the best of Randall. "I need a puff," He said and looked up at Mark as he passed him to go out front and sit on the porch. Mark followed him outside slowly as he watched him take his customary seat on the rocking chair in the one corner of the porch.
"Vivi wants to come here," Mark said, and Randall didn't say a word, just got himself set up and lit his pipe, the flavored smoke filling Mark's lungs as he took a deep breath. Mark paused and looked at Randall, who exhaled the smoke but still has not said a word. "I am not going to allow Vivian to go down the wrong path. She could get mixed up with drugs, alcohol, or whatever. Her parents don't care, Randall." He paused, noticing that he has yet to say anything. "Randall?"
"Yes?" He said to Mark almost like he was in some dream, and Mark pulled him back from it. Mark took a small sigh as soft as he could.
"Vivian wants to come here," Mark said again and paused, wanting Randall's opinion on it.
"You know, once she knows about your world here, she will want to come back more and more. Are you ready for that?" Mark paused and just continued to think. Having Vivian in this world might make his life easier Randall and Blaze would help out, and then he might not feel so torn. "Remember Vivian is human, and humans have feelings. Did you talk to her about that?"
"About her feelings?" He paused and gave a strange look to Randall. "She has been bugging me for days to come here."
Randall nodded his head and took a puff of his pipe. "I see, but I don't think you understand my question." Randall paused, unsure if he wanted to explain being human again; after all, he was human before. "Mark, if you want to bring her here, then do it. Just remember you're going to expand her world even more." Mark sat down on the cement steps, placed his hands on his knees, and took a deep sigh. He didn't understand why he felt more lost but still felt like he wanted Vivian with him.
Mark sat on the bed as he looked at Vivian, who was sitting at her desk finishing up the last bit of her homework. This seems to be the joint nightly event that they would do. Vivian would bellyache about how she didn't need to do her homework. Mark would continue to tell her to get it finished. She would say to him about her day as she worked on her homework and always threw in a bit of spice about wanting to go home with him, hoping that he wasn't paying attention and would agree.
"So, how much more homework do you have over there?" He asked as he pulled his large brim hat over his face.
"I am almost done," she paused, and then a few seconds later, "I am done," She said with a laugh and turned around and looked at Mark. "Are you sleeping?"
"No," He said and removed his hat. "Your watch as a timer, right?"
"Yes," She asked and gave him a bit of a look, not sure what he was planning.
"I need you to look up the time for sunrise."
Okay, but why?" She asked, and Mark rolled his eyes "okay, okay," She said and did what she was told. "I got it 6:45 am."
"Well, set your alarm for 10 minutes before that," he said and stood up and put his hat back on. He leaned down and set up her bed to look like someone was sleeping in the bed. "Grab yourself a jacket."
"Where are we going?" She asked as she put on her sweatshirt as quickly as she could.
Mark smiled at her and took her hand. "Trust me?" He asked, and she shook her head. "Good, let's go"