The Ghost of You
The blue light from her phone screen keeps shifting back to black light multiple times, her thumb constantly pressing the surface to keep the light returning. Her eyes fixed on it while lying in her bed. It was almost midnight but her consciousness was still awake and staring at her phone for few hours consumed her time that night.
It was empty
Butch didn't text her or call her that day.
"Good news Buttercup, that's the end of it" she mumbled to herself
"Badnews?...that's the end of it" Her voice starts to become a whisper after saying those last words.
Her eyes start to warm and slight moist starts to form in the corner of her eyes. She raises her both hands up in the air while lying in her bed, forming them like she was cupping something….or someone.
Her palms could still feel his warm face, Buttercup always cupped his face after he went into a fight. Glaring at every fresh wound and blood that was engraved on his face, she remembers how she treat them by damping wet cotton soaked in an antiseptic medication to avoid infection.
"Stopppp! Urghhh!" she groaned
"Stop thinking about him! Pathetic"
"You need to set your new goal Buttercup, you need to wake up"
"Please….wake up" she softly said to herself.
Her nerves were looking for something that could fill the thrill that Butch was giving her every Friday night, from all the silly things they'd done around town. She remembered it all, every moment of it. And it struck her like a broken glass piercing through the skin, feeling all the sharp pain until her senses got numb.
That's how her heart felt every night. She wished she could take medicine to get herself cured out of this misery, even a half-human like her could not escape the agonizing torture of a broken heart.
While she slowly closed her eyes and nearly napping, suddenly a tapping sound came from her door. As of someone gently knocking, knocking at her white wooden door.
"Buttercup?" Professor Utonium called her name in a low voice, an almost whisper voice.
She wipes her eyes down to her cheeks to hide the evidence of being tormented. Buttercup doesn't want to make her father worried about the thing that she's been going through.
"Yes, professor?" Hiding the trembling of her voice
"I brought your dinner here in your room, can I come in?"
"Of course" she muttered while sprinting to her door. The door swung open and as Professor stepped through, her consciousness faded. She was greeted by his warm smile holding a tray full of her favorite food, the steam that was dancing at the top of the bowls indicates that the dishes were freshly made.
"Professor, you shouldn't have. I'll join you downstairs"
"You missed the dinner. We're calling you multiple times but I think you sleep in"
"Oh..yeah, I guess. I'm sorry" She rubbed the back of her neck
"You don't have to. It's alright, I have your dinner here" He placed the tray on her coffee table and seated at her chair "So….how's your practice? The soccer team? I heard you're doing a good job on that sport. Tell me more about it" he excitingly asked
"Uhm… yeah, I'm loving soccer…..and my teammates were ecstatic…about me being their…teammate. I mean..I-I think I need to learn more like-" Her words start to become stutters, she doesn't want to sound like she's bragging or too proud about it but Buttercup truly excelled in that sport.
Her lips were moving like she wanted to say something, even her words could not cope. But her eyes….her eyes were melancholy and constantly looking anywhere other than the professor in front of her. She was like hiding something underneath those bright lime eyes.
"I know…..you're special Buttercup. You are all special! There's nothing you couldn't do and I know it. You're the spice in the team, and just like the spice, it can be bitter…or salty…sour…sweet, and hundreds of flavors that could combine. My strong..strong spice…you'll make it through. Am I right?"
She was startled by his words, was the Professor still pertaining it to soccer? Or did he already decipher what she truly feels, that even though she hides it from everyone only a few people could read straight to her soul, and he was the perfect person that could decode her. After all, he created them three.
"Alright, I'm happy that you finally found your passion, if you need help. You know we're here for you" He patted her shoulder and waved her goodbye. Leaving Buttercup standing in the middle of her room while the aroma of the dish slowly enfolded inside.
The corner of her lip lifted, attempting to display a smile while Professor's words start soaking inside her brain.
She turns around and took a bite of the delightful red meat T-bone steak on the plate, the warm feeling inside her heart starts to bring colorful flavors to her palette.
It was Saturday, another soccer practice and as per usual she devoured the game. Words start to circulate on the campus about her being the new potential star player of the Women's soccer team.
After several weeks of practice, her name starts to invade the sports department. Most of her time was consumed with practice and going home, honing her skills in that sport while trying to detach herself from the agony that she was feeling from moving on, it was like hitting two birds with one stone.
Time feels fast if you're too focused on your craft, it's already 3 in the afternoon when their practice ended. Buttercup still feels the urge to play and learn new skills or strategies for her gain.
Before her team left the field, Coach Bravo walked towards her and announced that she will be joining the team in the next College soccer game in two weeks. She was excited about it but still, something inside her feels like she needs to learn more to make sure that she will be playing her best in the field. After all, Buttercup was still a neophyte. Especially since this is going to be her first game she needed to accomplish her goal.
Everyone waved at her goodbye and their feet walked to the path leading to the exit gate. She was left alone, standing in the dewy grass, and the sunset was now slowly resting on the bed of the skyline.
"Alright, we can do this! You're the spice Buttercup! You can do this!" She stomps the ball lightly to her forehead while murmuring some motivational words to herself
When suddenly a voice echoed behind her
"First game huh?...I'm Mitch by the way….Mitch Mitchelson" in a feathery and crisp voice
She turned around to see the owner of that voice. Buttercup paused for a second, a queasy feeling washing over her as the man who'd introduced himself as 'Mitch', stood awkwardly.
"Yeah…I think I know you already" She responded to him with half smile
"You already know me?" he released a faint chuckle while curving his lips into a cocky smirk. He looked too proud hearing that from her lips.
"Wait! That's not what I meant, I mean….Jessica keeps telling me about you so that technically… making me like already know you. You know what I mean?"
"Seriously, you don't have to explain babe. I know why you stayed late in here…all alone, and you're probably waiting for someone" he arrogantly and confidently said
"Someone like who!?" she raised an eyebrow while her voice starts to become loud, shifting to shriek.
"Oh, I don't know…Like the star player of the men's team?"
"Please don't tell me you're referring to yourself!?" Buttercup almost winced from the audacity of the man standing in front of her, she was not that dumb to notice that Mitch was being too presumptuous and too confident with his statement.
"Who else?"
He's worst than Butch, I swear to God.
She half turned and walked away from his spot. Mitch just stares with wide open-eyed unable to shut while his feet froze to the ground, it was new for him to see someone neglect his presence. For the first time, he doesn't know what to do since all the girls on the campus were obsessed and throwing themselves at him.
His fingers flinched, an indication that his senses came back.
"W-wait" in his quivering voice but Buttercup keeps walking away.
"Wa-wait…I can show you around? The field?" He bargained but Buttercup seems uninterested.
"I'll introduce you to my team?" still unfazed
"I…I can teach you some tricks?"
Buttercup stop from pacing her feet to the ground, Mitch's lips curved and his cheeks glowed.
I got her
"I can teach you some tricks that I secretly created…" He walked slowly toward her and confidence starts to take over him "…and..uh..you know? That was the reason why our team always win. Are you interested now? Hmm Ms. Utonium?"
"What tricks?" Her head turns slightly behind
He stared brazenly into her eyes "Skills…position….offense….defense. Name it all"
Absorbed in the conversation, her feet moved involuntarily making a full turn but her gaze lands anywhere other than Mitch's spot.
"Two weeks…In two weeks, I'll have my first game. I need two weeks of preparation…..and If you're going to teach me, you better start it now"
"Then let's start the deal baby"
Buttercup kicked the ball at him and Mitch easily catches it by lightly kicking it making the ball shoot up mid-air and then grabbing it with his hand.
"Show me" she commanded
He chortles "The first thing you have to do is work on your basics, like passing the ball, stopping the ball, shooting, dribbling, positioning, and movement…master all of those and when you're confident enough in holding and kicking the ball in the field then learn how to strategize next by disguising yourself as prey in the field…Let them think that you're weak but you have the full strategy in mind. Deception is the key, then if they're too confident with themselves and unknowingly left their defenses down, that's your queue to kick the ball straight to our goal"
Interesting
It was just a short statement but Buttercup could feel that Mitch was truly an expert on his sport. She absorbed all the words he spoke, noting every strategy inside her head.
"Show me your basics" Mitch kicked the ball to Buttercup and their practice commence.
They both ran on the field, Buttercup used different parts of her foot to change the angle, arc, and direction of the ball as she moves across the field. But Mitch easily defended it by closing off the space around the ball to deny her opportunities to advance the ball or score.
He was amazed at how good she was with her game, Mitch had never lost to anyone before, not even with his teammate. And Buttercup easily demolished him in the field, he named her the most interesting woman he knows, inside his mind.
It was already 7 in the evening when their practice ended, they could feel the thrill in their game like they were both perfect opponents on the field. They both slumped on the grass ground, panting and breathless, full of sweat, and grasping some energy by taking a quick break.
"I almost lost what the fuck!" she exclaimed while heavily breathing "But I still fucking won!"
"I know….I can't believe I lost! What the hell was that?" he slowly stood up while releasing a faint whimper, his body was sore from all the exertion he did just to push himself to win the game. But he still lost to Buttercup.
"Hey! One more game" he demanded
"You lost, what in the hell do you want another game for?"
"I'm not making myself a loser here. Now stand up and kick that goddamn ball" Mitch lightly kicks the ball toward her
"No, you lost…..accept it loser!" she chuckled
"How about tomorrow? I need to redeem myself…I'm not makin—"
"Alright, tomorrow" she softly smiled at him. Her smile was etched beautifully inside his brain and her voice starts to become a fine tune in his ears.
"Tomorrow" he whispered
Three of them were walking in the hallway the next morning, she, Blossom, and Bubbles were talking about a few topics such as school stuff, her soccer play, and their organization.
Her phone suddenly lit up and a vibration was felt in her palm, she took a glance at her screen and saw an unknown number sent her a text message.
Curious about who it was, her pace slowed down letting Blossom and Bubbles walked in front of her. She swiped the notification and clicked the text messages that she received.
From: Unknown number
Hi Buttercup, Mitch here. Don't ask me how did I get your number, I just want to say….
See you later and be prepared.
A faint laugh escaped from her mouth after reading his text, her fingers glided through her screen, then she starts typing a reply message to him.
To: Mitch
Be prepared? No..you need to prepare yourself to lose.
Sent
A sudden cold sensation starts to crawl through her skin after seeing a familiar raven-haired man walking on the opposite side, it was Butch. Her feet almost froze to the ground, still trying to catch up with her sisters in the hallway.
It was her first time seeing his forest-green eyes again. A faint tint of red hues appeared on her cheeks and ears. She glides her fingers through her face, it's warm. Buttercup wished her tears would not fail her after feeling the moisture starts to build up in the corner of her eyes again.
She avoids glancing at him as he avoids glancing at her too. Like they were not there, that they did not exist in the very same spot they were walking.
They both walking passed with each other with their impassive and stoic expressions like they never met before, slowly becoming strangers in the hallway they used to stroll.
As if they never play with each other's hair at night, touched each other's faces while spilling playful banter, share food on one plate, and a lot of things they shared when they were together.
At that specific moment, their eyes looked anywhere other than each other's spot...they treat each other like a lost ghost wandering in the hallway.
A swift scent passed her making her heart fully sink to the floor, the musk of smoke and rain in a mossy forest brought her the nostalgic feeling of when they were together. And in a split second, the warm memories with him start to invade her vulnerable mind.
They both become strangers with memories.