AN: Very loosely inspired by the Sherry Squires Incident (you know, with the car crash, and the dying?). No idea how. Just is. Was listening to Sixx A.M.'s 'Life is Beautiful' during the writing. May or may not have been inspired by that, too.
Sketch1997-If he was going to have an actual pet, probably. Dogs are noisy. And they drool. (At least mine do, jowly bastards that they are.)
Johanna Crane-What are you talking about?
Christineoftheopera-Suspicions do not proof make, and I try not to draw attention to myself.
He's never been frightened of ghosts and graveyards. There's no reason to be. He hasn't done anything wrong. Well, really wrong, like dig them up. He's sure that pretty much everyone buried here would have it in for him anyway, given his…circumstances…but he hasn't gone out of his way to upset them.
He's lying in the back of the cemetery, tracing the faded letters on a nearby tombstone, when a car comes up the back road and stops. He stays where he is-first line of defense, don't move. Second line of defense, jump the fence and run like hell.
"I don't wanna be here, Bo."
Ugh. His favorite people. He'll just stay here-it's dark now, they might not see him if he doesn't make them.
"Why? Scared of Old Man Grumby?"
Old Man Grumby is the supposed ghost-he was the caretaker when Arlen was first built, and very serious about his job. He's buried around here-somewhere off to the right, actually, maybe seven graves away.
"No. I just don't wanna be here." She sounds pissy. Serves her right.
"I'll protect ya, Sherry."
"Sure you will. Creep." He can hear the smile in her voice. "Now c'mon, let's go home."
They get back in the car. Now's his only chance to leave without being seen-he's going to be late if he doesn't leave now.
He pulls himself to his feet, brushing the leaves from his raggedy sweater, and moves stiffly towards the gate. He's gotten maybe three steps in when there's a shriek from the car. He turns, not really wanting to know what's going on, just in time to see them scrambling to sit up and put the car in gear.
Weird.
He doesn't think anything of it until Monday, when the school is on fire with 'did you hear? Sherry and Bo saw Old Man Grumby!'
Ridiculous…wait.
They'd seen him, they must have seen him when he was leaving…and thought…ohhh.
He might have to start spending a bit more time in the cemetery.
THE END