A Whisper in the Wind

by Amy Sparks

  "I'm not scared. I'm just closing my eyes so I won't go blind by your ugliness." I try to cover that up with saying something mean and all he does is laugh.

  "Just look. Trust me, I don't look that bad." I groan and open my eyes very slowly, only to discover a guy with dark brown hair, blond beautiful eyes, and a fucking gorgeous body. I hold my breath and hope nothing stupid comes out of my mouth. I click on the first pic and pay close attention to his features. Why on earth would someone murder him? What did he do to deserve it? I shake those thoughts away and keep on scrolling down on pictures until I land on him without a shirt at the beach with I guess is his friends. Of course, he has to have a damn six pack. Of course.

  "Nice huh? I miss those babies. I miss being alive. I miss the world. I miss my family and for some good reason, I miss actually having to ask out a girl to dinner." I laugh and continue to look at the picture. He looks so damn happy here that I don't even notice that I'm crying. Tears are running down my cheeks and landing on my legs. I wipe them fast and turn off my phone as I take a deep breath.

  "Savannah, are you crying?" I wipe all of my tears away and laugh as to hide away my sadness for him.

  "Um no. I just had something in my damn eye. Sheesh."

  "Ahem, is this the blue hoodie you were asking for?" I stand up and turn around right away as to see Jennifer holding a blue hoodie.

  "It's the hoodie. Grab it and just leave." I take those words in and nod as I walk to her and grab the hoodie.

  "Thank you so much. I really appreciate it. Sorry to be rude but I really have to go now and it's already getting dark so..."

  "Oh, of course. My mistake." She walks me to the door and opens it as I let myself out and of course William just passing by.

  "Um also, did Will ever talk about me?" I bite my lip as to come up with an answer but all I hear is him saying "Walk away, Savannah. Walk away." I shake my head because I'm not that mean as he thinks I am.

  "Yeah, he did. He really liked you, you know." I smile and she smiles back which makes me feel good about myself. I walk to my car and wave to her as she waves back to me. I get in my car and start driving away from this neighborhood and back to my house.

  "We're not done, you know."

  "What the hell do you mean we're not done. We're done. I helped you and now you can leave. Goodbye." He groans and swears under his breath. It's almost nine and I'm really tired. I know for sure John is not home so it's a good time for me to go home now so when he comes back I don't have to see him all sexed up. I shake my head at those thoughts disgust me.

  "We're not done. Make a left. We're going to Ben's house." I make a left and raise an eyebrow at him.

  "Ben?" Who the hell is this Ben?

  "He's an old friend of mine that I've known since elementary school and I need you to go to his house and ask him if he still has my headphones." I stop the car right away and think this all through.

  "I'm going to some guy's house that I have no clue who he is, it's fucking dark outside and it's night time and the only reason we're going there is that you want me to ask him if he still has your old stupid headphones?!"

  "Yes."

  I growl at him and sit in my seat. There is no way in hell am I going to some guy's house when it's night. I have no clue who the hell he is and I don't even want to know! He could be a psychopath for God’s sake.

  "Please, Savannah. Please." I sit straight and fix my messy ginger hair that is all over my eyes.

  "Okay. Okay." I start the car and drive as I hear William speak to me on to where I need to drive to get to Ben's house. I did this before with Jennifer and now with Ben? Oh, John is so gonna kill me, and I look forward to that already.

  Chapter Four

  "You want what?" I'm getting flustered with Ben right now since this dude is basically fucking high as hell. I can hear William laughing since he finds this so hilarious that his friend is high and has no clue what the hell I'm talking about.

  "Headphones Ben. Headphones. You borrowed or I don't know, took William's headphones one time and I want them back." Ben nods with a blank expression that makes me wish I can just push him and find the headphones myself. Then this would all be over with and I wouldn't have to stay here for an hour trying to explain something so simple, to an idiotic, high guy.

  "Oh, the headphones!!! Yeah, I got them." This dude has to be deaf.

  "Can I have them?" He laughs and nods as he goes back into the house without saying anything more.

  "Your friend is the dumbest guy I have ever met before. Congratulations." William laughs and I'm so mad at this point that I can't even fake a smile.

  "Oh stop getting your panties in a twist. At least he's not those angry high people who just want to cause a fight anywhere and anytime." I nod and actually feel relieved that he's not one of those people. Luckily he's just some high idiot who needs help explaining to about things.

  "Whatever. What if he doesn't even have the headphones anyway?"

  "He's going to have the headphones. That dude never throws anything out so I'm pretty sure he should still have them. If not, you're going to ask again." Now, this is where I actually laugh because there is no way in hell am I going to ask that idiot again about the headphones. Asking a one-year-old baby would be easier than this shit.

  "What the hell is taking him so long anyway? Did he faint or something? Or is he just smoking more weed so he can make me even more mad at him?" I'm looking around and noticing that this neighborhood is way different than his ex-girlfriend's neighborhood. This one is kind of sketchy, but fine for some people. For me, I just want to get the hell out of here.

  "I don't know. Don't worry, he'll come. He's like the wind. He goes and comes back, goes and comes back. That's how he lives his life."

  "Some life. Living like the wind. Refreshing. I wonder how that will sound on his college application. My name is Ben and I move like the wind. Very smart." Just thinking about how someone is moving like the wind through life angers me. It just doesn't make sense. How can someone move like the wind and have not a care in the world? I check my phone and it's almost ten o'clock. That's it. I might as well break into his stupid home and find the headphones myself. I'm about to open his door until it swings open with Ben holding a pair of black headphones that of course look used. He smiles very stupidly and hands me the headphones.

  "Thanks..." For taking super long you big dumbass.

  "So, when's Will coming back?" I'm about to leave as I hear those words come out of Ben's mouth. He's high, and I know for sure the weed probably made him forget that his friend is not even alive anymore. I don't know what to tell him so I make something up. It's better than breaking a broken, high teenager's heart. I smile and try to put on an ish happy tone.

  "He'll be back. Don't worry. Maybe if you dream hard enough or just close your eyes you'll see him. Maybe even hear his voice." Ben smiles at me and that's when I see a tear escape his eye. My heart shatters for this kid and I know for sure William must be broken as well.

  "You promise?" My throat becomes scratchy right now as I just swallow and I honestly feel pain for him. I feel his pain, and it's not an easy thing to go through at all.

  "I promise. William promises, Ben. He misses you and he'll be back. Not today, maybe not tomorrow, but someday." Ben nods and more tears come falling down his cheek.

  "Bye, Ben." I walk away and I can hear him say bye as well to me as I walk to my car. I open it and sit in my seat and take a big deep breath.

  "Holy shit that was hard."

  "Thank you," William says and I smile at how happy it makes me feel to be helping him.

  "Where to next?" I start the car and I hear the engine roar as it thrills my insides.

  "I thought you didn't want to help me. I thought you didn't even want to do anything with me. Don't you want me gone, Savannah?" I laugh and wonder if I truly want him gone. Sure, his stupid voice makes me annoyed from just listening to him, but this has actually been a thrilling experience. It's a game, a
nd I wanna play it. I want to play it and I want to win it. It is what it is. You start a game and you end the game.

  "I so want you gone. But I guess I'll hold onto you a bit longer since I know for sure we still got more to do on our list."

  "You are so fucking right. Next stop, my brother's house and don't stop until I tell you so." I roll my eyes and wonder if his brother looks the same as him. Oh well, guess I gotta find out later.

  "Aye, aye captain." I put it in drive and drive away from this place and onto another one. If I'm going to do this all night, I need coffee. Lots and lots of wonderful coffee.

  Chapter Five

  "You want what?" Of course, William's brother is not even wanting to know why some girl is knocking on his door at eleven at night. I didn't tell his brother I was William's cousin of course because they're related! He would know for sure that I was not his cousin. Instead, I told him that I was William's girlfriend from a long time ago, which I thought was a horrible plan since William told me to act it out and pretend I was actually his girlfriend. His brother is two years younger than me and at the age of fifteen, he looks older. He really looks like William except, of course, William just had to be hotter. William picked the perfect time that his parents weren't home and he always said that his brother was some loser with nothing to do on a school night alone. Now here I am, talking to his younger brother at eleven at night and right now I must look crazy. I'm surprised that his brother hasn't called the cops on me yet. I know I would if some weird girl came to my house asking for something I have no clue on where it is and on what it is.

  "Look, I know that it may seem weird and really creepy that I'm here and stuff. But I know your brother." His brother raises his eyebrow and groans as he rubs his face.

  "My brother is dead okay? I can't help you. I can't even help myself." Fuck. I try to think of something to allow him to get me what I want from all of this but nothing works.

  "His name is Andrew and you need to get into my house. You need to go to my room and find my picture album and my key. You have to get in there." I block William's voice and try to think this through. Of course, his brother thinks how crazy I am and I can't blame him. His life is rough and now his night is turning rough too because of a girl trying to get in his house because she ‘once knew his brother.’ Give me a break.

  "What if I told you your brother is not really dead?" Yup. I'm fucking crazy. Andrew's eyes bulge out and William swears under his breath.

  "What the fuck do you mean he's not dead? He's dead. Okay? Now get out of here before I actually call the fucking cops." Crapppppppp!!!

  "I'm not crazy okay? Ask me anything that you want to know and I'll tell you. I can hear your brother. Look just, ask me one question no one would ever know except your brother. Please." I'm pleading my heart out right now and praying that he'll agree with what I just said. Andrew takes a moment and sighs as he opens his door more and crosses his arms.

  "Fine. But if you’re lying, I'm calling the cops, you crazy bitch." Okay, I kind of deserve that. Fine, I really deserve that.

  "Fine. Whatever. Now, ask me anything that only you and your brother would know. Nobody else."

  "Fine. When did I lose my virginity and to who did I lose it to?" I make a disgusting face and I really thought he would ask something else. Now, this is getting a bit weird.

  "What the hell is he talking about. He hasn't lost his virginity. He wouldn't because he believes in true love and shit. He thinks he needs the right girl to lose it. Such a baby." Ugh crap.

  "Are you sure you're right?" I whisper under my breath hoping that his brother doesn't notice me talking to myself.

  "I'm positive." I sigh and pull the strands of my hair and hope that he's right. I look up and Andrew is waiting for my stupid answer to his stupid question. I hate guys.

  "You haven't lost your virginity. You somehow think that you need the right girl to lose it to and your brother called you a big baby because of it."

  "You. What? How? Fuck." His brother falls down and takes deep breaths as my answer startles the shit out of him. I go to him and put my hand on his shoulder. He looks up and there are tears in his eyes.

  "Look. I can't explain it either okay? Just trust me on this and please let me in." Andrew stands up and wipes away his tears as he smiles at me.

  "Yeah, sure. Come in." I walk into the house and blow out a breath that I've been keeping since the moment I came here. William laughs and I really want to punch this kid. He is dead, but still.

  "Ah, I miss my house." I look around and wonder if he really misses it or if he's actually joking. Andrew sits down in the living room and goes on his phone. Great.

  "You can look around. I don't really want to guide you around because I'm kind of creeped out by all of this." He goes back to looking at his phone and I roll my eyes. Great, I'm alone on this again. At least I have William though since he did live here before.

  "Um help? Where do I go?"

  "Upstairs." I look up and kind of scared of what is up there and what I'm going to expect coming up there. I turn to look at Andrew and he's not even paying attention to me. More like he's paying attention to the phone.

  "No guy really puts that much attention on his phone. Must be a girl huh?" Andrew looks up and smiles. He does look like William, and that warms my heart.

  "Yeah. Kind of. It's complicated I guess."

  "Is she worth it for all of that complicated shit you're talking about?" Andrew laughs and shrugs as he looks back to the phone.

  "I guess so. You know, you sound like William." I'm stuck on how he said that I sound like his dead brother and on how I feel happy that I sound like him. William is stuck in my head, but somehow I said those words coming out of my heart, not from William.

  "Yeah well, I'm hoping that's a compliment."

  "It's the best compliment you’re gonna get." I laugh and turn around to look at the stairs. I take a deep breath and let it out as I walk upstairs to the dungeon of my hell.

  Chapter Six

  "Um, help?" I'm in William's room and I'm getting so freaked out on this. I'm in a dead guy's room and it looks like he still sleeps in here or some shit. Everything is messy of course because it's a guy’s room, not being stereotypical or anything, but seriously, it's such a mess. I'm trying not to touch anything because I feel kind of weird of touching a dead guy's stuff. I mean come on, I don't even know William, although I kinda do since he's in my fucking head!

  "Okay, the key should be here somewhere. Maybe underneath my pillow or in my closet or some shit?"

  "You don't know where you put it???" I groan as I just imagine having to look through everything since he has no clue where the hell he put the damn key.

  "Hey, I'm dead. Don't yell at me for forgetting something so little." I open his closet and I'm hit with a strong smell of cologne that's coming from his clothes.

  "Jesus, why the hell do you put so much cologne on?" He laughs and I'm trying to plug my nose it doesn't fall off or anything.

  "So that girls can get in my pants easily. Aren't you at least getting a little tiny crush on my Savannah?" I make a barfing sound and step away from the closet so I can breathe.

  "You are nuts. Now, the key. Where is it so I can leave this hell hole."

  "Oh! I got it now! It's in the closet and on the top shelf there's a box. Open the box and you'll find it." I groan, thinking that I have to go back to that closet of hell. I walk to it and I get on my tippy-toes to reach the box that's on the top shelf of the closet. I grab the box and open it to find basically everything about his life. There's pictures, old phones, lots of keys and…a ring? I pick up the ring and put it up as it shimmers in the moonlight. It's a diamond ring, fit for a girl. A wife. What?...

  "Put it back."

  "Why the hell do you have a ring in here? Were you gonna marry someone?" I'm still looking at the ring, loving at how beautiful it looks but confused about why he has it. Well, had it. Forgot he's dead.

  "Savannah put it back." He's
getting mad at me and I don't even care because there's nothing he can do about it. He's just a voice so I can do anything I want.

  "No way. Tell me, why on earth do you have a diamond ring in the box?" William sighs and swears at me to put it back in the box but I'm still not doing it.

  "You’re not dumb, Savannah, you know why there's a ring, you know when a guy has a ring he wants to?"

  "Marry," I whisper on that word and I still look at the ring with, confused about why a nineteen-year-old kid would want to marry at that age. I haven't even thought about marriage and I don't even think I ever want to. I do the stupidest thing ever and I slip the ring onto my left ring finger and admire it as it fits perfectly on.

  "It's beautiful." I'm still admiring the ring that's on my finger and I smile as it shines and sparkles even at night. The diamond itself is gorgeous and I want to know why he hasn't proposed. Or maybe he has but the girl said no. Who the hell would say no to this ring??? I know I wouldn't. My mind instantly tells me to take it off and I do. I put the ring back in the box and rub my eyes.

  "Savannah..."

  "Stop. Just let me find the key so we can get out of here." So I can get out of here. I look through the box and spot a picture of him with a girl. My stupid self just has to pick up the picture and look at it. I grab the picture and see William holding a girl in his hands as he stares into her eyes with love. I don't recognize the girl, thinking that it was Jennifer or something but it's not. For no good reason, my heart somewhat breaks seeing William in such love but not earning that love back since he's not even alive anymore. I shake my head and put the picture down and look through the box finding of ten keys. Fucking great.

  "Are you for real?" William laughs sadly.

  "It's the grey one." I pick the grey key up and nod as I close the box and put it back on the shelf where it belongs. Where it should belong forever. I close his closet door and walk out of his room like it's somewhat burning my insides. I run downstairs and I stop as I see Andrew still sitting on the chair looking at his phone.