he just came into my life one day.

he was always like that, for some reason.

no one knew why.

mainly because no one ever saw him.

"hey," george asked me one day, "do you remember how we met?" his voice was soft. always was. "because i want you to tell me again." i sighed. he's told me before that the way we met makes him happy. "you want me to tell you with... details and everything?" i turned to him. i looked at his pale green eyes. he was so... dull. a faint silhouette. when his eyes met mine, he looked away quickly. "yeah." he whispered. i closed my eyes to relive the memory. "alright."

it was a cold day, even for september. i was in bed. having a panic attack. i don't remember why. probably school. or my mom. or both. i was shaking really bad. i remember hearing the door creak open.

"hello?" a new voice said. it was soft. very quiet. i peeked one of my eyes open. blurry from the tears. in my doorway was a tall, dull, and slightly transparent figure. it looked around, confused. i opened my eyes wider and got up to back myself against the bed frame. "where am i?" it asked quietly. was that a british accent? eventually it locked eyes with me.

it noticed the tear stains on my face i guess, because next it said, "are you alright?" i hesitated, and then finally nodded. "what are you?" i asked shakily. it ignored the question. "are you really alright? you don't look okay." it got closer to me, sitting on the bed. i looked at the figure again. pale. tall. slightly transparent. what is it? or who is it? "uh, yeah, i, uh, i- i just had a panic attack." i said quietly. it looked at me. no emotion, really. none that was visible anyways.

"do you need anything?" it finally asked. i thought for a moment. what the fuck is it? it's a human... right? but it's transparent? "i, uh... not really, just who are you?" i asked quietly. it looked away and sighed.

"i'm uh, i'm a spirit. my name is george."

the spirit named george now said. my eyes widened a bit. i was speechless. a spirit? how? "how are you even... how... a spirit?" i stammered. george met my eyes again. i noticed they were green. but they were dull. although, his whole body was dull.

"yeah, i, uh," he cleared his throat, "got into an accident a few years ago... i don't remember it. all i remember is waking up in a dark place like..." he looked down at the transparency of his body, "this."

i never mentioned his clothing. he was wearing a blue-ish purple long sleeve shirt. it had bears on it. cute. he had tan-ish plaid pants. good fashion sense.

"oh, i'm... i'm sorry," i said, "but why are you here?" he parted his lips like he was going to say something. but he didn't. after a second he shrugged. "i don't know how i got here. i kinda... sensed you were having a panic attack, though," he swallowed, "i wanted to make sure you were okay."

it was silent for a moment. i sighed. "thank you."

i began to learn he would never leave my side. i'm not sure if he wanted to stay or if he had no choice. he never told me. we became friends... quite quickly. there are still so many things i don't know about him, though.

"how do you see the world? like... what colors?" i asked him one evening after school. "it's kinda like i'm colorblind. i only really see blue, black, and white." he said. sad. he'll never see every other color. "it's also blurry. if i focus on a thing for a while the blur goes away... but usually, it's always there." he added. "that sucks. i'm sorry." i look away from him. "it's alright."

it was hard to make him smile. it was beautiful when he did, though. "hey, george?" i came up to him. he was playing with one of the marbles on my desk. the blue one. "hm?" he looked up at me. god, his eyes. they had no right being that pretty. "how long do you think you'll stay?" i said it more quietly because to be honest, i was fearful of him leaving. i didn't want him to leave. i felt attached to him. "there's no telling. all i know is that i like it here and i'll stay for a while." he smiled slightly. close mouthed.

the way his lips curved and left slight dimples on his cheeks made me feel safe.

he looked back down at the marble. "hey, your smile is really pretty, why don't you smile more?" i said, sitting down next to him on the bed. he sighed and let the marble drop onto the desk, making a loud sound. i flinched away. he looked at me and whispered 'sorry'. "i'm self conscious of it."

"oh. well i think it's beautiful." although his face was  turned away from me, i saw that slight dimple form on his cheek.

we would "fight" over where he would sleep, but it was just playful. "george, you can't sleep in my bed!" i laughed. he was starting to smile more. i liked that. "then where do i sleep?" he smiled slightly. i shrugged, "i dunno, sounds like a you problem." i jumped onto my bed. he pressed his lips together so his mouth was a horizontal line.

"there's enough room on your bed for both of us!" he said. i made a disgusted look at him. "ew no, i'm not sleeping next to you." i teased. he giggled quietly. i smiled slightly at him, "i haven't heard you laugh before." he never really laughed. only smiled. and even that was rare.

he giggled again from being nervous, i assume. "oh my god, your laugh is so cute!" i said. he covered his mouth. "shush, alright, no it's not." he said, his hand still over his mouth. i noticed his cheeks turning slightly pink. even if he was dull and transparent, i could see it. "you're blushing," i giggled, "you're blushing!" i repeated. "shut up!" he said and turned away from me.

after a few seconds, he turned back to look at me, but his sweater sleeves were covering his cheeks. "you're so stupid." i smiled. he smiled back just a little bit.

i've always wanted to give him a hug. when we first met, he didn't let me.

"can i touch you?" i said to him. after a moment i realized how weird the question was. "i mean, like... can i hug you?" he looked at me. he always looked so emotionless. i guess he would be good at poker.

"no. i've tried before with others, it doesn't work." he looked at the ground. was he sad he couldn't hug me? "can't i at least try?" i begged. i stood up and started walking towards him, my arms out. "no, no... bad things happen when you hug me." he backed up, away from me. i lowered my arms. "oh. alright." i said disappointed.

i hate reliving this moment. so much. but i'll retell it for george.

i heard a knock at my door. i looked at george and he looked at me. "who are you talking to?" my mom yelled from behind the door. "myself, mom." i shakily yelled back. i pointed to the closet. i mouthed 'go' to george. he opened the closet door and my mom opened the bedroom door. "mom! there's no one here!"

she begins to look around. under the bed. in the corner. under my covers. and finally, in the closet. she twists the handle and the door creaks open.

nothing.

she closes it again. "if you have someone fucking hidden in here, i'll beat the shit out of you." i just nod. "you fucking hear me?" she yells. i hate yelling. so much. "yes." i whisper.

she punches me across the face and leaves. i hold the side of my face in my hand. where did he go? did he leave?

he left me.

i sit on the bed and tears start rolling down my cheeks. he left. did he not want to deal with me anymore?

the bedroom door suddenly creaks open. "get out!" i yell and back myself against the door frame. i look up, expecting the face of my mom, ready with a belt.

"george?"

it's him. standing at the doorway. he enters the room. "oh my god, george, i thought you left!" i got up from the bed. "can i hug you? i know i said bad things would happen but that was just a lie, i'm scared of hugging-" i cut him off and wrapped my arms around him. he hesitated and then slowly wrapped his arms around me.

tears started forming in my eyes and they started streaming down my face. onto his sweater. i'm still sorry about that. he held me closer. "it'll be okay." he whispered.

i don't think either of us wanted to let go, but we did after a few minutes of me crying into his shoulder. i put my hand over my cheek once again. it still hurt. "what did she do?" he asked quietly.

"punched me." i said. he grabbed my hand that was covering my cheek and took it off my face. he grabbed my cheek very softly to look at the now forming bruise. he lightly ran his thumb over the bruise. i felt my face heating up. he smirked and did that 'breathing out of your nose' laugh. "who's the one blushing now?" he teased. i close-mouthed smiled at him.

"do you need an ice pack?" he said. "yeah. please." i answered. he nodded and went downstairs to the fridge. i sat down on my bed to wait. he's so nice. i wish he was alive.

after a few minutes, he came back with an ice pack. he sat down on the bed next to me. i took it from
his hand and put it over my cheek.

"hey, thanks for uh, being here for me." i said to him. he looked at me. "you're welcome."

i sighed. "i want you to stay. for a while, if you can." i turned my head to look at him. he stared at the pattern on the blanket. it was plaid. red and black. he eventually looked up at me.

"i'll try to."

i opened my eyes and looked around. "george?" he was right next to me when i started telling the story.

looking down at the bed, i saw a piece of paper where he was sitting. i picked it up slowly. the hand writing was messy.

'i know i said i would try to stay for a while. i really did try.'

no. this isn't happening.

'i just couldn't stay forever. if i had to choice to stay with you forever i would take it, but i sadly didn't have the choice.'

no. stop. this really isn't happening. he isn't gone, right? he'll come back? right?

'i love you. don't forget me.

- george.'