Chapter Text
For Kelsey, life had always been a bit weirder for him than others. He always had a slight guess at what people were thinking, and they were usually weirdly accurate. He didn’t really care about this though, or at least at this moment as he opened the fridge to get a drink of Orange Joe.
“Ah, Orange Joe, what would I ever do without you? If I stopped, I think my life would be so, so much worse.”
He held the cold bottle in his hand with a little bit of whimsy, before quickly opening the lid and taking a swig-
It tasted off. There was a strange hint of bitterness that was oddly potent with the citrusy taste of the Orange Joe. He thought about it but still drank it. Surely nothing would go wrong, right? He drank the entire thing before getting ready to practice some basketball. He showered, brushed his hair, put on the same identical tanktop and shorts he had, and walked to the stairs-
He suddenly felt his heart pound in his ears, and his chest suddenly had a stabbing pain as his heart felt like it was going to explode.
“God- what the hell-”
He dropped his basketball, as he stumbled back to his room. His brother had gone to college and his parents were busy getting groceries, so there was no one to help. His head began to spin, and weirdly enough, the various small trinkets in his room began to tremble and shake. His head was suddenly filled with thoughts he could barely make out. He could barely make it to his bed before passing out halfway on said bed.
“Kelsey was known to want to help others no matter what state he was in, even if he was sick or struggling with his own problems.
Soon enough, he woke back up. Surprisingly, he felt as light as a feather.
“Maybe that was some kind of…panic attack? That was weird…”
He shrugged it off, thinking it was nothing. He went back to the fridge to grab another Orange Joe, opened the bottle, and took a swig.
The liquid didn't hit his mouth and splatted on the floor. Kel seemed obviously confused and looked down to see that he was weirdly transparent, an orangish-yellow outline covering his entire body.
“What. The. Fuck.”
What the hell just happened to him? Is he a ghost? Is he DEAD?! He suddenly rushed to the bathroom to look at himself in the mirror, only to see nothing reflected back. Oh god. Oh fuck. What the hell?
“Hero’s gonna be so panicked about this- I- WHAT THE HELL DO I DO?”
He dashed out of the bathroom in a panic, rushing back upstairs to see his own body just… lying there halfway on the bed, snoring loudly. At least he wasn’t dead! The only issue was that he was well, a ghost! He tried grabbing his own body, his hands phasing through it like it wasn't even there.
“Okay, Kelsey, breathe, breathe. Surely there has to be some way to put yourself back into your own dang body, right?”
“Maybe Aubrey could help, yeah! We may not be as close as we were back then, but surely she could still help me now, right…?”
He goes down to the front door, and attempting to open it, accidentally phased through it. It felt so weird and uncomfortable to him. The outside world felt suddenly so much weirder to him, as the breeze failed to touch his skin, and the ground felt so light. Still, he had to find Aubrey.
Normally, whenever he walked, he’d always be waved by school friends or the other basketball players. As he walked past, they seemed to almost ignore him. He continued to walk towards the park, before finally noticing the hooligans along with Aubrey. Great! And also not great! He’d wish Aubrey was alone, but he’d have to go along with it.
“Aubrey! Hey! Can you hear me!”
He dashed forward, trying to wave to her. She didn't respond. Shit.
“Ugh, wouldn’t Kel be out here by now? He’d usually be playing some basketball with his friends or something.”
Aubrey scratched her head. It feels so surreal that out of all people, Aubrey would be ignoring him. He tried waving his arms, yelling, but nothing would work. Maybe a more.. Direct approach would be the answer. He reached out and grabbed Aubrey by the arm.
“Aubrey? Can you he-”
Aubrey screamed, and turned toward Kel’s general direction.
“JESUS KEL I- huh?”
Did she yell at nothing? She could’ve sworn she heard Kel right in front of her, but only saw some weird orange blur for a split second.
“Aubrey? You doing alright? You look like you just saw a ghost.”
Maverick chuckled at her, nudging her shoulder.
“Y-yeah, I'm fine, I uh- thought I saw him over there.”
She looks panicked. No way that was Kel, right? She felt a sudden chill go down her spine as someone grabbed her shoulder very lightly.
“Aubrey- dont panic but I think I'm a ghost-”
His voice was faint, but Aubrey could hear him..in her head? She froze as Kel slowly manifested in front of her with an orange outline.
“.....What the fuck was in that pizza.”
Kel just stared at her with confusion in his eyes.
“You guys had pizza?”
Aubrey just stared at him with fear and confusion in her eyes, shocked still.
“....y-yeah?”
All of the hooligans were noticeably staring at her with weird looks.
“Aubrey? Why….are you talking to the air?”
Kim weirdly stared her down.
“Uh. do you guys not see KEL FUCKING FLOATING IN FRONT OF ME? LIKE- RIGHT HERE?”
She pointed at the Kel-ghost, who was indeed floating a tiny bit off the ground.
“Wait- I’m floating? GAH- okay, okay. Listen Aubrey- I know this is panicking to you, it is to me as well, but I’m asleep at Hero’s place and I don’t know how to get back in my own body. Please help…”
Kel tried to explain the situation. Aubrey was not believing it. Neither were the Hooligans believing what Aubrey was saying about Kel.
“Aubrey, there’s no one there- you sure you’re doing okay?”
Vance looks worried. Aubrey never had any sorts of weird outbursts like this before.
“Kel, can you like- touch one of them to make them see you or something? You’re grabbing my shoulder.”
Aubrey sounded like she was going to lose it.
“Okay- I’ll try uh…. You!”
Kel tagged Angel!
“HOLY CRAP! AUBREY WASN’T LYING! HE REALLY IS A GHOST!”
Angel screamed out of fear as Kel manifested infront of him as well, holding his arm.
“Uh…hi there.”
Kel let go of Aubrey’s shoulder, yet she could still see him. She felt so overwhelmed by the fact that Kel was just a ghost now. The other Hooligans still stared at the two of them like they were in fact, crazy, which is understandable if they started talking to someone who wasnt there at all.
Kel let go of Angel’s arm, and continued to tag the other hooligans, each of them giving off their own shocked reaction as he slowly appeared in everyone’s vision.
“So you guys weren’t crazy! This is still pretty damn weird though.”
Maverick looked at Kel, scratching his chin. Kel had his head in his hands, slightly embarrassed about this.
“Listen, I know we’re freaking out over me being a ghost, but can I PLEASE borrow Aubrey for just a bit so I can figure out SOME way to get into MY BODY?! PLEASE?”
He sounded frustrated.
“Wait, so you’re not dead?” Vance replied sheepishly.
“NO, IM NOT DEAD! My like- body is asleep at Hero’s place. I have no idea how this happened- I just woke up like this!”
“Listen- guys- I’ll just go with him- If this is some stupid prank you’re pulling, Kel, I’m going to be more than pissed.”
Aubrey shooed them away. Kel let out a sigh of relief.
“That felt…way more embarrassing than it should have. And really weird. That too. Still just- thank you for trying to help- I know you hate me and all that but-”
“Shut up. I dont wanna people thinking I'm a weirdo talking to nothing but air.”
“Yep, got it.”
Kel gave her a thumbs up, before Aubrey tried to smack it away, her hand just..phasing through it.
“....”
“....okay that was a little funny-”
“If we get you back in your body, I will hit you, Kel, dont test me.”
“...sorry.”
They both walked back to Hero’s house. Upon arriving there, they both realize the door is locked.
“Wait, Kel. How did you even manage to leave the house?”
“I uh- used my super cool epic ghost powers to magically open the door?”
“.......” She was staring daggers into him.
“Fine, I walked through it like this, okay?”
He proceeds to walk through the door and back to the outside.
“So you can go through walls and stuff, cool. Though that's like…..average ghost things though.”
“It feels so weird to do it though, don't like it. Anyways, there should be a spare key under the rug. Hero wanted our parents to put it there because I got too stressed trying to find it anywhere else.”
Aubrey checked under the rug, found the key, and unlocked the door. The house was empty, thank god. The puddle of Orange Joe was still there, from when Kel tried to drink it.
“I uh..didn’t notice I was like this until I tried to take a drink of Orange Joe…”
Kel uncomfortable shrugged, looking at Aubrey.
“Wow, you are….truly something aren’t yo-” Aubrey was being sarcastic.
“Wait a dang minute. How the HELL did I manage to grab the Orange Joe, open AND drink it, yet I couldn’t open the door???”
“Kel, are we gonna get you back in your body or not?”
“Right- sorry-”
They both went upstairs, and slowly opened the door to Kel and Hero’s room. There was Kel’s body, partially on the bed and halfway on the ground in some goofy position. He seemed to still be snoozing away. The objects and trinkets on Kel and Hero’s desk looked moved and toppled over, like a wind had breezed through and knocked a few things over.
Aubrey let out a chuckle. It was hard for her not to laugh at the fact that Kel was just…sleeping like that.
“Hey, dont laugh at my body like that! It isnt-”
“Okay, maybe it is a little bit funny but STILL! You said you were gonna help me get me back into my body!”
“Okay- okay! Fine- It’s still really funny.”
She approached his body and lifted him up, setting him on the bed properly. There was a little bit of dried blood on his nose.
“Oh- ew- Kel, you had a nosebleed!”
“I never have nosebleeds- dude-”
Kel approached his own body, feeling uncomfortable as he looked down at himself. It felt so weird to just…see himself like this. He had no idea on how to approach this situation, let alone how to explain it to anyone really. He focused more on trying to re-enter? his own body.
“Okay, okay…lemme just try….”
He layed down on top of his own body, and he suddenly sunk into it. He soon woke up, and gasped for air as he leaned up, back in his normal, human body.
“Holy crap, im back! Thank you so much Aubrey for trying to help me-”
He was punched lightly in the arm.
“Ow!”
“That was for laughing at me. Besides, I didnt even do anything-”
Aubrey crossed her arms.
“Still, I just wanted to say thanks…. I don’t even know how all of that happened… I should probably call Hero and tell him about it… though…I don’t know how he’ll believe me.”
Kel pulled out his phone, and Aubrey snatched it.
“Hey!”
“How about I call him then, if you tell him, he’ll probably think you're crazy, but maybe he’ll believe me.”
“Fine…just dont go too crazy with it..”
Aubrey dialed Hero’s number and called him.
“Hello? Kelsey? What’s up? Y’know I have a class right now, right?”
“Hey Hero, it’s Aubrey actually, somethings up with Kel, something about being a ghost and uh…struggling to get back in his own body.”
“.....Aubrey, I’m on my way home. Don’t let him think too hard about it, okay? I’ll explain later.”
He suddenly sounded serious, like Aubrey had brought up some weirdly forbidden topic.
“W-what? Okay…?”
She looked at Kel suspiciously, while he looked at her nervously when she stuttered her words.
Hero hung up. She handed the phone back to Kel.
“Hero just said he was on his way home, and told you to not think so hard about you being some sort of ghost.”
Kel looked shocked. Did he actually believe her about him being a ghost?
“He didn’t like, even refute you for a minute?”
“Nah, he sounded super serious about it too.” Aubrey looked at the phone, still confused.
“That’s weird, real weird. I’ve never seen him like that.”
Kel just…stared in the distance, lost in thought. Why did Hero speak like he knew Kel had these types of abilities? Did he have them himself and just told no one about it? It was weird how after Hero started improving after Mari’s death, he seemed way more…aware of how Kel felt about things, and even cooked him things he wanted without Kel asking.
“I guess we just, wait for him then….”
Time passed, and soon, Hero parked next to the house, and walked in.
“Did anything happen to Kel while I was driving home?”
Hero was quick with his questions, not even letting Aubrey or Kel start speaking. He seemed less welcoming, and more serious.
“No, we just waited here for you, bro.”
Kel scratched the back of his head as Hero approached him.
“Listen, Kel, you have to promise not to say ANYTHING about this to ANYONE, besides Aubrey or me, alright? This is something that only you and I have, got it?”
Kel just blinked at him blankly, dismissing what he said.
“Can you just tell me what’s going on with me, bro? I’m more concerned about that.”
Aubrey just stared at the both of them as they conversed, seeming more like a spectator to this.
“Alright, I’ll tell you. When Mari passed, you knew that I basically became a shut-in, not wanting to do anything besides rot in bed and sob myself to sleep. It was rough. When we had that… argument, something happened to me. I didn’t notice it at first, but when I fell asleep that day, I woke up as a ghost, just like you.”
“Wait, WHAT?!”
Kel put his hands over his head in surprise, mouth open. So his brother DID have powers like him!
“Shush, I’m not done- Anyways, I panicked, just like you probably, and didn’t know how to re-enter my own body, so I tried to find some sort of help. I looked everywhere, but no one would even interact with me until I went to the graveyard.”
Hero seemed to shudder at this part.
“When I got there, It looked so crowded, and I realized I could also see ghosts! I don’t know if you have the same thing as me since you managed to get someone to see you when I couldn’t.”
“So you can see ghosts and become one like Kel? I think that’s pretty cool.”
Aubrey shrugged, holding her arms.
“Yeah, most of them were sleeping though, besides one.”
“I uh, saw Mari there, and we talked.”
An eerie silence filled the air.
“She missed me…and told me to try to go back to my body.”
“I.. haven't seen her since, because of college and everything.”
Aubrey and Kel looked at him in shock. He had psychic powers too, didn't tell anyone, AND managed to talk to his dead girlfriend?
“Dude.”
To be continued…..