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-Some day around 2015-
Wally was feeling, well, needy.
It had been twenty years since he died, which meant twenty years stuck in an eternal state of puberty. He’d been around for forty years—half alive, half dead—but it had been way too long since he’d been with anyone.
So, logically, he started wondering if any ghost would be willing to help him out.
Rhonda was an immediate no. She was terrifying, and besides, Wally just assumed she was a lesbian. Janet? He considered her for a second but quickly dismissed it. They weren’t close enough, and honestly, maybe that was for the better.
Still, he had to at least try, right?
“Heyyyyy, Janet.”
She looked up from her book in the library, raising an eyebrow at him. “Oh, hello, Wally! Do you need something?”
She was pretty, smart, but… no. This was stupid.
“Haha—nope! Imma go now!” He spun on his heel and left before he could humiliate himself. What was he thinking? Hey, Janet, I know we don’t talk much, but wanna hook up? Absolutely not.
Out of options, Wally even tried chatting up a few looping girls, but before he got anywhere, someone called his name.
“Wally, hey!”
It was Charley.
Wally suddenly realized how pathetic he must look, practically begging for a single girl to talk to him. He used to be so charismatic. What happened? It didn’t help that Charley—his friend—was witnessing all of it. And, even more embarrassing? Charley didn’t even like girls.
“Charley! My main man, what’s up?”
He froze mid-sentence. Charley… didn’t like girls. Charley liked dudes.
The cogs in his brain started turning, and suddenly, Wally was nervous.
“Nothing really,” Charley said, leaning against a bench. “Rhonda was talking my head off about something I can’t even remember now—hey, what’s wrong with you?”
Wally wasn’t flushed, per se, but there was definitely some heat in his face. He’d never thought of Charley in that way before—he still didn’t. Charley was his best friend. No romantic interest. But… could he hook up with a dude?
“I—um.”
Charley tilted his head. “What?”
Wally swallowed hard. He could back out. He should back out. But instead—
“Okay, I’m not trying to be weird or take advantage of you or anything, but there’s no one else, and you’re, erm… gay… and I, uhm—” He groaned, dragging a hand down his face. “Not romantically or anything, but I… need help.”
Aaaand now he was flushed.
It came out rushed and stuttered, and Wally regretted every word. Charley just stared at him, lips parted like he was trying to process what he’d just heard.
The silence stretched.
Wally panicked. “You know what, Charley? Uh, I’m just gonna go. You can—just forget this happened—”
“Wait…!”
Wally paused.
Charley was red now, too.
“I can help you,” he said slowly. “I just don’t want you to get the wrong idea. Because, yeah, I’m gay, but no. I’m not interested in you. And I don’t want this to be weird after.”
“Y-yeah…”
Wally swallowed, nodding. It was already weird. But, well… it was the afterlife.
_____________________________________
Later that night…
The abandoned classroom was quiet, save for the faint hum of the hallway light flickering outside. Wally sat on the desk, legs spread lazily, while Charley stood nearby, fixing his shirt with slightly trembling hands.
Wally smirked, watching him. “You alright there, champ?”
Charley shot him a look, still slightly flushed. “Don’t.”
Wally chuckled, leaning back on his elbows. “Hey, I’m just sayin’. Didn’t expect you to be so—”
“I swear to God, Wally.” Charley’s face was burning now.
Wally held his hands up in mock surrender, but the grin stayed. He didn’t expect Charley to be like that—not that he was complaining. He just hadn’t thought about it before. But now? It was definitely something he was thinking about.
Charley sighed, raking a hand through his hair before meeting Wally’s gaze. “This… doesn’t change anything. You know that, right?”
Wally tilted his head. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I mean, you’re still you, and I’m still me. We’re not—” Charley hesitated, then exhaled. “I don’t want you getting weird about this.”
Wally blinked, then scoffed. “Dude, you’re the one making it weird.” He nudged Charley’s knee with his foot. “Relax. I’m not about to start writing you love letters or anything.”
Charley huffed a small laugh, finally sitting on the desk beside him. “Good.”
They sat there in comfortable silence for a moment.
Then Wally smirked again, nudging Charley’s shoulder. “Still, though. Didn’t think you’d be so loud.”
Charley groaned, shoving him. “Wally.”
Wally cackled, nearly falling off the desk. “What?! Just sayin’—”
“Shut up.”
Wally shook his head, still grinning. “This isn’t gonna be weird, right?”
Charley rolled his eyes. “Only if you keep talking.”
Wally considered that, then nodded. “Alright. Cool.”
Charley sighed, standing up. “I’m going before Rhonda starts grilling me.”
“Tell her we had a passionate love affair.”
“I’m never saying that.”
“Coward.”
Charley shook his head, walking out.
And as Wally lay back on the desk, arms behind his head, he found himself smiling.
Maybe being stuck here wasn’t all bad.
______________________
-Somewhere Around 2017-
Wally was used to Charley waiting for him. That’s just how things were.
For nearly two years, they’d been meeting in quiet corners of the school—empty classrooms, storage closets, the occasional abandoned stairwell. It wasn’t romantic, not really. It was just them, sneaking off, passing the time in the only way that made being stuck here feel a little less suffocating.
But tonight, Charley was different.
He sat on the teacher’s desk, arms crossed tightly over his chest, staring at the floor. Wally leaned against the doorframe, watching him.
Something was wrong.
“You good?” Wally asked.
Charley took a slow breath, then looked up at him. “…I think we should stop.”
Wally blinked. “Wait. What?”
Charley shifted, gripping his arms a little tighter. “I’ve been thinking about this for a while. I just—” He sighed. “I don’t think we should keep doing this.”
A weird pressure built in Wally’s chest.
“Why?” He tried to keep his voice light, but it came out stiffer than he intended. “Did I do something?”
Charley shook his head quickly. “No, it’s not that. It’s just…” He hesitated, searching for the right words. “You’re not gay, Wally.”
Wally frowned. “Yeah? And? It’s not like I—” He stopped himself, running a hand through his hair. “I don’t see what that has to do with anything.”
“It has everything to do with it,” Charley said. “I keep thinking—what if we go too far? What if one day you wake up and regret this? I don’t want you to hate me, Wally.” His voice got quieter. “I don’t want to be something you regret.”
Wally’s stomach twisted.
He opened his mouth, then closed it, forcing down the lump in his throat.
“You’re not.” He swallowed hard. “I mean, yeah, I’m not into guys, but this—us—it’s never been weird for me, Charley. You know that.”
Charley sighed, looking away. “I don’t know that, Wally.”
Silence stretched between them.
Wally shifted uncomfortably, trying to fight off the ache settling in his chest. He wanted to argue, to tell Charley he was overthinking it, that they were fine, that nothing had to change.
But deep down, he knew Charley was right.
And it sucked.
Wally exhaled sharply, forcing a lopsided grin. “So this is it, huh?”
Charley nodded. “I think it has to be.”
Wally clicked his tongue, looking away. He shoved his hands in his jacket pockets, nodding slowly.
Then he sighed. “…Okay.”
Charley looked surprised. “Okay?”
“Yeah.” Wally shrugged, offering a weak smirk. “You’re smarter than me. I figure if you think this is what’s best, then… it probably is.”
Charley studied him for a long moment, as if waiting for Wally to take it back.
But Wally didn’t.
Because as much as it hurt, he knew Charley wasn’t just thinking about himself—he was thinking about him, too.
And maybe… maybe if Wally ever wanted to actually move on, this was what needed to happen.
Charley let out a slow breath, nodding. “…Thanks.”
Wally rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Don’t get all sentimental on me now.”
Charley huffed a small laugh, then slid off the desk, walking toward the door.
He paused beside Wally, hesitating. “We’re still good, right?”
Wally turned his head to look at him.
For a second, he didn’t answer.
Then, he smirked. “You’re stuck with me, Charles.”
Charley smiled, just a little. “Good.”
And with that, he walked away.
Wally stayed in the empty classroom for a long time after.
Maybe ghosts couldn’t have heartbeats. But if they could, Wally figured his might’ve broken a little that night.