I curled up in his arms, trembling as I pointed to the bathroom. "There's a ghost in the bathroom."
Howard was taken aback by my words.
I was lifted off the ground by a pair of strong hands, and after a dizzying spin, I was wrapped up like a burrito and placed on the bed.
"Wait here, I'll go check." Tonight, the sense of security Howard gave me was off the charts. With him around, I didn't feel nearly as scared.
After Howard went in, I didn't know what happened inside, but I heard a series of clattering sounds followed by footsteps.
I couldn't bear to look directly. Trembling, I huddled under the covers and peeked through a tiny gap. "Is there a ghost?" As soon as I said that, I heard a woman's soft voice. "Be gentle. It hurts."
Hearing that familiar voice, I was stunned and immediately sat up on the bed. "That beautiful ghost."
Seeing me call her, the beautiful ghost winked at me flirtatiously. "Hey there, we meet again. Sorry for the little prank earlier, I didn't expect it to actually scare you."
Her little prank nearly scared the living daylights out of me. She got a mischievous streak, just like the little ghost. I tightened the blanket around me, sat up straight, and said with a stern look, "Do you have any idea how freakin' scary that was?"
She stuck out her tongue at me. "Aren't you a ghost hunter? I didn't expect you to be so timid, getting scared by such a small scene."
I had just started learning to hunt ghosts, not a professional. Moreover, any normal person would be scared.
"What are you doing here?" Seemingly annoyed by our endless conversation, Howard spoke up.
The beautiful ghost chuckled and pointed at me. "I have something to ask her."
I was a bit confused. "Miss, what do you need my help with?"
"You can help me with a lot of things. For starters, have him release me." She pointed to the black vines wrapped around her.
I glanced at Howard, and without saying much, he released her.
"Miss, I need your help with something." The beautiful ghost repeated.
"Tell me first, and I'll see if I can help." I wasn't sure if I had the ability to help a ghost fulfill her wish, even though it wasn't in my line of work, but I didn't seem to have a choice.
"I need you to help me find someone." The beautiful ghost said.
"Who?" I asked.
"I don't know yet." I wondered if she was messing with me; she didn't even know who she was looking for and came to me for help. She looked at me expectantly. "Don't refuse just yet. I forgot who I'm looking for, but if I see him, I'll remember."
The beautiful ghost was stunning, with a voluptuous figure and a gorgeous face. Faced with her request, I couldn't bear to refuse. "Alright, is there any leads?"
At least she should give me a starting point. The country was huge; I couldn't just go on a wild goose chase.
"In this city." the beautiful ghost said briefly.
I furrowed my brow. Even within the city, it was a massive area to cover. There were so many people living here, and I didn't even know if the person she was looking for was male or female, young or old.
"I have a feeling that if I stay with you, I'll find him." The beautifulghost looked at me confidently.
I didn't even have that much faith in myself, but she had got all the confidence in the world in me.
"Because I can smell his scent on you." she explained.
Unexpecting to it, I asked, "Could it be someone I know?"
If it was someone in my immediate circle, that really narrowed things down a lot.
"I don't know. It could be someone you accidentally came into contact with, which is why I sense his scent on you." Her words dampened my enthusiasm.
I sighed helplessly. "Alright, I'll do my best."
"Until you find the person I'm looking for, I'll stay with you." Her self-assuredness made me hesitate. "What do you mean?"
I had to go to school every day, and if she followed me around, I'd be in trouble; Aiden had said that too much Yin Energy could affect one's luck.
Sensing my concern, she smiled. "I'll possess something you use, and I promise I won't disturb you."
"Anything?" I took out a necklace from the drawer. "How about this?"
"Of course." With that, she disappeared with a swoosh.
Looking at the suddenly cold necklace in my hand, I felt conflicted. It was only been two weeks, and I'd already got two ghosts hanging around me. I had no idea when this crazy ride was going to end.
"Don't worry, you can do whatever you want. I promise not to disturb you." The beautifulghost's cheerful voice came from the necklace.
I was stunned and instinctively looked up at Howard, my cheeks turning red.
He raised an eyebrow at me, and I became flustered, putting the necklace back in the drawer. "Stop talking nonsense. Stay in there, and I'll take you with me to school on Monday."
The perfectly good weekend wasted on my lazy shenanigans.
When Monday came, I was still a bit groggy.
'How can Mondays be so awful? Why do students have to go to class? And why is our morning schedule so packed?' With a million questions running through my mind and dark circles under my eyes, I dragged myself into the classroom.
Seeing my tired look, Amelia handed me a cup of coffee with a smile. "Knowing you'd be sleepy on Monday mornings, I made you coffee."
I hugged her and leaned close. "Amelia, you're my best friend."
She pushed me away with a smile. "Alright, settle down. Chase is coming in."
Chase stood at the podium and announced, "Everyone, I have an announcement. Professor Scott won't be teaching you anymore. You'll have a new teacher, who will be here shortly."
Amelia and I exchanged glances. As witnesses, we knew why Brian couldn't teach anymore.
"Sorry, sir, I'm late." A cold voice came from the classroom door.
Seeing Wesley, I sneered. "How does someone who shows up late to class still manage to top the charts?"