Tom shook his head and drank a sip from his punch. He had to be here because his mother had insisted on it and he hadn’t had the heart to disobey. His parents were fighting more and more and this school dance was his mother’s only pleasure. She knew some of the teachers and so she took an offer for helping with supervision. And Tom didn’t mind; it was actually nice to see his mother smiling again.
„Hey,“ a deep voice interrupted Tom’s thoughts and he glanced up. „Are these seats free?“
Above him, there was a huge guy with dark brown hair and a slim girl with brown curly hair. Both of them were smiling at him and their eyes seemed friendly. The dread-headed boy nodded and took another sip from his drink.
„Thanks, man. I’m Georg and this beautiful lady,“ the girl beside him giggled and blushed a bit, „is Marcella.“
Tom nodded again and added small smile. „I’m Tom.“
„Nice to meet you, Tom,“ Marcella said and took some chips from the table. „You’re new here, right?“
„Yeah, we’ve been here a little over two months. My parents and I live in the house near the sea.“
Tom nodded. „Do you know it there? It’s a pretty nice house and that beach, I love it there!“
Marcella bit her lip while Georg pursed his own. „Well, it depends. Everyone in this town knows that place. But I personally never have been there.“
Tom smiled genuinely. „Want to come over someday?“ The hope was radiated all around him. He might have Bill as a friend, but he was desperate for other company. He felt so alone sometimes. „It’s really nice place but it’s way too quite up there. I mean, the only sound there is the waves and the sea.“
Georg smiled at him. „Sure thing. We can stop by on Monday, that okay?“
Tom nodded eagerly. Georg and Marcella laughed. They talked for a while, they laughed while making fun of everyone in the room. Tom actually had fun after all. Georg and Marcella were seniors; this was their last dance at this school. The two of them were really friendly to Tom, he already considered them as friends.
It was something around 10 p.m. when Marcella left to go to the toilet. Tom and Georg stayed alone and talked about random things. It was then Tom got an idea.
He turned to face Georg and frowned a little. „Hey, Georg. Can I ask you something?“
„Go ahead.“
Tom moistened his lips and bit on his lower lip. „Well,“ he took in a deep breath and pursed his lip, „You said everyone knows the place our house stands at, right?“ Georg just nodded. „Why? Why do people know that place?“
Georg swallowed and looked around the room. Everyone was dancing, singing or drinking with their friends. It was a typical high school dance. A few seconds later, Georg turned back at Tom. He sighed.
„There are stories here.“
„Stories? What stories?“ Tom leaned closer to him, desperate to catch Georg’s every word. It actually made older boy laugh. Tom blushed, embarrassed but didn’t lean back.
„Well, one family used to live there. It was in the 50’s and they had two children; one boy and one girl. Tales narrate that the boy was really gorgeous, something like a living angel. His sister was older than him, she was seventeen and she was really envious about her brother’s beauty.“ Georg glanced at Tom, to make sure if the boy was really listening.
And Tom was. He gobbled Georg’s every word. That gorgeous boy seemed just like Bill. But it couldn’t possible be Bill; it was almost 50 years ago.
„Well, one day when there was a really bad storm above the sea, her and her brother were home alone. Their parents were, well who knows, it’s a long time. So, the sister sent him out for something and he obeyed, according tales he was really a good boy.“ Georg looked at Tom and was pleased that the younger one was really listening to him. The older boy with dark brown hair loved attention. „So, he went out, to the storm, and he never came back home.“
„What do you mean, never came back home?“
Georg sighed and licked his lips. „He died, out there in the storm. Some say that he fell from the cliff, others say that he was just too weak to survive in such bad weather. The main point is that he’s dead and people believe that he’s still there, on the cliff.“
Tom leaned back in his chair. His eyes were wide open as he tried to process all information Georg gave him.
Two children.
One boy.
A gorgeous boy.
A gorgeous boy who seemed just like Bill.
Tom shook his head; it’s not possible. Bill can’t be that boy.
„Georg?“ Tom bit his lower lip again. „Do you know the name of that boy?“
Georg frowned and thought about it for a while, than shook his head. „Sorry, man. Maybe Marcella will know; she knows almost everything about the local history.“
Tom nodded and stared in front of himself.
„Honey?“ The dread-headed teenager jumped up a little when he heard girly voice above him. He turned around and smiled when Marcella sat down beside Georg and kissed his cheek. They really were a nice couple.
Tom didn’t listen to them; he gave them their personal space. He was thinking about the story Georg told him. How can be someone so cruel do something like that to their own relative? That girl was just crazy.
Tom shook his head. „How old was he?“
„Huh?“ Georg blinked a few times.
„That boy, how old was he?“
„Which boy?“ Marcella asked curiously. „Oh, Georg! You didn’t tell him that story, did you?“
Georg just shrugged and gave her an innocent smile. „Maybe. But in my defence, he wanted to know.“
Marcella just shook her head and sighed. „Well, Tom. That boy was about fourteen or fifteen years old. After his death, his parents and sister moved out of the town and no-one ever heard about them again.“
Tom nodded. Fifteen, it can be. Bill looked about fifteen, or maybe sixteen years old, a teenager.
„You, Marcella,“ he looked the girl right in the eye, „Do you know his name?“
„Why? Is it important?“
„Oh, very important.“
She frowned a bit but gave up at last. „I think, but I’m not really sure about it, but I think his name was Bill.“
Tom’s heart stopped at that moment.
Tom couldn’t move for a few seconds. First off, his heart skipped few beats, and then it was pounding against his chest almost painfully. He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t think.
The confused boy took a glance around him; people were still partying and his new friends were passionately kissing. It seemed like he was in some time vacuum where the time stopped. Life around him continued peacefully, but Tom couldn’t catch up with it.
Bill was dead.
But… how? How is this possible? It can’t be truth. No, Bill couldn’t be dead.
Tom shook his head and blinked.
„Are you okay?“
Tom bit his lip and shook his head again, than nodded. „Uhm, yeah, I… I don’t know. I think,“ he looked around the room and saw his mother laughing with some man. Tom blinked again and turned back to his new, now confused friends, „I think I should go home.“
„Already?“
„Eh, yeah.“ Tom just nodded and stood up. „My head hurts, so… yeah.“
Marcella frowned her eyebrows a bit and watched Tom standing uncertainly. „You okay, Tom? You’re pale.“
Of course he was pale; he just had experienced the most shocking moment of his life. The guy, who is Tom’s friend and to who Tom might be fall in love, is about 50 years dead. Who wouldn’t be pale in his place, right?
The dread-headed boy just nodded again and with a quite goodbye, he left the gym which held their dancing ball. His head was spinning, his sight was blurring, and he couldn’t breathe.
As soon as Tom was out of the school building, he stopped and leaned against the wall. He closed his eyes and took in one deep breath after another. The ground under him was shaking; at least according to him.
Tom felt really lightheaded and was sure he would faint sooner or later. It was too much for him. Bill was dead. Bill was dead thanks his own sister. Bill was dead.
The person who was more then a best friend to him was a… what was Bill? A ghost? Was he something between life and death?
The teenager inhaled deeply and he felt that he was losing the ground under his feet. With closed eyes, he fell to the ground, hit his head over the wall, and then nothing.
Tom was unconscious.
==========
„What happened to him?“
„He fainted, Jörg, I already told you.“ Simone sighed and put her head in her hands. She was tired. She was drawn out. When she saw Tom leave the ball, she thought he just wanted to go out on the fresh air. But when he didn’t come back after twenty minutes, she got frightened. Simone knew how kids at school treated Tom, she was just afraid someone had hurt him.
As a good mother would do, she went in front of the school searching for her son. First of all, she didn’t see him anywhere but then she noticed a body lying beside the wall. Her heart stopped for a moment when she recognized Tom in that body. It took her just a few seconds to make sure he wasn’t harmed. She called the man Tom saw her with, and he came to help her. Together they put Tom to the car and drove home. Sure, it would be better if they took him to the hospital, but there wasn’t any in the town and it was quicker to get to the house on the cliff than to the next town where a hospital was held.
When they arrived, the man took Tom up and put him on his bed. He called his brother, who just happened to be Gordon, a local doctor. Everyone in the town knew him as a Doctor Gordon.
They stayed with an unconscious Tom until Dr. Gordon’s arrival.
And now Simone was sitting in their kitchen, Dr. Gordon was upstairs with her baby boy and her husband was yelling at her just because she was alone with two men in the house when he came back home.
„It is your entire fault, Simone!“
„Excuse me?“ She looked at him in disbelief.
„You heard me. You raised him up this way, as a weak nothing who would faint in every occasion.“
„Stop it, Jörg! I am not the one who slept with other men since I can remember!“
Jörg snorted and shook his head. „Don’t bring this up to this conversation! It is not what it is about!“
„Oh, it’s not?! It’s your fault your son hates you! It’s your fault we all are here!“
„I won’t listen to this!“
„Oh yes, you will!“ She stood up and even if she was smaller than Jörg. The man took a few steps back. „Your son hates you for cheating on me! With men! Your son hates you for hurting me, for hurting him! He hates you because you never were there for him! He hates you because you brought him here!“
She was breathing heavily but it couldn’t stop her.
„It is your fault that Tom is such a shy boy who can’t defend himself. It’s your fault that kids at school treated him like a shit!“
Jörg was staring at his wife in disbelief. Did she really just say a shit? Simon was never a woman to swear.
„And I hate you for hurting my son, Jörg!“
She sat back at the table. Her head was spinning and her heart was sore. All she said was true but she didn’t want to admit it to herself until now.
„Simone…“
„Get out, Jörg.“
„What?“
„You heard me. I said get out.“
„This is my house you can’t-“
Simone glared at him. „Yes I can. And you should go right now! I just need to be alone for some time. So, just go, Jörg. Just go.“
With that, she stood up; a heavy sigh escaping her lips. She didn’t look back, no, she went to her son’s room to make sure he was alright.
==========
He felt warm, nice and comfy. His head was a bit sore, but it was okay as long as he was laying down. The dread-headed teenager tried to open his eyes but his eyelids were so heavy. After few seconds, he gave up and fell asleep again.
==========
It was about two and half hours later when Tom heard some noises. He kept his eyes closed but listened. Two voices were quietly talking about something. They were talking about him. Tom frowned a little and moistened his lips with the tip of his tongue. His mouth was dry and he was dying for a glass of water. But he remained silent.
„Will he be okay?“ Tom felt soft warm hand stroking his forehead, his cheek and again his forehead. The dread-headed boy intuitively leaned more to the touch and sighed a little.
„Don’t worry, Mrs. Trümper,“ another, much deeper voice, said. „Your son fainted from overheating. It’s nothing serious. Sure, Tom hit his head but it looks alright. He might have a headache for a few days, but it’s normal and nothing to worry about.“
The soft hand continued stroking Tom’s cheek and he felt loved. His mother was always caring for her son; her hugs, kisses and sweet voice were the best things on the world and always helped him.
„Thank you, Doctor.“
Tom couldn’t see it but he had a feeling as if the man with that deep voice, the doctor, smiled when he spoke again. „You’re welcome, Mrs. Trümper.“
The touch on his cheek disappeared and Tom heard fading footsteps. It didn’t take long and the soft hand was back on his forehead. Tom smiled a little and cracked his eyes open.
„Hey,“ he whispered brokenly. His throat hurt. His mother immediately gave him a glass of water and helped him sip some of it.
„Hi, baby,“ she smiled at him, put the glass back down on the night stand and sat down beside him. „How are you feeling?“
„Fine, I guess.“
His mother smiled again and stroked his cheek once more. „Good. You scared the shit out of me!“ Tom laughed; his mother wasn’t that type who uses those words often. „What happened anyway?“
„I-“ Tom closed his mouth. He did remember the dance, Georg and Marcella. He did remember they were laughing and talking a lot. Talking about some stories. About Bill. Tom did remember the story all too well.
Tom felt nausea hit him again so he closed his eyes and took in a deep, calming breath; it helped a little.
„Honey, are you okay?“ Simone’s caring voice reached his ears and he tiredly opened his eyes again. His mother was watching him with worry in her brown eyes. He didn’t like it. He felt guilty for all the worry her mother was carrying that day.
„I think I just need some more sleep,“ he said at last and swallowed.
Tom’s mother nodded and kissed his forehead. „Just sleep, baby boy. We’ll talk tomorrow.“
„Sure, Mom.“
But he didn’t want to talk about what had happened. What should he said her anyway? That he fainted just because boy he has feelings for is a ghost? No, of course not.
Simone smiled at him and stood up. „Want me to leave the lights on?“ She knew about Tom’s fear. He never grew up from his childhood fears; he was still afraid of the dark, lightening and spiders.
The teenage boy managed a smile and shook his head yes. He was aware that this was embarrassing but he didn’t feel like sleeping in the dark tonight. And after all, it was just his mother who would know about it. Tom was sure he wouldn’t fall asleep that night if there was complete darkness; he was sure he would have nightmares again.
Tom’s mom smiled. „Goodnight, baby.“
„Goodnight, mom,“ Tom smiled at her and watched her as she was slowly closed the door behind her. „Mom?“ He called suddenly.
„Yes?“ Her head appeared in the room again.
„Where’s Dad?“
Simone exhaled her breath and lowered her head. Tom knew what it meant. „I’m sorry, Tom. He’s staying at a hotel tonight. We fought after we brought you home.“
Tom just nodded and closed his eyes tightly. Jörg was not there again when his son needed him. He never was.
„Goodnight.“
Tom didn’t say anything as Simone closed the door behind her. He was alone; again. But this time, he didn’t mind it. His head was full of confused thoughts and feelings. He wanted to think about it more but he felt his eyes closed on their own and he slowly fell asleep. The doctor must have given him some pills; Tom was sure that he shouldn’t be able to sleep that night at all.
