I woke up the next morning feeling weirdly… free.
No parents yelling. No siblings fighting over the bathroom. Just sunlight coming through the curtains and total silence.
For a second I thought maybe she'd show up during the day, but nope. Room was empty.
I went downstairs. Kitchen empty. Living room empty.
I stood in the middle of the hall and just yelled at the top of my lungs:
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Felt good. Like I was finally king of the castle.
First move: snacks run.
I dashed outside, hit the corner shop, grabbed chips, cold drink, and some chocolate. Came back, jumped on the sofa, turned on the TV, and threw on One Piece.
Luffy and the crew were going crazy. Perfect vibe.
Time slipped away so fast I didn't even notice.
Next thing I knew, the clock said 5:00 p.m.
I went out to play with my friends—kicked a football around, talked shit, laughed till my stomach hurt.
Got back around 7:00 p.m., sweaty and happy.
Headed straight to my room.
Laptop time.
I jumped on the bed, opened the browser, pulled my pants down, and got lost in… you know… the usual.
Didn't even check the time.
Suddenly I glanced at the clock: 7:58 p.m.
"Oh fuck. She's coming any second."
Panic mode.
I yanked my pants up so fast I almost tripped, slammed the laptop shut, and started throwing tissues into the trash like my life depended on it.
Then—
"Hello."
Her voice came from right behind me. Soft. Curious.
I spun around.
She was floating there, head tilted, big red eyes looking at me like nothing was weird.
"Hello," I said, voice cracking a little.
"What were you doing?" she asked, tilting her head even more.
"Nothing. Literally nothing."
"Then why are there tissues everywhere?"
My brain short-circuited.
"Oh, uh… I had a little fever this morning. Sneezing and stuff. But I'm good now."
She floated closer, looking around.
"Okay… then what's this white thing on the floor?"
I looked down.
"I… don't know," I lied, grabbing a tissue super quick and wiping the floor like my future depended on it.
She watched me the whole time. No judgment. Just confused.
"Okay," she finally said. "I have to show you something. Wait here."
She vanished.
I sat on the bed, heart pounding.
"Ahhh fuck, what would've happened if she caught me for real?"
I thought about her innocent face and felt like the worst person alive.
"But… did she actually leave? Or is she watching me right now?"
I waited maybe two minutes. Felt like forever.
Then she reappeared.
And holy shit.
She was wearing a full-on maid costume.
Black dress, white apron, little headband, frills everywhere.
She floated there, arms behind her back, looking shy.
"How is it?" she asked, doing a tiny spin.
"AHHHH WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU WEARING THIS?!"
The lights dimmed instantly.
Her face fell.
"What… am I not looking good?"
"No! I mean— I was just shocked! Like, why are you wearing this?!"
She looked down at her outfit.
"I thought… you liked this. Because yesterday you were looking at a girl wearing something like this on your laptop."
My soul left my body.
"Oh my god. No. It's not— I mean— you look good! Really good! But… I think you look way better in your normal clothes."
She brightened a little.
"Really?"
"Yeah. For real."
"Okay. I'll go change quick."
She vanished again.
I buried my face in my hands.
"I'm actually the worst. She's trying to make me happy and I'm over here being a degenerate."
She came back in her usual tattered nightdress, looking much more comfortable.
"Okay," she said softly. "Let's talk."
And we did.
We talked till morning.
About everything. About nothing.
She asked what my favorite food was. I asked if ghosts could taste anything.
We laughed about dumb stuff.
We got quiet about sad stuff.
At some point she floated closer and just… stayed there. Not hugging. Just close.
For once, being home alone felt like the best thing ever.