Chapter 5 - Winter of 2017

Mm, yum yum.

The restaurant had a warm aroma, and soft lighting that was easy on the eyes. On a Friday night, the place was packed. Marco was surprised that he managed to slip in before the rush and earn himself a small table all by himself. Well, him and two dead people. Marco could feel people staring as he waited for his meal “alone” and typed messages into his notes app.

”Look at that fiddle-leaf fig in the window display,” noticed Lucien. 

“Yes very healthy looking” typed Marco. 

“I know, I’ve never seen one with so many leaves, and do you see the size of them? Big as dinner plates.” 

“I wonder how much water”

”Right. And the mode of watering matters too. Sometimes plants can die of dehydration even if they’re being watered, because the liquid isn’t seeping into the soil. That’s why the quality of the dirt matters as well.”

Marco was about to type a response when a waiter swung by with his pho and a glass of icy water. 

”I think soil quality is what i keep getting wrong n why my plants keep dying. Idk tho”

”Quite possible. It is also a fact that your cat likes to play with them.”

”darn it maddison ur killing my plants”

Hudson began tapping Marco harshly on the shoulder. 

“Look! Look over there,” Hudson pointed enthusiastically across the room like a small child.

”I like the decor in here,” said Lucien. “It’s so homelike.”

”ya very ectectic”

“Come onnn dude look” Hudson was now full-body gesturing over the way. 

“Let me eat my soup in peace. Darn.”

”It does smell nice. How does it taste?”

”Same as smells. Kind of cinnamon like in broth. Bits of green union add some flavor too. Not that spicy tho.”  

Lucien read it over several times, a look of confusion painted on his face. “So its good?”

”yea. Wait can u smell things?”

”In a way, yes.”

”can u use ur other senses”

”Not well. I know that other ghosts can, though.”

”weirdd. Man i wish you could taste this cuz its very well made”

”Right? I told you that eating out would be good,” Hudson said. “You can’t stay at home all the time. You need to see people.”

”ok ur not wrong” 

“Yeah and YOU WANNA KNOW WHO I SEE?” Hudson pointed to a booth across the restaurant. Marco leaned to peer around some folks who were standing. They moved and he got a clear view: a booth that seated two women, one of which he recognized immediately. She had dark hair that was long and wavy, immaculate posture, and a friendly grin. Marco looked away quickly. 

“Oh now you’re quiet?” Hudson crossed his arms smugly. 

Marco stared into the bowl while he ate, fighting the urge to gaze. 

“What a pleasant coincidence, you should say hello to her,” said Lucien. 

”No the flip I shouldn’t” 

“Do it, do it, do it,” chanted Hudson. 

“In what universe would that end well?”

Lucien shrugged. “What’s the worst that could happen?”

”many many things” 

“You need to take a leap of faith,” Hudson encouraged. “This is why you don’t have any friends.”

”well no cuz i have you guys” 

“Ok, us and who else?”

”idk my brother” 

“So yeah, no friends.”

Some time later, Marco ate his fill of pho and left the restaurant. The environment outside was as wet and disgusting as the environment inside was warm and inviting. Rain poured down and sogged the thin, preexistent layer of snow into an icy slush that dripped down from roofs and splashed under car tires. Marco, of course, had to trudge all the way back home on foot. He huddled underneath the lip of the building’s roof for cover for a moment. 

“You didn’t check the weather before we left?” he snarkily asked Hudson, who wasn’t there. He grumbled for a moment more, and soon exited the shelter of the building. Just then, Marco heard a splish-splash of footsteps behind him. 

“Wait,” a woman called out. “Marco, hang on.”

Lexi approached him quickly with an umbrella propped against her shoulder. “Hi! Sorry, I saw you in there but you looked like you didn’t really want to be bothered. Anyway, are you walking home?”

”Yeah, I don’t have a car.” 

“Do you want a ride? I could drive you there.”

”Oh, no. That’s alright. Thanks for the offer though.”

“Are you sure? You’ll catch yourself a cold out here.”

Marco thought for a moment. “Actually that would be really great.”

”Ok, awesome. I’m parked around back.”

Her subaru was tidily kept. Lexi scooted into the driver’s seat as she tossed her umbrella over back. Marco buckled himself, and folded his hands over his crossed knee. 

“My navigator died so you’ll just have to give me directions as we go.”

Marco gave a thumbs up. 

“So,” she said. “Do you have plans for the holidays?”

”Not really. I guess my parents are coming down from Chicago to see me. Do you?”

”Yeah, I’m meeting up with my family in Michigan. I’m Catholic, so Christmas is kind of a big deal.”

”Ah, religion. Take a right at this intersection.”

There was silence. 

“Say something,” Hudson encouraged.

”Ask about her weekend,” added Lucien. 

“No, that’s far too generic.”

Marco cracked his knuckles. “What kind of music are you into?” he asked.

“That’s a good question. Are you looking for genres, or more like artists? Because I’m a long time fan of Billie Eilish, but recently�"as far as genres go�"I’ve listened to a lot of RnB. I’m pretty open though. In the past, I gravitated more to rock and punk. How about you?”

Marco shrugged. “I like the Beatles. David Bowie is nice too. I like whatever my dad likes.”

”Ok sweet. I see the vibe.” She glanced over. “You’ve got a really good ear for sound. Where did that skill originate?”

”Thank you. In high school, I would be in the booth for musicals and stuff. I played trombone in band, and I did dance all throughout my childhood, so I’ve always kinda been involved in music. It just seemed like the natural path to go to college for it.”

”That’s a lot of extracurriculars.”

”Yeah, I was a busy guy. How did you get into your position?”

”Well, I did choir in high school. I was a soprano. I went to community college for psychology, and then I worked at a casino-resort type place for a while. Hated that, though I did learn a bunch of card tricks. I almost joined the navy, then I saw a listing for vocal try-outs at LPR. I did well somehow, and now I’m here.”

”Go straight through this light and then turn right on Foyer Street.”

”My life has pretty much been side quest after side quest.”

”That’s interesting. Why the navy?”

”My dad is a vet, and he always wanted his kids to join. I guess I wanted to make him proud or something. Besides, anything sounded better than staying at my job at the time.”

“I get that. I’ve had my fair share of terrible jobs. My house is 8685 on the left side here.”

”No duh it isn’t on the right side in the cemetery.” Lexi laughed. “You’re funny.”

”I try.” Marco fixed his rectangular glasses. “So, see you Monday then?”

”Yeah, and I was just thinking, we should totally carpool.” She shrugged. “We’re going to the same place. It’s good for the environment too.”

”I mean, I don’t want it to be a hassle for you.”

”Psh, no. If it was, why would I offer?”

“Ok, yeah. And thank you for the ride tonight.”

”I couldn’t just let you walk home like that.” Lexi pulled her arms around Marco’s neck. He honestly couldn’t remember the last time he had been hugged. He reciprocated the embrace gladly, and in his peripheral vision, he could see the ghosts looking pleased as ever, 

“In what universe would that end well,” Hudson said a bit mockingly. “This one, Marco. This is when it all goes right.”

“I’m staying here until I see you walk in that house,” said Lexi when she eventually let go.

”No, please don’t do that. My lock is super weird and it takes forever.”

”I don’t mind. I ain’t got nowhere to be.”

”Ok. Thanks.”

Marco strode carefully across the mush-flooded street. He stepped up to his porch and clutched his keys.

”Hey dude, don’t even worry about it,” said Hudson while he drifted through the door, which popped open with a click.

“Got it,” the cold damp man called out

”Nice! Enjoy the rest of your weekend.”

”Yeah, you too!” 

Lexi drove away, and Marco forgot about his sogginess for a moment. He lay down on his bedroom floor and watched the ceiling fan spin round and round. Suddenly, he couldn’t wait for Monday to arrive. Hudson joined him on the wood laminate ground.

”I would ask who’s got you beaming like that, but I think I have a guess.”

“She’s so cool,” Marco said softly. “She’s the coolest person I’ve ever met. I just want to be best friends with her.”

”Best friends, ehh?”

”Is that a dumb thing for an almost-thirty-year-old guy to say?”

”Who cares anyway?”

Marco turned his head to look Hudson in the eye. “Thank you. For getting me out of my shell.”

”Yeah yeah, I’m great and all that.”

“You give a perspective I didn't know I needed.”

”Maybe you should listen to my ideas a little more often.”

”I’ll think about it.” Marco sighed with a tired demeanor. It had been a very good day.

Reviews

[RomaJ]

I liked this chapter -- it’s sweet and quietly funny -- Marco balances chatting with the ghosts while keeping up appearances in public naturally -- the ending with Lexi adds a hopeful glow.