Same as yesterday, the lunch break comes, and I make my way to the back of the school building in order to savor the hard work of my labor in morning.

Apart from the usual, the new normal thing added to my daily routine was now this ghost lady sticking her head out of the wooden hut behind me. Observing me, not saying a single word as I finish up my meal.

It's a polite ghost

[Young lady, have you considered my offer?]

Closing the lid on the lunch box, I gulp down some water to clear up my throat before closing my eyes to rest and converse with this supernatural entity

[Yes, I will help you when I have some free time, but only if it is enjoyable and not just a pain in my butt]

[ooooooOOOOO! You are really different Young lady, it may come off as rude but is some screw in your head loose?]

[Yes it is rude, and answer is no. What would you have me do? Make up delusions that what I'm seeing is not real? I don't have psychosis or schizophrenia] 

[huh? sicosis chizopnia??? what??]

oh yeah, if she died such a long time ago then her obliviousness to these medical terms makes sense

[Nothing, If you want a reason for as to why I accepted your request, well for that there are many, but mainly because I think helping people like my aunt lily would be fulfilling and valid waste of all the free time I have after school]

[mhm, I see, I understand. So we are in a deal then?]

She brings forth her see through hand, and just as written in fiction, my own hand just went straight through her hand and penetrated her stomach

The sensation of something gelatinous wriggling around my hand, it's a disgusting sensation, thus I quickly retreat my hand to rub and soothe the weird feeling.

[Don't touch me from now on, your body is disgusting. Also, yes, the deal is sealed. My name is Glenda, happy to make your acquaintance]

[o-okay, My name is Aurora the witch, I will contact you when I find the first girl to help]

She looks a bit dumbstruck by my remarks, but what is true needs to be said. If I'm to continue this relationship with her, then I too need to be in a comfortable state around her.

If something so small like that was enough for her, then this relation would have come to a close sooner or later

[Yes, so with that I bid my farewell, I need to get back to class now]

[y-yeah...thank you for agreeing to my silly request]

...

The final bell rings and I stay behind alongside some other girl in my classroom to clean up the room. The two students to clean up the classroom are randomly selected during the first period of the class, today the two random students chosen were me and this girl whose name I don't remember. 

Though we are in the same class, I have never talked to her or felt any need to talk with her. As I wiped the desks clean of dusk in my half of the room, I glance over to her corner to see her lazing around near the black board.

Everyone is so inefficient, I am about to be done with my half of the work and this girl has barely started her own, now because of her tardiness I also have to wait.

[Hello, I am just about finished with my portion of cleaning, can you also pick up the pace here?]

[H-HUH?! Wh-what's with you!? Can't you see I'm troubled here?]

Her face suddenly transforms, revealing an expression of utter shock and disbelief. Her eyes widen, her eyebrows shoot up, and her mouth slightly agape, as if frozen in a state of astonishment.

[And? What does your "trouble" have anything to do with work being done, quickly finish it so that we can go home. Worry about it on your own]

as if taken back by my words, her body experiences a sudden jolt, and she starts making some animated facial gestures

[HMPH!! This is why absolutely no one is in this class likes you, Glenda. Ugh! What bad luck to be shoved under the same roof as YOU]

[Hear, hear, now can you quicken the pace a bit?]

What is she bad mouthing me for? I'm not the one being lazy and holding other people up

[GH! You are a total BITCH Glenda!!!]

Cursing acts as her medicine, and she quickly starts cleaning her portion of the room. 

[Could have just worked this fast from the beginning]

[Shut the fuck up bitch! I hope you die!!]

[yes, yes]

As her the volume of her vocal cord reaches new heights every passing second, her hand movement doesn't stop. Well, I guess as long as she's doing her work.

[I know you can only speak so crudely because Acima seems to somehow hang around the likes of you, without her around you wouldn't even dare to speak up in front of me]

Now she brings my friend Acima into the conversation, not understanding her involvement is this, I decide to stay quiet. It was now turning into another work just talking to her.

[I don't understand at all what Acima sees in some total insensitive and freak like you.  You must have drugged her or tricked someone like Acima to hang around yUIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!]

hm? What was that concatenation of words in the end? I follow the constantly babbling girl's eyes and look towards the entrance of the class.

[Oh, Acima. Sorry for the wait, this girl right here seems to be incompetent in something simple like cleaning desks and floor]

[My, my, you shouldn't speak of someone like that, Glenda. Julia, I'm sorry for my friend's mean words, please don't take them to the heart, okay?]

Immediately, her compassionate presence, struck the babbling girl. Her features are soft and serene, reflecting a genuine warmth that emanates from within. Her eyes holding a gentle sparkle, filled with empathy and understanding. Likewise, her straight silver hair unique to her family lineage, giving her a unique aura of authority.

[N-no, it's alright Acima. I didn't take Glenda's words seriously, hahaha]

[That's relieving to hear, thank you for understating Julia, since I'm going home with Glenda, she must have become a bit impatient and some things she didn't mean. Again, I'm very sorry]

Her voice carries a calming quality, as if each word is carefully chosen to provide solace and support. The cadence of her speech is unhurried, allowing the listener to fully absorb the soothing effect of her words.

As if enchanted by her words, the girl name Julia, quietly and quickly starts wrapping up her cleaning as Acima comes around to sit across me, and we wait for Julia to finish her work before leaving the school gate just moments after

...

As we walk over to my house for today's homework, Acima suggests stopping by a nearby bakery to get cupcakes for Aunt Lily. Having a sweet tooth, Acima always makes sure to bring something sweet whenever she has to come to my house, which is pretty often.

She packs up four coffee flavored cupcakes and pays the owner all on her own.

I had tried numerous times before to chip in half of the bill, but being refused adamantly in all the attempts, had made me give up on the idea of helping her in any kind of money endeavors

[You really do love, showing off your parent's money, huh] I speak as we leave the bakery and make our way to my house

[Well, right now it's theirs, but sooner than later it will all be mine] she speaks as if absolutely certain of her statement

[mm]

[Yes, though I may be at the bottom of the line, I know I can beat the other two to become the rightful owner of father's company]

hmm, so now she doesn't even refer to her big brother and older sister by their names or designation anymore. Well I guess she's doing well in turning those two to nothing become entities in her mind

Though her voice still tender, and her face full of gentle smile filling the surrounding with calm tranquility. The words coming of that small, thin mouth is nothing but

[mm, good luck with that, I would say again to ask for my help if needed but it seems like you still don't]

[Yes, I will do it on my own, I won't involve you in my family business, just speaking to you openly about this helps me put everything in order. I must finish them on my own merits]

[hai, hai]

A sudden fire in her round gentle eyes.

[Well, do as you see fit. Though you could try murdering your siblings in various ways inside your head in order to better loose any semblance of emotional attachment to them]

[...yes, thank you]

Her voice and gaze becoming a bit more firm. It must be tiring for her acting all kind and sensible in front of others, so I try to do my best to get her out of that state when she's alone with me, to get her to become more relaxed and comfortable.

It's all I'm comfortable doing right now for her.

Talking about more non-consequential topics, we reach my home.

...

A week passes and the ghost lady comes to pay me a visit during my Chemistry class.

Floating beside my left ear, she softly whispers

[The girl sitting in the very front, besides the window. The one with short blonde hair, she's the one you need to help. Her name is Bernice, and she's being repressed by her religiously zealot family]

[How did you even figure out that last part of her identity?]

[huh? I'm a ghost you know, I can enter people's home without it being a crime]

So is this whole city her playground?

[Can you go anywhere within this city?]

[uhuh, this city started out as a small village where I lived, as the village expanded and grew so did my domain with it. Though my powers are strongest here in the school, since here's where my house is located]

If she's this powerful, what do other ghosts in the city think of her? She can't be the only one roaming around

But I guess she will tell me about those things when time comes

Right now, I just got something to do and mess around with after school to pass time.

Bernice, neh..let's bring you out of that stuffy closet