it.
“Get a grip, Maggie,” she told herself sternly, walking into the school. “Johnny Kinross is not real!” Maggie told the hallway defiantly. "He is a boy that lived fifty-three years ago, and I am NOT going to be scared off!” Her voice sounded awfully loud bouncing off the empty walls and floors, and it did nothing to make her feel better, but she pulled the door firmly shut behind her and walked quickly to the dance room at the end of the corridor. She looked neither right nor left, and she kept telling herself she was not afraid of the big, bad ghost.
“ Oh Johnny, how I miss you,
When you’re gone I lose my mind
I’ve been lookin’ but I just can’t seem to find
My Johnny, Oh Johnny…”
The old song lilted softly out of nowhere, and the intercom crackled as if someone was preparing to speak. Maggie screamed and threw herself through the dance room door. She fumbled for the lights, slamming the door behind her. Her terrified reflection stared back at her from the mirrors that bracketed the dance room floor, and the song that had sent her shrieking into the room ceased as quickly as it had begun. Gulping for breath and trying not to cry, Maggie sank down to the floor, bracing her back against the door. She wanted out of this freaky- assed school! Maggie tended to swear when she was scared. And she was terrified. She wanted out of this freaky-assed school, but there was no way she was going back out into that long, freaky-assed hallway!
“Breathe, Maggie, breathe,” she told herself. “Gus said he was lonely, not dangerous. Lonely, not dangerous.” Maggie repeated the phrase to herself as she tried to calm her racing heart. Surprisingly, as her pulse began to slow her anger began to build, and before long she was royally pissed off. “How dare he?!” she thought to herself. She hadn’t done anything to him! Johnny Kinross might be lonely, but he was also a jerk! What he had done was just plain mean. He had scared her to death twice now, and it was getting old.
Standing up, Maggie yanked off her coat, tossed her duffle bag to the side, and marched angrily to the sound system in the corner. Flipping switches and cranking up the volume, Maggie plugged in her ipod and scrolled through her song list until she found what she was looking for.
Eminem’s “Not Afraid” blasted out of the speakers, and Maggie threw herself into the center of the floor, her movements bold and defiant, daring Johnny Kinross to make his next move. Eminem’s in-your-face style gave her courage, and Maggie pushed herself harder, leaping and lunging, spinning and kicking, until more than an hour had passed. Maggie’s skin shone with sweat, and her heavy hair stuck to her face and clung to her back.
Collapsing in the middle of the floor, Maggie pulled her hair up in a messy ponytail and leaned into a deep stretch.
“Take that, Johnny Kinross,” Maggie said out loud, and smiled widely when there was no response.
After about fifteen minutes of cooling down and stretching, Maggie could hear the sounds of the school coming to life beyond the dance room door. Time to head to the locker room and get cleaned up and ready for school. Maggie fervently hoped that Johnny Kinross didn’t frequent the girl’s bathroom. She didn’t think she could handle a pervert on top of everything else. Gathering her gear, Maggie headed for the door when she suddenly remembered her ipod still docked in the sound system. As she turned and headed toward it, the lights on the system blinked wildly, and a new song filled the
“Get a grip, Maggie,” she told herself sternly, walking into the school. “Johnny Kinross is not real!” Maggie told the hallway defiantly. "He is a boy that lived fifty-three years ago, and I am NOT going to be scared off!” Her voice sounded awfully loud bouncing off the empty walls and floors, and it did nothing to make her feel better, but she pulled the door firmly shut behind her and walked quickly to the dance room at the end of the corridor. She looked neither right nor left, and she kept telling herself she was not afraid of the big, bad ghost.
“ Oh Johnny, how I miss you,
When you’re gone I lose my mind
I’ve been lookin’ but I just can’t seem to find
My Johnny, Oh Johnny…”
The old song lilted softly out of nowhere, and the intercom crackled as if someone was preparing to speak. Maggie screamed and threw herself through the dance room door. She fumbled for the lights, slamming the door behind her. Her terrified reflection stared back at her from the mirrors that bracketed the dance room floor, and the song that had sent her shrieking into the room ceased as quickly as it had begun. Gulping for breath and trying not to cry, Maggie sank down to the floor, bracing her back against the door. She wanted out of this freaky- assed school! Maggie tended to swear when she was scared. And she was terrified. She wanted out of this freaky-assed school, but there was no way she was going back out into that long, freaky-assed hallway!
“Breathe, Maggie, breathe,” she told herself. “Gus said he was lonely, not dangerous. Lonely, not dangerous.” Maggie repeated the phrase to herself as she tried to calm her racing heart. Surprisingly, as her pulse began to slow her anger began to build, and before long she was royally pissed off. “How dare he?!” she thought to herself. She hadn’t done anything to him! Johnny Kinross might be lonely, but he was also a jerk! What he had done was just plain mean. He had scared her to death twice now, and it was getting old.
Standing up, Maggie yanked off her coat, tossed her duffle bag to the side, and marched angrily to the sound system in the corner. Flipping switches and cranking up the volume, Maggie plugged in her ipod and scrolled through her song list until she found what she was looking for.
Eminem’s “Not Afraid” blasted out of the speakers, and Maggie threw herself into the center of the floor, her movements bold and defiant, daring Johnny Kinross to make his next move. Eminem’s in-your-face style gave her courage, and Maggie pushed herself harder, leaping and lunging, spinning and kicking, until more than an hour had passed. Maggie’s skin shone with sweat, and her heavy hair stuck to her face and clung to her back.
Collapsing in the middle of the floor, Maggie pulled her hair up in a messy ponytail and leaned into a deep stretch.
“Take that, Johnny Kinross,” Maggie said out loud, and smiled widely when there was no response.
After about fifteen minutes of cooling down and stretching, Maggie could hear the sounds of the school coming to life beyond the dance room door. Time to head to the locker room and get cleaned up and ready for school. Maggie fervently hoped that Johnny Kinross didn’t frequent the girl’s bathroom. She didn’t think she could handle a pervert on top of everything else. Gathering her gear, Maggie headed for the door when she suddenly remembered her ipod still docked in the sound system. As she turned and headed toward it, the lights on the system blinked wildly, and a new song filled the
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