LIVING DEAD GIRL

♯ ❝ YOU'RE LATE TODAY.❞
CHAPTER ONE ✧･ﾟ: * 👻🔦

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       EVER SINCE SHE'S ENTER THE WORLD IN BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH, IT'S BEEN THE SAME ROUTINE FOR BRYCE WALKER -- SHE'S NEVER DONE ANYTHING DIFFERENT IN THE MORNINGS. She would always find herself sitting in the halls of the school hall, watching over the people she barely knew mourn over her so called 'disappearance' and how they mentioned her before any speech, now including her close friend Maddie.

       Her brown eyes, most of the time filled with tears, would stare at the figure of her brother, who was at the back of the crowd for every speech. Her stomach would twist with unease when Lucy Hale, came up next to him and gave him so called comfort.

      She wished her brother would reach out to her Simon, or even Xavier, she knew how close Thomas was to both of them. Well, that was up until her sudden disappearance and how their dad suddenly turned into an asshole for some reason. She would never understand that.

     Just like right now, sitting down in the higher stands inside the gym beside a distressed Maddie, it was like clock work for Bryce. Sit down and watch in silence, as people she never knew or bothered to get to know her talked and mourned her.

      The school bell rings, which made students flood into the hall as indistinct chatter was heard from those who entered and made their way to chairs. The microphone turned on next, and the principle taped against it, gaining everyone's attention from the squeaky sound it made.

     "Everyone, please quiet down." Mr Hartman tried speak, but the students continued to talk with no care in the world, "Please people. Thank you." They eventually quieted down, and he clears his throat, "Now--"

      He turns on the projector behind him which makes a beep, and he exhales heavily to himself, "It has been a very tiring last few weeks, as we know. The Split River Police are considering this another missing person investigation."

       Students began to muttering between themselves hearing what was said, and it only made Bryce sigh from her spot beside Maddie on the seats. Her cropped jumper wasn't with her, so her yellow top was reveled to show of her bare arms and W necklace that she always kept on.

      It's not like anyone's going to see it, she thought to herself with a face scrunch, and leant back on her palms to get more comfortable on the wooden surface they were sat on.

      "I know this is alarming news, but we have everyone they both will be found--" Principal Hartman's words went deaf to most ears, him becoming a background noise as the students were too busy sceptical on what happened to both girls who went missing.

      Bryce watched with a heavy heart as her eyes glanced from Simon, and Nicole and then back to her brother. Thomas was sat at the back, his knee bouncing up and down, while he fiddled with his sister's bracelet that he wore.

      The Walker girl stood up to get a closer look, followed by Maddie and they both moved to sit directly where the bar was to stop people from falling off. Bryce leant her elbows on the cool metal, and furrowed her brows seeing Lucy casually wrapping her arm around Thomas' forearm, like nothing else important in the world was happening.

      "And I remind you, if you know anything, anything at all," Principal Hartman emphasized on the last part, wanting to get his message across to the students of his school, "please come forward. And now a little levity--"

      Bryce groaned annoyed as the cheer squad walked up on stage to preform their routine, "Every time he makes them do this, every time." She complained in her palms, voice being muffled as Maddie was just as annoyed as she was.

      Charley, another spirit she was close with appeared on her other side and took her hand in his to give a gentle squeeze, "Hey, at least they used a nice photo of you both." He tried to cheer them up, and nodded to the screen where it had school pictures of the girl's faces on the screen.

      He gained two deadpans back, and Bryce just squeezed Charley's hand back with a chuckle, "Thanks Charley, but now is not the time for that." She remined him, eyes hinting at Maddie who was yelling at the cheer squad for getting their names wrong, "We've got bigger issues right now."

      Bryce glanced back to the crowd, and her heart clenched painfully as her brother was walking out of the gym upon the moment her picture popped up onto the screen. She couldn't blame him for doing that, as she knew he must be hurting just as much as she was.

     Though her concerns only raised. Lucy followed behind Thomas like a lost puppy. Bryce wouldn't recall if they were ever that close, Lucy was her best friend and never really interacted with Thomas unless necessary. Unless she was wrong. Unless she was blind to see what was in front all along.

      Before her thoughts could spiral, Charley's voice brought her back to reality, "The good news is, it's only a matter of time till they realise you're both dead." He once again tried to ease their worries, but it only made it worse.

     Maddie gave him a sharp look before stomping off, and Bryce gently hit his shoulder with the back of her hand, "Charley! It's been three days!" She scolded in a whisper yell, giving him a wide eyed stare, "A month for me, but still!"

      She span around also to follow where Maddie ran off to, leaving Charley to sigh to himself and chase on after the two lost souls. He met up with them in the hallways outside of the gym, where he heard Maddie ranting to Bryce.

     "I've been wandering the halls for three days, and I still don't know where I'm supposed to be."

      Bryce pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, and fiddled with her necklace around her neck, not knowing how to reply. She wanted to help Maddie, truly she did, but she also had no clue or idea how herself even ended up in the position they were both stuck in.

She didn't want to be selfish either.

     "If you're looking for it to make sense, you can stop." Charley retorted on his friend's behalf, walking on the other side of Bryce as she was stuck in the middle, "It's not going to."

     Maddie came to a slow stop, and turned to the male with a questioning gaze, "Are you sure I'm dead?" She paused, eyes shooting to Bryce and added on, "Are you are we both are? Because not even a second ago, I thought I lost Bryce forever, and now we're together again but in a place that doesn't make sense!"

      Bryce instantly felt guilt eating away at her heart, knowing first hand how difficult it has been to get use to where they were and how her life would be now. Yet even so, she still hasn't given up the fact that maybe she was missing and she wasn't exactly died. Her grandmother always did say life never ends, not even in death.

     "Maybe-- maybe we're both in a coma in different hospital's somewhere," Maddie continued her rant, grabbing one of Bryce's arms in her hand to pull her along as they walked, "and some overworked nurse is stepping on my breathing tube. And we just need to wake up--"

      "Yeah, no--" Charley butted in before she could finish, and shakes his head, "Someone's been reading way too much Stephen King. A coma is a lovely thought, but no. If you're here, you're here."

     Maddie deadpanned once more at the male, and Bryce only slumped her shoulders tiredly, "I hate it here." The Nears girl bluntly said.

     "Oh, listen. I get it. It's just moving from one prison to another." Charley tried to level with Maddie, sending her a comforting smile, "Only difference it that high school used to feel like an eternity, and now it actually is."

      Bryce ran her hands down her face, groaning. Once again he was only making things worse for Maddie, even though she knew he was just trying to help. What he said was just going to make her spiral downwards even more, as Bryce was still expercing that herself.

      The sudden sound of a basketball bouncing behind them caught her attention, and the voice of a teacher down the other end of the hallway. The hairs at the back of her neck stood up, feeling a weird chilling feeling travel through her spin which had her gripping the W necklace tightly.

     "Hey, you." Mr. Anderson was the teacher scolding the two students with the ball, and not the trio who stood in between the scene, "What are you doing? You can't bounce that in the hall. Come on, give it here."

     One of the students holding the ball bent down and rolled it towards him. Mr. Anderson picked it up in his free hand, "You can grab it after school." He tells them, before turning around and walking off with the basketball.

     As soon as he left, the weird feeling Bryce felt stopped also and it made her inhale deeply. The being invisible part.... was something she still had to get use to, as it's wounded her each time she realises people around her can't see her.

    "Yeah, that's one thing that hasn't changed for me since I went here in he '90's." Charley revealed only a little about his tragic past, and it had Bryce frowning sadly at her friend, "I was basically invisible when I was alive too."

     Bryce continued to walk between Maddie and Charley, their footsteps making no sound against the tiled floors. She was used to this by now—the emptiness, the way the world carried on without them.

     But when they rounded the corner, Bryce's breath hitched.

     There, by the bulletin board, was her older brother.

      Thomas stood with a stack of missing posters in his hands, the same ones that had been plastered across town for the past month. Her smiling face stared back at her from the paper, her name in bold letters, a plea for answers written below. Even now, after all this time, he was still putting them up, still refusing to give up.

     Her eyes burned with unshed tears as she took a step forward, but she knew it was useless. She couldn't touch him. She couldn't speak to him. He couldn't see her.

       And yet....

     As Thomas pressed the tape against the poster, his tired eyes flickered toward where she stood.

      Bryce's heart clenched. He looked exhausted—more than exhausted. Dark circles shadowed his eyes, his shoulders slumped under the weight of a grief he refused to let go of. Around his wrist, he wore one of her handmade bracelets, the colors now slightly faded, but still there. Still holding on.

     Her fingers tightened around the necklace at her throat, a desperate need curling in her chest. She wanted to tell him she was here. That she never meant to leave him like this. That she was sorry.

     A soft squeeze on her shoulder pulled her from her thoughts. Charley. His touch was light but grounding, a silent reminder that she wasn't alone in this. That even in this strange, in-between existence, she still had someone.

     Bryce swallowed hard as she watched Thomas turn to speak with a teacher, their conversation carried out in hushed tones. She could only imagine what they were saying.

      Another missing poster. Another long night searching.

      Another day without answers.

      And still, he wasn't giving up.

     Bryce wiped at her eyes, even though the tears would never fall. She lingered a moment longer, drinking in every detail of him, before finally allowing Charley to gently guide her away.

     "Come on, I want to introduce Maddie to the others." Charley softly spoke to Bryce, squeezing her against his side as he smiles at her slyly, "And I'm sure a certain 6'foot male is waiting for your return, Bry."

      She rolled her eyes fondly with a sniffle, knowing exactly who he was talking about, and turned around, "Maddie, this way." She called out to the blonde, who was lingering at the missing poster of herself and looked up when she heard the call.

     Charley led them into the sports hall, where a bunch of males with no shirts on was playing basketball, their shoes squeaking on the floor as they moved around. Behind them in the corner however, were the other spirits.

     "Oh, are we playing basketball, now?" Maddie asked with a grimace, the only thing she saw was the game and not the actual spirit group that Charley wanted her to meet.

      "Oh my god, no." Charley made a disgusted face hearing her words, and frantically shakes out his free hand that was holding onto Bryce's arm, "Please leave the sports to the living kids. We're over here. Come on."

     They walked over to the circle of chairs, and Bryce's eyes instantly lit up spotting Wally Clark making his way to her. She left Charley to introduce Maddie to everyone, and squealed as the tall male scoped her up into a greeting embrace.

     "Wally! If you drop me-" She exclaimed nervously, her fingers gripped onto his grey singlet he wore and placed the side of her head against his and he span her around in messy circles, "Put me down!"

      His chuckle was deep against her ear, and he carefully placed her down with both of his hands cradling her waist, "You wound me if you think I'd ever drop you," He spoke in a dramatic voice, and then twirled her around to where the chairs were, "Saved ya a seat again with your jacket, Bry. You're welcome, by the way."

     She snorted fondly with an eye roll, her fingers slipping from his larger hand and sat down on the chair that had her jacket placed behind it, "I would of said thank you either way, mister." She remined him with her arms crossed, "I just don't say anything because I know what you are like."

      He flipped his chair around so he sat with his legs facing the front, and sent the girl a charming grin, "Yeah, but it's nice to hear it." He batter his lashes obnoxiously, and lowered his voice, "Especially if it's coming from your mouth."

      Her eyes went wide, and gave him an incredious expression as she felt her cheeks heating up. All she did was kick the back of his leg, which only made Wally laugh more to himself quietly, the two of them in their own little world.

     That was until someone sat on the other side of Bryce, and it broke the small moment between them. She looked away from Wally, and saw Timothee, another spirit she's made... kind friends with. He was annoying but handsome, she would give him that at the least.

     "You're late today, Bryce." Timothee talked to her first, his voice matching his looks perfectly which was one of the first things she noticed about him, "Still visiting the hall after all this time?"

      Her shoulders slumped and her eyes casted down to her shoes, not wanting to respond to his words. She was use to his cocky attuide, as well as how carefree he was about saying whatever came to his mind. Where as she didn't acknowledge him, Wally in fact did.

      "That's none of your business where she's been Timothee." Wally told the latter off, his expression turned into a glare, and nudged his head in the direction of the teacher in charge, "Instead of bothering her, pay attention to what's been said."

     Timothee only smirked wider if anything at Wally, his hair falling over his forehead as he leant back lazily in his chair, not bothered to voice his thoughts anymore.

      Bryce sighed heavily to herself, and wished the ground could swallow her up whole in that moment. She was use to the male's always at each other's throats, and she never understood why that was. Maybe it was her fault, she honestly didn't know.

      "Bryce, I'm glad you decided to join us today."

      The said girl glanced up hearing her name, and made eye contact with Mr. Martin, the one person who seemed to give her anything but good vibes. The same painted smile he would flash everyone was shown to her, and she just fiddled with her green jacket now in her lap.

     "Well, we have a new student with us today." Mr. Martin moved away from Bryce, and started talking about Maddie, who looked like she didn't want to be there, "Um, would you like to introduce yourself?"

     And like Bryce expected, Maddie automatically shut that idea down, "I'm good." But hearing Charley clear his throat, she grumbled to herself and remembered her promise, "Um, sure. Hey, I'm Madison Nears, but everyone calls me Maddie."

     Like a chorus, everyone said their greetings to the new spirit, which had Charley smiling widely. Bryce sent Maddie a reassuring glance, one that Maddie briefly saw before she turned away.

     "Welcome to the Split River High Afterlife Support Group." Mr. Martin told her what the group was, and Bryce had to stifle her snickering at the name she was always told, "It takes a lot of courage to be here, especially when you're new. Would you like to tell us a little about yourself?"

      Bryce sunk more into her seat with a grimace, and watched Maddie narrow her eyes down on the teacher, "What do you need to know?"

      "Well, you could start with how your day is doing." Mr. Martin's glasses cover eyes flickered to the Walker female and back to Charley, "Has Bryce and Charley been helpful guides?"

      Before Maddie could even answer, Rhonda, the ever so bright spirit blurted out without a care in the world, "How'd you die?" She questioned bored, while fiddling with the candy in her fingers.

     Timothee snickered to himself beside Bryce, making the girl send him a side eyed glare followed by Wally shaking his head. Of course he would find that amusing, she thought sighing, typical Timothee.

     "Ok, Rhonda." Mr. Martin spoke to her with a strained smile, and lifted up his hand from resting it on his leg, "Why don't we try to raise our hands if we're going to ask a question?"

      Maddie shuffled in her seat, and cleared her throat, "Uh, one minute I was ditching study hall, and then the next I'm here." Her voice trembled, and her eyes found Bryce's sad ones, "But I don't know who did this to me."

      Bryce knew how her friend felt all too well. She still doesn't have any answers either even after being in limbo for a month, chasing the time thing over and over again for answers. The only thing she did find was Wally, and how somehow he was connected with her, just like the W necklace around her neck.

     "Oh, you were murdered." Wally jumps into the conversation, and causally throws an arm around the back of Bryce's chair so her shoulders was touching his forearm, "Bry doesn't know either, so you're not the only one--"

      The said girl snapped her head towards him, and gave him a wide eyed stare of disbelief. His mouth instantly shut with a sheepish expression, and gave her his best puppy eyed look as she huffed, turning away from him.

      "Welcome to the club." Rhonda muttered more to herself, picking at the nails on her fingers, not looking at anyone in the group.

     "Can we maybe exchange names first so Maddie feels a little more welcome?" Mr. Martin shot down the discussion about how they died fast, which made Bryce's eyebrow raise but didn't comment on it.

      Maddie crossed her arms over her lap, and shakes her head, "I don't know, exactly."

      A tense silence falls over the group, one that has Bryce fiddling with the bracelet around her wrist, not meeting anyone's gaze but felt a pair staring at the side of her head worriedly.

      "Look, they haven't found either of our bodies yet." Maddie continued, using her hand to motion at the quiet Bryce, "But I know that there was blood on the walls of the boiler room where I was last and I'm here now."

      Bryce bit down on her bottom lip nervously, and felt her knee starting to bounce. She hated this, she hated the feeling she always got when the spirits would talk about what happened to her, or when she was the center of their discussion. She hated it because she had no answers to give, and more questions then anything.

      "Huh." Wally was the only one to reply, and even his response ticked the blonde next to him off also, not just Maddie who looked like she wanted to slap someone.

     "Huh? What's huh?" Maddie repeated in confusion, frantically scanning the group when they all went quiet and become stiff all of a sudden, "Is that-- is that weird or something? Not knowing?"

      Charley adjusted his glasses and nodded his head as he spoke, "Well, um, Bryce has been the only other spirit to experience this." He eventually admitted, sending a sorry smile to his friend for using her as the example, "We thought she would be the only one, but guess not now."

     Rhonda placed the candy in her mouth, and went back to sucking on it, giving her the chance to speak once more, "So then, what do you remember, cherry pop?"

       Bryce glanced up through her locks, trying to get a peek at Maddie's expression. It looked like she was stuck in a trance, most likely remembering something from when she... wasn't stuck in limbo. She herself had trouble remembering certain things, but her mind would always drift back to her family, and the moments with them before she was.... in this difficult position.

      The groups voices wove together in an eerie, distant hum, like a radio station just slightly out of tune. She said nothing, only listened, her leg bouncing uncontrollably beneath the chair.

      Her fingers toyed with the pendant hanging from her neck, the cool metal rolling between them as a means of grounding herself. It was a telltale sign—anxious energy thrumming through her, threatening to consume her whole—

       Warmth.

       A large hand settled over her thigh.

      The movement slowed, then stopped entirely. Warmth seeped through the fabric of her cargo pants, anchoring her in place. Her breath hitched as her head jerked sideways, locking eyes with familiar deep brown ones.

         Wally.

      The one she was closest to among the spirits. The only one who seemed to truly understand her. Maybe she was crazy, maybe she was in over her head -- but she felt like she's known him way longer than they've been together.

      His touch was firm yet careful, a silent reassurance. A small, knowing smile tugged at his lips, and before she could even think to react, he gave her thigh a gentle squeeze.

      The warmth spread—not just from his touch, but deeper, something curling inside her chest. The hall, the voices, the weight of the worries pressing on her shoulders, they all faded for just a moment.

      Even when he turned back to the discussion, his hand remained.

      Bryce, however, couldn't seem to look away from him. Or, more specifically, from his hand still resting on her leg. The fluttering sensation in her stomach grew, her cheeks warming by the second.

       He always seemed to know when she needed comfort.

      And he never hesitated to give it.

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❪ ✏️ ❫ 𝚆𝙾𝚁𝙳𝚂 : 3867
─►☆ AUTHOR'S NOTE :
LORDDD i hate writing my own scenes sometimes because it takes up half the damn word count but i just had the add some other scenes since this fic is about bryce's story and where she comes into play with what happened to her 🙏🏻

and yeah the beef goes hard between timothee and wally just you guys wait LMFAAOAO it's actually so funny when i think about it more 😭

anywaysss you all know the drill, vote,
comment, ect (if you want) mwah <33