Rena sat at her desk, scribbling notes furiously as she tried to concentrate on her homework. But the ghost's constant interruptions were making it nearly impossible.
"Hey, Rena, remember that time we went to the park? "
Rena rolled her eyes. "Yes, I remember. You've told me about it at least ten times already."
"Sorry, I just thought it was a fun memory."
"Yeah, well, it's getting old," Rena muttered, tapping her pen against the desk.
Silence fell between them for a few moments, broken only by the sound of Rena's pen scratching against paper. But it didn't last long.
"Hey, Rena, do you remember that time you tripped and fell on your face in front of the entire school? "
Rena's face turned bright red. "Yes, thanks for reminding me. Again."
The ghost chuckled. "You know, you should really learn to laugh at yourself more. Life's too short to take everything so seriously."
Rena glared at the empty space beside her. "Easy for you to say. You don't have to deal with being possessed by a ghost."
"I know, Rena. And I'm sorry for causing you so much trouble. But I really do appreciate you helping me."
Rena sighed, feeling a pang of guilt. "Yeah, well, it's not like I have much of a choice, do I?"
The ghost fell silent, and Rena returned to her homework, trying to push aside her frustration. But it wasn't long before the ghost spoke up again.
"Hey, Rena, do you think we could come up with a name for me? Calling me 'ghost' all the time is kind of boring."
Rena blinked, taken aback by the suggestion. "A name? For you? Why?"
"I don't know. It just feels weird being called 'ghost' all the time. "
"Well, you are a ghost so... Then what about ...hmm.... evil spirit. "
".... "
"Alright, fine. But don't expect anything too fancy. I'm terrible with names."
Rena thought for a moment, then snapped her fingers. "How about... Casper ?"
"Really, Rena? Casper? That's so cliché. I expected better from you."
Rena laughed. "Okay, okay, fair point. How about... Spooky?"
"Spooky? What am I, a Halloween decoration? Try again."
Rena pretended to be offended. "Hey, coming up with names on the spot is harder than it looks! Fine, let's see... Phantom?"
"Too dramatic. Plus, it reminds me of that opera. Pass."
"Ugh, this is hopeless. Why is naming a ghost so hard?" she muttered, running a hand through her hair.
The ghost laughed. "I don't know, but it's certainly entertaining."
Rena shot the empty space beside her a glare. "Easy for you to say. You're not the one coming up with terrible names."
The ghost chuckled. "True. But hey, at least we're having fun, right?"
Rena sighed, unable to stay mad at the ghost's infectious laughter. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Alright, let's keep trying. We'll come up with something eventually."
They continued brainstorming, throwing out ridiculous names like Ghosty McGhostface, Phantom Friend, and Spectral Sidekick. Each suggestion was met with laughter and ridicule from both of them.
Finally, after much deliberation, they settled on a name. "How about... Jia?" Rena suggested tentatively.
"Jia? What does it mean?"
Rena shrugged. "I don't know. It just popped into my head. But it sounds cool, right?"
"Yeah, I guess it does. Jia it is, then."
The next day at school, Rena tried to put aside her worries and focus on her studies. But the events of the past few days weighed heavily on her mind, and she found it difficult to concentrate.
Her friends noticed her distracted demeanor, and Jessy, always the outspoken one, decided to confront her about it.
"Rena, what's been going on with you lately?" Jessy asked, her tone serious.
Rena tried to brush it off with a casual laugh. "Oh, nothing much. Just dealing with some... personal stuff."
Kiara frowned. "It's more than that, Rena. We know you've been acting strange lately. You've been talking to yourself, and you seem distant."
Rena hesitated, unsure of how much to reveal. But seeing the worry in her friends' eyes, she decided to come clean.
"Okay, fine. But you have to promise not to freak out," she said, her voice serious.
Rena took a deep breath. "Okay, here goes. You know that old school building everyone talks about? Well, I... I've been communicating with a ghost."
Jessy and Kiara stared at her, their eyes wide with disbelief.
"A ghost? Are you serious?" Jessy exclaimed, sounding equal parts shocked and intrigued.
Rena nodded. "Yes, I'm serious. I know it sounds crazy, but it's true. And her name is Jia. By the way I named her. "
Kiara's eyes widened even further. "Wow, that's... unexpected. But how did this happen? And why are you the only one who can see her?"
Rena shrugged. "I don't know how it happened. Maybe because of that incident in the old school building. And as for why I'm the only one who can see her... I have no idea."
"So let me get this straight," Jessy said, her brow furrowed in concentration. "You're telling us that you're possessed by a ghost?"
Rena nodded, her heart pounding in her chest. "Yeah, I know it sounds crazy, but it's true. I wouldn't believe it either if it weren't happening to me."
Kiara reached out and squeezed Rena's hand reassuringly. "We believe you, Rena. And we're here to help you figure this out."
Rena felt a surge of gratitude towards her friends. Despite the bizarre nature of her situation, they were standing by her side, ready to support her no matter what.
"Thanks, guys," she said, her voice choked with emotion. "I don't know what I'd do without you."
Jessy grinned. "Hey, that's what friends are for, right? Now let's get down to business."
Jessy looked skeptical. "So, what does this ghost want? And why is she talking to you?"
Rena hesitated, unsure of how much to reveal. "She... she wants to remember who she was before she died. But her memory is kind of... fuzzy."
Kiara frowned. "That's... sad. But also kind of creepy."
Rena nodded. "Yeah, but she's not evil or anything. She's just... lost."
Jessy looked thoughtful. "So, how are you supposed to help her remember? It's not like you're a ghost whisperer or something."
Rena chuckled. "I wish. But I have no idea. We've been trying different things, but nothing seems to work."
Kiara's eyes lit up with an idea. "What about the janitor? The one Jia mentioned? Maybe he knows something about her."
So, Rena and her friends set out to investigate Mr. Harrison, the janitor who may hold the key to unlocking Jia's memories.
As they approached the school building, Rena felt a surge of nervous energy coursing through her veins. She couldn't shake the feeling that they were on the brink of discovering something big, something that could change everything.
But as they reached the janitor's office, they found it locked and deserted. Rena's heart sank as she realized their plan had hit a dead end.
"Well, that was anticlimactic," Jessy muttered, kicking a stray pebble in frustration.
Kiara placed a comforting hand on Rena's shoulder. "Don't worry, Rena. We'll figure this out. We just need to keep searching."
Rena nodded, her determination renewed. "Yeah, you're right. We can't give up now. There's got to be some way to help Jia remember."
To be continued...