The Ghost in Apartment 7b

She turned again, and the cat-suit vanished to be replaced by her usual red flapper dress. "Hmm - how about you teach me about what you are studying. I would like to learn."

"And perhaps later, I could show you how to dance the Charleston?" She had been a good dancer when she was alive, and even though it had been decades since she had done it, she still remembered the steps.
 
"I don't even know what the Charston is..." he said slowly "Other than a brand of chewing gum in a cartoon I like..." he shoot his head. "Well its really complicated and I don't understand all of it yet. Medical science has come a long was in the last century I mean... Where do I start?"

He pulled his text book towards himself and then had a better idea.. "Why don't you read my paper and tell me what you think! I'm handing it in tomorrow and could really use opinions."
 
"The Charleston is a dance from the 20's - I loved doing it with my mother and sister at the Saturday dances." She smiled reminiscently at the memory. "It's actually really easy."

She grinned and pulled the paper over. As she read, her brow furrowed in concentration. Finally she finished and pushed it back. "That is really detailed, and fascinating. It's amazing how much medicine has improved in the last 90 years or so." Her eyes shone with interest - she felt something she hadn't felt in a long time - a genuine interest.
 
"I'm glad you like it.." he said realizing she might not be the best person to get critique from but glad it fascinated her. "Though.." he paused "Do you want to take a walk? Just around the building where no one will see us, you can show me around..." he looked away and scratched the back of his neck. "We've been here all day and it will be nice to get fresh air and maybe go to the roof and look at the sunset.. or something."
 
"Oh - sure." Florence nodded, and stood up. "Now, yeah?" She suddenly felt nervous - this was the first time in ninety years that she had done anything with anyone, let alone a guy!

She glanced down at herself, and frowned slightly. "Although, I think I should perhaps change." She concentrated, and her dress was replaced with a pair of white trousers and a men's shirt, which was over-long on her.
 
He gave her a puzzled look but didn't say anything... she looked like she had just spent the night in a guy's room, and why she'd need to change... maybe she just liked it.

He walked up the hall and opened the door as he slipped the keys into his pocket and then took her hand and stepped out. "Can't have you floating out any windows." he joked as he closed the door. It always amazed him how warm she felt.. and it made him smile.
 
Florence laughed at his comment, and her bout of nerves dissipated with the touch of his hand in hers. They began the long walk down the stairs to the back door of the building. She could have just floated down, but she didn't want to leave him there, and besides, their hands were conjoined.

She glanced sideays at him and noticed his smile. It was infectious, and she smiled too. "Why are you smiling like that?"
 
"Because I want to." he said his smile widening into a grin. "And theres no reason not to." he walked faster and looked ahead "Where do you want to take me?" he was sure she had to have secret hiding places everywhere.. he would if he had been living ere 90 yearn and couldn't be seen. Then suddenly he stopped.

"Wait.. I just had an idea.." he said slowly "Can ghosts possess people or read their minds or.. something like that?" he asked. "Since maybe.. maybe..." his voice changed sounding more hesitant... "You can taste things thought me... then I can show you what pizza tastes like.."
 
Florence thought about that and slowly said, "I've never thought about that, but I could try. That would be so cool though!" She exclaimed with a grin. "We should try that later on...." She thought about all the different things she never got a chance to experience - going on a boat, driving, sex....... All things she had missed out on. She thought about the last one, and blushed.
 
He kept his face hidden wondering it it really was a good idea to offer someone he barely knew control of his body. "Yeah.. I'll get pizza for dinner." he said. He had the feeling things were moving too quickly but that he couldn't stop even if he wanted them to.

He would have to talk to her.

But not now, after he did some thinking. Why did everything have to be so complicated?
 
They finally reached the bottom of the stairs, and Florence reached to open the door, but she hesitated, feeling the first edges of nerves. She hadn't been out of the building in thirty years since she was evacuated from her other house. This was new..... and she felt nervous about it.

But then she swallowed, and opened the door. The sun wasn't too bright, and there was clouds covering the sky, but Florence thought it was wonderful - just the feeling of being outside made her feel happier than ever. She grinned broadly and closed her eyes, standing there and soaking in the experience.
 
The trip downstairs took longer than he though it would. He hated the dinginess of the corridors and the oppressiveness if the stairwell but outside.. only looking back at the building did he shiver. But taking a deep breath he put it out of his mind and when he opened his eyes again he sighed.

"So where are we going?" he asked "Anywhere special?"

He had to be crazy, being outside with her, holding her hand, talking to her. It would be easier to explain to himself if she was an imaginary friend, but she wasn't.
 
"Well, I can't exactly go around town - not unless I want to freak out everyone - so maybe just around the building?" Florence suggested with a sweet smile. She recalled her feeling this time yesterday - a feeling of complete loneliness - and contrasted it with her feelings now.

Something had happened to her in the last 24 hours - something good.
 
He smiled back. "That sounds like fun, I still want to watch the sunset from the roof if thats okay..." he would suggest they take a picnic but was once again foiled by the fact that his da... friend didn't eat. But you know what.. screw it, she could taste though him... "We could take up some food and try the whole taste thing..."

He still wasn't sure about the having a ghost in his head thing... and girl ghost. "That is if you want, I mean I know its got to be scary to go into someone's head I know its scare for me to think about someone seeing into my mind.."
 
"That sounds great." She flashed him a smile, and looked up at the roof of the building. Her long brown hair fell down her back, and ended at her waist. She had had a dream as a child to be Rapunzel, so she hadn't had her hair cut for years before she died. Now that she was a ghost, her hair stayed the same length.

"And I don't think I would see into your mind, I would probably just envelop it, and borrow the use of your senses. I wouldn't want to invade your privacy like that."
 
"Oh well..." there want his plan.. he had kind of planned for her to hear what he felt about her when she was in his mind.. it was a stupid plan anyway. "You know you should get outside more often.. I think I'd go crazy staying along and inside that long. And I don't mean having too many cats crazy.. I mean throwing myself out the window crazy."

He looked down. "I would have though a person alone that long would just stop keeping track of time all together... or maybe thats just me being dark again.. um.." he looked at the sun.. "I don't think I like the sounds of being dead."
 
She smiled at what he said, "Well, I don't think most people do like the sound of being dead. And I just didn't know what to do with my life - or lack of it. When you are a ghost, there isn't a lot to do socially. The most you get to do is see how many floors you can float through in succession." Florence grinned, and added, "My record is eight by the way."

"Shall we go up to the apartment and prepare the food for tonight?" She gently squeezed his hand where they were connected.
 
"I was just thinking or ordering.." he confessed stopping suddenly and pulling his hand away. "I.. I'm sorry." he said feeling overwhelmed and thinking maybe things were going too fast. What was going too fast there was nothing between them yet. He was just nervous and she had to be able to see that in the way he looked away and pulled on the hair on the back of his neck.

He needed to breathe, he needed space, and that need made him feel like an idiot, she was being sweet and talkative and all he could do was turn away from her and .. "What do you want to eat?"
 
Florence felt hurt and bewildered. Why was he acting like this? Had she maybe done something to upset him? She bit her lip, trying to stop tears from breaking over - apparently ghosts could cry translucent tears - and replied shakily, "Whatever you want."

She turned and began to float up the stairs again to the apartment, trying to understand what had happened.
 
He didn't want her to go. Fuck he had upset her and now he felt like an asshole. He raced back up the path and up the stairs trying to beat her there. He fumbled the key in the lock and pushed the door open. "Florence?" he wouldn't be surprised if she wasn't here, was hiding in another apartment. "Look I'm sorry I was just.. I need to tell you something.."

There was no helping it he would need to tell her now and make it up to her somehow.
 
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