Ghost Of You: Prologue

Dakota is a different type of boy. He knew this when he was very young, but never said anything. He didn't understand that he was too special for anyone to understand him. No one would see him for who he was. His mother, though, didn't want him to be a boy. She would make him dress in dresses every day, let his hair grow long, buy him Barbie dolls, and baby dolls. She would make sure everyone knew that Dakota was a beautiful girl, not a boy. Dakota's dad didn't see anything wrong with Dakota dressing like a girl so said nothing about it. Dakota thought that maybe that's how he was suppose to act, that he was a special boy.

Dakota's mom divorced his dad for some reason. She would tell Dakota that she loves me so much and wants him to stay with her. Dakota's dad went away with his new love, but always called his children everyday.

In middle school, Dakota cut his hair short to be like a boy, not feelings comfortable in dresses and having long hair. He didn't like that everyone called him she, and would cry at night for not being a normal boy. When his mother saw his hair, she yelled at him for hours, calling him ugly and more horrible names that a parent should never call their children. Dakota's younger brother that it was weird that she yelled at his older "sister" for a silly thing. Dakota stop wearing dresses, wearing his girl pants and plain shirts to school he felt more like the boys. They never did talk to him though nor would the girls, they thought Dakota was weird and had cooties. Dakota would run around the playground by himself, pretending to be a spy, hiding under the playground. No one ever found him. Sometime others would ask if he wanted to play, he always say yes, happy that they ask. They would play tag; no one would try and tag him even if he didn't move. He would then leave after he notice he wasn't really wanted to hide under the playground wishing that they did not ask to play with him.

In high school freshman year, Dakota gain weight. He would hide his old body from everyone under layers of black baggy clothing. His short black hair was grown out, most of it covering his face. He would stare at the ground or desk, never notice by anyone. Some girls in his class would talk to him, being nice. They would laugh about random stuff, and Dakota would feel normal. One girl, he began to develop a crush on, asked if he wanted to sit with them. He happily said yes. Though, like when he was younger, no one would pay attention to him. After a few days he just stop sitting with them. They never notice.

In junior year, his mother would yell about the way he looks, again, calling him ugly and a loser, asking him why he can't be normal like his younger brother. He would fight back, but in the end he would cry himself to sleep. His weight was the number one problem that his mother would always yell at him about. He would research on how to get skinny and anorexia, he cut food from his life that summer. He feinted, his mother yelled at him for messing up. He began to eat again, but would go to swim it off or run. He lost about seventy pounds making him weigh one-twenty-five.  He stop wearing boy type clothing, going to skinny jeans to still feel a bit more of a boy and tight shirts. He paid for his hair to get bleach out to seem happier, getting hair extensions to look more like a girl. His mother was happy. He started to cut himself, reading about it that it can make you feel good, needing to feel real, and not a ghost. His left wrist was covered with shallow cuts, while in sat in the back of class cutting. He stop after one cut was a little too deep and he spend the class time with his wrist on his mouth sucking at the blood so no one can catch him. When his father called, he would pretend everything was 100 percent okay.

Sophomore year, Dakota would spend his lunch time alone. At first he would stay in the lunchroom but he was saving his lunch money for boy clothing. He would just sit there reading a comic book or drawing zombies. Sometimes of he was lucky, someone would notice him and call him names. He decided the library was a better place to stay. He would sit in the horror isle and read, sometimes he would draw his zombies on index cards leaving them in the book but to notice the book was taken out a few days later. He would write in a little black book he bought for a Dollar on all his thoughts of being normal boy.

Senior year, Dakota just stop wishing to be normal. He would stare at the table in the library during his lunch, he sometimes would text his girlfriend but broke up with her after a few months due to the fact they can never see each other. He dated a "friend" but she didn't see him as a boy, just like his mother. He began to give up on girls all together, and the whole human race. He would listen to his music, painting his nails black. He never did notice the way a pair of blue eyes would stare at him.

Oliver notice Dakota in the senior year. Like everyone, Oliver thought Dakota was a girl, even with the lack of chest. The super low men's tight V cut shirts didn't even phase his mind that Dakota was a boy. When Oliver heard Dakota talk, the genderfucked person had a monotone voice that held no gender in it. Unless he was talking to a teacher that was mean, he's voice would raise a bit higher making him sound no doubt like a female. Oliver never saw Dakota use the bathrooms, so that left a mystery. For gym he come dressed for class, wearing shorts or long sweats pants. His long bleach hair would cover his face most of the time, or he would have his head down, staring at the ground. No one tired getting Dakota to play, no one wanted to be his partner. Oliver tried to go up to him, to be friendly, but every time Dakota would sigh, getting up and leaves, not leaving a trace of his existent around. Sometimes, Oliver believes Dakota was a ghost. At the senior all night party, for the seniors that have graduated, Oliver decided to try and talk to him once that night. Around one am, he walk over but stop when the blonde pick up his phone, laughing at his drunk friend. Two hours later, Dakota vanish from the party.

Oliver went to community college, like most seniors from his school did. He was walking through the lunchroom, proudly wearing his rainbow belt his ex-boyfriend had gotten him, when he notice the familiar depress brown eyes, his heart pound wildly at the sight of the bleach hair "girl". Even though he was gay, he didn't like seeing girls so sad like Dakota was during High School, after the all night party he cursed himself and vowed to talk to every sad human out there, knowing he did something to make them feel wanted. Gathering his courage, Oliver walked over to the boy wearing all black.

"Hi." he said smiling, the smile that makes all girls fall for him. Sad brown eyes look up; they were a bit poofy and red.