*Hey, guys. So, I know I've taken a break from A Day in the Life for a moment, but for mental reasons. However, this is from aforementioned work, which I've decided to make into a story. I hope you enjoy.*

It started off as weird, small incidences. First, she had dropped a pen, and before she could even reach down, it was right beside her hand on the table. Next, she couldn't reach a book and went to get a library assistant to help her, but when the two of them returned to the spot, the book was in a lower area where she could reach, title in view. Then, it was when she could have sworn to have heard a discombobulated voice coming from her side at the same table she always sat at. She couldn't quite make out what it said, so she put her earbuds in and listened to music on her laptop. There was the rumor, or well, to her a poor excuse of a ghost story, that ran around the campus that the table was haunted.

"Leave it to Cordelia to check it out," her friend, Robin, had said the second they heard of it. They had just left a two-year college and entered the four-year college. Cordelia frowned at Robin then put her hands on her hips in defiance.

"Why would I believe in stupid ghost stories anyway?" she huffed. "You'll not see me at the table!"

"Yeah, sure," Robin laughed, leaning onto Olivia for support. "I give it a week."

Well, she beat Robin's bet... by one day. It was right by the entrance, and she always got a chill whenever she entered. As though someone were watching her... But the smell of Starbucks from deeper within the first floor of the library would waiver that off within seconds, and she'd go grab her a cup of hot caramel macchiato before returning to the table to continue her studies. Ever the studious one and the perfectionist, everything had to be just right. She and Robin were roommates, so she timed it just right so Robin would miss whenever she was in there, as Robin was studious as well. That way, she wouldn't have it rubbed in her face how Robin was right (kinda), and she probably owed her something.

But when a month went by, and the weird stuff kept happening... Cordelia was almost afraid to visit the table anymore. She started seeing a person sitting there, but then the person would just vanish into thin air. Or a book would appear when she wasn't looking, and when she would glance over its content, she would see it was just what she needed for a paper she was writing. It was eerie. No one else would sit at the table as well, and when passing by, she would receive glances from people that told her she was either brave or crazy. Whatever, she was more than likely both anyway. She was going to school to be a detective, and the things seen when investigating crime scenes wasn't for the faint of heart at times. She didn't care. The only person she ever cared what he thought about her was engaged to her so-called "best friend", who knew for the longest time she had been in love with him for years. They hadn't talked in two years.

This time, when she entered the library, Starbucks couldn't distract her. She saw him. The person who had been vanishing and reappearing... was sitting at the table. He wasn't staring at her. She sighed to herself. He probably had never been in the first place. It was just creepy feeling that lingered, sending her over edge every time. Inhaling deeply, she made her way over to the table- he moved his backpack absentmindedly out of the way, still reading material for whatever class it was- and sat her backpack down on the table. She opened it up, grabbing what she needed to start on a research paper for one of her classes and neatly arranging it on the table before her. In the front were smaller pockets, so she unzipped the smallest one on top and pulled out a pen, then reached in, felt around...

Where's my highlighter? she wondered. She checked the other pockets and the main compartment of the backpack then sighed in frustration. It was in there in her class earlier. She must have dropped it in there. Ever the perfectionist, she knew she couldn't start her paper without her highlighter. Her eyes shifted to the man's backpack then timidly to him. His eyes were narrow, but she could see brown pupils. His dark brown hair was short but mildly messy; the wind always blew at the campus, as it was in a valley. She didn't mind. It made her wonder how hers looked. Even though he was sitting, she could tell he was rather tall, and he was of stocky build. She wasn't sure if he lifted weights or was part of any sports team on the campus, school-faction or recreational. That's when she realized... she was literally staring this man down. She borrowed her head in her backpack again, blushing deeply.

You idiot. You don't just stare at people like that. What's the matter with you?

She coughed then looked back to him, building up courage.

"E-Excuse me," she called to him. Nothing. He didn't even look away from his book. She thought that perhaps he hadn't heard her, as she had called out rather timidly. "Excuse me," she repeated, louder this time. Still nothing. No movement, no acknowledgment. This peeved her. What on earth was his problem? She gave it one last go. "Hey, you!"

At this, he at last looked up and at her, confused. "Who? Me?"

"Oh, so you can hear," she snipped.

"Yeah, rather well, actually," he winced at her tone. "I just... didn't know you were talking to me."

She motioned around the table. "Do you see anyone else here I'd be talking to?" She sighed again. A rather bad habit of hers. "Anyway, I lost my highlighter. Do you have an extra I can borrow?"

"Yeah, of course," he nodded, reaching in his backpack and pulling one out. "Again, I'm really sorry. You've just been coming to this table so long, and I'm sure you've heard the tales."

"I have. Is that why you're here?" she asked, taking the highlighter from him. He gave her a rather quirky grin.

"Um, well-"

"Ha! I knew it!"

Cordelia jumped and looked at the entrance to see Robin and Olivia there, making their way over at the table.

"Ugh... these are my friends, Robin and Olivia," Cordelia introduced to the man. The two stopped, highly confused.

"Cordelia? Who are you talking to?" Olivia asked.

Cordelia laughed, then noticed that even Robin looked serious. Cordelia then looked from the man to her friends several times. She pointed at him. "You don't see him?"

Olivia shook her head. "There's no one there. Are you okay?"

Robin walked over to the table and looked around. "No caramel macchiato? Are you cutting yourself down on caffeine? That has to be the cause of this."

Cordelia huffed. "Look, I just hadn't had the chance to- are you serious? You can't see him? His backpack? His book?"

Robin hurried away, and within minutes brought her a caramel macchiato. "There. Fix yourself up, you addict." She sat it down on the table. "Anyway, I have some good news! I met someone!"

"Really? That's great!" Cordelia smiled. "When will I get to meet him?"

"Not sure. He's on the school's basketball team, so he's gone a lot. But he's really sweet."

Olivia tugged on Robin's arm. "Robin, we're gonna be-"

"Right, sorry," Robin nodded. "We have a psych class together. She's taking it to try to figure out her boyfriend-"

Olivia blushed as she elbowed Robin's ribs, Cordelia laughing. "Shut-uuuup! Henry's just complicated, okay? I know that smile's not real."

"Sure, sure," Robin joked. "See you back at the dorm, Cordelia." She pointed at the caramel macchiato. "Seriously, drink up. I think your lack of caffeine is making you delusional."

Robin and Olivia hurried out, and Cordelia slowly turned her head toward the man. He was leaned back in his chair, hands behind his head.

"Are... are you a ghost?"

Laughter. This made her cheeks burn hot.

"D-Don't make fun of me!"

"I'm not," he laughed. "Second year here, and other than my best friend, who I think your friend Robin is dating, by the way... I'll ask him about that later, you're the first person to ever notice me."

Cordelia made a haughty chuckle. "As big as this campus is? And stand up." He did, and she nodded. "And as tall as you are? Doubt it."

"It's true. No one notices me."

The red-head rolled her eyes. "You gotta be kidding me."

"Nope." He closed his book and held it above his head, above the table. "Watch this."

"W-Wait! What-"

He dropped the book, a loud SMACK! echoing in her ears. She gasped and jumped up, ready to bolt when someone would come and reprimand and/or toss them out of the library. Seconds passed by, and then-

"Cordelia? You okay?" asked one of the student workers.

"Y-Yes. I-I, uh... thought I saw a spider, is all. Just a dust bunny."

The student worker nodded as the man sat down, reopening his book to the bookmark he'd placed just before closing it. Cordelia slowly sat back down in her chair, her eyes back on him, her mind full of questions.

"They didn't..."

"Nope."

"How couldn't..."

He shrugged. "A gift, I guess." She shook her head, but before she could get anything else out- "Well, I know who you are. My name is Kellam."

"Kellam. N-Nice to meet you."

He laughed. "You don't need to be scared of me. I'm real. I'm alive and kickin'. People just don't tend to see me."

"I don't understand..."

He shrugged.

"Wait," she breathed, her eyes widening in realization. "All those times... the books, the help... that was you?"

He nodded. "I'm going to school to be a detective as well. You took the tough teachers- the ones I took, as well. I just thought I'd help you out a bit, is all."

"Over a month..." she whispered. "Why didn't you ever say- uhn..." She recalled all the times she thought she had heard someone speak, but ignored it. "Kellam... I'm so sorry. I feel awful."

"Ah, no worries. Been this way my whole life."

Her eyebrows heightened. "Whole life?"

Kellam fiddled with his bookmark. "It may sound... creepy... but I got this vibe you were lonely. I mean, yeah, you got your friends, but..."

Cordelia exhaled in mild annoyance. "Don't analyze me."

"Sorry..."

She sighed yet again, leaned back in the chair, and crossed her arms. "Two years ago, my best friend got engaged to a man she knew I'm in love with. Or was in love with. Or maybe... I don't know... Robin means well, but she's always trying to set me up with people. Olivia would never... she's too bashful for that. Plus, she's got her own issues. Her boyfriend is... well... he's not creepy, but he kinda is? And he smiles way too damn much. Something bad or sad happens to him? He just smiles it off."

Kellam shrugged. "Could be a coping mechanism. Maybe traumatic childhood experiences lead to an emotional break?"

Cordelia gazed at him, speechless. Then... "You're not just going for detective, are you?"

He rubbed the back of his neck anxiously. "Look, I don't like talking about me, okay? So, tell me about you."

Cordelia cocked her head to the side. "Why don't you like talking about yourself?"

"I just don't."

She edged closer. "You don't like being the center of attention."

Kellam thrust his bookmark in his book, threw it in his backpack, stood up whilst zipping it, and looked at Cordelia. "I'm late for class."

Cordelia jumped up. "Oh my gosh, wait!" He'd already started walking away, so for once in her life she was messy and just tossed everything in her backpack, following him. "Kellam! Kellam, wait!" She had no trouble seeing him, as he was almost taller than everyone, minus the few who were around his height. "Kellam!"

He stopped at the fountain in front of the library, turning to look at her. She was out of breath. Advantages of being tall: quickness because of legspan. She finally caught her breath and looked up at him, it registering just how tall he was. Perhaps 6'7, 6'8? She was 5'5- he towered her. She waved her hands in front of her.

"I'm so sorry... I didn't..."

Kellam shook his head, exhaled, and sat on the side of the fountain, which she followed suit. "My upbringing wasn't that great, and it was mostly my fault. I was really young when I was thrown out, see?" He patted his side. "I lived on the streets for a long time until my best friend's family took me in. But I didn't escape injury. I was a kid, and I was stabbed for money I didn't have." Cordelia wanted to gasp, but all she could do was cover her mouth. "It was my best friend who found me. That's how we met. He and his family saved my life."

"Your friend sounds wonderful."

"He is," Kellam nodded in agreement. "Maybe one day, you'll get to meet him, since I think he's dating your roommate. I'm not sure."

Cordelia found her hand going towards to where Kellam had patted on his torso, but she stopped. "Does it hurt?"

"Sometimes. Mostly on cold or rainy days. Like when people who've broken a bone experience that pain, ya know?"

"Did you...?"

"Almost. I'd lost a lot of blood by the time my friend found me." He took hold of Cordelia's hand, lifted up his shirt just enough to where she couldn't see, and placed her hand on the scar. It was long, jagged. He wasn't just stabbed. He was nearly gutted. She removed her hand, holding onto it with her other. "That's what made me want to do something good in this world. What my friend and his family did for me... the cops and the EMS. I'm only going for detective. It's my best friend who wants to go to FBI as a profiler. I've just managed to pick up some things from him because we're basically brothers. His parents raised me, and he had several siblings of his own." He then looked down, his cheeks tinted red. "A-Anyway, that's Kellam's history, abridged. You can only unlock the rest after... well..."

Cordelia leaned forward, trying to look at him. "After what?"

"At the risk of looking like an ass..." she heard him mutter to himself. He then sat upright. "After unlocking Friendship Mode Level One!"

At this, Cordelia laughed. "Oh, is this how this goes? How many levels are there?"

"You must find out for yourself, young one."

"Young? I'm only a year younger than you!" she giggled as she playfully shoved him. He laughed as well. "Okay, fine. I'll try to unlock Level One. But the same goes for me, too!"

"Fair enough," Kellam nodded. "I like a challenge." He glanced around. "So, um..."

Cordelia laughed nervously. "You're just as bad at this as I am."

"Look, you're the first person to take interest in me the two years I've been here. Cut me some slack," Kellam smirked. "Okay. What's your number?"

"804-685-2983. Yours?"

Her phone pinged, and she got a text from 602-588-4602 that read: It's the library ghost.

"Hardy har har," she joked, adding Kellam to her contacts. What he didn't know was she added him as "Library Ghost". "So, when we wanna meet up?"

"Text?"

"Sounds good. Does it always need to be at the library?" she asked.

"I don't know... you do need your caramel ma-"

"MY MACCHIATO!" she squealed as she jumped up and ran inside. When she came back out with her cup, he was still waiting for her at the fountain. "Thanks for that."

"I knew you were missing something."

"I'm just glad Gibson didn't throw it away. He's such a... ugh."

"Ah, he's okay. Kinda."

They both shared a chuckle. Kellam stood up. "Well, now I really am late for class. It was nice meeting you, Cordelia."

"Likewise," Cordelia smiled at him. "Text you later?"

"Yeah, sure."

Cordelia watched him walk away, finally happy that for the first time, she wouldn't be so lonesome anymore.